[Updated] Get dirty this weekend at La Plaza Cultural

From the EVG inbox...

La Plaza Cultural Community Garden & the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space Join Forces to Give Land a Fresh Start After Superstorm Sandy

Saturday, Oct. 12, Noon
Sunday, Oct. 13, Noon

What: “Day of the Dirt” Garden Restoration

Where: La Plaza Cultural Community Garden (Corner of 9th St and Avenue C

Why: La Plaza Cultural Community Garden will be receiving 50 yards of soil (1,350 square feet!) and compost to distribute around the garden to help recover from Sandy.

How: We will be moving the soil manually by wheelbarrow and spreading it with people power. If you want to volunteer, just show up! Gloves, rakes, other tools will be provided on site.

Who: We need volunteers of all ages to help by:

● hauling soil in shifts

● helping spread it with rakes and shovels

● planting grass seed in the freshly laid lawn area

● helping to transplant plants that we want to save

● removing items in the way of where we're laying the soil

● gathering stray bricks

We’re giving La Plaza a fresh start after Sandy, and we really need those who can make it to come out and help us restore this special place.

Updated 11:45 a.m.

The soil has arrived, as this photo via Shawn Chittle shows...

CB3 hearing on illegal rooftop additions at 515 E. 5th St. re-scheduled for another month

The illegal rooftop additions at 515 E. Fifth St. were on the docket for Wednesday night's CB3 Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee meeting.

The Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) had previously ruled that landlord Ben Shaoul needs to remove the 6th and 7th floors. However, his attorneys are requesting that the city grant a zoning variance to "permit the constructed enlargement, minus the penthouse, to remain."

And how did this go? A tenant reported that "the landlord pulled out of the CB3 hearing at the last minute. They have re-scheduled it for next month."

In 2008, the BSA decreed that the additions were illegal and should be removed.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Never-ending battle wages on over additional floors at 515 E. Fifth St.

People miss the trees at the Astor Place subway plaza

As we noted the other day, workers, for whatever reasons, removed the trees from the Astor Place subway plaza ahead of the Astor Place-Cooper Square revamp... most readers here and on Facebook were pretty much WTF about it... EVG regular Terry Howell shared this shot of the trees as they looked in January 2011... Anyway, plans show about eight trees will be planted here in the revamp...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Revamped Astor Place subway plaza apparently won't need its existing trees

Five years later, Astor Place apparently ready for its 2-year reconstruction project

An updated look at the all-new Astor Place

Workers chopping down the trees at 51 Astor Place

Important questions of our time

When did Joey Pepperoni on First Avenue start serving breakfast? And tacos? And wings? (We hadn't noticed!)

Also, has anyone tried any of the non-$1 pizza items?

Anyway. Just the latest (or not) development in the grim First Avenue $1 pizza wars.

Previously on EV Grieve:
First Avenue $1 Pizza Wars — now with draft beer

Checking in on the $1 pizza war on First Avenue

Latest weapon in the First Avenue $1 slice wars: Dancing Pizza Menu Woman

Hare Krishna cultural center introducing vegetarian buffet starting tonight

The Bhakti Center is launching the Bhakti Buffet starting tonight at the Hare Krishna cultural center at 26 First Ave.

Per the Center's website:

The Bhakti Buffet serves the guests of the Bhakti Center and is open to the public. The buffet is run by Chaitanya Kapadia, Krsangi Chander, and Mathura Rico, all of whom were born and raised in the bhakti tradition and see their service as a labor of love. Following the standards of bhakti-yoga, all preparations are pure vegetarian/vegan and are prepared following immaculate standards of cleanliness while bearing a bhava or mood of devotion. In other words, the food is cooked with love.

The menus include traditional Indian dishes as well as international favorites that are both delicious and healthy. The prices are affordable and the portions are hearty.

Generally the buffet will include…
1 special entree
2 vegetable dishes
1 or 2 rice dishes
1 soup
2 salads
1 drink

PRICING
$12 – the entire buffet
$8 – any three items
$6 – soup and salad
$3 – dollars any single item

"The concept is to provide healthy, fresh, wholesome vegetarian food at a very reasonable cost," the Center's program director David Ramella told Serena Solomon at DNAinfo, who first reported on the opening on Monday.

The Center ran a cafe here for two years, but closed it in 2011.

The cafe is open Thursday and Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Because we have not posted a photo of an abandoned Citi Bike in 2 months

@nyev_eliza spotted this along East 13th Street this morning...

