During times like these, we need photos of adorable dogs

Thanks to Allen Semanco for these photos from the Tompkins Square Park Dog Run...

Honoring Japan and the memory of Mark Enger

The latest mural outside the Mars Bar for the latest art show, which starts today ... by Hamlet Zurita.

Artist Mark Enger died in January of oral cancer. See more of his work here.

The Times champions sex and ping pong, sort of

Today, a newspaper called The New York Times has an article that has something to do with ping pong. The piece includes mentions of the new table in Tompkins Square Park.

The article ends this way:

In 1971, a United States Ping-Pong team visited China. The ostensible purpose was to conduct some exhibition matches, but the effort has been credited with helping pave the way for President Richard M. Nixon’s historic trip the next year and has been described as “Ping-Pong diplomacy.”

Could the sport that paved the way for more open relations between two cold-war powers improve relations among New Yorkers, still shivering from a blustery winter?

Clearly, some are already counting on it. At the Duane Reade on Avenue B and East Second Street, one vertical display positioned in front of a wall of beer features Ping-Pong balls on one side, condoms on the other. Let the games begin.

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

DOH temporarily closes Mulberry Street Bar; plus, Barry Manilow

NYC the Blog reported yesterday that the DOH has temporarily shuttered the century-old Mulberry Street Bar — an EV Grieve favorite most of the time. NYC the Blog called the bar and was told they'd be back open tomorrow. Read the whole post here. Gothamist has more details here.

[Top photo via the Voice]

PS

While looking for an image to run with this post... I found these of Barry Manilow at the bar via Getty!

Ah, the old jukebox.

The Post thinks Mason Dixon and the Ace Bar are dive bars

The Post has a feature today titled "Gimme dive! NYC’s seedy saloons are holding on — with a twist." Not quite sure of the point here. Perhaps the lead can explain: "World class museums. Four-star restaurants. Broadway,Divebars. All very important New York institutions. But with some classic dives — such as Max fish and Mars — in danger of extingtion, we take a look at some seedy watering holes with secret weapons that will hopefully keep them afloat."

And why, for example, is Mason Dixon down on Essex Street on the list? To the listicle!

This is the only Lower East Side saloon with a mechanical bull to get your “Urban Cowboy” on. While a fine bourbon collection and $9.95 barbecue pork dogs may have purists calling this place more a kitschy honky-tonk than traditional dive, we’re giving it the nod because patrons routinely end up on the floor without being thrown out of the bar.

Per a Post commenter: "This is probably the worst article about dive bars in the history of articles [on?] dive bars."

[Photo via]

Next step in the demolition of 35 Cooper Square

Yesterday, we noted the presence of rodent control signs at 35 Cooper Square... today, crews are on the scene to remove the water and sewer lines... all necessary steps that the developer needs to complete before demolition can commence...

A face lift for Nevada Smith's

Third Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street. Will the workers clear out before Wales-England at 11 a.m.?

East 11th Street, 9:27 a.m., March 26

Today in photos of a large crane on Avenue A

Putting in the new sign for the 7-Eleven? (KIDDING! I know, not funny...)

Bike gang overruns East Village

Oops! Check that...

Photos by EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams...

Then from his eyes, Spring fireflies

Siouxsie and the Banshees with "The Killing Jar." 1988.

Mara's Homemade blames their closing, in part, on the East Village bike lanes

Word is getting out this afternoon (via Twitter and Eater, for starters) that Mara's Homemade, the Cajun eatery on East Sixth Street, is closing at the end of April.

Via a letter linked to on Twitter, they mention multiple factors for the closing.

But the reason for closing that might generate the most discussion?

We accepted a short term lease to give us time to re-locate or negotiate a longer term with our current landlord. Since that time, the BP explosion took place, bike lanes were installed on First and Second Avenues which reduced parking and the signs of future property tax increases have occurred.

Report: craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant coming to old Kurve space

Grub Street gets the word on what's coming to the former Kurve-Rhong Tiam space on Second Avenue and Fifth Street: a craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant. And it's from the team behind Dempsey's and Sláinte. And don't call it an Irish pub! "The food will be in the American comfort-food mode with some twisted-up Irish dishes mixed in for good measure," owner Tom O'Byrne told Grub Street.

They're just one of the 40 items on next month's CB3/SLA docket.

Marking the 100th Anniversary Of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

[Photo by EV Grieve reader T]

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, was the largest industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York, causing the death of 146 garment workers who either died from the fire or jumped to their deaths.

Here's a chalk memorial of a young victim from the 1911 fire on St Mark's Place near Avenue A.

