Jimmy's holiday party is today at La Plaza Cultural

And if you're around today without any plans ... Jimmy's annual holiday party is today from noon to ??? at La Plaza Cultural, on the southwest corner of Avenue C and Ninth Street...



Per the Facebook invite: "There will be food and music and it is potluck. Bring firewood for the bonfire and grill if you can. Bring your musical instruments. It is rain or shine."

And not to be a jerk, but these elves working the mail room at La Plaza totally lost my packages ...

Holiday Fair at the Neighborhood School TODAY

The Neighborhood School's annual holiday fair is today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 121 E. Third St. between Avenue A and First Avenue... highlights include a rummage sale and book fair via McNally Jackson (and BOX MAZE!)...

Happy Holidays from all of us here at EV Grieve!

TWO readers have now asked why we haven't mentioned that the holiday tree is still illuminated in Tompkins Square Park. Given that we discussed this in recent years, why have we been silent? ... Well, this is the latest that the lights have stayed on since we've been doing this site. (For instance, in 2009, someone turned off the lights on Feb. 6.)

Anyway, we didn't want to say anything in hopes that they stayed on until July 4. (Shhh... will be our secret.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
On St. Patrick's Day, a Christmas miracle in Tompkins Square Park

City workers remove holiday lights before Easter comes calling

The Beat goes on at the Holiday today

A crew was on-hand today to film scenes for "Kill Your Darlings" at the dearly departed Holiday Cocktail Lounge on St. Mark's Place... set in 1944, the drama involves writers Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs and Lucien Carr's murder of David Kammerer...

Michael C. Hall, pictured here, plays Kammerer...

The Times has a lot of the backstory about the murder here; the version of the story for this film can be found in "And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks," the 1945 novel by Kerouac and Burroughs.

I'm sorry, I'm too distracted by the photo of the crew member ready to eat that slice to keep going...

Photos by Bobby Williams.

O Christmas trees!

The Tree Riders wrapped up their 10th season of selling Christmas trees outside St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue yesterday afternoon. 

As noted yesterday morning, they only had 16 trees left... and they went quickly. 

One Tree Rider said that they sold more trees in 2020 than in previous years... citing fewer tree stands this year and a demand for live trees from homebound residents who were celebrating the holiday sooner in such an awful year.  

As Fortune reported earlier this month:

Christmas trees — along with wreaths, lights and other decor — are in high demand this year as many Americans embrace holiday festivity in the face of rising coronavirus cases and bleak predictions for the winter months.

Key Food on Avenue A at Fourth Street also sold out yesterday... ditto for the Bueno East Mart down the block at Third Street...

The stand on 14th Street at First Avenue allegedly sold out last weekend ... while Greg's on East Houston at Essex has two rather spindly trees left as of 8:30 a.m. today ...

Yuletide procrastinators may still be able to nab a free tree that has already been discarded... Vinny & O spotted this one yesterday on First Avenue at Second Street... perhaps left behind by someone who is traveling for the holidays...

A tradition like no other returns this holiday season on 9th Street

OK, maybe that headline is overselling it a bit. 

The Christmas holiday lights went up today on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, as Steven points out... 

As we've said, it's always festive on this block during the holidays. This year shall be no different.

And new stores joining your familiar faves on the block in 2021 include A Sustainable Village... Art+Ray ... Pillow-Cat Books... Spooksvilla ...  and a new home for Duo NYC.

And for those keeping tabs of such things, the lights are not early — they arrived on Nov. 1 last year.

Updated: 

A few evening-time photos here by Steven...

Not ready for any of this

The Holiday Market at Union Square was being set up yesterday...

Duane Reade had their shit out in October.



Food Emporium had their stuff up the day after Halloween.




The holiday lights went up on 10th Street sometime this past week.



And 57th and Fifth?

I'm still trying to enjoy my Labor Day.

Why the lights are out on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree

Now... (Well, the other night... not now now)

Yesterday, we wondered why the lights weren't illuminated on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree.

