Welcome to the Yunniegle: Guns and Roses played at John Varvatos last night

A headline I never thought I'd write. Brooklyn Vegan has the scoop.

Ray's new Saturday evening delivery service starts tomorrow

You may have seen the menu earlier this week at Bob Arihood's Neither More Nor Less... Starting tomorrow, a group of Ray's devotees/volunteers are starting a new delivery service every Saturday from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. So now you can get all of Ray's faves brought right to your door... Two of the organizers — Kyla Raskin and Arianna Gil — answered a few questions for me:

Why did you decide to start this?

An idea about a delivery project had been circulating for a while. Emily Allan had proposed this informally to a bunch of neighborhood kids when she worked at Ray's, and when all the news about his back rent came out we decided it would be a good time to make it really happen. We all really care about our neighborhood, each of us grew up in the East Village and remember Ray's from our childhood. We continue to pay the place frequent late night visits. The idea of Ave. A without Ray's was too scary for any of us to sit by and watch it close. Hopefully this project will attract more customers to Ray's, and help pick up the slow winter nights.

How many delivery people are involved?

There are 10 delivery people signed up for shifts so far: Emily Allan, Kyla Raskin, Arianna Gil, Max Brown, Bobby Yankou, Max Aserlind, Nate Hohouser, Zamber Diekman, Robin Giordani, and Becca Sturcken. These are all volunteer shifts that happen every Saturday from 7 pm-5 am, in two, five-hour shifts with two people per shift. We have had several meetings to organize it and the turn out has been really positive. What's cool about the project is that it has attracted a pretty eclectic group of kids from the East Village.

What does Ray's mean to you?

Ari: Ray's is a place I love for several reasons. First being that it is one of the few things that I can clearly remember existing when I was growing up. I really grew to love it though when I started going there with my friends there late nights after shows and such. Fries and Milkshakes at 2 in the morning was beyond amazing. Most importantly though it is an East Village business that has a tight relationship with the community. I have seen so many businesses move into my neighborhood, even my block, that I never seen people from the community utilizing. The only thing they really contribute to is higher rent. Ray is a true old school New Yorker, he is so warm and positive and that really translates in his business.

Kyla: Ray's started as a place my friends and I would go to after our activity for the night (be it a concert, etc.) was over, but we weren't ready to head home yet. We'd stay for hours and hang out with all the East Village folks that have spearheaded hanging out around the neighborhood. Ray is always inviting, and always such a positive way to end a night — eventually he was teaching me how to make milkshakes (I wanted to impress a boy who loved his milkshakes), and later, my friend and I started spending time on the other side of the counter, helping Ray out in the after-hours shifts, making fries as the sun came close to rising.


Ray and Arianna testing out the phone system [Via Bob Arihood]


What was Ray's reaction to your idea?

When we brought Ray our proposal he received it really well. His main concern was if people were really going to show up for their shifts. We printed out an old school facebook of all the people involved to show him how many people had committed. We told him how they were all kids who grew up in the neighborhood, he said "oh beautiful" with a smile. The only thing he seemed reluctant about was that he'll get calls when he doesn't have a delivery person handy, but we set up the Internet phone so that that was impossible. Saturday nights, we'll always have one person sitting by the computer and one out making the deliveries. Our biggest fear is that it won't generate enough profit to be a substantial project, so CALL US! (1-718-473-9636).

For further reading:
Bob has updates on Ray receiving help with obtaining his Social Security...and other ongoing challenges at the store...

Just when we were starting to feel better about Ray's...

... a court document shows up at the store last night. Bob Arihood has all the details. As Bob writes, "It can likely be dismissed but Ray does have to answer at the clerks office claiming a court date to argue the details. Ray has paid his December and January rent but not his February rent. Ray needs to make some money this long holiday weekend to pay his February rent..."

Slum Goddess has more here.

Things that go hump in the night

We interrupt your Friday morning with the most important survey maybe of the morning. From NBC New York:

More than two-thirds of New Yorkers hear their neighbors bumpin' and grindin' at all hours of the night, but most don't confront them about it (yikes!) or call city hot lines to complain (we don't think 311 takes those calls anyway), a new survey found. The study, conducted by NYC homeowners' Web site BrickUnderground.com., suggests you and your significant other may want to muzzle your moans regardless of whether your neighbors whine about the volume of your sexual trysts. Nearly a fifth of those surveyed actually became aroused by the sounds of their neighbors getting it on.

