EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[A sign of spring in Tompkins Square Park...]

Author Cari Luna on the squatters of the East Village (Jacobin via The Lo-Down)

A look at the possible development for the former Billy’s Antiques space on East Houston (BoweryBoogie)

Yet another push for Beastie Boys Square on the LES (DNAinfo)

A look inside the former Domino Sugar Factory (Curbed)

What tickets for the rides at Coney Island looked like 100 years ago (Amusing the Zillion)

Details about a memorial to honor Rene Ricard (Hotel Chelsea Blog)

Rough Trade NYC is hosting an interactive LCD Soundsystem gallery (East Village Radio)

$6 million in upgrades at the "dirty and dangerous" Aqueduct Racetrack (The Wall Street Journal)

And the Times has a feature on Jim Jarmusch:

Though he misses the wildness of those days (in the SoHo of the late ’70s, “I looked out my window at about 3:30 a.m., and I saw a man walking a llama down Prince Street”), “I’m not nostalgic,” he said. “Because New York’s only about change and conning everybody out of whatever they have. That’s just what New York is.”

---

... and via the EVG inbox... the Ruff Club at 34 Avenue A is hosting fundraiser this Sunday to benefit Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue ...

So what's the deal with 'Master Softee?'

Our friend Christine Champagne spotted this yesterday on East 14th Street and First Avenue. So when did Mister Softee become Master Softee?



Or is this just a rogue operation?

--

Rejected headlines: Master and Serve It

Watch this 10-minute documentary on the amazing street photographer Flo Fox

A friend introduced us to the work of acclaimed photographer Flo Fox several years ago. Her life and work make for a remarkable story... and Brooklyn-based filmmaker Riley Hooper has captured Fox in a 10-minute short titled "Flo: Portrait of a Street Photographer."

Here's the film's description:

This 10-minute documentary explores the life and work of photographer Flo Fox, who, despite blindness, multiple sclerosis, and lung cancer, continues to shoot the streets of New York City. No longer able to hold a camera, she instructs her aides to take photos for her. She’s an incredible woman with a feisty spirit, sharp wit, and dirty sense of humor.

We asked Hooper a few questions about the project.

How did you first learn about Flo?

I met Flo in 2011 as she was preparing a solo photo show at Gallery 307 in New York City (now the Carter Burden Gallery), where my friend was working. The gallery represents artists over the age of 60. I was immediately drawn to her photography. Her witty captions especially grabbed my attention. I think she and I have a similar sense of humor

What are your thoughts about Flo after having the chance to spend so much time with her?

There's obviously a lot of wisdom and inspiration to be gleaned from this story. On a personal level, it's sobering to think that Flo bought her first camera when she was about the same age as I am — and that four years later she would be diagnosed with MS. Yet it's inspiring to see that her positive outlook and intense passion for her work has allowed her to persevere. It's a motivating reminder to never take anything for granted in my life, or make excuses in pursuing my filmmaking. Those are, of course, cliched maxims. Yet they're ones I now resonate with on a deeper level, and I have Flo to thank for that.

Do you think they'll be more to Flo's legacy than just her incredible body of work?

Oh, certainly! I hope that people remember Flo not only for her photography but also for her incredible drive and positivity. She's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Hooper recently released the film.

You may watch it right here.

New York Sports Club says hello on Avenue A

As we first reported last April 29, New York Sports Club is opening a gym above Gracefully at 28 Avenue A.

And yesterday, a banner advertising the new gym went up on the scaffolding, as the above photo by EVG reader Jon shows. There is also a website now for this location with more details:

Avenue A & 3rd Street club opens fall 2014
We are pleased to announce the opening of our new Avenue A & 3rd Street club this fall. This 20,000-square-foot fitness gem will feature four floors loaded with brand new state-of-the art equipment and staffed with a team of the finest fitness professionals ready to help you get in the best shape of your life. Features will include a UXF® Training Zone, a cycling studio, a group exercise studio, and all of the first-class amenities that have made us a fitness leader for 39 years strong:

• State-of-the-art cardio equipment with personal interactive TVs
• Spacious free weight area featuring tons of equipment
• Energizing group exercise classes such as Spinning®, Pilates and more
• UXF Circuit Training
8 Certified personal trainers
• Towel service

We're still hopeful that the the familiar Burger-Klein façade remains on the renovated building. The furniture seller occupied the building as early as 1939. Read more about the history of the Burger-Klein building at Off the Grid.

This will be the second major gym to open in the East Village this year. There's also the Crunch coming the to Bowery. Or you can just do the Citi Bike stationary workout for free!

