Monday, April 15, 2013

Something Sweet still looking for help to revive its beloved business



Last month, we posted information about the owners of Something Sweet looking for help to revive the longtime bakery on First Avenue and East 11th Street. The owners contacted us this past weekend, saying that they were still looking for help with a revival. There was some interest after the last posting.

"Yes, we got lots of emails. However, none really worked out," they said. "Some were just curious, some wanted to partner or so without funds."

You can read more about the bakery and its history at at DNAinfo. From that article:

"To me it was old Europe," said Anna, a customer of 40 years ... "I always said when that [Something Sweet] closes, it's over for the East Village."

Joey Ramone died 12 years ago today



Born: May 19, 1951
Died: April 15, 2001

Previously on EV Grieve:
Mickey Leigh on his brother Joey Ramone's 'New York City' video

Looking for Joey Ramone Place

East Second Street gets a bike lane



EVG regular Spike passes along this photo with news that East Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue now has a new bike lane...

... and apparently no one told this guy, spotted walking in the bike lane...



Also, no word just yet how this will impact the double parking on this block.

[Updated] What is that atop the Jefferson?

We were walking east on East 13th Street Friday afternoon (oh, how was your weekend?) and we spotted this atop The Jefferson, the incoming condo ...



That.



What the hell is that?



Don't recall seeing that in the renderings.


Shared building amenities include a rooftop terrace with party facilities and a BBQ. Maybe it's a party facility? DJ Booth? Portal to the 18th century?

Guesses as to what this is... are welcome in the comments.

Updated 10:20

Curbed quickly cleared up the mystery, looking at some zoning diagrams and noting that this is an "allowable rooftop obstruction" for an elevator machine room. That's boring!

Previously on EV Grieve:
City approves new building for Mystery Lot

The last days of the Mystery Lot

Before it was the Mystery Lot

The Mystery Lot developers using famous dead comedians to sell condos at The Jefferson

Jefferson retail façade — revealed



Speaking of The Jefferson... workers removed the plywood and netting and stuff on the first of the two new retail spaces along East 14th Street...







There are two spaces available, as we've pointed out previously here.

Here's the official retail listing...

Branding Alder

An EV Grieve Alder Watcher Reader was curious why there wasn't s sign up at noted LES chef Wylie Dufresne's new restaurant on Second Avenue near East 10th Street.

Don't when this happened, but there is a sign of sorts, according to the Alder Watcher Reader...





Branded into the woodwork...



No word if this is available in peel-and-stick tattoos as well.

The Bowery just got a little more bland



Nearly two years ago, CB3's Transportation & Public Safety/Environment Committee OK'd an application for a new newsstand for the Bowery at East Second Street...

Anyway, the characterless little box arrived last week, as BoweryBoogie noted.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Newsstand in the works for the Bowery and Second Street

Sunday, April 14, 2013

At today's 'No 7-Eleven' rally in the East Village

Today's "No 7-Eleven" community event started in Tompkins Square Park and moved over to Avenue A and East 11th Street where the shop will some day call home...

First, a few photos courtesy of Steven Hirsch...







-----

And via Bobby Williams...







You will likely find more of a recap soon via the newish No 7-Eleven blog right here.

Zoltar, among the hats



Zoltar late this afternoon, waiting for team Zoltar to repair his broken glass (and heart).

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Week in Grieview


[Avenue C this morning]

Deal off to bring Crif Dogs to the former Billy's Antiques space (Friday)

Your East Village bike share locations (Tuesday)

Cops arrest the Money Boyz (Friday)

Remembering Walter (Friday)

Don't pee on your building (Monday)

Here is the official CBGB Movie poster (Monday)

Amazing storm photos (Wednesday)

Katie Holmes films on Avenue A (Thursday)

Discussing the "ultra loud sex noises" on East 10th Street (Friday)

Yes to Golden Cadillac, no to The Asphalt Jungle (Tuesday)

Watch this guy go berserk inside Lebrini's Pizzeria (Thursday)

More about the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office closing/relocation (Monday)

It was pretty warm (Tuesday)

Piccola Positano closes on East 4th Street (Monday)

Father Pat lost his car during that East Ninth Street fire (Tuesday)

Papaya King sign arrives (Friday)

Woooooo! New bank branch! (Tuesday)

Early-morning motorcycle fire (Monday)

Live above Nevada Smiths in a luxurious penthouse with a small kitchen (Friday)

David Cross says the East Village on weekend nights is the 'worst fucking place in the world'

Our friend David Cross, former East Village resident, is in a new movie called "It's a Disaster" ... and he gets the "My New York" treatment in the Post today.

And he does not have fond memories of the neighborhood, at least on weekend nights... as he discusses his former apartment on Avenue A and East Third Street.

“Two things made me want to leave the East Village. It was awful, party-central loud and obnoxious. On Friday and Saturday nights, it’s the worst f - - king place in the world. It’s like the French Quarter. There’s broken glass and trash everywhere, puking, yelling and fighting. That combined with how many great little places were turning into Duane Reade and Subway sandwich and Chase banks. And 7-Eleven? That’s not why I moved to Manhattan.”

Cross now lives in Brooklyn.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Commenter comedy gold

The EV Evil Triumvirate (IHOP, 7-Eleven and Subway) sends David Cross packing to Brooklyn

[Image via Wikimedia Commons]

More details about yesterday afternoon's shooting on Avenue C and East Third Street



Many readers shared news of a large police presence yesterday afternoon around 2 on Avenue C and East Third Street. According to witnesses, a man was shot in the stomach "in a drug deal gone bad."