Ringing in the 13th Step: Old Telephone Bar will lose its Telephones

On Monday, we wondered if the new owners of the former Telephone Bar would keep those iconic booths out front...



An EV Grieve reader talked with some workers in front of the bar. "They informed me the landmark Telephone booths will be sold at an auction soon too. So sad."

Given that the new bar coming here is named after a euphemism for inappropriate sexual advances by an AA member to a newcomer in AA... telephone booths really don't fit the theme...


[Telephone photo via]

Your chance to clutter up Ludlow Street even more

New to the market ... 159 Ludlow, which is currently going for $2.5 million.

A 25 wide vacant lot which is off the corner of Stanton Street. The lot has 4,250 square feet of buildable air rights. The property is in a neighborhood that is undergoing lots of development. There is also a lot of demand for retail space for bars and restaurants and art galleries. This zoning allows commercial as well as residential development. This property is a prime development opportunity or a great user opportunity. For a user they can build a nice town house or use the lot for parking. The seller can get a variance for the buyer to build under the old zoning.

Buy this 11th Street apartment building, where the residents "quiet, respectful of the property, orderly, and pay timely"

Quiet? Respectful? Orderly? When can I move in!? This 1900-era tenement on East 11th between Avenue B and Avenue C is fresh on the market for $6.7 million.






Per the listing:

Perfectly Renovated Pre-War 20 unit Building

Renovated units: (11) free market rents
#of two bedrooms: (5)
Annual rents: $ 405,900
Boiler: 3yrs.
Roof: 2yrs.

Real Estate Taxes: $26,000 approx.
Water and Sewer: $1200
Gas Tank size: 1,080

Potential rent increases (9) apartments

Maintenance is very low due to the number of renovated (11) apartments and the new systems.
Tenants are quiet, respectful of the property, orderly, and pay timely.

But are the bargoers walking back to wherever they came from as quiet and respectful?

Looking for love and thick slices of Viennese apple strudel: Page Six Magazine doesn't fail to deliver again!

The new issue of Page Six Magazine was included for free today in the Post that costs 50 cents. If it gets better than this (deliriously and unintentionally hilarious features), then I'd like to know about it...

Attila and Marius Dogudan, NYC's New Stud Muffins
Attila and Marius Dogudan are gentlemanly Austrian millionaires who brought the Demel pastry empire to the United States. Now they're luring in the ladies with sharp suits, a glamorous backstory and a secret weapon...chocolate.

And that's just the headline and second deck of the story...which begins!

At the Demel pâtisserie at the Plaza Hotel, two dashing Chuck Bass look-alikes — Attila Dogudan Jr. and his brother, Marius — are cutting thick slices of Viennese apple strudel and chocolate torte and pondering one of their favorite subjects: Manhattan's women.

Their decadent pastries aren't your typical nutritionist-approved nosh, but that doesn't stop a parade of Park Avenue blondes from venturing into the bowels of the Plaza to sit at the café and flirt with the handsome brothers who man its counter. "My brother is a complete chick magnet," laughs Attila, 25, regarding the ladies who seem more interested in Marius, 23, than in his Sacher torte. Attila also has a fan club. He waves to a pin-thin girl with long, straight hair cascading down her back, as she makes a "call me later" motion with her hand.

Reminder tonight: "Photographs for Your Kitchen"

As the flier says, opening reception is from 8:30-10:30....

So why is Aces & Eights doing this?

And read more about Curt Hoppe here.

Good news, kids! NYU dining halls now with fewer vermin

There's an investigative piece in the Washington Square News — NYU's student newspaper — that examine's the university's health violations in dining halls.... To the story!

Health violations at NYU's dining halls dropped to 2008 levels after a sharp increase in the beginning of 2009, according to a WSN analysis of New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's restaurant inspections.

In March 2009, examinations at the university's dining halls received an average score of 19. During the most recent round of inspections, the average number of violation points for the 15 dining locations listed was 11, the same number of points as in 2008. While 28 points is considered a failing grade, 14 points is the New York City average.

NYU Director of Dining Facilities Owen Moore said the issues raised by the inspection reports are being addressed. One of the most common issues in the report was that the facility was not "vermin-proof," with "evidence of live mice in facility's food." According to Moore, NYU has been working with pest control experts.

"In New York, there's always going to be that problem — because of the fact that it is a several hundred year old city," Moore said. "You're never going to eliminate, only control."

