A memo from the NYC Department of Pedestrian Etiquette

[Click on image to enlarge]

EVG reader Katherine spotted this memo in the front door of a building along East Seventh Street… on official (heh) NYC Department of Pedestrian Etiquette...

Per the sign:

Effective April 1, 2016 all new residents and visitors to New York City Over the age of 16 will be required to take a mandatory training session on Proper Etiquette for navigating the sidewalks and streets of the greater metropolitan area.

And?

Upon completion of training, applicants must then pass an oral and practical exam in order to qualify for a NYC DPE Pedestrian Permit. Any mistakes will result in denial of permission to enter the city for a period of no less than one year.

Click on the image for what the examples of the violations might include… "stopping on a bike path with a big group to take pictures of squirrels" …

Here then, the new Moishe's Bake Shop sign

[EVG file photo]

Back in April workers removed the damaged Moishe's Bake Shop sign (in the middle of the night) in order to repair the facade at 115 Second Ave. near East Seventh Street.

Yesterdays, workers put the new sign in place under the watchful eye of owner Moishe Perl, as these photos by Derek Berg show…







Perl told WPIX that the sign sustained damage following the deadly gas explosion on March 26. "We got a violation last week that it’s shaking. We have to take it off and fix it," Perl told the station on April 20.



Previously on EV Grieve:
After midnight, workers remove the Moishe's Bake Shop sign (19 comments)

What lies beneath the Moishe's sign

Moishe's has a new (temporary-looking) sign

La Lucha space for rent on Avenue A

The 6-year-old La Lucha quickly shut down after service last Wednesday night, as we first reported.

And just like that the for rent sign from landlord Steve Croman's 9300 Realty arrived on the front window of the taco shop at 147 Avenue A between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street. (The listing isn't online just yet.)

As for La Lucha, the proprietors left this message on their Facebook page:

New location coming soon. Due to the outrageous cost of operating in the village we decided it's best to relocate. In the mean time catch our Taco truck on Franklin Ave in Bedford, BK.

Looking at One Great Jones Alley, 'a private paradise'

Renderings for the 12-stories of condos coming soon to the former open-air shops on Broadway near East Fourth Street have made the rounds in recent years…



Curbed has more details on what to expect from the 16-unit project now known as One Great Jones Alley, which will include a "private gated alley" ...



So the residential entrance will be via Great Jones Alley off of Great Jones Street…



Here's the rendering via broker Fredrik Eklund …



And more!

A photo posted by Fredrik Eklund (@fredrikeklundny) on Jul 10, 2015 at 8:06am PDT

And even more!

One Great Jones Alley features "a private gated alley, private driveway for your car, 24hr doorman, a spa and entire level of a waterclub, yes we call it a private paradise... and then the 16 residences above.... Half and full floor apartments, and an insane penthouse with 360' views of New York City!"

As for a little history of Great Jones Alley, we'll turn to The New York Times:

The slang term "jones," meaning an addiction to drugs, is said to have originated among addicts who lived in Great Jones Alley, off Great Jones Street, between Broadway and Lafayette Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Retail plans revealed for 12-floor condo building replacing open-air market on Broadway

NoHo flea market gutted ahead of new condo project on Broadway

Signage arrives for interesting new business on East 14th Street

The sign has arrived at the Domino's Pizza location opening soon enough at 440 E. 14th St. just west of Avenue A…



The space was previously home to the 99-Cent Discount Center, where things were often more than 99 cents.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Interesting new business opening on East 14th Street

Work continues at interesting new business coming to East 14th Street

Out with Euzkadi on East 4th Street

Workers have been gutting Euzkadi, the now-closed restaurant at 108 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue this past week…



… including removing the Euzkadi mosaic…



We're not sure exactly when Euzkadi closed. People seemed to like the tapas … which New York magazine called "traditional and boldly flavored Basque cuisine."

As for what's next … a Japanese restaurant called Benemon is expected to open here later next month. According to the application (PDF!) for a new liquor license at the CB3 website, Benemon will serve "Japanese rice bowls with small plates." Benemon is expected be open noon to midnight seven days a week.

Photos by Derek Berg

Joli Beauty Bar coming to East 1st Street

The coming soon sign is up for the next retail tenant at 44 E. First St. … Joli Beauty Bar…



Here's more about Joli via a post at Racked back in the spring:

Joli Beauty Bar [is] a "French café"–inspired space for makeup applications and lessons, a retail store for under-the-radar beauty brands, blowouts, "depuffing" treatments, and gel nails — all of which you can elect to get with a glass of wine or specialty cocktail in hand.

