93 2nd Ave., home of Lit Lounge, is for rent

Several readers have pointed out that a "store for rent" sign arrived above 93 Second Ave. on Tuesday. The space between East Sixth Street and East Fifth Street has been home to the Lit Lounge these past 13 years.

The space has been on the market for several months. There's a listing at Misrahi Realty.

We reached out to a Lit co-owner to see what might be happening here… whether the bar/club/music venue is closing or moving to a new location.

The Fuse Gallery, located in the space behind Lit, closed in September 2013.

Le Jardin Bistro has closed on Avenue C

[Image via Facebook]

An EVG reader hadn't seen the low-key French bistro open since at least last Thursday.

Turns out there's a good reason for that: Management left this message Monday on Facebook …

It is with a broken heart that I need to inform you that Le Jardin Bistro has closed its doors.

I want to thank all of you, employees, customers, friends for helping us to make the past year so special.

My kitchen crew was amazing and gave it all, to allow us every day to serve exceptional food: Thank you.

Customers: You have been supportive and your friendliness has been really inspiring. On the behalf of all the members past and present of Le Jardin Bistro, I thank you for all you did for us and with us.

The revived restaurant at 115 Avenue C between East Seventh Street and East Eighth Street opened last August in the former Apartment 13 space. The original Le Jardin Bistro was on Cleveland Place until its 2010 closure. They opened in 1995.

Reiminders tonight: Films on the Green in Tompkins Square Park

Tonight is the first of the two screenings in Tompkins Square Park in the Films on the Green series ... the free outdoor French film festival in NYC parks... Here's what's playing tonight at 8:30ish...

• "Priceless"
By Pierre Salvadori with Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh
The plot:
"Irène, an attractive young woman, is on vacation at a French Riviera resort with Jacques, an older and very wealthy man. One night, while celebrating her birthday alone, she meets the handsome and intriguing Jean, who claims to be a millionaire and adventurer. However, unbeknownst to Irène, Jean isn’t everything he appears to be…"



And next Friday there's the animated film (ages 7 and up!) "Zarafa."

Find more about the festival and the other films in the series here.

Report of an OD at the 1st Avenue McDonald's

According to multiple witnesses, emergency responders carried a young man out of the McDonald's on First Avenue near East Sixth Street around 6:30 tonight. He was pronounced dead after being administered CPR.

Witnesses said that the man died of heroin overdose in the restroom. His female companion was seen on the street inconsolable.

Photo via Bill the Libertarian Anarchist

Log watch

EVG reader Carl Bentsen notes these cedar logs are apparently here for the taking on Avenue B between East Second Street and East Third Street… perhaps for your illegal fireplace?

Art installation opening and garden party tomorrow hosted by students with autism

Eight middle school students with autism who attend The SPECTRUM School (housed in PS188 building on East Houston) have created planters that will be on display starting tomorrow at The Dorothy Strelsin Memorial Community Garden on Suffolk Street...

Here's the invite from the students:

Hello,

Our class is fantastic! All kids are nice. Everyone works hard and has fun. We do a great job. Come to our art opening! — Written by middle school students with autism, who are busy changing the world.

The overarching idea of this project is to empower middle school students with autism to contribute to the community through functional public art by creating four 20 gallon planters for a New York Restoration Project garden on the LES. Special thanks to local artist Chelsea Hrynick.

Here's their work...





Teacher Joshua Steinfeld says that the planters, which also glow in the dark, will be on display for three weeks at the garden ... and one of the four planters will remain there permanently. The garden is on Suffolk Street between East Houston and Stanton. The opening tomorrow is from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m.

Report: J. Crew executives post taunting Instagram pics on 3rd Avenue hours after staff layoffs

In case you didn't see the cover of the Post today... Well, let's go right to the story:

Hours after telling members of his team they were laid off, a J.Crew veep danced on their graves at a nearby bar with fellow survivors — posing for celebratory photos that were hash-tagged with “Hunger Games” jokes.

Alejandro Rhett, vice president of men’s merchandising, personally delivered the bad news to several workers who were among the 175 layoffs at the struggling company on Wednesday, sources told The Post.

Rhett then hightailed it from J.Crew’s East Village headquarters to the Linen Hall bar, where he and other still-employed colleagues threw back drinks, the photos show.

The hashtags on the photos taken outside the bar on Third Avenue near East 13th Street included #maytheoddsbeevrinyourfavor and #damnitfeelsgoodtobeagangster. The photos have since been removed.

A J.Crew spokesperson said the company "does not condone" the behavior of Rhett and the others, adding, "As soon as we were made aware, the appropriate actions took place."

Meanwhile, we will go visit Drunk J. Crew...


[Photo via Drunk J. Crew]

Updated 6-19
Rhett was reportedly fired yesterday.

East Village tenants demand end to months without heat, gas at 128 2nd Ave.

[EVG file photo]

Tenants of the beleaguered 128 Second Ave. are holding a press conference this afternoon to "demand immediate restoration of heat and gas" in their building between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, according to a media advisory about today's gathering at New York City Housing Court.

