Back to the blackout of 2003

Today (and tonight!) marks the 15th anniversary of the great Northeastern blackout of 2003, an outage that affected 50 million people in parts of the United States and Canada. (Read more about the NYC anniversary at Gothamist and Quartz.)

Below is a video my old friend GammaBlog published on the fifth anniversary in 2008.

On the muggy evening of Aug. 14, 2003, GammaBlog took his compact VHS camera out on the streets of the East Village, shooting footage in Tompkins Square Park and St. Mark's Place, among other (darkened) streets.

Here's more about the 21-minute video...

Much of the tape consists of a dark blurry mess as the camera searches for something to focus on. But I did manage to extract some interesting video and audio. And though the walking footage may make those susceptible to motion-sickness nauseous, I think it does capture the spirit of the night. I combined this with recent interviews [2008] in Tompkins Square Park, where I asked people to tell me their 2003 Blackout stories.

Noted

EVG reader Jen Pace shared this photo from the 13th Street side of the Verizon building at Second Avenue... where the Verizon maintenance crew is re-engaged in a brown paint battle with taggers... the wall was painted over late last week. And the band played on.

Body found in the East River near the Williamsburg Bridge

Earlier this afternoon, police recovered the body of an unidentified man from the East River just north of the Williamsburg Bridge. The body was reportedly first spotted in the river near East Houston and the FDR.

An EVG reader shared these photos ...



Patch had this report:

The NYPD Harbor unit discovered the unresponsive victim at 1:25 p.m before police divers pulled the victim's body from the river near the Williamsburg Bridge, said officials.

Emergency responders pronounced the man dead on the scene. Police are unsure if the body was dumped in the river at the Lower East Side or if the body was carried by the current from elsewhere, a police spokeswoman said.

The city medical examiner will determine the cause of death, and the investigation into the case is continuing.

Report: Canadian investor buys 62-64 3rd Ave.

Investor Ari Zagdanski’s Kinsmen Property Group is the new owner of 62 and 64 Third Ave.

As the Commercial Observer reported yesterday, Zagdanski paid $23 million for the two four-floor buildings, which were owned by Jakobson Properties.

Per the Observer:

Zagdanski doesn’t have any immediate plans to redevelop the residential buildings, but said he was drawn to the neighborhood because of its new developments including the nearby Moxy Hotel.

“It’s a long-term play. Eventually, it will probably be developed into something,” [broker Itan] Rahmani said. “This is a corner that never really trades.”

No. 62 is currently vacant. There hasn't been much activity (except for the Brunch Theatre Company pop up) at the former home of the New York Central Art Supply, which closed in September 2016.

The Steinberg family, who operated the art supply store for three generations, cited "poor business conditions" as the primary reason behind the closure.

According to public records, the building sold for $9.3 million to an LLC in 2016 with an address of 62 Third Ave. However, a work permit from last year for a sidewalk bridge listed Jakobson Properties as the owner.

No. 64 on the southwest corner is a residential building with the Ainsworth as the retail tenant.

No. 64 was, a few years ago, prime ad space for the aspiring blockbusters of the day...

Did you hear the one about the comedy club opening tonight on 4th Street?

[Image via Instagram]

The New York Comedy Club is making its East Village debut tonight at 85 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

This is the second location for the New York Comedy Club, which opened in 1989 on 24th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Here's what Amy Hawthorne, the club's director of operations, told me via email back in May:

"We're very excited about being part of such a vibrant neighborhood full of all kinds of other arts and performance venues.

"We'll be renovating the space to be more in keeping with the look and character of our original Gramercy location — darker room, brick wall background for the stage, and an audio system custom designed for the space by our co-owner, Scott Lindner, who is also a professional audio engineer."

Lindner and Emilio Savone bought the New York Comedy Club in 2014 after years of working in entertainment marketing and live comedy production.

You can find the East Village schedule here.

They are taking over the former home of the EastVille Comedy Club, which departed for Brooklyn in April.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Funny business: Comedy club replacing comedy club on 4th Street

More bubble tea for the Bubble Tea District (aka St. Mark's Place)

[Photos by Steven]

Signage arrived yesterday at 19-23 St. Mark's Place for Mi Tea...



This will be the fourth U.S. outpost for the Hangzhou, China-based chain with 1,000 locations worldwide. Their speciality: Himalayan pink salted cheese tea drinks.

And they'll have plenty of competition on this block between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Other nearby options include Nohohon Matcha NYC, Spot Dessert Bar, Kung Fu Tea and CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice.

This storefront was previously Kulture, the tattoo-piercings-jewelry-smoke shop, which moved east several storefronts to the upper level of No. 31 in January.

Kulture arrived here in in 2011. Previously, the space was the short-lived St. Mark's Cafe, Red Mango, Quizno's and, until June 2008, the CBGB shop...

Chinese restaurant coming to this 3rd Avenue storefront

Renovations continue behind the plywood at 50 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street.

