Finnerty's closes for spring cleaning this winter

Speaking of other temporary bar closures ... Finnerty's has been closed this past week on Second Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street for what the signage describes as a spring cleaning



Finnerty's will be back open on Friday. The bar is allegedly a Bay Area Sports haven, though they do not seem to show much love for the best teams there — the Oakland A's and Oakland Raiders.

A smoking manhole on 7th Street

[Photo by Derek Berg]

There was a report of a car that appeared to be smoking yesterday on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. Someone called it in... turns out it was the manhole the car was parked over that was causing the disturbance in the force concern...


[DB]

The FDNY blocked off the street around 4 p.m. while ConEd came to check it out.

Apparently there's nothing imminently serious here... as of this morning, just some ConEd cones and FDNY fire line tape remain...



... the car has been moved/shoved back... and the manhole continues to smoke/gurgle... salt is likely the culprit on the wiring, per unnamed observers...



Also, unrelated, someone broke the window at Todd Hase, the high-end home furnishings shop that just opened here at No. 111 back on Monday night...

Mystery on St. Mark's: the new 98 Favor Taste signage is — gone

[Photo by Steven from Tuesday]

On Feb. 3, workers put up colorful signage for 98 Favor Taste, the incoming restaurant that will serve traditional Korean-style barbecue and Chinese hot pot meals on St. Mark's Place at Second Avenue.

And one week later, the signage has been wiped away... this happened sometime yesterday...



To be continued...

Friday's parting shot

A view toward the East River late this afternoon via Bobby Williams...

EV Grieve Etc.: A vigil at the 9th Precinct for officer killed in crash; forum on Rivington House’s future

[1st Avenue and 10th Street at sunset yesterday]

A vigil to honor Officer Bianca Bennett outside the 9th Precinct (DNAinfo)

Community forums on Rivington House’s future (The Lo-Down)

About the "foreclosed" birdhouse in First Park (DNAinfo)

A visit to Three Seat Esresso & Barber on Avenue A (ABC 7 ... previously)

Nest activity picks up in Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography)

The Anthology continues tradition of toxic yet sublime anti-romantic films in honor of Valentine's Day (Official site)

Brazilian model lists 11th Street home (Luxury Living NYC)

Past Best Picture winners, including "The Apartment" and "Midnight Cowboy," are part of this series at the Metrograph (Official site)

Rentals at Puck Building now asking up to $150k monthly (The Real Deal)

Iggy Pop and Thurston Moore documentary playing at Rough Trade in Brooklyn on Sunday (Brooklyn Vegan)

"Taxi Driver" was released on Feb. 8, 1976 (Off the Grid ...previously)

...and a little outside the neighborhood... not sure when this happened — the 13th Street (between Fifth and University) location of NYC vegan chainlet Blossom Du Jour has closed after some 18 months in business...

Only 'You'

A pre-Valentine's Day song for you... a cover of "Can't Get Used to Losing You" by the English Beat... from 1983...

Today in photos of a Maserati being dug out of the snow on 1st Avenue

Photo by Derek Berg

A Valentine's Day rally to get some love for the former PS 64

This coming Tuesday (Valentine's Day!), City Council Member Rosie Mendez and other community leaders, organizations and residents are holding a rally and press conference on the steps of City Hall to get Mayor De Blasio's attention on the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street.

As previously reported, developer Gregg Singer, who bought the property between Avenue B and Avenue C from the city in 1998, is reportedly pushing de Blasio's administration to remove a stop-work order that has been in place since 2015.

According to published reports, Singer has a signed lease with Adelphi University, and hopes to have students move in by the fall of 2018.

Preservationist groups and other residents have been opposed to Singer's plans, and want to see a return of the landmarked building to use as a cultural and community center.

The rally starts at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Previously

Blue 9 Burger has not been open lately

[Photo by Harry Weiner]

The quick-serve burger place at 92 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street has not been open the past week. (An especially bad sign that they were closed on Super Bowl Sunday.)

There hasn't been any activity here, including someone answering the phone. And the various food delivery services note that Blue 9 is not currently taking any orders.

I don't recall when this place opened. I found a review at Serious Eats from May 2005, which is about the last time that I ate here.

Take in a free reptile workshop at Social Tees

[EVG photo from Jan. 30]

The fine folks at Social Tees Animal Rescue on East Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue are offering this workshop tomorrow (Saturday!) at 5 p.m. ...

So some cool news is: We are starting to host FREE REPTILE WORKSHOPS where beginners as well as seasoned "herpers" can come to learn and share info on snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, and more! (Fun fact: The first critters we rescued back in the day were reptiles, and that's how our whole rescue operation began!) The first official workshop will be THIS SATURDAY (February 11) at 5pm at Social Tees on 5th Street. Many reptile owners accidentally aren't giving their pets proper care because there is so much bunk advice out there in the pet industry, and we want to make sure your scaly beloveds are getting the right nutrition, lighting, etc. so they can thrive. COME ON DOWN for an hour of tips, suggestions, and important info! Kids are welcome (accompanied by an adult, of course). We'll have some really awesome live animals (including this one!) for demonstration. PLEASE EMAIL robert@socialteesnyc.org if you can make it, we are looking forward to having you! #reptile #tortoise #russiantortoise #reptilesofinstagram #animalrescue #nature #nycevent #workshop #education #raisingawareness #reptilerescue #beautiful #socialtees #socialteesnyc #straypride

A photo posted by SocialTeesNYC (@socialteesnyc) on Feb 9, 2017 at 8:53am PST

Previously on EV Grieve:
Out and About with Robert Shapiro, founder and director of Social Tees