Workers quickly gutted the former St. Mark's Bookshop space

Workers spent the weekend (Sunday too!) gutting the shop's home of 22 years at 31 Third Ave. and Stuyvesant Street ...



St. Mark's Bookshop closed on June 29 ahead of a move to a new, smaller storefront at 136 E. Third St. just west of Avenue A. No official word just yet when the shop can open here. Some time this week, most likely.

St. Mark's Bookstore first opened on St. Mark's Place in 1977 ... they had locations at No. 12 and across the street at No. 13.

As for the future of 31 Third Ave., Jeremiah Moss writes: "What will greet me next in this space? A brainless bank, a soulless Starbucks, a fucking frozen yogurt emporium?"

UFC signage arrives

Just noting the arrival of the Unidentified Flying Chickens signage at 60 Third Avenue near East 11th Street.

The Jackson Heights-based Korean fried chicken restaurant is taking over for the failed 3-week-old Apiary revamp.

No official word on an opening date just yet.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Après closes 3 weeks after debut; Unidentified Flying Chickens on the way in

Summer liking

Photo from Tompkins Square Park on Friday by Edward Arrocha.

A July 4 holiday weekend

[A July 4-related photo shoot for Dragon Fly Productions at Professor Thom's via Gregory Patrick]

It was a mostly fine weekend hereabouts, patriotic or otherwise.


[On the Bowery]

It was quiet.


[First Avenue]

Except for the fireworks, the official ones … and the illegal ones.

One of the hawks joined a rooftop fireworks viewing party on East Eighth Street.


[Photo by EVG reader Mike]

We don't really have much to show for the weekend.

We took a photo of a mannequin in the trash. We saw the Moon. And Mars, just barely.

We read the Fourth Amendment that someone took the time to write on the plywood on the East 11th Street side where Mary Help of Christians used to be. (Someone also wrote the First Amendment out too.)



We did not sit here, however tempting, on East 13th Street.



We unnecessary used the "noir" setting to take photos of the sky from Avenue C way back on Thursday



We wondered if the quinoa made the move safely to Avenue B.



We set a spring trap for our neighbors.



We wondered about this photo of a Citi Bike in the trash on East Houston at Norfolk that a reader emailed us.



There was probably more. But we'll leave you with the Chillmaster taking you into the night …

Week in Grieview

[2nd Avenue bus on fire lane photo from July 4 via Derek Berg]

LIGHTNING STRIKES (Wednesday)

Painting the Dodge heading West (Tuesday)

We will miss First Avenue Pierogi and Deli (Wednesday)

Pricing for new condos at 227 E. Seventh St. (Tuesday)

99-Cent Discount Center latest lost-lease casualty on East 14th Street (Monday)

Your new Dunkin' Donuts has arrived on Cooper Square (Monday)

Golden Cadillac closes (Wednesday, 29 comments)

Sketchy pink boxes alert (Tuesday… Thursday)

Closing date for BP station on Second Avenue (Monday)

Exclusive: It was the the Fourth of July (Friday)

Bass thief (Thursday)

Rendering reveal for 76 E. Houston St. (Thursday)

Financial help for Citi Bike (Wednesday) … not to mention a valet service (Thursday)

Opening for new St. Mark's Bookshop pushed back (Tuesday)

Retro crotch grab at Mousey's (Thursday)

The Mobil station reopens (Monday)

The townhouse at 356 E. Eighth St. is back on the market (Thursday)

Check out this "charming studio" (Wednesday)

Transforming Eleventh and Third (Tuesday)

… and you always post photos of macaws on East Ninth Street …


[Photo yesterday by Derek Berg]

And check out the placement of the Times with the photo of Brazil star Neymar … Was the macaw's owner rooting for Colombia?

Headless Duane Reade shopper now has a head

Some closure on one of the most important news stories ever. Live from the Duane Reade on East Second Street and Avenue B.

Last weekend!

Monday!



Now!



----

Role model…

[EVG file photo]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Headless Duane Reade shopper giving East 2nd Street the creeps

Sunday afternoon mannequin coverage

East 3rd Street between Avenue A and Avenue B …

Also, a question…

@evgrieve Does this count as a Christmas tree? pic.twitter.com/A4U9TAO0ZH

— Eden Brower (@edenbrower) July 6, 2014

Yes.

The Hole on the Roof Gang, perhaps?

Someone knocked off the Popular Community Bank on Delancey Street near Essex Street.

From the Post:

Daring thieves sawed a gaping hole in the roof of a bank on the Lower East Side on the Fourth of July — as rooftop revelers nearby were distracted by the fireworks show on the East River, police sources and witnesses said.

The Moon and Mars last night from 2nd Avenue

[Photo via Felton Davis]

Felton Davis was set up at East Third Street and Second Avenue last night for the conjunction of the Moon and Mars.

And just one astrophotographer, Kristan Enos, was able to get the Moon and Mars into a single shot… (you can just make out Mars at the top of the image…)


[Click image to enlarge]

And here is the waxing gibbous moon — 58 percent illuminated and just past first quarter phase! — at 12:20 a.m. via Bobby Williams…

See the conjunction of the Moon and Mars from the East Village tonight

[Photo by Felton Davis from June 6]


Local astronomy buff Felton Davis passed along the following …

If it stays clear I will set up at my usual location of East 3rd Street and 2nd Avenue at 8 tonight for the conjunction of the Moon and Mars. I'll try to bring an eyepiece that allows us to see both of them in one view.

The fireworks of the East Village from July 4

James and Karla Murray shared a few photos of the unofficial July 4 firework displays around the East Village from last night… (seemed better than the real thing at times!)





And can we still get in on that $1,000 reward?

Reader report: Avoid couple with stroller asking for milk money for the baby

An EVG reader shared the following with us from yesterday …

I've been approached by this young African-American couple several times in the past year. They are pushing a stroller with a one-to-two-year-old child. They always look sullen and ask for "money for milk for the baby." I always reply "Sorry." Today, when I politely declined, the woman came after me, followed me into a store on 2nd Ave & 4th St. threatening that she would "...knock my fucking head off the next time she sees me." They are usually walking up 2nd Avenue. The police were called. I don't know if the police were able to catch up with them.

This on the heels of the return of the "my kids are in the car and I'm out of gas" scam guy.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village grifter alert: Beware the broken vodka-bottle scam!

East Village grifter alert: Beware the man with the sob story who offers you a wedding ring as collateral

Snowy afternoon grifter alert

Reader report: 'my kids are in the car and I'm out of gas' scam guy back in action