Avenue C, 4:26 p.m., June 13

CBGB company files for bankruptcy protection

I missed this news from Friday evening ... The Wall Street Journal has the story:

CBGB Holdings LLC, which two years ago purchased the name and copyrights associated with Manhattan’s legendary punk-rock club CBGB, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday.

The company, reported assets and debts each in the range of $1 million to $10 million in its bankruptcy petition, filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan.

CBGB Holdings’ founding partners, James Blueweiss and Robert Williams, as well as the company’s bankruptcy attorney, weren’t immediately available for comment. The company didn’t say in court papers why it filed for bankruptcy protection.

[Image via.]

Is the MTA hip to this Internet meme?

Caroline McCarthy at CNET notes the following:

This week, an alteration in New York City transit signs to address forthcoming route changes have placed an unfortunate Internet acronym on a heavily trafficked subway station: Displays that list the color-coded subway services running at the 14th Street-6th Avenue underground station now display a bold "FML."

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA, may or may not have been aware that this is an acronym for "f*** my life," a profane exclamation of disgruntlement that arose in Web forums, in text messages, and on a popular blog several years ago.

[Photo credit via Digitalisms]

[Updated] Help a neighbor find a lost ring

From an EV Grieve reader:

I lost a ring in the East Village yesterday, probably on Second or Third Street, walking from Avenue B to LaGuardia Place in the West Village. I lost it between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. It's a gold band in a distinctive chain pattern, and I'm offering a generous reward upon return...

It has been found!

World Cup fever on Avenue A?

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Ryan on Avenue A for this shot ... Outside Gracefully around 2:24 a.m. last night/early this morning...kicking around a watermelon?

Street Fair!

On Third Avenue from 14th Street to Sixth Street...




..with plenty of the usual food options... something for the post World Cup crowd pouring out of Nevada Smith's...

Avenue A, 8:49 a.m., June 12

A World Cup theme at MARTE today

We wrote last Saturday about MARTE, an upscaley flea with, per their website, "new and antique jewelry and furniture, local artists, food vendors, and entertainment." It's at PS 63 on East Third Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...

And, because we have another month of the World Cup... there will be soccer-themed treats today ... and the U.S.-England match (game?) will be playing there .... no word on beer sales!

Into the Death Valley

NYU showcases John Penley's photos online

Last year, neighbor activist/photographer John Penley donated his extensive photo collection to the NYU Tamiment Library.... And now, the library has posted an online exhibit of his work from Tamiment's John Penley Photographs Collection ... such as the one above from 1994... a police assault vehicle evicting squatters on East 13th Street....

You can access the whole collection here.

Report: Burglar busted after dropping stolen passport

Here's an item of interest from the NYPD Daily Blotter in the Post today:

Cops busted a bone-headed East Village apartment robber after a passport stolen from his victim fell from his bag, authorities said.

A cop in plainclothes witnessed Mark Perlov go into an apartment building on East 6th Street near Second Avenue Tuesday just after midnight, cops said. Perlov allegedly began knocking on apartment doors, then finally picked a lock. Fifteen minutes later, the suspected prowler walked out of the building with a purple laundry bag, and the cop saw a passport fall from the sack, sources said. Inside the bag, police found an e-book reader, a digital camera and a laptop computer belonging to the victim whose apartment Perlov had pilfered, cops said.

He was charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools, said a spokesman for DA Cyrus Vance Jr.

[Imagine via]

Listicle alert!: The 10 best things to eat on St. Mark's Place

Here's a good summer Friday feature at Fork in the Road... in which Robert Sietsema writes: Our 10 Best Things to Eat on St. Marks Place in the East Village.

And here they are!

10. Falafel sandwich at Mamoun's

9. Tea-smoked duck at Grand Sichuan

8. Chocolate egg cream at Gem Spa

7. Early bird sushi assortment at Natori

6. Vegetarian soups and salads at Café Rakka

5. Morning Jersey at Crif Dogs

4. Plain cheese slice at Stromboli Pizza

3. Slider at Mark Burgers

2. Spicy miso ramen at Ramen Setagaya

1. Moroccan appetizer assortment at Mogador

The whole post is here. [Photo via the Voice]

Because I take everything seriously, I'd add the popcorn at the Grassroots to this list.

Finding the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Part I

I hope that you read Jeremiah's series this week at Vanishing New York on finding the diner in the West Village that served as the inspiration for Edward Hopper's most well-known painting, Nighthawks. It's a thrilling narrative...

Hopper was originally inspired to paint this, of course, after seeing Gottfried Helnwein's Boulevard of Broken Dreams.



In this iconic painting, Helnwein happened across James Dean, Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe dining at a Mulry Square diner that may or may not have actually existed. And if you look closely, you'll see that a young, carefree-looking Elvis Presley was working there while struggling to launch his music career.

