Owners of I Cipressi take to the streets to find investors

The above sign has been hanging in the window at I Cipressi. The Italian restaurant, in the works since last fall at 189 Avenue A, is from the folks who ran I Coppi on East Ninth Street.

The sign mentions problems with opening and points people to Facebook to learn more.

This letter via Facebook is dated July 24. It's slightly edited for length.

Dear Everybody,

This is the story of two sisters from Tuscany, two restaurants and Hurricane Sandy.

My name is Lorella. I owned a restaurant on east 9th st. named I Coppi for fourteen years ... I had to close I Coppi in September 2012 after a series of unfortunate episodes, mostly a very ugly divorce.

My sister, Maristella, owns a restaurant called Matilda on east 11th st. — open since 2007. Together we decided to open a new restaurant. We got a great space on a great location, Avenue A between east 11th and east 12th. We were doing fine working at it slowly but effectively. Friends and family helped us as well investing some money. But then Sandy came. …..

Matilda restaurant is situated between Ave B and Ave C, one block from the con ed station that exploded ... The restaurant got flooded. She lost almost everything. We had no electricity or hot water like the rest of the families living across from us and around us. It was a war zone. It was wonderful as well because the people in the neighborhood got together and we all worked to help each other with food, carrying all the destroyed furniture outside on the sidewalk and mostly trying emptying the basements from water.

To make a long story short we were closed for more than a month but the bills kept on coming. Not the landlord nor Con Edison gave us a break. We filled up all kind of relief papers but did not get a penny, not from FEMA, not from anybody.

My sister had to get a job to keep her restaurant open while I take care of it, her daughter and my son. The moral of this very long story is that we are about to lose our new location, which is crucial to the future of our kids...

Sincerely, Lorella and Maristella Innocenti Da Vinci

Meanwhile, these signs are up now around the neighborhood ...


[Photo by William Klayman]

They are looking for investors to help them get the restaurant on Avenue A open...


[Via Facebook]

From a follow-up email to us:

The space needs an exhaust system and I found a company that gave me a great deal. I own most of the equipment (hood , dishwashing machine, dough mixer, pasta machine, lowboys refrigerators, steel tables, steel slicers). I have all the custom made wooden tables and wooden Napoleon chairs, lots of beautiful ceramic and terracotta decorations from Tuscany, which I brought myself from Florence where my family lives.

And.

I do not need an impossible amount of money and it will be an investment. I do not want anything for free. I know I have to work very hard and I always did.

By the way, I have the same chef that I had at I Coppi, in addition a French pastry-bread chef, Daniel, who is amazing. We are going to have breakfast with all type of goodies, fresh baguettes sandwiches, cappuccinos, lattes, espressos, fresh squeezed juices. I cannot wait to start ... This is going to be an investment and a lot of fun.

And now, gas station kitty

Oh, yes. Happy August Friday! Spotted over at the BP Station on Second Avenue and East First Street...



This cat's a real gas, you know.

Now, equal time, featuring Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street

To ward off any "claims" of kitty bias this morning.

Breaking: Free cake, sandwiches at Rite Aid's grand reopening

The Rite Aid grand re-opening party is in FULL swing now on First Avenue and East Fifth Street.

Per a reader lured in by the Balloon Arc (trellis?):

Grand opening cake and sandwiches at rite aid! Lots of "new associate" nametags and as reported by earlier commenters, smiles and thank-yous.

Noted

EVG contributor Derek Berg spotted this sign on Fourth Avenue near East Ninth Street this afternoon ... not sure if this is legit ... or some kind of wacky viral marketing campaign or what not... In any event, did you catch the part about the "roach poison in Hennessey"?

[Updated] Today in lines for restaurants that may or may not be opening tonight

A reader notes that the line for Blue Ribbon Chicken Fried Chicken on East First Street and Second Avenue is currently wrapped around the corner... the restaurant isn't officially ready for business yet, but it is rumored to be opening tonight maybe for service.

Per another reader who stopped by at lunchtime:

We pressed our faces against the window and watched the staff eat lunch, and talked to a staffer outside eating a delicious looking sandwich. He told us it may open for dinner tonight, but he's not sure. HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW?!

Updated 9:03

Still a line around 8:20... several readers say that everything is free on the menu tonight...


[Photo by Carmen, aka, Tommy Sharkskin, aka aka Tompkins Square Shark]

Updated 11:26 am
Robert Sietsema offers his take on the food here at Eater.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Outside the new-look 205 Avenue A this morning via Greg Masters]

What's taking over the University Diner space (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

A rundown of LES-themed books and recommendations on where to read them (DNAinfo)

Landbrot Bakery & Bar evicted on Orchard Street (BoweryBoogie)

More about the East River Blueway Plan (The Villager)

At the National Night Out Against Crime, with "Macarena" video (Slum Goddess)

Brooklyn rents are now nearly high as Manhattan rents (Gothamist)

A now and then on West 13th Street (Gog in NYC)

And tonight as part of the ongoing MoRUS Film Festival: "7th Street" directed by Josh Pais. Read more about the documentary here. (The film is preceded by the Paper Tiger TV show "Play for Keeps," about the demolition of Esperanza Garden.)

