About that Bill de Blasio-tagged van on East 6th Street

The other evening we noticed this van with the Bill de Blasio tag on it parked on East Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Turns out the van belongs to Vit Horejs, artistic director of the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre. He owns several vans, all named Molly, to transport theatrical equipment.

According to Bonnie Sue Stein, Vit's friend and director of the nonprofit organization 7 Loaves Inc/GOH Productions, the de Blasio tag arrived about two weeks ago.

"The van was not tagged for weeks when we got it, but as soon as one person started, it hasn't stopped," said Stein, a community organizer in the East Village for more than 30 years. "It's frustrating. Vit says he wishes they did a better job. It's not very well-executed. It's a mess. People have been laughing about the de Blasio tag. And one woman who saw it said we should sell the van to a museum because of the de Blasio tag."

New works from East Village artist Anton van Dalen go on display tonight in Chelsea

[Stromboli Pizzaman 2011-2012, oil on canvas, by Anton van Dalen]

Longtime East Village artist Anton van Dalen begins a month-long exhibition of new work tonight at the P.P.O.W. Gallery, 535 W. 22nd St. between 10th Avenue and 11th Avenue in Chelsea. (The P.P.O.W. Gallery started its life in the East Village in 1983.)

The opening is tonight from 6-8. The work will be up through March 14. Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

And an Anton van Dalen sneak preview via his website…

Waiting for dinner at the Odessa

[Click on image to enlarge]

EVG contributor Michael Sean Edwards dines at the Odessa lunch counter…

Brooklyn will now host the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant

[Photo last year by Walter Wlodarczyk]

Funny thing happened on the way to the 16th annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant — it's moving to the Lucky 13 Saloon in Gowanus.

Here's more from the Pageant's creator, Rev. Jen, on Facebook:

Sadly, the infamous Mr. Lower East Side Pageant, which was originally scheduled for January 31st at Cake Shop was cancelled at the last minute due to the "fun police" and fear of penile exposure. So in a bizarre turn of events it's moving to Brooklyn! This is OK, given the Lower East Side is a state of mind and frankly, the Lower East Side can suck it, as all creative activity has been exiled from the neighborhood due to greedy landlords. (Landlords recently almost exiled me from the LES in housing court!) I'm pretty sure that someday, the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant will be held in New Jersey.

You can find more details and the rest of Rev. Jen's announcement on the Facebook event page.

H/T The Lo-Down!

37 St. Mark's Place finally lands another tenant

[Yes, it's an older photo]

DF Mavens has a new upstairs neighbor on the northwest corner of St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue...

Please say hello to Taiji's Body Work... the fifth Taiji location in the city...


[Yes, there's a typo]

Per the pamphlets (which also are marked Peng's Body Work), they offer Tui-na, Swedish, Deep Tissue, Reflexology and Hot Stone... among other specialties... (60 minutes = $45.)



The most recent upstairs tenant, 8-Bit and Up, the retro video shop, moved to East Third Street in the fall of 2013.

Hey, the Funkiberry space is for lease on 3rd Avenue

[From June 2014]

The colorful FroYo joint opened for business last June.

And while Funkiberry continues to dispense the FroYo and breakfast items like waffles, the corner space here at 88 Third Ave. and East 12th Street is for lease.

Per a listing at Loop Net:

Corner space with brand new build out. Previously was vented for cooking
Approximately 800 RSF with an approximately 800 SF basement
Lease until November 2023
Rent: $21,321.00 per month

We rarely see anyone inside Funkiberry, who close each day at 1 p.m.

In any event, the FroYo Death march continues.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Stuff that you can't make up: More FroYo for the East Village

Ghost signage uncovered on Third Avenue and East 12th Street

DOUBLE ghost signage discovered at 88 3rd Ave.

Hey, the Funkiberry sign is up on 3rd Avenue

Hey, Funkiberry is now open on 3rd Avenue

Morning rush: Stand Coffee now serving in the back of Baohaus on East 14th Street

[Image via]

This past Saturday, Stand Coffee made its debut in the back of Baohaus, Eddie Huang's quick-serve Taiwanese restaurant at 238 E. 14th St. just west of Second Avenue.

"We were thinking there was some value in the times before restaurants and bars open in neighborhoods where the rent is too high or the demand too low for modest specialty coffee," Stand proprietor Bryan Hasho explained in an email.

So every day from 7-11:30 a.m., before Baohaus opens for the day, the Stand serves coffee from Greenpoint's Cafe Grumpy.

"We just carry our whole rig out the front door into our van when the Baohaus folks are ready to serve," said Hasho, who previously worked for Blue Bottle Coffee.

So far, he said that the reaction to the coffee has been excellent, albeit sparse. If the idea works here, then Stand Coffee will look to explore other spaces to serve from in the morning hours.

"[Baohaus] is our first so we're committing all our resources to making this one perfect," Hasho said, "but one of the really great things about the model is we can experiment with different shops and spaces and see what works."

Retail condo space that houses the New York City Pharmacy on 1st Avenue is for sale

There's a new listng for 206 First Ave. between East 12th Street and East 13th Street ... currently home to the the New York City Pharmacy.

Here are the details via Warburg Realty:

This property is a fully occupied retail space encompassing the ground and cellar floors totaling approx. 2,365 square foot. The asset offers over 15' of frontage on First Avenue providing significant visibility along one of the busiest streets in New York City. The space measures approximately 1315 sq. ft. on the ground floor with another 1,050 sq. ft. of basement storage and features 10' ceilings.

And!

This retail condominium represents an excellent opportunity for end-users and purchasers seeking a retail investment opportunity. Will be delivered vacant.

So say goodbye to the New York City Pharmacy.

And what are retail condominium spaces going for around here these days? Both the Warburg site and Streeteasy list the same price...



$8.5 million???? That's good for $3,594 a square foot.

Updated: See the comments. The pharmacy owner says that they have a lease and are safe for now…

S & P Liquor & Wine now open on 2nd Avenue

S & P Liquor & Wine, which had to close for parts of last year during renovations to its building at 300 E. Fifth St., is now open in its new home at 89 Second Ave. ... near East Fifth Street ... inside the former home of the 2nd Ave. Smoke Shop & News, which moved down Second Avenue ...



Thanks to Vinny & O for the photos!

Body of missing Stuy Town resident found in the East River

Andreas Robbins, a 25-year-old resident of Stuyvesant Town, was last seen on Dec. 1 leaving his apartment at 521 E. 14th St.

According to published reports, police found his body in the East River near South Street between FDR and Broad Street earlier today.

His father, Columbia University Professor Bruce Robbins, said in December that his son was suicidal. Andreas had reportedly left a suicide note behind in his apartment on Dec. 1.

It's rabbit cleaning season at the Death Star

The 14-foot-tall, 6,600-pound red rabbit sculpture by Jeff Koons is getting some TLC tonight at 51 Astor Place... photo via EVG reader 8E.

Discarded carpet of the day, probably

If that is actually carpet ditched here on East Fourth Street at the Bowery...



Photo via Derek Berg