You can find the Joli website here.

The previous tenant, the plant store/boutique Green Fingers, moved to Rivington Street earlier in the year. The western storefront was briefly home to the hyped laundro-bar Wash House.

Julius Klein had the eastern storefront for years before he was Cromanated in the spring of 2012.

Scarab Lounge space for rent on 1st Avenue

Scarab Lounge has closed at 139 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street … the for rent sign in the window was preceded by a Marshal's Legal Possession notice dated last Monday…



Don't know too much about the hookah bar … other than what we read on Yelp … and found during their brief time on Twitter…

Hope everyone had a great & safe holiday with friends and family! p.s. We're open till 3AM Christmas Day

— Scarab Lounge (@ScarabLounge) December 26, 2011

Disappointhenge

Stupid clouds... East 14th Street tonight for Manhattanhenge...





There's still tomorrow night...

Half Sun on the Grid
Monday, July 13 8:21 P.M.

Photos by Peter Brownscombe

Week in Grieview

[Photo by Derek Berg]

Is Tompkins Square Park becoming a "homeless haven"? (Friday, 95 comments)

Come along on a tour of the under-renovation 122 Community Center on First Avenue (Tuesday)

Video: Cyclist snatches woman's iPhone on Avenue A; Citi Biker follows in pursuit (Thursday)

Messing with the hydrangeas prompts sharply worded Urban Etiquette Sign on East Seventh Street (Monday)

Empire Biscuit is hosting its first-ever comedy festival this August (Tuesday)

Out and ABout with Jeremy X. Halpern (Wednesday)

Lit Lounge makes closure official (Thursday)

Alleged purse snatcher caught by security store employee (and a lot of other people) on Avenue B (Friday)

Blowing the doors off of the Horseshoe Bar in the name of television (Wednesday)

Listen in to the vinyl sounds of Abraço and A1 Records from wherever you are (Thursday)

Via Della Pace Pizza officially opens on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

Blockheads opening soon on Third Avenue (Friday)

Moonstruck Eatery opens on A (Wednesday)

Partial reveal of the new residential complex coming to 185 Avenue B (Monday)

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot returns (Thursday)

Former Mary Help of Christians property getting the plywood treatment (Wednesday)

Yoo's Convenience Store — former home of New York's "best coffee" — becoming a tape shop (Monday)

Rent reduction at the former Bourgeois Pig space on East Seventh Street (Tuesday)

Incoming restaurant on Avenue A asking residents to rally for their liquor license and back patio (Thursday, 39 comments)

Films in Tompkins return this month (Wednesday)

Relive the July 4 fireworks with this East Village drone footage (Sunday)

Here's your T-swirl Crêpe shop signage (Monday)

A look inside the last East Village gas station (Wednesday)

Dewatering 98-100 Avenue A (Monday)

Crush story: About the home winemaker in the East Village (Tuesday)

Casual French-American cafe in the works for 110 St. Mark's Place (Friday)

Mother of Pearl comes out of its shell on Avenue A and East 6th Street (Monday)

Full reveal at 331 E. Houston St. (Thursday)

Resurfacing underway at the new YouTube-backed basketball courts in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

… and speaking of Tompkins Square Park… apparently it's time to bid farewell to the iconic ANAL box seen around these parts this past week or so…


[Photo by Grant Shaffer]

Sources revealed that a few Park staffers disposed of it this weekend… We're not sure why the box was here in the first place (A movie prop? A quinzhee tribute?) Meanwhile, we now have a discarded fridge to distract us…

Manhattanhenge wants to be seen again tonight

East 14th Street provided a good warmup last evening for the next round of Manhattanhenge (when the setting sun aligns precisely with the Manhattan street grid) … for tonight's main event:

Full Sun on the Grid
Sunday, July 12 8:20 P.M.

Half Sun on the Grid
Monday, July 13 8:21 P.M.

Thanks to James and Karla Murray for last night's photo!

Previously

Report: East Village broker accused of rental bait-and-switch

An East Village-based broker is using the addresses of celebrity homes, including Anna Wintour's (!!!!), "in an apparent real-estate scam," according to the Post.

When Post reporters posing as prospective tenants answered the ads last week ... they were text-messaged back by unnamed real-estate salespeople. But each time the reporters tried to see the advertised apartments, they were met with excuses — they’re not available for viewing or they’re suddenly off the market.

They were then shown far less fashionable flats, and were ushered to the offices of St. Marks Place Realty at 36 St. Marks Place.

