Noted

"A rodent expert says half of lower Manhattan’s train lines are either infested with rats or show conditions ripe for attracting them." (The Associated Press, via the New York Post)

MTA will get the L out of there

A follow-up to the post over the weekend about the MTA's new FML signs... Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo reported yesterday that the MTA will change the sign...

"I guarantee you the people who install the signs have absolutely no idea what that [phrase] means," said NYC Transit spokesman Charles Seaton, noting that the new sign will display the letter L below the F and M.

No word yet on the JZ line.

[Top image via Gothamist; FML image via Digitalisms. Thanks to Digitalisms for getting this whole thing out there!]

Another brown out: Verizon battles graffiti artists, take two

Back in April, workers painted over all the delicious tags on the Verizon building on 13th Street and Second Avenue... Then, in May, there was an epic bout of tagging...

So, yesterday, Verizon once again had workers paint the 13th Street wall brown... and as these photos courtesy of EV Grieve reader evilnyc show, the brown paint was barely dry before the building was tagged again...






Previously on EV Grieve:
First tag reappears on the Verizon building

Brownout: Verizon building graffiti painted over

Green day: Second Avenue getting its bike lanes

Meanwhile, evilnyc also took shots of the new bike lanes coming to Second Avenue....

CB3 deadlocked over new "fast-food Italian" at former Graceland space; 7-Eleven next?

Last night, Frank Prisinzano, who owns EV Italian empire Frank, Lil' Frankie's and Supper, came before the CB3/SLA committee with his plans to turn the former Graceland grocery at Second Street and Avenue A into what he described as fast-food Italian.

Nearly 75 minutes of serious high drama later, the committee was deadlocked in its decision to grant Prisinzano a beer and wine license.

Prisinzano started with his concept. He called it "a simple Italian cafeteria" and "quick, easy volume." Menu items would range from $5.95 to $10.95... most food would be prepped to serve in a hurry, with no more than a five or 10-minute wait. People could be in and out for a meal in 45 minutes or less.

And there would be a separate to-go kitchen. And it would be all eco-friendly. With plenty of soundproofing, per the lease, which he has yet to sign. "I want to give the community inexpensive Italian," he said. "I'm hoping this becomes a neighborhood staple like my other places." And! "This is not a nightclub. This is not a bar."

In total, the new eatery would accommodate 190 people, including 75 seats in a sidewalk cafe along the 50-plus feet of Avenue A storefront. This space is currently twice the size of any one of his other eateries.

And he had two last things to say (for now)... "We need help with our fast food in this country. This is my attempt at it."

Then he went in for the kill. Prisinzano said the landlord is currently weighing three other offers: A bank, a 7-Eleven and a bank.

Shudder!

Then some residents spoke. A common theme emerged: Hell. One longtime resident said Avenue A between Third Street and Houston is hell Thursday through Saturday nights. "We hear people vomit," the resident said. "It's a little row of hell." Most residents who spoke mentioned Aces & Eights as the main culprit.

The resident said that she and some of her neighbors have all learned a dance "where we pray for rain [on weekends] to douse the crowds."

It was also mentioned that Supper has had issues with crowd control on Second Street in the past. Prisinzano said that he is getting more "militant" about crowd control. For instance, he has installed video cameras outside all three of his restaurants so that he can monitor the situation from his computer. He said that he can discipline the host or hostess if he or she doesn't help keep the crowds in check. "Now I have accountability," he said. "Big Brother is in the sky."

Susan Stetzer, district manager of CB3 and a nearby resident, also spoke out against the planned restaurant.

"It will just be hell," she said. "I don't see the benefit" for the community. There was some back and forth. She kept with the hell theme. "We just cannot take more people on that street. It's hell." And! "We're begging you not to have another [bar] on this block. It's just hell."

Prisinzano reiterated that this space won't be a bar; that he will serve inexpensive food and will be a good neighborhood. As for this stretch of Avenue A, he said "that block is full of shitty bars." (Perhaps he didn't realize that committee member David McWater, who was sitting a few feet from him, owns several bars on that block.)

So, he was pretty much approve this or, "otherwise you're going to get a bank or a 7-Eleven. Your choice."

Stetzer said that she was tired of people telling her and other residents what will be good for the neighborhood.

At some point Prisinzano said, "I'm not Aces & Eights."

Eventually committee chair Alexandra Militano threatened to make Prisinzano and Stetzer leave the meeting if they spoke up one more time.

There was more debate among the committee members. Militano said that she hasn't heard the end of it from residents ever since the committee approved the transfer of Aces & Eights from Mo Pitkins. There was an argument about motions to pass along to the State Liquor Authority between Militano and McWater, who told her, "I was dealing with the SLA while you were still in law school."

