Things to do in Union Square: Stand among the palm trees and shop at Macy's

There was a piece on Asia One Travel the other day titled "48 hours in New York on a shoestring."

Straightforward enough for this type of article. I just hope people aren't disappointed in Union Square...check out the Union Square photo that accompanied the piece...

Admiring the fashion sense of "the girls that live in the East Village"

In an interview with the Guardian UK yesterday, model/designer Erin Wasson (pictured, right) was asked whose style she admired:

All the girls who are not in the pages of fashion magazines. The girls that live in the East Village in New York you see walking down St Mark's. They didn't look at a fashion magazine or go to Barneys and put something on their credit card. I like girls who are really eccentric and kooky. I love the rockabilly look -- not a rockabilly look because it's "this season", but the real deal. Believe it or not, there was a lot of that look in Dallas where I grew up.

I, too, get my fashion sense from St. Mark's Place. Hey, has anyone seen my long-sleeve mustard shirt?



[Subway Dude photo via Slum Goddess]

This ticket's for you

Cop tickets a Bud truck hogging up Avenue A at Ninth Street Saturday.

Report: During the recession, candy sales are up! (Next trends piece: We're getting fatter and our teeth are rotting)

The inevitable trends story today from the Times.

The recession seems to have a sweet tooth. As unemployment has risen and 401(k)’s have shrunk, Americans, particularly adults, have been consuming growing volumes of candy, from Mary Janes and Tootsie Rolls to Gummy Bears and cheap chocolates, say candy makers, store owners and industry experts.

Theories vary on exactly why. For many, sugar lifts spirits dragged low by the languishing economy. For others, candy also provides a nostalgic reminder of better times. And not insignificantly, it is relatively cheap.

“People may indulge themselves a little bit more when times are tough,” said Jack P. Russo, an analyst with the Edward Jones retail brokerage in St. Louis. “These are low-cost items that people can afford pretty easily.”

All this means business has been brisk at Economy Candy. Anyway, has the Times already done the piece on people drinking more during the recession and eating lunch from sidewalk vendors?

The life and times of Mr. Zero

This Ain't the Summer of Love's Mr. Zero post is now live... Mr. Zero -- Urbain J. Ledoux -- was known for his charity relief kitchens on the Bowery in the 1920s and 1930s, among many other charitable acts....

Previously on EV Grieve:
More on Mr. Zero

Code name Narnia: NYU frosh have secret room where they can drink, smoke pot and have sex (reportedly)

Washington Square News has the story:

Within the walls of one freshman dorm exists a magical place, known to most first-year students only as “Narnia.” Narnia’s mythical reputation as a refuge in which students sip beer and smoke marijuana without RA interference has spread like wildfire throughout the freshman class.

Indeed, the rumors are based on truth. The party never stops in Narnia: nearly every day of every week, four suitemates invite friends and strangers alike to celebrate life with sex, music, alcohol and weed.

Narnia is actually an eight-by-four-foot room in a spacious suite. The room is clean and uncluttered with a bedsheet spread across the floor. Photographs and hand-drawn illustrations adorn the sanctuary’s walls, and lava lamps, ashtrays and a defunct popcorn maker sit near a small window. A large poster of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” rests on the room’s center wall.

Well, it was probably fun while it lasted. And has anyone checked John Sexton's blood pressure lately?

The End of Extra Place

In February, Extra Place was paved over...in an effort to "beautify" the piss-filled alley that ran behind CBGB and turn it into a pedestrian mall...



And now...as a capper to the project, an ominous "End" sign was put up...



...to signify the "End" of an era...or to warn motorists who may not otherwise be able to see the building that is sitting there...

By the way, it has been nearly one year since the makeover plans were announced for Extra Place.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Looking at Extra Place

The Chocolate Wars (well, not at all, but we needed something that sounds CONTROVERSIAL)

From luxury condo sales office to stylish spa (seems about right)

The former sales office for One Avenue B -- located in Red Square on Houston Street -- will become a spa...Also, the Web site for One Avenue B, the glass box at the site of the former Gaseteria at Avenue B and Houston, is no longer live.

A Bodhi Tree grows on Third Avenue

Our former little Taco Bell on Third Avenue near 11th Street is all grown up now, almost ready to become a Thai place called Bodhi Tree.



Previously on EV Grieve:
From tacos to Thai on Third Avenue

PS
One cannot mention the name Bodhi without paying tribute to the greatest Bodhi of them all, Patrick Sawyze in Point Break.

