Friday, March 9, 2018

'Sister' act



"Record," the new record by Tracey Thorn, is out this past week via Merge... here's the video for "Sister" ...



And for old-time's sake... back to 1984 leading Everything But the Girl...

EVG Etc.: NYC housing woes; red-tailed hawk radio drama


[Zoltar makes for a fine fashion backdrop ... via Derek Berg]

Cuomo will issue emergency declaration to fix NYCHA (The Post)

Elected officials ask city to stop Rivington House condo conversion (The Lo-Down)

Amid housing crisis, NYC must rethink how land is owned (CityLimits)

The city’s crackdown on electric bikes is destroying the livelihood of people who make deliveries for a living (Fast Company)

Claims of increasing affordability in NYC aren’t quite right (Curbed)

Here’s what a landlord typically makes on a stabilized apartment (The Real Deal)

Feminist Film Week continues through Sunday at the Anthology Film Archives (Official site)

50th anniversary of the Fillmore East opening (Off the Grid)

Dora — storm trooper! (Laura Goggin Photography)

A Christo-Dora-Nora/Not-Dora radio drama! (WNYC)

City all in with dry ice to kill rats (Daily News)

An interview with EV resident Alan Cumming on "Instinct," the first hourlong network drama with a gay lead (The New York Times)

New Beer Distributors on Chrystie Street is closing (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Nom Wah Tu shutters 6 months in (Eater)

History of the German Dispensary building at 137 Second Ave. — now the Ottendorfer library (Ephemeral New York)

Podcast: Catching up with Hector Monsegur aka Sabu (Bloomberg)

Making art from old prom dresses at the Lower Eastside Girls Club (The Cut)

Strand owner Fred Bass leaves $25 million to heirs (The Post)

Two chances to see "Blue Velvet" Sunday (The Metrograph)

Sake's popularity grows (amNY)

EV-based Black Iron Burger opening a spot near the Barclays Center (The Post)

When John Cale and Lester Bangs appeared on stage together at CBGB in 1978 (Dangerous Minds)

... and Peter Brownscombe shares the latest from the Ray's Candy Store lab — the Chocolate Banana Dip (chilled banana dipped in chocolate)...


At Three Jewels, there's coffee out front, and ancient Tibetan wisdom in the back



Three Jewels recently opened a cafe-yoga studio combo (a spiritual speakeasy!) at 5 E. Third St. just off the Bowery...



Three Jewels, the nonprofit that has been around for 21 years, moved into the storefront in Janaury; the cafe space opened in late February.

Stehen McManus, the managing director of Three Jewels, shared more info with me.

Here's part of a news release:

Three Jewels is coming out on the Bowery scene after 21 years hidden in an East Village walk-up. The non-profit community space looks to be a modest whitewashed café from the street, but walk through their rose-mirrored wall, and you’ll enter a glowing temple room where spiritual seekers practice inner and outer methods ...

Their model of spiritual education is tripartite (and most of it is free): a comprehensive meditation programme with a colorful Tibetan backbone, thoughtful yoga classes, and deep scriptural education from seasoned practitioners. The centerpiece offering, an eighteen-course spiritual training in Buddhism, contains texts that were translated to English from Sanskrit and Tibetan for the first time in the early 90s. Comprehensive meditation and yoga trainings are curated to provide students with the root of an authentic personal practice.

The spiritually curious can choose from the themed meditation program and relax on Samaya cushions in the temple space or bear witness to the flow of artists, business-types, dancers, social activists and yogis whom migrate to the café, curated by the Bushwick coffee heroes Little Skips.

You can find their cafe menu here. You can find more about their classes and events here.

Rent freeze fight underway for 2018


[Image yesterday via]

Members of the Rent Justice Coalition along with several elected officials held a rally downtown yesterday outside the Rent Guidelines Board’s first meeting of the year.

The Coaltion was out to demand that the RGB freeze rents for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments. In addition, the group wants to ensure that tenants have a voice at the RGB's upcoming hearings across the city.

Last June, the RGB voted to allow rent increases on the city’s 1 million rent-stabilized apartments, with one-year leases subject to 1.25 percent raises, and two-year leases subject to 2 percent hikes — this after two consecutive years of rent freezes.

Per a release from the Coalition:

While the coalition counts past rent freezes as successes, data show landlords have been overcompensated for decades with high rent increases, including an 8.5 percent increase at the height of the recession in 2009. In fact, rent stabilized tenants are rent burdened, with half of them paying about a third of their income for rent. At the same time, many low-income families pay as much as 60-70 percent of their income in rent.