In the end, 75 minutes later, the committee was deadlocked in their vote. Prisinzano looked incredulous. The whole thing will be kicked to the full CB3 meeting on June 22

Previously on EV Grieve:
"All uses considered" at former Graceland

Owners of Frank-Lil' Frankie's-Supper taking over the former Graceland space

More here.

On second thought: No to the fishmonger for Avenue A

At the April CB3/SLA meeting, the committee approved a full-liquor license (within a resolution area) for Keith Masco's seafood market/restaurant/high-end cocktail bar at 171 Avenue A.

As you'll recall, Masco will sell fresh fish in the front of the space during the day ... with room for 48 diners in the back along with a bar selling specialty cocktails. He also has plans to utilize the 400-square-foot garden in the back. (Forgot to mention what the place would be called: Sea on A.)

However, the full CB3 rejected the plans. So it was back to the CB3/SLA last night ... and Masco returned with more signatures of support... and he said he will expand his retail counter from 9 feet to 15 feet to show that he will be a retail operation, selling fresh fish from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Again, while people generally like the idea of a fishmonger in the neighborhood, the opposition remains... residents do not want another liquor license on this section of Avenue A. There are now six of nine storefronts on Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street that sell beer, wine or liquor. This would make seven. One longtime resident spoke about the importance of having retail diversity, not just bars and restaurants. The density of bars is creating an unhealthy balance in the neighborhood.

Michael Rosen, a founder of the East Village Community Coalition, was also on hand to speak out against another liquor license. He discussed how the saturation of bars changes the nature of the community.

There were petitions with signatures for and against the application. People spoke passionately for and against the application.

In the end, the committee rejected Masco's application after approving it two months earlier.

Previously on EV Grieve:
CB3/SLA highlights: Avenue A fishmonger approved; Michael Huynh's DOB rejected

Also! Gaelic gastro pub OK'd for Avenue A

Last night's CB3/SLA Licensing Committee meeting seemed longer than usual... by 10 p.m., the group had gotten through four of the 30-plus items on the agenda...

There were a few last-minute scratches, including:

Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades
26. Spitzer's Corner (LES Gastro LLC), 101 Rivington St (trans/op) (NYLA Cafe LLC)

However, we did hear the presentation for Percy's Tavern, a "Gaelic gastro pub" that was OK'd to take over the Al Diwan space at 13th Street and Avenue A. The Percy's folks were turned down last month...However, they returned with a stronger concept and better community outreach. The owner, Larry Watson, has lived in the East Village for 25 years, arriving here in 1986 to work as a building super on 11th Street and Second Avenue... We'll have more on Percy's later...

Mosaic Man rebuilding on Sixth Street and Second Avenue

Two weeks ago, we were wondering if the Mosiac Man was calling it quits on refurbishing his mosiac trail around the neighborhood... as this note spotted last evening on the sidewalk at Second Avenue and Sixth Street would indicate, he's planning on rebuilding, though he could use some financial assistance...




Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the Mosaic Man removing his mosaics

Mosaic removal on St. Mark's Place?

Another Housing Court meeting for Whitehouse Hotel tenants

Previously on EV Grieve:
More tenant meetings for White House residents; plus the bed bugs will be exterminated

Hello from tonight's CB3/SLA meeting!

After taking nearly 140 minutes to get through the first two items on tonight's agenda, CB3/SLA committee member David McWater noted that, at this rate, the meeting will last more than 31 hours.

See you Wednesday afternoon!

East Village getting a 60,000- to 70,000-square-foot residential building?

Yowza... a reader just sent along a Q-and-A from the Times with developer Donald Capoccia, a managing principal and founder of BFC Partners, whose projects include the monstrosities Toren in downtown Brooklyn and Schaefer Landing, a three-building waterfront complex in Williamsburg.

This is the passage that we Yowza'd about:

Q. What else is in the pipeline?

A. We have an East Village property. It’s going to be a 60,000- to 70,000-square-foot building. We’re also looking at a hotel deal in Kennedy Airport — this would be our first hotel. Kennedy, believe it or not, does not have any hotels that offer significant conference space.

Whoa! What? Where?!

To be continued....

Lost City tribute

As you may know, Brooks of Sheffield is retiring from active duty at his excellent Lost City blog. You can read his farewell here.

Jeremiah's Vanishing New York, Neither More Nor Less and Lost City served as part of my inspiration for launching EV Grieve in December 2007.

Now, two of those sites have called it a day... All this has made me think about my own blog mortality.

[Moment of silence]

Anyway! Meanwhile, I think I'll apply for a liquor license with a sidewalk cafe.