Among his wisdom:

-- "100% pure adrenaline!"
-- "Goddamn! You are one radical son of a bitch!"
-- "If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love."
-- "I know Johnny. I know you want me so bad it's like acid in your mouth. But, not this time."
-- "Life sure has a sick sense of humor, doesn't it?"
-- "Yo, Johnny! I see you in the next life!"
-- "Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true."

Robataya rises on East Ninth Street

The always-reliable Col Legno closed up last June at 231 E. Ninth Street near Second Avenue. (It was a favorite of Alex's at Flaming Pablum.)

Now, the location is getting ready to open as a Japanese robata-style restaurant...

Kevin Bacon LOVES that delicious vegan ice cream at Stogo!

In this week's edition of My New York in the New York Post (this feature isn't online..), the Bacon Brothers -- Kevin and his, uh, brother -- discuss their favorite things in the city...And on Kevin's list: The vegan ice cream at Stogo on East 10th Street near Second Avenue, the former site of the beloved A. Fontana Shoe Repair...Anyway, Kevin says it's good stuff! That vegan ice cream. Wow, what a great plug for this shop! It's nice that a big-name actor is so supportive of such a place...




Of course, Kevin doesn't mention that Stogo is owned by his brother-in-law. Or maybe he disclosed this fact and the Post didn't include it...

What's new at Subway? (Specifically the one on Second Avenue near Ninth Street...)

An ATM!



But will it dispense $5 bills for the foot-long specials?

Previous, and exclusive, Subway coverage on EV Grieve:

An important update on fast-food mascots

It's Feb. 18, and we've already exceeded our quota for stories on Subway for 2009

Nothing more festive than an opening of a new Subway

Locals will no longer have to walk a few blocks out of their way for a Subway

Does this mean there will always be a line?

Because, you know, people always stand in line waiting for brunch (for reasons that I have never understood)...Uh, anyway, Eater has the story about what's going in this space on First Avenue near Sixth Street.

A refurbished Ryan's is now open

After being closed for six weeks, Ryan's Irish Pub on Second Avenue near Ninth Street reopened on St. Patrick's Day...




The bar is longer and wider now (uh, the actual bar, not the building...) ... but they did away with the menu -- no more food...And the work in the pub isn't quite done yet...




Previously on EV Grieve.

From the EV Grieve New Jersey Bureau

From the wire:

WAYNE, N.J. (AP) — A kitschy northern New Jersey landmark that spawned a popular rock band's name and served as the backdrop for a "Sopranos" episode may be in danger of closing. Fountains of Wayne has sat on the side of Route 46 for more than 40 years, beckoning shoppers with displays of lawn ornaments, outdoor furniture and life-sized Santa Claus figures in various attire. The store's gates were closed on Friday, and no one answered the phone.

Lulu is missing

Another "the recession can be fun" story

From the Post yesterday:

The recession is such a bummer. Wouldn't it be nice to time travel to a simpler era the 1950s when money was plentiful, appliances were shiny, and rock was just beginning to roll? A carefree time, when wiggling a Hula Hoop rather than watching the Dow plummet was the favored pastime, and love could be found at a sock hop. Happily, a DeLorean time machine a la "Back to the Future" isn't necessary. Doo-wop shows, record hops, and soda fountains are all here. As it turns out, happier days can be had again.

And do these folks look like they're from the 1950s?:

Noted

The Post's "the recession can be fun" story also noted the following about EV Grieve favorite Donohue's Steak House:

This Upper East Side dining room, a one-time neighborhood joint for Bernie Madoff, hasn't changed its mood since it opened in the '50s.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The timeless appeal of Donohue's Steak House

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

Highlights from elsewhere in the NYC blogosphere (Patell and Waterman's History of New York)

The REAL reason Valerie Solanas wanted to waste Warhol (Page Six)

Graffiti artists vs. the cops who used the hunt them (The New York Times)

John Penley is going somewhere -- Erie, Pa.? Newark, N.J.? (Scoopy's Notebook, last item)

Faded signs on the LES (Ephemeral New York)

Thought this was a bear market? Twelve years of beekeeping on NYC rooftops (Lancaster Farming, and no snickering)

Annoyed Parisians can blame NYC for L’Experimental Cocktail Club (The New York Times)

Meanwhile, George Clooney in talks to play Bukowski (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Got limos? (BoweryBoogie)

Finding the beauty at the South Street Seaport (Greenwich Village Daily Photo)

Action at the long-delayed Fulton transit hub (A Fine Blog)

Lionel Ziprin, 84: "A brilliant, baffling, beguiling voice of the Lower East Side and the East Village"

The Times has the obituary today for Lionel Ziprin, who died this past Sunday. He was 84.

