April 27

EV Grieve reader Steven took this last evening around 6:30 on Avenue C at Ninth Street...

As he admits, "I didn't have a daily newspaper so I used one of the free ones from the box down the block. I took a close-up of the date too, for verification."

Resourceful in the opinion of this reporter.

Gruber MacDougal, spokesperson for the International Coalition of Tree Tossing in the Spring (ICTTS), is said to be monitoring the situation from the Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research, Oslo, where he is finalizing a white paper on the carbon content of international trade since 1990.

New food cart disappears

Back on April 12, EV Grieve contributor samo noted a new food cart had set up on the northwest corner of Houston and First Avenue...

And, after a few days, it quickly disappeared...

Theories?

Here are your proposed East Village Historic Districts

On Tuesday night, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) revealed maps of their two proposed historic districts in the East Village. Off the Grid, the blog at the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, has more details here.

Anyway, too bad the district doesn't included the soon-to-be-demolished Mars Bar on Second Avenue and First Street... the proposal stops just short...

The next step: A public presentation and hearing before CB's Landmarks Subcommittee on May 12 at 6 p.m. at BRC, 30 Delancey St.

Previously on EV Grieve:
About time

Seems like old times, except older: 34 Avenue A and 200 Avenue A back on the SLA docket

The folks at CB3 have posted the May meeting schedule, including the docket for the SLA licensing committee... Lots of action again this time around... First, the meeting place and time: SLA & DCA Licensing Committee, Monday, May 16 at 6:30 pm — JASA/Green Residence, 200 East 5th Street at Bowery

A few highlights. (The whole caboodle is here.)

Applications within Resolution Areas

• To Be Determined, 34 Ave A (op)

We're not sure just yet who is looking at trying to revive the former Mo Pitkin's/Aces & Eights space this time around... the same crew with their "performance venue"? A new crew! We'll find out...

• Solo Pizza (Solo Pizza Inc), 27 Ave B (wb)

• Ave B Caffe Buon Gusto Inc., 545 E 5th St (aka 76 Ave B) (wb)

[Whistling....]

• Paradiso (Paradiso NY LLC), 105 Ave B (wb)

This is the cafe/coffee shop near Seventh St.

• Boxcar Lounge (Oops of New York Inc), 168 Ave B (op)

• Bat Yam Food Services Inc, 97 St. Mark’s Pl (wb)

• To be determined, 14 Ave. B (op)

Well! At one point, various people were going to combine 14-16 Avenue B at Second Street for some massive club bar-restaurant with mama from the old country cooking, etc. However, CB3/SLA always shot down those plans ... and now Discovery Wines is taking the space at 16 Avenue B. And now someone is giving the smaller space at 14 a whirl...

Sidewalk Café Applications

• 26 Seats (Paris Cuisine Inc.), 168 Ave B

• Peels Restaurant (325 Bowery Restaurant LLC), 325 Bowery

• Cacio & Pepe (Peprico Inc.), 182 2nd Ave

Just realized that I've never eater here.

Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades

• To be Determined (Not A Bookstore LLC), 200 Ave A (trans/op) (Superdive)

The art gallery with a full liquor license is back. Last month, the committee told them to do more (and better!) community outreach.



• To Be Determined (Epicurean Management), 11 E 1st St (trans/op) (Bowery Wine)

Something new in store for the Bowery Wine Company? A quick flashback to the BWC protest in 2008.

• To be Determined, 500 E 11th St (trans/op) (Angels & Kings)

Another reject from last meeting. The committee told them to do more (and better!) community outreach.

• Hop Devil Grill, 125-129 St. Marks Pl (trans/op)

• To Be Determined (Evir Corp), 117 Second Ave (trans/wb)

Dunno what's going on here... this is now 7.2 at the corner of Seventh Street... onetime home of the Kiev...

New Liquor License Applications

• Led Zeppole (Arti Restaurant & Catering Group), 328 E 14th St (wb)

• The Toucan & The Lion (Type A Goods LLC), 342 E 6th St (op)

What's with the names these days? And this is the entity taking over the Mara's Homemade space.

