The holiday line for pastrami

Outside Katz's this afternoon. By Dave on 7th.

Against all 'Oddities'

The third-season premiere of "Oddities" is on the Science Channel tonight at 9. In the Post today, TV critic Linda Stasi gives the show three out of four stars. Excerpt:

The series takes place in New York’s East Village shop, Obsurca Antiques & Oddities, at 280 East 10th Street, one of the few true peculiar shops left in this city, where strange and disgusting have been smothered by expensive and chic.

BoweryBoogie notes that the "Best of Oddities" premieres on New Year's Eve.

Unsilent Night tonight — and now with an app

[Unsilent Night last year by Bobby Williams]

Time for the annual Unsilent Night, the boombox caroling walk... Composer Phil Kline's holiday tradition got its start in 1992... meeting place is 7 at the Arch at Washington Square Park... and the group makes its way over to Tompkins Square Park.

The official website is here. The Times has a piece on the new Unsilent Night app here. Still, long live the boombox.

Tomorrow in Tompkins Square Park: CHARAS/El Bohio Community Center celebration

Stars at noon... with a march over to the former CHARAS/PS 64 space on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...

You can read more about this here in The Villager this week.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will old PS 64 get a theater for nonprofit groups?

Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

'Public Assembly' for the former P.S. 64 on Friday

More about that potbellied pig walking around Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Bobby Williams, who was told this was all some part of some music video. Previously.

The Sunburnt Cow will be open this weekend

A statement form the Sunburnt Cow folks after Thursday night's drug bust....

The Sunburnt Cow will open this weekend and honor all reservations and specials as usual, including the Endless Brunch. After Sunday, December 18th, we will close and remain so until the police complete their investigation. We plan to reopen in time for our annual New Year’s celebration.

We are working with the authorities to bring about a swift and just resolution to this issue and want to reiterate that we had no prior knowledge of illegal drug activity on our premises. We do not and will not condone, endorse or tolerate such behavior at any of our establishments. During this temporary closure, we invite all of our loyal patrons to visit The Sunburnt Calf, Bondi Road and The Sunburnt Calf Brooklyn to experience the quality and service that has made The Sunburnt Cow a local favorite for the past 10 years.

Heathe St. Clair
Moo Life Group

Life on Mars

The Cramps with "Weekend on Mars" circa 1978.

[Updated] FDNY blocks off part of First Avenue

[Photo via @MaryJSums]

Per a reader: "Lots of fire dept action on First Ave between First and Second Streets for the last half hour. Lots of firemen going in and out of [Lil' Frankie's] and the block closed off."

Bobby Williams was on the scene and took these photos... Lil Frankie's passes along word that they are open tonight... the FDNY extinguished a small blaze this afternoon, according to several EVG readers on the scene ... (DNAinfo has a report here.)

Just another photo of someone walking their potbellied pig around Tompkins Square Park

Via Dave on 7th this afternoon... not sure what this was all about just yet... a photo crew was along for Buddy's walk...

Sunburnt Cow releases statement about last night's NYPD bust

Here's the statement sent to us by the Sunburnt Cow's rep:

On Thursday, December 15th, The Sunburnt Cow was closed due to suspected illegal drug activity taking place on the premises. This activity comes as a shock to the entire Moo Life Group family and is not something that we endorse, condone or had prior knowledge of. We are currently working with the New York City Police Department to ensure that justice is served so we can get back to serving the public very soon. The health and safety of our patrons is a priority to us and we will do everything we can in order to make sure that our establishments support that mission.

Heathe St. Clair
The Moo Life Group

Previously on EV Grieve:
NYPD shuts down the Sunburnt Cow

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

[Hanging out in front of the 7-Eleven on the Bowery the other afternoon, by Bobby Williams]

A Catholic Womanpriest leads mass on East Fourth Street (WNYC)

Overheard at Key Food (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Meet the owners of Ciao For Now (The Villager)

An interview with Arleen Schloss (The Lo-Down)

A retrospective of Chico's work at Houston and Avenue B (BoweryBoogie)

About "murderers’ alley" (Ephemeral New York)

Holiday scenes (The Gog Log)

Tompkins Square Bagels is now officially open

At 167 Avenue A near 10th Street.

Previously.

[A little earlier today... via Dave on 7th]

This Seventh Street co-op studio fetched nearly $200,000 at an auction

An EV Grieve reader told me about attending the New York County Public Administrator's real-estate auction on Dec. 8. I've heard about these, but have no idea what's involved... (To bid, you take a certified or official bank check equal to 10 percent of the minimum bid and payable to the public administrator.)

