[Updated] Old Monk looking ready to open

Old Monk, a new Indian restaurant, is shaping up on the northeast corner of Avenue B and 11th Street... the paper is off the windows, as these photos by EVG reader Cheyenne show...



The sign on the window notes that Old Monk is opening soon ...



And it looks ready to serve diners...



There's a teaser site for Old Monk, though it doesn't have the menu posted just yet. The restaurant's Instagram account describes the Old Monk as serving "contemporary Indian soul food."

Prolific restaurateur Sushil Malhotra, whose ventures include Cafe Spice, is behind the Old Monk along with chef Navjot Arora of Chutney Masala in Westchester.

The address here, 175 Avenue B, has seen a variety of cuisine in recent years, including Babu Ji (2015-17) and Spina (2009-2015).

Updated 7/15

The restaurant is now open...

Quickly reaching the top of 287 E. Houston St.

I can't recall a new development that has gone up as quickly as 287 E. Houston St. ... workers hoisted the flag atop the 11-floor condoplex between Clinton and Suffolk late last week...



A quick recap: The 120-foot-tall luxury building will feature 28 residences. The development will have two to four units on each story, including two duplexes on the first and second floors and a penthouse duplex on the top two floors. The smallest unit (624 square feet) starts at $1.18 million. (More background here.)

It will likely look like the rendering by Labor Day...

Your chance to own part of an East Village bar

You've probably noticed these flyers around the past few days ... asking if you'd like to INVEST IN AN EAST VILLAGE BAR. (I saw the flyers on Third Avenue, Second Avenue and Avenue A...)

The link goes to an IndieGoGo page with details on the crowdfunding campaign.

Be an Influencer
You walk in to the bar, point to your photo on the owners wall, and treat your friends to rounds of drinks. Participate in shaping what the bar serves, the events it plans, the specials it offers. You help make the bar you want to hang out in.

Have Fun
The success of every bar is in the service (which already is stellar) and the patrons, who make the experience that much more enjoyable for each other. You aren't responsible for the management of the place, your job is to show up, be friendly, and have fun.

Keep the East Village Great
We're talking about an established pub in the heart of the East Village, just off Avenue A, that can become the living room for you and your friends. Contribute today, and take advantage of the perks forever. Help keep the East Village locally owned, and avoid the 'Bleeckerization' of this great neighborhood.

Guarantee
If adequate funding levels are not achieved, you will be refunded 100% of your investment, guaranteed.

Depending on your contribution (starting at $50), you'll have your framed photo on the owner's wall and receive various drink specials and a bar T-shirt. For $100, you get to represent the bar before Community Board 3. (Kidding!)

The person behind the campaign is looking to raise $200,000. At last look, they were at $1,800.

At the Weeping Willow Wake

[Photo by Steven]

This afternoon, residents and members of La Plaza Cultural gathered on Ninth Street and Avenue C to bid farewell to the last two willow trees in the community garden.

As previously reported, an inspection showed that the willow nicknamed Cher, located in the corner of the garden by Avenue C, is rotting, and will need to be removed. (The second willow, Krusty, located near the gazebo, is also in poor shape and will likely need to come down as well.)

Rev. Billy, along with members of his choir, presided over the event, titled the Weeping Willow Wake...


[Photo by Steven]


[Photo via @evan_kapitansky]

Reverend Billy and the church of stop shopping at the weeping willow #tree memorial in la Plaza. #weepingwillow #reverendbilly #nyc #park #garden

A post shared by Eden Bee (@edenbrower) on Jul 9, 2017 at 1:39pm PDT

In a statement earlier, La Plaza officials said:

The Parks Department has made a descion that they must come down and will take them down when they have the time. La Plaza Community Garden is saddened by the loss of our great willow trees and is reaching out to the community seeking people's opinion as to where we should go from here.

Here's one opinion...


[Photo by Steven]

The Parks Department has yet to schedule a date for removing the willows, believed to be 41 years old.

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Updated 8 p.m.

Here are a few more photos via EVG regular Peter Brownscombe...

Today in apologies

Spotted on Avenue A.