Going underground with the Mosaic Man

In a new entry at Neither More Nor Less, Bob Arihood takes us into the basement workshop of the Mosiac Man, Jim Power. As Bob notes, it's "where Jim and Jesse Jane seem happiest." And perhaps it's the happiest Jim has looked since he was run out of the Cave some four years back?

See the photos here.

East Village subs for Inwood in 'Law and Order' shoot

Filming for "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" continued yesterday inside (and outside!) Vazac's on Avenue B and Seventh Street... Not really newsworthy given the various "Law & Order" shows having been filming around here for nearly 20 years...

However, it did seem as if the cast members — especially former Christodora House resident and L&O cast member Vincent D'Onofrio — were especially accessible, posing for many photos...

...and look at the temporary street signs on Seventh And B...

A fictitious intersection in Inwood...

Photos by Bobby Williams.

An open call to improve our 'physical fabric'

From the EV Grieve inbox a few weeks back...

From now through April 30, the Institute for Urban Design (IfUD) will turn to the New Yorkers to reframe the debate about the future of the city’s public spaces. By the City / For the City is an innovative two-part open call for ideas that begins by asking New Yorkers where they see potential for improvement in the city’s physical fabric, and then asks the international design community to respond to the challenges set forth by the public. Together, ideas from citizens and designers alike will represent an atlas of possibility for the city’s future, which will provide the foundation for the first-ever Urban Design Week from Sept. 15–20.

The IfUD will host Urban Design Week, a public festival created to engage New Yorkers in the collaborative process of city-making, including the complex issues of the public realm, and to celebrate the streetscapes, sidewalks and public spaces at the heart of city life. It will include a rich roster of discussions, tours, screenings, workshops and events across the five boroughs, and highlight the collective nature of city-building.

You can read more about it here.

Meanwhile! A progress report from the IfUD last night:

We've already had 300 ideas submitted around the five boroughs, and they really run the gamut. In the East Village, people have suggested everything from an adult exercise area in Tompkins Square Park, to a community theater and art space on East 13th, to more co-working spaces around the neighborhood for artists and startups. Someone even made the very specific and pointed suggestion that the EV aim for a reduction in the number of bars, froyo shops, and cupcakeries to chase out "the yunnies, yuppies, and tourists who just trash the neighborhood."

I'll vote for that last one... Anyway, you can leave your ideas here until Saturday. And, if you want, let me know what you picked...

Bento Box 'informally' opening tonight; and look at those pipes!

Bento Burger, the Japanese-flavored burger joint that took over the Marfa space on East Second Street, "will be very informally open" starting tonight... leading up the the grand opening on Tuesday. You can read more about the place with its "Blade Runner" look here.

Meanwhile, Dave on 7th took these shots on the exterior yesterday...

Lucy's is on a holiday, friends

And on Avenue A, Lucy's, an EV Grieve favorite, is on one of its usual holidays... back open next Thursday...

We always like the sunny, handwritten signs marking her vacations... Like!

Mystery car arrives in the 35 Cooper Square lot

Perhaps someone is there to see about putting a tarp on the roof of 35 Cooper Square?

Cooper Square slows down

We recently pointed put that the city put up new traffic lights on Cooper Square at Sixth Street... and yesterday, the city turned on the lights...

Per East Villager in the comments:

"Very happy to see that as it is now much safer to cross the streets here. Traffic noise is substantially reduced also, as vehicles must now drive slower.

Also all the traffic has been reconfigured! A large triangular work area has been closed off, and southbound vehicle traffic is being rerouted around the triangle. Is this the beginning of work for the Cooper pedestrian plaza?"

True! The traffic patterns have been reconfigured. I tried to get a photo of this, but I couldn't find a place to park.

Meanwhile at Cooper Union...

...skateboarders are testing out another part of the building's terrain...

Previously.

At Cienfuegos, paint it black

Just the other day, we pointed out that the Cienfuegos Cuban-eatery complex on Avenue A at Sixth Street had unveiled its new sidewalk cafe...

And two readers commented on the matter, and neither was too kind:

glamma said...
that picket fence just looks so freakin stupid.

RyanAvenueA said...
i agree. for some reason it just really irks me. They did some interesting decorating that ruined it with that lumber liquidator fencing.

Well!

Yesterday, workers painted the fences black... better?

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Previously.

Today in photos of Vincent D'Onofrio in front of Vazac's

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" continued filming today in and around Tompkins Square Park... and Vazac's ...

And here's co-star Kathryn Erbe ...

(Melanie has more shots here.)

Photos by EV Grieve paparazzo Bobby Williams.

Police searching for suspects who robbed delivery men on Avenue D

Per NY1:

Police are searching for three men suspected of robbing delivery men in the East Village.

They say a man, seen above, and his accomplices approached a man delivering food on the 13th floor at 108 Avenue D on March 29.

The suspects allegedly punched the delivery man in the face, threw him to the ground and stole his money.

Police say the men struck again on April 7, approaching two delivery men on the same floor of the same building.

They say the suspects punched one victim in the face and stole cash from both victims.

The suspects are said to be in their 20s.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577

View the video here.

Cafe Madeline taking over the Bluebird Coffee Shop

Earlier today, we noted that someone new is taking over the Bluebird Coffee Shop on East First Street. Well, earlier in the month, our friends at Ditmas Park Blog reported that Ditmas Park-based Cafe Madeline bought Bluebird. Here's their menu.

Anyone been to Cafe Madeline?

East Village — the new Midtown?

While we wait to learn more about the future of 35 Cooper Square, this is a good time to stop and note how vastly different this stretch of the neighborhood on the Bowery, Cooper Square and Astor Place ... from East Third Street up to East Ninth Street will look in, say, three years... Here's a recap of what's coming soon...

This summer, work is expected to start at the soon-to-be-demolished Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art building here...

As The Wall Street Journal reported , Edward Minskoff plans to build "a 430,000-square-foot tower on a site overlooking Astor Place ... Just outside the trendy East Village, it's an unorthodox location for an office building. Most of the city's modern office space is in Midtown and the Financial District."

According to the Minskoff Equities website, the 13-story mixed-use office, education and retail building is planned for Spring 2013.

Moving south...The city unveiled plans in January to dramatically reconfigure streets, parks and traffic islands around Astor Place and Cooper Union...

Here are a few images on what the space will look like...

There's a lot happening here, much of it positive. You can read coverage at Curbed ... BoweryBoogie ... The Observer has a slide show here ... The Architects Newspaper...
(The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has an issue with eliminating parts of Astor Place and Stuyvesant Street...)

And then there's 35 Cooper Square at Sixth Street.

Arun Bhatia hasn't made plans for the space here public. However, the developer specializes in dorms and luxury condos. So that's a safe bet.

Here's one of their recent projects at 139 Wooster...

I'm going with luxury housing here... new digs for the folks working in 51 Astor Place...

Finally, there's 347 Bowery at Third Street...

...which will one day be a 72-room boutique hotel that would look like...

So... what does all this mean? We can speculate all we want... but likely an increase in rents... which may drive out the little shops along St. Mark's Place...

... to make way for the kind of businesses catering to a new office building. So maybe a Pret A Manger, Subway, Bread Factory and a Ranch 1 for office workers ... We hope we're wrong about the possible domino effect of all the new high-end housing, hotel and office building. Perhaps this is a good time to appreciate what's still here.

The Bluebird Coffee Shop has been sold

The Bluebird Coffee Shop opened in November 2009 on East First Street just west of First Avenue. It became a favorite spot of several EV Grieve readers, who have passed along word that the owners have sold the shop (new job in another city). The incoming owners take over the space on Monday. Word is they're keeping it as a coffee shop/cafe, though with a new staff.

Meanwhile, @sandwichboarder notes in the photo below that the Bluebird is now closing early these days...

A random now and then: 11th Street and Avenue B

1975!

Today!

[Top photo via Getty]

I had to blow up the 1975 photo a bit... it looks grainy... here's the original...