Pre-storm storm damage, maybe

Ahead of the severe storms headed our way this afternoon, some readers are already reporting wind damage.

Like here on Avenue A and Seventh Street... via @biggayicecream ...

Meanwhile ... here's what's headed our way...

And we'll be with you all afternoon. Until the power goes out.

[Updated] Reader reports: Gun shots in the middle of the night

We've heard from a handful of residents along the northern part of Avenue A today... Each with a similar experience. A sampling:

• Heard gunshots at 3:47 Tuesday morning. Five or six shots rang out with a slight pause between each shot. I'm at 12th and Ave A. Sounded like north of here.

• Heard what sounded like 10 gunshots (?) maybe fireworks at 4am last night in the vicity of 11th and Ave A. Anybody know what it was?

• Did anyone else hear gun fire on E 13th St between A & B last night a little before 4am? We did...We heard sirens in the near distance, and saw a police van drive by with the lights blaring. It was odd because we saw the flash of the gun fire and it seemed to have been right outside our window, but no police cars stopped on our block at all.

In each case, the residents heard distance sirens... but no NYPD helicopters swooping in afterwards. Unfortunately, we don't have more to go on at the moment. Anyone else hear this?

Updated 3:36 p.m.

A reader reminded me of this sign from a post I did on Aug. 28 ... about fireworks coming from 516 E. 11th St. ...

An East Village resident's bid to keep the East River waterfront free of garbage and debris

Two years ago, East Village-based artist Alan Gastelum began documenting the East River Park waterfront.

But what started as a photo project became part of a larger endeavor to help raise awareness about the garbage and debris that collects along the East River Promenande between East 10th Street and the Williamsburg Bridge.

He joined forces with Beth Bingham of Partnerships for Parks, a joint program of City Parks Foundation and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, to organize several volunteer cleanup days.

This past Saturday, some 20 volunteers joined Gastelum to collect trash and debris along the river.

Gastelum has released a book titled "East River And The Sanctum We Walk," which features more than 180 photos of the East River Park. (Part of the sales will go toward efforts to keep the park clean.)

Meanwhile, Gastelum is planning to host more volunteer days. He is also looking for the city to fund a more permanent solution to the problem in the form of debris collecting booms.

Gastelum answered a few questions for me about the book and project via email.

What first inspired you to start taking photos of the East River waterfront?

I was first inspired to document East River Park as a self-considered project. It was to document a place that was my personal refuge from the city. It quickly turned into a project that was much bigger than just documenting my personal sanctum.

What has been the most unusual object/artifact that you've found along the waterfront?

The most unusual — well, we haven't found anything too unusual. A lot of plastic bottles, baseballs and styrofoam. We did find a few syringes with needles this last cleanup. I suppose the most unusual, for the fact that it was still intact, was a household light bulb. (You can see some found objects here.)

What is the status with the city funding permanent floating trash/debris booms?

The last we heard was that a budget was purposed, but not approved. To my understanding the booms would cost $5,000 each.

What do you ultimately hope to accomplish with the project?

A few things. We want to raise awareness of this ongoing problem with the debris building up, by showing city officials that the community does care about this park and we will be out here every four months to clean it up until they install a permanent solution. (Or raise enough money to pay for it on our own.)

We want to get more of the community involved with the park, in general. It's such a beautiful place and we want the community to take advantages of the different activities.

How can residents get involved in a volunteer cleanup day? And when will you host the next one?

They can follow my blog, as I always post flyers for every cleanup and also updates on the project in general. People can also get onto the mailing list of Partnerships for Parks not only for our cleanups, but a lot of other volunteer opportunities in the park.

The next cleanup may be in November before it gets too cold out. If not, then we will have to wait till the Spring.

[All photos by Alan Gastelum]

A memorial at 236 E. 13th St.

Last Friday night, an EVG reader noted the presence of two fire trucks and two ambulances around midnight on East 13th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. According to the reader, the NYPD "would only say mind your own business." Paramedics were working to revive a young man who "looked dead."

We never heard anything else about this until last night, when another reader said that the stoop at 236 E. 13th St. was covered in flowers and candles. The word among neighbors was that the young man had died.

We don't have any other information at this time.

David Schwimmer's brick job

Nearly two months have passed since we last looked at 331 E. Sixth St., the new home for David Schwimmer or at least someone who looks and sounds like him.

It's tough to make out what's happening under the construction netting... But!

