AWKWORD in 'The People's Champ,' co-starring the Mars Bar

Our friend AWKWORD passed along his new video for “The People’s Champ” shot with DJ Vlad’s Monstar Films team outside the Mars Bar and on Extra Place. (Back earlier this summer when Extra Place still had graffiti.)

Katie Holmes dines at 'Northern Sea Food Co.'

This image and copy came in over the transom from some media outlet:

Katie Holmes and her companion stop off for lunch at Northern Sea Food Co. in the East Village. Katie was flanked by security at all times which left autograph hunters frustrated. The pair were on their way home from the Calvin Klein fashion show in NYC.

Mmmm! Must check out this Northern Sea Food Co. place!

Meanwhile, Katie may want to try Northern Spy at the same location.

Lightning strike at The Ludlow?

Zap! GammaBlog has some incredible video from last night's storm... Did lightning strike the Ludlow? (Top photo from GammaBlog's Flickr; whole thing via Curbed)



In any event, I'm hoping that the Bethenny Frankel statue atop The Ludlow wasn't damaged...

New sidewalk shed at St. Brigid's brings an end to shelter for travelers

Last week, to meet the demands of the continued renovations, workers put in a new sidewalk shed on the Eighth Street side of St. Brigid's... the structure takes up most of the sidewalk now...



During August, before the expanded sidewalk shed, several travelers would camp out here at night ...



Last month, I spoke with several regular East Village travelers... they all told me that the NYPD had suddenly cracked down on them like never before... and, according to them, the police said that this area by the under-renovation church was OK for them to sleep... and that Tompkins Square Park was "strictly forbidden."

There was some talk of increased gang activity... with the travelers being the target of the violence...

By now, though, most of the travelers have already moved on as usual this time of the year... just a handful remain.... In any event, the new sidewalk shed would keep them from sleeping alongside St. Brigid's...

Meanwhile, I keep thinking about this image early one Friday morning in August... I was out around 6:30 a.m., and came across this young woman asleep on the front steps of an apartment building on Seventh Street... In my 10-second assessment, I could tell that she wasn't part of the travelers scene... and she also wasn't someone who got locked out of her apartment... She seemed so vulnerable ... I felt a little cheap for taking a photo... Still, I wonder what the story was...

First fines levied for 2 Cooper pool party

Figures! Two guests per unit, people!

Previously on EV Grieve:
'Draconian regulations' for 2 Coop's pool and club

The perfect accessory for weekend nights out in the East Village

Homemade mask spotted on 10th Street.

The one sidewalk table you may not want at Westville East

On 11th Street... and to think the eatery was going to have even more tables out here...

Related reading: The Worst Outdoor Seating In New York (Eater)

On second thought...Rhong Tiam the Sequel not likely happening

JUST the other night, the former Rhong Tiam space on Second Avenue and Fifth Street was all lit up...

'

A worker on the scene said that they'd be reopening next month...

THEN! Last evening, while walking by, "for rent" signs had gone up...

Where the old Bowery fetishists will be this weekend

At the Film Forum for "On the Bowery," the 1956 documentary directed by Lionel Rogosin.



Our friends at This Ain't the Summer of Love have more on the film here.

It's electric

Wow. The talented and amazing James and Karla Murray took this storm shot this evening over the East Village...

The wrath of CAAN

This just arrived in our inbox from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP):

The Community Action Alliance on NYU 2031 (CAAN 2031) — a coalition of community groups GVSHP helped found to respond to NYU’s massive development plans following the suspension of the Borough President’s Community Task Force on NYU — continues to grow. CAAN 2031 continues to urge elected officials and the local Community Board, which will be voting or weighing in on NYU’s plans, not to approve or support zoning changes or landmarks approvals NYU is seeking which would negatively impact the character of our neighborhoods. CAAN 2031 has also written to various city officials urging that the public green space on Bleecker, Mercer, and West 3rd Streets and LaGuardia Place which NYU is asking be given to it for development as part of its NYU 2031 Expansion plan be turned into permanent public parkland (read the letter HERE).

CAAN 2031 now also has a website, which you can visit HERE. Both the CAAN 2031 website and GVSHP’s NYU webpage now also have useful documents including a summary of the NYU 2031 Land Use proposals, NYU’s Overview of their 2031 Expansion Plan, and NYU’s History of the development of and regulations governing the superblocks, which they are seeking to dramatically change.

On Monday, Community Board #2’s Zoning and Institutions Committee will be holding a joint public hearing on the NYU 2031 plan and the various zoning, land use, and landmarks approvals NYU is seeking for nine blocks east and south of Washington Square, to allow an additional 2 million square feet (the equivalent of the Empire State Building) of development there.

HOW TO HELP:

* Come to the Community Board #2 Public Hearing on the NYU 2031 Plan on Monday at 6:30 pm at PS 41, 116 West 11th Street, and speak during the public session regarding the serious problems with the NYU plan and the viable alternatives the University, Community Board, and elected officials should be considering.

By the way, the CAAN site included a link to video from NYU move-in day this past Aug. 29...

[Updated] Aces and Eights temporarily shuttered on Avenue A

Thanks to an EV Grieve reader for this shot... apparently Aces & Eights on Avenue A was shut down yesterday by the Health Department... One source said the bar was cited by the DOH last night for not having the proper paperwork... and that Aces & Eights would reopen next week.... Meanwhile, the source noted that the ownership has changed hands.... the people behind the Aces & Eights uptown are no longer involved here... which means that you can expect a name change one of these days ...

[Updated] The Lo-Down has more on the shuttered Aces & Eights:

[T]he bar never obtained permission to open its doors, according to city officials.

On Tuesday, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shuttered the 18-month old watering hole for lack of a valid operating permit. It had been cited for the same violation in April 2010, and ordered not to reopen until the permit was issued, according to the health department’s public affairs office.

Uh, oops?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Aces & Eight GM offers some clarification on previous posts, comments

Emotions in motion on the Second Avenue bike lane

Via Craigslist:

You were riding your bike down 2nd ave. Chastizing a cab as he turned - m4w (East Village)

Date: 2010-09-16, 10:01AM EDT

The cab was making a left on 6th street I believe and you turned slightly while shouting at him to recognize the bike lane. I told you I empathized. It's happened to me a few times. Then you rode south on 2nd Ave. You're feisty and beautiful. Hope you I hear from you.

Too soon to rename the bike lane Lover's Lane?

On First Avenue, the machines are taking over!

EV Grieve reader Creature notes this sight this morning on First Avenue between Second and Third Street...




Will one of these things microwave breakfast burritos?