Noted

Seventh Street and Avenue A. Sums up the day pretty well.

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Chris F. for the photo.

9:09 p.m., Avenue B, March 17

9:08 p.m., East Sixth Street, March 17

And later at McSorley's

Late afternoon... Photos by Bobby Williams...

Earlier.

2:20 p.m., Avenue A, March 17

Photo by Shawn Chittle.

Save Kate's Joint on Avenue B

A campaign is underway to help save Kate's Joint, the vegetarian restaurant on Avenue B and East Fourth Street. Here's the background on indiegogo:

Kate’s Joint, vegetarian restaurant and bar, has been a staple in New York City’s East Village since 1996. Solely owned and operated by neighborhood native Kate Halpern, who dreamt to create an affordable restaurant to serve the community she grew up in. Kate’s Joint has grown to become much more than just a business, it is a home for locals and travelers a like, a place to bring family and friends, and to meet new ones.

Unfortunately, with the changing neighborhood and economic recession Kate’s Joint has seen a fall in business and rise in costs. Kate is currently in arrears with the landlord. Eviction notices have been sent, court appearances have been made, and if a substantial amount of money is not raised by April 11th, the next court date, the doors will shut permanently at Kate’s Joint. The East Village will lose another neighborhood landmark.

Anyone who has ever met Kate knows how hard she has worked over the past 15 years, and how dedicated she is to this business. She has many plans to increase business, including transforming a section of the restaurant in to a bakery featuring vegan and gluten free baked goods, reaching a new market of morning commuters who would be able to grab a cup of coffee and a vegan muffin on their way to work. That being said, first thing is first, fighting off this eviction!

The Impact

This is not just about saving Kate’s Joint; it is about preserving the East Village. It is about preserving small, female owned businesses. Don’t let Avenue B turn in to a row of Starbucks and banks; help keep small businesses alive!


What We Need & What You Get

We need at least $30,000 to go to back rent. While we are hopping to raise the majority of this through donations and fundraisers, we realize that may not be possible. We are also in talks with other funding sources, including loans and investors.

Read the rest of the post here. Owner Kate Halpern explains the perks of a contribution there too...

Blockbuster closes tomorrow; last chance to buy the store's fire extinguisher

As we first reported, the Blockbuster in the Red Square shops on East Houston closes tomorrow...

...and when they say everything must go, they mean it.

Hope there's not a small fire inside the store today.

Previously.

This was the line for McSorley's at 8:56 a.m., March 17, 2012

Hey, it's St. Patrick's Day. In case you didn't know already because your neighbors have recently discovered the Pogues.

Anyway! Forgot to check when McSorley's opens today... 9? 11?

... and around the corner... Leprechaun bus!

If you don't feel like waiting, then you may go to the Village Pourhouse on 11th Street and Third Avenue. They were open earlier. You may need a backpack to get in. Many people we saw entering the bar had backpacks. (Unfortunately, not depicted so well in this photo...) Change of clothes? Provisions? Textbooks? Stomach pumps?

If you are brave enough to venture out today (we recommend that you stay locked in your bathroom), then say hi. We'll be wearing a disguise from Gem Spa...

St. Patrick's Day at McSorley's in 1943

Courtesy of the McSorley's Facebook page...

From the Department in Great Timing Department

Nike chose today, St. Patrick's Day, to film a commercial around McSorley's.

Unless there's a St. Patrick's Day theme to the commercial.

Rare Woodcock spotted in Tompkins Square Park

First, please no snickering over the bird's name... Bobby Williams spotted this Woodcock today in the Park...

And, background cut-n-paste from Wikipedia...

The American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), sometimes colloquially referred to as the Timberdoodle, is a small chunky shorebird species found primarily in the eastern half of North America. Woodcock spend most of their time on the ground in brushy, young-forest habitats, where the birds' brown, black, and gray plumage provides excellent camouflage.

Because of the male Woodcock's unique, beautiful courtship flights, the bird is welcomed as a harbinger of spring in northern areas. It is also a popular game bird, with about 540,000 killed annually by some 133,000 hunters in the U.S.

An early start

On the Bowery...

... and Tompkins Square Park...

Photos by Bobby Williams...