Week in Grieview

Ray's closed (Monday) ... and reopened (Friday)

City issues demolition permit for Mars Bar (Thursday)

Big Gay Ice Cream shop opening on Seventh Street (Wednesday)

A night with the Chillmaster (Monday)

Joey Ramone would have been 60 (Thursday)

A bad sign on Avenue B (Wednesday)

The Amato Opera building is for sale (Tuesday)

East Village bars and restaurants with 0 violation points from the DOH (Thursday)

The resident who chased a party bus (Tuesday)

Sorry about borrowing the menu from Prime Meats (Friday)

Some CB3/SLA highlights (Tuesday)

Wanna buy a boutique hotel? (Monday)

Ideas for donating books (Wednesday)

Innocent tree forced to publicize Lady Gaga's new record

East Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Mystery Lot, 9:21 a.m., May 22

Today at the Mars Bar

... and we can't wonder how many art shows are left ... before the building comes down...

Let's Dance

At the Dance Parade 2011 today with EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams...

Vivienne Gucwa has more photos of the parade from her spot on St. Mark's Place. You can find those here.

Let's Dance II

Our friend Melanie Neichin always posts great photos at East Village Corner... we're thankful that she shared a few shots from today's Dance Parade 2011 with us... Find more here.

Let's Dance III

A few more shots from Dance Parade 2011 today from Elizabeth Frayer today in Tompkins Square Park...

Noted after Dance Parade

On St. Mark's Place.

Tonight on Sixth Street: "The Inconvenient Truth Behind 'Waiting for Superman'"

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Film Screening and Discussion — The Inconvenient Truth Behind "Waiting for 'Superman'"

Saturday, May 21 - 7 pm • 6th Street Community Center
636 E. 6th Street (btwn Ave B and Ave C), Manhattan

"Waiting for Superman" created an upheaval in American thinking on public education. But, "Superman"'s fix-all of high stakes standardized testing, privatization and union busting is not the answer for reforming America’s public schools.

"The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman" provides an in-depth look at what "Superman" got wrong. By talking to teachers, parents and education activists, The Grassroots Education Movement exposes the misinformation of "Waiting for Superman" and offers real reform solutions for the future of American public schools.

After the Movie, a Panel Featuring:
Stanley Aronowitz - CUNY Graduate Center, author of Against Schooling: For an Education that Matters
Julie Cavanagh - Director/Public School Teacher
Sam Anderson (unconfirmed) - Black New Yorkers for Educational Excellence
Leo Casey - United Federation of Teachers

Sponsored by: Socialist Party NYC, NYC Organization for a Free Society, NYC Democratic Socialists of America, NYC Solidarity, Manhattan Greens

There is a suggested donation of $3 to $10 for the film, though "no one will be turned away."

Billy Leroy interviews Judgment Day wackos messengers on the Bowery

Billy Leroy of Billy's Antiques sends this clip along...



It does provide a little clarity to what we can expect. And, with that line of questioning, Billy needs a slot on "60 Minutes."

It's a rather nice day for a doomsday; plus, remember to tip for the rapture

As EV Grieve contributor Dave on 7th notes, "They never mentioned what a beautiful day doomsday would be."

True.

Anyway, the least that you can today is tip, like at Everyman Espresso on 13th Street.

Warning: People to be having fun around here today!

Heh. Just joking with that headline!

Um, anyway, the fifth annual Dance Parade is today... which is why you see the barricades on Avenue A...

...and St. Mark's.

Will be interesting to see what happens when the street fair on Third Avenue collides with the Dance Parade.

Anyway, I'm never going to be able to find a place to park for supper tonight.

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair!

Oh yeah!

Just getting set up this morning at 9... this street fair runs from 14th Street ("East Union Square")

...down to Sixth Street, where traffic is already fucked backed up.

Say trees

Yesterday, EV Grieve reader Meredith Battjer sent some photos of workers planting new trees along East Eighth Street near Avenue C. Part of the MillionTreesNYC movement hereabouts...

