What it takes to build a six-floor mansion on a narrow East Village street

We're hearing from more and more residents complaining about the construction at 331 E. Sixth St. ... and the noise/congestion is only intensifying ... (Didn't help that film crews for the Coen Brothers were on the block for three days this week...)

Anyway, here's a quick look at the work taking place at the ol' Schwimming hole ...

The city has logged a few complaints at the future David Schwimmer home ... the most recent at the DOB is dated March 2, stating:

ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION WORK BEING DONE AT THIS LOCATION WITH EXPIRED PERMITS. WORKERS CAN SEEN ON-SITE BETWEEN 7AM-6PM. TONIGHT THEY WORKED UNTIL 8PM

Photos by Bobby Williams.

P.S.

Goggla notes that an old piece of the wrought-iron fence leftover from 331 E. Sixth St. is there for the taking...

Joe Strummer gets a fresh coat and shave

Last Friday, we noted that someone had added a few details to the Joe Strummer Mural on Seventh Street at Avenue A outside Niagara...

Anyway, all gone. Joe got touched up a bit yesterday afternoon as these photos by Bobby Williams show...

...and last night...

[EVG]

Steve Jobs officially recognized in Tompkins Square Park

Back in November, workers from Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project planted a Dawn Redwood tree in Tompkins Square Park in honor of Steve Jobs, the late founder of Apple...

[Bobby Williams]

There was some discussion in the EV Grieve comments... Both positive...

I like this. The Macintosh empowered creative people and gave expression, connection, and life to an entire community that woud otherwise have been ignored by the big computer and software companies. For this we can thank Steve Jobs, and planting a beautiful redwood tree in our park, (that has lost too many trees this year) seems humble and appropriate.

...and more, uh, critical, like from nygrump...

Who the fuck 'authorized' a tree for steve jobs. what the fuck did he do for the East Village that would warrant a tree. - oh wait, under fascism we glorify the corporate heads.

... and inquisitive, like this from Stedman...

How is Steve Jobs connected to the East Village? Seriously. I want to know.

How about we dedicate the tree to Bob Arihood instead?

Only bringing this up because a worker has added Jobs's name to the tree plaque in the Park... (it's the one on the bottom, below Andrew Johnston, an East Village resident and a writer for Time Out, who died of colon cancer on Oct. 26, 2008).

Previously on EV Grieve:
RUMORS: Memorial tree for Steve Jobs planned for Tompkins Square Park

Meet Kita

Please welcome Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street, whose owners recently brought her home from a shelter.

Demolition in the shadows of the night on Third Avenue

As we've been reporting now the past few months, 74-76 Third Ave. will be demolished to make way for a new apartment complex...

As you can see in the above photo, the demo crew has removed the top floor of 76 Third Ave. ... the previous home of Yummy House and those mysterious windows on the north wall (now down to just one window) ...

Photo by @AndrewPettit

Previously on EV Grieve:
Those persistent rumors about 74-76 Third Avenue and the future of Nevada Smith's

The East Village will lose a parking lot and gain an apartment building

The rest of Duke's is in the dumpster on Avenue C

Duke's, the low-key neighborhood bar near East Eighth Street, closed at the beginning of the year... Workers have been gutting the space this week...

We've heard rumors of another bar taking over the space... Anyone know more about the future of the space?

The empty storefronts of East 10th Street

Just pointing out four storefronts now for rent along East 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...

However, on the next block to the west... a new business is taking over the space last held by a nail salon here off First Avenue...

DOH temporarily shutters Luca Bar on St. Mark's Place

The DOH hit the Luca Bar on St. Mark's Place this week... citing 43 violation points. Among the violations: Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

Photo via Bayou.

$10 says that some weekend bargoer will still try to use this ATM

East Sixth Street off First Avenue. By Bobby Williams.

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

[Tompkins Square Park along Seventh Street by Bobby Williams]

An update on Cornell Edwards Way for East 13th Street (The Villager)

Bloomberg LP doesn't report on how much Mayor Bloomberg is worth. Per Ryan Chittum at The Columbia Journalism Review: "Is it just me, or is there something vaguely North Korean about this?"

Take part in the Curbed/Eater/Racked Bodega Week extravaganza (Curbed)

Looking at the recently restored Keith Haring mural "Once Upon a Time" (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Margaret Chin's thoughts on landmarking, preservation (BoweryBoogie)

LES gallery owner chases down, captures art thief (The Lo-Down)

Cops seize thousands of books during raids on Sixth Avenue sidewalk vendors (DNAinfo)

News release talk!: Lion Capital LLP to Acquire Majority Ownership Interest in John Varvatos Enterprises, Inc. (MarketWatch)

Here's New York magazine's Best-of issue (New York)

An Eighth Street and Fifth Avenue now and then (Flaming Pablum)

NYC history; The Peters of Peter's Field on Second Avenue (Ephemeral New York)

And from Tompkins Square Park yesterday...

