EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[This morning via an East 14th Street resident]

Beat poet Jack Micheline and the Mars Bar (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

A look at Ian Schrager's incoming Public hotel on Chrystie Street (BoweryBoogie)

100 years of Russ & Daughters on the Lower East Side (Eater)

An update on the endangered Children's Magical Garden (The Lo-Down)

Some video from the Dance Parade on Saturday (GammaBlog)

Visiting the "gallery haven" of the Lower East Side (Crain's)

The overwhelming persistence of neighborhood poverty (The Atlantic/CityLab)

Video: A day in the life of NYC's wonderful, endangered libraries (BoingBoing)

Looping the loop again in Coney Island (Amusing the Zillion)


[Tompkins Square Park this morning]

And now, stories from the Cadillac with the Tiger in it on East 2nd Street

EVG readers may know that we've long admired the above Cadillac on East Second Street ... the one with the stuffed Tiger in it, yes. So then we are especially thrilled to be presenting four stories from the Cadillac with the Tiger in it in the coming weeks... these are all true East Village stories told from the view of — yes — the Cadillac with the Tiger in it.

Hello from the Cadillac with the Tiger in It (Part 1 — Spring has sprung on East 2nd Street)

The magnolia tree in the cemetery bloomed a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't sure if I'd be around to see it — never thought this winter would end.

Each winter the block usually loses a resident. 1993-94 was the last bad winter before this one. (At least what I can remember — I was buried in ice and snow for most of it). That winter we lost Alex S., the old Polish guy who smoked a cigar on the stoop with his coffee and New York Post each morning.

Alex moved into 67 East 2nd St. during the Great Depression when it was a flophouse and he didn't pay any rent (I've often wondered what math the landlords used to raise zero rent by a percentage each year?). Whenever some young punk was having a party on his floor, Alex would stand at the top of the stairs with a crowbar telling the late arrivals to "go home, the party's over."

When spring finally came in '94, Alex was missing from the stoop. His friend Max was telling patrons at the First Avenue Laundromat that he heard that Alex had won the lottery and moved to Florida.

Max was a funny guy. He looked like a 4 & 1/2 foot tall Vladimir Lenin and always wore a Choo Choo Charlie hat and a long military trench coat. He supported himself by refurbishing old cameras and selling them at flea markets. In 20 years I barely heard him speak. He mostly grunted. Whereas Alex only went to the hospital when he lost 60 pounds at age 78 and they discovered he was diabetic, Max would often go to Beth Israel for numerous maladies only to come back later the same day saying no one wanted to treat him.

Max's story about Alex's Florida move sounded a bit ominous to me.

Sure enough, when the weather finally warmed up a carrion smell emanating from Alex' apartment brought the police. In Apt. 12 & 1/2 (It was actually apartment 13 but Alex was superstitious and formed the new numbers with strips of masking tape on his door) they found him.

Alex had been dead about 2-3 months. His body was kept frozen most of that time as he had slightly opened the window next to his bed. What remained of him lay there in his bed surrounded by hundreds of miniature plastic toy soldiers; cowboys and Indians; and odd prizes he had saved from breakfast cereal boxes.

On the back of his bedroom closet door was a 1950's photo of Alex and 3 men out fishing in a boat on a lake. Scrawled underneath the other 3 faces were the dates and years each had passed away before him.

Max had a similar fate befall him a couple of winters later, although he had been dead slightly less than a month when they found him.

Then there was Peter who used to feed the squirrels of the cemetery at dawn each morning. He'd make some weird chirping sound and several of them would crawl up his arms and jump onto his head. (Gross! I call them "rats with bushy tails" — at least they don't shit on me like the pigeons do.)

One winter Peter was found naked on his bathroom floor with a pen near his hand and a makeshift will scrawled on the lower portion of his bathroom door bequeathing the $60,000 cash stashed in his apartment to a lady on East 3rd Street who fed the pigeons and squirrels with him. (...don't know if she ever got any of that money?)

After those deaths a putrid smell seeped from their apartments for weeks. This was made worse by the brilliant super of the building's misguided notion that sprinkling powdered laundry detergent outside each apartment's door would neutralize the bad smell. To this day, the smell of laundry detergent nauseates me because in my mind I mix in the scent of decaying flesh.

----------------------------------------------

But I'm back, this old "war wagon" didn't succumb. Made it through this winter. Just barely — my battery went dead on some of the coldest days.

And I survived a scare this recent Easter weekend....

Between midnight and 1 a.m. Easter morning someone called the city on me and said I was leaking gasoline. Four fire trucks, three police cars and a dozen cops surrounded me for awhile and then left when they couldn't figure out what to issue me a citation for. Nice. Where are they when the weekend kids are puking on the sidewalks and pissing next to my wheels?