And later!

Stern freshman Janshaaz Khan recently picked a green piece of roast beef out of his Quizno's sandwich. Still, he said he eats at Upstein — which scored 14 violation points — every day.

"It makes me feel vulnerable to disease," Khan said. "This was the first time, though."

Take your pick: Season's greetings from Tompkins Square Park

Oh. Oops. Missing a season.

"Come see what's new on Avenue C"

After seemingly eons, a lot of the plywood has been removed by workers in front of 189 Avenue C near 12th Street, home to the cleverly named 189 C...a new rental complex whose slogan is "Come see what's new on Avenue C."





...there will also be a 12th Street entrance, just next door to the Social Security Administration Building....



Michael Muroff Architects did the blueprints and what not. Accorcing to the MMA site:

This is a unique ‘L’ shaped low-rise multiple dwelling tower that has retail space on the ground level. The building wraps behind a corner building to face two streets in Manhattan’s East Village. The facade is mainly comprised of large windows, brick, and cast stone accents. The building was seamlessly constructed using two structural systems; steel structural framing on the wider and cantilevered portions while the narrow portion, which faces East 12th Street was built using a concrete column and two way structural slab system.

No prices for these units just yet, but you can see the floorplans on the 189 site. Regardless of the prices, this will be a challenging sell. As a StreetEasy commenter said, "Building looks great, classic brick with large windows, but location will be tough: Mitchell-Lama high rises across the street to the east and Campos Houses to the north."

When you go to the 189 site and look at the area map and those big patches of NYU violet, you'll know who these places are intended for...

NYC blizzards...in 1948 and 1888

Here are two of my favorite blizzard-related photos from the Corbis archives...

Times Square in 1948...



...and Union Square in 1888... Per the original caption:

"The Perils of Union Square in the midst of the Blizzard". Scene of people struggling to walk in Union Square during the blizzard of 1888. Wood engraving.



Think of a possible caption from yesterday...

"The Perils of Union Square in the midst of the Blizzard". Scene of people struggling to walk in Union Square during the so-called blizzard of 2010 while carrying those Earth-friendly Whole Foods paper bags that shred at the first drop of moisture because you didn't bring your own recyclable bag*. Digital photo.

* Not written from experience.

Burger joint fad continues: Select Burger coming to First Avenue (aka Burger Alley)

Minutes after reading The Real Deal's piece on the number of burger joints on the rise in NYC... I spotted this new sign for a coming-soon burger joint on First Avenue near 14th Street...



Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, Tallgrass Burger is coming to the former Elvie's Turo-Turo... and, further south, who can forget Permanent Brunch & Burger?

A Hamburger Today asks a good question:

Is First Avenue in the East Village About to Become the New Hamburger Alley?

Zum Schneider's disco fever

Oh, just in case you see any drunken partygoers in polyester out and about near Seventh Street and Avenue C starting tonight...

Zum Schneider Disco Total

Studio 7C - Where you Booze and Boogie

Costume Party
Thursday, February 11
through Tuesday, February 16

Like every year, Zum Schneider will produce an
extravagant and unique show and party for the Karneval season.

Dress to match the cast!
70's disco glamour style, but anything goes

The Zum Schneider Web site has photos from previous extravaganzas, like this one...

High-end-looking furniture shop for Avenue A and Third Street

Just last night we noticed that a new high-end-looking furniture shop had opened in the last few days on Avenue A at Third Street, the site of Sarah Jessica Parker's old favorite, MoMo FaLana ... don't know much else about this just yet...



A reader noted: "Looks like a home furnishing shop with lamps and tables -- and thrift store deer paintings?"

In case you really need some more pictures of snow

Still... I did get an e-mail from an EV Grieve reader, an EV transplant, who somehow got stuck living in Arizona... and he misses this...

There's always that one guy in gym shorts in this kind of weather

Third Street.

Previously.

The perils of falling in love with a Mars Bar regular

Great piece by Jennifer Blowdryer in this week's issue of NYPress:

Here's how it starts:

SEE THAT GUY at the end of the bar, telling the same story about auditioning for The Ramones for the umpteenth tourist? Meticulously counting out the drinks until his Sky and Seven buyback, glued to his stool, pupils black with the drink? That’s my man!

Read the rest here.

Standing in line at Duane Reade on such a snowy day

And yes -- I went into a Duane Reade...