'Food use OK' at former First Avenue video-computer store

The weird-cool little Intervideo Electronics store on First Avenue near Sixth Street closed earlier in the summer... And now, "for lease" signs have gone up here...

We took a look at the listing. The rent isn't listed. However, take a look at the ad... Espresso City? With wi-fi!

By listing "Caracas Arepa Bar, Luke's Lobster Bar, Porchetta NYC, Pylos ... and Cafe Mogador," they're certainly gunning for more upscale food...No mention of Restaurant (Turnover) Row across the street...

Coming next week to First Avenue: Ugly Kitchen

Speaking of Restaurant (turnover) Row on First Avenue ... Grub Street's Jenny Miller has the scoop on what's opening at the now-departed Veloce Pizzeria on First Avenue... something called Ugly Kitchen, from people who run the Blue Ribbon restaurants. Per Grub Street: "the eatery will serve lots of grilled meats, such as Argentinean-style dry-aged steak ... Ugly Kitchen will serve Asian and South American–inflected cocktails, including a mango margarita and a cucumber-pear martini."

Ave. A Mini Market abruptly closes

I swear the place was open Sunday morning... was making notes of what stores were open... and then, yesterday, the place was empty... Pages from Sunday's papers were hanging in the windows...

Meanwhile, @Taylor_Lorenz snapped this shot yesterday...

Anyone know what happened here?

Fall out boys: Angels & Kings is now hosting Penn State football games this fall

On 11th Street near Avenue A. Never been here, though the place never struck me as a sports bar. Per UrbanDaddy upon the opening in April 2007: "Launched in part as a hangout for the members of Fall Out Boy ... and Gym Class Heroes, Angels and Kings — or AK-47, as the kids are calling it — is your chance to sip a cheap bottle of beer and chat up attractive TRL aficionadas."

Maybe now just change that to ... "and chat up JoePa aficionadas"?

Despite downed trees, the Four-Leaf Clover Lady of the East Village goes about her work

Today, with downed trees serving as a backdrop, Hildegard Ford — AKA the Four-Leaf Clover Lady of the East Village — did her thing in Tompkins Square Park...

Photos by Bobby Williams

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

The Bean is now apparently opening on every corner in the East Village

Last week, we reported that the Bean was opening at the Crazy Landlord building on Second Avenue and East Third Street...

[Via The Bean on Facebook]

... and they just opened on Broadway and East 12th Street...

Now EV Grieve regular Esquared sends this along... sign went up today on First Avenue at Ninth Street, the former home of Anjelica's Herbs ...

The upper levels will soon be home to luxury apartments.

AND. According to their Facebook page, they will remain at Third Street and First Avenue, their original location.

Why Life Cafe is closed today

10th Street and Avenue B.

Irene-damaged Tompkins Square Park reopens; holiday tree barely survives

In advance of Hurricane Irene, officials closed Tompkins Square Park Saturday afternoon... The Park remained closed yesterday ... and we saw some of the damaged trees...

Around noon, the Park reopened... and we got a better look at the losses. What we didn't see before: That tree that sort of leaned in Crusty Meadow has fallen...

...and it nearly took out the Park's Holiday Tree...

Melanie notes at East Village Corner that five trees were lost during the storm.

[Updated] And the Bowery dies a little more: Here comes 7-Eleven

Workers have arrived at 351 Bowery ... the long-dormant retail space in the base of 52E4 — the 15 stories of condo...

...and the plans for the space are sitting on the make-shift desk in the window...

Hold on. Let me pick myself up of the floor....

With the Subway across the street, this is really going to have a suburban feel... In any event, given the space and the high rents, we weren't expecting much aside from a bank branch.