The auction took place at The Surrogate Court Building on Chambers and Centre. Two of the properties that people bought were in the East Village, according to Malcolm Carter's blog at Charles Rutenberg Realty:

• 512 E. 11th St., #2D, estate of Carl Grimmett, 295 square feet, studio, $300 maintenance, income limited, $110,000 minimum bid/sold for $152,000

• 204 E. 7th St., #12, estate of Gary Walden, 304 square feet, one bedroom, $375 maintenance, $43,000 minimum/sold for $194,000

Per Carter:

The first property offered, a 304-sf co-op in poor condition at 204 E. 7th St., had 15-20 bidders jammed in front of a long conference table at which city officials and lawyers were seated as the sale of Unit 12 began.

Bids for the apartment rose in uncharacteristically high increments, skyrocketing to $194,000 versus the $43,000 minimum. The winning amount was an unlikely 451 percent of the upset price.

The reader noted that both East Village units were in "really bad shape," but "could be very cool renovation projects."

So how bad is "really bad"? Here are two photos from 204 Seventh St.:

Interesting that even a 300-square-foot studio in this current state would fetch nearly $200,000. And some people consider this a good deal. Tells you something about the current state of real estate here.

Noted

Rent 2012	UCBcomedy.com
Watch more comedy videos from the twisted minds of the UCB Theatre at UCBcomedy.com

Via the Upright Citizens Brigade — "The hit musical Rent is updated for the hip East Village of today."

Things we like: Odessa's business card

Just when you thought it was safe to venture out again on a holiday Saturday...

If you can't make it early, then don't worry — drink specials run until 4 a.m.! Woo!

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

This weekend: It's the 7th annual d.b.a. holiday fair (part 2)

NYPD shuts down the Sunburnt Cow

A little earlier this evening, several readers noted that a strong force of NYPD detectives zoomed in on the Sunburnt Cow on Avenue C near Ninth Street...

Detectives at the scene weren't talking, though one did offer "they won't be open this weekend." According to a flyer attached to the front gate ... the NYPD closed the bar-restaurant for ...

"Criminal sale and possession of controlled substances  — marijuana."

We left a message for the Sunburnt Cow's rep.

People are still throwing away Christmas holiday trees before Christmas Dec. 25

Earlier today, EV Grieve reader Corina spotted this on Sixth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square... Although this is very likely not a tree leftover from last Dec. 25, she quickly found a paper to use for authentication purposes... just in case...

Indeed, Europe is still straining world's banks...

Currently, we are in the lab trying to determine the tree's age...

Previously.

Tompkins Square Bagels open for a test run

Over at 167 Avenue A at 10th Street, Tompkins Square Bagels is inching toward its grand opening... and owner Christopher Pugliese is going for a test run this afternoon...

... and he found some willing test subjects for his bagels...

Previously.

Still drilling at the Mystery Lot

@robbyohara passes along a photo from The Mystery Lot, where work has continued all week...

In October, The Real Deal reported that developer Charles Blaichman paid $33.2 million for the site. As Curbed noted at the time, Blaichman was a partner with Jay-Z and Andre Balazs on the hotel that never happened on West 14th Street; and as a partner with Balazs on a doomed project on West 21st Street.

A commenter on our last Mystery Lot post wrote, "this is going to be a condo. it was purchased with a new jersey developer who builds condos."

First sign of Michael White's fancy new pizza place on Second Avenue

The pizzasphere was buzzing back in November when the news broke that Michael White, who apparently causes chow chubbies with his fare at places like Marea and Ai Fiori, is opening a pizzeria called Nicoletta on Second Avenue at 10th ... the former Cafe Centosette, which closed in April.

Yesterday, blue glass noted that workers erected the pizzawood ...

(Grub Street heard the rumors about a Whiteout here going back to September.)

Landmarks Preservation Commission expedites hearing on East 10th Street Historic District

Last Friday, we reported that Ben Shaoul's Magnum Real Estate Group bought 315 E. 10th St. from The Educational Alliance. Renovations continue to convert the building into residential use.

[Dave on 7th]

There is also a pending permit to add a fifth floor to the existing four-floor structure, which the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation believe dates to 1847.

The building is located within the calendared East 10th Street Historic District, though the Landmarks Preservation Commission had yet to schedule a date for a hearing.

However, last night, Lisi de Bourbon, the communications director at the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), told us that the LPC is expediting the date for a public hearing on its proposal for the East 10th Street Historic District.

"The reason we're scheduling the date earlier than we expected is that DOB notified the Commission's staff this past Sunday that the owner of 315 East 10th Street had filed an application for a permit to construct a rooftop addition that could potentially affect the character of the proposed district," she said.

The Department of Buildings has a mandatory maximum of 40 days to review its permit applications. When owners of buildings that are calendared — meaning under formal consideration for designation by the commission — file for DOB permits, LPC has 40 days to vote whether to landmark it.

The proposed East 10th Street Historic District comprises 26 buildings on the north side of East 10th Street between Avenues A and B that reflect the 19th and 20th century history of the East Village. (Read more about the Ben Shaoul rooftop additions here via the GVSHP.)

