A tree grows on East Second Street (on a building)

Via Dave on 7th...

Bowery and East First Street in 1938, 1942

You may have seen this over at Gothamist yesterday... a feature titled "21 Photos Of The Bowery From Before You Were Born."

Anyway, here's one of the photos... the Bowery and East First Street circa 1938...

[Courtesy of the MCNY via Gothamist]

Reminded us that we posted a now-and-then of this corner back in May... Here's that post again:

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Our new friends over at NYC Corners launched their site last month... Per their description:

Whenever possible, we will show side-by-side photos of a particular street corner taken years or decades apart... and that's when the real magic happens.

And here's one of particular interest: the southeast corner of East First Street and the Bowery circa 1942 and today...

Cat on a hot polished concrete ping pong table

Today in Tompkins Square Park. Photo by Bobby Williams.

And it's OK to boo-hiss the headline.

'Desperately seeking a dog'

Spotted these flyers around this past weekend...

Bobby Williams took a photo of this one today on Avenue B at Ninth Street.

Breaking: Construction starts in the Mystery Lot

[In dramatic voiceover, maybe a little James Earl Jones like]: It has begun.

Photo via EVG reader Jodi.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Mystery Lot likely facing a luxurious end

The last days of the Mystery Lot

'Many opportunities' for new-to-market Sixth Street building

407 E. Sixth St. is now back on the market for $3.5 million. And the listing (via Corcoran) has a familiar tone to it... single-family conversion... available air rights...

On a prime East Village block between Avenues 1st and A, this historic, Italianate style, 5 story townhouse is located around the corner from Tompkins Square Park. Boasting a generous 21 feet of building width, 5000sf of interior space and lot depth of 91 feet with a beautiful rear garden, this home affords many opportunities for use including single family conversion, condominium conversion, live/work use or multi unit rentals.

Currently configured as 5 full floor apartments, the ground floor allows for commercial use. The property is NOT in a landmark zone and has additional available air rights of over 3500 buildable square feet. This house has been lovingly owned and occupied by the same family for over 50 years and will be delivered vacant. Bring your architect.

Anyway, this property briefly hit the market before ... and was promptly delisted several times, in November 2009 and April 2011, per Streeteasy.

And this is one of many buildings that have been for sale with both air rights and single-family aspirations.... such as this one on Avenue D ... this one on Avenue B ... or this one on Seventh Street ...

First sign of 51 Astor Place above ground

Just a few photos of the Death Star 51 Astor Place from Friday and Saturday... the steel beams are rising!

Previously on EV Grieve:
51 Astor Place demolition begins July 1; 17 months to build new black-glass tower

East Village — the new Alderaan? Midtown?

Lucy (and Lucy's) will be back on Aug. 9

On Avenue A, Lucy's, an EVG favorite, is on her usual late summer break...

... and back on Aug. 9.

Meanwhile, speaking of Lucy, Shawn Chittle ran into her on Avenue A late Saturday afternoon...

[Top two photos by Bobby Williams]

And how was your weekend?

Hey, haven't done this in a few weeks... a few observations via Twitter...

Cute chick 5AM leaning out of yellow taxi puking - yup I'm back in the #eastvillage.

— Derrick Gardrvits (@d_gardrvits) July 21, 2012

Just now, 2 drunk girls to the latino guy in the bodega: "donde estas st marks?" (with bad white girl Spanish accent)

— P&C (@pugsandcoffee) July 22, 2012

Man on E. 13th told me that this is a 'copulating area.'

— evgrieve (@evgrieve) July 21, 2012

Meanwhile, at the East Village IHOP...

4:15 a.m. Sunday. Per Tenacious C, who took the photo: "I wish it was staged."

EV eatery etc.: Benny's expands on A, gelato signage arrives on Second Avenue

Just a few quick storefront items... Sal's closed back in March... and, as several readers have pointed out, Benny's is taking over the space next door here on Avenue at East Sixth Street... Benny's used to run their to-go business from this side...

...and on Saturday, signage went up for the new gelato place/cafe coming soon on Second Avenue between St. Mark's and East Ninth Street...

