Today in Tompkins Square Park

Don't know what was going on... but it was apparently entertaining to watch...







Photos by Bobby Williams.

High-speed chase ends with guns drawn on East 14th Street and First Avenue

...We're awaiting more details on what went down here... James and Karla Murray shared these photos, noting that the chase ended with a multi-vehicle crash at East 14th Street and First Avenue...





More information as soon as it's available...

Updated 11:40

Here are two more photos at the scene via @pycior ...





There is speculation among witnesses that this was about a stolen vehicle... no official confirmation yet... Other witnesses say that the police drove west in the eastbound lane of East 14th Street to stop the Jeep ...

Report: The Joffrey Ballet School will lease 2 floors of the former PS 64 for student housing

The Joffrey Ballet School has signed on to lease the first two floors of the former PS 64 for student housing, The Wall Street Journal reports today. (You may need a subscription to access the online brief.)

Developer Gregg Singer said that the school, which Robert Joffrey founded in 1953, will take 120 of the beds, with a monthly rental rate of between $1,550 and $1,650. While the school has a dorm on Grove Street, there is a wait list for rooms for the dance students, some of whom are high school age.

"The dormitories are important for us because they create a safe, comfortable environment," Lee Merwin, director of operations at Joffrey Ballet School, told the Journal.

Previously, the Journal reported that Cooper Union has an agreement in place for 200 of the beds at the former P.S. 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street near Avenue B.

Some residents and local politicians want to see the long-controversial building returned for community use. There is a "Save Our Community Center MARCH AND RALLY" scheduled for Wednesday evening. Details here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Testimony Of Councilmember Rosie Mendez regarding the former PS 64

Former center for the Hare Krishnas for rent on Avenue B

The Hare Krishnas moved out of their home at 96 Avenue B back in July 2011 ... The space has been vacant since then... and, as you can see, it's a sizable space — 1,500 square feet...



The listing doesn't appear to be online just yet at Tower.

Meanwhile, there are plans on file with the DOB from April 2012 for the following:

RENOVATE EXISTING TWO STORY MIXED USE BUILDING BY UNDERPINNING CELLAR TO CREATE HIGHER CEILING,NEW CONCRETE SLAB, PARTITIONS, WINDOWS, PROPOSED NEW THIRD, FOURTH AND PENTHOUSE LEVELS AS PER PLANS FILED HEREWITH. OBTAIN A NEW C. OF O. UPON COMPLETION.

However, per city records, the city disapproved these plans in May 2012. So, perhaps adding the additional floors won't be happening.

Previously, from 1990-1995, 96 Avenue B was home to Metropolis Vintage Apparel...

[1994, via Richard Colligan]

...which has been at 43 Third Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street since 1995

Attention East 5th Street neighbors: 'We will never be a bar!'

On East Fifth Street, Risotteria Melotti is taking over the short-lived Ballaro Bakery near the 9th Precinct, as we first reported. And they are on this month's CB3/SLA docket for a beer-wine license.

Ahead of that, this sign appeared on its front window earlier last week... (Unfortunately, we never saw it before the Block Association meeting Thursday night...)


[Photo courtesy of Goggla]

The sign reads, in part:

"We, their managers and chef, applied for wine/beer only license because we would like to be able to serve a glass of wine with our risottos.

We will never be a bar! No people screaming outside! We live in the East Village and we would never expose our neighbors to such things!"

Ah, the old "we would like to be able to serve a glass of wine with our risottos" line, eh?

Ha, just kidding!

This is the first American outpost for the Melotti family, who live in Isola della Scala, in the south of Verona, and who has always produced, processed and sold their rice in Italy. (As we cut-n-paste from their website.) They opened a restaurant near Verona in 2002. (Read their story here.) You can find a menu and see photos of the food here.

So ... Are such notes/signs necessary today in a neighborhood where the thought of a new place serving alcohol sometimes brings about unmitigated hysteria?

Chefs Danny Mena and Julian Medina joining forces for East 13th Street Mexican restaurant

Noted chefs Danny Mena and Julian Medina appear to be joining forces to open a Mexican restaurant on East 13h Street, according to documents on file on the CB3 website. (PDF here.) An entity titled Masombrado LLC is looking to take over the space at 432 E. 13th St. that last housed Masak.

Mena is the chef and co-founder of Hecho en Dumbo while Medina is chef-owner of Toloache, Yerba Buena and Yerba Buena Perry. The new restaurant is called Sembrado en Mexico, according to the paperwork filed ahead of the month's CB3/SLA committee.



The restaurant, described as "classic Mexican food [with] grilled sustainable meats," has proposed hours of: Sunday, 11 a.m.-midnight; Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-1 a.m.; Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. ... with 12 tables seating 34 people.

The restaurant will be seeking a full liquor license.

51 Astor Place's Fourth Avenue entrance is actually on East Ninth Street

Over on the Fourth Avenue side of the incoming 51 Astor Place building... (sidebar: Woo — balloons!)



The entrance has come into view... As EVG regular Terry Howell points out ..."I did notice that they seem to have built it wrong way round. The sign says "100 East 9th St." when the door is obviously on 4th Ave. This will really confuse the tourists."



Perhaps. Meantime, we're still confused by our headline.

A new sign at Lula's Sweet Apothecary, which remains closed on East 6th Street

On Friday, we noted that Lula's Sweet Apothecary, the popular vegan ice cream shop on East Sixth Street, had been closed of late. At outgoing voice-mail said that they were currently closed during a reorganization. The above sign arrived on Lula's gate this past weekend. Not many more details, but fans can sign up for progress reports via a mailing list or Twitter.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Divorce could force closure of Lula’s Apothecary on East Sixth Street

Demolition of 35 Cooper Square began 2 years ago (almost) today

Actually it was May 12, 2011 ... and the historic 186-year-old house was gone by May 25, when the funeral was held ...

Anyway, you know the story. (You can revisit one of our 34,231 posts on it here.)

Meanwhile, as we first reported last Aug. 21, developer Arun Bhatia filed paperwork for a 9-story dorm for an unspecified school in this space. Then, in April, subsequent paperwork filed with the DOB points to a 13-story dorm instead... All plans remain pending with the DOB.

For now, enjoy the graffiti.


[Saturday]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Something 28,998 square feet or so coming to Cooper Square (and goodbye Cooper 35 Asian Pub?)

Doom and doomer: More of Cooper Square primed for development

Cooper 35 Asian Pub part of development deal on Cooper Square

Subway replacing Subway on East 14th Street

The Subway closure on East 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue was fairly short-lived... signs went up last week showing that this location will soon be under new management...



And that's a lot of exclamation points.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Marshal seizes Subway (sandwich shop) on East 14th Street