Looking for an explanation about those bloodcurdling screams

A reader sends along the following:

I live on Second Avenue, between Fifth and Sixth Street, and this is the second night since last week that I've heard bloodcurdling screams around 12:30 a.m. outside of my window toward Sixth Street. I've reported it to the 9th precinct, but was just curious if anyone else in the neighborhood has heard this or has any info on what's going on.

The reader lives facing a courtyard, not Second Avenue.

This was a few days ago. There is a follow-up note:

I heard it last night. It woke up both myself and my roommate around 3 a.m. I'm really curious to know if anyone else heard it and what theories they may have on what it was. Our first thought was of course an animal, but this was extremely human-like — scary.

Anyone with theories?

Hey, let's name the new froyo machine at 16 Handles

So, there's this. Via the 16 Handles Facebook page...

Some suggestions via Facebook so far include: The Mixerater ... Green Supreme... Blendzie...

Meh. A few names to get everyone warmed up:

• Here Today, Lying in Front of the St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery 10 Minutes Later

• Does this Machine Make Me Look Fat?

• FroYuckinator

Isn't this fun?

Signs of life at former Heartbreak space

Heartbreak, the Swiss-German eatery, closed last October after short run on Second Avenue and Second Street ... As Scoopy first noted at The Villager, owner Christos (Pylos) Valtzoglou is planning on opening a place called Boukies that will specialize in small plates of Greek food — mostly meze...

There's some progress to report. The Heartbreak sign is gone.

And there's a menu for Boukies up now...

Diner's Journal reported that Boukies will open in March.

'Smash' vs. Schwimmer* today on East Sixth Street

The incoming NBC series "Smash" is back filming in the neighborhood ... today, they'll be on East Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

As an exasperated resident of the block said, "Because living on East Sixth Street between First and Second Avenues isn't torture enough already." The resident points to "the insanely noisy construction of Maybe-Schwimmer's mansion" at 331 E. Sixth St. as the culprit. The resident noted that two cement-mixing trucks groaned away in front of the soon-to-be six-story home all day this past Friday.

So will the construction crew take a breather during the filming (Spielberg is involved! He has connections!)? Or, per the resident, did the location crew accidentally scout this location on a weekend or a rare quiet day, thereby failing to note the construction racket that is guaranteed to ruin any shoot?

Anyway! We'll find out today! Woo!

* Maybe!

7-Eleven on the Bowery now selling 'new Buffalo wings'

And they make it easy on you: The wings have already been digested!

Bleecker Bob's is NOT becoming a Starbucks

Starbucks taking over the Bleecker Bob's space made the rounds starting on Thursday... hysteria quickly (and understandably) set in... While we understand that the longtime record store will still be moving, a Starbucks won't be taking its place.

We didn't notice this correction dated today in the Times story on the matter ...

Correction: January 30, 2012
An article in some editions on Friday about the closings of two of New York’s musical mainstays — the performance space Southpaw in Brooklyn and Bleecker Bob’s Golden Oldies in Greenwich Village — misstated the plans for the Bleecker Bob’s property. It will not become a Starbucks, according to the company.

Starbucks also just sent out a tweet about it here.

So. Dunkin' Donuts then? Subway?

Andre Balazs really wants to be a good neighbor

[June 2009]

In The Wall Street Journal today, Andre Balazs shares more insights about his plans for the Cooper Square Hotel The Standard East Village.

To an excerpt!

You said the previous owners "miscalculated." What do you consider their biggest mistakes?

The way it was developed and built was completely misconceived in terms of its use as a public space and in terms of its relation to the neighborhood. It's a very residential community and they managed to make a design that pissed off the neighbors immediately. That's a mistake. That's not what we're going to be about.

We're going to reorient in a different direction. By mid-fall it'll be open differently, with an emphasis on public spaces. Good hotels are a center of their community, and you can't be the center of a community if the person next door to you can't sleep.

Noted

Guns N' Roses will play at Webster Hall on Feb. 15 during part of a three-NYC-venue tour to coincide with Fashion Week, according to Rolling Stone. Per RS:

"The band last played Webster Hall in 1988 for a historic gig that was taped for MTV. The venue was called the Ritz back then, and to celebrate Guns N' Roses' return, the club will rename itself the Ritz when the band plays on February 15th."

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Matt LES_Miserable]

Claim: City policy segregates East Village schools (DNAinfo)

Spider-Man ads on the Bowery-Houston mural wall (BoweryBoogie)

The story behind the "Headless body in topless bar" headline (Capital)

The the real speakeasies of New York City (Eater)

The bookstore’s last stand (The New York Times)

Didn't seem like it: NYC saw 31 percent construction decline in 2011 (The Real Deal)

At Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Parade (The Lo-Down)

Asbestos battle at the Chelsea Hotel (Daily News)

There is now only one record store left on St. Mark's Place

Jeremiah has the lousy news this morning that Rockit Scientist Records has lost its lease and is closing Feb. 29 on St. Mark's Place... (You can read the details here. Encouraging sign: The owner hopes to relocate.)

Reading this, it occurred to me that there is now just one CD/music shop left on St. Mark's Place — Sounds, which is above the Grassroots at No. 20.

I can't remember every store that has closed on St. Mark's Place in recent years ... Joe's CDs, 13 CDs, Venus Records, Mondo Kim's, Smash ... uh... (A little help, Alex?!)

Didn't seem like too long ago where you could have spent an afternoon on St. Mark's Place rooting through the bins of the record stores here ... then reading the liner notes/CD sleeves of your purchases at the Grassroots or wherever over a beer ... Ah, how old-fashioned.

Anyway, Norman's is still there just around the corner on Cooper Square...

As much as I hate to see record stores close, we are fortunate to have several good choices left in the neighborhood, such as...Kim's ... Good Records NYC ... Turntable Lab ... A-1 Records ... Other Music ... Academy Records ... Gimme Gimme ... Big City Records ... Rainbow Music...