You can see the single-family mansion's brick facade taking shape...

Previously.

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Bleecker Bob's still looking to move to the East Village

Back in January, we first heard the news via our friend Ken Mac at Greenwich Village Daily Photo that venerable Bleecker Bob's Records was closing on West Third Street... And after the usual Starbucks-Subway rumors ... it turned out that the store would move — possibly to the East Village. And the hunt for a space was on... But we haven't heard anything about a possible move since March.

The store posted this update on its Facebook page:

still looking at retail spaces in the east village.
really hoping for an Oct 1 reopening somewhere, we'll stay at 118 West 3rd until we either (a) find a good new rent deal or (b)are forced to leave by the current landlord. STAY TUNED!!!

Previously on EV Grieve:
[UPDATED] Let's help Bleecker Bob's find space in the East Village

Bleecker Bob's is for rent

'To the person who stole my rainboots'

Spotted on East Ninth Street yesterday ... (This one looks a little familiar... I looked through the Urban Etiquette Sign archives but didn't see it...)

Plum Pizzeria has apparently closed on Second Avenue

A reader noted last week that Plum Pizzeria, with brown paper over the windows, looked rather closed... No note, no notice on their Facebook or Twitter accounts... no outgoing phone message.

An applicant going by Alder Restaurant LLC was on the August CB3/SLA docket to take over the space. Alder's questionnaire posted on the CB3 website contained little information, such as who the principals are in the new restaurant.

Anyway, probably safe to say so long to Plum, which opened in August 2010 in the Cafe Brama space. There was a nice backstory here: Plum was owned by an alum of Patsy's and a former FBI field agent. (Eater has that story here.)

The Wayland is closed for renovations this week

Back in July, we reported that the Wayland, the cocktail bar and music venue on Avenue C and East Ninth Street, planned to expand into the empty space next door that Bite Me Best vacated.

The Wayland is now closed until next Monday to build a new kitchen, a longer bar and more room for bands, according to their Facebook page.

Rob Ceraso, one of the owners, told us in July that "the main catalyst for the expansion was to gain a full kitchen ... Our food has become more popular than we had originally anticipated. We've grown out of the tiny kitchen we designed behind the bar."

A dangling rat in Tompkins Square Park

Today in Tompkins Square Park...

Bobby Williams caught the red-tailed hawk with lunch.

A big fat rat.

Which he flew off with to eat somewhere else.

Lost your cat?

Spotted on East 10th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...

Ephraim returns home

[William Klayer]

Ephraim, the rare parrotlet that got out of its owners' East 11th Street apartment more than a week ago, has returned home. DNAinfo's Serena Solomon reports that Julia Svindie rescued the missing pet from an East 14th Street sidewalk last Wednesday afternoon.

She returned the pet to its owners after spotting one of the flyers on Avenue A. Per the article, Ephraim talked the whole walk home to the apartment on East 11th Street, reciting phrases the bird had been taught such as "go get it" and "what a weirdo."

Here is DNAinfo's initial story about the missing pet.

Did you stand in line to see 'The Master' this past weekend?

[Photo via Cigarettes & Red Vines]

Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" opened Friday at the Angelika and the Village East on Second Avenue where it played in 70mm.

The buzzy drama — the Times called it an "imposing, confounding and altogether amazing new film" — stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams. And it made $729,745 in five theaters in New York and Los Angeles for a record-setting per-screen average of $145,949, according to the Associated Press. (This was a record previously held by Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom.")

Anyway, a reader who tried to get tickets this past weekend for the Village East said that every screening was sold out. I saw the lines on Second Avenue stretch around the corner on East 12th Street. Just curious if anyone saw the movie ... and if it was worth the wait...

This was no way to start a Monday

EVG reader bomarr spotted this pile of meat/bones/WTF this morning on the east side of Second Avenue at Sixth Street ...

The city really wants Jerry Delakas out of Astor Place

[Photo by James Maher from January. Find more photos here]

Apparently the city will stop at nothing to evict longtime Astor Place newsstand vendor Jerry Delakas. The Post reports this morning that the city has retained — for free — the services of powerhouse international law firm Proskauer Rose for the eviction process. Previously, the city used a Law Department attorney.

Said the steamed attorney for Delakas: "What this means is that while Proskauer could have used its pro-bono time toward protecting battered women or saving someone from execution, deportation or eviction. Instead, that time was taken up assisting the city in conducting an eviction!"

