Report: Philip Seymour Hoffman 'scored his smack like a common junkie' in the East Village

The Post is touting this "exclusive" …

Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman scored his smack like a common junkie, schlepping to an East Village apartment to feed his heroin fix, law-enforcement sources told The Post.

A witness has come forward to tell cops that several months ago, he personally eyeballed Hoffman buying the drugs himself, making the transaction at the same apartment where the witness was being supplied.

Based on this tip, the NYPD set up surveillance on the apartment on the unnamed street/Avenue Monday night. Police arrested one man emerging from the apartment, but, as the Post notes, he was not carrying the drugs branded "Ace of Spades," the logo that appeared on the heroin reportedly found in Hoffman's West Village apartment.

CB3 hosting program about loans for small business owners

Tomorrow night, CB3's Economic Development Committee will host a presentation for small business owners who have been unable to secure loans.

Per the agenda item:

Elevating Entrepreneurs: Philanthropic program of UBS Community Affairs & Corporate Responsibility, Americas. The initiative provides 3 components for entrepreneurs and small business owners: access to capital (as realized through lending facilities such as the Tri-State and Chicagoland Business Opportunity Funds); small business mentoring; and networking & education events and activities.

Here's a fact sheet (PDF!) with more information.

The meeting is in the Village View Community Room, 175 E. 4th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. 6:30 pm.

Film crew uses 'D Squat' and phone booths to recreate an 1980s East Village on 6th Street

Filming continues today on East Sixth Street for "Ten Thousand Saints," a straight-edge coming-of-age story set in the 1980s East Village. Crews have fashioned the exterior of 423 E. Sixth St. into "D-Squat" (filling in for C-Squat?)…




There is also a trash fire in a barrel next down in front of the late Walter De Maria's home-studio.

Meanwhile, down toward A, EVG reader Creature pointed out this relic …





There are also some sidewalk sale props in the background…



The items were authentic enough that some people came by and took things from the unattended prop sidewalk sale…



The film is adapted from the Eleanor Henderson novel "Ten Thousand Saints." The husband-wife team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini direct. (They directed the 2003 Harvey Pekar film "American Splendor" with Paul Giamatti.) The cast includes Ethan Hawke as one of the parents.

One reader is enthusiastic about the film adaptation, noting in the comments:

This is a movie about the mid-80s hardcore scene that had shows at CBs and Pyramid and other LES venues. It's not about screwed up people. It is about the straight edge scene (no drugs, drink) and AIDS in 80s. It is based on a fantastic book. It will mark the first time the New York Hardcore scene makes it to Hollywood. Ethan Hawke plays a cool stoner dad who takes care of his son's best friend when the son dies. Win, win, win.

Here's more about the book from NPR.

Excellent Urban Etiquette Sign name checks Russell Brand, 'Till Tuesday

[Click image to enlarge]

Spotted over on East First Street… The note starts off with the suggestion that someone in an adjacent building is playing Russell Brand a little too loudly on the stereo. Not that this is the worst offense.

"[I]t's much, much worse when you're playing saccharine pop ballads at top volume, or perhaps having a sing-along to your favorite Adele song."

There's also a reference to the mysterious Nicolas who splashes around in his hot tub at 3 a.m., and "the filthy tarp he optimistically erected as a sound barrier."

The missive ends with, "So, do us all a favor, and remember, that even downtown, voices carry*. And how."

A 'Til Tuesday reference!

"Voices Carry" is a fine song from 1985 …whose video features one of the greatest Assholes in Music Video History. Let's watch! (And it's fine to get up and sing just like Aimee Mann during the finale at Carnegie Hall!)



Well done, Urban Etiquette Sign. Sarcastic and funny while still making a point… with a little music lesson to boot.

Campaign underway to help Arleen Schloss

Filmmaker Stuart Ginsberg has launched a crowdfunding campaign for artist/curator Arleen Schloss. The 70-year-old Schloss was injured last month in a fall in her Broome Street home

Here is the background via GoFundMe:

Recently, Arleen Schloss suffered a near-fatal brain injury when she slipped and fell at her home in January. Rushed to the hospital, she is currently in rehab and will possibly continue for a few more months.

Her friends are raising money to help Arleen pay her current bills, medical care and any future home care. Arleen also suffers from MS and will need help for both conditions.

Who is Arleen Schloss? Arleen is an experimental artist who helped foster the East Village art scene through her loft called A's as well as through other events and performances.

The New York Times called her work "much superior to most performance art" and White Hot Magazine referred to Arleen as "a national treasure." Arleen traveled the world with her performances, installations, experimental work and video art.

Over 1,000 artists, performers, musicians, writers and poets owe their success to Arleen.

From 1979 to 1995, Schloss opened up her loft at 330 Broome St. in the Lower East Side to a group of then-unknown artists, actors and musicians that included Sonic Youth, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Eric Bogosian, Glenn Branca, Phoebe Legere and Alan Suiclde, among many others.

Ginsberg has been working on a documentary about Schloss titled "Wednesdays at A's." Here's the trailer.



Find more info at GoFundMe.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Arleen Schloss and 'Wednesday at A's'

An IBM Watson building update, and its possible future consequences

The Wall Street Journal checks in (registration required) on our friend the IBM Watson building (aka 51 Astor Place).

While developer Edward J. Minskoff didn't fully lease the building by the end of January like he predicted, the place is 70 percent leased, and will likely reach 90 percent in a few weeks if all the negotiations go well with prospective tenants. All this has quieted those real-estate skeptics who thought Minskoff was bananas for building the 400,000-square-foot tower on spec.

"My gut feeling was that when it was finished, the tenants would come," said Mr. Minskoff. "And that's exactly what happened."

And the long-term impact on this neighborhood?

Mr. Minksoff's tower could still face leasing challenges if his deals in the pipeline aren't signed. But if he fills the building at high rents as he predicts, his success could spur other developers to build office properties in the area or to buy older buildings and upgrade them.

"The building and tenant roster have increased the real estate value in the surrounding area." said Paul N. Glickman, vice chairman at Jones Lang LaSalle, the leasing agent for 51 Astor.

The IBM Watson Group is the anchor tenant here with 120,000 square feet.

Noted

From a listing for a one-bedroom apartment at 717 E. Fifth St.:

Fully renovated cozy 1Br just off fashionable Ave. C in the East Village.

Fashionable?

You can see for yourself during an Open House here today at 2.

Sushi Zayy replacing former Pudgie's-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's action-packed combo

Signs are up now on 57 First Ave., home of the former Pudgie's-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's action-packed combo, for Sushi Zayy.

We don't know too much about the new venture here near East Fourth Street. Other than that it will be a sushi restaurant. (Duh.) The applicants are on this month's CB3/SLA licensing committee docket for a beer-wine license.

It fucking snowed again today

As you likely noticed! Still, it was… pretty, right?













And damn…



Photos in Tompkins Square Park by Bobby Williams

Strummer through the snow

The Joe Stummer mural on the side of Niagara on East Seventh Street and Avenue A provides a beacon through the whiteout today in Tompkins Square Park... photo by William Klayer

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[At Key Food, via Michael Sean Edwards]

Remembering Slugger Ann’s Bar & Grill from Second Avenue and East 12th Street (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

When there were lines to enter the Tompkins Square Library branch (Off the Grid)

Photos from the Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown (The Lo-Down)

The East Village building from "Batteries Not Included" (Gothamist)

Upclose and personal with a hawk eating in Tompkins Square Park (Gog in NYC)

About the founder of the the Little Missionary's Day Nursery on St. Mark's Place (Ephemeral New York)

Ray's 81st birthday bash — in VIDEO! (Slum Goddess, a little NSFW)

Gaia Italian Cafe on East Houston closed for a break (BoweryBoogie)

and, meanwhile, via a dear EVG reader, a scene on the N train this morning...

Reader report: Small track fire at the Delancey/Essex Street station this morning

Waiting for the uptown F at at the Delancey/Essex Street station provided some photo ops this morning ... EVG reader David Shankbone shares these photos of a small track fire... no word on what caused it...



Updated 12:59
Gothamist has more on the fire here.