Filming "Curb Your Enthusiasm" on Fourth Avenue and 12th Street a little bit ago... thanks to EV Grieve reader Shaps for the shot.
Friday, July 16, 2010
This disarming man: Larry David on Fourth Avenue
Filming "Curb Your Enthusiasm" on Fourth Avenue and 12th Street a little bit ago... thanks to EV Grieve reader Shaps for the shot.
Cathedral preservation meeting ends in deadlock; mediator next
Jill at Blah Blog Blah attended last night's CB3 meeting regarding the preservation of the Historic Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Martyr on East Second Street. In a comment, she reported:
[T]he two sides are really at odds, which is so strange because ultimately they want the same thing — to preserve the church they love.
The meeting ended with both sides agreeing to go to a mediator to try to work it out.
Apparently there is a group that helps with financing and all the red tape that the church is worried about. But the anger seemed to go beyond that. What I got from the speeches was that the church members feel like they felt like they are being invaded by strangers who want to proclaim landmark status on the building without engaging the occupants of the building. Like their opinion on the matter was an afterthought.
However, if this fight has been going on since before the rezoning (which is why they say they can't add an addition even if they want to), then the 8-story addition was probably a real threat, and the landmark status was meant to stop them, so engaging them wouldn't have made much sense then, as it was a strategy to stop them from proceeding with their plan.
I wonder if it is possible to could get landmark status in spite of what the church members want. It seems to me that if the EVCC et al are worried that the church, or their future congregants will try to change the building in any way (8 story addition not withstanding) then they are exactly who landmark status is meant to protect the building from.
Patrick Hedlund has more on the story at DNAinfo.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Looking for support of the proposed landmarking of the Historic Russian Orthodox Cathedral
[Cathedral image courtesy of Barry Munger]
Tuli Kupferberg in Tompkins Square Park, 1990
As you know, Tuli Kupferberg died on Monday... John Penley shared some photos of Tuli speaking at the Fourth Annual Squatters' May Day in Tompkins Square Park from 1990...
(Photos via Flickr)
(Photos via Flickr)
East Fifth Street is turning into a Ghost Town ... or Goat's Town (with a $75 entree!)
Hey, meet Sophie's new neighbor! One more item from last night's CB3/SLA space... courtesy of Thomas Garry's reporting at Eater.
The committee said OK to an eatery for the former Le Tableau/Seymour Burton/Butcher Bay space .... tentatively titled Ghost Town.
Hmmm... if that name holds up, then I can't wait to walk by when the place is empty and say, Ghost Town is a ghost town now!
[Waiting to get booed]
Uh, anyway, Ghost Town?! The way I like it!
''
[UPDATE]: Grub Street has more details. And GS says the name of the joint will be Goat's Town! Not Ghost Town. Hmm. Nick Morgenstern of the General Greene in Brooklyn is behind the place. "He plans to open an eleven-table restaurant called Goat's Town in late October that will serve "continental" cuisine, and there’ll be at least one $75 entrée, as a board member pointed out to assuage one neighbor's fears that the place would attract a loud and rowdy crowd."
So, maybe a selection from Goats Head Soup is in order?
Amato Opera's future: theater, restaurant... and magicians?
More details are being reported from last night's CB3/SLA meeting, which I couldn't attend because of a work commitment ... the Lo-Down and Eater were there.
The owners behind the V Bars were approved to open a "bar/restaurant/theater experience" in the former Amato Opera on the Bowery. Eater's Thomas Garry reports, "The owners said the concept, which is at least a year from completion, would call for a 100-seat theater showcasing work from various theater troupes, and possibly other entertainment like magicians." Meanwhile, the second-floor would house a 70-seat restaurant/bar for pre- and post-show diners/drinkers.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Food OK now at the former Amato Opera
International Bar OK'd to take over Lilly Coogan's space
The Lo-Down attended last night's CB3/SLA meeting, and filed a quick report... two items to note first:
The committee voted against a transfer application for Sin Sin. "Numerous residents spoke out against the bar/night club, saying it’s a magnet for a rowdy crowd, drug dealing and violent incidents," according to the Lo-Down.
