Snow etiquette FYI

Jut a friendly reminder... in these challenging blizzard-y times, try not to take — purposefully or not — someone else's boots...



... and no matter how tempting those snow piles look for sledding...



... please check first to make sure there's not a vehicle under that pile of snow... like here on Avenue B and East Sixth Street...



Thank you Dave on 7th!

Noted

Well, why wouldn't someone erect a 5-foot snow penis during a blizzard in Tompkins Square Park?

Photo via ‏@sandispino

The blizzard of Jan. 23

[Avenue A via EVG]



[Tompkins Square Park this morning via Bayou]



[12th and A via Greg Masters]



[East 10th Street via @cj__ts]



[Tompkins Square Park via Steven]



[Tompkins Square Park via Lola Sáenz]



[Avenue A via EVG]



[East 7th Street via Rik Rocket]



[Tompkins Square Park via Kirk Fitzgerald/Facebook]



[East 7th Street via Derek Berg]



[Avenue A via JM]



[Photo via Kirk Fitzgerald/Facebook]



[Tompkins Square Park via Derek Berg]



[Tompkins Square Park via Grant Shaffer]



[East 10th Street via Peter Brownscombe]



[Avenue A via Goggla]



[2nd Avenue via Derek Berg]



[2nd Avenue via Steven]



[St. Marks Place via Derek Berg]



[Tompkins Square Park via Kirk Fitzgerald/Facebook]



[East Houston via JM]



[East 12th Street via Lola Sáenz]



[Christo in the Park via Goggla]



[Car on East Fifth Street via EVG]

Thanks to everyone for the photos...

[Updated] Snowboarding behind a Jeep on East 6th Street

how to bro the snowstorm//caption credit @moiraherbst

A photo posted by Adriana Leshko (@adrianaleshko) on Jan 23, 2016 at 10:51am PST

Ah! Thanks to the commenters... this was for a Casey Neistat video...

John Holmstrom's 'Punk' playlist

[John Holmstrom photo by Stacie Joy]

The exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first issue of Punk Magazine continues at Howl! Happening at 6 E. First St. between the Bowery and Second Avenue (through Jan. 30).

On Jan. 15, I interviewed founding editor (and East Village resident) John Holmstrom on East Village Radio. (Unfortunately, the show is not archived.) Holmstrom picked the playlist for the show, and included comments about each song... sharing it here now...

1. "You Drive Me Nervous" by the Alice Cooper Band
The first punk rock band I saw live and it changed my life forever...

2. "Kick Out The Jams" by Blue Oyster Cult
BOC was a truly twisted, crazed live heavy metal band that had Patti Smith and Helen Wheels as lyricists, and whose managers convinced CBS Records to sign The Dictators. And of course, the MC5 created punk rock by getting The Stooges signed to their record label.



3. "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by Iggy Pop and The Stooges
This was the prototype punk song, covered by so many punk rock bands over the years.



4. "Get Out of Denver" by Eddie and the Hot Rods
Eddie and the Hot Rods were the first band from England labeled "punk." Here's why. The pub rock scene was the biggest influence on the English punk scene.



5. "Riot In Cell Block No. 9 by Doctor Feelgood
Another "pub rock band from England. The Ramones opened for Dr. Feelgood at the Bottom Line in early 1976... Just the most amazing show.

6. "Bad Girls" by the New York Dolls
This was the first band I went to see at a small club: like Club 82, the drag club. Didn't like their fashion sense but love the music.



7. "My Generation" by The Patti Smith Group
Patti had a lot to do with putting CBGB on the map, she and her band made some great music, I need to give them props.

8. "(I Live For) Cars And Girls" by The Dictators
I picked up the first Dictators LP, loved it to death, played it for Ged Dunn Jr. and Mr. McNeil, and it inspired us to start a magazine. Oddly, enough, everyone in the band hates it!

9. "Judy Is a Punk" by the Ramones
I like the first Ramones best, it's very close to what they sounded like live at CBGB.



10. "New Rose" by The Damned
First punk band from England to release a record, tour the states, play at CBGB, etc. This was punk rock before it became formalized.



11. "Rocket USA" by Suicide
They often opened for the Ramones, and were the first-ever band to call themselves "punk." Even though people would now call this techno, Suicide was truly a punk rock band.

