Airbnb strike: Authorities impound vans used for overnight stays in the East Village

You may have noticed fewer vans parked on East Village streets. 

Late last week, the city Sheriff's office and the NYPD Document Fraud Unit discovered an "operation of alleged fraudulent and illegally registered vehicles being used as Airbnb rentals," Sheriff Joseph Fucito told the New York Post. 

Five of the seven vans, which reportedly had New Jersey plates and expired tags, were parked in the East Village.

Sheriff's Road Patrol Deputies were busy this week impounding seven alleged fraudulent and illegally registered vans being used as Airbnb rentals on various streets in Manhattan. 🛑🚦🚔 pic.twitter.com/rBZ1TBZ2xt

— NYC SHERIFF (@NYCSHERIFF) September 25, 2021

California-based journalist/video creator Uptin Saiidi recently slept in a 1999 Ford Econoline parked on Second Street — for $97 a night. 

Spoiler: He was glad he did this for a night but would never do it again...

   

As for the recently confiscated vans, it wasn't clear if the same person owned all of them. 

Back to the Post:

Sleeping overnight in a van is legal, according to the city's Department of Transportation — provided it’s not parked in the same spot for 24 hours in restricted areas. 

When parking is not otherwise restricted, no person shall park any vehicle in any area, including a residential area, in excess of seven consecutive days, the agency's rules note. 

Fines typically start at $115, the NYPD has said. The Sheriff’s office did not comment further except to say the "investigation in this matter is ongoing."

The van listings have since been removed from Airbnb, per CBS 2. 

A few weeks back, EVG contributor Stacie Joy spoke with this traveler from Toronto who rented a van on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B for $85 a night. (Not sure if the authorities confiscated this van.)

According to Stacie, the guest was excited about this Airbnb adventure. He was not worried about the lack of a bathroom or shower. (The Airbnb host leaves suggestions for nearby businesses to use the restroom and options for showers.)

Stacie climbed in for a moment and noted that it was clean but hot and stuffy. The front seats were empty — and drapes were partitioning them from the bed in the back. The keys also did not work in the ignition.

As ABC-7 noted, authorities dubbed this impounding as — no kidding — "Operation Room Service." 

Thanks to all the readers who shared these links. Top photo via @NYCSHERIFF.

Thinking about Blue & Gold Tavern

Updated 10/1: The bar is now OPEN as of tonight!

Blue & Gold Tavern remains closed here at 79 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The old-timer (circa 1958) shut down in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic ... and there hasn't been any word about its status. (The bar does not have a website or any social media. Yelp and Google both list it as temporarily closed.) 

EVG regular Paul Gale shared these photos and this observation over the weekend: "After 18 months, finally some signs they're not definitely gone for good. Looks like some work is being done, but the bar and the furniture remain intact."

As we understand it, the family who runs the bar also owns the building and has so for generations. (Some history here.) 

Blue & Gold is also one of the few remaining businesses whose status is unknown... others include Prune on First Street and Crocodile Lounge on 14th Street (that bar looks permanently closed, but there hasn't been any official notice). 

Top photo from the archives via @picturesofdives

Fall at the Tompkins Square Park mini pool

Outdoor city pools, including the mini pool in Tompkins Square Park, closed for the season back on Sept. 12. (Top photo from June by Steven.) 

EVG reader MP shared this photo... as you can see, a large branch recently fell into the now-empty pool in Tompkins Square Park...

Thankfully, the Parks Department has roughly nine months to remove this before the pool reopens for the 2022 season.

Checking in on the sunshiny sinkhole on 1st Avenue

Checking up on the sinkhole here on First Avenue at Fifth Street (last post here)... definitely gaining conversation-starter status...

The Wild Son plans for daytime expansion with a lunch counter next door on 1st Avenue

The Wild Son is taking over its neighboring space at 130 First Ave. here by St. Mark's Place. 

 

Robert Ceraso, the cafe's co-owner and creative director, provided details. 

"We're going to be doing a Wild Son lunch counter in that space — extending the daytime service that we currently only offer on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to all weekdays," he said in an email. "It's going to be breakfast and lunch service only." 

When the new space opens (projected for mid-October now), patrons can expect to find favorites from the current Wild Son menu as well as some throwbacks to when he ran the sandwich shop Animals adjacent to The Wayland on Avenue C. 

"Animals was actually the precursor to The Wild Son concept that we eventually opened on the west side and then moved here," said Ceraso, whose other East Village establishments include The Wayland and Good Night Sonny. "So it feels good. It feels like it's coming full circle." 

Hours for The Wild Son annex are expected to be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Despite opening during the pandemic (May 2020), The Wild Son, which relocated to the East Village from Little West 12th Street, has become a popular destination.

No. 130 was previously the pop-up restaurant called Nudibranch and Nightmarket.

Thanks to Steven for the photo and EVG reader Alyssa for the initial tip.

Good news-bad news for fans of Pouring Ribbons on Avenue B

Pouring Ribbons returned to in-person cocktail service back on Wednesday from the second floor at 225 Avenue B.

In the past 18 months, the bar had only offered to-go cocktail options from time to time. For now, Pouring Ribbons is open starting at 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays here between 13th Street and 14th Street. Walk-ins only; there aren't any reservations at this time. (This Instagram post has details on the vaccination entry process.)

Meanwhile, Joaquín Simó, partner and bartender at Pouring Ribbons, announced in an Instagram post that their lease is up in April, so this marks the last six months at this location.

We've missed our regulars, our industry friends, and our neighbors more than anything. Not being a COVID casualty like so many beloved bars and restaurants is something we are extremely grateful for. We're not taking this opportunity to say a proper goodbye for granted, so please join us sometime soon!

The bar from Alchemy Consulting opened here in September 2012. 

Thank you to Vinny & O for the tip about the reopening and upcoming lease expiration. Pic from the archives.

Looking at the new mosaics inside the 1st Avenue L stop

Back on Thursday, the MTA unveiled a mosaic series by local artist Katherine Bradford throughout the First Avenue (and Avenue A!) L stop. 

Per the MTA: "Reflecting the community of people who use the 1 Av-14 St station, vibrant compositions totaling about 400 sq ft of glass mosaic ... are installed throughout the station."

Here's more via @mtaartsdesign:

The intriguing, ethereal figures seen in the mosaic panels represent the riders of the L train, which transports creative folk pursuing their dreams and the real-life heroes who provide essential services. 

In New York, these riders are dressed most often in black, which the artist believes is "merely a cloak over an inner life that is wildly colorful and unconventional." This group of figures expresses the energy of camaraderie when people are gathered together and inspires viewers to consider the outward expression of one’s own interior vivacity.

Artist Marcel Dzama created a series for the Bedford stop. This post at 6sqft has more photos of the mosaics at the First Avenue and Bedford stations.

Art pics via @mtaartsdesign

MSCHF on the Bowery

We fielded a few queries about the faux 7-Eleven storefront that arrived Friday at 306 Bowery between Bleecker and Houston (thanks, Robert Miner, for these pics!)...

Today and tomorrow, the storefront is serving as a pop-up space for MSCHF (primer article here), the Brooklyn-based art collective, and sales of their Boosted Packs V2 (aka drop 56). 

What might be inside these collectible packs?

   

Anyway, the pop-up status of the space apparently signals the end of the New Stand's upscale and tech-driven take on the convenience store.

Sunday's parting shot

😱😱😱😱 

Snowplow practice today on Avenue A and Ninth Street... thanks (maybe!) to Derek Berg for the photo...

RIP Faith Laugier

Faith Laugier, a prominent presence in the East Village and NYC activist community, died unexpectedly this past week. She was 42. A cause of death was not revealed. 

Here's more on Laugier from the Daily News, which first reported on her passing.

“She was a sensational woman who had an enormous amount of potential and it’s a huge loss for the activist movement and a huge loss for the city,” said Aton Edwards, a friend. 

Laugier became a prominent activist when Occupy Wall Street formed in September 2011 and protesters set up an encampment in Zuccotti Park in the Financial District. 

Laugier slept in the park the first night of Occupy Wall Street protests, said John Penley, a friend. "There weren't that many people who stayed there the first night," Penley recalled. 

The number of protesters in the park grew, and Laugier emerged as one of the movement's leading organizers.

Laugier's friends and family created a website to commemorate her accomplishments. News about a memorial will also be posted on this site. Her family also initiated a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for funeral expenses. 

Photo courtesy of John Penley