Noted

Multiple readers have reported this sign on East Sixth Street and Avenue A. Have you seen others?

Today in photos of a Lamborghini with a 'WINNING' license plate on East Ninth Street

Someone told Bobby Williams, who took these photos, that Paris Hilton was the passenger in the car... (not true...)

Updated: According to Jalopnik, the car belongs to a divorce attorney who lives on Long Island. Read about him here.

Week in Grieview

[Trying to to ride on the sidewalk again. Second Avenue at Seventh Street]

Q-and-A with Michael Dominic, the director of "Sunshine Hotel" (Thursday)

Coverage of the East Village Town Hall meeting (Wednesday)

Trash hoops in Tompkins Square Park (Monday)

The Bowery Poetry Club is now closed for renovations (Tuesday)

Cleaning out the former Aces & Eights/Mo Pitkin's (Tuesday)

David Schwimmer to have his very own Central Perk on East Sixth Street (Wednesday)

Electrical fire at Union Square (Friday)

Avenue D development lot now $4 million cheaper (Monday)

Short film on the Mosaic Man (Wednesday)

The new water cafe has opened (Monday)

The State seizes Fares Deli on Avenue A (Thursday)

Someone cut down this tree on East Second Street

Near Avenue D...

The Post are meatheads when it come to $18 plates of vegetarian food

On Page 3 today, the Post makes a big fucking deal about a main vegetarian course at Northern Spy on East 12th Street that features roasted carrots for "a stunning $18."

Meanwhile, back on Page 42, there's a feature noting that "veggies step out from the sidelines and into starring roles at these NYC restaurants."

Back here, the Post doesn't seem outraged by the puny looking mushroom dish at Empellon Cocina on First Avenue... that costs $18...

What's the difference?

This afternoon — 'The East Village Experience'

Open reading from 2-4 at the Sam & Sadie Koenig Garden on East Seventh Street just east of Avenue C...

BRAKING news: EV Lambo is BACK

Major! Goggla spotted our long-lost friend on St. Mark's Place earlier today...

Previously.

Earlier today in the fountain in Washington Square Park

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Silver Man in Union Square

And there's a Silver Man sighting today... he'll be walking from NYC to Los Angeles in August to raise funds/awareness for autism.

Via EVFlip

This morning in Union Square

Per EVFlip: "While others have moved onto newer, sexier issues, the EV's Catholic Workers stand silent and hooded to remind us of the President's broken promise to shut down Guantanamo Bay."

Aiko's finished product on Houston and the Bowery

Just realized that I never posted a shot of Aiko's completed mural on the Houston/Bowery wall...

...and using the annoying "pop art" setting on the camera...

...and on the Bowery side from last week...

Previously.

Noted

Seems like a really lousy time to have a film called "Safety Not Guaranteed" in theaters. At the AMC Loews Village 7 on Third Avenue and East 11th Street.

(The time-traveling comedy was released on June 8.)

Pills 'n' Thrills

The New York Dolls on German TV in 1973... with "Pills" & "Trash."

This afternoon outside 100 Avenue A

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Previously.

[Updated] Reader report: Fire in the Union Square subway stop

There are reports of a fire in the Union Square subway stop... no word how extensive this might be... possibly contained to one small area on the south side of East 14th Street outside the Duane Reade ... am posting tweets/photos as people post them to Twitter...

@evgrieve what's with the fire at union sq subway station? I saw flames come up through the grates on the sidewalk!
— Meredith Franks (@mfranks715) July 20, 2012

Fuck, something on fire in Union Square & it's rumbling & who knows what all. Anyone know scoop? Either way, I'm outta here!
— Patty Garcia (@opattyg) July 20, 2012

Union Square subway entrance on 14th and Union Sq E is basically on fire & making exploding noises.
— Remington Tonar (@remtonar) July 20, 2012

Fire in the subway station at Union Square. Walked out through tons of nasty smoke! Hooray!
— Megan (@meganlibrarian) July 20, 2012

[@geri]

[@daviddellamura]

Updated 1:17 p.m.:

Per a witness: "Word on the street is electrical converter on fire underground at Union Square."

