Butter Lane Cupcakes is expanding

On Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue... Butter Lane is taking over the vacant space next door... I asked Maria Baugh, one of the owners, for the details...



"We just took the space last week. We plan to use it for classes and events -- birthday parties, kids birthday parties, wedding showers, etc. Classes are very popular so we're expanding those. And we get a lot of requests to do parties -- now we finally have space."

Diablo Royale shows itself to Avenue A

After about 10 months or so of extensive work at 167 Avenue A, the EV location of Diablo Royale has come out from behind all the plywood...




No word on an opening date yet for Diablo Royale, which is Spanish for "another full liquor license on Avenue A."

Previously on EV Grieve:
My, what big plywood you have

Noted

New signs are up...before they pack it in for Murray Hill or the LES or America...

A colorful tag for Cooper Union

Or maybe it's a math problem...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Welcome to the neighborhood!: First tag spotted on the new Cooper Union Building

Verizon Building getting back to normal

EV Grieve reader Kim is keeping tabs on the return of the tags to the Verizon Building on 13th Street as seen in her photo below...



I took a few shots myself...




As did Woodland Creature.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Brownout: Verizon building graffiti painted over

Graceland has closed

Graceland, the deli that has been at the corner of Avenue A and Second Street since 1991, closed for good tonight ... (thanks to BaHa for letting me know the official date...) The doors were locked some time around 6:30 tonight, a neighbor said... several people walked by and were surprised to see the familiar 24-hour bodega grocery closed...







Several readers said that the rent was being increased to $20,000 a month by the landlord... Another grocer is expected to take over the space... some of the crew here will go to work next door at Gracefully...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Graceland is closing in the next 10 days

Nicky's staying in the East Village; Graceland moving out?

Graceland addresses its customers

Live Chat Roulette in Tompkins Square Park

Two NYU students are currently in Tompkins Square Park looking for volunteers to play Live Chat Roulette.... It's for a class on human interactions or something, though I wasn't really paying attention when the students were talking to me...




And I hope that everyone who participates keeps it in their pants...unlike what happens on the Web some times (you pervs).

Updated: Shepard Fairey creating new mural for the Cooper Square Hotel

Following up on yesterday's post about the whitewashing of the mural on the Cooper Square Hotel... Just like that, a new mural is in progress...




We asked a Cooper employee for confirmation of the artist, but he said he didn't know... Uh-huh. Anyway, Shepard Fairey is creating this mural too.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Goodbye Homer Simpson: The Cooper Square Hotel has a white wall again

Why you shouldn't read pages 20-21 in the Post today

David's Bagels space becoming a Mexican restaurant

After 21 years in the business, David's Bagels closed on First Avenue near 14th Street in August 2008. The landlord asked for a big rent hike...



...and was rewarded with an empty storefront for about 20 months...Now, though, as EV Grieve reader Kim passed along, workers are gutting the old space...




A nearby shopkeeper says the space will become a Mexican restaurant. "Tacos, burritos -- that kind of shit."



For further reading:
David's Bagels (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

A sad day for bagels (Blah Blog Blah ... and Jill gets credit for that top photo)

Ten months later, David’s space still empty (East Village Idiot)

Goodbye Homer Simpson: The Cooper Square Hotel has a white wall again

As Curbed first pointed out yesterday... the ode to Homer on the side of the Cooper Square Hotel was being painted over by, uh, painters... And so I went by yesterday to see what was what and all at our favorite local eyesore (uh, the hotel, not the art)...



And Blake Lively?! (No.)




And those poor bushes were smashed/displaced again on Fifth Street...



And today...



At least the Coop put on the bush condoms for safe gardening...



Anyway, I'll always remember the first site of Homer...

Even the Pee Phone is more expensive now

Previously!


Now!



This is what happens when you become World Famous! Avenue A and Seventh Street, of course.

Meanwhile, for more fun under the sidewalk shelter here, I refer you to Bob Arihood and Melanie.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New prices for the world famous Pee Phone wiped away

Fourth Street, 9:12 a.m., April 24

Second Avenue, 7:39 p.m., April 23

Free popcorn at 10th Street...