Films in Tompkins series returns tomorrow night with 'Fast Times At Ridgemont High'

As we noted a few weeks ago, the Films in Tompkins series would return this summer, though sligtly later than usual.

The organizers have just released the roster, starting with "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" tomorrow night...


[Click on image for more details]

The series ends Aug. 14 with "Midnight Cowboy."

We originally heard that "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" would be on the bill. Unfortunately, the organizers were unable to secure a copy of the film from the distributor, we heard.

Anyway! Gates open at 6 p.m. and the films will start at sundown.

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Alex Shamuelov
Occupation: Barber and student
Location: Ace of Cuts, 518 E. 6th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B
Date: 9 a.m., July 9

I’m from Uzbekistan, but my background goes back to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Because of the Soviet Union, it was really tough there but it was a little bit easier in the southern part, so that’s why my ancestors moved down there. So I was born in Uzbekistan and I came to New York when I was 3 years old.

I never thought I’d be a hairdresser. My dad has been a hairdresser for a long time, but when he was young he was a mechanic. His father’s a hairdresser, his brother’s a hairdresser, his mom used to be a hairdresser, and his sister’s a hairdresser. Everybody in my family from both sides — everybody’s a hairdresser. That’s how it was from the old country. Everybody was a hairdresser.

My father always said, ‘You know, listen — it’s better for you to learn a talent than it is for you to hop from one job to another.’ He said, ‘This is something that you’re going to have and something that you’re never going to lose. You never know what could happen in life. Let’s say one day, God forbid, you lose your job, then you have something to turn to. Hair always grows. Everybody always needs haircuts.’

So I took those words into consideration. I was only 15 years old. Imagine when you’re 15 years old, for six months for almost two summers after school, standing next to a barber and not making anything, whereas I wanted to go become a counselor or something, you know. I wanted to make some money. No, my father kept pushing me toward it and I’m happy for that. This is something that I like to do, and not to brag, but I’m good at it. I’ve won competitions and stuff like that. I like to draw and I’m artistic, so this helps me sculpt a person, sculpt a head. So everything worked out well.

I’m 20 years old now and I just opened my own barber shop with my father. [July 9] is actually a month since we opened. Everybody is shocked about that. It’s not easy trying to succeed in this life right now. I have the support of my family. We’re all together. We live next to each other, in a two-block radius in Queens.

The landlord of this building is my previous customer from Long Island. He currently goes to my uncle, because that was my uncle’s barbershop, so he told my uncle about it. So I came one day with my parents and uncle and I loved the place, and now we’re here. I love the East Village. Everybody’s very neighborhoody; everybody’s very friendly. Say if you go to Midtown, neighbors don’t know each other. Here everybody knows each other and they say hi to each other. It’s the same thing where I live Queens — in Rego Park.

You know how landlords are — they want their rent on the spot, so we had to do it quick. I renovated this whole place in about three weeks. I did it for my father mostly. I don’t want him to work for somebody all his life. I wanted him to become his own boss, so that’s why I’m here now. I’m on break from school. I’m helping him out. I’m in the middle of the street so it’s really hard to advertise. You have to be patient. I went from cutting 35 to 40 people a day to cutting five people a day. Psychologically that hurts you.

In Park Slope I used to cut 40 people a day. We were right next to Mayor de Blasio’s house. I’ve cut his hair. I used to see him every day; every day he walked by. It was shocking because you see somebody, you take care of somebody, and then all of a sudden, boom — he’s an icon of New York. Over there you need speed and you need technique, and you need a sense of style. Imagine in 12 hours cutting 40 people. That means about 100 to 150 people come in every day. They used to call me Ferrari because I used to be very quick.

Obviously I’m not going to be the same here because I don’t have that competition going on. That’s why I made this barbershop like this, you know. I have Jameson. I have vodka. I have beer. I have everything for someone to come in and relax. I have a 65-inch TV. People come in, they watch TV. I charge $15. So yeah, hopefully I’ll make it. I was trying to go for a different image for someone to come and relax.