Doors open at 7:30 pm at 6B Garden (Avenue B and 6th Street), and films begin at dusk. Per MoRUS: Arrive early for beer/wine, and to save a seat (or feel free to bring blankets or chairs of your own). $5 (suggested) at the door.

Here's a snippet of "7th Street" ...

Life is grand now at Rite Aid, maybe

The transformation of the Rite Aid on First Avenue at East Fifth Street is apparently complete. Goggla, who has admirably served as our EVG Senior First Avenue Rite Aid Correspondent these recent whirlwindy weeks, points out the Balloon Arch (Trellis?) this morning... signage notes a "grand opening (and re-opening!) celebration."



A new-look inside .... a new-look outside... new-look hours (24!) ... an EVG regular even said that the employees were smiling and not making you feel as if you were at, say, the DMV or Peter Stuyvesant Post Office. Will it last?

Meanwhile! Bake A Bone™'s for everyone!


[Goggla]

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] As the Rite Aid turns (colors)

Rite Aid's enchanted forest

How green is Rite Aid's valley?

Your guide to construction hell on East 11th Street

East 11th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B continues to be an active zone for ongoing construction. Idling trucks. Large cranes. Blocked traffic. Continuous jackhammering.

Here's a look at the projects making life nearly unbearable for some neighbors.

• The Mary Spink apartments, which will provide affordable housing for formerly homeless and mentally disabled East Villager residents


[Ron Z]


[RZ]

• 510 E. 11th St., where workers are adding a new floor to the existing four-story building...


[Cheryl Pyle]


[CP]


[CP]

• 500 E. 11th St, home of the incoming 7-Eleven. After 11 months of gut renovation, the space is finally looking 7-Eleveny/chainy...


[Bobby Williams]


[BW]

In April, some residents who live above here said that the never-ending work has made their existence in the building "a living hell."

• 181 Avenue A at East 11th Street, where workers are about halfway done demolishing the Mary Help of Christians school and church...


[BW]

After the demo, residents from more than just East 11th Street will have to endure the lengthy (and noisy) construction of developer Douglas Steiner's retail-residental complex.... described in one listing as a "140 unit market luxury rental building."

One East 11th Street resident said that one of these jobs would be off-putting enough, but four happening simultaneously is "fucking ridiculous."

A final look inside the Anshei Meseritz synagogue on East Sixth Street

On Tuesday, we had an update on the condo conversion at the Anshei Meseritz synagogue at 415 E. Sixth St. The sight of discarded prayer books outside angered several readers... However, workers on the scene assured neighbors that the books have been (and will be) properly disposed of... (As for the books in the photo? "A miscommunication.")

A neighbor also saw the interior...



As noted, the landmarked building was in disrepair and the congregation's population had dwindled. Synagogue leaders reportedly signed a 99-year lease with East River Partners worth some $1.2 million. The renovations include a penthouse addition and an elevator. The synagogue will reportedly retain space on the ground floor and basement for their use.

Noted

A reader spotted the above the other day on Avenue C and East 11th Street ... you know, the hat with the "Party With Sluts" slogan. (It's not just a saying, it's a lifestyle!)

In any event, the hat has been preserved... and will be part of The Met's upcoming exhibit, "WOO: College to Flip Cup," which examines woo's impact on brunch, tailgate parties and Instagram, from the movement's birth in the early 2010s through its continuing influence today.

CANCELED Free tonight in Tompkins Square Park: Chico + Rita (rain optional?)

Per the Films at Tompkins website:

Ugh! Another Thursday and another day of rain. We can't believe it but yet another film has to be canceled due to the weather. We won't be showing Chico & Rita tonight

Tonight's selection is "Chico + Rita," a Spanish animated feature-length film (with Spanish and English languages) directed by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at this past year's Academy Awards.

The plot:

A gifted songwriter and beautiful singer chase their dreams – and each other – from Havana to New York and Las Vegas. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unite them, but their journey – in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero – brings heartache and torment.

Find the trailer here.

There's pre-movie music courtesy of the Rebeca Vallejo Trio.

As always, this is weather permitting... If it's a Thursday, then it will rain. And there's a 50 30 percent chance of showers tonight, according to our sources at The Weather Channel this morning. Check the Films in Tompkins Facebook page for updates on tonight's screening. The weather has KO'd five of nine films here this summer.

And upcoming...

Aug. 15 — Romeo + Juliet
Aug. 22 — O Brother, Where Art Thou

Oh, it's pretty nice up there

I walk by 211 E. 3rd St. just east of Avenue B all the time... never had any idea just how nice it is up there...

Like private-jacuzzi-on-the-rooftop nice.



Learned this upon seeing a listing for the "sprawling duplex penthouse apartment."




Per Corcoran:

The internal living space is arranged as two double master bedrooms with ensuite baths, plus two additional bedrooms and full baths. A circular staircase leads to a generously proportioned living/dining area. The apartment features two big screen televisions, a gas fireplace, washer/dryer, dishwasher, outdoor grill, and outdoor Jacuzzi.

Price: $12,000 a month.

How does this stack up to other nice apartments? It's just $1,500 less than renting a home with a private rooftop pool and "lawn" on East Second Street.

Here is the CBGB movie trailer

The Hollywood Reporter had the exclusive first look today at the trailer for the CBGB biopic. After premiering at the CBGB Festival, the film opens Oct. 11 in New York, Los Angeles and other select cities. It was filmed in Savannah, Ga., on Broughton Street (on Paula Deen's block!) ... while the crew replicated the inside of the bar in Savannah's Meddin Studios, where all the interior shots took place...

So. What do you think of the trailer?

Reward for Nestor, the missing blue puppet, upped to $300

An update on the puppet lost here Avenue B between East Ninth Street and East Eighth Street... the reward has increased from $100 to $300.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[East 11th Street]

Reflections on the anniversary of the Tompkins Square Park Riot (OUP Blog/Oxford University Press)

Andy Warhol's Village (Off the Grid)

Video: David Peel and the Lower East Side in Tompkins Square Park (Gog in NYC)

RIP Tim Wright, bassist for Pere Ubu and DNA (Billboard)

The End of Five Poinz (BBC)

Coney Island's importance to the people of NYC (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Super 8 Films of NYC (BoweryBoogie)

Who is the Patti Smith of Lena Dunham's generation? (Gawker)

Orchard Street's Blue Moon Hotel for sale again (The Lo-Down)

A few more details on The Winslow, opening next month on East 14th Street (DNAinfo)

... And tonight as part of the ongoing MoRUS Film Festival: Community Garden Films! Featuring "More Than Flowers," directed by Laura Beer; "Loisaida, Avenue C," directed by Maeva Aubert; and a Paper Tiger TV special on the demolition of Esperanza Garden.
At 6B Garden (Avenue B and 6th Street.

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Hannah Rad
Occupation: Radio Presenter, DJ, East Village Radio (Thursdays, 6-8pm)
Location: EVR, 1st Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets
Time: 6:15 on Thursday, Aug. 1

I’m from a suburb about 30 minutes south of Pittsburgh. It was a small, kind of farm country area. Right before I moved here after graduating college in 2004, my sister and I went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. We stopped in the gift store and they had this massive record sale. I grabbed a handful, and out of every record I could have picked out, I was like, “Oh, the New York Dolls.” I had no idea what they even sounded like, but I wanted to seem really cool when I got to New York and I thought this is going to be the album that does it. And then I come to find out years later that it’s truly such a vital piece of the East Village history and the entire New York music scene. It was those guys in bouffants on that cover that just made it for me.

Coming here was quite the culture shock. I don’t know that I ever considered moving to the city when I was younger, but I knew that I needed to get out of where I was from. I had a tough time when I first moved here. I hardly knew anyone. The first year or so I was like, “Do I belong here and is this where I need to be?” And then I started venturing out more and kind of getting lost in the city. I always found myself gravitating around this area. And now that I’m here I can’t imagine being any place else.

My first job was with a hotel company doing hospitality. It had nothing to do with my field of expertise — graphic design and communications, although that’s become pretty much antiquated now. It seems like everything I learned in college you can do with an app now. What is my degree worth now? Nothing. And I turned that into a design job. I was like, “Listen, I can do this, this and this but I can also do your design,” which eventually took me to working with a number of magazines and art directing. Then I landed at a job at Clear Channel, doing design for them. So I got pretty connected within radio, although EVR and Clear Channel had nothing to do with one another.

I had a lot of free time in between design projects, so I had amped my game up — I was writing a music blog, and it really took off at that time. One of the hosts on EVR, Jason Eldridge, who hosts Accidental Rhythm, had become a fan and we had communicated a little bit but we had never met. And then he emailed me out of the blue one day and said, “You know, I’m going to be out of town for 4 weeks, do you want to fill in?”

After a few weeks, they gave me my own show, and a few months after that they asked me to work here full-time. In that respect, I was able to fuse what I was doing with my blog and transfer that to the EVR site in terms of ramping up the content.

