Friday, December 30, 2011

Gone but not forgotten

Remembering a few of our friends and neighbors who died in 2011...

Bob Arihood, journalist, photographer

[Photo by Melanie via East Village Corner]

Ray Deter, bar owner, father

[Photo via Brew York, New York]

Cornell Edwards, store owner, caring neighbor

[Photo by John Galayda via One Horse Town.]

Joe Gonzalez, aka Caveman, veteran, pool aficionado

[Photo by Cary Conover]

John Leeper, bartender, father figure

[Photo by John Yale via the Grassroots Facebook page]

Monica "Kathryn" Shay, teacher, activist

[Image via]

Ellen Stewart, theater director, creative spirit

[Photo via La Mama]

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Tompkins Square Park loses another tree

Oh no. A tree came down last night in Tompkins Square Park... Doesn't appear to be any damage, but ... we've lost far too many trees this year in the Park, including five or so during Hurricane Irene ... Photos by Bobby Williams...



Reader report: Itzocan Café has closed on East Ninth Street



EV Grieve reader @bonatron9000 made an unhappy discovery this morning:

"Itzocan Café — the delicious French/Mexican restaurant on Ninth Street near Avenue A — is shuttered with a sign thanking customers for their years of patronage."

As you can see, the space is already for rent...

Today in the Mystery Lot


Per Goggla: "The engines are idling, but there's no one in sight. Gate is unlocked...I'm so tempted to go in and play with the machinery."

Previously.

Report: Local politicians reach out to Ben Shaoul as re-sale of the Cabrini Nursing Center seems likely


Last month, we first reported that Ben Shaoul was the mystery buyer behind the sale of the Cabrini Nursing Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation on East Fifth Street at Avenue B.

According to a source, Cabrini officials made an offer to Shaoul in November to pay a substantial amount of money just to receive a lease extension — in addition to more rent. (Cabrini officials have been planning to relocate to a still-unspecified site.)

As the Lo-Down previously reported, the Cabrini building sold for $25.5 million.

Today, the Lo-Down has a copy of the letter that elected officials have sent to Kenneth Fisher, the attorney representing Shaoul's Magnum Real Estate Group. There is now concern that Magnum plans to flip the building.

Here's part of the letter (read the whole thing here), written by State Sen. Daniel Squadron and signed by an array of local politicians:

As the Magnum Real Estate Group pursues a sale, we ask that the needs of the senior community on the Lower East Side be taken into consideration. There are a number of options to preserve nursing home beds. The critical importance of those beds for the individuals already accessing CCNR’s service, as well as for the wider community of families and caregivers, must be prioritized.

Cabrini's lease runs out in April.

The nonprofit, 240-bed nursing home — sponsored by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — provides health care for low-income elderly residents in the East Village. The location at Fifth Street and Avenue B opened in 1993. This location serves 240 patients and employs nearly 300 employees.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Ben Shaoul is the new owner of Cabrini nursing home, will convert to condos

7-Eleven bravely enters the East Village $1 pizza war


Photo on the Bowery via Goggla.

The final countdown at Billy's Antiques


Yesterday, Billy Leroy and Jesse the manager removed the painting done of Leroy "back in the day" ... the store is closing Jan. 1. The iconic tent here on Houston at the Bowery is coming down to make way for a new two-level building. Billy's Antiques will return to the new structure when construction is complete.

Year-end listicle alert: The most-commented EV Grieve posts of 2011

Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting...


1) Occupy Tompkins Square Park this weekend (121 comments)

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2) RIP Bob Arihood (70 comments)

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3) An East Village pep talk (63 comments)

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4) In which a film crew calls your wife a 'stupid bitch' on Avenue A (59 comments)

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5) About Mercadito Cantina closing: 'Open letter to EV Grieve and CB3' (58 comments)

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6) Banjo Jim's space to become home to an 'artisanal neighborhood cocktail bar' (48 comments)

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7) Today's sign of the apocalypse: Starbucks taking over The Bean's space on First Avenue and Third Street (48 comments)

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8) [Updated] Resident starting a petition to have the 'Hot Chicks Room' sign removed at the Upright Citizens Brigade (47 comments)

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9) The Hot Chicks Room lives on! (46 comments)

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[Photo by Melanie Neichin via East Village Corner]

10) Crusty Row, now with a vacancy in Tompkins Square Park (46 comments)

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11) So where do you order Chinese food from? (43 comments)

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12) The East Village rolls out welcome wagon for new Starbucks (41 comments)

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13) Continuing to question the BMW Guggenheim Lab's benefits to the local community (39 comments)

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14) Does the East Village have enough places now to order hamburgers? (38 comments)

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15) One man's campaign against 'the doorshitter' on St. Mark's Place (37 comments)

The top-11 things that people mistook for Lady Gaga in 2011





[Via Eye Heart New York]






The top-10 EV Grieve posts that NO ONE read in 2011

Here's your second chance, people!

If you stand just right on 14th Street and First Avenue, then it kind of looks as if the shadow is going up Leonardo DiCaprio's nose (Nov. 11)



Today in sidewalk sales on St. Mark's Place (July 10)


And the DEP catch of the day is... (June 18)


THIS is why we need a second Chase branch on Second Avenue and 10th Street (June 24)


Exclusive first look inside the new Capital One bank branch at 123 Third Ave. (Sept. 26)


Today in interesting-looking boiler-service trucks on Seventh Street (Sept. 24)


Today in dog poop etiquette signs (Sept. 12)


You may now sign up for the TV/VCR (Aug. 5)


An espresso to go? (May 14)


Noted (Feb. 16)

Posts that I never got around to posting in 2011: Is this a good place for a cellphone call

[Photo by blue glass]

Rejected posts from 2011: New NYU outdoor swimming pool coming along


Yes, there's a reason the EV Grieve editorial board rejected this one. And others.

Rejected posts from 2011: Tonight on 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians'