New traffic lights for Cooper Square

During the weekend, we noticed that someone had covered the crosswalks around Cooper Square... thinking perhaps that it was some sort of art project or prank...

Then a reader noted that these were new traffic/pedestrian lights ... Oh, duh. Right! We took a look at a Google image and a photo from a few weeks ago...

Sure enough... New!

A good idea seeing as this can be a treacherous intersection... plus, we'll something here to help guide traffic once developer Arun Bhatia puts up a new dorm or condo here on the corner of Sixth Street...

Prima Strada's three meals a day

Here's a bit of a progress report on Prima Strada, the new Italian restaurant coming to the former Elephant space on East First Street... Signs are up indicating the team behind Summit Bar on Avenue C will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, as The Feast reported back in December.

The Elephant closed in December. (You can read its history here, including an interview with the manager.)

Fork in the Road posted an in-progress video teaser of the space a few weeks back.

And a shot of last night's moon by Bobby Williams...

Along for the ride

Today at the farmer's market at Tompkins Square Park....

Photo by Bobby Williams...

Week in Grieview

A Q-and-A with "Blank City" director Céline Danhier (Tuesday)

Violations at 35 Cooper Square (Friday)

The 35 Cooper Square developer listens (Wednesday)

A missing East Village teen found (Wednesday)

Life at 610 E. 9th Street (Wednesday)

A CB3/SLA recap (Wednesday)

Looking at the Electric Circus (Friday)

We spotted Wonder Woman in her short shorts (Thursday)

A new 3-story Brick Lane Curry House coming soon (Tuesday)

Retail space for Second Street and Avenue B (Monday)

Mini Burger shuttered (Tuesday)

A note for the Prune brunch crowds (Monday)

A 20-foot boob at Cooper Union (Friday)

The Four-Leaf Clover Lady of the East Village

Yesterday afternoon, EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams saw Hildegard Ford — AKA the Four-Leaf Clover Lady of the East Village — in action in Tompkins Square Park... You've certainly seen her do this before...

... she collects the lucky clovers to hand out to police officers and firefighters for their acts of bravery... Ford has been collecting clovers since she was a girl in Germany...

You can read more about her in this feature from the Daily News from 2008.

Newsflash: New bars and restaurants revitalizing the 'far' East Village

The Post helpfully notes notes that the "once gritty far" East Village is getting "revitalized" by a lot of new bars and restaurants...

The 10-eatery chariticle lists several over-hyped places such as Goat Town, Edi & the Wolf, the Cienfuegos complex, Bedlam and Octavia's Porch... as well as places that may not be as well-known on the greater NYC radar, such as Percy's Tavern on Avenue A and 13th Street and Revision Lounge, Johnny's B's spot at the former Musical Box on Avenue B.

You can read the article here.

Breaking: Storm topples Mystery Lot monster

Before!

[Via James and Karla Murray]

After last night's storm!

Previously.

And how was your storm last night?

Reminders: Tax Day is tomorrow

A reader sends along this photo from Avenue A at Fifth Street...

Likely not endorsed by the IRS...

How to sell a Chevrolet in New York City in 1960

At Streit's, a tradition

Parade magazine today features Lower East Side institution Streit's matzo factory. (Read the feature here ... which includes a photo essay.) When the factory opened in 1925, lines for people waiting for fresh matzo "snaked around the block." (Ed. Note: Call 311!)

Today? “Now, 20-somethings roll out of the after-hours bars across the street in the morning,” says Alan Adler, [founder Aron] Streit’s great-grandson.

And!

Despite lucrative real estate offers, the company has stayed put. “Being a family business, we have a legacy,” Adler says. “We try to keep tradition alive as best we can.”

[Photo via Jeremiah's Vanishing NY]