As a tribute to a lost and vanishing part of the city ... I revisited a post of mine from November 2008 ... Here's Donohue's Steak House, 845 Lexington Ave. near 64th Street, which opened in 1950... an-all-too-rare classic that's still open....





Previously on EV Grieve:
The timeless appeal of Donohue's Steak House

A few scenes from the first weekend of the World Cup

As I exclusively reported, the 2010 World Cup started last Friday... and, even if you weren't interested in the games, you likely happened upon some kind of soccer-inspired scene in the East Village...

Starting with the World Cup Capital, Nevada Smith's... where a police officer was watching the line entering for the Argentina-Nigeria match...





Outside Zum Schnieder on Avenue C and Seventh Street before the start of the Germany-Australia match yesterday afternoon... line stretched halfway down the block...




Outside Karma on First Avenue near Fourth Street on Friday ... where Uruguay fans/citizens might want to talk to whomever created the chalkboard sign...



U-R-Gay?



On St. Mark's Place... after South Korea's 2-0 victory over Greece...




Meanwhile, thanks to EV Grieve reader Blue Glass for the following photos... Blue Glass was walking on Third Avenue prior to the start of the U.S.-England match, and witnessed the crowds waiting to get into Nevada Smith's and the Village Pourhouse on Saturday afternoon ... (good thing Third Avenue was blocked off for the street festival...)

New vegan cafe for Avenue B

A new vegan cafe called The Little Bird opened last Wednesday on Avenue B near 11th Street (at the former Panache Cafe)...

I asked proprietor Joanna Troccoli via e-mail what people can expect here...
"As for now it is just the vegan baked treats, coffee and teas. I make everything in the back. All the cookies, granola, and treats are vegan."

This is the first commercial outlet for Troccoli, who runs The Little Bird with her sister and brother-in-law. "But I have been wholesaling the cookies to local stores like Earth Matters, Liquiteria, Jack's Coffee, Gimme! Coffee and Kula Yoga."

She'll expand the menu in the coming weeks to include small plates of vegan fare. "We are also working on getting a beer and wine license to serve ORGANIC beer and wine," she said. "But that is in the future!"

Another month, another Superdive scratch; Plus, Avenue A bars give it another go tonight

Once again, Superdive was on the agenda for the CB3/SLA meeting... to transfer their license, etc. This makes four consecutive months that they've bowed out of the meeting ...

Meanwhile tonight... the bars who were rejected at last month's meeting on the northern part of Avenue A are all back on the docket...

Renewal with Complaint History
Forbidden City (Lo-Eng Inc), 212 Ave A (op)

Applications within Resolution Areas
Percy's (Steelbar 180 Inc), 210-212 Ave A (op) (Al Diwan)

Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades
MBM Lounge Inc, 212 Ave A (trans/op) (Forbidden City)

And another scratch...
Jay Cox Coal, 503-505 E 12th St (trans/op)... This is the former Mundial/Totem space...

I'm also not aware of any community outreach by these establishments since the last meeting...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Last night's CB3 recap: Residents 1, Bar Owners 0

New Grassroots sign is MIA

Just last week we pointed out the new sign for the Grassroots...



And, well, now it's gone... dunno if it was stolen... or there's some other logical explanation...

East Village eatery odds-and-ends

Think Coffee on Fourth Avenue namechecks Jack Tripper's favorite bar ...




Signage for the new tapas space is up at the old home of Xunta on First Avenue...



More beer specials at the Neptune...



Rico, the hookah bar on Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street, is really closed now...



Caffe Buon Gusto is still looking for that sidewalk application even though they don't have a liquor license... I didn't notice this sign posted until after the hearing... one nearby resident believes the sign didn't go up until the day of the hearing ...

Say hello to Kumo Sushi

Here's your weekly update on what's happening to the former Cookout Grill space on First Avenue and 13th Street... the signs are now up...



Say hello to Kumo Sushi... and Kumo Sushi, say hello to the neighborhood...



and, well, they're replacing the Cookout Grill sign of course...

Then!


Now!


...but we're holding out hope that CG mascot will continue to watch over the 13th Street entrance...

A bit of East Houston Street's history disappears

Back in December, I was pleased to see a faded sign on the side of the Mercury Lounge get exposed...




However, given the Mercury's recent paint job, the Shastone Monuments ad was likely a goner... Indeed, it has been wiped away...




The Mercury Lounge opened in 1993. Prior to that, Shastone Monuments -- part of Houston's once-thriving gravestone industry -- called this space home for nearly 60 years. You can read more about Shastone here at Mr. Beller's Neighborhood.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Some faded ad glory reappears above the Mercury Lounge

Avenue C, 8:16 p.m., June 13