(Every Day Is) Halloween: At the Ricky's Pop-up Shop on East Houston

Given that Halloween is like two weeks away, we stopped by the Ricky's Pop-up Halloween store in the Shoppes of Red Square along East Houston. To see what was what.

There is a lot of crap stuff to choose from.

Like wigs!





And accessories!







And costumes for couples!



And Jedi Knight posers!



A lot of the costumes are pretty much the same as the last time as when it was a Halloween City a few years ago… (except for the Mitt Romney masks)











Maybe buy this to join the crew hanging out across the street from the Bowery Hotel...



And not really sure where to categorize these two...

Reader report: The Wash House has apparently closed; space is for rent

The Wash House, the laundro-bar that made a big splash when it opened earlier this year, has apparently closed, per a tipster.

It is/was the place at 44 E. First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue where you could have some beer or wine or a grilled-cheese sandwich while someone washed your clothes in the back.

The place certainly had some public relations power behind it, landing coverage everywhere from NY1 to CNN. (Apparently all that press didn't convert many viewers into customers. And their PR power skipped over neighborhood outlets.)

The Wash House website is no longer active ... and they were closed during stated business hours yesterday ... and there haven't been any updates on their social media accounts since May.

Meanwhile, the space has been on the market. Current asking rent is $4,500 a month (plus $165,000 key money), per the NYCRS site, which also notes that the space is "Eligible for full liquor license in 4 months."

As BoweryBoogie pointed out back in February, there was "vehement opposition from the 1st Street Block Association and CB3 District Manager Susan Stetzer" over this beer-wine application.

However, SLA Chairman Dennis Rosen approved the wine and beer license subject to a zoning resolution with the DOB.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A 'laundry bistro' in the works for East First Street

Oh, that laundro-cafe concept really happened on East 1st Street

Nope, still not used to it

51 Astor Place aka the IBM Watson Building.

Films that we want to see: 'Stations of the Elevated'

"Stations of the Elevated" opens tomorrow for a week-long run out at BAM. We'd like to see it.

Some thoughts in the press:

Manfred Kirchheimer's Stations of the Elevated (1981) is a 45-minute proto-hip-hop bliss-out, a masterpiece of train- and tag-spotting dedicated to memorializing the extravagant graffiti on its era's MTA trains and how those trains rumbled across Brooklyn and the Bronx, bearing not just exhausted New Yorkers but gifted artists' urgent personal expression.

(Alan Scherstuhl, the Voice)

Graffiti no longer represents the menace it did in the seventies and eighties. It’s arguable whether most New Yorkers even find it offensive anymore. It is part of the romantic, rough-and-tumble past, preserved in museums and coffee-table books. You are just as likely to see graffiti on the streets of Brooklyn as on the Web site announcing a new Brooklyn condo, an evocative signifier of urban bona fides. Graffiti quietly anticipated the look and feel of contemporary advertising, from guerrilla marketing to the notion that every surface was a potential billboard.

(Hua Hsu, The New Yorker)

An appreciation: Raquel's garden on 1st Avenue

[EVG file photo from July]

The First Avenue bike lanes arrived back in in July 2010 ... the new concrete pedestrian island and tree pit at First Avenue and East Seventh Street provided one longtime East Village resident with an urban garden that has been well-admired these past four years.

When sunflowers arrived in September 2010, Raquel Shapira noticed that no one was watering the plants.

So she bought a watering can across the street at Saifee Hardware. The Tile Bar, which is the closest business to the island, lets Shapira keep the can there and use their water.

Guerilla gardening hasn't always been easy here. (Case in point one and two.)

As the gardening season winds down, we asked Shapira a few questions about her work.

Why did you decide to start tending to the plot on a more regular basis?

After seeing the sunflowers not being tended to, I could not ignore them or watch them die. As other plants started to appear ... the mission was kept alive. The following years I started planting my own flowers.

What has been the most rewarding part of this? The most frustrating?

The most rewarding is having a piece of greenery in the middle of NYC cement no matter how small it may be. The sunflowers bring smiles to people faces and many stop to take pictures. It's a joy.

Of course, the most frustrating thing is or are the flower thieves. This past spring I saw a woman cutting tulips in broad day light. Luckily I was around to shoo her away. Sunflowers are usually stolen during the night, which makes me suspect that weekend drunks are most likely to be blamed.

I heard that you received a new watering can.

For my birthday this year, my friends at the Tile Bar gave me a larger watering can, and each of them signed it as a card. Was a beautiful gift that reduced my exercise routine.

What's in store for 2015 here?

Next year I'm hoping to get wildflower seeds and sow them early spring. I may venture to other islands along First Avenue and sow them there as well — although I will not be able to water those. Of course plants that exist in the plot will always be taken care of.