Updated 1:30 p.m.: A 7-Eleven spokesperson tells Garth Johnston at Gothamist that the store will open on Oct. 5.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Looking at 52E4's commercial space, and that cake no one ate

Boutique on Bowery possibly opening today; new lease signs appear at 52E4

Update on the NYU dorm move-in day

Hurricane Irene pushed NYU's dorm move-in day from yesterday to today... As of 9:30 a.m., things were still quiet... people were smiling, welcoming, ambassadoring... parents didn't look too stressed out... no epic dad meltdowns about all the crap he has to haul... Still early, of course...

Perhaps we'll check back in later...

The BMW Guggenheim Lab, broken down and secured

On Saturday, workers started securing the BMW Guggenheim Lab in advance of Hurricane Irene... given its rather temporary build, it seemed as if this thing had the potential to blow over to Houston...

Not so, of course! Dave on 7th took this shot this morning... all snug as a bedbug in an urban lab...

The place is always closed on Mondays and Tuesdays... and reopens on Wednesday with, among other things, a conversation with (or by?) "David Simon on The Wire, Treme, and Capturing Cities on Film."

East Village MTA update

Shawn Chittle sends this photo of the Downtown 6 at Bleecker — "Lovely commute — trains nearly empty at 9 am rush."

Via Twitter, readers said that the 14D and M15 and M15 Select were fairly smooth...

East Village IHOP passes first major test; plus, a sneak peek inside!

The incoming EVIHOP on East 14th Street apparently has a hurricane-tropical storm proof awning...

[Photo taken yesterday]

And let's take a look inside...

...complete with "rooty tooty fresh n' fruity" signage...

Previously.

Stop work order at 328 E. Fourth St.

On Friday, the city issued a partial stop-work order here at the formerly historic townhouses at 326-328 E. Fourth St. ... photographed on Saturday...

According to the DOB, there was a complaint that the debris on the new top floor wasn't secured... thanks to a tipster for passing along this photo...

More upscale housing is coming here with two new floors courtesy of developer Terrence Lowenberg and Ramy Issac, the penthouse king of the East Village.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Historic East Fourth Street artists' collective soon to be condos

Two side-by-side townhouses on East Fourth Street await your renovation

City doesn't give a shit about these historic East Village townhouses

The Free Willie Nelson back home

Last week, we noted that Brownstoner had spotted the Free Willie Nelson in Park Slope in recent weeks. However, over the weekend, we noticed that the RV was back home alongside his friend on Third Street near First Avenue.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Everything that you've ever wanted to know about the "Free Willie" Nelson RV on Third Street (and no -- he's not inside...)

Krust Pizza opening on East 14th Street

Between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... replaces the 14th Street Pizza Place.

Thank you

Well, it could have been a lot worse in the neighborhood. As it was, though... the storm was bad enough ... knocking down trees, flooding basements and stranding many people... thank you to everyone who shared photos, anecdotes and information about Hurricane Irene this weekend... thanks to the EVG regulars — Bobby Williams, blue glass, Crazy Eddie, Dave on 7th, John Marshall Mantel and Shawn Chittle — who sent along reports ... thanks to the businesses that stayed open this weekend to serve the neighborhood — it wasn't always easy... thanks to everyone for reading the site... thanks for sticking together ...

We welcome any storm-related stories that you'd like to share... we've heard quite a few already ... you may share some here or send along to grieve98@gmail.com

We wrap it up with a few photos from Gudrun Georges ...

All the Hurricane Irene-related posts can be accessed here.

Good night, Irene

Beautiful shots this evening looking west on Houston via our friend BaHa.

A post-Irene plague?

EV Grieve reader Steven spotted this at the Sixth Street ramp into the East River Park.

Another view of the tree damage in Tompkins Square Park; damage to the Hare Krishna tree?

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Anna for the following shots of the trees in the Park ... Per Anna:

"Two broken branches are suspended over the first right-hand path from the center Seventh Street entrance.

... "The Hare Krishna tree also has damage, at least the tip is completely
broken and a branch in the mid-section of this limb. I'm looking right
at the white patch of raw wood at the tip but it isn't coming through
the photos."