While tenants face rising cost, landlords are making more money and paying less for expenses. Property resale prices are up; rent revenue is up; and foreclosures are low. The Rent Justice Coalition is demanding another from the Rent Guidelines Board to allow rent-stabilized tenants to keep their homes.

Here are quotes from local-elected officials:

Council Member Margaret S. Chin: "While our city has made progress in the movement for affordability, we need to keep the protections currently in place that provide relief to millions of rent-stabilized tenants across New York City. At the Rent Guidelines Board public meeting, tenants and rent justice advocates will make their voices heard on the importance of not only a rent freeze, but a rent rollback, and I urge the Board to make sure their feedback is taken into account at every step of the process."

Council Member and Progressive Caucus Member Carlina Rivera: "After a difficult rent increase in 2017, we must fight to make this the year of the rent freeze for our rent-stabilized residents.I continue to hear from people across my district that any increase could put them seconds away from losing their homes. Many of the rent-regulated tenants in my district have lived here for decades. To see them forced out by unnecessary rent increases would destroy the heart of our neighborhood identity."

The next RGB meeting is April 5. Their preliminary vote is April 26 at Cooper Union. Find the full upcoming schedule here.

'Give me back my package you bastard'


[Click on image for more detail]

Package thefts remain an ongoing issue in neighborhood buildings... the resident of this Second Street building has had enough, as evidenced by the sign he-she left in the entryway...

Stop stealing packages you thieves, I am getting the cops involved in this enough is enough. This is not the first time a package is stolen from the lobby of this building. Keep your hands to yourself and stop taking what's not yours. If you didn't pay for it don't touch it. I hope the cops find you because I am pressing charges.

Give me back my package you bastard.

Thanks to @chang0blanco for the photo!

Mahalo New York Bakery debuts on 9th Street



Mahalo New York Bakery is now open (as of this past weekend) at 443 E. Ninth St. at Avenue A.

The bakery, which serves Hawaiian-inspired desserts, has two outposts in Queens.



Mahalo's grand opening is this weekend...


Thanks to Steven for the photos!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Queens-based bakery bringing Hawaiian-inspired desserts to 9th Street

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Thursday's parting shot



Sunset pic via Bobby Williams...

More than one can bear



Fourth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D this evening... via @artisanmatters

Noted



EVG regular Lola Sāenz points us to these decorative dog poop signs handmade with glitter (and TLC!) on Third Street at First Avenue...



Time to rent at EVGB, where studios ('lofts') start at $3,695



Extell Development's EVGB — the "East Village's Greatest Building" — is now renting at 510 E. 14th St. and Avenue A.

The listings went live on Monday, as Curbed first noted.

In total, there are 110 market-rate rentals here. And "market rate" is apparently $3,695 for a large studio (called "lofts" at the EVGB website). The largest units, with three bedrooms, are asking $12,425.

Here's the description of a two-bedroom unit ($7,455) via Streeteasy:

Make yourself at home in this north facing split two bedroom, two bathroom residence. 412 features generous living space, multiple walk-in closets, and an in-unit Bosch washer/dryer. for entertaining and relaxing. The huge open kitchen is outfitted with Miele and Bosch appliances, Cosentino Silestone Quartz countertops and backsplash, and unique wood and glass cabinets with gunmetal pulls. The four-fixture master bathroom includes a walk-in shower with blackened steel and fluted glass door and double vanity. Both bathrooms feature Porcelanosa tile and Kohler and Wetstyle fixtures. This apartment is finished with hardwood white oak flooring.

Each unit also includes an Alexa home interface for easy Alexa-ing. ("Alexa, how much is $12,425 divided by eight?")

Here's a view of the back of the building, showing the various balconies and the garden units...



Building amenities include an indoor saltwater pool, a bi-level fitness center, a children’s playroom, and a 19,000-square-foot roof deck with bocce, a putting green, a yoga lawn, a wet bar, fire pits and more things to perhaps inspire 13th Street residents who live behind here to call 311.



As you can see, the EVGB site is working hard to appeal to would-be renters... (The "Mmm ... carbs" cartoon cupcake, like)...



EVGB has an Instragram account too... the first one is a puzzler: "East Village will have you Going Back for more again, and again, and again...donuts are just the beginning of what the vibrant neighborhood has to offer."

Anyway!




Move ins at EVGB start in April.

And as previously reported, part of the retail space in this building will house the small-format Target store. Which someone already tagged.


[Photo from Tuesday]

Extell's other new building on the block toward Avenue B is currently accepting applications for middle-income units.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

Target offers details about its flexible-format store opening summer 2018 on 14th and A

The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

Extell's new development at 524 E. 14th St. launches lottery for 50 affordable units