A quick word on the cup holders at the new Yankee Stadium

They don't work all that well.... at least the ones in the cheaper ($20!) 400-level seats... When I arrived at my seat Tuesday night, the ground was wet...which was a little odd given that the seats were covered by the roof. Anyway, the guys next to me were drinking beer. They seemed decent enough. Like, not the type to dump beer on each other. Anyway, I put my full beer ($10 for 20 ounces of Miller Lite — plus the souvenir cup!; or, 12-ounce drafts were available for $6) in the cup holder in front of me.

And now I figured it out.



The cup holders are at a slight angle. And by placing a full beer in the holder, the first, oh, four ounces will slowly start trickling onto the ground. "We did the same thing," the guys next to me said. At these prices, they said it would be like throwing away gold. Or something.



To combat this, you need to buy the 16-ounce plastic bottles of beer for $9. Or just hold your cup until your taken a few swallows.

Off Target

And the ad almost covered the Anarchy symbol...at St. Mark's and Avenue A.

Where you can hang out with the actor who did the voice in five episodes of "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" today and tomorrow

Yes! Of course we mean Jeff Goldblum! You can maybe pretty much find him anywhere from Avenue B to D on Seventh Street and Eighth Street ... when "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" comes to the neighborhood...




And look at the movie credits listed behind Goldblum's name...."Captain Planet and the Planeteers"? "Mad Dog Time"? Someone is trying to be funny...

Freddy Sez inside Yankee Stadium

After being denied entrance to the new Yankee Stadium on Sunday, Freddy Sez was back in the ballpark (or mallpark, to some) last night. (Something about this story seems a little premeditated for my taste...) Oh, I was there too at the game -- received a free ticket (A $20 Grandstand jobbie) from a friend.

May take a moment to collect my thoughts on the experience at the new stadium. It was just a little... weird. Like your parents moving from your ramshackle childhood home into a new cushy retirement condo. And everyone who works there is super friendly. "May I help you?" "Hi, are you guys having fun?" "Thanks for coming! Have a good night!"

P.S.

Here's a photo of the first pitch at 7:05 p.m.



The 400 Section (the $20 seats) where I was sitting was nearly full...

The signs at the Olympic Restaurant

Truth is, I saw the telltale neon signs appear on the windows a few weeks back at what is arguably my favortite restaurant around, the Olympic at Delancey and Essex on the LES. I didn't have the nerve to take an upclose look.



I always figured this corner was doomed in the new Blue LES... so, farewell to the Jade Fountain, which has been around since 1920...



...and the Olympic. With its little lunch counter and surprisingly comfortable stools.





Well, I finally decided to check it out this past week. Read the "Closing. Thank you to our customers" sign upclose. And what did I find on that orange sign?

News of expanded hours! Now open 24 hours Thursday through Saturday!

Heh. Well. Serves me right, Mr. Doomsday. So I went in and had the eggs, bacon, toast, home fries, juice and coffee -- $6 as always.

Per usual, the EMT guys were there. They sit down to eat inside the Olympic, but always get the food served in to-go containers -- in case they get a call during their meal. Never have seen that happen since I've been going there. (I figure the first time I need a paramedic -- perhaps from eating so many eggs-and-bacon meals from the Olympic -- the EMTs will arrive with food from the Olympic...)

Maybe another day I'll write more about the Olympic. Meanwhile, if you do go, check out the restrooms up the stairs in the back....

On the edge

You probably saw the news accounts yesterday about the Mercedes SUV that plunged three stories from the parking garage at 12th Street and University Place. According to reports, the attendant accidentally threw the SUV into reverse by mistake. Amazingly enough, no one was killed — or seriously injured.

As the Post noted

The massive SUV catapulted through the sixth-floor window landing in a tangle on a roof between the two buildings.

"There's a f- - -ing car in my back yard," Frank Schwartz said. "I heard a guy yell earlier, but I thought it was just my crazy neighbors partying, and I just ignored it.

"That's what happens when you live in New York."

Uh-huh. True.

Still, have you ever looked up at the parking garage on Ninth Street between Third Avenue and Second Avenue?