Delakas has been in the space for 25 years. He has been subleasing the newsstand from the family who held the license. However, in the eyes of the city, this is an illegal arrangement.

A city Law Department spokesperson told the Post: "The city must decide who can operate newsstands in a fair and evenhanded way. The fact that Mr. Delakas flouted the rules for so long cannot — and should not — be the basis for denying another vendor an opportunity that's rightfully his or hers."

As for retaining an attorney who works for a firm charging upwards of $800 an hour:

"The lawyer handling the matter worked on it while part of the city’s Public Service Program for young attorneys before she left to go into private practice," the spokesperson said. "It made complete sense for her to continue on the case given that she’d worked on it since its inception."

Does this make complete sense to you?

Read more about Jerry's situation at Jeremiah's Vanishing New York.

Orchard Alley is back open

We were happy to see that Orchard Alley is back open ...

The community garden on East Fourth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D closed in the middle of July due to a "severe mosquito hazard" from the stagnant construction site at 27 Avenue D.

And as you can see, the garden is still looking lively for the season...

(NY1 covered the story in July. You may watch their report here.)

And from the back of Orchard Alley, you can see what's left of the garden at 321 E. Third St., which was sold in June to the vague 321 E. Third Street Realty LLC. for development. Still nothing on file with the DOB for the address.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another parcel of East Village land ready for development

[Updated] East Third Street lot cleared of pesky trees, garden

Union Market signage up; Oct. 22 opening date set

The Union Market Watch continues on Avenue A and East Houston... The sign arrived on Friday...

A tipster now hears that the opening date is Oct. 22.

Previously on EV Grieve:
About Union Market coming to Avenue A and Houston

Mid-summer now at the earliest for Union Market on Avenue A and Houston

Blockbusters: Union Market coming to 240 East Houston; Discovery Wines looking for new home

The towers of St. Brigid's

Workers have removed the scaffolding from the north tower of St. Brigid's on Avenue B and East Eighth Street... and now we get to see both completed towers with their spires ...

Workers finished the south tower spires in July.

Demolition starts at 227 E. Seventh St.

Over on East Seventh Street near Avenue C, workers put up the plywood and dropped off the dumpster for the space last week ...

As we noted last month, there are plans to put up a six-story building (the DOB disapproved the first round of plans in July).

There are also permits on file with the DOB for demolition of this structure ... Dave on 7th got a quick look inside late last week...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Asbestos abatement on East Seventh Street, then a new 6-story building

EV Grieve Eatery Etc.: Updates on Bikinis, Graffiti and that kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery

Just a quick update on a few previously reported restaurant-bar items...

-----

Plywood is up where Friend House used to be on Third Avenue and East 13th Street... CB3 OK'd the application for this "full‐service American comfort food restaurant" (aka, bar) in June. One of the principals owns and operates two bar-restaurants in White Plains — the Brazen Fox and neighbor Ron Blacks.

-----

Workers have removed the iconic signage at Osaka Vibe Sushi, aka that kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery ... (the DANGER sign is gone too). A small plates place called Wisemen is in the works for the space. (BoweryBoogie has more about it here.)

------

Workers have finally removed the Kate's Joint signage on Avenue B and East Fourth Street ... work continues on the incoming gourmet market...

-----

Several readers noted that Bikinis opened this past weekend at 56 Avenue C. We spoke with Petrit Pula, one of the principals for the Barcelona-style eatery, back in March. You can read that post here.

-----

On East 10th Street, Graffiti, the acclaimed small-plates place from chef Jehangir Mehta, is expanding to the storefront to the east, as we first noted ... into the space last occupied by Atelier Muse ... and you can see that the former bridal boutique is looking like Graffiti ...

-----

And on East Seventh Street, the folks at Gingersnap's Organic have removed the refrigerators with some of the to-go items...

Via Facebook, they told us that they're adding a new smoothie bar, made-to-order juices and more cafe seating...

The Daily News blows the secret of East Village Thai

The Daily News yesterday gave major props to the pad Thai at East Village Thai at 32 E. Seventh St. — ranking it among the best in the city.

Per the article:

The bean sprouts are crispy, the shrimp is plump, and both the flavor and portions are oversized. East Village residents would probably like to keep this hidden gem their own little secret, but such tasty Pad Thai, which is best when paired with a bright orange Thai iced tea, should be shared with the masses.