[@1pinkdaisy]

[@natashafrakes]

[@SanaAndTheCity]

[@sefgray]

Major subway wire transformer explosion at Union Square just happened abt 15 min ago. ConEd and emergency at the scene #BreakingNews #NYC

— Sarah Sobel (@SarahSobel) July 20, 2012

Updated 2:49 p.m.

Per Gothamist: "Con Ed says the fire at Union Square is out, and was caused by 'failure of electrical cables.'"

Report: Stuy Town full of fire code violations

Here's a story that merits widespread coverage... The Stuyvesant Town Tenants Association's new survey finds fire code violations in all but four of the complex's 110 buildings. Tenants Association volunteers recently inspected the buildings to check on things like building maintenance and cleanliness and what they found were a whole lot of fire code violations. Cut to the report:

"The survey, conducted in late spring by Tenants Association volunteers, discovered instances in all but four buildings in which fire doors do not close properly, in violation of Fire Code requirements that fire doors be self-closing. The TA has brought the survey results to the attention of Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano and Sean Sullivan, General Manager of ST/PCV.

In addition to the findings on the doors, the TA’s volunteers noted buildings that were missing floor indicator signage in hallways, on stair doors, and in stairwells; standpipes that were locked and chained; piping passing through holes larger than the pipes themselves creating a path for fire and smoke to travel; and what are unsafe and non-code-compliant window safety panes, such as plastic, in the fire doors themselves."

A FDNY Fire Inspector described the failure of self-closing doors as “extremely dangerous, because it could fail to stop the spread of fire, and especially smoke, to other areas of the structure."

To make matters worse, they found evidence of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use in the stairwells as well as indications that people have been using stair landings to relieve themselves and their dogs.

Anyway, at least they have a snappy new cafe!

Read the full report from the Tenants Association here:
Over 580 Fire Doors Are Found Not To Close In Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village

Also:
Building study reveals fire code violations (Town & Village Blog)

Will people still be able to sleep on the sidewalk near David Schwimmer's house once he lives there?

Whenever I walk by the incoming Schwimmer Estate on East Sixth Street in the morning, I usually spot some people sleeping on the sidewalk two doors to the east... in front of the new cafe that's opening...

As far as I can tell, they are travelers... likely around just for the summers, of course. But other people who have camped near here have been a little more permanent — at least when they weren't going to Rikers.

Anyway, once the Schwimmer Clan moves in, do you think they'll be OK with people sleeping so close to their million-dollar home? Maybe that's part of the flavor of living here? Or perhaps he'll have the 9th Precinct keep the area free of any sidewalk sleepers... sending them up the block...

Guess we'll find out soon enough.

And here's how the Schwimmer Estate was looking as of yesterday....

[Bobby Williams]

Cash Mob for the Move tomorrow at St. Mark's Bookshop

[Via Facebook]

In case you didn't see this on Monday at Jeremiah's Vanishing New York... there's another Cash Mob at St. Mark's Bookshop... tomorrow at 3 ... the owners are in the preliminary stages of moving to a smaller space... plus, sales are slow now in the summer doldrums...

The Details:
Date: Saturday, July 21
Time: 3 p.m.
Place: St. Mark's Bookshop, 31 3rd Avenue between 8th and 9th
Goal: Spend money on books! Tell them "Jeremiah sent me" and if you're one of the first 20 people to spend $10, you get a $5 gift certificate for your next visit.
After the Mob: Head over to Bar 82 at 136 2nd Ave., between 8th and 9th, to drink and celebrate with your fellow cash-mobbers.

Meanwhile, in an article in this week's of The Villager, the paper reports that co-owners Terry McCoy and Bob Contant are looking to move to a place 2,000 square feet or less, with a proportionally lower rent to match. (The current space is roughly 2,700 square feet.)

And to move somewhere else in the neighborhood.

Said McCoy: "This store’s whole identity is linked to the East Village. We can't go anywhere else. It's our reason for being."