A Good Friday afternoon

Today is Good Friday, "a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary." (Because someone always asks.) And some area worshipers took to the streets for the "Way of the Cross" procession, as these photos by Barbara L. Hanson show...







...the procession includes a little flogging...



... it was busy on East Houston and Avenue B... as the procession from two different churches intersected here...

Your quick moon recap

Last night!


[By Bobby Williams]

Early this morning!



All is well. Mostly.

Breaking! (Sort of!): Here come the bike-share docking stations

EVG reader Rob notes the arrival this morning of more self-service docking stations for the city's bike-share program... stored for now under the Williamsburg Bridge...



...they'll be coming soon to a sidewalk near you...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Here are your East Village bike share locations, probably

Report: Citi Bike share back on track for a May debut, probably definitely

The East Village is in the 1st rollout phase of the bike-share program this May, probably for sure

East Village grifter alert: Beware the broken vodka-bottle scam!

A heads up from a reader:

at 8:30am today i was walking down ave A ... someone passed me and a plastic bag brushed against my leg.

the bag fell to the ground and revealed a broken bottle of grey goose.

the owner of the bag, who seamed a bit down on his luck and possibly homeless, made a stink about how i broke his grey goose. he was not being aggressive but certainly upset.

Ah, yes! Then the man will produce a receipt showing that the vodka cost $60, etc.

I saw this happen a few weekends ago on St. Mark's Place. The passerby simply kept walking, paying no attention to the demands of the man holding the bag. He followed the passerby for about 30 feet then stopped.

Gothamist noted the other day that a variation of this scam was occurring with some frequency in Chinatown...

And DNAinfo noted this broken-bottle scam as well on Tuesday. Happening in Midtown. Per DNA:

"It's not a huge, huge problem," a law enforcement source said, adding, "If you say it's a scam, if you know it's a scam, they're only going to push you so hard."

A proposal to help curb the East Village crusty population

As you may have noticed in the past few weeks, the travelers (transients, crusties — whatever term that you use) have been returning to the neighborhood. (Or maybe visiting for the first time.)


[Last Saturday on St. Mark's Place via Steven Matthews]

In an op-ed in The Villager this week, CB3 member Chad Marlow outlines a proposal to curb their presence in the neighborhood... First, he notes the perception that some of the crusties have becoming more violent.

While crusties have been coming to our neighborhood for many years, their behavior seems to be getting more aggressive, brazen and violent. Although many of my neighbors agree, I wondered if this perception is accurate. Before proposing drastic solutions, one should be certain to accurately understand the problem. Many of us have negative personal experiences that mirror last summer’s widely reported crusties incidents, such as defacing St. Mark’s Church, allowing their dogs to urinate in Washington Square Park’s fountain where children play, frequently harassing Washington Square and Tompkins Square Park visitors and engaging in countless bloody altercations. While this demonstrates the crusties problem is significant, it does not prove it is worsening.

Marlow, who spoke out about the growing rat problem in Tompkins Square Park several summers ago, goes on to outline his plan... it's a complicated process with several caveats ... an excerpt from his column:

So proceeding with the utmost caution and concern for protecting the involuntary homeless, I offer the following proposal: The City Council should pass a law making it unlawful to sleep or lie down on a public sidewalk, in a park or other public space between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Additional penalties would apply to those in possession of an unlicensed dog.

This legislative proposal, if it ended there, would be nothing short of an immoral attack on the homeless. That is why the law must contain numerous exceptions (“affirmative defenses”) to ensure it is applied humanely and only against voluntary homeless tourists like crusties.

You can read the whole piece here.

Thoughts?

East Village meeting set Monday to discuss city's land-lease plan

From the EV Grieve inbox... via the Real Rent Reform Campaign...

Next R3 Meeting: Monday, April 1, 6:30 pm
113 E. 13th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue

If you haven't already heard, NYCHA has released their plan to put luxury towers on eight public housing sites (view the official plan here). The plan hasn't been well received by the community, and Chairman Rhea was grilled and heckled for 3 hours, as reported by the Daily News.