So we asked Robert McLean, parks and recreation manager, Manhattan District Three, what was wrong. He said that Park officials were aware of the problem.

"The tree lights worked one night and were off the next morning. We tried to fix the electrical hook up yesterday, but we could not get the lights to stay on," he said via email. "We have contacted the electricians and they should come out right away."

And soon!

[Bobby Williams]

Holiday movies: 'Blast of Silence'

Reposting this repost this from Dec. 23, 2011…

I know that I've written about "Blast of Silence," Alan Baron's New York (slightly hokey) indie noir from 1961.

Will repeat some of it now... the movie is about a contract killer in New York for a job during the Dec. 25 holiday season ... well, the trailer will tell you what you need to know...



Of interest hereabouts... the main character, "Baby Boy" Frankie Bono, stays at the Valencia on St. Mark's Place... which is the St. Mark's Hotel today, of course...

[Via]

In the background, you can see the former Saint Marks Russian and Turkish Baths ... which became the New St. Marks Baths ... and, eventually, Mondo Kim's ... and now the NYC Tofu House…

The Year Without a Trailer Park Santa Claus

[Another holiday season]

Well, as you may have noticed, grubby ol' St. Nick never arrived this year at the tree stand on East 14th Street and First Avenue…

Instead, we were treated to some lame perky inflatables …



Waited until later to pass this along so as not to ruin the holiday.

Anyway, time to toss the tree and pick up your Easter Candy at Kmart…

Happy holidays from Raphael Toledano and Brookhill Properties

The gift-giving by Raphael Toledano's Brookhill Properties continues this holiday season.

After closing on a 16-building East Village portfolio back in the fall, residents received a box of chocolates as a welcome from their new landlord.

Some tenants in these newly acquired buildings have accused Toledano and his associates of predatory practices in various published reports (The New York Times, Daily News, The Villager and DNAinfo) and at least one lawsuit.

Previously, rent-regulated tenants at the Toledano-owned 444 E. 13th St. received wine and fruit baskets back in May after the continued lack of basic building services. (This group of tenants filed a lawsuit against the property management.)

And more recently, Toledano tenants received another gift ...



... $20 gift cards to Ninth Street Espresso.

One tenant described the reaction to the gift from his fellow building tenants, many of whom are not having their leases renewed and facing eviction, as "surprised confusion."

Another Toledano tenant had the following response:

Thank you for your kind holiday greetings, and for your thoughtful gift card supporting our neighbors.

If you truly want to make good on your generous wishes for my peace and happiness in the new year, please consider dropping your case against me and renewing my lease.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Landlord of 444 E. 13th St. threatened 'to drop dynamite on the building'

Reader report: Large portfolio of East Village buildings ready to change hands

Report: State investigating East Village landlord Raphael Toledano

Report: Uncle suing nephew broker Raphael Toledano over $100 million East Village deal

Report: Raphael Toledano completes purchase of 16-building East Village portfolio

More about alleged harassment and landlord visits via Brook Hill Properties

Brook Hill Properties launches chocolate offensive

In op-ed, Raphael Toledano says that he wants 'to make the East Village a better place'

Report: East Village landlord Raphael Toledano allegedly misrepresented himself as a lawyer

Things to do this holiday that involve watching movies

For your holiday movie viewing pleasure, consider EV Grieve favorite "Blast of Silence," the black-hearted NYC noir from 1961... it concerns a hitman on assignment in New York City during the Christmas holidays... and Bad Boy Frankie Bono really hates Christmas. And cities. And pretty much everything.

To the trailer...



While here, Frankie stays at the Valencia Hotel on St. Mark's Place (now the St. Mark's Hotel)...



Thanks to EV Grieve reader Mykola (Mick) Dementiuk for this screenshot...

On my list, there's Martin Scorsese's first film, "Who's That Knocking at my Door," whose opening scene is on a stretch of Houston that you may recognize...