CNN has more on the fire here. NY1 said they'd have updates on the anniversary throughout the day.

New signs for 35 Cooper Square

One reader fretted, a sure sign of imminent demolition? No. It's difficult to say what's happening here of late. The city approved the demolition of the historic 35 Cooper Square on Feb. 14. However, the city hasn't issued the permit for demolition... stay tuned...

Spring, eternal

Came across this photo on Facebook... from inside Sophie's ...

It's a springtime poem by the one-and-only Joseph "Count Slima" Williams — owner of the greatest laugh that you'll ever hear. (And you can purchase Slima's poems by inquiring at Sophie's.)

[Photo by Walter Wlodarczyk. More photos at Flickr]

Does the East Village fit the Dockers demographic now?

Sign spotted for a Dockers commercial shoot today on Avenue A at 10th Street.

Pub crawl ban brewing?

Town & Village reports this week that Community Board 6 — which serves the east side, from 14th Street to 59th Street with hot spots like Murray Hill and Stuy Town — will discuss a possible ban on pub crawls. (The meeting is set for next Thursday.)

The article isn't online, though Lux Living scanned in the piece...

(You can read it at Lux Living here.)

One CB6 rep said that pub crawls "may be a lot of fun for the revelers, but they're not a lot of fun for the community." And — duh! — the problem with crawls? They too often lead to heavy crowding ... "with the result of excess noise and vomiting in the streets due to binge drinking."

Perhaps CB3 will consider such a ban? Some bar owners may not like it, but residents would...Meanwhile, please feel free to defend pub crawls.

Epic CB3/SLA docket ready for April: Hello again Superdive (aka 'Not a Bookstore Inc.') and Caffe Buon Gusto!

Been some time since we've such seen an action-packed SLA & DCA Licensing Committee docket... 40 items!



Monday, April 11 at 6:30 pm — JASA/Green Residence, 200 E. Fifth Street at the Bowery

Here are a few items of interest! (The whole shooting match is here.)

Applications within Resolution Areas

• U-2 (Saint King J Corp), 6 St Marks Pl (3rd-4th Fl) (wb)

This is the karaoke portion of the former Cafe Hanover space (RIP, Mondo Kim's).

• Not a Bookstore LLC, 200 Ave A (op) (Superdive)

Ah! An inside joke from the Superdivers... a nod to Superdive's Rapture Cafe & Books past! Not funny!

• Casimir, 105 Ave B (op)

Changes in store for the French bistro?

• Ave B Caffe Buon Gusto Inc, 545 E 5th St (aka 76 Ave B) (wb)

Hello again, old friend! Been a long time since we've heard anything about this. Remember last time they were on the docket? To the recap!

Sidewalk Café Applications

• Café Cotto (Pasta Bar Café Corp), 127 Ave C

• Plump Dumpling (Big Dumpling Corp), 174 2nd Ave

• Percy's Tavern (Steelbar 180 Inc), 210 Ave A

Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades

• Radley Realty Corp, 325 Bowery (alt/ extend license to sidewalk)

Peels wants a sidewalk cafe. #ShitShow

• To Be Determined, 500 E 11th St (trans/op) (Angels & Kings)

Interesting...

• To Be Determined, 351 E 12th St (trans/op) (Resto Leon)

I actually have never been to Resto Leon.

• 4AB LLC, 235 E 4th St (trans/op) (Tonda)

The Tonda watch continues.

• To Be Determined, 700 E 9th St (trans/op) (Banjo Jim's)

Anyone know anything about this?

New Liquor License Applications

• Trim Castle Corp, 87 2nd Ave (op)

The former Kurve-Rhong Tiam space.

• South Brooklyn Pizza (122 First Pizza Inc), 122 1st Ave (wb)

• Agave Azul (228 Rest Corp), 228 1st Ave (op)

This is the Mexican cantina that I reported was coming to the former David's Bagels space.

• The Other WineBar, 412 E 9th St (wb)

• To Be Determined, 107 1st Ave (wb)

The former Bonjoo space..

You may find some additional comments about all this at The Low-Down, Eater and Grub Street.

On Second Avenue, La Da Nang is suddenly Zabb Elee

Rebecca Marx first pointed this out yesterday at Fork in the Road... The owners of Le Da Nang, which opened last March, have turned the space into Zabb Elee...

... the second outpost of their Northeastern Thai restaurant... (the other is in Jackson Heights). Hmm. And I rather liked Le Da Nang the few times that I either picked something up to go or had food delivered.

Previously on EV Grieve:
La Da Nang sign up