Construction watch: 536 E. 13th St. is finally happening

An update on the activity here on East 13th Street just west of Avenue B... where work recently started at this long-dormant development site.

Approved plans call for six units in the six-floor building. Perhaps it will one day look like the rendering up on the plywood...



As for the actual site, it looks like this...



... compared to December 2009...


David Howell of DHD Architecture and Design is listed as the architect of record. Ranga Krishna of East Village Realty is listed as the owner.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Your chance to own a stalled project lot on East 13th Street

A dormant construction site on East 13th Street

Reminders: Ignore the East 5th St. Tree Committee at your own peril

[Neerad Jet via Facebook]

Here on East Fifth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square, the East Fifth St. Tree Committee holds forth, warning cyclists from locking their bikes to the tree guards.

As you can see in the above photo via the Committee's telltale pink flyers, a cyclist received a warning. When the bike remained in place for several days... Well!



Bam! Case closed. Next!



Previously on EV Grieve:
The East Fifth St. Tree Committee back in action

The East Fifth St. Tree Committee is alive and well, and they do not mess around

And now, a word from the East Fifth St. Tree Committee

More bike racks for Second Avenue and East 9th Street

A few weeks after the city installed new bike racks on (and around!) Second Avenue and East Ninth Street, EVG Second Avenue and East Ninth Street Bike Rack Correspondent Terry Howell notes the arrive of several more (bike racks).



And here's a bonus photo of trucks double-parking near the other new bike racks yesterday morning... (not that the bike racks caused this, of course...)

The Cellphone Doctor is (almost) in on Avenue C

Just noting the pending arrival of a new business on Avenue C between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street... at the empty storefronts owned by the NYCHA... where the images from Chico's mural here on the roll down gates have nearly vanished...

[Updated] Report: Burglar falls 5 floors during getaway on 2nd Avenue (or maybe East 2nd St.)

A man attempting to steal two Apple MacBooks, two iPads, a North Face backpack and an Xbox console fell five floors after the resident of the Second Avenue apartment returned home early this morning, the Daily News is reporting.

EMTs took Derek Williams, 20, to Bellevue with serious injuries to his spine and legs. Police reportedly charged him with burglary and criminal possession of stolen property.

Williams has 17 prior convictions, according to the Daily News.

The article didn't mention where this happened along Second Avenue — just that it was on "the lower East Side."

Updated 10/28
CBS New York has more details on the incident, which they place at 201 E. Second St. (Not Second Avenue per the News.)

Caught in the act, [Williams] struggled with the resident, but then broke free and tried to make a quick getaway through the window – only to fall five stories.

CBS reports that he ended up with two broken legs and a fractured skull.

RIP Lou Reed

He died today at age 71. (Rolling Stone)

"It's such a perfect day, I'm glad I spent it with you."

Week in Grieview

[New warning signs up for residents on weekends]

The L.E.S. Dwellers demand an impartial investigation of CB3 (Monday) while Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer voices his concern over CB3's action (Tuesday) ... and CB3 stands by its decision (Wednesday)

What do I do about my pothead neighbors? (Friday, 50 comments)

Heathers closes (Saturday)

More upscale restaurants for Extra Place (Thursday)

James Renwick, Jr.'s Vegas vacation (Wednesday)

Ronald McDonald and Banksy on the LES (Monday)

And Banksy's Grim Reaper (Friday)

Out and About with actor Tom Kopache (Wednesday)

Historic Grace Memorial House gets a bath (Monday)

CB3/SLA highlights: Liquor license applicants for former bakery, pet shop and hardware store (Thursday)

ConEd shares steps its taking to prevent the East 13th Street substation from exploding again (Wednesday)

The former Boca Chica will become a high-end cocktail bar made to look like "a seedy late-70s dive bar" (Wednesday)

Ben Shaoul suing to keep his additional illegal floors (Tuesday)

Update on the Mobil station on Avenue C (Thursday)

More about the Russ & Daughters Café space (Thursday)

Former lumber yard on Great Jones sprouting several new floors of residences (Tuesday)

New look for the former 9th Street Bakery (Monday)

The Citi Bikes program isn't profitable ... yet (Friday, 32 comments)

A bad sign at Vella Market (Tuesday)

Roseland Ballroom makes closure next spring official (Tuesday)

At RAE's 'Word of Mouth'

The former deli on Avenue C at East 12th Street has been transformed into a gallery space for Brooklyn-based artist RAE. The show opened last night ... Mark White shared a few shots before the crowds arrived ...











Find more of Mark's photos here.

Word of Mouth
October 26 - November 16, 2013
Corner Avenue C & East 12th Street
Exhibition hours:
Thursday - Saturday 2:00 pm-7:00 pm
*(closed on Halloween)

The Voice interviewed RAE on Friday.

And now, 18 photos of dogs in Halloween costumes

The 23rd annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade took place this afternoon... and EVG contributor Stacie Joy was there to take a lot of photos... A sampling of this year's costumes...



































