EV Grieve

Saturday, January 29, 2011

The worst slush-filled corners of the East Village

Based on e-mails and reader comments, here are three of the more difficult corners to navigate... certainly there are others...

Southeast corner of the Bowery and Second Street...

Northeast corner of 12th Street and Second Avenue....

And the worst ... the northeast corner of Sixth Street and First Avenue...

Today in possible snow hazards

M9 stop on Avenue C near Eighth Street...

Second Avenue, 10:17 a.m., Jan. 29

This headline says it all

From the Post today.

Bloomberg doubts Tavern on the Green should reopen, sees restaurants like Shake Shack as future

Friday, January 28, 2011

Rite Aid sidewalk showing signs of improvement

We're continuing to monitor the sidewalk situation outside Rite Aid on First Avenue and Fifth Street... after several complaints, someone shoveled the Fifth Street side of the store...

Last night!

This afternoon!

First Avenue was still a little slick...

And thanks (again!) to @jorgeortiz85 for this shot this evening...

[Updated] At the rally for 35 Cooper Square

Unfortunately, given our work schedule, we couldn't attend this afternoon's rally at 35 Cooper Square... EV Grieve reader Lisa was there... and she took the following shots...

The Local East Village was there too, and they estimate a crowd of 100. Read their report here. More on this to come...

Patrick Hedlund has filed his story over at DNAinfo. You can read it here. NYULocal has a post with photos here. Here's BoweryBoogie's report.

Walking in the sunshine, I wish

Bad Manners circa 1981.

The price you pay for trying to be fashionable following a Thunder Blizzard

Of all the wonderful photos I've seen from this week's snowstorm, this is my favorite. So much to take in... It's the work of Lindsay Wengler via her website — Single Linds Reflex. (Reprinted with permission!)

Breaking: 11th Street shut down; some sort of 'nasty-smelling smoke'

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Patrick for the photo and info:

"They've shut down 11th btw 1st and 2nd aves. Some sort of nasty-smelling smoke coming from a grate/manhole. They've got con-ed emergency crews on the block."

Actually, Rite Aid's sidewalks are still really treacherous

Last evening, we noted that Rite Aid on First Avenue and Fifth Street had finally started shoveling their thundersnow-filled sidewalks...

However, a reader noted early this morning that they "have not touched the 5th St side of the building! And two stacks of crates have fallen or been knocked into the path, so it's even worse."

Thanks to @jorgeortiz85 for these shots a little earlier today ... the crates have been removed, but there are still big chunks of ice and snow — and no clear path.

Meanwhile, on the First Avenue side... Per reader MagicD:

"A bad job of shoveling — right now (11am) the front of the store has a slushy slippery little path, and the side of the store isn't shoveled at all — the snow is just packed down. some poor guys are trying to roll boxes along it and having a terrible time."

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

Little Wisco and the nice trend (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

The giant snow penis in StuyTown (Curbed)

East Village Radio launching Single of the Month Club (CMJ)

Additions to the Essex Street Snowperson (BoweryBoogie)

Thanks to Flaming Pablum for introducing us to a cool blog — The Soho Memory Project

The best things to eat in Chinatown (Fork in the Road)

NYC airports need to get bigger (WNYC)

And now the chorus to the new Lady Gaga song via @ladygaga:

I'M BEAUTIFUL IN MY WAY
'CAUSE GOD MAKES NO MISTAKES
I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY

DON'T HIDE YOURSELF IN REGRET
JUST LOVE YOURSELF AND YOU'RE SET
I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY

Time-lapse video: Freeing a cab buried in snow

On Ninth Avenue via EV Grieve Contributor Shawn Chittle.

East Village 1987 Part II

On Wednesday, we posted some East Village photos circa 1987 that EastVillageRat had just put up on Flickr... EastVillageRat continues to add some shots from 1987... including:

Ninth Street between Avenue C and D...

Eighth Street between Avenue C and D...

Seventh Street and Avenue C looking at the northeast corner...

Seventh Street and Avenue C looking at the northwest corner, where Zum Schneider is today...

Tompkins Square Park looking east toward Ninth Street and Avenue B...

Find more photos by EastVillageRat here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The East Village in January 1987

An East Village construction job that's seemingly on schedule

Seeing the empty lots between Avenue C and Avenue D from 1987 in the photos above reminded me... Haven't checked in on the Dona Petra Santiago Apartments on East Ninth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D. Plans call for an eight-story, 57-unit facility for seniors.

And here's how things are going... At the start of construction in November 2009, officials said work would be completed by the winter of 2011...

... seems as if they're right on schedule....

Preserving 35 Cooper Square: What's at stake

We've been writing this week about this afternoon's rally to save 35 Cooper Square. (It starts at 4:30.) There's also an online petition you can sign. You can find that here.

Several commenters have wondered why bother saving what is basically now an "NYU bar." Said another commenter:

The "Trendy" people who don't live in the neighborhood (or care about it if they do) are the primary clientele of Asian Pub and the surrounding area and what makes it desirable to developers. These are the same people who I am sure will be excited for a new hotel bar in the same spot. The place pandered to them and reaps what it sows.

