Friday, March 2, 2012

When you screw around with a motorcycle in front of the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop

From the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop Facebook page ... on an incident that happened last evening at the shop on Seventh Street:

A very strange kid came into the shop. Eventually he bought a cone, then he asked "who's motorcycle is parked in front of your shop?" We told him it belongs to a guy upstairs, and he said "yeah, I need to work on that bike, so just ignore me."

The dude who owns the bike is obsessive — shines it, polishes it, and no one ever touches it. The kid uncovered the bike and started to screw with it, so we called 911. He took off, but the cops showed up and our staffer Kayla went off in their car to look for the dude. She got him!

Breaking: Engine fire on Delancey


On Delancey at Suffolk... thanks to ‏@davidshankbone

Joe Strummer mural vandalized


Not sure when this happened here on Seventh Street at Avenue A ...


Really?


Don't fuck with Joe.

First sign of Schwimmer Manor

Workers at 331 E. Sixth St., site of David Schwimmer's future six-story home, are making noticeable progress now... Yesterday, the house made its first appearance above the plywood...



And more bricks were arriving this morning...


Anyway, moving forward, we should probably come up with a name for the house... a way to refer to it in future posts. Going with Schwimmer Manor at the moment. But that's a little meh. Anyone?

Going in deep at 51 Astor Place; plus, survey results!


Just checking in on the progress over at 51 Astor Place... Bobby Williams took this shot yesterday...

Meanwhile. Good lord! We forgot about our exclusive poll from a few weeks ago ... in which we asked what you would rather see at 51 Astor Place — green space/empty or the Death Star.

Here's how you voted America. (And parts of Canada) ...


Hmm, only 218 votes ... (and thank you for checking in Texas, Florida and Nebraska...)

Note: There is a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points. Or not.

The Coen Brothers returning to the East Village


People seemed to enjoy their company last time (aka, a few weeks ago) ... the "Inside Llewyn Davis" crew is filming Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday... on parts of Second Avenue between Sixth Street and Ninth Street ... and Sixth and Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...


The tow truckers will start towing Sunday night for all this...

And a recap: The film follows a protagonist loosely based on singer Dave Van Ronk, a friend of Bob Dylan’s. Oscar Isaac stars as the title character while Justin Timberlake co-stars as another folk musician. Carey Mulligan and John Goodman are also in the film.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Coen Brothers want to dress up East Ninth Street

Here's your Boukiés signage

[Bobby Williams]

Workers put up the new Boukiés signs yesterday here on Second Street and Second Avenue... the new Greek eatery from restaurateur Christos Valtzoglou opening in the spring...

...already more inviting looking than the previous establishment here on the corner...

Billy Leroy will battle baggage starting April 11

So you know that the iconic tent that houses Billy's Antiques on Houston at the Bowery is coming down to make way for a two-story brick building ... the place is now closed... Proprietor Billy Leroy told us in December that he'd be keeping busy in the interim by, among other things, serving as co-host on a new antiques reality show called "Baggage Battles" on the Travel Channel.

And we just received the show's official news release.

So, from the EV Grieve inbox...
Ever wonder what happens to your lost luggage? Travel Channel provides a glimpse into the very profitable business of bidding, buying and reselling unclaimed property in the new original series “Baggage Battles,” premiering with a special one-hour season opener featuring back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, April 11 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The weekly half-hour series follows three teams of savvy “auction specialists” who travel to some of the most important and unknown auctions where their bids are based on sight unseen instincts. The season premiere will kick off at Miami International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, and then the auction pros will jump across “The Pond” to London.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

NY1 features Avenue C sinkhole


Posted this photo by Bobby Williams from Avenue C at 13th Street early last week... and tonight, the sinkhole made its New York TV News Debut... over at NY1, who reported on its NY1 For You feature:

Pedestrians who routinely walk along Avenue C at 13th Street know to avoid a huge crack in the sidewalk which they say is slowly caving in. But with a school around the corner the cavernous hole is a danger to those who aren't aware of it.

"It's extremely dangerous," said one concerned parent.

"If you don't know that the hole is there it's dangerous for people with children," said another.

Pedestrians say the deep hole has been this way for a while and they've seen no attempt by the city to repair it.

When a rat plays possum

So. Here's what we have from Tompkins Square Park today.

A red-tailed hawk in the tree. A rat, possibly stuck, maybe either dazed or playing possum. Rat out of the hole. Rat in tree to be dinner.





Photos by Bobby Williams.

The great white Houston-Bowery mural wall


Well, the FAILE mural here at Houston and the Bowery is now... very white. Someone finished whitewashing the wall today in preparation for the next installation...

Vancouver now has an East Village

From the EV Grieve inbox...

One of Vancouver's Historic Neighbourhoods Has a New Name - The East Village

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — (Marketwire - March 1, 2012)
Running along East Hastings Street from Commercial Drive to Renfrew Street and including the Powell Street light industrial area, The East Village is distinguished by its vibrant, multicultural population. Local residents are served by more than 400 businesses, which also draw other city dwellers and suburbanites into the area.

Businesses in The East Village range from the essential to the exotic. There are stores, services and eateries — many independently-owned — that serve the day-to-day needs of local residents and visitors. But you can also find unique items, such as one-of-a-kind delicacies for foodies, exceptional flies for fishing enthusiasts and the factory store of Canada's most famous boot-maker.

Soon to appear on distinctive street banners, The East Village name was devised by the Hastings North Business Improvement Association (HNBIA) with the help of the local community.

"People really liked The East Village name because it's in keeping with our friendly and progressive neighbourhood," says Patricia Barnes, Executive Director of the BIA. "We are also fortunate to have an active, independent business sector that contributes to the village experience."