The undercover reporters then met with the real-estate firm's sole licensed broker, named as Jordan Marshall.

Dressed in a cheap suit, he launched into a high-pressure spiel: A just-viewed East Third Street apartment was listed by a major brokerage, and the rival firm was holding an open house that very afternoon. If the clients paid a $100 application fee on the spot and filled out a form, “We can stop them from renting it . . . This way we don’t lose it.”

When later confronted by the Post, Marshall repeatedly said "I’m not sure what you’re talking about."

Read the whole article here.

Also, Wintour's West Village home is not on the market.

Where to find True Crime in the next few weeks

The Film Forum has a True Crime series running though Aug. 5, screening such classics as "Badlands," "Birdman of Alcatraz" and "The French Connection," among many many others. ("In Cold Blood" screens today.) You can find the calendar here.

It's Marbleous! Neighborhood Open Day today at the New York City Marble Cemetery

Today at the New York City Marble Cemetery on East Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... via the EVG inbox...

A reminder….. that we invite you to join us under the midsummer sun at our Neighborhood Open Day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

And for your calendars...

Upcoming Neighborhood Open Days at the New York City Marble Cemetery:
Sunday, Aug. 9
Saturday, Sept. 12
11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

And!

Fall Open Weekend, with historic displays, photos and artifacts
Saturday and Sunday
Oct. 17-18
11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Read more about the cemetery here.

Headline H/T DrBOP!

And to the anon commenter who left this comment last time: "Come stand online for David Chang's Corpse-ofuku!"

Black 'Hole'

The Jesus and Mary Chain are playing two shows in September at Terminal 5 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their acclaimed record Psychocandy. (Tickets for the Sept. 25 show went on sale today.)

From Psychocandy, here's "In a Hole."

Alleged purse snatcher caught by security store employee on Avenue B

A man reportedly wanted for several local purse snatchings was chased down and stopped by an employee of Top Notch Security on Avenue B yesterday.

Matthew Gonzalez, who works at the store at 8-12 Avenue B between East Houston and East Second Street, spotted the alleged purse snatcher in action.

Per CBS New York:

“We watched him, and he eventually stole some lady’s purse. I chased after him, grabbed him, and before you know it the cops were on him,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said he recognized the suspect, wanted by police, and jumped into action when the man stole a woman’s purse as she sat in front of a restaurant on Avenue B.

Gonzalez said the man in the video is possibly connected to other recent purse thefts in the area.

“I thought, ‘Let me catch this guy, because he’s going to keep doing it again if he’s not caught,” he said.

Police initially came to the store to see if cameras captured the same suspect this past Sunday, turns out they did.

Top Notch reps shared the surveillance video with us…



Several people who saw this scene pay out yesterday thought it was the man who swiped the iPhone from a pedestrian on Avenue A and East Seventh Street. It was not.

The Post reports Tompkins Square Park 'has become a homeless haven'

[EVG photo]

Here are some passages from the article in today's Post:

“I really don’t enjoy the beauty of the park anymore because I’m too scared to walk through it,” said NYU student Christine Gal, 19, who lives nearby. “I would say it has doubled in the last six months.”

And!

A parks worker called the urban oasis “scary,” saying it’s riddled with bums who have drug problems.

And!

One woman is worried about bringing her 6-year-old daughter to the park.

“Some of them are junkies. They’re standing there almost falling down or sitting there slumped over,” the 39-year-old woman said. “My daughters asks, ‘Mommy, why are the men sleeping?’ And that’s not something you want to explain to your child.”

At least one of the five Post reporters who received a byline on the article spent time in the Park yesterday … noting "a herd of homeless people sprawled across the lawn" while "a few feet away, hobos sought shelter under a cluster of trees, snuggling up in sleeping bags."

The Post also found "a similarly seedy scene across town at Washington Square Park."

Anyway! Thoughts on the state of Tompkins Square Park (not the song by Mumford and Sons) this summer? Any different than, say, five years ago?

Hand-painted Blockheads signage arrives on 3rd Avenue

As we've been reporting, 60 Third Ave. will be home to a new location of Blockheads, the San Francisco-style Mexican restaurant from the folks who launched Benny's Burritos.

Workers painted the sign yesterday here between East 10th Street and East 11th Street. A rep for Blockheads told us they hope to be open by the end of the month, though that's not definite.

The previous tenant, an outpost of the Jackson Heights-based Unidentified Flying Chickens, closed last month after 11 months in business.