And who turned me in? Sure, I leak a little brake fluid and oil and maybe even gasoline on occasion. I'm a senior citizen for Christ's sake! What do they want me to wear, a metal diaper? I still have my pride, you know!

Was it the guy who bought the refurbished apartment for $5 million toward the end of the block? Or someo eco-friendly nut worried about my carbon footprint on the environment — that ship's sailed already, pal!

Yeah, I'm still here. But not for much longer. Soon the sweet scent of the black locust trees flowering in the cemetery will permeate the air. I'll wait around till then. Then I'm going to go. But I'm going on my own terms...

Previously on EV Grieve:
That Cadillac that we've long admired on East 2nd St. now has a stuffed tiger on the front seat

Crowdfunding campaign underway for the family of Wen Hui Ruan

An East Village resident, with the blessing of Wen Hui Ruan's daughters, has launched an online fundraiser for the family.

All proceed's go to the family to help with expenses after the 68-year-old Ruan died following a vicious attack on East Sixth Street on May 9.

According to The New York Times on May 12, Ruan worked for two decades manning an iron at a garment factory. He would send money home to his younger brothers so that his nephews could attend college. "He was always eager to help everybody, anybody," Michelle Ruan said. "Always smiling."

You may find the Fundly site here.

Police arrested 20-year-old Jamie Pugh last week. He has been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.

Renovations at the future St. Mark's Bookshop on East 3rd Street

As you likely know St. Mark's Bookshop will be on the move to 136 E. Third St. just west of Avenue A later this year... the rent-challenged store reportedly officially signed the lease last week.

Meanwhile, there has been activity inside No. 136, as the above photo by EVG reader Yenta Laureate shows.

The city OK'd permits for renovations here last week. Per the all-cap DOB style: "GENERAL CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATED WITH BOOKSTORE TENANT FITOUT IN EXISTING COMMERCIAL SPACE

As the Times reported, the new store will be half the size of the current one, but the rent of $6,000 is barely one-quarter of the $23,500 charged by their landlord on Third Avenue, the Cooper Union.

According to the DOB permits, $36,500 is the estimated cost for renovations. On Friday night, the Bookshop wrapped up a successful crowdfunding campaign to raise money to finance the move.

Our @Indiegogo closed last night. Thanks for helping us raise $51,740 toward our move! http://t.co/7Wour7EH3C

— St. Mark's Bookshop (@stmarksbookshop) May 17, 2014

The space at No. 136 previously housed Landmark Bicycles, who moved last year to the northwest corner of East Third and Avenue A.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: St. Mark's Bookshop prepping fundraiser ahead of possible move to Avenue A.

Is this the new home for the St. Mark's Bookshop?

Report: Barcade eyeing new outpost on St. Mark's Place

[Image via Massey Knakal]

NY Tofu House closed after service on April 6 at 6 St. Mark's Place. Now there's a new suitor for the space, which has seen a quick succession of restaurants (Cafe Hanover!) in recent years.

Gothamist reports that Barcade owner Paul Kermizian has an eye on the No. 6's ground-floor for another Manhattan outpost of the bars featuring classic video games and craft beers.

Kermizian has some history with another previous tenant of No. 6 — Mondo Kim's.

"I used to rent laser discs there in the late '90s!"

Barcade opened its first location in Williamsburg in 2004 … and have since expanded to Philadelphia, Jersey City and, soon, Chelsea.

Barcade is expected to be on the June CB3/SLA docket for a liquor license.

"We hope the community board and the neighborhood agrees we're a good fit," Kermizian told Gothamist.


[Barcade Brooklyn photo via the Barcade website]

Previously on EV Grieve:
6 St. Mark's Place is for lease; NY Tofu House officially closes

6 St. Mark's Place on the market for $14.5 million

P.S.
Whatever happened to The Drunken Clam, the clam-beer bar that opened in the basement of No. 6 in December 2012? Seemed like it went out of business in a hurry.

Mediterranean Grill and the Efendi Hookah Lounge have apparently closed on 1st Avenue

Workers were spotted yesterday clearing out the space at 128 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Seventh Street … home of the Mediterranean Grill and the Efendi Hookah Lounge next door…



Thanks to EVG reader Raquel Shapira for the photos…





The space, which was previously home to Kebab Garden, has been on Craigslist for weeks.

Now, let's all have some wishful thinking for the return here of La Focacceria!