Updated:
Slum Goddess has a lot of photos and video here.

'I see an Ace of Hearts coming your way'

An EVG favorite at the 23rd annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade today.

Photo by Derek Berg

Dogs? What fucking dogs?

Today's hawk in Tompkins Square Park. Not impressed by dogs in costumes.





Photos by Bobby Williams

RAE's 'Word of Mouth' exhibit opens tonight in vacant corner deli on 12th and C

From the EVG inbox...

"WORD OF MOUTH"
RAE
October 26 - November 16, 2013
Opening: October 26, 7-10pm
Corner Avenue C & East 12th Street

Post-opening exhibition hours:
Thursday - Saturday 2:00 pm-7:00 pm
*(closed on Halloween)

The Voice interviewed the Brooklyn-based RAE yesterday. Excerpt!

I've been working on this show for about a year and a half, and I always wanted to do something inside a store because every time I went into a store, the signage and everything in there, to me, felt like art. The misspelled signs, how things are put together haphazardly on cardboard always appealed to me. Just the imperfections of things. It just made sense for me to have a show inside a space like this, but obviously I wanted to take over the space. Even if you have an entire gallery, you still have limitations. Here, there are no limitations for me. I can do whatever I want. I almost have to hold back because I want to write on the ceilings and the floors.

Photos via Mark White

Fall, in bloom

Goggla shared this photo from yesterday in Tompkins Square Park... where fall is on display...

That's it for Heathers ... for now

[Image via]

Word on East 13th Street was that Heathers would close at the beginning of December. However, that closing came earlier than expected, as Grub Street first reported late yesterday afternoon. Per Grub Street, "the locks have been changed illegally."

Ray Lemoine and Michael Herman took over the bar just east of Avenue A during the summer of 2012.

Back to Grub Street:

Lemoine and Herman say they were gradually being pushed out of the bar, which came with a history of complaints and controversy. Initially, a cash settlement with the landlord established an end date of December 1, 2013 for the East 13th Street space.

Heather Millstone opened Heathers in 2005 ... and the bar quickly became a lightning rod for noise complaints. (The Times had a lengthy article in January 2007 about the ongoing noise issues between the bar and neighbors.) You can read more about the bar's CB3 issues here.

We asked Lemoine a few questions via email last night about what's next.

What are your feelings about how things came to a rather abrupt end here?

Sad. Staff is sad, customers are sad. But I'm kind of happy I can stop drinking for a bit. Would have a proper send off.

Are you looking to relocate in the East Village?

We have a few great options right nearby and are looking to close a deal ASAP. We love the North East Village.

What's your assessment of the East Village nightlife scene these days?

I like many of the old bars. I love Lit for its club scene. But there aren't many cool new spots despite all the blogs telling you about these cool new spots. ACME is great, but it's in NOHO. Cocktail bars and $9 sandwich shops should be banned. Nightlife is pretty dead in the East Village in terms of, say, hearing a great DJ and dancing and not paying $12 for a drink. I miss The Hole. I mean, now that Heathers is closed, there isn't even a lesbian/heroin rock bar left in the East Village (frown face).

There's a Boycott 7-Eleven rally tomorrow

Via the EVG inbox from the No 7-Eleven blog...

Banksy's grim reaper and the old Bowery ghosts

[Image via jerebles]

As you may have heard or seen, Bansky's latest street installation is on East Houston and Elizabeth ... at the site of Billy Leroy's former big tent.



The above video of the Grim Reaper Bumper Car comes from the official Banksy site, which includes an audio guide. (Banksy labeled this Bowery on his site.)

Catch it while you can, I mean, if you want to. Tonight through Sunday, dusk until midnight, apparently.

Find more photos, and what not, at Gothamist... BoweryBoogie ... and AnimalNY, who posted this video...



We reached out to Billy Leroy for comment... he is currently in Los Angeles... enjoying the start of the third season of "Baggage Battles" on the Travel Channel.

He said he was unaware that Banksy would be using his former Billy's Antiques spot for this installment.

"I support art and I like Banksy's work," Leroy said via email. "A year and a half ago we did the whole Death thing and buried the old Bowery with music. It's a compliment that a world-class artist would do a similar idea. The ghosts of the old Bowery told me they are still happy,
but will never allow anything to be built on that spot."

Come aboard

"Hellbound" by the Breeders from 1990.

Something that you don't see in the trash every day

Discarded outside the Church of the Immaculate Conception today on East 14th Street at First Avenue...

Photo via Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C.

There's goes the R-I-T-E A-I-D on East 14th Street

Our friend DJ Xerox passes along this photo... showing a worker removing the last of the sign from the Rite Aid between Avenue A and Avenue B... The store is one of several along East 14th Street to close to make way for something to look like...



Anyway, apparently the Rite Aid moved up its original Oct. 30 closing date.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East 14th Street exodus continues

The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development

East 14th Street corridor now nearly business-free ahead of new development

Here is the future of East 14th Street and Avenue A: 7 stories of residential and retail