Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Hardcore/punk cassette art at L'asso EV

EV Grieve reader Greg Barris, a partner at L'Asso EV, passed along news of this exhibit going on through July at the pizzeria/restaurant on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street ...



Here's the official description of the exhibit via Facebook:

DEMO-LITION explores the artwork of demo tape/cassette releases from the Hardcore/Punk/Metal music scenes circa 1980s - early 90s. A variety of covers and full-sleeve art will be on display, along with anecdotes from a selection of bands and artists...

And about the organizers...

In the mid-1980s, Freddy Alva and Eric Wielander were growing up in the New York independent music scene, producing compilations, publishing fanzines, watching scores of Punk and Hardcore bands perform, and reviewing releases. At the time, bands were self-releasing their recordings (from approximately 4 songs up through album-length material) on cassettes a/k/a “demos.” With these releases, with a run of anywhere from 30 to several hundreds if not thousands, the sleeve art was put in the hands of whichever band member was graphically gifted, or turned over to a friend.

Find out more at the DEMO-LITION Facebook page.


[Click to enlarge]

The show opened last Thursday. Here's an account from that night by United by Rocket Science ... We're looking forward to checking this out...


[Via Facebook]

34 Avenue A scratches again (again)



For the third consecutive month, the mystery applicant hoping to take over the bar-restaurant space at 34 Avenue A has pulled out of the CB3/SLA committee meeting.

As we've repeatedly cut-n-pasted from past posts, CB3 has rejected all the recent plans for a bar-restaurant-performance space here.

This space has been one long dramedy since Aces & Eights opened in March 2009.

The CB3/SLA committee meeting is on June 18. Good seats still available.

A sidewalk shed exits outside Vazac's


[Sunday]

A few readers have pointed out that workers removed the sidewalk shed outside the Horseshoe Bar/Vazac's/7B on the corner of Seventh Street and Avenue B on Saturday ... workers erected it in late March, fueling speculation that, perhaps, the four-story Peter Jarema Funeral Home ad ... ("air conditioned chapels") with its old exchange "OR4-2568" might get painted over (for whatever reason).

Several residents noted that the sidewalk shed looked rather wobbly, and the DOB quickly slapped a Stop Work Order on the address in early April for lack of proper permits.

Not sure if any work was ever done on the building. The city eventually issued permits, which pointed to "remedial repairs."

Monday, June 4, 2012

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition


[Outside The New York City Marble Cemetery yesterday, by Bobby Williams]

Developer wants rooftop variances on East Ninth Street (Off the Grid)

Parkside Lounge raising money for new stage (BoweryBoogie)

Lower East Side Heritage Film Series wraps up (The Lo-Down)

At the DayLife Festival on Orchard Street (DNAinfo)

City has seen a 42% increase in retail sales since 2007 (Racked)

Who is taking all of our cats? (Slum Goddess)

Last meal at Prime Burger (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

And Snack Dragon is back open on East Third Street after a bout with the DOH ...

Howl! Festival links recap


Here are the links to our Howl! Festival photos from the weekend... in one handy place... And thanks to everyone who shared photos with us...

Back stage for Low Life 6

Art Around the Park, Part II

Art Around the Park, Part I

Allen Around the Park

Let's get this Arty started

A lot of Howling

Canvassing Tompkins Square Park

Countdown to Howl!

Check out more photos and videos from Howl! at GammaBlog ... and Fresh Paint NYC ... and BoweryBoogie ...

[Updated] Hotel Toshi takes up residency at newly renovated 147 First Avenue

Funny, back in May 2010, a construction worker told Matt at Neighbohoodr that 147 First Avenue was going to be a motel. Ha, ha. Good one!

Anyway, work looks pretty complete on the upper levels here at East Ninth Street... and we've been waiting for any kind of rental-condo listings to go live at the Icon Realty website.


Well, turns out the construction worker was nearly right — the space is now part of the Hotel Toshi/Smart Apartments empire. Per the Smart Apartments website ...