And!
The International folks got the OK for a license to take over the now-shuttered Lilly Coogan's space on First Avenue.
More on all this later...
Previously on EV Grieve:
International Bar owners taking over Lilly Coogan's
East Village noise wars new battlefront: Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge
New school in East Village will cost upwards of $31,000 annually
As you may have heard, the World Class Learning Academy is taking over the LaSalle Academy space on Second Street and Second Avenue... It's a U.K.-based independent school (rich kid's school) for ages 3 to 11. (The old LaSalle space is currently getting spruced up...)
An EV Grieve reader asked if I had seen the tuition for the school.
I had not.
Tuition for 2010/2011 School Year, payable in two installments:
Foundation Stage 1 (Pre-K 3/Nursery), Half Day: $14,000
Foundation Stage 1 (Pre-K 3/Nursery), Full Day: $22,500
Foundation Stage 2 (Pre-K 4/Reception): $25,500
Years 1-6 (Kindergarten-Grade 5): $31,900
Noted the reader: "It's like a pre-K for NYU Dubai."
By the way, LaSalle, which has had 160 years of presence on the Lower East Side, is moving into part of St. George Ukrainian Catholic School on Sixth Street.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Blimey!: World Class Learning Academy takes over La Salle Academy space on Second Street
Guest post: The day the music died
Here's a little something different for today...a guest post...
By Larry Koestler
I grew up in Stuyvesant Town and lived there for 27 of my 29 years, and so as you might imagine, I am (or was) rather well-versed in the nightlife offerings of Avenues A, B and C.
However, age, relationships and maturity have significantly curtailed late-night group outings, and so I haven’t gone out here with any regularity in some time. Which is why I was incredibly sad to discover that The Musical Box (formerly at 219 Avenue B between 13th and 14th Streets) has closed, and has apparently been that way since the end of April.
My friends and I discovered Musical Box in 2003. Like most people, we weren’t even sure what it was from the outside, given the lack of signage and mysterious curtains completely shrouding the interior.
Thankfully, we went on in anyway, and it was pretty much love at first sight. The first thing one noticed upon entering the Box was the generously sized and dimly lit front bar room, with a reasonable-if-not-great beer selection, and fair prices.
But the real reason the Box became my go-to bar over the last seven years was actually not the alcohol selection, but the layout, design aesthetic, overall relaxed mood and almost zen-like vibe of the bar. In addition to the lengthy front bar area, Musical Box boasted an even more generously sized second room in the back, filled with more hideous-but-comfortable old couches than the eye could see. With the exception of certain times on Friday and Saturday nights seating was seldom a problem; a trait few bars can claim.
Of all of the bars I’ve ever been to, The Musical Box was my absolute favorite. I celebrated several birthdays, Halloweens and countless other occasions at the bar over the years; loved to go during the week when there wasn’t a soul to be found; and even during the weekend when it was slightly more crowded with clueless fools who only showed up because they heard it was the latest hot spot.
Any time a friend wanted to meet up for a drink, Musical Box was almost always our default destination. And most important for me, I took my future wife to The Musical Box on our very first date, and we even ended up featuring a photo of the now-destroyed mural on the brick wall of the patio on our Save-the-Date — I can’t imagine there are many other people who went on a first date at Musical Box and ended up marrying that person.
Unfortunately, the unloyal crowds — who helped annoyingly clog the lines for the two unisex bathrooms — that started swarming the place after word got out around 2005-2006 would most likely end up being its death knell.
While I haven’t read anything definitive as to why Musical Box actually closed — although the conspiracy theorist in me thinks it may have something to do with the ugly new condo building that’s been under construction directly next door for the past few years — there was a noticeable decline in attendance during the past few years. Though nothing makes me happier than a completely empty bar that my friends and I have all to ourselves, it’s also rather hard for a drinking establishment to continue to exist when it doesn’t receive enough patrons.