My show is from 6-8 pm on Thursdays. I play a lot of music from the UK and I try to break new artists. I’m taking newer acts and still using this platform and this area and name, this East Village stamp of approval, and saying, you know, we’re still fostering and cultivating new talent. It’s still a creative area.

I love working in the booth. I had been in the habit of leaving the door open when I first started the show. It gets a little weird at times. One of the more memorable moments was when this guy walked by, and I was like, “Oh shit, I think this is Howard Stern right now” and the guy comes in. He looks and sounds exactly like him and he hands me a card — he’s a Howard Stern impersonator. He had the voice and the look. So I put him on the mic and he was like, “Hey this is Howard Stern, East Village Radio.” That’s just one of the typical characters who walk by at any given time.

[Madonna was] my initial introduction to the East Village while growing up in rural Pittsburgh. I knew Madonna had been in this area on East 4th street when she was getting started. She just celebrated the 30th anniversary of the debut album, which excites me. I love reading the story of her just hanging out on a fire escape and just seeing those pictures. It’s just awesome to see that stuff, someone that you idolized so young and you see the progression where they’ve went, and you think, well maybe that will be me.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

Demolishing the 96-year-old Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church

Demolition day arrived yesterday at the Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church on East 12th Street. Workers are making their way forward as these photos from a variety of residents show.

For part of the day, workers left the gate on Avenue A open, which provided a clear view of the carnage.


[Via an EV resident]

Reactions were varied. At one moment, standing nearly side by side on Avenue A and East 11th Street, we spotted a woman saying a prayer... and another woman hopping out a cab, frantically searching for Westville East.

-----

The following photos are by Paul DeRienzo, which show the start of the church's demolition...











-----

From East 12th Street resident Kym Gomes, who has lived across from the church the past 20 years...





-----

From Bobby Williams...







-----

From an East Village resident...



...workers are also bringing down the former school on East 11th Street...



-----

... and the end of the day... via @surajstar ...



-----

The church opened in 1917. Developer Douglas Steiner bought the property last fall for an unspecified residential complex.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Preservationists call for archeological review of former cemetery at Mary Help of Christians site

Scaffolding arrives for demolition of Mary Help of Christians

Alpha Women Attack Otto's tonight

From the EVG inbox... info on the latest Alpha Women Attack the East Village party...

LEO PARTY at the new monthly Wednesday party hosted by Our Lady of Perpetual PMS (a Leo Lady) & D.J. Feo

Otto's Shrunken Head
538 E. 14th St. (btwn A & B)
NO COVER
(Donations collected for performers)

8/7 Theme: We Are Leo, Hear Us Roar! A Leonine Party that ROARS, brings home the bacon, & parties on top of the patriarchy!

classic punk, 90's grrrl anthems. Iconic ladies & their comrades, keeping it punk, weird, badass:
X, Bags, Blondie, Babes in Toyland, L7, Veruca Salt, Le Tigre, Lydia Lunch, etc. & Local NYC legends

9:30 pm: SKUM CITY: (NYC's best H/C Punk band decrying the demise of NYC & putting what's left loud, gritty, & in your face!)
10 pm: JESSICA DELFINO (The Lower East Side's own Queen of the Obscene! The return of our resident muse.)
10:30 pm: ANGEL EYEDEALISM (Legendary E. Village avant garde performance artist, classically gifted singer & theremin player)
11 pm: Avant Entertainment Hour with LeAnne & Olga's guitar & bass originals, street poetry & Spoken word by PMS & Feo, & more subversive performers!!

Copies of the brand new Shadow, NYC's only underground newspaper, published peroidically since 1988, will be available for $1.

Plus more treats TBA, we promise!

Suggested dress: Your tributes to the Lioness, Feline, & Cat Lady best. Leopard print, fiery flash, royal reds & blacks. Embrace the Leo Power! Leos welcomed & worshipped.

Find the Facebook event page here.

This open, airy, East Village studio seeks $2,600 a month

Unit has bright floor-to-ceiling fencing throughout. The hard floors and stainless steel finishes complete this great unit. Have a summer move-in with spring pricing! Call the leasing office today. Close to restaurants, shopping, subway. Students OK.

Sooooo. Thanks to EVG reader juan TRED for the description and photo... this thing arrived on East 14th Street near First Avenue last Friday. Probably some kind of construction storage thingy. Or is it? Anyone?

Noted

There goes the Russo's mural on East 11th Street at First Avenue. (Not sure exactly when this happened.) The most recent Russo's mural arrived in September 2011.

Suspicious characters at the National Night Out Against Crime

Goggla shared this photo from this evening's annual National Night Out Against Crime outside the 9th Precinct on East Fifth Street...

Meanwhile, on Facebook, Slum Goddess has (understandably!) posted 87 photos of the police officer on stilts...