Candela Candela team opening Crudo Vineria Con Cucina in Little Italy

On Monday evening, I walked through Little Italy in search of Mario Batali's Eataly. Couldn't find it!

Seriously, though, I did spot what's coming to the former Umberto's space on Broome Street — Crudo Vineria Con Cucina ... And there's an East Village connection here.

As Grub Street reported, the team behind the Cuban-Italian spot Candela Candela on Second Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street will serve southern Italian cuisine here. Crudo is expected to open today. (And as you may know, Umberto's Clam House relocated down the way on Mulberry.)

Meanwhile, in the space next door, BoweryBoogie pointed out that Sal's is moving here from their current Broome and Mott location.

Hope that they keep the "Heart of Little Italy" signage...

Before the rain this afternoon

AWKWORD sent us this photo right before the rainstorm a little bit ago ... from a rooftop near Second Avenue and East Fourth Street.

And how was your commute?

What the heck, let's step away from the neighborhood for a moment ... this has been making the rounds... From a Manhattan bound E or M train on Sunday.

Updated: Boo! YouTube removed the video!

A discount Mercedes

Shawn Chittle came across this Mercedes doubling as an ad vehicle for the Discount Organic Cleaners & Laundromat ... here on 14th Street at Avenue A.

You always build credibility by using a Mercedes to help advertise a "Discount" laundromat!

The Muppets take Manhattan, sort of

Dave on 7th notes that a crew is filming something with a Muppet Murray Monster now in Tompkins Square Park near the dog run.

One dog owner told us that the crew members were grumbling about so many dogs barking.

Earlier, a very special EV Grieve correspondent noted that the poor Muppet Murray Monster had seemingly been impaled...

And what Muppet is this? Elmo's Crusty Cousin? Thanks to a reader... it's Murray Monster.

A lower Second Avenue now and then

I had forgotten about this project ... earlier this year, I was trying to line up a now-and-then with the lower stretch of Second Avenue at Houston ... to document the soon-to-be-demolished buildings at 9 and 11 Second Avenue...

First up, how the block looked in an undated photo via the NYPL Digital Library of Second Avenue... looking north to First Street... The Mars Bar building once housed the Woolworth Theater.

...and from this year...

...a little bigger...

It's not quite right, but you get the idea. I always felt rushed with the shots ... this required a trip upstairs to cafe area of the Whole Foods Bowery...

Jeremiah has more on this stretch of Second Avenue here.

Former Ruby Lounge becoming a residence on East Second Street

Over on Second Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, there's activity at the long-dormant space that once housed something called Ruby Lounge.

And, in a bit of a surprise, it appears that another bar or retail space won't be coming soon here. According to the DOB, workers are converting the space into residential use.

Croxley Ales beer garden sign finally removed

While we're waiting to hear what kind of development deal is in place for the former Croxley Ales beer garden on Avenue B ...

...we noticed that the Beer Garden sign that remained up the past few years even though the bar stopped using the space in 2006-2007 ...

[Yun Cee Ng for New York magazine]

However, workers have now removed the sign.

Intervideo Electronics now closed on First Avenue

Store closing signs went up late last month at the computer repair shop-plasma TV installers-DVD rental place on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street... Swung by to see if there were any further markdowns...

Unfortunately, I found that the owners had already closed the store ... nothing left inside...

...with just a few reminders of what was here ...

The 123 Third Ave. sales office may be closed, but the penthouse sales live on

The 123 gang moved out of their 10th Street office last month.

Dunno if the $3.6 million is noticeable enough. May I suggest putting it in neon?

Perhaps the new 123 marketing materials should now also mention the proximity to IHOP.

The Tompkins Square Park dog run loses a tree — unnecessarily so?

Following the storms that passed through last Thursday evening... EV Grieve reader Allen Semanco emailed us this photo showing a downed limb at the Tompkins Square Park dog run...

Now, EV Grieve reader Wayne Embacher gives us this shot from today. Workers have removed the entire tree.

Perhaps there was more to the problem than a broken limb. Still. As Wayne notes, "One branch falls and the rest of the very healthy, mature, and GREEN tree goes. Unnecessary." Agreed.

This afternoon outside the Mars Bar

Photo Bobby Williams.

Workers remove dangling tree branches in Tompkins Square Park

You remember those two big broken tree limbs in Tompkins Square Park near Avenue B and Ninth Street?

A very special EV Grieve correspondent pointed out that crews were on the scene earlier this afternoon to remove the broken branches...

Previously.

A look inside the former Teriyaki Boy on East 10th Street

EV Grieve reader LU notes the progress today at the now-gutted former home of Teriyaki Boy, which closed last month. Meanwhile, the rumor is that a Terakawa Ramen outpost will open here.