As previously reported, tenants filed a HP Action for Repairs and Services in March, citing inconsistent heat, lack of fire alarms, a broken fire escape, front door, and stairs, and other dangerous living conditions in the building owned by Icon Realty. Residents have also alleged "harassment from the landlord in order to push out rent-regulated tenants."

Back in April, The Wall Street Journal reported on the situation in the building, citing 89 open violations with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, including 58 the department considered "immediately hazardous."

On April 14, Manhattan Housing Court Judge Cheryl Gonzales reportedly "expressed impatience with Icon's lawyer, who asked for 45 days and a 'right of extension' to repair the boiler, citing aging infrastructure, warmer weather and lengthy waits for permits."

Reps for the tenants say that, despite the court order, Icon has yet to restore the gas or the the hot water.

Public records show that the current violation count is now at 114 with 67 class “C” immediately hazardous violations.

The press conference starts at 1 p.m. outside New York City Housing Court, 111 Centre St.

Meanwhile, we have not heard anything on the status the Stage, which remains closed as it takes to the courts with Icon.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Tenants at 128 2nd Ave. file suit against Icon Realty in housing court

Troubling talk about 128 Second Ave, and the long-term future of the Stage

[Updated] Report: Icon Realty serves the Stage an eviction notice

Stage owner Roman Diakun responds to allegations of illegally siphoning gas

Petition to help reopen the Stage

The Wall Street Journal on the ongoing issues at Icon Realty's 128 2nd Ave.

Stories in the key of life: The Typewriter Project arrives in Tompkins Square Park

The new outhouse The Typewriter Project arrived this week in Tompkins Square Park …



Here's more about the project via the Poetry Society of New York:

The Typewriter Project is a series of site-specific literary installations which encourage users to go analog. These typewriter installations — wooden booths with a seat, desk, and typewriter inside — allow both professional writers and first time typists alike to join in a citywide lyrical exchange.

Each booth is outfitted with a seat, desk, typewriter, 100-foot scroll of paper, solar generator, hidden tablet, and a USB typewriter kit, which allows every written entry to be collected, stored, and posted online for users to read, share, and comment upon.

The Typewriter Project investigates the subconscious of the city by creating unique spaces designed for contemplation in which users can contribute to narrative of that particular location.

The Typewriter Project's first installation appeared on Governors Island last summer. Tompkins Square Park is the third installation, and will be around (God willing) until July 19. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 3-8 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday,noon-8 p.m.

And apparently it is a pooch-friendly booth…

#beebeethemaltipoo was typing his thoughts today in the park #thetypewriterproject #poetry #thepoetrybrothel #thepoetrysocietyofnewyork

A photo posted by The Typewriter Project (@typewriternyc) on Jun 17, 2015 at 2:13pm PDT

Thank you to EVG Ronnie for the top two photos!

Work begins on the incoming Mimi's Hummus on East 14th Street

EVG East 14th Street/IHOP Way Correspondent Pinch tells us that workers are now gutting the former Wicked Wolfe BBQ space here just west of Second Avenue.

Prior to the arrival of the construction crews, there was a sign in the window announcing that Mimi's Hummus has designs on the small space…



On May 1, Eater reported that the Ditmas Park-based Mimi's was expanding into Manhattan with locations at the Vanderbilt food hall near Grand Central and on East 14th Street.

Mimi's, which Eater says serves "some of the city's best hummus and shakshuka," will have an expanded menu here that includes "a few larger plates at dinner like lemon chicken meatballs, brisket, and the Middle Eastern rice and lentil dish mejadara."

And Mimi's will have company next door. As we first reported on April 20, a T-swirl crêpe shop is opening in the recently shuttered Subway (sandwich shop).

Lastly, not to fear, Pinch is keeping an eye on what happens to the iconic Wicked Wolfe BBQ signage. The $1 pizza/BBQ combo shop lasted about eight rather sad months in business.

Bringing down 222 E. 7th St. brick by brick

[Photo via Daniel Root]

Workers continue to chip away at the building here between Avenue B and Avenue C… there's been quite a bit of progress since we checked in on the project just last week…



The new 6-floor building with 8 residences will one day look like this…


[Photo via Dave on 7th]

Dave on 7th figures that sculpturist Louise Nevelson created this piece — Dawn's Wedding Chapel II from 1959 — now in the collection at the Whitney while living and working at No. 222…



Previously on EV Grieve:
Villa Capri condos coming to Seventh Street

[Updated] Work underway on the new residential conversion on East 7th Street

Nail salon in the works for former Amor Baker space on Avenue B

A small fire broke out at the Amor Bakery at 224 Avenue B on April 22, 2013. Unfortunately, the family-run business was never able to reopen here near East 14th Street.

Now from reliable sources comes word that workers are fitting the space for a nail salon…



And that's all we know about that.

As for Amor, we always enjoyed looking at the specialty cakes in the window display… (always wondered why the guy posing in the Speedo had a greenish tint to his body … except for his head)




[Cake photos by Robert Sietsema via Fork in the Road]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: Fire reported at 224 Avenue B

Amor Bakery will not reopen on Avenue B