Thanks to the Graffiti Friend of EV Grieve (GFOEVG, of course) for passing this along via Smart Crew.

And as a P.S., an old stuffy favorite, "Weekend at the Waldorf."

'Holiday Grand Opening' tomorrow night for the Lobster Joint on East Houston

The import from Greenpoint will have a "Holiday Grand Opening" here tomorrow night on East Houston... (OPEN BAR!)

[Click image to enlarge]

The space previously housed Lina Frey, as BoweryBoogie previously noted. And this lobster venture will likely be more successful than the previous lobster venture on East Houston. Remember Urban Lobster?

Holiday season is officially over on 9th Street

The Christmas holiday season anyway... workers were out this morning removing the lights from the light poles on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

And in case you need help spotting the lights in the back of the truck...



Thanks to Steven and EV Arrow

How you can help the Bowery Mission this holiday season

[Image via Facebook]

The Bowery Mission is prepping to serve its 135th Thanksgiving.

According to the Times, the Mission's volunteer slots are full, but they are accepting donations 24/7 at 227 Bowery near Prince Street.

Per the Times:

Milk, butter and eggs are especially welcome; they’ve got the turkeys and potatoes covered.

Pork, beef and chicken are also gladly received, as the charity continues to serve three meals a day.

There are other ways to donate year-round at the Bowery Mission. Find that list here.

Meanwhile, Gothamist compiled a list of places where you can donate and volunteer this holiday season. Head right here.

A holiday market for P.J. O'Rourke II on Avenue B

East Village-based artist and entrepreneur P.J. O'Rourke has a new pop-up market space at 199 Avenue B between 12th Street and 13th Street ... where he is selling his brand of hats, prints, T-shirts, hoodies (the New York Fuckery ones are in) and other original designs (the brand goes by P.J. O'Rourke II)... 

The storefront debuted on Friday for the holiday season. You can check his Instagram for hours.  (He also has online sales.) 

In 2012, O'Rourke started selling his merch on the L train via a mobile art cart. He was on a month-to-month lease on 11th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue for nearly 15 months before moving to a pop-up space on Broadway back in the summer ... but not before some drama with an investor. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• A visit to FlyeLyfe on 11th Street 

Oh Christmas trees, oh...

As you probably noticed, the stockades are going (have gone!) up on sidewalks and corners everywhere, well last in least the usual places where holiday trees are sold, like in front of the Rite Aid on First Avenue and East Fifth Street (above)... and on First Avenue and East 13th Street...



... and we received a news release about Tree Riders NYC, which is launching its fifth season at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue at East 10th Street today at noon.



Per the release...

Tree Riders NYC – run by local artists and adventurers – offers hand-selected Fraser firs from the Appalachian Mountains in southwestern Virginia, as well as Douglas and Canaan firs from central Pennsylvania.

Tree Riders NYC offers same day cargo bike delivery service throughout Downtown and Midtown Manhattan; post-Christmas tree removal and clean-up service; handmade wreaths, garlands, and mistletoe; Christmas tree stands; and lights.

“We just returned from our annual trip to Virginia where we harvested the trees we hand-tagged at the end of August for this holiday season,” said Joseph Schommer, co-founder of Tree Riders NYC. “Through this careful selection process, we’re able to guarantee our community the freshest, farm-to-home Christmas experience.”

Find more info here.

Anyway, enjoy your tree, should you choose to buy one. And just as an FYI, the city has already released dates for the 2016 MulchFest — Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 9-10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Local elected officials urge Mayor de Blasio to help return the former PS 64 to the community

[City Hall photos by Peter Brownscombe]

A group of residents, community leaders and local elected officials delivered more than 1,000 holiday cards to City Hall yesterday afternoon urging Mayor de Blasio to help return the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street to the neighborhood.

The group delivered the greeting cards along with gold-wrapped chocolate coins, frankincense and myrrh on Three Kings Day to help draw attention to the ongoing battle for the landmarked building between Avenue B and Avenue C.



