There goes the Elephant

Over the weekend, workers continued gutting the former Elephant thai place on East First Street...

The Elephant closed in December. (You can read its history here, including an interview with the manager.)

What's next here?

The Feast reported that the team behind fancy cocktail emporium Summit Bar on Avenue C will open an Italian cafe this spring. They are considering the name Prima Strada, which translates to First Street. Word is the place will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and open at 8 a.m.

Tonda was closed this past weekend

We've been keeping an eye on Tonda, the pizzeria at 235 E. Fourth St. near Avenue B. The place was closed Friday and Saturday night.

During the previous weekend, Tonda was closed on Friday but open on Saturday. No sign on the front door... or nothing on their website about being closed. We tried their phone number, and got a message saying there was no room to leave a message. And their Twitter feed hasn't been updated since Aug. 11.

Lady Gaga can't save ApizzA on Avenue A

ApizzA's Lady Gaga sidewalk board has been retired...



The pizza shop on A between 12th Street and 13th Street shuttered last week...

Several readers passed along this tip... However, Neighborhoodr had the story first.

Animal Crackers busted

The NYPD has busted Animal Crackers, the family-run pet store on Second Street between First Avenue and Avenue A...

There was also an explanatory NYPD sticker noting the store was shut for receiving stolen property ... the sign has since been removed...

Thanks to @Roger_Paw for the tip.

Why some people really hate 'Gossip Girl' right about now

'Gossip Girl' is back to film in the neighborhood... with signs up on St. Mark's Place, Ninth Street and 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

And we've heard grumbling from people who had to dig out of snowbound parking spaces this weekend and attempt to find somewhere else to stow their cars...

Super Bowl Sunday dining along First Avenue

Atomic Wings...

Papa John's...

Earlier...

Hearth at 12th Street is usually open on Sundays... but not tonight ... and the bread delivery is still hanging there ...

7:07 p.m., Avenue A, Feb. 6 (Super Bowl Sunday)

Gas scare this afternoon on Avenue B

the FDNY responded to a call about the smell of gas coming from an apartment above Rue B on Avenue B between 11th Street and 12th Street...

According to EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams, there were rumors that workers had removed a stove from the apartment... and the gas line was not properly secured...

By the way, the date on the photos is incorrect — they were taken a little earlier this afternoon...

Inside El Jardín del Paraíso

East Fifth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D. More info on the community garden's history here.

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

The pits

A discarded Cherry Eight machine on East Second Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...

Sadly, its days of hi-lo double ups (for amusement only!) are over.

Mostly sunny today with temperatures steady near 39F; 70 percent chance of cargo shorts

Third Avenue near 13th Street.

This weekend in stupid tourists playing chicken with cars in a busy East Village intersection

Thanks to the good people over at The Late Adopter for sharing this link with us...

Just after midnight on Avenue A and Seventh Street, two reportedly "drunken tourists" started playing in the traffic....

According to The Late Adopter, the two were singing loudly and wildly running in front of cabs and cars, at one point lying down in the street. "After about 15 minutes a police van rolled up and detained the drunker of the two. Eventually an ambulance showed up too so kudos to NYPD for safety first."

My guess is that they were new singles who moved here.

The Late Adopter has more photos here.

Today in offbeat limos on East Third Street

[Via EV Grieve contributor Bobby Williams]

No photographers were injured during the taking of this photo

EV Grieve contributor Bobby Williams braving the beasts of Tompkins Square Park.