Reminders: The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival is today in Tompkins Square Park

[Photo by Steven]

Crews are setting up the stage now for the free show today from 3-7 p.m.

Here's a preview via The New York Times:

Sunday’s program, at Tompkins Square Park, will feature a special triumvirate of Jack DeJohnette on drums, Dave Holland on bass and Jason Moran on piano; the singer Allan Harris; the alto saxophonist Grace Kelly; and the Donny McCaslin Quartet, recently acclaimed for its work with David Bowie.

Reminders: NYU Welcome Week starts today

At NYU, Fall Welcome Week begins with the Residence Hall move in...

With this in mind, you may want to avoid the following areas...



Kidding!

But there are parking restrictions around the various residence halls along Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 14th Street...and on 14th Street ... and the one on the Bowery at Second Street...

And maybe today isn't the day you decide to pick up a few non-dorm-related items at Basics Plus on Third Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street. Could be crowded...

Report: 3 East Village residents arrested on gun, drug charges

Three East Village roommates were busted for storing guns and drugs in their East Fourth Street apartment, per published reports.

According to the Daily News, the NYPD executed a search warrant yesterday morning at an unspecified address on Fourth Street ... this followed the arrest of Nico Meneses, who had been found carrying a loaded gun when he was busted for an alleged assault nine days earlier at the Artichoke Pizza in Chelsea. (Which is why the 10th Precinct was involved.)

Per the Post:

Inside they found three loaded handguns, police sources said.

In addition to the firearms, police recovered 20 ounces of cocaine, marijuana and an assortment of 130 prescription pills from the apartment.

Police arrested Devin Detres, Kristopher Gibbs and Meneses, all 24. They reportedly face multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Skippy's Palace offering early (or late?) St. Patrick's Day beer specials on 10th Street

As the signage shows, beer deals abound all night at Skippy's Palace, the semi-secret speakeasy at 84 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.



Anyway probably just a leftover from a house-roof rager or something... the address has been home to rooftop noise complaints for years (here and here, as an example).

No, workers aren't dropping off the new Target store this morning on 14th and A

Big Crane Action is happening today on 14th Street and Avenue A... at the site of Extell Development's in-progress retail-residential plazaganza that will one day yield a Target flexible-format store.

Signs at the nearby MTA stop in Steiner East Village points to ConEd work...



Whatever! Just enjoy...

Sugar Cafe is back open

Sugar Cafe on the corner of East Houston and Allen Street reopened its doors yesterday.

As we first noted on Aug. 16, the cafe had to close for undisclosed plumbing issues...there was some thought that the closure was tied to the ongoing/never-ever-ending East Houston Street Reconstruction Project that has been hurting local businesses.

At the opening night of the Vector Gallery on 3rd Street

Last night, the Vector Gallery — aka the Official Gallery of Satan — made its debut at 199 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Founder JJ Brine (below in the camouflage jump suit) previously held forth on Clinton Street, East Broadway ... and in Los Angeles.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped early and shared a few photos ... there were various "Sermons/Situations/Soliloquies" later in the evening for the opening ...



















Previously

Twist and shout

The debut album from the Toronto-based Twist is out today... the above track is for "Can't Wait."

The band was at Mercury Lounge this past Sunday... and hopefully they'll be back around soon...

Steve Croman gift ideas for everyone on your list

An EVG reader shared the following... over at Redbubble, the online marketplace for print on-demand products, seller SansComicSans has created a series of gift items that feature landlord Steve Croman's mugshot.

There are throw pillows (above) ... as well as hoodies...



... iPhone cases...



... and travel mugs...



Find the whole gift gallery here.

Steve Croman, who's always in the discussion for NYC Landlord of the Year, was hit in May with a 20-count indictment on charges including grand larceny and filing false documents.

Croman, whose real-estate empire includes 47 buildings with 617 units in the East Village, is reportedly due back in court next month.

EV Grieve Etc.: Raphael Toledano's tenants come together; Feltman's is NYC's best hot dog

[Photo on 6th Street by Derek Berg]

Tenants sound off on notoriously shady landlord Raphael Toledano (Brick Underground)

Feltman's at Theatre 80 "is NYC's best hot dog" (Gothamist ... previously)

Haircuts, coffee and art at the Vacancy Project on East 10th Street (Sprudge ... previously)

A visit to Kingsley, "an inviting restaurant" on Avenue B (The Village Voice)

Corrupt lawmaker Sheldon Silver can remain free until appeal is heard (The New York Times)

Construction starts at the future home of the Essex Street Market (The Lo-Down)

Hawk action winds down in Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography)

Man busted for alleged heroin deal on 14th Street and First Avenue (Town & Village, 2nd item)

NYU study offers some L train alternatives (Patch)

Interview with Tim Murphy, author of "Christodora" (B+B ... previously)

Retrospective devoted to Catalan filmmaker José Luis Guerín (Anthology Film Archives)

Lady Bunny's new show (The New Yorker)

Madonnathon at the Metrograph on Ludlow Street (Official site ... read our Q-and-A with "Desperately Seeking Susan" director Susan Seidelman here)

Black Flag at Maxwell's circa 1984 (Flaming Pablum)

Random diversions: When David Lynch did daily weather reports (Dangerous Minds)

...and ahead of the Chi Snack Shop debut in the former Mamoun's space at 22 St Mark's Place... the branded ATM shelter has arrived...



... and at 2 St. Mark's Place, the Greek restaurant that is opening in the St. Mark's Ale House space is hiring ...




[H/T Steven]

Sept. 2 is the last day for New York Central Art Supply

New York Central Art Supply has set Sept. 2 as its last day in business...



On July 11, the Steinberg family, who has run the art supply store for three generations, announced that they were closing the 111-year-old business for good in September. They cited "poor business conditions" and the pending sale of the building at 62 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street as the primary reasons behind the closure.

"We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring and support of the community and our customers," family member Doug Steinberg told me via email. "We are continuing to see if we can find a new home for what's left of our inventory and our paper collection."

For now, there are items up to 60 percent off... they are also selling fixtures and furniture such as flat files.

As for who might be the new owner of the building, there isn't any transaction in public records just yet. One source claimed that the Lightstone Group had purchased No. 62, and that the developers would use the space for part of the Marriott sub-brand Moxy Hotel planned nearby at 112-120 E. 11th St.

Doug Steinberg said that he was not sure who was buying No. 62. "But I am 99 percent sure it is NOT Lightstone," he said. "They actually looked at it and passed. Whoever is buying it is — as far as we know — unrelated to the hotel mania around the corner."

Blink opens a sales office on Avenue A

[Photo via @edenbrower]

Blink Fitness is opening at 100 Avenue A this fall... ahead of that, the gym unveiled a temporary sales office yesterday nearby at 115 Avenue A ... The Blink website for this location shows a rate of $20 a month for an all-access membership ... and $15 a month for access to just the Avenue A gym.

The No. 115 space previously served as a sales office for Ben Shaoul's condoplex at 100 Avenue A.