Former Love Saves the Day space on the market

East Noodle & Izakaya closed here at 119 Second Ave. at East Seventh Street last August … after sitting empty these past nine months, two small for rent signs have arrived on the front window … we didn't spot the listing online anywhere … we're curious about the asking rents here.



This was, we think, the second ramen place to try this high-profile space since Love Saves the Day closed on Jan. 18, 2009, after 42 years in business. Word was their rent tripled.


Jeremiah Moss had a post on this corner just last week. Check that out here.

P.S.
Since the phone number on the for rent sign got cut off … it's 347-608-4058 in case you are interested…

Spice Cove moving a storefront away on East 6th Street

Some news on East Sixth Street via Goggla … Spice Cove at No. 326 has closed … and, as the sign above explains, the Indian restaurant will be moving over an address to No. 328 …



And, as we previously mentioned, Jewel of India is opening soon at No. 324 in the former Red Pepper space …

China Wok back in action on Avenue B

[May 10]

Fans of the reliable, quick-serve restaurant at the corner of East Third Street had been concerned in recent weeks … when the above signs arrived on the gate … However, after more than two weeks, China Wok is back open …



… as is Meskel, the Ethiopian restaurant on East Third Street that shares the same building as China Wok. Meskel had a similar sign on the gate.

A neighbor said that there was a gas leak in the building … and the residents as well as the restaurants were waiting for a ConEd repair.

At the memorial for Wen Hui Ruan on East 6th Street

[Photo by Dave on 7th]

Nearly 70 people were in attendance just after 6 tonight for a candlelight vigil for Wen Hui Ruan, the 68-year-old resident who died following an attack here at 745 E. Sixth St. last week.

City Councilmember Rosie Mendez's office organized the event to give his "family and the community a chance to come together to remember his life and to take a stand against violence in the neighborhood."

Police arrested 20-year-old Jamie Pugh early last Tuesday morning. He has been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.

East 4th Street Citi Bike docking station now 'From a Different Perspective'

[Last Monday morning via Derek Berg]

Last Monday morning, workers temporarily removed the Citi Bike docking station on East Fourth Street just west of Second Avenue ... to make way for a street mural courtesy of DOT Art and the Fourth Arts Block (FAB).

The docking station returned this morning...


[Photo by Derek Berg]

And here is the final product with the bikes back in place...


[Photo of FAB's programs coordinator, Tyler S. Bugg, via FAB's Facebook page]

The mural, titled "From a Different Perspective," was created by Herb Smith and curated by FAB's Public Art Director, Keith Schweitzer.

Solar-paneled cell phone charging stations return to Union Square (and other places)

From the EVG inbox ...

The Union Square Partnership is again partnering with AT&T, Pensa and Goal Zero to bring back the popular solar-paneled cell phone charging stations. This year, they will have 3 charging stations in the seating areas. The first station will be located in the West Side Seating Area within Union Square Park, the second in the Pedestrian Plaza on Broadway and 17th Street, and the third charging station will be located at the James Fountain area (“Mother and Child” Statue).

The program grew out of Superstorm Sandy when New Yorkers who had lost power for days flocked to city centers to recharge electronic devices.

You can go here to learn more about the Street Charge program and stuff.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Hawkelujah atop St. Brigid's yesterday via Bobby Williams]

24-Hour watch underway at the Children's Magical Garden (BoweryBoogie)

A trip inside Mars Bar replacement TD bank (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

The Warhol Museum moves forward with plans for LES branch (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

Occupy protester Cecily McMillan sentenced to 90 days in jail and five years probation (Gothamist)

Great photos from the Dance Parade Saturday (Gog in NYC)

Part of Elizabeth Street co-named "Danny Chen Way" (The Lo-Down)

Tough Times for Irish bars in NYC (Crain's)

Revisiting the recently reopened Sarge's Deli on Third Avenue (Lost City)

About that x-rated Butthole Surfers show at Danceteria in 1986 (Dangerous Minds)

40 years of the Ramones and Joey's birthday bash tonight (Metro ... Bowery Electric)

Memorial tonight for Wen Hui Ruan

The flyer above has all the details… the memorial will be at the location where 68-year-old Wen Hui Ruan (previous published reports referred to him as Ruan Wen Hui) was brutally attacked on May 9. He died from the injuries he sustained the next day.

745 E. Sixth St. is between Avenue C and Avenue D, though closer to D…


[Looking west on East Sixth Street]

… a memorial remains in place in front of the building.



Police arrested 20-year-old Jamie Pugh early last Tuesday morning. He has been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.

Ruan, a retired garment worker who lived on Avenue C and East Seventh Street with his wife, had just dropped off his granddaughters when the attack occurred.