Previously on EV Grieve:
RUMOR: New York Health & Racquet Club taking over the space above Gracefully on Avenue A (24 comments)

New York Sports Club in the works for Avenue A

Sidewalk bridge and scaffolding arrive ahead of planned New York Sports Club on Avenue A

If you don't like data, then move back to ... Washington, D.C.?

Oh, maybe you already saw this at Curbed on Wednesday... when they reported on the data that White Pages-style search engine Spokeo came up with regarding who is moving to NYC.

Here is Spokeo on what numbers they crunched:

Below is the Spokeo Mobile Migration Map, a visual representation of the most common out-of-state mobile numbers found in your selected city. All numbers are standardized to account for population. By identifying the origin of a mobile number and matching it to address records, Spokeo has pinpointed migration and settlement trends throughout the United States. The different colors represent the home states of transplants. Below the map, you’ll find a list of the top 20 U.S. cities from which new residents in [NYC] have relocated.

And here is that map... with New Jersey and Connecticut leading the way...


[Click image to enlarge]

... and for the cities... Washington, D.C.! San Francisco!


[Click image to enlarge]

Reaction on the survey from Virginia K. Smith at Brooklyn Magazine:

I’ve been saying for a long time that all the “GO BACK TO OHIO!!!” venom aimed at faceless gentrifiers is a crock. The real enemies are the hedge fund types or parent-bankrolled transplants from nearby wealthy suburbs, the kind of people who think condos are a perfectly nice place to live...

Report: Not everyone is happy about the pending arrival of Nublu's 2-story new home

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

Construction continues at 151 Avenue C, the two-story building that Nublu will relocate to this fall …

And as The Villager reports this week, the 12-year-old music club's move up Avenue C is leaving some residents of neighbor C-Squat unhappy.

C-Squat resident Brett Pants told the weekly paper that he "sees a 'megabar, two stories high,' full of drunks, 'who at closing time will pour onto our streets to fight and piss and make a mess.' Fights outside the 99-cent pizza joint below his window are common."

Said Nublu owner Illhan Ersahin:

The nightlife operator said concern about noise at the soon-to-open location is news to him, and he looked quite perplexed that a quality-of-life complaint might be emanating from C-Squat.

His bar will not be on the lookout for loud students and, in a nod to the pre-gentrifying pioneers, Ersahin eruditely observed that the East Village “has a tradition of cultivating culture…from Jack Kerouac to Talking Heads.” His club, he insisted, is just following that tradition.

[Photo by Brett Pants]

Meanwhile, not from the article … the arrival of Nublu means, unfortunately, that Speakeasy upstairs will be closing in the coming weeks. (We heard early May.) RIP to one of the last great neighborhood bars.

Previously on EV Grieve:
151 Avenue C: "This prime East Village location stands out as a rare opportunity for users, investors and developers"

Nublu moving up Avenue C; restaurant in the works for new space

Condo conversion 1 possibility as East 7th Street building hits market for $10 million

Here's a new listing for 52 E. Seventh St. at Sotheby's:

[T]he five-story building features 20 residential units. All apartments are in very good condition, most have been recently renovated or updated. The property sits mid-block between 2nd and 1st Avenues with close proximity to transportation as well shopping, restaurants, cafes, and all the other conveniences the East Village offers. Great opportunity to own an income producing asset or convert to condominiums.

Of special note, the Artists Ai Wei Wei [sic] and Xu Bing resided in the building separately in the 1990’s.

Price: $10 million.

Last September, there was a listing for a community facility space here via the Massey Knakal site. That listing is no longer active.

How you can celebrate the 100th birthday of William S. Burroughs in the East Village

[Burroughs in 1965 via the Evening Standard/Getty Images]

A monthlong celebration of William S. Burroughs in the East Village features an array of events at the Anthology Film Archive, the Stone and the Poetry Project, among other places.

Artists scheduled to appear to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth include Laurie Anderson, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Lydia Lunch, Bill Laswell, G Thirlwell, Thurston Moore, Anne Waldman, Steve Buscemi, Nick Zedd and John Zorn, among many others.

There are too many events to mention here… so check out the whole lineup at the WSB100 blog.

'Boardwalk Empire' returns to a familiar East Village location

Crews were filming scenes for "Boardwalk Empire" (the fifth and final season) today on East 12th Street… outside a familiar locale for the show — the great John's of 12th Street …







Photos by Bobby Williams

Previous EVG "Boardwalk Empire" coverage is here.

The Sunburnt Cow closes for good at the end of this month

[EVG file photo]

The Sunburnt Cow, the drunk brunch hotspot at 137 Avenue C near East Ninth Street, will close at the end of April.

