Celebrate 25 years of Paul's Da Burger Joint tomorrow

[Image via the Paul's website]

The restaurant here at 131 Second Ave. near St. Mark's Place first opened as Paul's Palace.

Anyway, 25 years later, the burgers here — starting at $5.40 for an 8-ounce belly bomber — remain a bargain. (Matt Wardrop, the cousin of original owner Paul Koval, is now running the show.)

For the anniversary tomorrow, Paul's will be rolling back the prices to 1989 levels. (1989?! Remind me to pull out my copy of "Disintegration.")

And as the flyer shows, they'll be some other things happening throughout the day, such as free samples and live music...

Plans underway for a Tommy Ramone memorial

Drummer and producer Tommy Ramone (aka Thomas Erdelyi), the last surviving original member of the Ramones, died last Friday at age 65.

Tim Hayes and the remaining members of the CBGB family are finalizing details for a formal event in Tommy's memory.

The evening will include intimate and personal stories from many of the people who were the closest to him. Tickets will be $5 with 100 percent of the money going to a cancer charity. (Tommy died of bile duct cancer.)

"It should be a very special and beautiful night," said Hayes. "Tommy had a sweet soul and he changed music and NYC forever."

We'll have more memorial details as soon as they're available.

Citi Bike: A Reluctant Love Affair

An EVG reader, who asked to remain anonymous, submitted the following...

As an avid biker/alternative-transportation-seeker in New York City, the past few years have been a neverending whirlwind of emotions. The city has done a great job building bike lines, bike racks, hosting bike parking at events, and much more to encourage two wheeled riders.

The East Village is as busy of a neighborhood as any for bikers, with hundreds of delivery bikes roaming the streets alongside the commuters up and down First and Second and the casual neighborhood riders around Tompkins.

One issue remains, which I was reminded of in this post; bike theft seems to be as big of an issue as ever. I bought my first NYC bike about 2.5 years ago, and it was stolen within a month of owning it, despite it being locked up to an Equinox (improperly, but still, locked). I luckily got insurance money back for it, but the new bike I purchased has hardly seen the light of day during the week. When I lock up my bike outside a restaurant, I spend the entire meal EXPECTING it to get stolen. I can be 6 feet away from my bike on a patio eating, and I'll still stare at my bike to be sure it hasn't been taken.

Meanwhile, I signed up for Citi Bike before it had even launched. It was a godsend to my anxiety; I would never have to fear getting my bike stolen again, I had 3 docks within an avenue of my apartment, and I could bike anywhere south of 59th Street without worrying about taking the same bike home if I had an extra drink or two.

But Citi Bike is far, far from perfect. The app tells me there are 3 bikes, and none of them work. I show up to a dock with 5 spaces, none of them work. There are no bikes in the morning, and no docks at night. One of the best things about biking to work is the consistency in how long it will take, no matter how bad traffic is...and this is providing an opposite experience.

But it's $95/a year. Even if they jack it up to $200/year, it still feels cheap. Who am I to complain?

The bigger issue remains bike theft. If I didn't have to worry about my personal bike getting stolen, I would use it more often, I would use Citibike only when I really need to, and I would have less anxiety in general. So I have some questions for you, community:

a) How many of you both have a Citi Bike AND a personal bike? If you do, what's your split on usage between the two?
b) What could the city do to prevent bike theft? Is it even their responsibility to do something or should we be the ones spending extra money on extra/fancier locks?
c) Do you think Citi Bike is going to improve its service and reliability in the next year, or is the increasing popularity just going to make it more frustrating?

And we're off...

Gabay's Outlet settling into new Avenue A home

After 45 years at 225 First Ave., Gabay's Outlet moved earlier this month to 195 Avenue A near East 12th Street.



We checked in with proprietor Joey Gabay, the third generation of the family to run the business, to see how they were settling in their new home.

"We are still in liquidation mode of all of our excess inventory," said Gabay, noting that they are selling designer items at $10 a hanger. "Once the store is empty we will renovate to make a great designer boutique outlet. We are really looking forward to the fall when we will be able to put our best foot forward."