Meanwhile, back on Aug. 9...

Mudspot Café opening at the First Park kiosk next month

Looks like the Mudtruck will have another sibling in the family.

Back in July, S'MAC decided to discontinue its service at the First Avenue kiosk. At the time, Caesar Ekya, who owns and operates S'MAC with his wife Sarita, said that they were hoping to find another vendor to assign the lease to here off of East Houston and East First Street.

And they have: Mudspot Café will soon be operating from this location.

"Yes, it's happening," Mudspot General Manager Yasmina Palumbo confirmed to us via email. "[We're] hoping to open sometime in November."

Ekya said that sales at First Park were sluggish, and that they needed to focus on their original location on East 12th Street and new branch in Murray Hill. He had said finding another vendor for First Park was preferable to turning the lease back over to the city, which would then open up a potentially lengthy bidding process.

"It would have been in everyone's best interest if we assigned the lease instead of giving it back to the city," Ekya said."And Mud was the best fit for that location."

S'MAC opened the satellite location here in January 2012. Prior to this, Veselka had the space for five years until June 2011. Mudspot's original location on East Ninth Street will remain.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More about S'MAC's decision to leave First Park

What about 'Mildred Fierce'?

EVG contributor Joann Jovinelly saw a performance last weekend of Ryan Landry's play, "Mildred Fierce," a musical black comedic parody of the 1945 film classic, "Mildred Pierce," starring Joan Crawford. Joann shared a few photos as well as a quick review:

While there's plenty of room for campy humor, the zingers go beyond the obvious, making for a well-rounded and thoughtful production that is sophisticated and subtle as well as over-the-top absurd. Much attention was placed on the details as well as the polished dramatic performances and musical dance numbers featuring the Gold Dust Orphans. There was a good dose of creative puppetry, too, and a cache of clever surprises.

"Mildred Fierce" plays on Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27 at Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here.

Construction watch: 227 E. 7th St.

A quick look at 227 E. 7th St. near Avenue C, where a 6-floor building is growing upwards of 5 floors now ... As we previously reported, DOB permits show that each floor will contain one residential unit.

One day.


[Via BuzzBuzzHome]

A previous day.

[September 2012]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Asbestos abatement on East Seventh Street, then a new 6-story building

New bike racks seemingly randomly arrive

These just arrived along Avenue B between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street (maybe for the Gruppo delivery guys?) ... Dave on 7th, who took this photo, also noticed a new rack on Avenue A. Anyone else spot new bike racks around the neighborhood...?

Tales of Washington Square Park tonight at Bluestockings Books

From the EVG inbox...

Thursday, Oct. 10 @ 7 pm
Bluestockings Books, 172 Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington
Reading + Discussion: Cathryn Swan’s "Tales of Washington Square Park (and a few other places)"

The official release for "Tales of Washington Square Park (and a few other places)," a book/zine written by Cathryn Swan, the editor of the Washington Square Park Blog, featuring some of her favorite stories from the blog. The event will feature a reading by Swan, conversation about the famous Greenwich Village park and more, and discussion of New York City’s privatization of public space.

Swan is the founder of the Washington Square Park Blog, an independent website which began in 2008, just as the park’s controversial redesign construction began. She also writes articles at the Huffington Post and is writing a book "The B-girl Guide to Living Your Life in Earth, Animal & People-friendly ways."

Why was the fountain moved 23 feet east to line up with the Arch at Fifth Avenue after 137 years in its previous location?

Did cars really run through the Arch?

Why did Henry James hate the Arch?

Answers to these questions and more!

From Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Jacobs, Bob Dylan to today, the park remains the heart of Greenwich Village. It is a constant reminder of the magical commons in the midst of the privatized city.

Find the event page here.

Report: Convicted sex offender attempts kidnapping schoolgirl on Avenue B

A convicted sex offender attempted to kidnap a 13-year-old girl as she walked to school this morning on Avenue B, the New York Post is reporting.

The man, identified as 35-year-old Jose Mendoza, reportedly pulled alongside the teen in a black SUV and said "hey, you’re beautiful." The teen continued to walk "but the man became more aggressive and tried to pull her into the car."

The teen was able to escape. Police reportedly arrested Mendoza when the girl spotted him in the area 45 minutes later. The NYPD charged him with attempted kidnapping. Per the Post: Mendoza is on the state's sex offender registry "and considered a level 2, or medium-risk."