Photo late this afternoon by Bobby Williams.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
It's so hot out that...
... someone is cooling off this dumpster on Seventh Street...
Dumpster Sprinkler!
Photo by Bobby Williams.
Dumpster Sprinkler!
Photo by Bobby Williams.
Buses, rent, gardens main topics at East Village town hall with Scott Stringer
By Jacob Anderson
The Manhattan Borough President addressed many issues at the town hall meeting last night at the Tompkins Square Park library branch, but did not once mention his bid for Mayor. He told the standing room-only-crowd of more than 100 people that he had no agenda for the evening.
“Basically this is open mic night in the Village,” Stringer said.
Several residents complained about the neighborhood bus routes that were cut two years ago. Stringer said he supports getting more money for public transit by bringing back the pre-1999 commuter tax for people traveling into the city to work. He said there has been resistance to that around the tri-state area.
“My name-recognition has gone up in New Jersey,” Stringer said.
“Just leave a couple of dollars so we can protect you and clean up after you,” he added. “It makes sense, Governor Christie, to help us here.”
Stringer said the effect of MTA cuts in the East Village was something that stood out to him.
“I learned more about the lack of bus service on multiple routes that I don’t think I fully engaged prior to tonight’s meeting,” he told me after the meeting.
The MTA will be restoring some bus lines, but Marcus Book of the Department of Transportation said they don’t yet know which routes will come back. (The M9 will return, according to a statement made by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver this week.)
Resident Brian Cooper and others said they are concerned about rent increases. Cooper said his mother lives in public housing, and that some people can’t afford to pay more than they already are. Another resident said rent was raised in 2008 under the auspices of oil costing $150 a barrel, and asked why, when oil prices dropped back down again, rent didn’t.
“To this day I am totally befuddled as to how they calculate what a reasonable rent increase could be,” Stringer said. He added that he wants a better rent guidelines system, and a “true, independent body” to oversee it.
Stringer was flanked by about a dozen representatives from various city government departments —NYPD, housing, transportation, etc. — who would chime in on specific issues, as well as by State Senator Daniel Squadron, City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, and new Community Board 3 chairwoman Gigi Li.
Several gardeners apparently took a break from their weeding to show up. One asked about getting community gardens permanently protected. Both Stringer and Mendez said that they support permanent protection. Stringer added his support for people who grow their own food on neighborhood farms. He said he wants to create an agency to oversee agriculture and farmers markets for the city.
Some people expressed frustration over slow or no responses from Stringer’s office and other departments, like the NYCHA and the 9th Precinct. Stringer stayed upbeat, and told pretty much everyone with a specific complaint that his office would follow up with them. Afterwards, one man said to a member of Stringer’s staff, “Tell him he’s a nice guy. I like him.”
Other notes from the meeting:
• Anthony Donovan, who lives in an East 4th Street building owned by not-so-popular landlord Ben Shaoul, said that he’s being taken advantage of. Stringer’s response: “We’ve got to do better getting the bad actors to stand down.”
• Several people came out to oppose the Spectra pipeline, which is scheduled to be built in the West Village. They warned of dangerously high levels of radon gas. Stringer called himself “an intervener” on the pipeline, and said he’s working with scientists on the radon issue. When he was pushed to take a position: “I’m not going to say I oppose something that we know is going to happen.”
• Stringer said he has allocated $3 million for solar panels on school roofs.
• The award for biggest applause went to Judith Zaborowski, the co-chair of the 9th Street A-1 Block Association, who said to the panel of city employees who had occasionally fielded questions throughout the evening: “I’m not sure that you’ve even walked around this neighborhood, or have any idea about the transportation, and the bars, and the noise, and the NYU students that stay here for a year, and have no respect for those of us who are here.”
• Community gardeners will not be given a wrench to open fire hydrants to water their gardens. They can call the fire department for that.
Jacob Anderson is a freelance reporter in the East Village.
Jim Power and his Mosaic Trail [Video]
Jim Power is the subject of a brand-new video over at The Etsy Blog... I particularly like the archival footage of Jim...
EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition
The "Jazz Rabbi" is leaving the Sixth Street Community Synagogue (The Jewish Week)
Who really made CBGB "cool"? (The Huffington Post)
7-Eleven just... won't ... stop (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)
A recap of First Street Green's NYChair Event (BoweryBoogie)
More NYU carnage in the Village (Off the Grid)
Head out to 5 Pointz before the bulldozers arrive (The Gog Log)
Battling one of NYC's worst landlords... and winning (The Village Voice)
And if you want to see a new John Varvatos video ad/featurette ... starring British musician Miles Kane and Paul Weller of The Jam and the Style Council... recently filmed on Rivington Street near Attorney...
h/t The Telegraph UK...