At Monday's meeting, we'll hear a special presentation from Community Voices Heard about progress in organizing around the NYCHA infill project, and what how the broader tenant movement can respond.

Vist the R3 website here for more details.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Outrage over proposal to turn the green space at the Meltzer Tower into private development (35 comments)

Here's what's in store for Campos Plaza under the city's land-leasing plan (16 comments)

NY Senators seek transparency and resident input in NYCHA infill proposal

From the EV Grieve inbox...

New York State Senator Brad Hoylman joined State Senator Adriano Espaillat, Ranking Member of the Senate’s Housing, Construction and Community Development Committee, in calling for a Senate hearing on the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) infill development plans.

NYCHA has targeted thirteen sites in eight public housing developments in New York City, which collectively have 11,037 apartment units housing 25,031 residents, for private, market-rate residential development with affordable components. The proposal offers 99-year ground leases of the NYCHA-owned land to private developers to raise revenue and help close gaps in NYCHA’s capital budget.

Despite calls by advocates, elected officials and other community stakeholders for full transparency, NYCHA’s plans for engaging input on infill development largely disenfranchise residents. Therefore, it is critical that elected officials provide meaningful oversight and Senators Hoylman and Espaillat believe that the State Senate Housing, Construction and Community Development Committee is the appropriate venue in which to do so. NYCHA is expected to release its Request for Proposals in April.

Hoylman said: “From misleading sales pitches about the benefits of infill development to vague flyers advertising so-called resident engagement meetings, it’s clear that NYCHA is not interested in real transparency and community input. While infill development has the potential to generate much-needed revenue to pay for long-overdue capital projects, NYCHA will only score a win for the communities it serves by truly listening to residents and advocates before determining whether and how to proceed.”

Previously.

Reaching the top at The Jefferson

Workers reached the top of the incoming Jefferson yesterday ... the new 8-floor condo on East 13th Street... at the site of the former Mystery Lot...



"That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for a tasteful oasis of state-of-the-art living in an enclave of 18th and 19th Century charm."

Previously on EV Grieve:
City approves new building for Mystery Lot

The last days of the Mystery Lot

Before it was the Mystery Lot

The Mystery Lot developers using famous dead comedians to sell condos at The Jefferson

Another 3-bedroom, $5,100 unit hits the market at 'East Village3'

Another three-bedroom, $5,100 unit is now on the market at the "East Village3" (aka "EV3"), the former tenement at 50-58 E. Third St. (GRJ, a fund co-founded and co-managed by brothers Graham and Gregory Jones, closed on the 78-unit for $23.5 million last spring.)

We saw three of the units a few weeks ago (ranging in price from $4,900 to $5,150...) the listings at Streeteasy now include a few more photos that show the result of the gut renovations that commenced as many longtime residents didn't have their leases renewed ...









Per the listing, the broker is "releasing over 50 2&3Br apts over the next 6 months" here.

Upon the unveiling of the first units here back on March 11, the Observer filed a blistering critique...

Even though the building was converted from a middle-market residential space to a middle-market residential space putting on airs, not a factory. But why not pretend? Just like many of the tenants who no doubt take up residence here will be pretending that their “making it” in New York even as their parents help them pay their monthly $1,700 share of the rent. As the listing helpfully notes, guarantors are accepted. Because what is the East Village now if not a post-collegiate play pen for rich kids?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Three apartment buildings sold on East Third Street

Advocate for East Third Street buildings moving to Washington Heights

More about the lease renewals at 50, 54 and 58 E. Third St.

Tenants at 50, 54 and 58 E. Third St. banding to together in face of building sale

More drama at 50-58 E. Third St.; 'heavy construction' awaits tenants who stay

And now the renovations really begin at 50-58 E. Third St.

The 'East Village3' is ready for you; for that 'Industrial Chic feel'

Tompkins Square Greenmarket is open TOMORROW, but NOT Sunday

As the sign shows... As we exclusively reported, Sunday is Easter... when you can celebrate like this.