This space, previously the Renew & Relax Spa, is being converted into a restaurant. There's a Community Board 3 notice out front for a new beer-wine license for the place. (This item is not on the August CB3-SLA agenda. Perhaps it will be on for September.)



In an email, one of the applicants, Becky Lin, offered a few details — described the new venture as a "non-traditional Chinese restaurant specializing in noodles, (southern China) appetizers and desserts, etc."

Lin said they are still finalizing the name of the restaurant, which will likely have a fall opening.

Bingbox Snow Cream is moving away from 2nd Avenue

The Bingbox Snow Cream shop at 125 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place is now closed.

A sign on the gate explains that they are moving — location TBD...



Bingbox, which opened in April 2016, serves Korean shaved ice and other desserts. Bingbox recently opened an outpost in Dallas.

Updated: Reward for this turtle, last seen in the 6BC Botanical Garden

An East Village couple's pet turtle went missing yesterday in the 6BC Botanical Garden on Sixth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.

Per an Instagram post:

We lost our little turtle yesterday. We were in the 6BC garden, and she disappeared under foliage and we looked at every inch of the garden since yesterday. Thinking she may have wandered out the gate.

Hopefully someone will find her and return her to us. Thank you in advance for your kindness.

There's a $100 for anyone who finds the turtle.

Updated 8:07 p.m.

Per the comments, the turtle has been found!

Liquid Denial, the 6th annual MoRUS Film Festival, starts on Thursday

Here are details via the EVG inbox...

The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) will host its 6th Annual Film Fest, Liquid Denial, at community gardens in the East Village Thursday through Sunday.

Tackling the time-sensitive issue of water insecurity, Liquid Denial seeks to raise awareness and promote actions to improve access to clean, safe water and identify water-related threats to the health of humans and the environment.

A special centerpiece of Liquid Denial includes a screening of "The Man Who Fell to Earth," starring David Bowie, at La Plaza Cultural on Saturday, Aug. 18. All films will begin at 8:45 p.m. A limited number of early-bird all-access passes are available at Eventbrite, which will include a complimentary, reusable drinking straw to be redeemed either at MoRUS during regular operating hours or at the Film Fest.

This link has all the festival/film details.

MoRUS is at 155 Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

Webster Hall alum proposing new venture for former Lovecraft space on Avenue B

Updated 8/20: The applicants said that they are no longer considering this space.

Applicants who are family members of the previous Webster Hall ownership will appear before CB3's SLA committee this month for a new liquor license for 50 Avenue B and 238 E. Fourth St.

The addresses include the former Lovecraft, the two-level bar-restaurant between Third Street and Fourth Street, and the Johnny Favorite's pizzeria around the corner on Fourth Street. (The two spaces are connected.)



According to the questionnaire for the public posted to the CB3 website (PDF here), the still-unnamed establishment will serve "American fare in Avenue B space and pizza on Fourth Street, both American and pizza in the basement." The applicants are seeking a sidewalk cafe for the Avenue B side as well.

The paperwork also notes that "there will regularly be live music performances." (The type of live music isn't specified. The questionnaire includes a noise- and traffic-mitigation plan.)

The proposed hours are 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. on weekdays; with a 10 a.m. opening time on weekends.

Applicants include Stephen Ballinger, whose résumé posted with the questionnaire lists him as the head bartender and bar manager at Webster Hall from 2014-2017, and Adam Ballinger, who was most recently the marketing manager at Webster Hall.

The Ballinger family (brothers Lon, Steve and Doug Ballinger) owned Webster Hall from 1992 to last summer, taking over the venue on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue in 1989 when the Ritz was ending its time here.

In the spring of 2017, they reportedly sold the now-landmarked building to Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment and AEG Presents for $35 million. (Steve Ballinger is also listed as one of the applicants in the Avenue B venture along with his sons Stephen and Adam.)

The August CB3-SLA meeting is Aug. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Lovecraft, which was inspired by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, closed in early 2018 after three-and-a-half years in business. Johnny Favorite's shuttered in August 2017 after debuting in April 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lovecraft has not been open lately on Avenue B

Updated: Brown out again at the Verizon building

The staff watching over the Verizon building on Second Avenue at 13th Street has apparently stocked up again on brown paint... the tags that lined the 13th Street side were painted over last week...



Perhaps this marks a return to the brown paint wars that dominated local headlines from 2012-2014.

Tags would fill up the wall. Someone would cover them with brown paint. The tags would return. So did the brown paint. And so on.

For several years it seemed as if Verizon was willing to just let the graffiti stay (in part because the 13th Street side was covered with a sidewalk bridge...)

In any event, here's what the wall looked liked before the latest brown out last week...







Updated 8/14

EVG reader Jen Pace noted these arrivals today...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Sidewalk bridge finally hauled away from the Verizon building on 2nd Avenue

Fire under sidewalk bridge on 13th Street temporarily brings an end to homeless encampment

First tag reappears on the Verizon building

Brownout: Verizon building graffiti painted over

Verizon is going to blow the budget on brown paint