The last days of Bleecker Bob's
Per the film's introduction at Capital:
Bleecker Bob’s will stay open until the landlord has found a new tenant. When it goes, it will take with it a huge part of the history of the Village. And it looks unlikely to find a new place to open up.
You can watch the documentary here.
As we noted back in March, rent on the East Third Street storefront is $17,000.
Previously on EV Grieve:
[UPDATED] Let's help Bleecker Bob's find space in the East Village
[Image from March via Dave on 7th]
Mars Bar closed for good 1 year ago today
[Photo by Slum Goddess]Kinda seems like longer than 1 year. Well, you know, the place was closing anyway to make way for the 12-story apartment building on the lot... But people thought that they had the rest of the summer to enjoy the bar... or at least go to it.
But that DOH visit did them in on July 18, 2011 ... 54 violation points and mentions of every known type of fly. (Filth flies! Flesh flies!) And apparently owner Hank Penza said the Hell with it. And closed.
We've talked to a lot of people who really miss the place... people still searching for somewhere else to fit in...
And how it looked yesterday...
And on the East First Street plywood ... old-school Yelp? ...
All 8,760 Mars Bar posts here.
David Schwimmer to have his very own Central Perk on East Sixth Street
A tipster points us to 335 E. Sixth St., where work continues on the renovated storefronts (two combined into one) ... per the tipster, a cafe-coffee shop with a small food menu is in the works... not many other details are available right yet... (and there are a few resident complaints with the DOB about an "illegal/improper" vent/exhaust in the back...)
...and it's just steps from David Schwimmer's incoming mansion on the block between First Avenue and Second Avenue... No word if the new coffee shop will include an orange couch.
...and it's just steps from David Schwimmer's incoming mansion on the block between First Avenue and Second Avenue... No word if the new coffee shop will include an orange couch.
Gregg Wolf's Bijoux Couture closing tomorrow
HippieChick passes along the news that, after 25 years at 346 E. Ninth St., Gregg Wolf is closing up his studios here between First Avenue and Second Avenue... The silversmith is moving to Florida. Despite some celebrity clients, he couldn't keep the business going in the current economy. (Among others, Wolf created jewelry for fashion designer-artist Stephen Sprouse in the 1980s.)
"And so another unique and wonderful East Village art business is lost to us all," says HippieChick. "I will miss him and his talent very much."
Thursday is his last day in business.
This is what an orphaned church facade looked like on East 12th Street on July 15, 2012
This year, we'll post photos like this of various buildings, streetscenes, etc., to capture them as they looked at this time and place... The photos may not be the most telling now, but they likely will be one day...
Clearing out the Cozy Lounge
Back on June 23, EVG reader William Klayer saw the Marshal pay a visit to Cozy Lounge on East First Street near Avenue A... and the landlord took possession of the space...
Meanwhile, yesterday, EVG reader Anna spotted (photogenic!) workers clearing out the space...
No word just yet what might be coming next.
Meanwhile, yesterday, EVG reader Anna spotted (photogenic!) workers clearing out the space...
No word just yet what might be coming next.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Reader report: Motorcycle accident at Allen and Houston
James Stewart-Meudt sent along this photo via Twitter from earlier this evening... a motorcyclist apparently struck a cab at Houston and Allen... He notes that the rider was "injured but responsive."
Report: M9 service will be restored, expanded
[Avenue B, June 2010]The Daily News is reporting that the M9 service will be restored and expanded starting in January ... this coming from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver... and all thanks to the MTA's improved budgetary outlook ...
The MTA slashed the M9 service back in the summer of 2010. The M9 previously traveled from Union Square, east along East 14th Street, down Avenue B, then Houston, Essex, blah, blah, before ending up in Battery Park City.
Then came the eliminated lines and rerouting and lord knows where the M9 starts now (23rd Street?) ... but it eventually travels south down Avenue C, across Houston, down Essex ... before dumping everyone off at City Hall. (Hello Mr. Mayor!)
The article doesn't mention which part of the M9 service the MTA will restore... and what this really means for East Village residents who use the bus...
Meanwhile, there's also no word on whether Silver will restore service to the Rusty Knot Party Bus.
Previously on EV Grieve:
If you depend on the bus around here, then you're kinda screwed now
East Villagers face busageddon
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