Today in photos of people dressed like Batman in Tompkins Square Park

By Dave on 7th.

Heartbreak closed for good

Last week we heard the news that Heartbreak Cafe on Second Avenue at Second Street had closed for renovations. Diner's Journal reported this morning that the German-Swiss restaurant has closed for good. [Via Grub Street]

Flashback to this corner on Oct. 12, 2009 ... during construction...

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

[13th Street the other morning]

Fighting to save the Bowery (The New York Times)

At Bob Arihood's memorial on Saturday (The Gog Log)

More on the fire on East 10th Street yesterday (Eater)

Slum Goddess at Occupy Wall Street (Slum Goddess)

The Landmarks Preservation Committee (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Calvin Trillin at the Tenement Museum (BoweryBoogie)

The photography of Vivian Maier (Ephemeral New York)

RIP Grand Street News (The Lo-Down)

And thank you to everyone who sent along photos from the skywriting yesterday... didn't get a chance to post them... had a few of my own too...

As you likely heard by now ... what it was all about, via the Daily News...

Cryptic messages written in the sky over lower Manhattan — part of a kooky art project — mystified and unnerved New Yorkers Sunday afternoon.

Just after 4 p.m. a plane wrote the words "Last Chance" in the air. The message was preceded by"Lost Our Lease" and followed by "Now Open."

The skywriting turned out to be sponsored by Friends of the High Line, the non-profit behind the wildly popular elevated park.

Artist Kim Beck, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who lives part time in New York, chose messages from advertising billboards as cryptic comments on the faltering economy.

Are you Puddin' me on?: The latest dessert shop for the East Village

Wow. Last month, we pointed out signage for a new dessert place opening at 102 St. Mark's Place ... next door to Jane's Sweet Buns.

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Allen Semanco for the following photo that provides more detail on the type of dessert...

What's the over/under on a liquor license request? Think of the possibilities! Puddin' Bombs with a shot of Bailey's and Jameson ... Kidding! But...

Bad news for Joe's Bar

On Friday night, we walked by Joe's Bar, one of our favorite places, and the bar on East Sixth Street between Avenue B and Avenue A was closed...

The last time that we noticed Joe's was closed (in July) ... it turned out to be a false alarm... this time, though — the DOH temporarily closed them last week. The DOH hit them with 71 violation points. Some of them seemingly rinky-dink. ("Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.")

But. A well-placed tipster says that Joe's has been on a month-to-month lease ... worse, Joe's health may be an issue... The tipster thinks the bar might be done for now.

Extra:
Marty After Dark paid a visit to Joe's back in May.

Even an empty 34 Avenue A is upsetting neighbors

34 Avenue A has been focal point for criticism since Aces & Eights opened in the spring of 2009... Then, of course, came the drama with the various restaurant-bar-performance space proposals... In August, "for rent" signs went up here.

On Saturday morning, Dave on 7th spotted the following Urban Etiquette Sign outside 34 Avenue A... (EV Grieve reader Matt also sent us photos ...)

So what's going on? Debra Stelnik, a broker for Coldwell Banker, told me this weekend via email that the space is still for lease.

If the noise came from the tenants upstairs, then you'd think the sign leaver would have placed the note to the left on their entrance... Theories? Ideas?

In any event, here is the rental info for the main floor and basement...

NYPD warning flyers now more realistic with the addition of swear words!

Spotted on Second Avenue at Seventh Street...

Think of the children!

Updated: A commenter notes the "limited to department circulation" line at the bottom right. Oops!

The Post discovers 2 Bros. Pizza on St. Mark's Place; and what eatery generates more litter?

Odd little story in the Post yesterday.

Two new $1 pizza joints on St. Mark’s Place are fueling a greasy scourge on the dense East Village street, according to fed-up locals.

Drunken patrons of twin 2 Bros. Pizza places have left a sad trail of paper plates, crusts and soda cans across sidewalks and stoops in the last year, disgusted residents said.

OK. It can be messy out front of the two 2 Bros. So why an odd story? Well, because the first 2 Bros. Pizza opened here in 2008. Not really new. The second 2 Bros. opened a few doors away in January.

And I'd argue that 16 Handles generates more litter ... at least in front of St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery...



More on this here. ... and here ...

Upon further review, there are actually two three-floor-tall IHOP signs on East 14th Street

Last Monday, we took photos of the three-floor high IHOP sign going up on the east side of the IHOPlex... Lordy, we never noticed that one went up on the west side as well...

and now, dueling three-floor IHOP signs...

The 4th Street Food Co-op reopens today

Our friend Jill Woodward at the The 4th Street Food Co-op passes along word that they will reopen today... "We have a new floor, the interior is freshly painted, and there are other improvements — plus more in the works," she says. "We hope our shoppers will be as thrilled as we are."

The co-op closed in late September for renovations.

New Tofu House sign helps set St. Mark's Place signage record

Back on Aug. 1, we pointed out that the NY Tofu House was the latest eatery to give the former Mondo Kim's space a whirl on St. Mark's Place... And the tofuers have added signage...

One more sign here and workers will need to reinforce the structure.

Cowgirl's Baking has closed

We noticed that they hadn't been open lately here on East 10th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A ... Turns out that the vegan bakery-eatery closed after Sept. 27. They opened in March.

We sent them an email during the weekend to find out more. This is from one of their last tweets:

Anyone have more information about the closing?