Mr. Ziprin, a brilliant, baffling, beguiling voice of the Lower East Side and the East Village in all its phases — Jewish, hipster and hippie — died last Sunday in Manhattan. He was 84. The cause was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his daughter Zia Ziprin said.

For decades, Mr. Ziprin, a self-created planet, exerted a powerful gravitational attraction for poets, artists, experimental filmmakers, would-be philosophers and spiritual seekers.

He ran his apartment, on Seventh Street in the East Village, as a bohemian salon, attracting a loose collective that included the ethnomusicologist Harry Smith, the photographer Robert Frank and the jazz musician Thelonious Monk, who would drop by for meals between sets at the Five Spot. Bob Dylan paid the occasional visit.

And now: Songs for Schizoid Siblings by Lionel Ziprin and Leyna d'Ancona...

Saluting some heroes from Forest Hills

Peter Parker and the Ramones.

Avenue B fire damage

Here's a look at some of the exterior damage from yesterday's fire at 30 Avenue B...

A little something to go with the Christmas decorations that are still up at Nino's

Another fire in the East Village

There was a fire yesterday afternoon at 30 Avenue B in a top-floor apartment between Second Street and Third Street. Reader/blogger Suzy at The byrds are singing blue sent along the following video...



No report just yet on the cause of fire. A Curbed tipster wrote, "It appears that no one was hurt in the 4 alarm blaze thanks to the Fire Department's speedy response (they were on the scene within 4 minutes)."

This comes on the heels of a nearby fire on March 12...this blaze occurred at 215 E. Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. Bob Arihood was on the scene and filed a report. (Be sure to read the comments to his post.) There are some other photos from this fire here at Flickr.

Looking back at another Avenue B fire

Yesterday's fire on Avenue B brought back memories of a major blaze...this one at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street happened on Jan. 30, 2004. It reportedly left tenants from 16 apartments in two buildings without homes. Click here for coverage from The Villager.



[Villager photo by Bob Arihood]

Unzipping the mystery at Zips (trying to, anyway)

There's no shortage of chitchat among a few neighbors [that I happen to know] of the former Zips Deli on Avenue B at Fifth Street. Rumors abound that this space will become an upscale diner-type place, though I never report on unconfirmed facts, unsubstantiated rumors or other un-words. Oh, oops. Anyway! Something is happening here...



Yesterday, a worker was removing the graffiti from the front doors.



And there has been plenty of hammering and nailing kind of thing happening behind the brown-papered doors. An EV Grieve tipster who caught a look inside said the interior is shaping up to look like an upscale diner-type place, though you likely already knew that by now.




The EV Grieve tipster frets that what goes in this spot could have a negative impact on the neighborhood...if it's something obnoxious that attracts the let's-be-loud-and-pee/barf-in-the-streets-real-late-and-yell-for-a-cab crowd from outside the neighborhood. The people who are already going to a few places just south of here on Avenue B.

Related:
Check out this shot of Zips on Flickr...

Houston and Avenue B in 1997....and 2007

Two weeks back, we mentioned the new mural by Chico and Tats Cru on Houston and Avenue B.

Here's a quick look at some recent history of the corner...

May 2007:



September 1997:



Someone wasn't a big fan of the Royal Family....hence the "die" mustache for the late Diana, Princess of Wales.



[The 2007 photo via the Associated Press; the 1997 photo via the Grieve family camera]

Michael Rosen discusses Formula Retail Zoning

This week's issue of The Villager includes an op-ed written by Michael Rosen titled Fighting on many fronts to protect our neighborhood. In the article, Rosen, a founder of the East Village Community Coalition, discusses Formula Retail Zoning ... and this video made by Nicholas Whitaker for the East Village Community Coalition.


Formula Retail Zoning from Nicholas Whitaker on Vimeo.

Rhyming and dating

I was reminded it that it's Spring Break for some colleges...a time when students go to warm places and drink and act dumber more than usual. Here's a clip featuring the Beastie Boys from MTV's Spring Break 1987 coverage of the wackiness in Daytona Beach. Back before the Beastie Boys became sensitive and stuff. Try not to cringe.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

Spend an evening with Drew Hubner and Jim Coleman -- next Tuesday (East of Bowery)

Biker Bill has words for Biker Billy the chef (Slum Goddess)

The LES bartender who tried to kill Teddy Roosevelt (Ephemeral New York)

On 64 years living in the West Village (Washington Square Park)

A curious closed-up shop on Court Street (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Say goodbye to a big chunk of Delancey (Curbed)

Alex can't help but keep looking at the former Cedar Tavern space (Flaming Pablum)

No dinner for this Red Tailed Hawk tonight (Neither More Nor Less)

A night out at the Village Barn (Greenwich Village Daily Photo)

Where the Sun still shines (BoweryBoogie)

What the fuck is A-rod doing in these photos? (The Superficial)

Starbucks to run expensive ad campaign to show that its coffee isn't expensive

AdAge.com has it:

Distressed that Starbucks has become the "poster child for excess," CEO Howard Schultz said the coffee company plans to run an ad campaign proving its coffee isn't expensive.