Previously.

NYPD checkpoint on First Avenue

samo sends us word (and these photos) that the NYPD has a checkpoint this morning on First Avenue near First Street...

Seems as if they're focusing more on car and trucks than bikes. But you never know. Put on your bike bells.

Joe's Locksmith is closing June 30, fueling more speculation about the last day for the Mars Bar

Yesterday, via Crain's New York, we learned that workers will demolish the buildings at 9 and 11 Second Avenue in August to make way for a 12-story luxury high rise... The remaining residents of the building will move out on June 30, according to Crain's...

During the weekend, we spotted some items for sale outside Joe's Locksmith, one of the businesses in the way of the new building.

Joe's will be closing on June 30. They're not moving or coming back to this space when the new building is completed in a few years. That's it.

Be sure to visit Jeremiah's Vanishing New York today. Jeremiah has a thoughtful post on the film "The Tao of 9 Second Avenue" by Michael I. Schiller. As he notes, the film is about the eviction and demolition of the buildings all around 9 Second Avenue — "the rubble that Mars Bar will join later this summer."

"In the coming demolition, 9 Second Avenue will also fall — it is the last piece of what was, for over a century, a thriving cultural center of the Lower East Side."

Read his post here.

More on the NYC Icy's arrival on Avenue A

On Saturday, we pointed out that NYC Icy was now operating out of the front of Keith Masco's incoming Badburger at 171 Avenue A near 11th Street.

We asked Masco for some details. Via email, he told us that this will by NYC Icy's "semi-permanent home." He said they'd be selling NYC Icy there until at least October, then it will be available as a dessert menu item.

Meanwhile, last summer, when the NYC Icy was operating on Avenue A near Seventh Street, an icy-icee war of sorts started at Rays's. Scoopy at The Villager noted that the NYC Icy had taken "half" of Rays's business. (This according to Ray.) So Ray launched his own version of icees.


[Photo by Slum Goddess]

Anyway, somewhere along the line, that sign morphed into...

This hasn't gone unnoticed by Masco and the NYC Icy folks. "I am surprised that someone with as much goodwill in the community would turn around and flat out lie to his customers like that," said Masco.

Meanwhile, Masco, whose original plans for a fishmonger and seafood restaurant at 171 Avenue were rejected by CB3, said he expects the 24/7 Badburger to be open here in two weeks.

NYPD arrests woman for sitting at Tompkins Square Park chess tables — and not playing chess

See that sign near the Tompkins Square Park chess tables? Probably not, given that it's about 15 feet in the air. (And it's one of two signs around the tables.)

Anyway, better pay attention to it. Bob Arihood has the story of Lisa, who spent about 32 hours in the system after sitting at a chess table for 10 minutes the other morning.

Read his post at Neither More Nor Less here.

What's next for 34 Avenue A?

34 Avenue is on the June CB3/SLA docket, though not much is known about who's behind taking over the former Mo Pitkin's/Aces & Eight space. The calendar simply lists "To Be Determined" under 34 Avenue A.

However, a flyer is now on the front window at 34 Avenue A, showing that the same folks are behind the new venture — Phil Hartman and Justin Todd Patrick (aka Todd P.).

In March, the CB3/SLA committee rejected their application for a music venue-bar-eatery at 34 Avenue A.

Meanwhile, the new flyer (above) simply lists "restaurant and bar" for the space, different from the last notice we spotted in March, which included "performance venue" in the description."

We reached out the Hartman for comment over the weekend, though haven't heard back just yet.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Phil Hartman bringing a 'performance venue' back to former Mo Pitkin's space

[Updated] Bringing 'the tradition of the old Knitting Factory and Tonic' to 34 Avenue A

Because you want to know more about the plans for 34 Avenue A

There are now two carts for Taco Morelos on Avenue A

To be honest, I meant to note this much sooner... several readers have mentioned this in the last week... Anyway! Aside from Second Street at Avenue A...

...there's another Tacos Morelos cart on Avenue A at Sixth Street...

Here's a recentish review of the Second Street cart at Serious Eats.

DOH shutters Cafe Amore's Pizza on Union Square

On 14th Street near Fourth Avenue. During their last inspection on Wednesday, they scored 46 violation points, with the most serious being — "Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas."

The mystery of the giant rubbers on East Third Street

Our friend Goggla sent us this shot the other day... from Third Street at the Bowery... Some sort of giant condom display? An Anthony Weiner political statement?

And by Sunday, just one rubber remained...

Today in Tompkins Square Park

Perhaps it's better if we don't know what's happening... all photos by Bobby Williams.