A reader report on the M15 Select Bus Service

EV Grieve reader Mike shared his experience from the new M15 Select Bus Service yesterday ...

Paid for my ticket at 2nd and 42nd. The crowd was minimal but grew quickly. We waited over 10 minutes for a bus. The MTA employee said they are supposed to come every five minutes.

After paying for my paper ticket with my unlimited monthly, the regular local bus came, but I couldn't use my metrocard there as I just used it to buy a select ticket.

When the bus finally arrived it was jam packed. It sat for a few minutes as people were standing in the doorways. Everyone was irritated and each stop was a nightmare due to the super crowded condition. Exiting and entering was difficult for all riders.

Attached is a picture of the crowded condition... the entire bus was this full.

"MTA can't get it right every time. I'm hoping this is an anomaly.. it can't get any worse!"

The Penistrator is ruining The Libs Project

Here on 13th Street and Fourth Avenue... you ask for some libs, you get some Penistrator — or a clever imitator....




Also....

On second thought...

On Sept. 7, I ran an item on Cafe St. Mark's taking over the defunct Red Mango space on St. Mark's Place... Well, that didn't last long... there are now "for lease" signs on the space...



I don't know if they ever even made it open here...

How the bomb scare is impacting the Second Avenue bike lane

Take it slow starting at Third Street....

An update on the biggest news story of the day

DBGB put out its sidewalk cafe! DBGB put out its sidewalk cafe! DBGB put out its sidewalk cafe!



Previously on EV Grieve:
Where is DBGB's sidewalk cafe?

East Village makes The Drudge Report

Uh, woo? Anyway, The Drudge Report links to the Daily News piece on the bomb scare...

Haven't seen this much activity on Second Street since Angelina Jolie filmed 'Salt'

Here are a few current on-the-scene photos on Second Avenue and Second Street via blogger Adrianna Grezak ... (see her site here).






Remember when Angelina Jolie was here to film 'Salt'?

What the Marble Cemetery looks like when the bomb squad isn't around

The Marble Cemetery on Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue remains a huge crime scene now ... We're getting word that more police have arrived... Earlier today, a worker found some explosive material ... Per WNBC: The explosives are the kind used at construction sites; no ties to terror or other threats...

Anyway, during quieter times... here's what the cemetery looks like...

So much for the slow news day: Non-explosive explosive device found in Marble Cemetery

[DNAinfo/Julie Shapiro]

Whoa... we've been getting all kind of reports about the bomb squad on the scene on Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

Here is the Daily News. And the Post. And here's more from DNAinfo:

An explosive device was found in an East Village cemetery on Monday, causing nearby residents to be evacuated from their homes, police said.

The device, which was found in Marble Cemetery on 2nd Street between First and Second Avenues just before 11 a.m. on Monday, did not explode — and could not have exploded — because it did not contain enough material to do so, the NYPD confirmed.

It was not immediately clear exactly what the device was.

The cemetery is not usually open to the public, but the site was open for tours as part of this weekend's Open House NY program on Saturday and Sunday.

Police shut down the block on which the cemetery is located and anticipate its closure through the middle of the afternoon while the bomb squad survey the area, according to NYPD on the scene.

Fight night

We heard reports are two ugly brawls last night from readers...

One, on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue:

hey, there was a fight at Krystal's Bar 81 last night. some guy was on the street screaming, "come and fight me bitches," etc. etc., and a bunch of guys obliged, came out of 81, beat him down to the sidewalk, ripped his shirt off, kicked him. he stayed on the sidewalk screaming, drunk, offering to kick the ass of every one who walked by. finally the cops came and he ran.

Did anyone hit him with a shamwow?

Also!

Walking past Irving Plaza last night around 8:45 I heard a lot of commotion and saw a lot of people looking at something. At first it seemed like a street performance of some kind. I walked up and there was a large crowd in the outdoor seating area of SideBar, cheering something that I couldn't quite see right next to that outdoor seating. There were a number of people on the east side of the street too, including a bunch of Con Ed workers. I asked what happened and was told there was a fight. I saw a young guy get up off the ground near the SideBar outdoor seating. He raised his hands and there was more cheering/yelling. Just then a squad car arrived, followed by two more for backup. There were at least six cops on the scene. The cops spent some time talking to the shirtless guy, a girl (who didn't seem like she would have been in SideBar) and a bouncer. There was more yelling from the crowd, and people giving the cops info. The girl was eventually arrested and put in the back of a squad car. She continued to adamantly plead her case. I took it that she and the shirtless guy were the ones who fought. Two young guys — apparently friends of the shirtless guy — came over to speak with shirtless guy and the cops. One was wearing a Pats jersey, the other a Cardinals jersey. The guy with the Pats jersey took it off and gave it to the shirtless guy. A passerby shook his head and told me this is why you shouldn't go to bars. You never know what will happen. As I went across on 15th, I noticed one of the glass doors of SideBar was shattered. Not sure if that had something to do with this, though someone was gesturing to it and describing something to one of the officers. Further down 15th, I was passed by a number of people who had come from SideBar. Everyone was talking about the fight.

Peel's hasn't started a Biker's Brunch

A reader wondered why all the Hells Angels were hanging around the Bowery and Second Street yesterday... The reader, unwisely making a joke that I'm foolishly repeating, thought that the group members were waiting for entry at Peel's...



The correct answer: the Biker Bash next door at the Bowery Electric...

Where is DBGB's sidewalk cafe?

[Via Eater]

On Sept. 29, Eater noted that DBGB on the Bowery debuted its brand-new sidewalk cafe ...

And I haven't seen the outdoor seats since then.... even in this nice weather we've been having...





Meanwhile, other eateries like Gemma and Pulino's have been catering to people who want to eat on the Bowery...




Just seems odd to me that the DBGB-ers would go to all this effort and not capitalize on it ...

Updated: Tables are out tonight!

Rag and Bone is tired of bad graffiti

Rag and Bone, which took over the former Cafe Colonial on Houston and Elizabeth, is now looking for a design for its outside wall on the southeast corner...





BoweryBoogie noted the wall had been tagged with the ever-present "You would" back in August...

The wall looked like this back in May when the Colonial said goodbye...



Personally, I like the spontaneity of street art ...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cafe Colonial owner says Pulino's opening helped triple her rent

Future of 276 Elizabeth apparently doesn't include the Cafe Colonial

Waiting for the new Aces and Eights sign, bar name

A tipster noted that the Aces and Eights sign has been removed on Avenue A...

Before!



Now!




As we reported, the bar is/was holding a contest to rename the joint under its new ownership... I asked Jamie-Lynn Argenta, the general manager, if I name had been selected... Haven't heard back after a few days....

Previously on EV Grieve:
Renaming Aces and Eights: See you at Drink 'til U Stink!