Casual French-American cafe in the works for 110 St. Mark's Place

Paprika, which specialized in Northern Italian cuisine, quietly closed back in the spring at 110 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Applicants who plan on opening a casual French-American cafe will appear before CB3's SLA committee on Monday. They are seeking a beer-wine license…



The applicants include Hamid Rashidzada of the Summit Bar on Avenue C and most recently Bara on First Avenue, and chef David Malbequi, who worked for Daniel Boulud, according to paperwork (PDF!) on file ahead of the meeting at the CB3 website.

The still-unnamed cafe will serve American-French comfort food with daily lunch service from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The configuration shows 14 tables seating 58 people and a bar with 4-6 seats.

The July SLA committee meeting is Monday at the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

D.L. Cerney temporarily returns to the East Village

[Photo via JVNY]

After 28 years of selling hand-made, vintage-style clothes in the East Village, the D.L. Cerney boutique closed up shop on East Seventh Street at the end of 2012.

Co-owner Linda St. John told Jeremiah Moss that she wanted to get out of NYC for awhile and focus on her art and writing.

St. John has returned to the East Village — temporarily anyway. She will be displaying her wares at Umbrella Arts, 317 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue through Aug. 30…



Thanks to Jimmy Carbone for the photo!

Selling off Le Jardin Bistro

[Photo by Dave on 7th]

Dave on 7th and East Village Eats passed along word yesterday of an auction at the former Le Jardin Bistro.

The French restaurant closed several weeks ago after 11 months at 115 Avenue C between East Seventh Street and East Eighth Street. The original Le Jardin Bistro was on Cleveland Place until its 2010 closure. They opened in 1995.

Ownership did not say why they closed this time around, only offering a thank you to their staff and customers.

The space on C was previously home to Apartment 13.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Le Jardin Bistro has closed on Avenue C (19 comments)

Perbacco hasn't been open lately

Several readers have told us that the well-regarded regional Italian restaurant on East Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B has been closed of late.

Perbacco was also closed in May 2014, though there was a message on the restaurant's website noting an extensive remodeling. This time, however, the Perbacco website is no longer online … in addition, Open Table isn't currently accepting reservations at this time. There isn't any mention of a closure on the Perbacco Facebook page either.

Video: Cyclist snatches woman's phone on Avenue A; Citi Biker follows in pursuit

An EVG reader shared this Dashcam video with us from late yesterday afternoon around 5:30 … when a woman walking west on Seventh Street at Avenue A has her iPhone snatched by a cyclist (it's at the 24-second mark)… following in hot pursuit is a well-dressed man on a Citi Bike…



Sadly, we don't know the outcome… the woman is last seen stopping on A at East Fifth Street after running down the Avenue…

H/T Brian Cohen for passing along his friend's video… posted with permission…

Confirmed: Lit Lounge is closing on 2nd Avenue

[Photo from June]

The "store for rent" sign arrived above 93 Second Ave., home the past 13 years of Lit Lounge, back on June 16.

Nightlife writer Steve Lewis gets confirmation that the bar/live music venue between East Fifth Street and East Sixth Street will close some time in the next two months. Lit opened a sister bar called Currant Cafe in the McKibbin lofts in Bushwick last year.

Lewis spoke with proprietors Erik Foss and David Schwartz in a Q-and-A published at ClubPlanet.com.

An excerpt:

Steve Lewis: What was the primary reason for closing and moving shop to Bushwick?
Erik Foss: The new East Village crowd and the flight of the creative types to creative Brooklyn. It was inevitable. NYC is an ever changing animal. I am just glad that I got to be here before downtown changed into what it is now.
David Schwartz: Ehh, not happy with the newbies in the East Village. Millenials don’t go out and the artistic ones left for Brooklyn digs 4 yrs ago.

Previously on EV Grieve:
93 2nd Ave., home of Lit Lounge, is for rent

How Lit Lounge is trying to be a better neighbor

[Updated] Incoming restaurant on Avenue A asking residents to rally for their liquor license and back patio

Here's more information about the new Vietnamese restaurant in the works for 171 Avenue A between East 10th Street and East 11th Street.

The principals, siblings Stephan and Kimxuan Brezinsky who grew up in Stuy Town, will appear before CB3's SLA committee on Monday evening.

According to public information (PDF!) posted at CB3's website, the restaurant will be called Soothsayer, with proposed hours of 5:30 p.m.-midnight, Monday-Thursday; until 1 a.m. on Friday. They will also open at noon on Saturday and Sunday.

Stephan Brezinsky currently serves as bar manager at The Third Man on Avenue C, and previously served as general manager of Rue B on Avenue B, per the paperwork.

