The most amazing cat painting likely discarded today in the East Village

'Tis true. Spotted earlier on East Eighth Street near Avenue C.

Report: 2nd Avenue bike lane will extend from 14th to 23rd streets

Cyclists (and maybe parkers!) take note. The Department of Transportation plans to remove a lane of traffic on Second Avenue between 14th Street and 23rd Street to make room for about 35 parking spaces, which will provide a buffer for cyclists using the bike lane along this busy stretch, DNAinfo is reporting.

"It would create a continuous protected path on the avenue...and makes a shorter pedestrian path for those crossing Second Avenue who might need to walk a little slower," DOT spokesperson Patrick Kennedy said last night during a CB6 committee meeting.

The full CB6 Board will vote on the proposed plan next week, per DNAinfo. Read the article here.

City OKs 13-floor dorm for Cooper Square

[EVG file photo]

The city has approved developer Arun Bhatia's plans for a 13-floor "new student housing building" on Cooper Square at East Sixth Street, according to public records. The DOB website shows that the plans were OK'd this past Friday.



Bhatia's reps first filed paperwork for a 9-story dorm for an unspecified school in this space back in August 2012, as we first reported. Along the way, the dorm grew by 4 floors.

The paperwork on file with the DOB shows a building with 55 units and 3,517 square feet for commercial space. Kossar + Garry Architects, LLP are the architects of record.



There are many unknowns publicly about the project, such as who the dorm is for... and when construction will commence. The Arun Bhatia Development Organization has developed dorms for the New School and Marymount Manhattan College, among others, through the years.

The dorm will sit on a lot previously occupied in part by 35 Cooper Square, the Federal-style building that dated to 1825. The closing of the Asian Pub in January 2011 at 35 Cooper Square set in motion a sequence of events that led to the demolition of the building in 2011.

Neighbors haven't been so supportive of all this, as various signs left on the fence here have shown the past two years... like this one from March 2012...

An aside: The DOB website shows that there is still a "partial vacate" on 35 Cooper Square... dated from November 2008. Per the all-cap DOB speak: "NO 2ND MEANS OF EGRESS AT REAR YARD."



Thankfully the demolition crew took care of that egress problem.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Something 28,998 square feet or so coming to Cooper Square (and goodbye Cooper 35 Asian Pub?)

Here's what's coming to 35 Cooper Square: 9-story dormitory

Proposed dorm for former 35 Cooper Square looks to be 4 floors taller

'Friendly neighbors' have concerns about that 'nasty' kiddie pool on the roof

Few things in blog life please us more than Urban Etiquette Signs... like this one that EVG regular Spike shared from along East Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

First, the note!



Passive aggressive perfection!

And the aftermath... Ah! Turns out that the note wasn't in reference to a kiddie pool gainfully used by toddlers to keep cool during this recent Fall Heatwave of 2013™ ... it appears that the kiddie pool in question may have been keeping the brews cool during a recent rooftop rager...

Regardless. Someone sort of half-dumped the pool in question. No word on where the mosquitos are.

Some early thoughts on the CBGB movie

The "CBGB" biopic makes its U.S. premiere tonight at the Sunshine as part of the CBGB Music and Film Festival. (The movie opens Friday in theaters.)

So far, some of the reviews of the movie starring Alan Rickman as CBGB founder Hilly Kristal haven't been so kind, putting it mildly. (To date, there are four "rotten" reviews over at Rotten Tomatoes.)

At the Voice, Brian McManus turns in a review accompanied by the headline "The Year Punk Bored: CBGB Could've Been Good But..." He writes that the film is "a mostly turgid, boring-as-hell, campy slog that gets more wrong than right."

His conclusion:

The story of Hilly’s historic club is, of course, well-trodden, but likely unknown by many more familiar with the famous logo than the fact that it’s the place The Ramones were first given a platform. CBGB misses the opportunity to educate. But its biggest sin, unlike many who performed there, is that it also misses the opportunity to entertain.

At the Daily News, veteran music writer Jim Farber tries to be diplomatic. He points out the movie's much-discussed historical inaccuracies, such as Patti Smith performing "Because the Night" at least three years before it was written.

His conclusion:

The film is a poorly written, clumsily acted mess.

Yet, in the end, it did my heart good to see it. I thrilled to every fast reference to long-lost and beloved acts like the Mumps, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, and the Tuff Darts. More, it was warming to see any depiction of the obliterated New York of old, no matter how vaguely rendered. If, in the end, the movie gets nowhere near its core mission of bringing back punk’s essential passion, it delivers its putrid outlines with loving accuracy.