Here is the message via the Cow's Facebook page:

Following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy we are sadly calling it a night…But let's make it a night to remember!!

Friday 25th, Saturday April 26th and Sunday April 27th.

DJ's all weekend, Come KISS the Cow Goodbye.

Almost exactly one year ago a listing for the place appeared on the Misrahi Realty website.

On March 28, the city OK'd a plan to renovate the entire building.

Per the DOB's all-cap job description: "INTERIOR RENOVATION OF FIVE STORY MIXED USE BUILDING AMENDED CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY WILL BE OBTAINED." The DOB lists Ramy Issac, no stranger to the East Village, as the architect of record.

In March 2013, the DOH temporarily closed the "Endless Brunch" hotspot after finding 56 violation points. Owner Heathe St. Clair "blamed the continuing recovery from Hurricane Sandy for his restaurant's dismal inspection report," according to DNAinfo.

The Moolife Group, owners of the Sunburnt Cow, closed Bondi Road in September 2012 after a six-year run on Rivington Street, as BoweryBoogie reported.

H/T @TonkaNYC

Previously on EV Grieve:
Renovations in store for 137 Avenue C, home to the Sunburnt Cow

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[East 4th St. and Ave. B via Michael Sean Edwards]

More about plans for the new-look Astor Place (The Villager)

An update on the cracked columns at the Angel Orensanz Center (The Lo-Down)

Why you've seen large Faberge eggs around town (BoweryBoogie)

Owners of Drop Off Service on Avenue A opening new craft beer bar in Kips Bay (DNAinfo)

Charts: 48 hours in the life of Citi Bike (The Atlantic Cities)

Marketing materials tout "Join the gentrification!" in Brooklyn (AnimalNY)

"Anthology of American Folk Music" from 1952 reissued on vinyl (Boing Boing)

Concern over a proposed sidewalk cafe for The Fourth on 4th Avenue

There is a proposal for a sidewalk cafe at The Fourth, the ground-floor restaurant located in the Hyatt Union Square on Fourth Avenue at East 13th Street.

Community Board 2 heard the proposal for the sidewalk cafe with 13 tables and 26 chairs on March 20. Board members had some concerns about the configuration and size of the tables … as did a few nearby residents.

Some concerned residents shared a letter with us that they also submitted to CB2 as well as Councilmember Rosie Mendez's office.

Said one EVG reader:

Their proposal is laughable and preposterous in many ways. It calls for tiny, tiny tables placed perfectly next to one another on the extremely un-level sidewalk there to feign compliance with city laws. The idea that they will actually ask anyone to spend top-shelf prices to dine in these conditions is absurd.

Now let's quote from this letter, which goes into great detail about the way diners sit. Not to mention shoulders:

They have proposed six sets of (2) 19" wide tables pushed up against the wall and pushed up against each other. If these tables could be placed perfectly against each other, they would take up exactly 3'2" of space. Add to that the required 3' for a service corridor and their plan would take up every fraction of an inch available to them (based on their already inaccurate measurements). In reality, it is unrealistic to think that they could ever keep these tables pushed together.

Anyone who has dined at a restaurant knows that when 2 separate parties of 2 persons sit at adjacent tables, the tables are pushed apart (usually about a foot). The way this plan is written, if they push the tables apart by even a quarter of an inch, they are no longer in compliance with city regulations. If they had any intention of keeping the tables together, there would be no reason to request permission for 2 separate tables side by side. They would have requested only one table. They clearly intend to file the plan one way and then place the tables in a very different way.

So far we have only touched upon the size of the tables themselves and their ability to fit within the plans but let's not forget that people will be sitting at these tables and make their claimed placement of the tables impossible. This plan implies that 2 people could be sitting next to each other at this cafe, dining and enjoying cocktails and take up 38" or less of space.

The average width of a human shoulder is between 18" and 19". Even if you had people willing to sit shoulder to shoulder, touching each other, with the inside party's shoulder pinned against the wall, every time you had 2 people with shoulders that were above average, they would expand into the required 3' service aisle and no longer be in compliance with city regulations.

With this application, they are claiming that their diners will sit shoulder to shoulder while pinned against the wall to be in compliance. Even if diners were willing to sit that way (at a very expensive restaurant), would the restaurant then turn away anyone with above average or particularly large shoulders? Of course they would not and it would not even be legal to do so. Even in the best case scenario, it is clear that this cafe, as proposed, will not comply with city regulations. There is simply not enough room for 2 persons to sit side by side on this sidewalk and be in compliance with the law. What they have proposed is impossible.

