RIP Tommy Ramone

[Via Brooklyn Vegan]

The details via Variety:

Drummer and producer Tommy Ramone, the last surviving original member of the influential New York punk quartet the Ramones, died Friday at his home in the Ridgewood area of Queens, New York. He was 62 and had been in hospice care following treatment for bile duct cancer.

Born Erdelyi Tamas in Budapest, Hungary, and known professionally as Tom or T. Erdelyi, Ramone played on the first three epoch-making Ramones albums, “Ramones” (1976), “Leave Home” (1977) and “Rocket to Russia” (1977). He also co-produced the latter two albums with Tony Bongiovi and Ed Stasium, respectively. He appeared on and co-produced the 1979 live Ramones opus “It’s Alive.”

After leaving the Ramones to concentrate on studio work, he co-produced the band’s 1984 album “Too Tough to Die” with Stasium. He was replaced in the lineup by Marc Bell (Marky Ramone), a former member of Dust and Richard Hell’s Voidoids.

Other media reports put his age at 65.

Management for the Ramones confirmed the news.

We are saddened to announce the passing of Ramones founding drummer Tommy (Erdelyi) Ramone. #RIPTommyRamone pic.twitter.com/kDBNMpn4Tp

— Ramones (@RamonesOfficial) July 12, 2014

And here is an interview with Tommy from 2012…

Head South

Here's Radkey, one of the bands playing at the 4Knots Festival (free!) tomorrow at the South Street Seaport ... this song from last year is "Out Here In My Head."

Sunset now: Manhattanhenge returns this weekend

[Via @AcademyRecords]

Yes. As the Daily News reports:

New Yorkers will get their last chance this year to see Manhattanhenge on Friday, when the setting sun aligns precisely with Manhattan’s river-to-river street grid.

The twice-a-year phenomenon is set to occur at 8:24 p.m. — the time when the full sun will be framed by the east-west concrete canyons. New Yorkers are in for an extra treat on Saturday, when a perfect half-sun will align with the grid at 8:25 p.m.

So head up to East 14th Street (hint: look to the West!). Maybe have a bite to eat outside IHOP. Make a night of it.

As for the above photo ... it's actually Ninthhenge via our friends at Academy Records from July 4.

Police say this man groped 2 women in Stuy Town

The NYPD is looking for a suspect in two "forcible touching incidents."

Per Gothamist:

The first incident occurred on Sunday, May 18, at around 2:52 a.m., when the man allegedly grabbed a 24-year-old woman's buttocks in the hallway of her apartment building near East 14th Street. Then on Sunday, June 15, at 2:05 a.m., the same suspect touched the buttocks of a 22-year-old woman inside the hallway of her apartment building on Stuyvesant Oval.

The suspect, who can be seen in the above surveillance footage, is a 25- to 35-year-old male, around 5-10 and 175-200 pounds.

Anyone with information may call Crime stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

[Updated] Turk is missing!

@evgrieve This dog escaped from an east village groomer around 10:45am. We're trying to help locate him. pic.twitter.com/Y0jahCxmz6

— Paws & Relax (@pawsandrelax) July 11, 2014

Turk (answers to Turkey as well) was last spotted this morning on Avenue B and East 13th Street. Here's an ad with another photo on Craigslist.

Updated 12:46

Turk has been found! He made it all the way to Soho! He is back with his family...

Workers actually spotted removing donations from East 10th Street sketchy pink box

An EVG reader came across this scene on East 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C this morning ... outside the former CHARAS/El Bohio community center ... where a group of workers in an Enterprise truck rental were removing the donations left behind in one of the illegal boxes ...



The workers got here just in time: This is one of the collection boxes that the city has tagged for removal.

Otherwise, as the reader noted: "Gregg Singer is an absentee landlord, so he likely never reported the box's presence..since he doesn't even know it's there."

The former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center has been sitting derelict for 15 years as Singer continues to attempt to turn the building into a dorm.

Previously on EV Grieve:
About those new sketchy pink boxes around the East Village

Cromanated: The East Village Snack Dragon Taco Shack is closing

[Image via]

Snack Dragon proprietor Josephine Jansen broke the news to us yesterday. Her eclectic sliver of a taco stand and hangout at 199 E. Third St. just west of Avenue B will close for good on July 31.

A familiar reason and a familiar figure are behind the impending closure.

"[Landlord Steve] Croman wants to triple the rent to $3,900 for 100 square feet of public space and a tiny basement," she said. "They will not negotiate the lease."

For now, the Williamsburg Snack Dragon will remain open.

Snack Dragon opened nearly 10 years ago around the corner on Avenue B, in a vacant smoothie stand outside Ben's Deli. Jansen inexplicably ran afoul of the East Village Nightlife Task Force and had to close. She moved into her current space in August 2006.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Watch a lot of people speak out against Steve Croman and 9300 Realty

Summer greetings from Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street

From the EVG inbox...

Miss Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street spent her 4th of July weekend visiting friends in New Jersey and in Saugerties. She thoroughly enjoyed sampling the local fare in Kingston (Asian Fusion with a French/Mexican twist) and in Palenville (Roast Beef sandwiches!).

But by far the highlight of her weekend was on Sunday when she went “swimming hole hoppin’” at three different places in and around Saugerties.



She’s a real water dog and was exited she could actually jump in the water unlike the Hudson and the East Rivers where she’s kept leashed and dry by her designated humanoids.

Miss Kita wishes everyone a happy, fun-filled summer!

On the next episode: Kita learns the true meaning of "the dog days of summer."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Meet Kita

The further adventures of Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street

The further (often truly) amazing adventures of Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street

Happy holidays from Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street

Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street has her first ever annual checkup

Holiday greetings from Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street

The Robyn is now fully exposed on East 3rd Street

Workers recently removed the construction netting and scaffolding at the new 33-unit rental at 316 E. Third St. between Avenue C and Avenue D ... offering the first look at The Robyn, named after nothing in particular.

Apartments at the Karl Fischer-designed building range in price from $2,100 for studios, $2,495 and up for one bedrooms and $3,375 and up for the duplex penthouses. Reps for the broker told us last month that 29 of the 33 united had been rented.

The elevator building features a roof deck, storage units, bike storage and a pet spa, among other amenities.

Meanwhile, the view from higher up… via EVG reader Bobby G.



Previously on EV Grieve:
33-unit, Karl Fischer-designed building rising at former home of Community Board 3 member

This Robyn laid some luxury apartments on East 3rd Street; pet spa included


[A look at the site in March 2013 via Bobby G.]

A glimpse of the recent past on East 4th Street

[EVG photo from February]

Earlier in the week we noted that workers had demolished the cool façade at 324 E. 4th St. ...

Yesterday, EVG Facebook friend Gyda Gash caught a glimpse of a mural leftover from Hanky's "Surplus Candy" art show here from January...





Here's a photo of the original via Hugh Burckhardt's photo site More Than Usual ...



As for No. 324, plans call for an additional three floors here for apartments between Avenue C and Avenue D.

Previously on EV Grieve:
2 new floors, gut renovation in store for empty tenement that last housed a Hanksy art show

At Hanksy's 'Surplus Candy' art show in an abandoned East Village tenement

Gut renovations underway at 324 E. 4th St., most recently the makeshift gallery for Hanksy and Co.

The unique façade of 324 E. 4th St. is gone

A look at (what's left) of Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport; also, it's 4Knots Festival time!

The Village Voice's 4Knots Music Festival is tomorrow down at the South Street Seaport ... you can find all the info about it here.

The main stage will be on Pier 16.

And have you seen Pier 17 lately, where the that mall and stuff was? I was randomly down that way last weekend.







It has all been demolished. I've been reading about the proposed redevelopment, which may or may not include a 50-story hotel/condo, but this was the first time I'd seen it for myself. (This Curbed post will bring you to to speed on the plans here.)

Aside from last weekend, I haven't been to the Seaport much, it at all, since Carmine's closed.

Anyway, you can see the former Pier 17 for yourself if you go to the day-long festival. And here's a map...


[Click on image to enlarge]

Branch comes down on Lunasa's outdoor space

A branch from a neighboring tree fell onto Lunasa's outdoor space this evening around 7:15, per EVG reader Adam Cushner ...





Everyone was fine here behind the bar at 126 First Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place ... though it did disrupt a birthday gathering.