To recap what has transpired in this case:

Saturday, May 10

Published reports tell of an attack on East Sixth Street that left a 68-year-old man hospitalized. The NYPD releases a photo of the alleged suspect captured by a surveillance video.


[Photo of suspect via the NYPD]

Sunday, May 11

The NYPD offers $2,000 for any information about the attack.



A tipster sends us the surveillance video that shows the vicious assault and the aftermath … the video shows several people walking by the victim lying injured on the sidewalk without stopping to help.

Monday, May 12

News breaks that the victim, first identified as Ruan Wen Hui, has died from his injuries.


[Photo from 2006 via CBS 2]

His youngest daughter speaks to CBS 2 about her father, who enjoyed playing operas while his wife prepared dinner. "I couldn't believe that this happened to my father because my father is a very good man. He always helps people and he always smiles. Everybody thinks that he’s the best person in this world," she says.

Tuesday, May 13

Police arrest Pugh, who reportedly lives near the scene of the crime, in the early morning on East 14th Street and First Avenue. The arrest is made based on a tip to Crimestoppers. Investigators believe that he sought to rob Ruan, who did not speak English. Pugh leaves the 9th Precinct on East Fifth Street early that evening …


[Photo by Frank Franca]

Wednesday, May 14

Before her son's arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, Charlotte Pugh-Douglas tells reporters that she believes someone slipped the club-drug Molly into his drink last Friday evening while partying. As DNAinfo reports, "Pugh didn’t even know about the attack until one of his friends showed him the chilling surveillance footage over the weekend and said the attacker looked like him."

Judge Bruna DiBiase orders Pugh held without bail.

Thursday, May 15

Ruan's family want his killing treated as a hate crime, the Daily News reports.


[Jefferson Siegel/NY Daily News]

Friday, May 16

City Councilmember Rosie Mendez's office organizes a memorial service for May 19 to "give Hui's family and the community a chance to come together to remember his life and to take a stand against violence in the neighborhood."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: East Village resident dies from injuries sustained in brutal attack

[UPDATED] Reward for info on East 6th Street assault; plus video of the attack

[Updated] Family mourns Ruan Wen Hui as police hunt suspect in deadly assault on E. 6th St.

[Updated] Report: Murder suspect's mother says her son was high on Molly at the time of attack

Report: Family of Ruan Wen Hui wants hate crime charges brought against suspect

Dunkin' Donuts moving on East 14th Street

A tipster tells us that the Dunkin' Donuts at 520 E. 14th St. is on the move… heading east toward Avenue B a few storefronts away … to the former home of La Isla Restaurant, which closed in July 2012…



DOB permits for this address at No. 542 point to a renovations for a Dunkin' Donuts …



Meanwhile, what will become of the storefronts at No. 520? The building will be the last thing standing here … with bookend 7-floor retail-residential complexes on the way …



Gino DiGirolamo's Royal Tailor shop at No. 520 is closing on May 31. Gino is retiring after 50 years in business. A bit of a forced retirement given that the landlord was doubling his rent here.

In other Dunkin' Donuts news … as we reported on Friday, a DD is taking the former Norman's Sound & Vision storefront at 67 Cooper Square.

Demolition continues westward ho on East 14th Street

OK, so we've posted several photos already showing the demolition along East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. However, we hadn't been by ourselves for whatever reasons.

So here we are. Cool! Blogger portals in the plywood for easy photos!





According to the handy sign, the demolition ahead of the two, 7-floor retail-residential buildings will wrap up in August.



In two weeks, the workers have taken out the former ABC Animal Hospital and Petland. The former Bargain Express is next to fall …



… as the demolition heads west to Avenue A… sparing only 520 E. 14th St.



Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

A sad day for Mother Earth at the former Sapporo East

Renovations continue at the former Sapporo East space on First Avenue and East 10th Street … the 30-year-old Japanese restaurant closed for good at the end of December, as we first reported.

However, the space will remain a sushi restaurant. Yuji Umeki, who manages Kenka at 25 St. Mark's Place, is one of the principals at the restaurant that will be called Beronberon. EVG regular William Klayer, who took these photos on Friday, hears that they will be offering a menu very similar to Sapporo East's offerings.

Unfortunately, the renovation plans didn't include keeping Chico's longtime "Love Mother Earth" mural on the East 10th Street side… or the ad for Crystals Garden next door. (While the murals were nicked up, people liked them — based on how many readers passed along news of their demise this past weekend.)







Workers blacked out the murals on Saturday…


[Photo by EVG reader Fallon]


[Photo by EVG reader Fallon]

For now, just a section that reads "Love Moth" remains. We understand that workers will be adding windows in this space.


[Photo by Kevin Decatrel]