There's more information, including the food and drinks menu, on the PDF at the CB3 website.

Soothsayer is requesting a full liquor license with use of the backyard garden. There are signs up at 171 Avenue A asking residents to "join us as we rally for our liquor license and for the approval to open a cozy back patio."



The sign also notes that they will offer "friendly and affordable dining experiences."

The previous tenant here, B.A.D. Burger, closed earlier this year. B.A.D. Burger was never able to secure a beer-wine license for the space. After CB3 denied his beer-wine request in 2012, B.A.D. Burger owner Keith Masco reportedly called the board "fascist."

The July SLA committee meeting is Monday at the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Updated 7-14:

BoweryBoogie reports from the CB3/SLA meeting…

Soothsayer withdrew its bid for 171 Avenue. It was much ado about the rear yard space, and the applicants’ inability to negotiate with the nearby block associations. Full liquor was sought, yet CB3 advised the team to return next month with a revamped application for beer-wine.

Full reveal at 331 E. Houston St.

The construction netting is off the new 13-floor residential building with 78 units going up at East Houston and Ridge Street.



And the view from East Second Street...



The website of project architect Stephen B. Jacobs offers a few more details on the building at 331 E. Houston St./163 Ridge St.

The ground floor includes the residential lobby, a lounge, and apartments in the rear of the building which have access to outdoor space. A large skylight brings natural light to the gym in the cellar, and stairs provide access to recreational outdoor space in the rear yard. A mix of studios, one, and two-bedroom apartments make up the bulk of the building. The top floor includes a three-bedroom apartment with a balcony. The rooftop is designed as an amenity space for the building, complete with deck seating, projector screen, bar, and outdoor shower.

The interior design was inspired by the raw nature of materials in the Lower East Side, such as exposed concrete and blackened steel, and includes touches of color such as the graffiti tiled accent wall in the lobby.

The building also includes 16 affordable housing units.

The L-shape parcel here sat empty for years, the property of reclusive real-estate baron William Gottlieb.

Previously on EV Grieve:
An L-Shaped footprint ready to make its impression on East Houston Street

An abandoned car in an empty lot that will soon yield a 13-floor residential building

On East Houston, work begins on a new 13-floor residential building

What 331 E. Houston St. will look like one day

A look at 331 E. Houston St., with a rooftop deck for outdoor showers and 'Live Free or Die Hard'

16 affordable apartments now available at the incoming 331 E. Houston St.

La Lucha has closed on Avenue A

After nearly six years at 147 Avenue A, La Lucha is no longer in business here between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street.

Here's a tweet from yesterday from the taco shop/boutique… which mentions an upcoming move to Brooklyn…

Dear Friends, we are closing our EV location follow is in our new adventure in Brooklyn!

— La Lucha Tacos NYC (@LaLuchaNYC) July 8, 2015

There is also a Marshal's eviction notice on La Lucha's front door.

And there isn't any shortage of tacos these days in the neighborhood… Tacos Moreles opened up around the corner on East Ninth Street in August 2013 … and Empellón al Pastor opened last fall on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place…

Listen in to the vinyl sounds of Abraço and A1 Records from wherever you are

East Village resident Matt Newberg, a self-described vinyl collector and entrepreneur, has launched a site called Pulse.fm that is live broadcasting the music being played at venues around the country.

He started locally, selecting Abraço Espresso on East Seventh Street and A1 Records on East Sixth Street for the site. (The third venue is Detroit Threads in Michigan.)

"I'm inspired by many things East Village, and the musical backdrop that exists here — whether it be strolling into A1 or walking past a storefront — really roots me in the daily experience of living here," Newberg told us. "I really wanted to share that feeling with the rest of the world by re-contextualizing that offline experience for the web. As corny as it sounds, there's an inexplicable feeling you get from hearing the raw crackling of a record being dropped at a place like Abraço from the convenience of your home."

Abraço takes its name from the 1969 Gilberto Gil song, "Aquele Abraço." At Pulse.fm, Abraço owner Jamie McCormick describes the small coffee shop this way: "Brazilian pop from early-mid 70s epitomizes the vibe here." As far as records go, Charles Mingus, The Meters, Curtis Mayfield, Tim Maia, Horace Silver and Donald Byrd are among the many records on the playlist.

From a business perspective, Newberg said said the goal of pulse.fm is to create a technology platform around transporting listeners to a specific place in real time, whether it be a club or a bedroom studio. "It's the next best thing to being there."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Live from A1 Records…