And thanks to @bobbyjohnspeaks who has ben keeping me posted about the trees via Twitter.

Dedication

Earlier today in Tompkins Square Park.

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Red alert

First Avenue, 8:58 p.m., May 20

A man for all seasons

Originally had something really depressing lined up. Instead, Divine. From 1985.

Today in product placements for Ray's, Coca-Cola

After the DOH gave Ray's Candy Store the OK to reopen yesterday afternoon, Dave on 7th was on hand to greet the first official customer since the closure on Monday ...

Yes

[Bob Arihood]

Bob Arihood delivers the good news about Ray's at Neither More Nor Less.

Live: The DOH inspection continues at Ray's

Maria, who has been cleaning Ray's around the clock...

The tabulation continues...

Photos by Dave on 7th

[Updated] Live: DOH inspector inside Ray's Candy Store

Previously.

Per Dave on 7th:
"It just became a tourist attraction.
People looking for a good egg cream.
More lost sales."

Photos by Dave on 7th.

They might be Giant

So there's a newish photoblog called Giant Behemoth. Among the works featured: The photography of C-Squat resident Ariel Hamm Flores, like the one on this post. See his photos here.

Meanwhile, if you're interested in submitting some photos, then you can send an email to:

giantbehemoth@gmail.com

Developing: Today may be the last chance for Ray's

Shit Week Continues at Ray's. Per Bob Arihood at Neither More Nor Less, today may be the last inspection for Ray before the DOH intervenes. Bob writes: "We don't know at this time if this means expensive major renovations and new equipment too."

Renovations and equipment that Ray can't afford. Thus, the end of Ray's. Not that we're jumping to the worst-case scenario right away or anything.

Read Bob's post here.

Today in EV Grieve talking about stuff

This week went by in a blurry. So a belated thank you to Rebecca Marx at the Voice for interviewing me for a piece that was titled, EV Grieve Reflects on the Lessons of CB3 Meetings, Superdive, and the East Village as a "Foodie Tourist Trap"

You can read it here.

And there are no refunds.

Ray's now 0-4 vs. the DOH this week

Despite visits from an exterminator and epic cleaning sessions, the DOH inspectors continue to find things to keep Ray's Candy Store from reopening. As Bob Arihood reports at Neither More Nor Less, an inspector returned to the Avenue A shop yesterday. Third fourth time this week; fifth different inspector (they sent two at once, uh, once), who are all motivated to find violations, naturally. After two hours, the inspector found a few mouse droppings as well as a restroom door that didn't close properly. As Bob writes: "This inquisition could go on forever and Ray's Candy Store will never open.

Bob has more thoughts on all this in another post. In part, he writes:

We have to say here that though we are aware that Ray is not without fault what this city is doing to him and to other small businesses is wrong. With this soulless ravenous beast of a city administration at the door of every small business regularly, few will survive.

Read the whole thing here.

Photo by Dave on 7th taken Monday morning before the first inspection.

East Village Brewery & Beer Shop apologizes for borrowing Prime Meats' menu

On Monday, EV Grieve reader T.E.V.B. noticed that the menu on display outside 14 Avenue B, home of the aspiring East Village Brewery & Beer Shop, was identical to that of Brooklyn's Prime Meats.

And Eater then did a side-by-side comparison. Yep, exact copies!

So we contacted the Brewers for an explanation. Here's what they had to say:

The menu on display was only intended to be an aspirational reference, approximating our aims pending community approval. We are NOT affiliated with Prime Meats, however their business is one that we admire and their program – along with others’ – often come up during development conversations. We apologize if anyone perceives that this was misleading or that our food program will be a replica.

The final program will be the product of the several months of development that still await us pending proper approvals. We look forward to sharing more with the community as our business develops.

Again, thank you for contacting us. We hope that everything goes smoothly and look forward to bringing our business to this community.

Best,
East Village Brewery & Beer Shop

In the meantime, someone removed the menu from the front door at 14 Avenue B.