I've always wanted to know when and where this chance happening occurred, an event that took place somehow without the knowledge of TMZ. Luckily, Jeremiah did most of the where work for me. So now I just needed to narrow down the dates. Or the when.

First, I turned to a trusted source: Wikipedia. I punched in the name of each icon to find out when he or she died.

Dean: September 30, 1955
Monroe: August 5, 1962
Bogart: January 14, 1957
Presley: August 16, 1977

So, looking at the dates, you figure this diner confab had to happen before September 30, 1955.

This would make Elvis 20, which seems plausible. Look how young he is in the painting.

But is it really Elvis -- or an impersonator?

To to continued....

Tomorrow: Why James Dean may have been alone.

But seriously, earlier this week, after reading two of Jeremiah's installments, I walked by Billy’s Antiques & Props on Houston... and what famous painting did I see for sale?




Coincidence? Hardly! I e-mailed proprietor Billy Leroy to ask how much the print cost. (This was likely not the original, which is housed in the Louvre.) Billy thought it was going for $40, but to give him a call to find out for sure. Which I forgot to do. I mentioned the coincidental aspect of all this to Billy, who responded, "lots of weird things happen in the vortex of Bowery and Houston."

Indeed.

New pizza and deli for former Finest Pizza and Deli

The other day I noted that Finest Pizza and Deli on Avenue B and Fourth Street had closed ... even writing a tearful farewell to their formerly one-armed (generic) pizza mascot.

However! As several readers noted... the place sure looked open this week. WTF, Grieve?

Yes! So here's the story from our trusted source and reader... and I'm paraphrasing....

New owner, new manager. Still no beer. But cigarettes. New focus on sandwiches and food. There will be pizza along with some other food services ... and perhaps fresh juices. New signage and menus to come. And likely a job here for Abdul.

So the deli remains open during the owner switcheroo.

No word on a new (generic) pizza mascot.

Three hopeful signs on the Bowery

Things we've seen of late on the Bowery that don't have to do with new restaurants or hotels or condos...

The return of the Squeegee Men to Bleecker and the Bowery...




...the ol' middle finger-do-not-cross gag...



...the signs on lower Bowery asking people not to pee in the doorway ....




(A related sign on BoweryBoogie)

Hidden documents expose sidewalk troubles on First Avenue

While walking by 147 First Ave. the other day at Ninth Street., which may or may not be destroyed ... or turned into a motel.... I noticed some important-looking documents stuffed to the side of the front door... looked as if they'd been there for a few days. So. Naturally. I took a peek.

Well! Apparently the sidewalk along here needs some work.



So says the city, anyway...








Anyway, all sorts of letters and charts and stuff to say that the sidewalk needs to be fixed... or the owners (Midon Realty) will have to pay the city for doing it for them...which could be $10 or $13 a square foot....

Previously on EV Grieve:
Blockbuster: 147 First Ave. set for demolition

Cosmic Cantina coming apart

As we reported, Cosmic Cantina closed up its Third Avenue home this past Sunday... (Monday if you count the freebie night)...

And now, workers are busy dismantling the Mexican eatery...



No chips inside...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Cosmic Cantina is closing

Shepard Fairey has his holes filled

This morning, BoweryBoogie noted the epic new holes that someone punched into Shepard Fairey's mural on Houston and the Bowery...

...and just like that, the holes have been filled...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Historic bombing on the Shepard Fairey mural

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

Helping to preserve Ray's (The Villager)

Jeremiah gives up the Nighthawks search (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

David Freeland’s New York (Patell and Waterman’s History of New York)

206 Bowery going down? (BoweryBoogie)

El Sol Brillante fund-raiser Saturday (Blah Blog Blah)

Chloë Sevigny models stuff (Racked)

There is no end to the million-dollar homes on the market now in the East Village

Yeppers, this two bedroomer in EV view killer One Ten Third Avenue (Jeremiah has a history of this block here) JUST went on the market... Per the listing:

The lovely residence has an expansive living & dining area with a built-in media system, custom window treatments and there are spacious California closets throughout. The loft-style open kitchen has volcanic Balsitina stone countertops, a Thermador oven & cook top, Veneto glass tile back splash, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher & Jenn-air microwave & convection oven. The Master bedroom boasts a walk-in California closet and en-suite luxurious limestone master bath with double sinks & Wenge wood cabinets, a Kohler soaking tub and separate seamless glass shower. Throughout the apartment you will find airy white oak floors, a 4 zone central air & heat system & it also includes a Bosch washer/dryer. As a dazzling (almost) new condo where the East Village meets Union Square, this full service building features a common roof deck, a fully-equipped fitness center, refrigerated storage, & illuminated contemplation garden.

It originally sold in October 2007 for $1.279 million. It's now going for $1.42 million. Something to contemplate in the garden.