Photos by Bobby Williams.

More details on Cabrini's closing announcement

[Photo via GammaBlog]

Here's some follow-up on our story yesterday about the Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation on East Fifth Street at Avenue B closing in the next four-five months.

First, here's a copy of the letter that circulated to dozens of local elected officials and friends of Cabrini yesterday about the closure...

[Click to enlarge]

A few excerpts...

In order to give families enough time to transition and keep patient care at the highest level, we expect to continue the closure process as long as is necessary, likely until July. We are working collaboratively with the owner, Ben Shaoul of Magnum Real Estate, to ensure that our respective goals are achieved during this time.

The closure process will cost $7 million dollars, which represents expenses including unemployment insurance, pension funding and severance pay for the employees, whose devotion to Lower East Side families has truly made Cabrini a place worth fighting to maintain. To help cover these significant costs, we have requested a $7 million HEAL grant from the DOH. We ask your help in advocating for the Department of Health to grant Cabrini’s worthy request for HEAL funds. If we do not receive these closing funds, Cabrini will be forced into bankruptcy.

We take these obligations very seriously, and are currently in the process of negotiating the sale of 117 beds (the maximum number allowed by DOH, based on borough need), to a private nursing home operator in Borough Park. The transaction, which must be approved by the state, will offset closure costs by approximately $2.5 million and, most importantly, allow some Cabrini residents and employees the option of moving collectively to Brooklyn.

Local officials responded by issuing the following statement:

STATEMENT FROM LOWER EAST SIDE ELECTEDS ON CABRINI CENTER FOR NURSING & REHABILITATION

NEW YORK — Today, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, State Senator Tom Duane, Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, Borough President Scott Stringer, Councilmember Rosie Mendez, and Councilmember Margaret Chin released the following statement:

We are deeply disappointed that Cabrini will be shutting its doors after two decades of service to its patients and the Lower East Side community.

We collectively and aggressively worked to encourage the parties to reach a better conclusion, and believe they should have reached an agreement to keep Cabrini open in its current location until a new site became available.

This is a terrible loss for the Lower East Side, and for the greater New York City community. We're committed to working with Cabrini and the community to ensure a smooth and dignified transition for patients, their families, and Cabrini employees.

In addition, we heard late yesterday afternoon from Kenneth Fisher, the attorney representing developer Ben Shaoul, who purchased the building last fall. Fisher wanted to clarify a point in our post:

Your statement that we would not grant an extension so that Cabrini could build a new facility on land provided by the Archdiocese isn't quite correct. We were willing to consider something, but Cabrini turned out not to be able to move forward with it. We also at their request attempted to sell the building to a for profit operator at their request who turned out not to be able to perform. It was only after those alternatives failed that we advised Cabrini that no extension would be granted. Please bear in mind that this situation was created when the previous seller decided to sell ad set a price that Cabrini couldn't meet. We attempted to work with them in good faith.

Read the full story here.

Billy's big-top tent comes down this weekend; here's a last look inside

By now you probably know that Billy's Antiques on Houston at the Bowery has closed to make way for a two-story brick building... (Billy says that he will return!)

The iconic tent is coming down this weekend... Here's a last look inside the tent ...

Actually, you'll be able to take a look inside yourself starting tomorrow night at 7...

From the news release that is making the rounds...

After nearly three decades in business the infamous Tent housing Billy's Antiques and Props on Bowery and Houston will be taken down forever. Shop owner Billy Leroy, Proprietor Tony Goldman of Goldman Properties and the filmmakers behind "Dirty Old Town" a feature narrative that prefigured this moment, have come together to host a final farewell celebration. The evening will be hosted by renown New York writer and personality Anthony Haden Guest, featuring a line-up of eulogists and performers...

On the next day, Saturday, March 10th at 3pm, the tent will begin itʼs first phase of demolition. The tarps and fabric, enduring over 30 years of New York weather, both cultural and environmental, will be taken down forever. In a gothic burial ceremony, the “Flesh” of the tent will be peeled from the skeletal “Bones” of the structure and placed in a coffin. The coffin will be paraded around the block by pallbearers, while a funeral march is strummed by guitarist and tent-matriarch Lorraine Leckie. The coffin will be chained to the inside fence, and the remaining hollow structure will be painted fire-engine red in the days to follow. This theatrical end was the brain-child of landlord Tony Goldman, Leroy and filmmaker Jenner Furst...

Going out in style...

Meanwhile, you can catch Billy on the Travel Channel starting April 11...