The most savage review came last Monday via Marc Campbell, the vocalist for the Nails, in a post at Dangerous Minds titled "If You Thought CBGB's Bathrooms Were Full of Shit Check Out the Movie."

Among his many grenades:

• "CBGB really really sucks shit."

• "Fortunately, I can’t imagine CBGB finding an audience willing to spend a dime on this glob of pustulating spit."

• "From a hectoring, shrewish Patti Smith ... to a pathetically sexless Iggy Pop or Lou Reed, looking like a cross between Eminem and the Pillsbury Doughboy, or the tight-ass actress playing Debbie Harry with absolutely no feel for the delightfully clunky, self-aware, sex-kitten charm of the Bowery’s platinum blondie, this movie manages to suck all of the rock ‘n’ roll magic out of every single performer it supposedly celebrates."

The review prompted positive responses about the film in the comments from Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome and founding Television guitarist Richard Lloyd. (Spin covered that here.)

And here's a closing thought about trying to capture all this via a piece on the film in The New York Times yesterday:

"It's virtually impossible to capture a Hollywood version of punk," said Handsome Dick Manitoba, the frontman for the original punk band the Dictators and the owner of a punk bar, Manitoba’s, in the East Village who also works as a satellite-radio D.J. "The only way to do it is with a documentary."

Previously.

The least-expensive apartment now in the East Village doesn't include a kitchen

Was checking out the inventory of East Village apartments for rent over at Streeteasy. Was curious to see what the least-expensive apartment was in their listings. Here it is at 57 E. Seventh St.:

~Approximately $1300 per month or $325 per week ~This is an unfurnished "Single Room Occupancy" apartment (SRO). ~This is a SMALL, Private studio without a kitchen ~Heat, Hot Water, and Electricity are Included ~Private Bath ~This Unit Does NOT Have a Kitchen ~NOT FURNISHED ~No Pets Please ~Minimum lease of 3 months.

So, OK... probably not any kind of a long-term housing solution... And really — who needs a kitchen? Well, except it's nice to have that space to store your winter clothes.

And the next least-expensive apartment in the East Village based on Streeteasy's listings? A studio at 621 E. 11th St. for $1,595. (Includes a kitchen!) Which is a pretty good deal when you consider that the median price for a studio in the East Village is $2,585, based on Streeteasy's inventory.

Tompkins Square Park in the (light) rain

Photos this afternoon via Bobby Williams.

Going Ape on East Houston and Avenue B

Just pointing out the recent arrival of a Frank Ape original on the East Houston Street side of 6 Avenue B ... not sure who added the kitty below...



Photo by Stacie Joy

What 331 E. Houston St. will look like one day

[July 2013]

Spotted some more information about the future of 331 E. Houston St. over at The Lo-Down this afternoon. (The Lo-Down was first to report on the sale of this long Mystery Lotish land in the summer of 2012.)

Preliminary construction for the 13-story building here at Ridge Street is underway.

And here's what it will look like...


[Via the Commercial Observer]

Per the Commercial Observer:

The owners are working with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development to ensure that their project meets all requirements for the city’s affordable housing program ... Upon completion, 80 percent of the units will be rented at market rate, while the other 20 percent will be based on New York City area incomes.

Read the rest of the piece here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
An L-Shaped footprint ready to make its impression on East Houston Street

An abandoned car in an empty lot that will soon yield a 13-floor residential building

An updated look at tonight's CB3/SLA committee meeting docket

[The former Max Fish at 178 Ludlow]

So! The CB3/SLA licensing committee meets tonight... and there are two sessions — one at at 6:30 and 8:30...

Community Board 3 Office - 59 East 4th Street (btwn 2nd Ave & Bowery)

Here's an updated look at a few of the items on tonight's agenda...

Applications within Saturated Areas

• Brownstone Lounge and Grill, 240 E 4th St (op) (aka 50 Ave B) (Affaire) (6:30pm)

Some nearby residents are concerned about the applicant looking to take over the Affaire space at 50 Avenue B. They met with Brownstone reps last Thursday.

As we understand it, the meeting did nothing to make the residents feel any better about the new venue. Among other concerns, the applicant apparently doesn't have any restaurant experience ... with a business plan that relies upon private party rentals of the basement space. In addition, residents feel as if the food is merely secondary to the space serving as a sports bar (plans call for 8 big-screen TVs) and party venue.

• JMDR 127 Ludlow LLC, 127 Ludlow St (op) (8:30pm)

This is the space held the past 17 years by the Motor City Bar... The application filed ahead of tonight's meeting doesn't provide much information about the new venture... other than the place will include a raw bar and a small DJ booth... the space would look like this, per CB3 documents...



