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

[East Fourth Street... by Bobby Williams]

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

The folks at Capital have a documentary from filmmakers Hazel Sheffield and Emily Judem titled "For the Records," a look at Bleecker Bob's ... the record store that's getting priced out of its longtime home.

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...

[Bobby Williams]

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.

Gregg Wolf's Bijoux Couture closing tomorrow

[Via Yelp]

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.

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

What's left of Aces & Eights is now on the sidewalk along Avenue A

EVG reader Anna noted that workers are clearing out 34 Avenue A this morning... site most recently of Aces & Eights (and Mo Pitkin's previously) ...

As we first reported on June 29, the address will soon be home to Ruff Club, "a social club for dogs."

Food truck favorites Mighty Quinn's taking former Vandaag space on Second Avenue

[peter radley]

There's a new restaurant opening in the former Vandaag space on Second Avenue and East Sixth Street. Eater has the scoop that the address will be home to the first "brick and mortar location" of Mighty Quinn's, a BBQ food truck, specializing in sustainable smoked meats, favored by food truck foodies in Brooklyn.

Per Eater: The "stand consistently draws the longest lines at the weekly food fest — it's one of the only lines that people will keep waiting in even when it starts to rain. The most popular menu item is his smoked brisket, which is usually gone by 1 p.m., but the stand also serves chili, ribs, and barbecued lamb."

Anyway, been a bit of a tough corner here for restaurants... there was that pita/sports bar combo that never actually opened ... Bounce Deuce ... Smoked ... and ...

Breaking: Workers unloading markety-looking things at incoming Union Market

We had an update yesterday on the incoming Union Market at Avenue A and East Houston... now with a late summer opening date...

And today, as this photo via EVG reader Marian shows, workers are bringing in refrigerated cases for the new store... Can the beef-aging facility be far behind?

Previously.

East Village Town Hall meeting tonight

[Click to enlarge]

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer hosts (presents? chairs?) the Town Hall tonight from 6-8 at the Tompkins Square Park Library branch... neighbors are encouraged to attend ... and discuss community issues and speak directly to their local elected leaders.

Perhaps we should have a Town Hall Warmup... What do you think are some major issues facing the neighborhood? (Not a broad question at all!) Perhaps:

• Rampant development
• Perceived spike in crime
• Lack of affordable housing
• Over-abundance of bars/liquor licenses/woo
• Decreasing retail diversity
• Rent hikes
• Cuts in after-school programming
• Pedestrian safety
• Potential loss of senior centers

These are broader issues, of course ... Residents will often have more specific concerns to discuss... For instance, there's always an array of topics at the 9th Precinct's Community Council meetings every month ... During the June 19 meeting, a resident complained about the noise at the 13th Step on Second Avenue... residents complained about Double Wide on East 12th Street leaving their doors open late... and, according to the minutes, "Resident complained about large bright illuminated sign from a massage parlor on St Marks."

So it's very possible someone will bring up a topic like this...

So you now have the floor to speak...Or comment.