Shepard Fairey mural gets boarded up, no trespassing signs

As Jeremiah first noted this morning, the Shepard Fairey vandalism magnet on Houston and the Bowery is getting covered up... this afternoon, a worker was also putting up "no trespassing" signs...





How long before that plywood is tagged?

Pretty things

Reminders tonight: A French film in Tompkins Square Park

It's "Love Songs" (Or, "Les Chansons d'Amour") starting around 8:30...

Per the description:

In the hope of rekindling their stalled relationship, Ismael (Louis Garrel) and Julie (Ludivine Sagnier) enter a playful yet emotionally laced threesome with Alice (Clotilde Hesme). When tragedy strikes, these young Parisians are forced to deal with the fragility of life and love. For Ismael, this means negotiating through the advances of Julie's sister (Chiara Mastroianni) and those of a young college student; one of whom may offer him redemption. French (with English subtitles)

And now, for some reason...

The 240 Houston fire on video

A passerby, Sheryl Jordan, captured yesterday's fire on video... there are five parts... here are the first three... You may access all of them via her YouTube page.

The $500 shot

Josh Spear took the first photo from yesterday's fire that showed the extent of the fire at 240 Houston ...

(Via Twitpic.)



The Post published his photo today...



Per Josh's Twitter feed, he negotiated a $500 fee for use of the photo from the Post ... and he is promptly donating the money to the FDNY Foundation.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the fire at 240 Houston

All coverage here.

Assessing the fire damage this morning at 240 Houston

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Chris for this photo from a little earlier this morning ...



Meanwhile, BoweryBoogie has a roundup of media sources on the fire ... The Lo-Down has some nice shots too from yesterday.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the fire at 240 Houston

All coverage here.

East Village noise wars new battlefront: Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge

Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge is on the docket for the CB3/SLA meeting next Thursday for a liquor license transfer...

Stuart Zamsky, president of the East Fifth Street Block Association, calls the bar combo on the corner of Fifth Street and Second Avenue, a "notoriously bad neighbor."
Among the alleged disruptions: "Night after night of screaming, shouting into cell phones and loud music" and "fist fights are a common occurrence." (Their website advertises hosting birthday parties fro groups of 15 to 300.)

Zamsky is asking for residents who are directly impacted by Sin Sin and live in close proximity to it (on Fifth Street or Second Avenue) to sign the online petition (and include your building’s address with your signature). The petition is here.

You can also write a short letter entailing the difficulties you experience due to Sin Sin and forward it to Zamsky: east5thstreetba@mail.com

Also, as he notes, you can attend the meeting on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. — JASA/Green Residence, 200 E. Fifth St. at the Bowery.

If you live in the neighborhood but not necessarily in close proximity to Sin Sin, Zamsky says you can write a short letter entailing the difficulties you experience due to the proliferation of bars in your East Village/Cooper Square neighborhood and forward it to him: east5thstreetba@mail.com.

As Zamsky says: "Sin Sin received its license before the East Fifth Street Block Association began getting asking to agree to stipulations regarding their methods of operation. This license transfer application is the neighborhood’s opportunity to sit down with the operators and get them to agree in writing to conduct their business in a fashion that will allow residents to experience peaceable nights."

Previously, the East Fifth Street Block Association worked with the Lit Lounge owners on becoming better neighbors. You can read about that right here.



P.S.
If you do go the the Sin Sin website, then turn the volume down in advance. Party photo via the Sin Sin website.

Hope for Carmine's at the Seaport?

Earlier this week, amNewYork reported that Carmine's, the 107-year-old Italian eatery in the South Street Seaport, had abruptly closed. The reason: Higher rents.

The closure prompted a new post from the semi-retired Lost City. As Brooks wrote: "The decor was priceless, a dusty nautical theme, wooden bar, wooden booths, falling apart. It had its regulars and its lifer waitresses ... It had a soul and a life."

Jeremiah writes about Carmine's today. "It never ceases to amaze me how places so old can just shutter like that, after everything they withstood to survive."

I was kicking around my own little tribute as well...