And so while I knew this day would eventually come, it doesn’t make it hurt any less. So here’s to you Musical Box: Thank you for providing a relaxing drinking venue in a city full of frenetic, overcrowded and painfully loud bars; countless memories; and for playing a pivotal role in my personal life. You’ll be missed, and most likely never replaced.
Larry Koestler is the former author of This Is What We Do Now, a humor blog about twentysomething life in New York City, and currently blogs about the Yankees at Yankeeist. He can be contacted at larry at koestlermedia dot com.
Chico photo via Flickr.
By Larry Koestler
I grew up in Stuyvesant Town and lived there for 27 of my 29 years, and so as you might imagine, I am (or was) rather well-versed in the nightlife offerings of Avenues A, B and C.
However, age, relationships and maturity have significantly curtailed late-night group outings, and so I haven’t gone out here with any regularity in some time. Which is why I was incredibly sad to discover that The Musical Box (formerly at 219 Avenue B between 13th and 14th Streets) has closed, and has apparently been that way since the end of April.
My friends and I discovered Musical Box in 2003. Like most people, we weren’t even sure what it was from the outside, given the lack of signage and mysterious curtains completely shrouding the interior.
Thankfully, we went on in anyway, and it was pretty much love at first sight. The first thing one noticed upon entering the Box was the generously sized and dimly lit front bar room, with a reasonable-if-not-great beer selection, and fair prices.
But the real reason the Box became my go-to bar over the last seven years was actually not the alcohol selection, but the layout, design aesthetic, overall relaxed mood and almost zen-like vibe of the bar. In addition to the lengthy front bar area, Musical Box boasted an even more generously sized second room in the back, filled with more hideous-but-comfortable old couches than the eye could see. With the exception of certain times on Friday and Saturday nights seating was seldom a problem; a trait few bars can claim.
Of all of the bars I’ve ever been to, The Musical Box was my absolute favorite. I celebrated several birthdays, Halloweens and countless other occasions at the bar over the years; loved to go during the week when there wasn’t a soul to be found; and even during the weekend when it was slightly more crowded with clueless fools who only showed up because they heard it was the latest hot spot.
Any time a friend wanted to meet up for a drink, Musical Box was almost always our default destination. And most important for me, I took my future wife to The Musical Box on our very first date, and we even ended up featuring a photo of the now-destroyed mural on the brick wall of the patio on our Save-the-Date — I can’t imagine there are many other people who went on a first date at Musical Box and ended up marrying that person.
Unfortunately, the unloyal crowds — who helped annoyingly clog the lines for the two unisex bathrooms — that started swarming the place after word got out around 2005-2006 would most likely end up being its death knell.
While I haven’t read anything definitive as to why Musical Box actually closed — although the conspiracy theorist in me thinks it may have something to do with the ugly new condo building that’s been under construction directly next door for the past few years — there was a noticeable decline in attendance during the past few years. Though nothing makes me happier than a completely empty bar that my friends and I have all to ourselves, it’s also rather hard for a drinking establishment to continue to exist when it doesn’t receive enough patrons.
And so while I knew this day would eventually come, it doesn’t make it hurt any less. So here’s to you Musical Box: Thank you for providing a relaxing drinking venue in a city full of frenetic, overcrowded and painfully loud bars; countless memories; and for playing a pivotal role in my personal life. You’ll be missed, and most likely never replaced.
Larry Koestler is the former author of This Is What We Do Now, a humor blog about twentysomething life in New York City, and currently blogs about the Yankees at Yankeeist. He can be contacted at larry at koestlermedia dot com.
Chico photo via Flickr.
Another lost Elm tree in Tompkins Square Park
Earlier this week, I noted one of the trees that had to be cut down in Tompkins Square Park because of Dutch Elm Disease...
In addition this past week, workers had to remove the one in the photo below at the Park entrance on Eighth Street and Avenue B...
It's gone.
...even the roots had to be removed to help prevent the spread of the Dutch Elm...
And now...
In addition this past week, workers had to remove the one in the photo below at the Park entrance on Eighth Street and Avenue B...
It's gone.
...even the roots had to be removed to help prevent the spread of the Dutch Elm...