"This is a self-service apartment style hotel located in the East Village on the corner of E9th Street and 1st Avenue. There is no front desk and check-ins must be completed at an iPad kiosk located in the building lobby. At a compact 280 square feet, this corner unit studio apartment packs everything you need for a modern and comfortable stay in New York City. The East Village is full of things to do: consignment and vintage shopping (Tokio 7, Ina), brunch (Prune, Sunburnt Cow), bars, cafes, lounges, and boutique shopping."


We typed in some random dates this month to see about rates. The "studio: corner series" is $299 a night ... and the "studio — standard" is $279.


[Updated] Here is the temporary certificate of occupancy.... the city issued this on May 4; it expires on Aug. 2. (The PDF is here.) It shows a Class B designation, which allows for short-term occupancy, such as hotel rooms...



Icon Realty is also listed on DOB permits as the owner of 325 E. 10th St. where another short-term apartment has been operating ...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Ninth Street and First Avenue shocker: Motel ... Hello?

Hotel Toshi takes over 325 E. 10th St.

When Hotel Toshi took over an East Village building

Hotel Toshi hit with all sorts of violations on East 10th Street

21 E. First St. has its first floor! (Sort of...)

Let's take a look at Second Avenue and East First Street. It has a skyline now.




One floor down, 11 more to go before a bland-looking apartment building is in place...

Also, we'll start referring to it by its official project name... which is, I think, 21 East First Street...

As the for rent signs turn at the former Amato Opera

Here we are at the Amato Opera on the Bowery, which has sat empty since the company closed on May 31, 2009.


A mini recap since the Amato closed: In July 2010, CB3 gave its blessing for the owners of the V Bars to open a "bar/restaurant/theater experience" in the former Amato Opera on the Bowery. However, those plans fell through. The space was for rent for $22,500 a month... then the whole building went for sale for $6.95 million. Now, we're up to our third or fourth real-estate rep...




The latest sign is now up ... RKF has the listing...


No price mentioned. A few details from the listing:

All uses accepted
Space may be leased in existing layout as a former theater
Entire building available for lease

Steps from The Standard East Village, The Bowery Hotel, New Museum, 40 Bond Street and AvalonBay at Chrystie Place

Likely won't be sitting empty for another three years.

Last thing... the rendering people (scalies!) seem quite life-like:


Particularly the texting zombie walking right into traffic on the Bowery...

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.

Steve's on the Bowery is for lease

[Via k::snyder on Flickr]

Probably not a surprise... aside from the 7-Eleven that opened across the street, it's a little grubby for the new Bowery. The space will be available in January.

Weekend recap: Julius Klein leaves the East Village; Pudgie's opens; Tahini temporarily closes

A few items from late Friday and Saturday...

Julius Klein has left the East Village


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How about some more gelato for Second Avenue?


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Breaking: The Pudgie's-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's eatery has (soft) opened on First Avenue


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Also, we didn't have a post about this, but on Friday, the DOH temporarily closed Tahini on Third Avenue at St. Mark's Place ... the DOH report isn't online just yet...

Meatball Factory back to meatballs, plus sangria, sake and a raw bar

OK, so The Meatball Factory apparently closed a few weeks ago on East 14th Street and Second Avenue ... quickly becoming a pop-up restaurant by The Hole people called Hole Foods.

On Friday, pcvstBee pointed out that...


The Meatball Factory was back! But! It's under new management... and they have expanded the menu to include fajitas, quesadillas and a raw bar ... not to mention more drink options...



Maybe they can add pancakes to the menu as well to compete with IHOP.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Renovations for the Meatball Factory

And how was your weekend?



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A bargoer rests up against a car on East Second Street at Avenue A Saturday night via Matt LES_Miserable ...


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And a resident, tired of the constant pub crawls through the neighborhood, noted this one on Friday evening ... the "Hash House Harriers are self-described 'drinkers with a running problem' who get together about twice a month for events that combine running, orienteering, singing, and perhaps most important, beer drinking."