[Photo by Goggla via The Gog Log]

However, an EV Grieve reader and reliable source told me that the owner is planning on reopening a little further down on Front Street in a few months.... I'll remain hopeful about this... and I wonder if they'll be able to transport that wood paneling to the new spot...

Cafe Mocha puts in claim on "best burgers in Manhattan"

Second Avenue at Seventh Street. I actually didn't know they even sold burgers...

An awful year for the corners of Avenue A

I suppose I'm not the only one who noted the awful fires on Avenue A this year... at 14th Street in May...



and at Houston last evening...

Report: Eight firefighters injured this evening at 240 Houston

According to the Times:

Nearly 140 firefighters were sent to battle the blaze, which caused no deaths or major injuries but spread anxiety throughout the neighborhood. Eight firefighters had minor injuries, including burns and smoke inhalation.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the fire at 240 Houston

After the fire: Double Down, Kelly's and Discovery Wines closed; grocery open

Things seem oddly normal tonight on Avenue A below Second Street...a few hours back, of course, some 180 firefighters were on the scene battling the blaze at 240 Houston and Avenue A...

On the east side of A between Second Street and Houston...the storefronts that were directly impacted by the fire... the Double Down looks open, but the sign on the door says otherwise... [Updated: Double Down was already closed for renovations before the fire.]



Kelly's and Discovery Wines are shuttered...



And, the one place that I thought would be closed, was open... Houston Deli & Grocery on the corner... According to the manager, "We were very lucky," he said. "But I don't know for how long. At any minute, water could come through the ceiling."




Meanwhile, at the entrance to 240 Houston, fire and Red Cross officials were on hand to help any displaced residents...



Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the fire at 240 Houston

More shots from after the fire

Many thanks to EV Grieve reader Krikor for sharing these photos... (Via Flickr)








Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the fire at 240 Houston

After the fire

Check out Jeremiah's photos (like this one) of the firefighters after batting the blaze at 240 Houston.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the fire at 240 Houston

BoweryBoogie is also on the scene. He overheard a firefighter say the whole roof is gone at 240.

The Lo-Down is there too. They're reporting all the residents were safely evacuated.

Firefighters at work

Many thanks to BaHa for these shots...

More shots of 240 Houston

[Via Josh at Twitpic]


[Via BeChicMag]

As the top photo shows, the fire has been brought under control... no word yet on any injuries... Every says how quickly the fire department responded...

Rooftop view of the 240 Houston fire

These spectacular shots via Josh at Twitpic.

More on the fire at 240 Houston

I noticed that scaffolding recently went up here at the site of the fire, 240 Houston ... And Gothamist points to a complaint here via the DOB dated June 22:

SCAFFOLDING IS BEING INSTALLED ON THE SIDEWALK, THEY HAVE INSTALLED FOUR OF THE SUPPORTS ON THE PROPERTY OF 244 E HOUSTON WITHOUTPERMISSION AND THERE ARE NO PERMITS/PLANS POSTED FOR THE CONSTCTN

Fire on Avenue A and Houston

[Top photo via WCBS]





Much more to come.

Per NY1:

Firefighters are currently battling a three-alarm fire on the roof and upper floors of a building in the East Village.

About 188 firefighters from 33 units are putting out the flames, according to the FDNY.

Black smoke rising from the fire could be seen throughout much of Lower Manhattan.

Houston Street has been reportedly closed to traffic.

It is not yet known how the hot weather contributed towards the fire.

Walking toward the fire

I was walking south on First Avenue and 10th Street when I heard the helicopters... and then I saw the smoke coming from what turned out to be 240 Houston. Walking there, a few people walked out of storefronts... "Where's the fire? Where's the fire?" No one could tell, just yet...

Late afternoon at the Met

Noted

Via @purelygenius: Sidebar in the East Village is offering $5 LeBomb James shots. That's not a typo.

Via @16Handles: "Have you checked out our newest flavor in East Village? Clockwork Orange Sorbet. Handle It!"

What's Great About America: Ray's

As we mentioned, the Ray's delivery team was featured on the John Stossel-hosted Fox program "What's Great About America" this past weekend...and here is the segment. The Ray's piece starts at the 4:30 point or so...in case you want to skip by the opening stuff with Bono and Angelina....