According to the Post today, a gunman shot a 52-year-old man before fleeing. The victim is at Bellevue. His injuries were not life-threatening, per the Post.

The shooting occurred near Lebrini's Pizzeria on the corner of East Third Street and Avenue C. Owner Bobby Lebrini passed along the photos here. He believed that there were two men who met the victim, who was standing in front of the cab in the photos. One man stood on the corner while the other two talked for about 1 minute. That's when the one man allegedly produced a gun and shot the victim in the stomach.

"It must have been a small caliber — like a .22 — because there were like 10 people in the pizzeria and no one heard it or reacted to it on [the video surveillance]," Lebrini said.

Both men, who were described as Hispanic, took off south toward Houston.





Meeting tonight to discuss the future of 173 E. Second St.

As noted several times, The Living Room is hoping to move its live-music venue from Ludlow Street to East Second Street... they withdrew from this month's CB3/SLA meeting, though ... Regardless, it's still a big topic of conversation for residents... and the focus of tonight's 2nd Street Block Association Meeting... According to the flyers posted on the block, The Living Room will likely be on the May CB3/SLA docket...



During a recent community meeting, some residents here said that they were "vehemently opposed to the possibility of The Living Room" on this block between Avenue A and Avenue B. (Read that post here.)

The space currently housing Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat at 173 E. Second St., remains on the market.

Another day of special deliveries for David Schwimmer

On Thursday, workers were making a big special delivery to David Schwimmer's new home on East Sixth Street... a big crane was dropping various accessories off for a rooftop garden...

And yesterday, EVG reader Eva points out that there were even more deliveries...







Previously on EV Grieve:
Is David Schwimmer the 'Friends' star who now owns the demolished 331 E. Sixth St. townhouse?

Outrage over total demolition of historic East Sixth Street townhouse

Here is David Schwimmer's East Village home

Here comes David Schwimmer's rooftop garden

Party girls pooped in Tompkins Square Park

Looks like we possibly found at least two of the occupants of that stretch pink limo... Jose Garcia spotted these two prima donnas crashed in Tompkins Square Park this morning...



Sadly, the nearby Magic Sippy Cup smelled of vodka...

Zoltar still sees a glassless future in the East Village



As we reported yesterday, a group of youths apparently and/or allegedly smashed Zoltar's glass outside Gem Spa on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place. East Village Hawkeye heard that Zoltar would be repaired last night.

However. When we stopped by this morning to ask Zoltar who the Giants would take in the first round of the NFL draft (D.J. Fluker? Chance Warmack?), the machine was still out of commission. Someone did clean up the broken glass from inside his perch.

In the meantime, we do like the street-sign shadow on the back of Zoltar's box.

Stretch pink limos terrorize city

There were also multiple reports of stretch pink limos prowling the city's mean streets yesterday... like this one THE NOTORIOUS L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N. spotted on Broome Street...



... and this one other readers spotted closer to home... striking fear whenever it would come to a stop... Oh, who would come tumbling out from within?!





Ultimately, no word on the occupants.

Going clubbing on Avenue A

Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C spotted these last night near Key on Avenue A...



There were multiple reader reports of a huge golf-themed pub crawl through the neighborhood yesterday...though we do recall seeing Manny the Peddler selling some golf clubs lately as well...

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Dangling rat







Today in Tompkins Square Park, via Bobby Williams...

[Updated] Large police presence now on Avenue C and East Third Street


[Via @thestarkonline]

There's currently a large NYPD presence (around 2:15 p.m.) on Avenue C and East Third Street. A lot of rumors involving a DOA. No other details or confirmations as of now. Will update later today when we receive more information.

Updated:

We've heard all sorts of stories... the last of which is that a man was shot in the stomach in a drug deal gone bad... he was expected to recover from his wounds, per a source...


[Via @HelenatRCSN]

Update: Zoltar will be repaired.... tonight!



Ace photographer East Village Hawkeye has more about the sickening vandalism of Zoltar outside Gem Spa. Via Facebook:

The owner told me that the glass would be fixed tonight. He may have security camera footage of the crime. Nobody working there gave me any description of the vandal(s).

In other developments, a good question via Twitter:



And Tom Hanks has been informed.

Speaking of Zoltar and "Big" (you know, the movie) Scouting New York had a post a few years ago about the Zoltar scene at the end of the movie... which took place at Rye Playland. Read that post here.

Last day for Bleecker Bob's; move on hold to the East Village?

Per the Bleecker Bob's Facebook page:

4/13/13 SADDEST DAY EVER at Bleecker Bob's

two words we'd NEVER thought we'd say.....
CLOSING DAY!!!

still negotiating with that spot in the east village. was hoping to have good news by today. maybe we'll post the name of the realtor for the building who seems to be holding things up for no reason, so everyone can spambard him with emails and comments. ugh, so frustrating!!

Give us the name!

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

Bleecker Bob's is for rent

Bleecker Bob's won't be moving to the East Village — or anywhere else, for that matter

Bleecker Bob's have a bid on space in the East Village

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair!



Woo! Sausage on a stick! Fried calamari! Heartburn! Recurring gastroenteritis! (Oh, kidding.)

But there is a street fair going on right now on Astor Place up to Broadway, per Bill the Libertarian Anarchist.

First one of the season!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Street fair! Street fair! Street fair!

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair!

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair!