And now, my collection of bus/truck booty

Why does this annoy me?

On St. Mark's Place.

Rectory also part of St. Brigid's renovation

We've noted the progress on the renovations at St. Brigid's. However, we never heard if the plans including repairing the rectory next door to the church on Avenue B.

The other night, we noticed that lights were on inside the rectory.




So we asked Edwin Torres, chairman of the Committee to Save St. Brigid's, what was happening with the rectory.

The rectory is part of the renovation. It will be fully restored and will serve several functions, one of which will be the home for the pastor. The current church I attend does not have a rectory and the priest rents an apartment [nearby]. It will be a luxury to have a rectory.

P.S.

We've always liked this aerial shot that Gothamist published back in 2006....




Previously.

Great homes for sale: 1840s townhouse on East Ninth Street going for $4.3 million

One of my favorite buildings in the neighborhood has been on the market for several months now... This 1840s townhouse on East Ninth Street between First Avenue and Avenue A is going for $4.3 million. Here are some listing details:

When it comes to historic houses, remember: They aren't building any more of them. This is a three-story town house with basement, 20 feet wide, built in the 1840's, with a large, leafy backyard. Period details include French doors, wide plank floors and exposed ceiling beams. Currently zoned as a 3-family home but could be configured as a 1-family or a 2-family. House is partially renovated and is currently occupied. Only 2 sales of this property in the past 75 years.

In 1998, it sold for $640,000.

An appreciation of Chico's work

We noted some of Chico's new work last week... After the spay/neuter sign disappeared, figured that I may want to chronicle some of Chico's work... As he has said, Chico figures that he has done 7,000 murals around the city the past 30 years. Here are a few of those murals.

Posts that I actually forgot to post: Commercial space available at the Theatre Condos

I've completely forgotten about the Theatre Condominiums. Jeremiah first wrote about this development at Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place in July 2008. Apparently, this is a popular corner! As The Real Deal reported last November, all seven units sold out in Phase I of the development. The condos ranged from $800k to $1.25 million. Or so. As The Real Deal noted: "Most of the buyers were young professionals, college students, or parents buying apartments for their children."

People seem to be living there, too. Or at least the lights are on.



(I secretly walk by and look up in hopes of catching a glimpse of the model from the Theatre Condo Web site...the model who, as Jeremiah wrote, "enjoys her stunning view of BBQ." Nothing better than the fresh aroma of an onion loaf at 11:30 a.m.!)





I bring all this up because... I noticed that commercial space is now available on the second floor...is this Phase II?




I went to the W&S Web site, but couldn't find any information on the commercial space.

But I did tool around the Theatre Condo site...where among the amenities, is this hilariously random list of "bars and clubs," including one that has been closed for three years.

Fundraiser for Calvin Gibson

Read The Villager's profile on Gibson here.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

The Decapitator arrives in NYC. (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

A look at New York state's new license plate: "It looks like we live in Delaware or something." (New York Post)

What 311 tells you to do with your dead pet. (The Awl)

They tore down Howard Johnson's in Times Square for this? (Lost City)

Antique rubber boots discovered in Orchard Street shop. (BoweryBoogie)

Lower Manhattan in 1905 (The Bowery Boys)

Another hidden bar on the LES. (Grub Street)

And NYC's newest "underground playground." (NYPress)

Drag queens and DJs put on the unemployment line at Dtox (GaySocialites.com)

Yesterday, we mentioned Bob Arihood's account of Slum Goddess being taken for a spin by rickshaw Spiderman.

And now! Here's the video that Slum Goddess shot of the event.

Tiger beat

Yes, as a matter of fact I am posting photos of a cat. Do you know Tiger at East Village Convenience on Second Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place? Well, if not...

The Mayne event: What went into designing the new Cooper Union building

Time magazine has an interview online with Thom Mayne, the bigshot architect who designed the new Cooper Union building. To an excerpt!

TIME: So Cooper Union comes to you and says "Okay, here's the program. We need laboratories, offices, classrooms." They told you what they wanted. What did you want to bring to this project?

MAYNE: I don't bring anything a priori to a project in a conscious way. I don't come with an agenda. Clearly I come with interests that I've pursued over 35 years. Who I am as an architect and the history of my work — that's clear to anybody who hires me. But I come in literally with nothing in my brain about what the building will look like.

And I really couldn't with this one because it had a very complicated program. There was nothing to design until I knew how big it was and how many pieces there were. The envelope was given us — the basic shape — because it's a zoning diagram. And we needed every ounce of it because we didn't have enough. And then we looked at the program. On one side are laboratories and they go straight up and they're very efficient and straightforward. And in the front where the offices are, ditto. There's not a lot of room there for architecture.

[Photo via Time]

Vietnamese sandwich opens tomorrow on Sixth Street

EV Grieve reader Creature brings us these photos of Bahn Mi Zon, a Vietnamese sandwich shop on Sixth Street near Avenue A. As the signs says, the place opens tomorrow.




Formerly at this spot: Gomi, the vegan/green boutique.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Coming soon to Sixth Street: Vietnamese sandwiches