Red Light District

Avenue B near East Seventh Street. And you call this spring? At least it will feel like spring today and tomorrow and....

Unopened restaurant has stern warning for anyone thinking of soliciting, loitering, littering, etc.

For reasons unknown to even me, I've been keeping an eye on 424 E. 9th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A. The Moroccan-themed Sintir is planning on opening here...(The owners were denied a beer/wine license in February ... there is opposition from members of the Block Association concerned about the possibility of live music here...)



Work continues at the space... and check out this warning on the front window....



Is that stern warning so necessary?

New Yankee Stadium wasn't built in 26 seconds -- or was it? (Plus, where is the old stadium?)

As you read here exclusively, the Yankees have a new stadium. And today is the home opener in said stadium. And here it is being built.



And here is a video uploaded in March 2008 titled "Yankee Stadium 2009 Opening Day Presentation." Notice anything missing in this soundless video? Like the old Yankee Stadium? And what about some of those businesses that line River Avenue? Where's Ball Park Lanes?

April 15 humor

On St. Mark's Place.

Is there a connection between increased unemployment rates and higher crime rates?

The Wall Street Journal explores the topic.

"High unemployment is likely for the rest of 2009. Does that presage a year of violence? Maybe not."

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

Second business coming to Extra Place? (Grub Street)

Death of a newsstand (BoweryBoogie)

Nusraty Afghan Imports celebrates its Grand Re-Opening today (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

New fancy Tequila bar for EV? (Eater)

Looking at Lift newyork (East Village Podcasts)

Highlights from yesterday’s Landmarks Preservation Commission meeting (Washington Square Park)

Have you looked at Melanie's photos? (Melanie)

Highlights from the Chelsea Hotel Film Festival (Living with Legends)

Listen to Jesus; random clothes at the Pee Phone (Slum Goddess)

And finally.....via Buzzfeed:



"Only GaGa would have the balls to make the 'don't look at me' hand gesture while walking around wearing a wig shaped like a cone. Never change, GaGa!"

If you stare at Blue long enough, it begins to lean

Plus, I didn't realize Blue — at 105 Norfolk on the LES — left space for retail.



Lastly! I did a Google search to double-check Blue's address. Hmmm..."This site may harm your computer." The url or 105 Norfolk?

Help wanted: "Pretty, sexy, must love go go dance"

Unfortunately, this ad on Craigslist has been removed...but not before I did a cut-n-paste...:

Hey ! We are a Friday night party of the Lower East Side. We are looking for GO GO girls. Pretty, sexy, must love go go dance !!! Check out [Web sites redacted] to get the idea / feel of the party type.

We are expecting you to go go and walk around the place and keep up the vibe of the party approximately 11pm-3am. There is a hot body contest at 2am. Also, Open Vodka Bar 10-11.

The party is every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. We are looking for someone who wants to Go Go more than once. We will be using you again, starting April 17th.

Please reply for all the info :)

Nino's vs. Artichoke

As Grub Street noted last week, Nino's at St. Mark's and Avenue A is now serving an artichoke and spinach pizza, perhaps to rival that of the too-crowded-and-expensive-for-my-tastes Artichoke Basille's around the corner on 14th Street.

So I thought I'd try Nino's new slice for a Very Special Easter Holiday Weekend. With the Christmas tree still up, it's easy to be in the holiday spirit at Nino's.

For starters, can you tell the difference between Nino's ($3) and Artichoke ($4) in the two photos below? (Also, I realize that none of this pizza looks very appetizing thanks to my photos and the lighting. Kind of looks like a car just drove over them...)




Yeah, the top photo is the work of Nino's. (By the way, I love the fountain drinks machine at Nino's.)



Anyway! As for Nino's new artichoke slice... Well, I'm not much of a foodie/reviewer type, though I do like to use "drizzled" and "artisanal" and "seasonal" in everyday conversation... Oh, so Nino's was quite tasty...less of a gutbuster without so much cheese and the overpowering goopy garlic aftertaste of Artichoke. And it's $1 less...and Nino's has fewer annoying people in line...

Also, I've been to Artichoke twice. Back in August. I was walking by and there wasn't a line, so I wanted to see what the fuss was about ... And more recently, well, I just felt like a slice. Too bad I got stuck in line behind the NYU students who were — seriously — debating where the best ski spots are in Switzerland. (Totes, Zermatt!)

Anyway, I swear the slices at Artichoke were smaller during my second visit...the photos don't quite do them justice, but... And the Artichoke slices weren't as good as the first time. But is it ever?

Recently:



August:



P.S.
The reality is that I miss Five Rose's Pizza. That was the best. By the way, a rumormonger at Eater says the Five Rose's space on First Avenue will be home to another pizza place.

Exotic Minature Breeds flier of the day

On Avenue B near Third Street.

Noted

From Page Six:

"THE class structure is alive and well in New York Major League Baseball. Both new stadiums have VIP areas where owners of the highest priced seats won't have to chafe elbows with the unwashed masses. The high rollers have their own entrances, their own bars, concession stands and restrooms that are off-limits to fans in the cheaper seats. At the Mets' home opener at glorious Citi Field Monday night, among those who took advantage of the exclusive Delta 360 Club were Mayor Bloomberg, Gov. Paterson, top cop Ray Kelly, Donald and Melania Trump, Drew Nieporent (who has a Nobu over left field), pharma billionaire Stewart Rahr, taxi banker Andrew Murstein, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who was sharing the home-cooked chicken he brought."

East Village has highest rental vacancy rate in NYC

"Manhattan’s East Village had the highest vacancy rates in March with 3.24 percent of its rental units available, Citi- Habitats said. Soho and TriBeCa, both in Lower Manhattan, had the lowest vacancy rate: 1.84 percent." (Bloomberg)