But will they have bars called the 13th Step and Billy Hurricane's?

Well, SO MUCH East Village-related news yesterday... We'll take a sampling of what we're talking about via The Sun:

The Sun was yesterday given a first look at the apartments and townhouses which will accommodate up to 17,000 Olympic athletes next year before becoming a ready-made new neighbourhood for East Londoners.

The newly-named East Village, on the doorstep of The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, promises to join the city's top addresses — with its own postcode, E20 — from 2013.

In the meantime it will be the base for Olympians like Jamaican Usain and Paralympians from more than 200 countries next year, including 550 athletes from Team GB.

Yesterday an army of 3,000 fluorescent-jacketed, hard-hatted workers was putting the finishing touches to the £1billion state-of-the-art development — landscaping gardens, laying pavements and testing how airtight the swish, underfloor-heated apartments are.

Swish?

We even got the news release from someone who thought we covered other East Villages. And it included a video. Dizzy.



After the Olympics, NYU plans to buy this East Village.

Good things: Lucy's back open sooner than expected

A few weeks ago we noted that Lucy's was on another break ... per the sign on our favorite on Avenue A...

But. Last night, the lights were on, the door open, etc. And Lucy was back behind the bar a week earlier than expected...

The shroud of St. Brigid's

[Bobby Williams]

Workers put up a tarp yesterday around part of St. Brigid's on Avenue B at Eighth Street, where the renovations continue...

...and last night...

Do not look at the flashing new Mediterranean Grill sign for too long

Over here at what was the Kebab Garden on First Avenue near St. Mark's Place... A reader said that the same owners are behind the Mediterranean Grill... But have you seen the sign? Still photos don't do it justice... it blinks and flickers and other things that seem a little seizurey ...

I'd have shot a video, but I'm afraid the result of people watching it ... would be like a scene from "The Happening." Or something. Looking forward to trying the gyros, though.

Tonight: 'Sacred Sounds'

From the EV Grieve inbox...

"Sacred Sounds"
Wednesday, Dec. 7, 7PM
Free, open to all.

Twelve East Village faith organizations and traditions gather for their third annual interfaith, intercultural recitation and music event.

Where:
The Bhakti Center
25 First Avenue

More info here.

123 days (and nights)

Shawn Chittle spoke with LES Jewels on Avenue A last night. Jewels reports that he has been sober for 123 days, and is getting some support from local officials in getting a room at the Lee, the low-income housing development and training center on East Houston and Pitt Street.

Also, he says, he misses Bob.

One December day that felt like October

Seventh Street and Avenue A late this afternoon via Bobby Williams.

To the people who live in the apartment with the new (and bright) lights in the window

Spotted on East 10th Street by Andy on Ave. C.

Maybe they're Interpol fans? (Feel free to boo that line.)

Looking at the renovated Whitehouse on the Bowery

To be honest, it has been about 18 months since we last heard anything about the Whitehouse Hotel, the hostel/flophouse combo that was barely hanging on and retaining some of the Bowery edge of yore. In May 2010, Curbed posted a notice of a housing court hearing for the hotel's remaining permanent residents.

And the prognosis looked dire, as developer Sam Chang continued his plans to purchase the property and build a nine-story hotel on the carcass, per The Villager.

Anyway, fast forward to now. We spotted this sign adjacent to the hotel on what used to be Sir Shadow's studio...

Fitness studio for Whitehouse guests? Huh? So we went over to the Whitehouse site and found ... well, a fancy new website... that apparently isn't so new.

According to the website:

"Introducing Bowery's Whitehouse Hotel and Hostel of New York, the coolest hostel in the No-Ho District of Manhattan in New York City for students, backpackers, and travelers on a budget. Just reopened in January 2011 after over $100,000 of improvements and renovations, our hostel will prove to be second to none for your New York City experience."

The site is full of social media options (Facebook! Twitter!) ... and contests...

How did we miss all that? Hard to see sometimes under that sidewalk shed that has been up for years.

So here's what a room looks like these days... adorned with Sir Shadow's work. BoweryBoogie interviewed him about this here ... (We're waiting to here where Sir Shadow is these days.)

A single room is $30, which we understand was the going rate about 10 years ago. In any event, we don't know what happened to the former tenants... On the positive side, it's still being used as an inexpensive option for travelers with a respectful nod to the past, unlike the vile Bowery House down the way, which treats its remaining destitute residents as "an asset to the property" for the well-heeled tourists looking for an authentic skid row experience.

The complimentary hotel bike wars, because it sounds controversial

Speaking of places to stay on the Bowery ... We keep noticing subtle changes at the newly christened Standard East Village... (Look winterizing!) The former Cooper Square Hotel now offers complimentary bikes to its guests...

[Bobby Williams]

(And you can watch a video about it here.)

Down the way, the Bowery Hotel introduced free bikes for guests in April 2009.

[Via]

Meanwhile, the Whitehouse is apparently no longer offering complimentary grocery carts...

An appreciation of sorts: That kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery

Might as well stay on the Bowery... This past summer, I exchanged emails with EV Grieve readers John and Madeline ... the point of the conversation: 355 Bowery, home of Osaka Vibe Sushi. It was more of an appreciation in this day of so many fashionable eateries along this stretch ... There's a lot going on in this photo that John took....

The C grade! Jello shots! The handwritten sign on neon paper! The promise of karaoke! The eternal help-wanted ad! Not to mention the vaguely sketchy fire hose handle attached to the door (see bottom photo for that) ...

Plus, you could usually count on finding someone asleep on the front stoop...

The place eventually got its grade up to an A. Never been inside. No plans on it either. This is an appreciation from afar.

Anyway, we've been meaning to post all this... Meantime (horrors!), we've noticed that the place has been closed of late... a sign appeared over the weekend...

Come back soon, kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery... the 7-Eleven is opening soon next door. We need you.

Demolition crew: 11 Second Ave. will be gone within the week

EV Grieve reader Spike sent us an email yesterday, noting that workers had removed/demolished the roof over the former Mars Bar along Second Avenue... and how...

Goggla spoke to the demolition crew who's taking down 9-17 Second Avenue brick by brick (no heavy machinery is allowed) ... they told her that No. 11 will be gone within the week. No. 9 will follow and they expect it to all be gone within two months.

Photos yesterday by Bobby Williams.