And here is the proposed cafe configuration…



Those against the proposed cafe as it is now are suggesting that The Fourth reduce the number of tables to six. For their part part, CB2 denied the license. (Read a PDF of the proceedings here.) We understand that the application will now go before City Council next Thursday.

Said the EVG reader: "The City Council could potentially force changes to the plan ... It should be an interesting lesson in local politics to see how it unfolds."

Remembering Spike

[Photo by Lori Der Hagopian]

Early last Thursday morning, an SUV struck and killed a 47-year-old woman while she was crossing Third Avenue at St. Mark's Place. (To our knowledge, the NYPD didn't charge the driver; the woman was reportedly walking on a green light.)

A little later in the day, the media identified the victim as Lisa Julian. Some people didn't recognize that name, us included. More people knew Lisa as Spike or Lucretia, a longtime regular from Tompkins Square Park and Avenue A.

Here, two of the many people who knew Lisa/Spike/Lucretia share some thoughts...

I called her Lucretia — that's what she told me her name was when I opened The Stand. She was the first to welcome me, and would sit and make me laugh for hours.

Her life was a plight, but somewhere deep inside I believe it was the way she exactly wanted it.

She always told everyone she loved them, sometimes in a state, but she always knew what she was saying. She had a lot of love in her heart, and she will be greatly missed by all. — Lori Der Hagopian

---

After meeting Lucretia only once, each time we saw one another, she always remembered my name ... and in her old school, rock and roll punk style was gracious and curious to know how I was.

Her gaze was eye to eye. Tough and friendly — much like the neighborhood she called home. I was very sad to hear of her passing in such a frightening way. May she RIP. — Emily Rubin

What is happening with the Mono + Mono space?

[Last April 21 via EVG reader kke7st]

An early-morning two-alarm fire last April 21 ripped through 116 E. Fourth St., a single-level commercial building that houses Mono + Mono.

Now, nearly a year later, there hasn't been any sign of life at the restaurant that served Korean fried chicken and was known for playing a collection of upwards of 30,000 classic jazz albums.


[Photo from Tuesday]

An EVG reader who lives next door here between First Avenue and Second Avenue shared this photo (taken two weeks ago) showing the fire-damged roof...



The restaurant hasn't updated its Facebook page since May 7, where they wrote that "We're committed to reopening in a few weeks as your favorite East Village destination for 30,000 jazz albums, Korean fried chicken and soju cocktails. Thanks for your support. We'll be back stronger than ever!"

DOB records show an application on file with the city to "rebuild existing bar after fire damage, new HVAC system." The city disapproved the plan on March 18.

So it appears a reopening is in the works.., but it's just taking forever to actually happen.

Also, a "full vacate" remains in effect for the address.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Early-morning fire at 116 E. Fourth St., home of Mono + Mono

(Kind of) An update on Mono + Mono

AlphaBet Cafe is closed for renovations

Several readers told us that AlphaBet Cafe closed Tuesday here on East 14th Street and Avenue B… signs point to a renovation/remodel …





Not sure if this is an actual closed for renovations … or a "closed for renovations," where we never see the place open again … A new operator was on the February CB3/SLA docket for a new liquor license, but they were scratched from the agenda.

AlphaBet Cafe had a few bouts of the DOH last year… however, there's nothing on file with the DOH now pointing to a health-related closure.

A quick step back into the early 1990s East Village

[East 5th Street]

Gregoire Alessandrini has once again updated his excellent blog, New York in the 1990's Photo Archives ...

We thought we'd share a sampling of his latest uploads here from the early 1990s...


[East 7th Street]


[St. Mark's Place]


[Second Avenue]


[Astor Place]

Spend the rest of your day checking out all his photos here.

Some background: As a student here in the early-to-mid 1990s, he always carried a camera around with him ... and he has been uploading the photos from that time to his blog. He lives in Paris these days.

Previously

[Updated] How you can see the passage of the Moon across the Hyades from East 3rd Street

Via EVG regular Spike… looks as if Felton Davis has his rig setup on East Third Street at Second Avenue …



Not sure what we're looking at this evening… but if you head over that way, you'll find out…

Maybe this… from EarthSky:

As darkness falls in early April 2014, the waxing crescent moon is passing in front of the constellation Taurus the Bull. Taurus the Bull’s most prominent signposts include the dipper-shaped Pleiades star cluster and bright red star Aldebaran, which depicts the Bull’s fiery eye.

And from Universe Today (for tomorrow):

On the evening of Thursday, April 3rd headed into the morning of the 4th, the waxing crescent Moon crosses in front of the Hyades open star cluster. This is the V-shaped asterism that marks the head on Taurus the Bull, highlighted by the brilliant foreground star Aldebaran as the bull’s “eye”. Viewers across North America will have a ring-side seat to this “bull-fight” as the 20% illuminated Moon stampedes over several members of the Hyades in its path.

Updated 9:44 p.m.

Felton writes in with more information… and details on some upcoming sky shows!

Rim craters Furnerius, Petavius, Langrenus, Cleomedes, Geminus, Endymion, and the Mare Crisium put on a dazzling show tonight, as the three-day old crescent moon passed through Taurus about ten degrees below the Pleiades. When the light of the sun is shining across the craters it accentuates their shape, and left many people speechless, never having seen the moon in such detail, especially after a winter of non-stop clouds, rain and snow. Keep a lookout on Monday, April 14th for an eclipse of the moon, beginning just after midnight, and fully darkening the moon at 3 am Tuesday April 15th.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Searching for Comet ISON with East Village resident Felton Davis

Comet spotting with East Village resident Felton Davis

Discarded couch-chair matching sets of the day

East Sixth Street near Avenue C…



It looks better the closer you go… the more like technologically advanced form of extraterrestrial life…

In case you want to see a 'controlled fire' tonight

From the EVG inbox…

As part of a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training class, there will be a controlled fire outside of the East Side Community High School located at 420 East 12th Street in Manhattan tonight from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Expect to see FDNY and NYPD personnel in action.

H/T Shawn Chittle

8 days and nights of Jim Jarmusch

[A scene from 1980's "Permanent Vacation"]

An 8-day retrospective of LES resident Jim Jarmusch starts tonight at the Film Society of Lincoln Center ... titled "Permanent Vacation: The Films of Jim Jarmusch."

From the description:

Over the course of a single-minded yet constantly surprising career that has now spanned more than three decades, Jim Jarmusch has become a beloved, forever-cool icon of independent American (and world) cinema. His movies combine a romantic wanderlust, a sense of humor both humane and deadpan, and a connoisseur’s appreciation of the highs and lows of art and popular culture (Elvis Presley, Yasujiro Ozu, and William Blake, for starters).

This complete retrospective — which includes 11 features and several shorts and music videos — leads up to the upcoming release of Jarmusch’s latest feature, Only Lovers Left Alive (a selection of the 2013 New York Film Festival, opening at the Film Society of Lincoln Center on April 11).

Here's one of the music videos that he directed ... "The Lady Don't Mind" by the Talking Heads from 1985...



Will be nice to see "Stranger Than Paradise" on a big screen (tonight at 7 and tomorrow at 1:30)...



Find the full schedule here.

H/T EVG reader Joe

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Fridge escape on East 10th Street! Photo by Michael Sean Edwards]

El Sombrero back open for now with new owners, sort of the same vibe (BoweryBoogie)

75 Essex St. back on market for $30 million (The Lo-Down)

Andrade Shoe Repair closing on University Place (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Measles outbreak on the LES (DNAinfo)

Why DC’s bikeshare is flourishing while New York’s is financially struggling (The Washington Post)

A visit to Execution Rocks off Long Island (Scouting NY)

Check out William Burroughs on film starting tomorrow (Anthology Film Archives)

... and via EVG reader Michael from yesterday ... it's customary to post photos of people wearing gorilla masks in Stuy Town...

Out and About in the East Village — early 2014 recap

We're taking a week off to provide a quick early spring recap...

So then! Here's a look back at our subjects so far from 2014 ... many thanks to East Village-based photographer James Maher and everyone who has taken part in this series... we'll return next week with Out and About in the East Village ...

Jan. 15 — Barbara Sibley

Jan. 22 — Alex Harsley, part 1

Jan. 29 — Alex Harsley, part 2

Feb. 5 — Tom Clark

Feb. 12 — Dawn Haberman

Feb. 19 — Mike Stuto

Feb. 26 — Dina Leor

March 5 — Eric Danville, part 1

March 12 — Eric Danville, part 2

March 19 — Margery Teplitz

March 26 — Pamela Joy

The hawks of Tompkins Square Park have laid an egg at the Christodora House

As you may know, the resident hawk pair of Tompkins Square Park have built a nest on the East 9th Street side of the Christodora House at Avenue B…







Goggla, who has been documenting the hawks in recent months at Gog in NYC, along with the other hawk watchers, were pretty sure that Dora (a name for now for the female hawk) had laid an egg on a nest on the 7th floor…

Well, she certainly has, as this photo by Francois Portmann at Gog in NYC shows …



Check out Goggla's recent posts here … and here … and here for more on this mating/nesting action.

Top photos by Bobby Williams

Previously on EV Grieve:
Red-tailed hawks nest on the Christodora House