12. "I'm on E" by Blondie
I just love this song. It runs through my head whenever things are going bad and I am out of money, energy, whatever. Blondie were so much fun to work with, open to everything.



13. "Carbona Not Glue" by the Ramones
The best song by the Ramones, could have been a hit single if not for the lyrics.



14. "I Wanna Be Me" by the Sex Pistols
I always liked their B-sides better than the singles. The lyrics are brilliant, and aimed at people in the media (like me).

15. "Ready, Steady, Go" by Generation X
I always liked their debut album so much. "Purist" punks hated them: too pretty, too polished. In a way, they were the blueprint for pop-punk bands like Green Day, Blink 182, etc.

16. "Ain't Nothing To Do" by the Dead Boys
Great American punk rock band. Amazing live performances.



17. "Teenagers From Mars" by the Misfits
We planned a cover story on The Misfits, but couldn't do it: we were forced out of business unexpectedly.

18. "I Wanna Be Famous" by The Bullys
Great NYC punk band that still performs live.

19. "I'm a Boy" by The Bullys

20. "Against All Authority" by the Bullys
Brilliant song by them IMO.



Exhibition details:
Gallery Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
All events are free
Howl! Happening: An Arturo Vega Project, 6 E. First St. between the Bowery and Second Avenue

Previously on EV Grieve:
Q-and-A with John Holmstrom, founding editor of Punk Magazine

John Holmstrom on the CBGB movie and the East Village of 2013

Riding the storm out

First Avenue and East 11th Street via Lola Sáenz...

Updated 1:13 p.m.

The city is basically shutting down today.

Due to severe weather, there is no MTA bus or Access-A-Ride service effective 12PM until further notice. Info: https://t.co/ENIxXVnNZ4.

— NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) January 23, 2016

*TRAVEL BAN* Non-emergency travel in New York City is banned after 2:30PM today. pic.twitter.com/0dBjjVRThS

— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) January 23, 2016

NYC update: All Manhattan + Brooklyn Shacks will close at 2PM today. All Queens Shacks are closed. Stay safe & warm out there, friends.

— SHAKE SHACK (@shakeshack) January 23, 2016

Due to weather, all LIRR, Metro-North, and elevated subway lines are suspended as of 4PM. For more info: https://t.co/cj5MRms18m #alert

— NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) January 23, 2016

NYC update: All Manhattan + Brooklyn Shacks will close at 2PM today. All Queens Shacks are closed. Stay safe & warm out there, friends.

— SHAKE SHACK (@shakeshack) January 23, 2016

Why?

This will very likely be one of the worst storms in City history. Go home. Stay home. Stay safe today. - @BilldeBlasio

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) January 23, 2016

And tomorrow? #woo

In non-blizzard-related news, Mike Bloomberg might run for president (of the United States)

The New York Times has the story:

Mr. Bloomberg, 73, has already taken concrete steps toward a possible campaign, and has indicated to friends and allies that he would be willing to spend at least $1 billion of his fortune on it, according to people briefed on his deliberations who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss his plans. He has set a deadline for making a final decision in early March, the latest point at which advisers believe Mr. Bloomberg could enter the race and still qualify to appear as an independent candidate on the ballot in all 50 states.

Bus service shutting down beginning at noon

[10th and C this morning via Bobby Williams]

The buses were in service this morning... but not much longer, in case a trip via a bus was in your Saturday (today!) plans...take it away, Andrew!

.@MTA is suspending all NYC bus service beginning at Noon this morning. Go to https://t.co/TacCnDFyNi for real-time info & service updates.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 23, 2016

[Updating] IT IS SNOWING

Funny how that sometimes happens in January.

Went out for a little walk. (Periscoped for the first time. I remembered to talk on the next installment. Need to learn to not shake the iPhone so much.)

Some really random observations (or more random than usual?). The Avenues have been plowed. Side streets are a little hit and miss. Tompkins Square Park is picture perfect. There is one random Citi Bike on 7th and A. Umbrellas are useless. Two pairs of socks are a good idea. If I owned goggles, then I'd have put them on no matter how dumb I looked. People are nicer when it is snowing.

