April 17

Here we are on East Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... where Riian caught what may or may not be leftover from the Dec. 25 holiday. Still, Riian adhered to the strict ICTTS-sanctioned rules and had the thing in the pot tree photographed with the Sunday Times...

We reached out to Gruber MacDougal, chief spokesperson of the International Coalition of Tree Tossing in the Spring (ICTTS), for reaction. However, he was en route to a ICTTS corporate retreat on Sveti Stefan Island in Montenegro and unavailable for comment.

Breaking: Interior of Caffe Buon Gusto revealed!

This corner on Avenue B and Fifth Street has sat dormant for 9 years after Zips moved out ... EV Grieve reader Dave on 7th just caught this glimpse inside the longtime-in-the-works Caffe Buon Gusto ... And check out the napkin fold...

Our town

Via jdx. See more of his work here.

Noted

Meet the new Iggy Pop doll now at Toys R Us. Expected to ship June 3.

Via Gothamist. H/T @sisario

More on the Mars Bar 'Memories' coverup

Earlier today, we posted a photo of the new sobering, end-is-nearing Mars Bar marquee — "thanks for the memories."

Meanwhile, thanks to @damienadupont for these shots of the work in progress from the weekend ...

Thanks to @damienadupont for these shots...

Welcome to the Hotel Copper Building!

Over at the Copper Building, the newish high-end condo on Avenue B at 13th Street where residents are paying upwards of $3.8 million to live, you now have the opportunity to book a room there starting at $280 per night. (Five-night minimum!)

Per the description at Airbnb:

This magnificent, spacious, 1 bedroom apartment is located just 3 blocks from Tompkin Square Park, in the beautiful "Copper Building" in the coveted East Village. This corner unit is lined with windows providing copious amounts of natural light from all angles. Step out onto your wrap around balcony to experience breathtaking views of Manhattan.

With an established music scene, funky shops, restaurants and bars the East Village truly defines what it means to be hip. Close proximity to a state-of-the-art dog run, beloved by pooches all over. A block and a half from the nearest subway, it conveniently enables easy access to any area in the city

.

Looks like you have access to the building's gym too... (No word on the "zen garden.")

Despite being in an area that truly defines what it means to be hip, the hoteliers have decided that this is part of Stuy Town...

[Hat tip to our friends at Lux Living]

The latest in Mars Bar hysteria

The latest doomsday sign outside the Mars Bar... "Thanks for the Memories." Photo from yesterday evening via @sandwichboarder, who reports that the new painting went up in the afternoon... perhaps in anticipation of the next art show at the Mars Bar starting this coming Sunday...

[Hat tip to NYC the Blog]

Wai? Cafe closes; Filipino cuisine coming here next

Several readers (Crazy Eddie, Blue Glass, Dale Goodson) noted that the unfussy, always-reliable Wai? Cafe on First Avenue near 12th Street has closed...

Coming soon in this space: Sa Aming Nayon, serving "authentic Filipino cuisine."

Mime Academy Juice Press coming soon to East 10th Street

Last month, we reported that Juice Press was opening a second East Village location... on East 10th Street near Avenue A to be exact... Thanks to EV Grieve contributor samo for spotting the new signage...

...complete with the telltale goofy signs that we saw when Juice Press was prepping their East First Street location....

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another day, another wacky new store sign on First Street

What's coming to the Robot Daycare/Missing Sock/Mime Academy space

First tenant for 189 Avenue C

We've been keeping tabs on the big new rental at 189 Avenue C ... As EV Grieve reader Dave on 7th notices, it appears we have our first tenant...

Previously on EV Grieve:
"Come see what's new on Avenue C"

First apartments for 189 Avenue C hit the market

EV Eatery Etc.: La Esquina blows out a door; Birdbath gets a sign

Saturday's storm blew out the door at La Esquina down on Kenmare ...

[Photo sent by @Anewyorkmoment]

As Jeremiah first reported, Birdbath — the green bakery chain — is taking over the dorm corner on Third Avenue at Ninth Street... and now, a new sign is up...

The cafe inside Sustainable NYC on Avenue A has reopened after a brief renovation...

The new look...