And the voice of reason from EV Grieve commenter Bowery Boy:

It's not about saving the restaurant; it's about saving the building. Those inside will come and go, but if the building is allowed to be destroyed, you can't ever get that kind of history back. It's the oldest building on Cooper Square, and future generations should be able to see how we once lived and worked. These intimate houses along the Bowery, 6 of them left, connect the larger historic district of the legendary and irreplacable Bowery.

And here's a letter from Assemblymember Deborah Glick to Robert Tierney, chair of the Landmarks Preservation Committee... (click to enlarge...)

And an excerpt:

"The building itself is a rare specimen that has remained standing since the transition of the Bowery from a residential area to one that was home to a variety of commercial venues in the early 19th century. While there have been some changes made to the façade of 35 Cooper Square, the building still retains its original twin peaked dormers, chimney, and gambrel roof, and is unmistakably representative of a bygone era in New York City history.

"Given the recent construction projects on the Bowery including the Cooper Square Hotel, a 20 story glass tower which is adjacent to 35 Cooper Square, it is clear that this type of building needs the protections granted by landmark status to survive. Absent these safeguards this building will likely be raised [sic] by overzealous developers seeking to build yet another out of scale structure with no respect for the character and ethos of the neighborhood."

And a letter from CIty Council member Rosie Mendez....

This is the last unit left at the Copper Building, where you can already see the Freedom Tower

That's right... the Copper Building at Avenue B and 13th Street is now all filled with residents — aka, Coppertoners.

There's one apartment left — the one-bedroom loft penthouse with views of the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower... and, apparently, the Freedom Tower...

Per the listing at Prudential Douglas Elliman:

LAST UNIT LEFT AT THE COPPER BUILDING

Come see the last unit at the Copper Building, a chic one bedroom loft PH with an oversized private terrace that has views of the Empire State Building. Located in the heart of trendy East Village, this incredible apartment will knock your socks off. There are 20 foot high ceilings with floor to ceiling windows that capture views of Manhattan like no other apartment in the city. You can see the iconic buildings from the Freedom Tower to the Empire State Building! This one bedroom condo has 1 1/2 bathrooms, laundry in the apartment, an open chef's kitchen, 180 views of the city, private terrace, and the list just goes on and on.

See for yourself during the opening house Sunday from noon to 1:30... And the folks were good enough to trim $100,000 (6.7 percent) off the price yesterday ... it's now going for $1.4 million. (According to StreetEasy, $1,65 million was the original asking price...)

The one rental on the market in the Copper Building

There may be just one unit left for sale in the Copper Building on Avenue B at 13th Street ... but there is also one studio for rent — unit 5C.

According to Prudential Douglas Elliman:

6 Month Minimum. $400 BELOW MARKET VALUE! NO CONDO FEES! BRAND NEW - NEVER LIVED IN! VIRTUAL DOORMAN! The Newest & Most LUXURIOUS Condo in the E. Village. No Expense Spared - This Amazing Studio features Juliet BALCONY, Floor-to-Ceiling Windows, Walk-in Closet, Central AC, En Suite WASHER/ DRYER. Kitchen features Hi-end Appliances including Dishwasher and Microwave, and Granite Counter's. The Giant Bathroom is Stone Tiled with Zuma Soaking Tub, and Kohler and Grohe finishes. FREE AMENITIES: Full-time Virtual DOORMAN, Sun deck, Private Storage, Fitness Center, BIKE STORAGE, and a private Zen garden. Located in Prime East Village steps from the L Train, Cafés, Yoga Studio, Tompkins Square Park, Union Square, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and so much more!! Sorry, No Pets.

Price: $2,050.

Celebrating David Amram's 80th birthday

There's a special event Sunday at the Bowery Poetry Club: It's the 80th birthday for classical composer/multiinstrumentalist/author David Amran.

Amram first performed at the original Five Spot with the Charles Mingus Quartet in 1956. He began the first poetry readings with musical accompaniment back in the 1950s, performing with Jack Kerouac and other noted poets. He wrote the music for "Pull My Daisy," along with performing in the film. Amran has also worked with Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Langston Hughes and Nina Simone.

From left: Amran, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac circa 1959...

Amran performing at the Five Spot in 1957...

A few friends at a diner...

Amram will be performing with his quartet, who will be joined by his children, Alana, Adira and Adam, along with other guests. Actor John Ventimiglia of "The Sopranos" will be reading Kerouac with Amram's accompaniment. Admission is $10. The show starts at 8. Find more info here.

[Thanks to Cary Abrams, who's presenting the event, for providing the photos here.]

The Penistrator is letting the fame go to his head

How else to explain this gargantuan snowpenis spotted on 12th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A?

EV Grieve reader Mike, who sent along the photo, notes (correctly), that "I'm sure the proud owner of the car will have no trouble selling the bits of snow he brushes off on eBay!"