Developer Gregg Singer, who bought the building from the city in 1998, has to date unsuccessfully been able to convert the long-emtpy space into a dorm. There is currently a Stop Work Order on the site that the city issued in September.

Here's a collection of quotes about the building from local elected officials via Councilwoman's Rosie Mendez's office:

Mendez: "The Former PS 64 CHARAS/El Bohio was a school building and a cultural community center that cultivated the hopes and dreams of so many people in our community. Community activists laid the seeds and the foundation that created our community gardens and our urban homesteading buildings while sitting in a room at CHARAS. This holiday season my community and I want nothing more than to get our building back."

Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer: "Not too long ago, the CHARAS community center was an anchor that enriched this neighborhood, and with Mayor de Blasio's help it can be again. The Giuliani administration was wrong to shutter this community center and hand this historic space over to developers. The chance Mayor de Blasio has right now is one we rarely get: an opportunity to reclaim a lost jewel and make this neighborhood whole again."

Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez: "CHARAS was a cherished public space and I will continue to support my community in its efforts to reclaim the building for the
community!"

State Senator Brad Hoylman: "We have reached a critical point in the decades-long fight to reclaim the PS 64/CHARAS building for community use. However, we are still at risk of losing this valuable asset to unwanted and unnecessary development. I look forward to working with all stakeholders to help ensure that CHARAS truly benefits the neighborhood, instead of private interests."

As for the Mayor, he happened to arrive halfway through the event, but walked right by and into City Hall without acknowledging the group.



Per previous reports, both The Joffrey Ballet School and Cooper Union have signed on to place its students at what will be called University House.



On Monday, Singer told DNAinfo's Lisha Arino that "the city issued the order because it wanted to clarify the language in the leases" he signed with the schools. He said that he is "working with the city to change the wording and hopes to restart construction by the end of next month."

Singer also said that he wasn't opposed to the idea of a community center in part of the space, though he hadn't seen any proposals for a community center. One local leader disputed this, telling DNAinfo that Singer "has never reached out to us in good intention and good faith."

Week in Grieview

[The Jimi Hendrix experience on Avenue A]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

1st signs for the future tech hub arrive on 14th Street; more details emerge about 14th @ Irving (Monday)

A visit to Eat’s Khao Man Gai on 6th Street (Friday)

The Tompkins Square Park holiday tree lighting is Dec. 9 (Thursday)

Vacant lot at 14 2nd Ave. sells for $7 million; will yield to 10-floor condoplex (Thursday)

The Mars Bar lives! (in a penthouse suite in Times Square) (Wednesday)

This week's NY See panel (Friday)

Police looking for suspect in slashing outside Karma on 1st Avenue (Wednesday)

1st signs of the 14th Street SBS lane (Monday)


[A post-election scene on Avenue C]

Election results: All 3 NYC ballot measures approved (Wednesday)

At the You Can't Fire the Truth rally in support of protecting the Mueller investigation (Friday)

Remembering Todd Youth (Thursday)

peter radley's "Summer Hibernation" (Saturday)

Atino Eyewear Optical closing at the end of the month on 7th Street (Thursday)

New signage and a Michelin star for Tuome on 5th Street (Wednesday)

Pawsitive news: School for the Dogs relocates to larger space on 7th Street (Monday)

The return of 'The Village,' and the loss of a tree (Friday)

Setting up for the Union Square Holiday Market (Tuesday)

Pressure washing around the fountain (Thursday)

A new broker for 503 E. Sixth St. (Wednesday)

Uluh Tea House debuts on 2nd Avenue (Monday)

Report: New owner for 531-533 E. 12th St., the onetime home of the East 12th Party Crew (Tuesday)

Dunkin' done on 1st Avenue at 13th Street (Monday)

... and for this Veterans Day... members of the Air Force Honor Guard on Second Avenue and Seventh Street via Derek Berg...



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