Today in rants: the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office

[Image via]

Via Craigslist today...

PETER STUYVESANT P.O. WORSE EVER! (East Village)
Date: 2011-12-24, 7:14AM EST

Peter Stuyvesant Post Office has done it again, lost another one of my packages — and they seem not to care in the least. They scanned it delivered last Monday, December 5th and I WAS NOT EVEN HOME. Who did they give it to? They don't know and they don't care. It is appalling that the residents of the East Village must be held hostage by this shoddy Post Office. It has the monopoly and realizes there is nothing we can do about it. I spoke to a temporary Postal Carrier about my lost package, trying to get information, and her response was, "I am just here temporarily. At least I hope so. This is the worst Post Office ever and I am trying desperately to get reassigned." Even their own workers know it sucks. WORST POST OFFICE EVER.

Does anyone like this post office branch on East 14th Street near Avenue A?

In case you still need a tree...

Plenty left around as a quick survey this morning revealed...

At the Hamptons Deli Grocery Marketplace Store place on First Avenue at 13th Street...

On 14th Street at First Avenue...

On Houston near the Bowery...

No sign if the shredders ... just yet...

In case you still need a gift...

At participating Duane Reade stores... I smell another hit song!

Look, up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a ...

St. Mark's and Avenue A today... by Bobby Williams...

And then, depression (and diabetes) set in...

It's open on the Bowery, per @robbyohara ...

Dreaming of a White Christmas

From 1978... I've actually never seen this particular clip of "White Riot," in which Joe Strummer goes down...



And do you know what Kris Kringle's favorite Clash album is?

Santa-nista!

(BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)



"Charlie Don't Surf" via Sandinista! from 1982... (and yes, I think I have posted this video before...)

Perhaps it's for the 9th Precinct's Monte Carlo night?

More about the murder case against Davawn Robinson

In our roundup earlier today, we included a link to the Post article on the murder case against Davawn Robinson, who is accused of killing CUNY professor Edgard Mercado in his Avenue C apartment. After seven days of deliberations, the judge declared a mistrial. Troy Masters has a thorough account of the trial at Gay City News. You may find that article here.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Nice day to ride around with the top down? ... yesterday on Seventh Street via Bobby Williams]

Jury deadlocked in trial for murder of Avenue C resident Edgard Mercado (New York Post)

A tomato protest at Trader Joe's (The Villager)

No fur coats at Revision Bar and Gallery on Avenue B (DNAinfo)

Good question: Is Ludlow Manor the worst bar on the Lower East Side? (Eater)

All about New York Bound Books (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Remembering Schmulka Bernstein’s on Essex Street (BoweryBoogie)

Bellevue Hospital during the holidays (Scouting New York)

Still need something to do tomorrow night? From the EV Grieve inbox...

If you’re tired of sipping spiked eggnog to the same old holiday stand-bys, then, Oh, Come All Ye Faithful to "A Night Of Dirty Songs" ... the ribald brainchild of Jessica Delfino, the "Lower East Side’s Queen of Obscene" (Village Voice) and winner of Voice Choice’s "Best Of" award for being the "Best Potty Mouthed Guitar Slinging Comedian" in NYC ... On December 24 at 9:30 PM, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (and Gentlewomen and Gentletranspeople) in the cozy seats and couches of Joe’s Pub, located at 425 Lafayette Street, as ye sip dirty martinis and listen to delightfully dirty songs. Tickets are $15 each and are on sale now. Details and tickets here.

Breaking: 7-Eleven may open today at 2

Hot off the tipline from EV Grieve reader AB about the 7-Eleven on the Bowery:

"Guys were working inside all night and said they might try opening today @ 2pm."

Just in time for all your last-minute holiday shopping!

You can also buy the EV Grieve e-book that showcases our complete 7-Eleven coverage. Just $489.95 for a limited time. First 3 callers will also receive a souvenir "Hangover II" Buffalo Chicken Roller.

Merry fucking Christmas!

Just yesterday we pointed out how many trees were still for sale alongside the St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery...

So what do they do with the remaining trees two days before Dec. 25? Here's the scene this morning on Second Avenue via a tweet by @joshuastern ...

h/t to @hula_doll

A look inside Life Cafe

Life Cafe closed on Sept. 11, as we first reported...

As Kathy Life said at the time:

"I'm doing this due to issues around building repairs the landlords were supposedly going to complete one year ago."

And not much has been happening here of late... the necessary renovations don't seem to be happening... (there aren't any permits on file to indicate any starting soon...) We noticed that a light was on inside, and we took a look ...

We've talked with several people who don't think that Life will ever return to 10th Street and Avenue B...

Will there be enough room for a sidewalk cafe outside the new 5 Napkin Burger on 14th and Third?

Upon hearing that the incoming 5 Napkins Burger is aiming for a sidewalk cafe at 14th Street and Third Avenue, a few commenters questioned this, uh, wisdom...

argie said...
I'm in favor of 5 Napkin Burger's existence (I've eaten at the Hell's Kitchen one and it was tasty), but a sidewalk cafe there is madness! It's already so crowded there. Hard to even wait for the light to change without getting knocked over.

Anonymous said...
The idea of a sidewalk cafe on the corner of 14th & 3rd is silly.

Anonymous said...
The idea of a sidewalk cafe anywhere in the EV struck me as absurd years ago. Now I think to each his own, even if it's a noisy, dirty, exhaust filled location. Enjoy... you idiots.

So we took a look yesterday during a non-rush-hour time... Let's assume that the space the plywood currently takes up will be close to the size of the sidewalk cafe ... (not sure if the sidewalk cafe will be on the 14th Street or Third Avenue side...

Doesn't seem all that appealing to sit along here for a meal... just imagine what this corner will be like, at, say, 6 p.m., when you add in swarms of students, Trader Joe's shoppers, pallets of Trader Joe's products, people returning home from work ...

Things that you can do today if you're really bored

Try Google Maps with Street View ... The Googlers have been updating the streetscenes, but not totally... so you can see Seventh and A in June 2011 ...

...and cross the Avenue and it's June 2009 again...

Or!

From Avenue A, the Washington Mutual is still on the corner circa June 2009...

...but the but the view from Second Street shows it as a Chase...

Thanks (I think!) to RyanAvenueA, who apparently was bored at work, for passing along this timesucker...