And more places are open than I expected. This is not at all a comprehensive list. Here are places that I saw open at 9 a.m.: Key Food, Croissanteria (A between 4th and 5th), Juicy Lucy (Avenue A between 5th and 6th), Ray's Candy Store (and the place next to it), the Odessa, Box Kite Coffee (115 St. Mark's Place), the International (First Avenue between 7th and St. Mark's), Saiffee Hardware (and they were getting a huge salt shipment), McDonald's, Starbucks (the one on First Avenue at 3rd), the Bean (the one on Second Avenue at 3rd), Downtown Bakery II (First Avenue between 4th and 3rd), Brickman & Sons (First Avenue between 4th and 3rd) ... all the corner delis were open. Ditto for laundromats/dry cleaners. The gate was going up at the liquor store on Avenue and 4th Street. There was a Twitter report that Black Seed Bagels is open on First Avenue.

And as I posted on Twitter, at the time I looked in the window at the International, there were more people inside there than the McDonald's and Starbucks combined.



To be continued...

Updated 11:25 a.m.

Ost Cafe on Avenue A at 12th Street is open ... ditto for Tompkins Square Bagels ... and the Remedy Diner on East Houston at Norfolk. The Wayland opens at noon on Avenue C and East 9th Street. Superiority Burger is open from 2-6 today on East Ninth Street between Avenue A and 1st Avenue...

Also: The Neptune on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street ... Hearth on First Avenue at 12th Street... Donnybrook on Clinton and Stanton...

Have a nice blizzard

East 12th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue last night via Grant Shaffer...

'The Hill' is alive with the sound of music

The prolific Ty Segall has yet another a new record out today... going back to his "Twins" record in 2012 for the above track, "The Hill."

And he'll be at Webster Hall on Feb. 27-28.

EV Grieve Etc.: Searching for suspect in elevator mugging; Talking 'Punk' with John Holmstrom

[Photo on East 13th Street by @aureliovoltaire via Instagram]

Police looking for suspect who mugged woman in a residential elevator on East 12th Street and Third Avenue (Town & Village)

More details emerge about Adam Purple's long history of sexually abusing his daughters (The Villager)

Ippudo closed on Fourth Avenue through Jan. 30 for renovations (Eater)

An interview with Punk Magazine founding editor and East Village resident John Holmstrom (The Observer)

Christo watching in Tompkins Square Park (Gog in NYC)

The first installment in what will be a once-a-calendar tribute to innovative filmmaker Ken Jacobs (Anthology Film Archives) And here's a Jacobs profile today (The Wall Street Journal)

Mugged three times in two weeks in 1986 (Sensitive Skin Magazine)

Sheldon Silver's monthly state pension of $6,602 per month kicks in (The Lo-Down)

Claims of negligence at Norfolk Street development site (BoweryBoogie)

NYC attracts record number of tourists for 6th consecutive year (Crain's)

FYI: Movies before noon at the Village East Cinema on Second Avenue and East 12th Street are $8 (Official site)

Listicle alert! The 50 Most Unacceptable Sentences in "City on Fire" (The Awl)

More about the Treasury Department's efforts "to pierce the veil of anonymity" in Manhattan real-estate transactions (The New Yorker)

And we are not alone: Giant snow penis terrorizes locals in Gothenburg, Sweden (Death & Taxes)

... and East Village resident Jenny Adams is spearheading a coat drive today for The Trinity Mission. Per Jenny: "Bring your gently used coats, scarves, mittens and hats to Boulton & Watt on Houston & Avenue A anytime today."

Citi Bike shutting down tonight at 11 ahead of possible blizzard, non-blizzard

[Photo last week by Derek Berg]

In case you were going to use a Citi Bike to get around tomorrow or to help transport home the pallet of bread from Key Food... here's some FYI via the CB people:

Due to heavy snow in the forecast, we will temporarily close the Citi Bike system starting at 11 tonight, Friday January 22. What does that mean for you? No bikes can be rented after the temporary closure has begun, though bikes that are in use can be returned to any Citi Bike station with an available dock.

The amount of snow and changing weather conditions will determine when it is safe to re-open. Stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as the nifty yellow alert banner on the Citi Bike website for updates and details on reopening the system.

When the Megalopolitan Blizzard hit the East Village (and NYC) in February 1983

Not sure if you heard this, but it might snow this weekend.

Anyway! Seems like a good time to share these photos via EVG Facebook friend Raphael Lasar ... a few shots via a Canon AE1 from the Blizzard of 1983 (the Megalopolitan Blizzard), which produced some 22 inches of snow on Feb. 11-12 ..


[1st Avenue near 5th Street]


[1st Avenue looking north toward 6th Street]


[1st Avenue at Sixth Street]


[1st Avenue at East 3rd Street]


[2nd Avenue between East 6th and East 7th streets]


[Astor Place]


[Astor Place]


[Astor Place and the Alamo]


[St. Mark's Place between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue]

He moved from Bleecker Street to East Fifth Street near Second Avenue in 1965 at age 5 ... and relocated in 1976 to Village View, where his mother still lives.

I asked Lasar if he had any particular memories from this time.

"I could go on at length about a recent college graduate, his ambitions and his new Canon AE1, but I think your readers are more interested in their own memories and musings of the neighborhood," he said. "I can only say what a privilege it was to grow up in such a place at the time I did."

[Updated] Have you stocked up yet for a visit from Jonas?

Speaking of snow... Vinny & O saw a larger-than-usual crowd at Key Food on Avenue A last evening... "it was a lot crazier at the checkouts, creating that usual no-move zone. Everyone was talking in line about Jonas." (BTW, The Weather Channel came up with the name Jonas, so it's not really official.)

We were at Key on Wednesday night for a few non-Jonas supplies, and noted a run on Corn Pops.

Sober predictions see anywhere from 6 to 18 inches of snow hitting the NYC area — under a "blizzard watch" — starting Saturday morning. This is all subject to change, of course.

Meanwhile, the MTA has announced their possible blizzard emergency plans here.

We'll update throughout the day with any relevant, uh, updates at least until the power goes out.

And if you want some temporary work shoveling snow and helping grow beefy triceps at the same time, the city is hiring.

Updated 4:55 a.m.

The National Weather Service has upgraded the forecast to a blizzard warning. Scary graphics to follow. And exclamation points!!!!!



(Speaking of Whiteout, I always liked that Boss Hog record.)

And I'll be updating more often (probably!) at the @evgrieve Twitter thing.

Report: Plans in the works to convert 650 E. 6th St. to condos

[Image via Google Street View]

There are big plans for this unassuming 4-story building at 650 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.

Plans were filed this week for a 7-story building on the property that's closer to Avenue C.

Here's New York Yimby, who had the scoop on this development: "The 8,491-square-foot project will include 7,761 square feet of residential space, which means units will average 1,552 square feet apiece, indicative of condominiums."

Public records show that this building changed hands for $2.8 million in August 2013. The new owner is named East Village LLC in the filing.

As NYY noted, the "existing four-story, three-unit building must first be demolished."

Here's what's left of the block of University Place that once housed Bowlmor Lanes

The west side of University Place between East 12th Street and East 13th Street has been cleared of those silly old buildings and businesses, including Bowlmor Lanes.

There are now approved permits with the city for developer Billy Macklowe's 23 stories of condos here. Plans call for more than 50 residences averaging more that 2,000 square feet each. Amenities include basement storage, onsite parking and a fitness center.

Bowlmor Lanes closed in July 2014 after 76 years in business.

In addition, the corner space at 13th Street that housed University Place Gourmet as well as adjacent storefronts, including Bennie Louie Chinese Laundry, were demolished. A 7-story condo with six residences will rise from from this lot. These plans are pending with the city.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Building that houses Bowlmor Lanes will convert to condos, like everywhere else around here

76-year-old Bowlmor Lanes closes for good today

Bowlmor says goodbye

Bowlmor Lanes replacement: 23-floor residential building

Major changes coming to University Place and East 13th Street

How about some more condos for University Place

Lucy's is back open on Avenue A

Lucy's has been closed these past two (plus) weeks at 135 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street... while she does take several scheduled breaks during the year (usually with an announced return date), the note on the door was different this time, simply saying "closed until further notice."

In any event, an EVG reader walked by this evening and reported that the bar is open...

Updated 1/22



EVG regular Peter Brownscombe stopped by last evening... Lucy did have to return to Poland for family business. She will be back later next week. In the meantime, Marko is here running the place in her absence. All is well, though.