3 views of Tompkins Square Park from a $5,900 apartment in the Christodora

A two-bedroom apartment in the Christodora House hit the market yesterday — $5,900. (Hurry, won't last!)

You can read about the apartment here. I just like the photos of the fall views of the Park/city that accompany the listing...

Rent for one year in this apartment is $70,800. As you may recall, the city sold the entire (bombed-out) building to a developer during a public auction in 1975 for $62,500.

Bonus look: Rooftop addition at 315 E. 10th St.!

Tompkins Square Park playground closed for repair for some reason

The playground on Avenue A and East Ninth Street in Tompkins Square Park has been closed all week for repairs...

[Bobby Williams]

[Steven Matthews]

[SM]

The sandbox has been closed for months here. (As previously noted, the Parks Department had closed the sandbox because of a recurring problem — the sharp lip is exposed when the sand level gets too low ... kids are apparently removing the sand for various reasons...)

We asked Chad Marlow, who helped launch the Tompkins Square Park & Playgrounds Parents' Association (TSP3A) in 2011, if he knew what was happening with the repairs.

"My hope is that, in addition to adding sand to the sandbox, they are trying to correct the structural flaw that regularly allows sand to clog the sprinklers," Marlow said. "When I passed by the other day it appeared the work was focused on major repairs/rennovations under the surface area between the sandbox and sprinklers."

The playground was closed for 11 months, reopening in July 2009, for a $1.5 million renovation.

Art house

Our friend THE NOTORIOUS L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N. sends along this photo noting a few recent art additions at the long-vacant 222 E. 13th St.

Some day, though, this will become the Bea Arthur Residence, providing housing for up to 18 homeless LGBT youth.

Today's sign of the apocalypse

A reader noted this scene earlier in the week:

I was walking on Ave C between 3rd and 4th St, there were two guys standing with a giant Brother Jimmy’s sign, leaning on the storefront about where Bedlam is. I should’ve taken a picture but didn’t think to at the time. Anyone know anything about a Bro J’s opening around here??

Perhaps the fellows were just going to going to work at the Union Square location on East 16th Street? We haven't heard this one. Seems possible, though not probable. Anyone hear anything about a BroJi's Brother Jimmy's opening around here?

Fists of FroYo

After walking by the 16 Handles on Second Avenue the last few weeks and seeing this... "Now handling: Fist Pumpkin" ...

I decided to see just what Fist Pumpkin meant. Seemed like something I'd find at Urban Dictionary... but, according to a 16 Handles news release:

16 Handles™ ... welcomes back seasonal favorite ‘Fist Pumpkin,’ a beloved, limited edition frozen yogurt designed to capture the spirit and flavor of the autumn harvest.

“Fist Pumpkin got its name from the reaction we saw when guests tasted this flavor—lots of excitement and even a little fist pumping,” said Solomon Choi, 16 Handles founder. “We’re excited to welcome Fist Pumpkin back into the mix and to reunite our brand fans with a flavor that they look forward to all year.”

So now you know too...

Fall Friday flashback: In the Associated water aisle

On Fridays this fall, and probably winter and spring and... we'll post one of the 12,000-plus EVG, uh, posts from yesteryear... a fitting one today, as we overly prepare for Hurricane Sandy, who may or may not strike these parts on Tuesday... this Hurricane Irene-related post is from Aug. 26, 2011...

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A few minutes ago at the Associated on 14th Street near First Avenue. By Shawn Chittle.

Batman returns

EVG reader Teeny passes along this Batman sighting ... he was driving the old-school, Adam West-era Batmobile here on East 12th Street and First Avenue...

"Glad to be back in Gotham City," he said, though this was before he saw the eviction notice at the batcave.

Perhaps part of the promo for the upcoming "Dark Knight Rises" DVD release?

(And where was he a few minutes ago?)

Reader report: iPhone snatching ends in chase, brawl

Tonight on Ninth Street and First Avenue...

@evgrieve iphone snatching on 9/1 ends in street chase/ brawlrandom guys helping her punched.. Phone recovered. Mugger(s) gone? Cops

— Robby O'Hara (@robbyohara) October 26, 2012

Anyone else witness this?

Reflection of the times

Avenue A and St. Mark's Place this evening. Headline and photo via Shawn Chittle.

Alternate headline:
I'll be your mirrors

Eviction notice for Soho Billiards

[Photo from 2011 via BoweryBoogie]

EVG regular Spike passes along this item (slightly outside our usual coverage zone) ... Spike noticed that Soho Billiard was closed yesterday ... and today, there's an eviction notice on the door... There's at least one tweet noting that they closed after Sunday. There's nothing to indicate this on their website; their phone number is a constant busy signal.

The billiards hall has been here at East Houston and Mulberry since 1990.

BoweryBoogie had this to say about them last year:

Soho Billiards is truly the last of a dying breed, and occupies what is now a substantial swath of valuable corner real estate. Nice to see this adaptation, as their presence is always a welcome counterweight to the massive invasion of haute couture.

A dying breed now dead, apparently.

A scene from the Union Square Citibank today

A man diligently counting and organizing mounds of pennies. Tough times. Per the reader who took the photo: "Poor guy is scraping pennies together and these clowns own half the city."

Today's sign of the TSP Ratstravaganza

A reader noted this scene earlier today... after the meals were served to those in need on Avenue A along Tompkins Square Park... the remains...