St. Brigid's will have that 1848 look

Meanwhile, in more positive news... The Villager has an update on the renovations at St. Brigid's, the historic church on Eighth Street and Avenue B that was spared the wrecking ball by a determined group of volunteers... and later a guardian angel who donated some $10 million to restore the building.

Anyway! To the article!

Both the west and north facades (what everyone from the street sees) of the building are going to be sheathed in cast brownstone slabs, more or less restoring the look of what was there when the church was first built in 1848. They are working on this now, and roughly a quarter of the north wall has already been installed. The original north wall had to be completely demolished and rebuilt as part of the process of restoring structural stability to the church. This necessitated filling the entire church interior with scaffolding in order to support the roof during this reconstruction. But it was a big improvement over the original repair plan to simply re-stucco the existing facade.

Read the whole article here.

And here are several recent photos that I took showing the renovations in progress...

Argosy is cleaned out on East Ninth Street

Back in May, we noted that Argosy, the vintage clothing store on East Ninth Street between First Avenue and Avenue A, appeared to be closed. The gate was down. Mailed piled up inside. In any event, in the last few days, someone has cleaned out the store...

Expect a "for rent" sign here soon enough.

Something that people may use (a dry cleaners!) opening on Third Avenue

Here, next to East Village Cheese on Third Avenue... at that short-lived boutique...

[Updated] At the Mars Bar vigil tonight

[Photo by @mgsledge.]

Around 6:30, we received notice of a planned candlelight vigil at the Mars Bar for 8 p.m. Several readers are at the scene... one estimate has 25 people outside the now-shuttered bar. With candles!

[Photo by the long-lost Intern of EV Grieve]

[Updated] Goggla sends along some photos. You can find more on her Flickr page.

She has some videos too... including people collecting their art from inside the bar ... and a version of "Mars Bars Blues."

Dining with the red-tailed hawk in Tompkins Square Park

Last night, Bobby Williams pointed out the arrival of a red-tailed hawk in the Park.

This evening, East Village-based photographer Stacie Joy saw the hawk too... right at dinner time.

Per Stacie: "It was an awesome spectacle, except for the kids pelting the hawk with super-soakers and rocks."

That's it: The Mars Bar is closed for good

Earlier, we mentioned that the DOH had shuttered the Mars Bar today. Goggla just stopped by. They're not reopening. That's it. Per Goggla, George is frantically taking down art. So — if you have stuff here, now would be a good time to stop by and collect it.

Updated: Slum Goddess has a post on the closure with some recent pics. Per Slum Goddess: "I will miss this place more than any normal person should miss a bar considering I don't much care for bars really..but this one was special! NYC just became a lot more boring."

Tourists discover the Hare Krishnas today in Tompkins Square Park

Bobby Williams notes that there were a good number of tourists in the Park today....

Meanwhile, we don't have an explanation for this...

[Updated] Mars Bar is closed, temporarily or not

The EV Grieve inbox is busy this afternoon with reports that the Mars Bar has closed for good.

However, one source said the DOH shuttered the Mars Bar.

We called the bar. Whoever answered (with a "hello" and not a "Mars Bar") said that they were just temporarily closed. Oh?

"The health department shut us down."

They thanked us and hung up before we could get any further.

According to the DOH website, the bar was last inspected on May 23, with 16 violation points. But for some big stuff, like filth flies and live roaches.

Updated 6:02 — A walk by the bar confirms that it is closed. A piece of cardboard with "closed" written on it is visible on the door. And the gates are down.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

Ray is now a U.S. citizen (Neither More Nor Less ... The Villager)

The new High Line doesn't need old auto centers (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

A brief history of Donald Capoccia's EV developments (The Local East Village)

A new hotel for Mott Street (Curbed)

The woo-wooers of 1872 (Ephemeral New York)

Tiengarden reopens on Allen Street (BoweryBoogie)

Your guide to changes coming to 14th Street between Second and Third Avenue

1) Plywood is up at the former fast-food triplex on the corner of Second Avenue. We're awaiting word on what's coming into this space.

2) As Eater reported, Eddie Huang is opening his second Baohaus location... coming to the Thai Me Up space. Having seen the gutted interior, July 25 seems like an optimistic opening date.

3) Plywood is up now at the coming-soon IHOP.

4) The Exquisite DVD store is open, though the space is for lease...

5) The new awning is up at the relocated Xoom. We expect to hear about an opening date very soon.

6) The Super Saving Store is closing near Third Avenue...

7) The Mystery Lot now features a Happy Hour...

Biking on lower Bowery and the Manhattan Bridge promises to be messy for the next few months

Longtime lower Bowery resident Curt Hoppe passes along this photo of the new bike lane on the street...

As Gothamist has reported, this is all part of the Manhattan Bridge rehabilitation work that starts today. It's a little confusing, these plans. But have a look.

[Via Gothamist]

So Manhattan-bound cyclists will exit the bridge on the Bowery and bike north to Prince Street... along the pre-existing path...

Per John Del Signore at Gothamist: "The change is annoying because on the Brooklyn side, cyclists will now have to dismount and carry their bikes up and down the stairs to get to the path. And they'd better get used to it, because this is the way it's going to be through January 2012. WHY GOD?!"

Meanwhile, Hoppe is curious how the Fung Wah Bus company will deal with this. Their buses typically idle exactly where the new bike lane is painted in on the Bowery.

Said Hoppe, "What a mess this is going to be."

The Bean's new home on Broadway

On Friday, we reported that the Bean is expanding its operation from its Third Street/First Avenue home... We're just confirming the second location on Broadway at 12th Street across from the Strand...

...at the former home of Quiznos and its toasty bullets.

Part of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America HQ is for lease

At 203 Second Ave., for lease signs are now up... the first and second floors are available ...

This is the national headquarters for The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America. (The Ukrainian Museum moved to its new home on East Sixth Street in April 2005.)

Last August, a fire in the stairwell of the upper floors damaged part of the offices. The renovated offices were dedicated this past June 11.

Related reading on EV Grieve:
Ukrainian Sports Club ready to go retail on Second Avenue

The Marshal seizes the shuttered Bowery Wine Company

Last weekend, as we reported, the Bowery Wine Company called it quits on East First Street... On Friday, the Marshal served the now-vacant restaurant with a seizure notice.

As we've noted, August Cardona, owner of dell'Anima, L'Artusi and Anfora, will take over the space ... and expanding into the empty storefronts to the east.

Pulino's enters Bowery sidewalk cafe garden party; DBGB put on notice

Three months after DBGB installed a garden oasis on the Bowery, corner mate Pulino's has retaliated with its own urban greenery...

Check mate, Boulud!

Extra Place is still Extra Place, for now

Previously.

A sidewalk shed for Something Sweet

Blue Glass notes the arrival of a sidewalk shed outside Something Sweet, the homespun bakery on the corner of First Avenue and East 11th Street...

Per the DOB: Workers will replace the "joists, window lintels and stucco."

As long as no one gets any funny ideas about painting over the Russo's mural on the 11th Street side...

[2nd Russo's image via]

A red-tailed hawk, back in Tompkins Square Park

...and with a rat dinner...

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Next time

Seventh Street and Avenue B. Photo by Bobby Williams.

I have no idea if this had anything to do with the women's World Cup final today... but it was a helluva game...