Any parting thoughts?

What I like about this garden is keeping it organic. I have seen small plots on streets between Broadway and Fifth Avenue where every few months new plants are being forced around the trees to make the rich tenants happy. This garden is not the same. I let every plant live to its fullest and I'd like to keep it this way even if it doesn't look like a Fifth Avenue plot.

And yes – it's pretty much the end of the season, except the cosmos decided to bloom quite late. Even the vine growing on the tree is showing signs of life with new flowers. So I'm keeping an eye as always.

Here's Shapira (center) with her friend Manny Verdi (far left) on First Avenue and East Seventh Street. As for the other two fellows, they were moving a couch and stopped for a rest. Photo last Friday by Lori Kohn.



For further reading:
the little garden that could
Loisaida Nest

Thanks to The Village Voice

The Best of New York 2014 issue named EVG as the Best Local Website.



Yikes. There go my plans to "temporarily close for renovations" next week.

Seriously, though — thank you. Everyone.

And congratulations to my blogging friend Jeremiah Moss, whose Jeremiah's Vanishing New York was deservedly named Best Chronicle of New York's Ever-Changing Face.

S & P Liquor & Wine back in business on East 5th Street

Back in late July, the city ordered three small businesses on East Fifth Street just east of Second Avenue to vacate their storefronts due to a "structural" issue in one of the apartments in the building above…

Goggla tells us that the liquor store has returned … they haven't fully restocked the shelves just yet (the landlord made them move their stock from the basement to a warehouse). However, they are still able to make deliveries.

Unfortunately, Jamie the check-chasing guy is still operating from the van outside his storefront. (Today's Cut hair salon remains closed too.)



Last month, Jamie offered us this explanation about the situation:

What happened was there was some construction being done [in the building] and a person put their foot through the ceiling. The person below them had enough and finally called the fire department and police department. Because of the condition of the place, the fire department looked, didn’t like what they saw, didn’t see any permits, and they went around the whole building. By the end of the day, it was everybody out — full vacate.

Updated 8:28 p.m.

Read the comments... looks as if they will have to close again for some repairs...

Previously on EV Grieve:
3 small businesses temporarily closed due to structural issues at 300 E. 5th St.

Parmys Persian Fusion becoming Ravagh Persian Grill

Parmys, which opened in November at 125 First Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, closed Monday for a mini makeover.

Per the Parmys website:

We apologize that we will not be open to serve you, but we are also thrilled to reopen this Monday, October 20 as
Ravagh Persian Grill! It is such an honor to be joining our Ravagh family to grill up traditional Persian dishes for all to enjoy!

Here's background on Parmys via the Times in April:

The chef, Mojgan Raoufi, had never cooked in a restaurant before, having spent much of her professional life in a hospital lab. She runs Parmys with her younger brother, Amir Raoufi, who previously managed the Edgewater, N.J., branch of Ravagh Persian Grill, a mini-chain owned by their older sister’s family.

There are currently Ravagh Persian Grills on East 30th Street and on the Upper East Side.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Parmys Persian Fusion coming soon to First Avenue

Hitchcocktober movie of the night — 'Psycho'

All this month, Village East Cinema on Second Avenue and East 12th Street will be screening an Alfred Hitchcock classic on Thursday evenings.

And tonight — "Psycho" starring Vince Vaughn.



Here's the schedule for the rest of Hitchcocktober:

• Oct. 23 — "The Man Who Knew Too Much"

• Oct. 30 — "Strangers on a Train"

The films start at 8 p.m. Head to the Village East Cinema website for more info and tickets.

Pie Face leaves a note

The Pie Face on Fourth Avenue and East 13th Street quietly closed this past weekend. (Apparently several other locations closed as well.)

EVG Twitter friend @fnytv spotted a sign on the cafe's front door...



Pie Face opened last fall. I thought they sold pizza. Some commenters were equally confused:

Anonymous said...
Don't want to buy something with a name called pie face. It was lost in translation?

Pikachu de Gallo said...
Meat pies and coffee? Their business model was to give people the shits?

Report: TATS CRU member arrested at Ace Bar after smacking patron with beer mug

[TATS CRU mural on the side of 20 Avenue A]

Let's head to the Post:

Famed graffiti artist Davide Perre, known for his murals on city walls worldwide, was arrested this morning after allegedly hitting a man in the face with a beer mug in an East Village bar, police sources said.

Perre, 39, of Brooklyn was charged with felony assault after the victim was sent to Bellevue Hospital with blood gushing from his head.