The Loews Village 7 on Third Avenue and 11th Street is the latest East Village theater to receive a DOH visit...

EV Grieve reader Crazy Eddie asks, When did 13th Step get a sidewalk cafe?

I believe they were OK'd back after taking over the Telephone, who always had sidewalk seating...

And EV Grieve reader AC continues to keep tabs on the renovations at Caffe Cotto on Avenue C and Eighth Street... looks as if they're knocking open the previously bricked-up windows...

New traffic lights for Cooper Square

During the weekend, we noticed that someone had covered the crosswalks around Cooper Square... thinking perhaps that it was some sort of art project or prank...

Then a reader noted that these were new traffic/pedestrian lights ... Oh, duh. Right! We took a look at a Google image and a photo from a few weeks ago...

Sure enough... New!

A good idea seeing as this can be a treacherous intersection... plus, we'll something here to help guide traffic once developer Arun Bhatia puts up a new dorm or condo here on the corner of Sixth Street...

Prima Strada's three meals a day

Here's a bit of a progress report on Prima Strada, the new Italian restaurant coming to the former Elephant space on East First Street... Signs are up indicating the team behind Summit Bar on Avenue C will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, as The Feast reported back in December.

The Elephant closed in December. (You can read its history here, including an interview with the manager.)

Fork in the Road posted an in-progress video teaser of the space a few weeks back.

And a shot of last night's moon by Bobby Williams...

Along for the ride

Today at the farmer's market at Tompkins Square Park....

Photo by Bobby Williams...

Week in Grieview

A Q-and-A with "Blank City" director Céline Danhier (Tuesday)

Violations at 35 Cooper Square (Friday)

The 35 Cooper Square developer listens (Wednesday)

A missing East Village teen found (Wednesday)

Life at 610 E. 9th Street (Wednesday)

A CB3/SLA recap (Wednesday)

Looking at the Electric Circus (Friday)

We spotted Wonder Woman in her short shorts (Thursday)

A new 3-story Brick Lane Curry House coming soon (Tuesday)

Retail space for Second Street and Avenue B (Monday)

Mini Burger shuttered (Tuesday)

A note for the Prune brunch crowds (Monday)

A 20-foot boob at Cooper Union (Friday)

The Four-Leaf Clover Lady of the East Village

Yesterday afternoon, EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams saw Hildegard Ford — AKA the Four-Leaf Clover Lady of the East Village — in action in Tompkins Square Park... You've certainly seen her do this before...

... she collects the lucky clovers to hand out to police officers and firefighters for their acts of bravery... Ford has been collecting clovers since she was a girl in Germany...

You can read more about her in this feature from the Daily News from 2008.

Newsflash: New bars and restaurants revitalizing the 'far' East Village

The Post helpfully notes notes that the "once gritty far" East Village is getting "revitalized" by a lot of new bars and restaurants...

The 10-eatery chariticle lists several over-hyped places such as Goat Town, Edi & the Wolf, the Cienfuegos complex, Bedlam and Octavia's Porch... as well as places that may not be as well-known on the greater NYC radar, such as Percy's Tavern on Avenue A and 13th Street and Revision Lounge, Johnny's B's spot at the former Musical Box on Avenue B.

You can read the article here.

Breaking: Storm topples Mystery Lot monster

Before!

[Via James and Karla Murray]

After last night's storm!

Previously.

And how was your storm last night?

Reminders: Tax Day is tomorrow

A reader sends along this photo from Avenue A at Fifth Street...

Likely not endorsed by the IRS...

How to sell a Chevrolet in New York City in 1960

At Streit's, a tradition

Parade magazine today features Lower East Side institution Streit's matzo factory. (Read the feature here ... which includes a photo essay.) When the factory opened in 1925, lines for people waiting for fresh matzo "snaked around the block." (Ed. Note: Call 311!)

Today? “Now, 20-somethings roll out of the after-hours bars across the street in the morning,” says Alan Adler, [founder Aron] Streit’s great-grandson.

And!

Despite lucrative real estate offers, the company has stayed put. “Being a family business, we have a legacy,” Adler says. “We try to keep tradition alive as best we can.”

[Photo via Jeremiah's Vanishing NY]