Water Problems
So sorry all, but someone (me) drilled through the cold water pipe that goes to the kitchens!
I will get a plumber in here ASAP, but it will probably not be before Monday.
Kitchen hot water works
All water works in bathrooms

Week in Grieview

[Photo in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

The former Church of the Nativity one step closer to hitting the sales market on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday)

A renewed effort to restore and preserve the Yiddish Theatre Walk of Fame on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

Cab strikes and kills 87-year-old man on Cooper Square (Monday)

A wake for the last willow trees at La Plaza Cultural (Friday)

The plan to document the last month of Webster Hall's existence (Friday)

S'MAC is open in new home on 1st Avenue and 12th Street (Wednesday)

The East Village artists behind the Danceteria time capsule from 1984 that prompted a bomb scare in 2017 (Friday)

Remembering Louise Nevelson at the Nevelson House on 7th Street (Wednesday)

Owners of Babu Ji settle 2nd wage lawsuit (Friday)

Paloma Rocket looking to land in the East Village (Wednesday)

Report: Steve Croman sued to stop his father from managing 3rd Avenue properties (Wednesday)

A few dining details about Joe and Pat's, the Staten Island pizzeria opening on 1st Avenue (Thursday)


[Photo on 10th Street by Derek Berg]

Christo needs a larger bird bath (Tuesday)

Body found in the East River north of the Williamsburg Bridge (Tuesday)

Details on the "New York in the 70s" series starting this week at the Film Forum (Monday)

Reader report: Rooftop fire on 12th Street (Monday)

Why it would be a bad idea to take this discarded carpet on Second Avenue (Sunday)

A look the incoming Starbucks on St. Mark's and Avenue A, site of a rally on July 13 (Wednesday)

Cholo Noir opens on 6th Street (Friday)

The new view of 10th Street from 11th Street (Thursday)

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Today in Tompkins Square Park

Photo via Bobby Williams...

Band that played Tompkins Square Park on June 25 looking for some help with park permits

[Image via Facebook]

On June 25, Tycoon Dog, a jam/rock band, played a free show in Tompkins Square Park. The band, which formed in 1996, plays in various parks — Including Tompkins Square in the past — throughout the city during the warmer weather months.

The band's founder, Scott Bailey, sent this email out... so perhaps if you were at that show...

We are asking for your help.

The NYC Parks Dep't has revoked all our 2017 permits. They say that at our June 25 show in Tompkins Square Park, police issued two summonses to us, and that we failed to turn down the band's volume when the police asked us to.

These things didn't happen at the 6/25 Tycoon Dog show in TSP - there were no issues or problems of any kind at that show. We think they may have happened at a big punk show there the previous day, and that there has been some kind of mix-up. However, as of now our permits are revoked and we need your help to try and get them back.

If you were at the 6/25 Tompkins show, especially if you saw the whole show, could you please email me? I am hoping some ... of you can give us a statement saying you were there and that the volume was fine and there were no problems.

Here's Scott's email.

Repairs underway on (in?) Tompkins Square Park sinkhole

Workers are at the Eighth Street/Avenue B entrance to Tompkins Square Park ... starting repairs on the sinkhole that has closed this corridor the past three-four weeks...



A worker told EVG correspondent Steven, who took these photos, that he's clearing out the sinkhole for the plumbers to fix the pipe that broke... and some photos of that broken pipe...



No word on when the plumbers might be here.

Meanwhile, at the Bowery Mural Wall...

Seems to be a daily ritual here on East Houston at the Bowery... someone tags the wall, then Goldman Properties has someone paint over it... repeat!

David Choe's mural here was painted over in June as the controversy over his past comments about an alleged sexual assault resurfaced... his work was scheduled to be up through October.



There has't been any word of a replacement.

The sounds of the 1970s this afternoon in Tompkins Square Park

This afternoon in Tompkins Square Park... via the Facebook event page: "Mike SOS and Super Morgan spin the 70s jams from 2pm until 6pm! ALL AGES and FREE!"

This event comes courtesy of FBOMB NYC, who hosts a rock-n-roll showcase at Arlene's Grocery the last Saturday of the month.

Friday's parting shot

First Avenue at Sixth Street tonight... before it rained (again)...