Perre and his twin brother, Raoul — members of the famed TATS CRU from the Bronx — were at the Ace Bar on East Fifth Street when an argument erupted with two men. One of the men made comments about David’s wife and his brother’s girlfriend, and was then smacked.

Reader report: Korilla BBQ soft opening on 3rd Avenue

An EVG reader said that people have been coming out of the new Korilla BBQ restaurant at 23 Third Ave. near St. Mark's Place with food late this afternoon… the reader said Korilla is going through a test run for the official grand opening…

Previously on EV Grieve:
23 Third Ave. getting its stripes

Korilla BBQ confirmed for Archie & Sons space

Remember the Alamo

While walking around Astor Place this morning... we were thinking that the crawler excavator was awfully close to the Alamo, aka the Astor Place cube... where work continues on the reconstruction of Astor Place...



Maybe someone else noticed...because workers later put up protective plywood around the Alamo for now...

Boarding up the cube at Astor place #nyc https://t.co/9l9UjyiY6E

— Chris Alexander (@alexandermania) October 15, 2014

And some day... the area will look like this...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Five years later, Astor Place apparently ready for its 2-year reconstruction project

What scientists found in NYC rats

[East 12th Street the other day]

Via The Verge:

[S]cientists captured 133 rats from traps set in five locations around New York City, euthanized them, then took genetic samples of the bacteria and viral specimens found in their tissues and excretions (saliva, feces, etc). The scientists found lots of viruses, not surprisingly.

But while many of the bacteria detected were expected — including e. coli and salmonella — the scientists also found at 18 completely new viruses. None of these new viruses have been found in humans, at least not yet, but two of them are structurally similar to Hepatitis C, which does occur in people and raises the risk of liver scarring and cancer.

While there's no immediate cause for alarm, the scientists note that that the spread of these new viruses from rats to humans could theoretically already be occurring and is possible in the future...

On Sunday, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer released an audit showing widespread deficiencies in the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's response to citizen complaints about rats.

For whom the plot tolls

Yesterday morning, city crews arrived on East 11th Street just east of First Avenue... jackhammered up part of the sidewalk in front of Reciprocal Skateboards, filled it with dirt... and moved on...

Greg Matherly at Reciprocal Skateboards, who shared these photos, noted the arrival of a makeshift cross ... to give it a fresh grave look, perhaps in honor of Halloween...



And for some local reaction to the new plot...

Post by Reciprocal Skateboards.

As for what's next, probably a new tree.

By the way, the site of the cemetery of Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral was once across the street. The graveyard was moved to Calvary Cemetery in Queens in 1909.

Here's a map from 1867...



Learn more about this here.

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village. James had another commitment for this week. East Village photographer Stacie Joy compiled today's post.



Name: Wasim Lone
Occupation: Director of Housing Services, GOLES (Good Old Lower East Side)
Location: 171 Avenue B
Date: Oct. 10, 2 p.m.

Editor's note: We changed up from our usual Out and About format this week to highlight this critical neighborhood resource.

How has the neighborhood changed in the 30-plus years you’ve been at GOLES?

Working-class people, the poor, elderly, artists and writers are all struggling to find or keep affordable rents and are being replaced by corporate tenants paying high-dollar rents. There is a visible and tangible difference in the area. Stores and restaurants that used to serve the community have closed and big box and chain stores are replacing them. Now shops serve upper-income people.

After the 1997 vacancy decontrol legislation things changed rapidly in the area. A cultural shift changed the neighborhood. No longer is it the LES that used to exist. The flavor, the taste of the area has changed. There has been a tenant cleansing and the new order of the day is maximizing rents. We need to protect the tenants who are left, specifically the Section 8 housing members, public housing tenants, those with rent stabilization.

What does GOLES do for the neighborhood?

GOLES informs, educates, protects and counsels tenants on their rights. It offers legal representation in court, helps tenants form tenant associations and coalitions; for example, the Croman Coalition, which is very strong, and the newly forming Icon Realty Coalition, which is still in progress. People should contact GOLES if interested.

We fight for rules, regulations and laws, policy changes in city, state, and federal levels to protect tenants from predatory landlord behavior. The current mechanics to fight harassment are weak, very weak. In tenant harassment cases nine out of every 10 cases are not signed by judges. That’s 90 percent! Other courts are slow, like civil court or state Supreme Court, and most tenants do not have the resources to fight, especially against frivolous litigation and cases with no merit. They burn out the tenants.

How do you feel the new mayor and administration will affect East Village residents?

The new mayor’s changes remain to be seen. With the new administration there has been a climate change from the Bloomberg years. City Council is more progressive, and the new Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Public Advocate Letitia James are in the process of getting legislation, and calling out violators, like the new list of worst landlords...GOLES is pleased with its access to City Hall and the mayor.

But there haven't been any on-the-ground landlord changes.

What do you like best about the neighborhood? What do you like least?

I like the fact that what we provide is much needed. In fact it’s critical, so critical, to be there to help. Vestiges of the ’hood are still here: Section 8, public housing, rent-regulated tenants. And we are pleased to be here to help them.

Worst, I guess, are the challenges. We can put out fires but overall we are losing the war. Especially with state laws to decontrol rent, and the lack of enforcement at the local level. We see families and individuals getting evicted. Consistently.

GOLES facilitates processes to have tenants take leadership, like with the Croman Coalition, and coalitions regarding Marolda Properties and Icon Realty (forthcoming). The level of harassment the 9300 Realty Corp./Croman bring to bear on their tenants is shocking.

Despite having been doing this work for more than three decades, I am still saddened by the blatant disregard for tenants and their rights. It’s mind-blowing. The deprivation of services, frivolous lawsuits, lack of respect, and the greed of landlords to maximize profits at the expense of the people who make up the neighborhood is horrible.

Want to get involved? Visit GOLES for more information.

Westside Market opens tomorrow

[Photo from last month by Stacie Joy]

At noon, according to reps for the grocery on Third Avenue at East 12th Street.

This is the fifth location in the city for the family owned Westside Market.

You can read our preview of the store here.

At The Nathaniel, named after a hated secondary character in an Ayn Rand novel

Speaking of Third Avenue and East 12th Street... the luxury rentals at The Nathaniel hit the market back in the summer.

Curbed took a tour of the building for a post yesterday.

Curbed clears up one minor mystery: Just who or what is The Nathaniel named for: Turns out it's for Nathaniel Taggart, who is the grandfather of the protagonist of Ayn Rand's 1957 novel "Atlas Shrugged."

Per the always reliable Wikipedia:

Nathaniel Taggart was the founder of Taggart Transcontinental. He built his railroad without any government handouts, and ran the business for no other reason than to turn a profit. He began as a penniless adventurer and ended up as one of the wealthiest men in the country. He never earned money by force or fraud (except for bribing government officials and throwing an opponent down a flight of stairs), and never apologized for becoming wealthy and successful. He was one of the most hated men of his time.

Perhaps, then, The Nathaniel will become the most hated apartment building of its time in the East Village?

Off to a good start! The Nathaniel's least-expensive offering is a $3,273 studio, which, Curbed notes, is just slightly less than the median rental price ($3,300) for an apartment in the neighborhood.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Those persistent rumors about 74-76 Third Avenue and the future of Nevada Smiths

The East Village will lose a parking lot and gain an apartment building

Bendy thing sighting as 84 Third Ave. eclipses the AMC Loews Village 7

Upscale rentals and a rooftop reflection pool at The Nathaniel on 3rd Avenue

The Nathaniel on 3rd Avenue and East 12th Street is apparently in Greenwich Village

Tonight, a discussion on the urban photography of Marlis Momber and Lisa Kahane

Via the EVG inbox...

Sense of the Lens
Regarding Urban Survival and Resurgence in the Photography of Lisa Kahane + Marlis Momber

Join photographers Marlis Momber and Lisa Kahane at the new Loisaida Center for "Sense of the Lens: Regarding Urban Survival and Resurgence" tonight from 7-9 at 710 E. 9th St. & Avenue C. Presentation starts at 7:30 pm and is free to the public.

Simultaneously but unknown to each other, Lisa Kahane and Marlis Momber documented the life of people and places caught in cycles of urban disinvestment in the 1970s and 1980s in shattered, depopulated neighborhoods in the South Bronx and in Loisaida. Ms. Momber and Ms. Kahane both document the history and conditions of each place at the same time.

This discussion will also consider the circumstances that originally opened each place to work in. How did and does each photographer engage with people and groups, including local Puerto Rican activist communities, and what alliances did each photographer forge with other artists and peers? How does the personal, including gender, affect approach, alliances, method and regard? And is there a specific connection between what we now call social practice and photography?

Marlis Momber and Lisa Kahane will be introduced by Amy Westpfahl and Laura Napier, artists and photographers who live and work on the Lower East Side and in the South Bronx today.

Find more information about the Loisaida Center here.

Can someone lend me a $1 so that I can become a gypsy?

Noticed a listing on Craigslist for the psychic's space about the Dunkin' Donuts on First Avenue and East Sixth Street…



Sounds like a good deal for $1! Here's more from the ad:

For sale
Great location nyc
Well established 17 yrs
2 yr lease renew it with no problem
1 bed room living room. Reading room
2nd flr corner plc neons move in condition
No back bills

Who's in?