• To be Determined, 178 Ludlow St (op) (6:30pm)

The former Max Fish space is being fitted for an outpost of Sweet Chick, a southern-style restaurant ... BoweryBoogie has more on this here.

• Spiegel (Spiegel Inc), 26 1st Ave (wb) (6:30pm)

Apparently the newish corner deli here at East Second Street will make way for something called Spiegel, an American-Middle Eastern restaurant with hours from 8 a.m. to midnight.

• Maiden Lane (Yardbird LLC), 162 Ave B (alt/wb/extend hours to 2am Sun-Sat) (6:30pm)

Alterations

• The Delancey (ADR Restaurant Inc), 168 Delancey St (op/live music in basement only) (6:30pm)

New Liquor License Applications

• Mee Noodle Shop (Mee Enterprise Inc), 223 1st Ave (wb) (8:30 pm)

Mee is looking to serve beer and wine when they return to First Avenue.

• Artichoke Basille's Pizza (Stanton Restaurant Associates LLC), 108 Stanton St (op) (8:30pm)

As previously reported, the Artichokers are looking to take over El Sombrero here...

• Huertas (Molinero LLC), 107 1st Ave (wb) (8:30pm)

This is the space last held by L'asso EV. According to paperwork on file with CB3, Huertas will be a Spanish-themed restaurant with hours of 11:30 a.m. to midnight Monday-Thursday; to 1 a.m. on Friday-Saturday. The applicants previously owned a restaurant on Long Island.

Old Business-complaint

• The DL/Dinner on Ludlow (93 Ludlow St Inc), 95 Delancey St (op) (6:30pm)

The drama continues. Read about it at DNAinfo ... BoweryBoogie ... and The Lo-Down...

The Duane Reade expansion is underway on Avenue B

Back in August 2012 we heard that the Duane Reade on Avenue B and East Second Street was going to expand... next door into the spaces previously occupied by Zaitzeff ... and the long-dead High Chai Tea Room.

In addition, Duane Reade would add a second level, digging into the basement space where the Dolphin Gym closed in February 2010.

Anyway, the city had previously OK'd the necessary permits ... and workers are prepping the adjacent space for expansion, as you can see in the photo above... Workers have replaced the former storefronts with plywood.

As discussed several times previously, this corner space was previously home to The Gas Station, aka Art Gallery Space 2B. Alex at Flaming Pablum wrote about the space here.

Per the Times:

For 10 years, the Gas Station, with its towering sculpture built from discards ranging from a 1970 Plymouth Valiant to department store mannequins to television sets, has been a symbol of the Lower East Side's Bohemian ways and artistic resolve.

The space was cleared out in 1996...

[Via Flaming Pablum]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Duane Reade expanding on Avenue B

Here is Sara Curry Way

The city officially co-named St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue Sara Curry Way on Saturday. (The above photo is from early Sunday morning, in case you were wondering about the trash.)

There's also a new plaque in her honor outside the Little Missionary's Day Nursery at 93 St. Mark’s Place, which Curry founded in 1896 ...





Per her bio:

In addition to providing child care, Miss Curry fed the poor in the neighborhood and often gave her own clothing or shoes to those without. She organized cooking, sewing and child care classes for the mothers. She organized meetings to help families with their problems, and helped to steer parents towards sobriety and economic responsibility.

Posts here about co-naming streets always bring up questions about how the city decides such things. The Community Board 3 website provides the guidelines. (You can find the PDF here.)

Among the guidelines:

• Street co-naming requests will be heard by the CB 3 Transportation Committee. If the request is approved by the committee, the application will be voted on by the full Board for final approval. If approved, the request will be forwarded to the City Council office for Council approval. Co-naming requests will be placed on the committee agenda twice a year to correspond to the two yearly City Council votes. These dates will be determined as needed by determining the Council hearings.

• Prospective honorees should have a minimum of 15 years community involvement for individuals and should have demonstrated an extraordinary and consistent voluntary commitment and dedication to the community. Individual prospective honorees must be deceased. Exceptions may be made however for individuals who have died under infamous circumstances of crime, accident, disease, social circumstance or if the death itself leads to a greater awareness of the cause of death and a concerted effort to address that problem.

According to DNAinfo, Eileen Johnson, who has led Little Missionary's since 2001, started petitioning for the street renaming in 2010. City Council approved the request in December 2012.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Part of St. Mark's Place will be co-named for Sara Curry tomorrow