According to de Bourbon, The LPC has notified property owners in the proposed district that a hearing on whether to designate the buildings a historic district will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 17 — the earliest date a hearing can be scheduled.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A bid to protect the integrity of 315 E. 10th St.

RIP Anthony Amato

Anthony Amato, the founder and artistic director of the Amato Opera, died on Tuesday. He was 91. According to The New York Times, he had been battling cancer.

Founded in 1948 by Tony and Sally Amato (she died in 2000), the Opera has called 319 Bowery home since 1964. The Amato Opera closed in May 2009.

The building remains on the market at 319 Bowery. Plans for a "bar/restaurant/theater experience" never materialized. The asking price is $6.5 million. Per the listing: "The neighborhood is now lined with luxury hotels, fashionable restaurants and stylish fashion stores. Bring your architect and your imagination."

For further reading:
Amato Opera (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Life after the Amato Opera

Costume drama on the Bowery as the Amato Opera empties out

Ruin of the Bowery nearly complete: Last season for the Amato Opera

Go inside the Amato Opera here.

Speaking of new locations of The Bean...

Fresh from Monday's opening of the Bean at Second Avenue and Third Street ... we were curious about progress of the Bean's location coming soon to Ninth Street at First Avenue... Here's how the place is shaping up Tuesday via photos by Bobby Williams.

We asked Ike Escava, a Bean partner, for a quick progress report.

"We are waiting for the landlord to turn over possession of the space to us," he said. "We are not sure when that will be, but expect it to happen in January or February and will be open about 8 weeks after that."

Previously.

$1 pizza getting less expensive on Avenue C

99 cents!

Here's what is coming soon to Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street... The Mosaic Cafe closed here in September.

Wait till you see their array of latkes this Passover!

Over at Whole Food Bwoery... via a post by Marjorie Ingall, who wrote: "We appreciate the sentiment and accept your slightly confused but well-intentioned holiday wishes."

St. Brigid's at night

How the under-renovation church on Avenue B and Eighth Street has looked at night this week...

Yes, we've been posting a lot about St. Brigid's of late, but it is one of the few really positive constrction-related stories around here ...

Photos by Bobby William.

Coming soon to the former Heartbreak space: Boukies

In his Nov. 10 column at The Villager, Scoopy had news about Heartbreak, the Swiss-German eatery that closed here in October on Second Avenue and Second Street. Scoopy got the word that Heartbreak owner Christos Valtzoglou would open a small-plates Greek place.

Yesterday, Diner's Journal had more details on the new venture: Boukies is scheduled to open in March. "It will specialize in small plates of Greek food, mainly meze, and offer only two main courses: whole grilled branzino and lamb chops."

As you probably know, Valtzoglou also owns Pylos on Seventh Street.

Breaking: Holiday lights are off again in Tompkins Square Park

Oh no!

@angel_chao just passed along this photo...

And just hours after our post that the lights had returned... Too many holiday lights highs and lows for one night...

Joy to something! The holiday lights are back on in Tompkins Square Park

After three nights without the lights illuminated on the holiday tree... Earlier today, a park official told us they were having electrical problems... Can't wait to start complaining when the lights are still on in February!

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Previously.

[Updated] City temporarily closes Affaire on Avenue B

A tipster notes that the city temporarily closed Affaire, 50 Avenue B at Fourth Street, for operating without a "permit." Not sure what kind of permit. (According to the State Liquor Authority, the bistro/lounge has an active license through September 2012.) We'll see if we can find out some more information here shortly...

Update: An Affaire rep called it a "bureaucratic hiccup."

UPDATED: They are back open

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

In an interview with Gothamist today, our friend David Cross says that he's leaving the neighborhood behind for Brooklyn... He specifically mentions 7-Eleven, IHOP and the various Subway sandwich shops as helping hasten his exit ... "It's mildly heartbreaking. It's just becoming more and more like a mall. I might as well be in St. Louis. It's very, very quickly, rapidly losing a lot of its character."

We hope that he still stops by here to visit, especially when people start badmouthing UCBeast and cargo shorts again.

Anyway, the East Village stuff is one small part an interview where he talks about the upcoming season of "The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret." (Begins Jan. 6 on IFC! Woo!)

Why the lights are out on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree

Now... (Well, the other night... not now now)

Yesterday, we wondered why the lights weren't illuminated on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree.

So we asked Robert McLean, parks and recreation manager, Manhattan District Three, what was wrong. He said that Park officials were aware of the problem.

"The tree lights worked one night and were off the next morning. We tried to fix the electrical hook up yesterday, but we could not get the lights to stay on," he said via email. "We have contacted the electricians and they should come out right away."

And soon!

[Bobby Williams]