Thanks to Matt at Neighborhoodr for this link. He has more Ray's-related items here, such as a deal on Save Ray's gear (only through today, though).

By the way, as Scoopy noted, the Ray's delivery team is on hiatus during the summer...

Spending $2 million to combat "unpleasant perceptions of OTB parlors and clientele"

At the Times today, Russ Buettner looks at the latest OTB wretched excess...spending millions on consultants and research ... Why?

Much of the [the consultants'] effort involved wrestling with unpleasant perceptions of OTB parlors and clientele.

As the Times notes, "For now, the consultants’ expensive work product appears to have no more value than a torn race ticket on a dirty linoleum floor." The new OTB boss doesn't care for the work that was done by his predecessor.

Wonder how much longer before the whole OTB system is shuttered... they're what, $200 million in the hole now? Go to one while you can.

This line from the Times a few years back sums it up best about the future of the OTB: It is an ever-narrowing slice of New York that still belongs to the hustler and the old-timer. Soon it may be extinct...

Like everything else that helps give the city some character.


[Photo at the Delancey OTB by EV Grieve]

No more Belgian fries at Ray's (for now)

Scoopy's column in this week's issue of The Villager has several updates on Ray's...Including:

— Ray is receiving his Social Security payments, going back as far as 2.5 years.

— Ray is no longer selling Belgian fries. Reports Scoopy: "In a new twist, his property manager, Barbara Chupa, has proposed a deal: Stop selling fries and get a three-year lease; his current rent, $3,700, would increase $200 each year. So, for the moment, Ray has covered his array of Belgian fries signs with sheets of white paper — and yet Chupa still hasn’t provided a lease."

— "Ray still wants to install an Ansul system hood over his deep fryer, which he hopes would satisfy Chupa, allowing him to fire up his golden fries once more — but he won’t spend the $10,000 to do it until he gets her OK."

— He says the new NYC Icy on the other side of Avenue A "has taken half his business."

— Ray may close up the shop for several weeks during a traditionally slow period to have his hernia operation.

[Image by Andrew King Dong via the Save Ray's Facebook page]

Senator's bill could shutter problem bars — eventually

Also in The Villager this week... reporter Michael Mandelkern looks at a new bill by Sen. Daniel Squadron. Per the article:

The state Senate passed a bill on June 24 that sets guidelines for the State Liquor Authority to revoke the licenses of routinely raucous bars and clubs.

If Governor David Paterson signs the bill — co-sponsored by state Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblymember Robin Schimminger — into law, the S.L.A. could shut down nightspots if police are called at least six times within two months for excessive noise and disorderly conduct.

However! There's a however...

Susan Stetzer, district manager of Community Board 3 . . . was doubtful that many places would have enough bad incidents to fall within the new S.L.A. standard.

"There are some bars [in the Lower East Side] that have constant problems, but I think it would be extremely unusual [to have six incidents in 60 days]," she said. “There are very few bars that would reach this level."

Time and time again

You may have seen this nighttime time-lapse video making the rounds of late (you can see it here at East Village Feed).

Which reminded me ... of a video from 1993 that I came across on YouTube a few years back... it's a time-lapse video looking at the southwest corner of First Avenue and St. Mark's Place...



Amazing to see so many people out walking... without talking into a cell phone...

[Video from YouTube via TreeTopVideo]

Marketing an East Village scavenger hunt

For some reason this popped up in my inbox the other day... see if you can find the two words in the description that, that... shouldn't have anything to do with the others...

Watson Adventures' Secrets of the East Village Scavenger Hunt
This East Village scavenger hunt takes participants to the haunts of diverse personalities ranging from Washington Irving to Andy Warhol to Carrie Bradshaw to Leon Trotsky, learning amazing facts about the sights seen along the way. Highlights include TV and movie locations, hurly-burly St. Mark's Place, the last remnant of the Fillmore East, the remains of the city's most aristocratic neighborhoods, the scene of a notorious riot over Macbeth, and a mini-Ukraine.

Yes, the answer is Leon Trotsky.

Ugh. Anyway, the tour is this Saturday at 5 p.m., and costs $9.75.