I am also currently in school at LIU, Long Island University, in downtown Brooklyn. I’m trying to get into the pharmacy program out there. It was a challenge for me to pick my profession that I wanted to go for, that I wanted to succeed in. My dream is now opening a pharmacy and having a barber chair, to build a barber shop in the pharmacy, so while you wait for your medicine you get your hair cut real quick. Cause you know how everybody in New York is trying to get things done quick.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

Reader mailbag: Where do I get a flat tire fixed in the neighborhood?

[Random flat tire photo from the Internet]

From the EVG reader mailbag:

What happened to all the auto tire repair/flats fixed places? Are there any left? I need a tire repaired.

Let's see. Downtown Auto & Tire left the Bowery two years ago. The BP station on Second Avenue is gone now.

Um. I thought there was one on East Houston between Clinton and Attorney. Nope! The Mobil station on East Houston and Avenue C? Nope! No tire service.

So anyone know where you get a flat tire fixed around here? Seemed as if there were several around here not that long ago...

-------------

We often get reader queries ... asking for help with, say, donating clothes or books ... or finding an East Village-based caterer... If you have a question for the masses, then try the EV Grieve email...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: Places to eat that have that old East Village vibe (45 comments)

Reader mailbag: What do I do about my new neighbors who smoke pot all the time? (52 comments)

Reader mailbag: Where is a good place to get a cup of coffee in the East Village before 6 a.m.? (25 comments)

Reader mailbag: What has happened to the Cooper Station Post Office? (41 comments)

Reader mailbag: Can the landlord 'drill' the lock to gain access to my apartment for simple repairs? (15 comments)

Reader mailbag: Should we receive a rent abatement for having sporadic heat and hot water?

Reader mailbag: How often does your mail get delivered?

Options for this lovely East 7th Street townhouse include demolition

[Image via Massey Knakal]

There's a new listing for 253 E. Seventh St., a townhouse between Avenue C and Avenue D.

Let's check out the listing over at Massey Knakal:

The subject property is a 4-story vacant townhouse located on the north side of East 7th Street, between Avenues C & D. There are 4 floor-through units including a garden and parlor floor. The building is in an R8B zone with a residential FAR of 4.0 which would allow for a total buildable square footage of approximately 9,312 SF. The existing building is approximately 3,860 SF with an additional 5,451 SF of available air-rights. Therefore, the buyer could keep the existing structure and add floor area. Alternatively, the buyer could demolish the existing and structure and build a new ground-up development.

Whatever the option, this address will likely get much taller in the future.

Asking price: $4.25 million.

What a nice East Village 'micro loft' is going for these days

This unit at 186 E. Second St. caught our eye… a listing for an "East Village micro loft."

Here are the details via Douglas Elliman:

This affordable space has high ceilings, large windows, exposed brick, hardwood floors and a large kitchen in excellent condition. Everything you could want in a loft at a fraction of the price! Conveniently located in the heart of the East Village with amazing restaurants and nightlife at your doorstep. 186 is a boutique building that’s well managed and has an incredible sense of community.

Here are more photos and the floor plan …



… looks like the bed is tucked away under the floor of the raised living room…





So less than 400 square feet of living space here between Avenue A and Avenue B ... the price is $300,000. (Streeteasy estimated the monthly payment at $2,173 — that's with 20 percent down.)

Looks like a cool enough space, though is a single step really considered a loft?

Boulton & Watt is now open for lunch

[Image via]

And here is part of the official announcement about lunch service via the EVG inbox yesterday…

Besides the Boulton & Watt’s signature mason jar pickles (in seasonal varieties such as pineapple with habanero, mint and basil and beets with peppercorns and red wine vinegar — $5 each or three jars for $13) and modern classics such as Boulton and Watt mac and cheese (white cheddar persillade bread crumbs, $10) and “The Burger” (house-made blend on brioche bun and fries — $14 and up), new items include a refreshing baby arugula, date and orange salad with lime vinaigrette, toasted pistachio and ricotta salata ($12), soft scrambled eggs (with a side of avocado toast and watercress — $10), an heirloom tomato sandwich that is sure to be a summer favorite (baby arugula, charred red onion, basil, roasted garlic mayo on seven grain toast — $10 or $12 with bacon) and the intriguing “Hangover” (two fried eggs, cheddar, avocado, bacon, chipotle aioli on seven grain bread - $12), the perfect pick-me-up after a late East Village night.

You can find the full lunch menu here.

The restaurant at 5 Avenue A at East First Street/Houston opened in January 2013.

Listen to a wide-ranging interview with Richard Hell

[March 2013 Richard Hell photo for EV Grieve by James Maher]

In the latest RiYL podcast at BoingBoing, Brian Heater interviews novelist-poet-artist-musician Richard Hell about a whole lot of everything, from becoming a writer to living in NYC today.

The interview took place at Hell's longtime East 12th Street apartment. "It has good light, it's quiet and it's cheap."

Hell's book "I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp" recently came out in paperback.

July 15

'Tis definitely the season over on East Fifth Street near Cooper Square! Goggla spotted this beauty today.

Not sure if the owner is discarding it or just letting nature water it...

FYI

FYI - Valet service in the East Village has been cancelled this evening (7/15) due to a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

— Citi Bike (@CitibikeNYC) July 15, 2014

2:25 p.m.

AKA, It was a dark and story day.

Photo by Bobby Williams

Anyway, no need to paaaaaaaaaaanic...

FLASH FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 5:15 PM FOR ALL OF NYC. 2" to locally 4" of rain can fall causing rapid flooding: pic.twitter.com/RKApBHY6o3

— Storm Team 4 NY (@StormTeam4NY) July 15, 2014

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[EVG did this for no apparent reason]

More about the 21-year-old woman killed by a 4 train at Union Square (Gothamist)

Bill Cashman on Homeo-Empathy, 9th and C, a zine history of 155 Avenue C (Maximum Rocknroll)

A visit to Snack Dragon ahead of its closing (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

The Elmore Leonard retrospective continues (Anthology Film Archives)

Proposals wanted for First Park murals (DNAinfo)

First Avenue market scenes from the 1930s (Off the Grid)

Eulogizing The Ramones after Tommy's death (Flaming Pablum)

Kaufman Shoe Repair Supplies and Downtown Floor Supplies leaving Bleecker and Lafayette ahead of rumored development (BoweryBoogie)

Update on the incoming Essex Crossing Park (The Lo-Down)

Soho Dive Cody's Bar & Grill closes for good (Grub Street)

...and a quick holiday greeting via Mary on E. 12th Street ...

Bright ideas: A lighting shop for East 7th Street

On occasion we'll take a quick look at a new (or old!) business around the East Village. Today we visit Bulb Concepts Inc., 13 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.

Article and photos by Stacie Joy

Jessie Lee and Anthony Wong created Bulb Concepts in October 2013 in a tiny (less than 400 square feet) and charming sales/work space on East Seventh Street.

Jessie and Anthony (partners in business and in life) will help you design any lighting project you may have on your mind.



When I was there visiting, the store was humming with cyclists who dropped by to buy some household bulbs, a couple busy worrying/fussing over a lighting project for their apartment (Jessie very patiently wired and repaired a lamp for them while they waited) and assorted restaurant owners and locals who needed emergency Edison bulbs and lighting supplies.





I’m not a huge design enthusiast, and my knowledge of lighting is fairly poor (except, of course, for photography-based lighting concerns) so I asked a lot of questions, all of which the couple was happy to answer.

Jessie started her lighting career on the Bowery seven years ago. She began as a bookkeeper in a light shop, then worked her way up to manager.

There is plenty to look at inside the shop. I am particularly impressed by the strings of lights inside the mason jars as well as the Cooper Union student projects Jessie was crafting in the back of the shop in its wee workspace.



The couple offer free consultations on lighting needs, and will travel to businesses to scope out any lighting issues they may have.