Gabay's first opened in the neighborhood at 1 St. Mark's Place in 1940. Increased rents forced them to move away from First Avenue.

As Gabay told us last month: "We are thrilled that we are staying in the East Village."

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 45 years on 1st Avenue, Gabay's Outlet is on the move

Apartment 13 will not be reopening on Avenue C

Apartment 13 at 115 Avenue C between East Seventh Street and East Eighth Street temporarily closed during the July 4 weekend. Signs on the door pointed diners and reservation holders to its sister restaurant Dinner on Ludlow.

However, a message on Apartment 13's Facebook page now notes that they will not be reopening:

It is with tremendous regret that I tell you all that Apartment 13 has closed its doors indefinitely. We would like to first and foremost express our eternal gratitude to all of you who took a leap of faith and decided to support and join us on what we fondly consider one of the most invaluable experiences of our adult lives.

Thank you all so very much for your unconditional support and unwavering patronage. It is truly humbling the way in which you greeted us with open arms and welcomed us whole-heartedly into what we consider one of the last remaining authentic “communities” in NYC.

Without burdening you all too much with the uglier side of business I'll explain it like this. Similar to a marriage, or divorce rather, our child (Apt 13), became collateral damage and fell through the cracks of a faulty foundation due to no fault of its own. Partnerships, be it business or personal, demands all parties involved to play for the same team at all times. When this fundamental law of business is tampered with, or worse disregarded, the potential for loss exponentially increases until destruction is an inevitability.

There is a P.S.

We look forward to seeing you all in the near future at the opening of our next venture and invite you all to continue the journey with us as we embark upon Chapter 2.

The restaurant, the first for chef John Keller (the executive chef at Dinner on Ludlow), opened last July 25. Apartment 13 featured food that they described as "Modern American interpretations with Japanese and Caribbean influences."

Looking at a studio with a 'loft style' bedroom

We looked at a "micro loft" for sale yesterday on East Second Street. Today, let's check out what you might call a "micro studio" rental with a "loft style" bedroom at 105 E. 10th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.



Per the Village Living Rentals listing, this studio features:

Oak strip flooring, high ceilings and crown molding.
Apartment has large, full separate bathroom.
Kitchen is also separate from the living space.
Bedroom is loft style!
There is a decorative fireplace!

There does not appear to be much headroom coming into the bedroom/living room/fireplace area… (tenants may need a "watch your head" sign…)



Asking price: $1,700.

Reminders tonight: See 'Fast Times in Ridgemont High' in Tompkins Square Park

[Debbie and Damone]

In case you missed our post yesterday … the Films in Tompkins series returns tonight with a free screening of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," which needs no introduction.

And this trailer for the movie sucks.



Sadly, I am not allowed to go. I have seen the movie so many times, I can't help but blurt out lines right before the character does.

This is U.S. History, I see the globe right there!

Hope you had a hell of a piss, Arnold!

"Now, the lady will have the linguini and white clam sauce, and a Coke with no ice."

Sorry! Go! Enjoy! The film starts at sundown. (The gates open at 6.)

How you can help Punjabi Grocery & Deli stay in business

Jeremiah first reported on this campaign yesterday at Vanishing New York.

Given the never-ending East Houston Reconstruction Project, the folks at Punjabi Grocery & Deli on East First Street near Avenue A/East Houston are struggling to stay in business. The storefront, which arguably serves the best inexpensive vegetarian food in the neighborhood, is losing a big chunk of its audience: cab drivers.

The construction site has taken up all the parking spaces for cab drivers, making it nearly impossible for them to stop in for a meal. (Those who do stop face a getting a ticket.)

So Punjabi is petitioning the city to bring a taxi relief stand to the front of the deli, "a place where taxis can park for an hour so drivers can get a meal, use the rest room, and relax before getting back behind the wheel."