And now...
Stalled-project lot on East 13th Street gets partial makeover
Hey, that stalled-project lot at 536 E. 13th Street near Avenue B is for sale...
...and now there's a new fence here...
...and the lot has also been groomed....(a little)
Before!
Now!
So either:
A) The owner is making the lot look more pretty for a potential buyer or...
B) The lot was sold and the new owner is now sprucing it up...
Previously on EV Grieve:
Your chance to own a stalled project lot on East 13th Street
A dormant construction site on East 13th Street
...and now there's a new fence here...
...and the lot has also been groomed....(a little)
Before!
Now!
So either:
A) The owner is making the lot look more pretty for a potential buyer or...
B) The lot was sold and the new owner is now sprucing it up...
Previously on EV Grieve:
Your chance to own a stalled project lot on East 13th Street
A dormant construction site on East 13th Street
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Reminders tonight: Sweet CB3/SLA action!
Sadly, I won't be able to attend tonight's CB3/SLA meeting... and many things to monitor on the docket...
Such as a liquor license transfer for Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge...
And... A few more highlights....
Sidewalk Cafe Applications
-- The Penny Farthing, 103 3rd Ave
-- The 13th Step, 149 2nd Ave
Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades
-- Mama Bar LLC, 34 Ave B (alt/op/expand to basement space)
New Liquor License Applications
-- Justified LLC, 102 1st Ave (op) (Lilly Coogan's) — from the good people behind the International
-- Tin Lizard LLC, 511 E 5th St (rw) (Butcher Bay)
-- Vbar Amato (Vbar2 LLC), 319 Bowery (op) — The old Amato Opera
The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at the JASA/Green Residence - 200 E. Fifth St. at the Bowery. Bring a six-pack!
Please let me know if you happen to attend and want to share a few highlights...
Such as a liquor license transfer for Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge...
And... A few more highlights....
Sidewalk Cafe Applications
-- The Penny Farthing, 103 3rd Ave
-- The 13th Step, 149 2nd Ave
Alterations/Transfers/Upgrades
-- Mama Bar LLC, 34 Ave B (alt/op/expand to basement space)
New Liquor License Applications
-- Justified LLC, 102 1st Ave (op) (Lilly Coogan's) — from the good people behind the International
-- Tin Lizard LLC, 511 E 5th St (rw) (Butcher Bay)
-- Vbar Amato (Vbar2 LLC), 319 Bowery (op) — The old Amato Opera
The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at the JASA/Green Residence - 200 E. Fifth St. at the Bowery. Bring a six-pack!
Please let me know if you happen to attend and want to share a few highlights...
Today's sign of the apocalypse
The above photo is from Eater, who noted that today marked the grand opening of the TGI Friday's on Union Square.
EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition
A serving of fauxstalgia (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)
Setting boundaries for the LES/Chinatown (The Lo-Down)
NYC is due for a hurricane (Runnin' Scared)
A ghost memorial for Harry Wieder (GammaBlog)
206 Bowery out of danger yet? (BoweryBoogie)
Flaming Pablum turns 5! (Flaming Pablum)
Cheetah and Syl hit the road (Punk Turns 30)
Street art vendors take it to court (The Villager)
Plan ahead for the Collect LES Art Crawl on July 22 (ArtLog)
From the NYPD Daily Blotter in the Post today:
An FDNY paramedic helped cops nab a group of thugs who robbed and roughed up a cabby in the East Village yesterday, authorities said. Lt. Jim Scordus was one of several on-duty EMTs near the corner of Second Avenue and East Seventh Street just before 3:30 a.m. when they saw the four goons get in a scuffle with the 50-year-old driver.
All four fled, and Scordus took off after them in his truck. He radioed to police and kept an eye on the suspects until cops arrived. David Forest, 23, Carl Muraco, 22, Chad LaForest, 21 and Nicholas Menardy, 22, were nabbed and charged with robbery.
And a belated thanks to New York magazine for mentioning the German pride parade in the Neighborhood News section...
And, one more time...
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