This ticket's for you

Cop tickets a Bud truck hogging up Avenue A at Ninth Street Saturday.

Report: During the recession, candy sales are up! (Next trends piece: We're getting fatter and our teeth are rotting)

The inevitable trends story today from the Times.

The recession seems to have a sweet tooth. As unemployment has risen and 401(k)’s have shrunk, Americans, particularly adults, have been consuming growing volumes of candy, from Mary Janes and Tootsie Rolls to Gummy Bears and cheap chocolates, say candy makers, store owners and industry experts.

Theories vary on exactly why. For many, sugar lifts spirits dragged low by the languishing economy. For others, candy also provides a nostalgic reminder of better times. And not insignificantly, it is relatively cheap.

“People may indulge themselves a little bit more when times are tough,” said Jack P. Russo, an analyst with the Edward Jones retail brokerage in St. Louis. “These are low-cost items that people can afford pretty easily.”

All this means business has been brisk at Economy Candy. Anyway, has the Times already done the piece on people drinking more during the recession and eating lunch from sidewalk vendors?

The life and times of Mr. Zero

This Ain't the Summer of Love's Mr. Zero post is now live... Mr. Zero -- Urbain J. Ledoux -- was known for his charity relief kitchens on the Bowery in the 1920s and 1930s, among many other charitable acts....

Previously on EV Grieve:
More on Mr. Zero

Code name Narnia: NYU frosh have secret room where they can drink, smoke pot and have sex (reportedly)

Washington Square News has the story:

Within the walls of one freshman dorm exists a magical place, known to most first-year students only as “Narnia.” Narnia’s mythical reputation as a refuge in which students sip beer and smoke marijuana without RA interference has spread like wildfire throughout the freshman class.

Indeed, the rumors are based on truth. The party never stops in Narnia: nearly every day of every week, four suitemates invite friends and strangers alike to celebrate life with sex, music, alcohol and weed.

Narnia is actually an eight-by-four-foot room in a spacious suite. The room is clean and uncluttered with a bedsheet spread across the floor. Photographs and hand-drawn illustrations adorn the sanctuary’s walls, and lava lamps, ashtrays and a defunct popcorn maker sit near a small window. A large poster of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” rests on the room’s center wall.

Well, it was probably fun while it lasted. And has anyone checked John Sexton's blood pressure lately?

The End of Extra Place

In February, Extra Place was paved over...in an effort to "beautify" the piss-filled alley that ran behind CBGB and turn it into a pedestrian mall...



And now...as a capper to the project, an ominous "End" sign was put up...



...to signify the "End" of an era...or to warn motorists who may not otherwise be able to see the building that is sitting there...

By the way, it has been nearly one year since the makeover plans were announced for Extra Place.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Looking at Extra Place

The Chocolate Wars (well, not at all, but we needed something that sounds CONTROVERSIAL)

From luxury condo sales office to stylish spa (seems about right)

The former sales office for One Avenue B -- located in Red Square on Houston Street -- will become a spa...Also, the Web site for One Avenue B, the glass box at the site of the former Gaseteria at Avenue B and Houston, is no longer live.

A Bodhi Tree grows on Third Avenue

Our former little Taco Bell on Third Avenue near 11th Street is all grown up now, almost ready to become a Thai place called Bodhi Tree.



Previously on EV Grieve:
From tacos to Thai on Third Avenue

PS
One cannot mention the name Bodhi without paying tribute to the greatest Bodhi of them all, Patrick Sawyze in Point Break.

Among his wisdom:

-- "100% pure adrenaline!"
-- "Goddamn! You are one radical son of a bitch!"
-- "If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love."
-- "I know Johnny. I know you want me so bad it's like acid in your mouth. But, not this time."
-- "Life sure has a sick sense of humor, doesn't it?"
-- "Yo, Johnny! I see you in the next life!"
-- "Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true."

Robataya rises on East Ninth Street

The always-reliable Col Legno closed up last June at 231 E. Ninth Street near Second Avenue. (It was a favorite of Alex's at Flaming Pablum.)

Now, the location is getting ready to open as a Japanese robata-style restaurant...

Kevin Bacon LOVES that delicious vegan ice cream at Stogo!

In this week's edition of My New York in the New York Post (this feature isn't online..), the Bacon Brothers -- Kevin and his, uh, brother -- discuss their favorite things in the city...And on Kevin's list: The vegan ice cream at Stogo on East 10th Street near Second Avenue, the former site of the beloved A. Fontana Shoe Repair...Anyway, Kevin says it's good stuff! That vegan ice cream. Wow, what a great plug for this shop! It's nice that a big-name actor is so supportive of such a place...




Of course, Kevin doesn't mention that Stogo is owned by his brother-in-law. Or maybe he disclosed this fact and the Post didn't include it...

What's new at Subway? (Specifically the one on Second Avenue near Ninth Street...)

An ATM!



But will it dispense $5 bills for the foot-long specials?

Previous, and exclusive, Subway coverage on EV Grieve:

An important update on fast-food mascots

It's Feb. 18, and we've already exceeded our quota for stories on Subway for 2009

Nothing more festive than an opening of a new Subway

Locals will no longer have to walk a few blocks out of their way for a Subway

Does this mean there will always be a line?

Because, you know, people always stand in line waiting for brunch (for reasons that I have never understood)...Uh, anyway, Eater has the story about what's going in this space on First Avenue near Sixth Street.

A refurbished Ryan's is now open

After being closed for six weeks, Ryan's Irish Pub on Second Avenue near Ninth Street reopened on St. Patrick's Day...




The bar is longer and wider now (uh, the actual bar, not the building...) ... but they did away with the menu -- no more food...And the work in the pub isn't quite done yet...




Previously on EV Grieve.

From the EV Grieve New Jersey Bureau

From the wire:

WAYNE, N.J. (AP) — A kitschy northern New Jersey landmark that spawned a popular rock band's name and served as the backdrop for a "Sopranos" episode may be in danger of closing. Fountains of Wayne has sat on the side of Route 46 for more than 40 years, beckoning shoppers with displays of lawn ornaments, outdoor furniture and life-sized Santa Claus figures in various attire. The store's gates were closed on Friday, and no one answered the phone.

Lulu is missing