Here's more from the petition:

Though the City and state government collect taxes for each trip from commuters in the form of surcharge through hard working of drivers, they do not create or give much facility and respect to taxi drivers. Since last many years this particular area is under major road and other repairs.

On the top of that construction companies using this area as their personal storage and stocking facility. Due to that in this all area you only see no parking signs. Parking to use the facility become more and more difficult and drivers get parking violation tickets. But the city government official do not think about creating facility but they are only interested in creating more hardship to their hardworking community.

[East First Street disaster construction zone]

You can find the petition here.

This is exactly the kind of business that we need around here. As it stands, the inexpensive, quick-serve restaurants are disappearing (Bereket ... Cafe Rakka on Avenue B ... First Avenue Pierogi and Deli ... and soon, Snack Dragon, to name a few).

As for the East Houston Reconstruction Project, it is now scheduled (PDF!) to be completed by mid-2016, according to the latest city estimates. It doesn't seem possible that Punjabi Grocery & Deli can last two more years at this rate.

Actually, the new rent for the Snack Dragon space is $4,495

[Image via]

Late last week Snack Dragon proprietor Josephine Jansen told us that her tiny taco stand at 199 E. Third St. will have to close for good on July 31. The reason: Landlord Steve Croman wants to triple the rent to $3,900.

Turns out the rent for the next tenant will somehow even be higher. In a follow-up article on Monday, DNAinfo's Lisha Arino noted that the rent on the 9300 Realty website for No. 199 is $4,495.

Small, vented restaurant available for 1 August move in on East 3rd St, steps from Ave B. Good dining corridor - Fonda, Root & Bone, Ethiopia Meskel, Café Cortadito, Poco NYC and others.

The COO of 9300 Realty told DANinfo that Jansen was the one who wouldn't negotiate a new lease and only offered to pay $200 more a month for the "way under market rate" space.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Watch a lot of people speak out against Steve Croman and 9300 Realty

Cromanated: The East Village Snack Dragon Taco Shack is closing

Meanwhile near City Hall....

Oh no! Someone doesn't like NYC? But we love you!

And what about our teeth? And why take it out on a Metro box?

Tonight's sunset

Photo by Bobby Williams

The animal extras of Judd Apatow's comedy 'Trainwreck,' which filmed in the East Village today

Not much is apparently known about the movie, which filmed in part today on East Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... Bobby Williams spotted a few of the extras...





The human co-stars in the comedy are reported to be Daniel Radcliffe, Tilda Swinton, Marisa Tomei, Brie Larson, Bill Hader and Amy Schumer, who wrote the script, among others.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Outlaw Bobby Steele photographed on 1st Avenue by jdx]

Here's the family behind Mimi Cheng's Dumplings, now open on Second Avenue (Fork in the Road)

Sports bar taking over for Sutra, where there have been 659 311 complaints — most allegedly for any bar in the city (BoweryBoogie)

A visit to the Tompkins Square Dog Run (Curbed)

Photos from Brian Rose's book "Metamorphosis: Meatpacking 1985 & 2013" now only display at the Dillon Gallery (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

A look at The New Museum's latest exhibition (The Lo-Down)

Those darn hawks! (Gog in NYC)

Inside the Cooper Union Building Clock (Untapped Cities)

Top 5 punk drummers of all time (LA Weekly)

And congrats to the Brooklyn bloggers who are coming together to create a hyperlocal network (The New York Times)

... and Derek Berg spotted a new mural by Mark Samsonovich on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and East Seventh Street ...

Films in Tompkins series returns tomorrow night with 'Fast Times At Ridgemont High'

As we noted a few weeks ago, the Films in Tompkins series would return this summer, though sligtly later than usual.

The organizers have just released the roster, starting with "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" tomorrow night...


[Click on image for more details]

The series ends Aug. 14 with "Midnight Cowboy."

We originally heard that "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" would be on the bill. Unfortunately, the organizers were unable to secure a copy of the film from the distributor, we heard.

Anyway! Gates open at 6 p.m. and the films will start at sundown.