"There's a myth out there that there's this $4 cup of coffee at Starbucks," Mr. Schultz told shareholders at the company's annual investor meeting earlier today. "For whatever reason, Starbucks Coffee Co. has become the poster child for excess, and if you want to be really smart, you should cut out that $4 cup of coffee."

Next, perhaps Mr. Schultz could create a campaign that improved the taste of their coffee, something that doesn't taste like, oh, dusty tar.

Of course the people we really want to leave just won't

From the Times today: "New York City lost less population to other states in the 12 months ending July 1, 2008, than during any year in decades, according to census figures released Thursday. If that trend continues, the city’s population will top 8.4 million in 2010."

However, these figures don't represent all the job losses that hit in the latter stages of last year. Still, we can make it a trends piece!

“This is new, a real deviation from the average,” said New York City’s chief demographer, Joseph J. Salvo. “Whether it’s a trend is another thing.”

The latest census estimate did not reflect the decline in private-sector jobs in the city late last year.

Dr. Salvo, the director of the Department of City Planning’s population division, said, “When you take a look at the conditions in the rest of the country and what has happened to the housing and economic market in a lot of places our migrants have gone to, it’s very tempting to conclude that perhaps people are staying put more because the opportunities that were afforded there are not there any longer or are no longer attractive.”

In any event! Shall we start a list of people we wish would leave the city? I'll start with the guy on the bus talking on his cellphone about the lack of good golf courses in the city.

Is it safe to venture out again?

I've come out of hiding...Is St. Patrick's Day over yet? And thanks to the jokester who sent me the info on the St. Patrick's Day bash at Turtle Bay on 52nd and Second Avenue...

Noted

Engineers have discovered dangerous cracks in 200-year-old wooden beams right above Mayor Bloomberg's desk in City Hall, leading to an emergency $5.5 million contract to stop the roof from falling in. (New York Post)

An excellent body of work

Last August, I did a post on artist Dan Witz. He uses some of the uglier new buildings in Brooklyn and the LES as the backdrops for the photo-based, heavily re-painted stickers that he mounts on plastic and glues to the walls. Anyway! His work came to mind after reading about an upcoming exhibit of his work in Amsterdam April 9-20.

This is one of his newer works that I wasn't familiar with... from somewhere in Brooklyn.



You can find more on his Flickr page.

Noted

"George W. Bush is getting $7 million for his memoir, tentatively titled "Decision Points," scheduled for a 2010 release by Crown, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group." (Page Six)

Reverend Billy investigates how the downturn is having an impact on local businesses ("Stay out of the national chains!")

Thanks to the tipster who passed along this link...

Mayoral candidate Reverend Billy talks with business owners on East Ninth Street on how they're coping with the recession. This was filmed as part of the Uncommon Economic Indicator project with the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC.

More love for Britney on Avenue B...

At Sixth Street...Previously.

More on Mr. Zero

[Update: The link to This Ain't the Summer of Love's Mr. Zero post/photo archives is currently down...we'll let you know when it's back up...]

In case you missed his comments yesterday on my Urbain Ledoux/The Tub post, NYCDreamin at Ain't the Summer of Love dug around for some more information on Urbain Ledoux, the man behind the former diner/greasy spoon The Tub on St. Mark's in the 1930s:

According to what NYCD found:

Urbain J. Ledoux -- better known as "Mr. Zero" -- introduced a novelty in the form of a 5-cent turkey dinner. He fed turkey dinners at "The Tub" in the basement of 33 St. Marks Place, on the basis of "All you can eat for a nickel," and said that he was able to break even financially. Dealers furnished the turkey and trimmings at cost, the cooks volunteered, the diners waited on themselves, there was no overhead and and at the end of the day the ledger showed no red ink marks, according to Zero, who claims credit for the world's greatest achievement with the 5-cent piece.

NYCD also found further Ledoux-related archival photos...as well as this video..."Near the end of this clip, you can see some of the men from the Bowery taking a meal at one of Mr. Zero's charity relief soup kitchens," NYCD wrote...

Signs of the coming Depression?

Two times in two different locations in the East Village...I saw someone walking down the street blowing on a harmonica. One more sighting and this is enough for a trends/lifestyles piece in the Times.