Mulch Madness, of course

Workers dropped off a fresh batch of mulch today in Tompkins Square Park... will this tempt any pub crawlers to play King of the Mountain this weekend? (Please don't answer that...)

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Whiteout at the Houston-Bowery mural wall

Someone started painting over the FAILE mural here on the Bowery and East Houston... it went up in early November... not sure just yet who's next for the wall... Anyone know? And why are they painting over this instead of preserving the art...?

Here's a video of TATS Cru creating the Jeremy Lin mural on Second Street

Yesterday, we mentioned that ANIMAL commissioned TATS Cru to paint an Atlas-inspired tribute to Knicks star Jeremy Lin on Second Street at Avenue A.

Now here's a time-lapse video via ANIMAL New York....

Time Lapse of Jeremy Lin Mural from ANIMALnewyork.com on Vimeo.

The next dessert concept for St. Mark's Place: bacon-filled macarons

So, we have places selling sweet buns and pudding on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue... and now?

As Julie Shapiro reports at DNAinfo this morning, Macaron Parlour is taking over the vacant storefronts at 111 St. Mark's Place, part of the former Chocolate Library.

The desserts debuted at the Hester Street Fair in 2010... this will be the first shop for Christina Ha and Simon Tung. Per DNA:

"[T]he bakery takes the traditional macaron and adds unusual fillings, from fresh strawberries to candied bacon and maple cream cheese.

For every lemon macaron sold, Macaron Parlor donates $1 to Alex's Lemonade Stand, an organization that seeks to cure pediatric cancer.

These were two of the storefronts that we suggested Bleecker Bob's look at for their relocation.

Another look inside the former theater on Avenue B

We've written a lot about the long-empty 185-193 Avenue B at East 12th Street. A quick recap: There is a demolition application on file already with the city (dated Sept. 20). And, according to the DOB, plans for a mixed-use seven-story building with 44 units are pending with the DOB. (You can read a short history of what's happening with the space here.)

The address was a movie theater for many years, first the Bijou in 1926, then the Charles. (The theater closed in 1975, and a church took over the space.) A fire broke out in the building in October 2006.

Two weeks ago, Brooklyn-based photographer Matt Lambros photographed the space for After the Final Curtain, his excellent photo site on abandoned architecture.

Here are four of the photos that he posted yesterday. (Reposted here with permission.)

Matt said that workers removed the seats about a month ago...

Matt provides a little history of the space too. "By 1937 the Bijou had been sold to the Bell Theater Company. The same year, the Motion Picture Operators Union started a strike for higher wages from the Bell Theater Company; during the strike, two operators locked themselves in the projection booth in protest. Their demands were met 12 hours later and wages were increased to $27.00 a week."

...and here is the former projector room...

Check out the rest of his photos here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Revival planned for church and theater on Avenue B

Inside the Charles

Former landmark countercultural theater now for rent on Avenue B

7-story building in the works to replace former countercultural theater/church on Avenue B

Here's the rest of 219 First Avenue

Yesterday, we posted photos of the penthouse peeking out of the top of 219 First Avenue at 13th Street... workers continued to strip the netting from around the former four-floor building... here's how it's looking this morning...

Hmm. Thoughts on this now that you can see the more of the renovated building...?

Buyer beware

Spotted on East Eighth Street.

So what's going on with the former Ben & Jerry's space on Third Avenue?

The other day, we were walking by the former Ben & Jerry's space on Third Avenue and NYU (technically 41 Third Ave.) ... such seemingly prime space has been empty for some time. Jeremiah first reported that Ben & Jerry's was closing (after 22 years at this location) in September 2010.

So nearly 18 months later... what gives here? Astronomical rent? We looked at the Newmark Knight Frank listing. Pretty specific instructions in all caps for future tenants:

FANTASTIC RETAIL SPACE in NYU DORM.
ABSOLUTELY NO COOKING, NO TEA, NO COFFEE.
Formerly Ben and Jerry's.

Hot East Village Location.

The rent is "negotiable" for the 1,175 square feet.

The listing including this sad photo of abandoned cows...

What do you think? Cellphone store? Radio Shack? Egg shop?

This is what an empty lot on East Third Street near Avenue C looked like on Feb. 26, 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...

The line for free pancakes at the East Village IHOP

Earlier, we noted that it was National Pancake Day at IHOP... (a free short stack of pancakes in return for considering leaving a donation for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other designated local charities...)

And there was a line to get in early this afternoon...

...a lot of high school students in (or on!) line ...

'Linsanity' strikes the corner of Avenue A and Second Street

[ANIMALNewYork]

So you may have heard about the New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin ... Anyway, our friends at ANIMAL New York passed this along:

In honor of this newfound responsibility – and crushing pressure – ANIMAL commissioned TATS Cru to paint an Atlas-inspired tribute to the man of the hour.

It's up on the southeast corner, where we've been seeing some marriage proposals of late... the mural should be up for another month...

See more photos here.

$1 drinks tomorrow for Customer Appreciation Day at the Bean's Second Avenue location

Tomorrow, the Bean outpost on Second Avenue at East Third Street is holding a Customer Appreciation Day. According to the Bean Facebook page (and these posters), all 12-ounce drinks, hot or cold, will be $1.

Photos by jdx.