Please be careful — and walk on the other side of the street.

To your Earth Day

In Tompkins Square Park. And please clean up after your pet.

Hate to see the holidays come to an end

April 20 on East Ninth Street. Or maybe someone simply forgot they had a Christmas tree left up in their apartment.

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

The former home of the Marx Brothers in danger of demo (Living with Legends)

Sabotage at the Aqueduct? (New York Observer)

Analyzing "Manhattan" (Patell and Waterman's History of New York)

Carnage at the P&G (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Ken has photos from better days at the P&G (Greenwich Village Daily Photo)

What's doing in Murray Hill? (Esquared)

The Bowery/Delancey billboard goes black (BoweryBoogie)

Happy No. 62 Iggy (Hunter-Gatherer and Stupefaction)

EV/LES streetscenes (Flaming Pablum)

Tagging along on Snuggie Saturday (Daily Intel)

Jeremiah had news yesterday of the new tenant at Extra Place.

Meanwhile! From Metropolitan Diary yesterday in the Times:

Dear Diary:

Recently I was on my way to a job interview in the East Village, a neighborhood I don’t know well. I had a hard time finding the address I was looking for, even with directions I had printed out from the Internet.

The short street, Extra Place, was not marked, and since the tiny shop wasn’t open yet, there was no sign of any kind that I was in the right place. In a panic, I hurried up to a police car stopped at the next intersection and asked where “Extra Place” was.

The officers immediately went to work. One consulted his mobile phone to verify the address; one pulled out a map from a large bunch stuck between the two seats. To my confusion, that officer also handed me a handful of tissues.

“Are you on your way to an interview?” he asked. “You’re going to need this; you have lipstick all over your teeth.”

He swiveled the passenger-side mirror so I could get a look at myself and make the necessary touch up. The two then directed me to the right location and with a quick thank you, I jogged off down the block.

I didn’t get the job, but I did get a good story about New York City officers going above and beyond the call of duty.

Deleted Craigslist ad of the day: "This location is similar to east village, lots of artists and musicians and city people that are willing to spend!"

Spotted on Craigslist. Unfortunately, the ad has been removed...But not before ....

lucrative resteraunt on orchard st lower east side w/ achol license!! (Lower East Side) $7000

this restaurant is about 2100sq ft and has everything that you need to start making money on this busy high foot traffic location of lower east side!! 5 mins walk to the F, J, M, Z trains on Essex station 1 stop into williamsburg brooklyn. back yard seatings are available!! fryer, hood, prep are (in basement), built in fridge and ice machines ready and usable!!. there is definitely money to be made in this restaurant and absolutely great location!! This location is similar to east village, lots of artists and musicians and city people that are willing to spend! Wine and Beer License 100% transferable to new owner!!!! please note that no alcohol licenses are given out in this area anymore, so just the alcohol license alone is worth a lot of money!! and it is included in key money $15,000. You have to see it to believe it!! Lease is negotiable, asking rent is 7000/month. Everything is negotiable!

Feel free to guess the location.

Meanwhile! Holiday lights on Orchard Street...from last November.

Noted

"Freddy 'Sez' Schuman, the one-eyed, cookware-clanking octogenarian who's been an unofficial pinstripe mascot for 22 seasons, was forced to panhandle for tickets at the new Yankee Stadium over the weekend." (New York Post)

Taking another look at East Seventh Street

There's no shortage of turnover on the stretch of Seventh Street near Avenue A. Here's an update since the last time...

A small-plates place called Cure opened last week at was was briefly going to be the East Village Pie Lounge (which was briefly the Italian cafe Affettati...)



The space that briefly housed the Chocolate Bar is still for rent.



The Tiny Living store is closing...





The space next to Butter Lane Cupcakes is still for lease...



The former kiddie hair salon/boutique Locks 'n' Lads that closed in January is now an upscale clothing boutique called Red...



P.S.
During the renovation of Red, this fine-looking dummy was put out in the trash. Was curious if anyone took it...



P.S.S.

Two other storefronts — former boutiques — are available on the block...Including: