Is this your abandoned Vespa on East 12th Street?

A reader notes that this Vespa has been chained to a tree here in the 500 block of East 12th Street for some time now ... Neighbors believe that the owner has abandoned the Vespa. The reader asks, "Is it illegal to chain Vespas to trees? Am I crazy for feeling bad for the tree?"

Probably a good thing this isn't parked on East Third Street.

Workers renovating former Barbao space on St. Mark's Place

EV Grieve friend Bayou passed along this shot from yesterday morning... where workers are gutting Michael "Bao" Huynh's eatery on St. Mark's Place...

This address is on the docket for Monday night's CB3/SLA meeting:

• The Saint Mark's Red House (TTD& G LLC), 115 St Marks Pl (wb)

This will make the third Bao restaurant here this year. DOB 111 became Barbao back in January.

In April 2010, the CB3/SLA committee voted against his application for a beer-wine license at DOB 111.

Rock 'n' Roll Animal? Lou Reed tag ends up on historic lion outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery

The Lou Reed tags have seemingly been everywhere of late ... now, as this photo by EV Grieve reader Peter D. shows, someone even tagged one of the lions that protects the St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue at 10th Street...

Rev. Guthrie bought the two lion sculptures in the 1920s, according to the church's website. The lion is the symbol of St. Mark.

Candela Candela team opening Crudo Vineria Con Cucina in Little Italy

On Monday evening, I walked through Little Italy in search of Mario Batali's Eataly. Couldn't find it!

Seriously, though, I did spot what's coming to the former Umberto's space on Broome Street — Crudo Vineria Con Cucina ... And there's an East Village connection here.

As Grub Street reported, the team behind the Cuban-Italian spot Candela Candela on Second Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street will serve southern Italian cuisine here. Crudo is expected to open today. (And as you may know, Umberto's Clam House relocated down the way on Mulberry.)

Meanwhile, in the space next door, BoweryBoogie pointed out that Sal's is moving here from their current Broome and Mott location.

Hope that they keep the "Heart of Little Italy" signage...

Before the rain this afternoon

AWKWORD sent us this photo right before the rainstorm a little bit ago ... from a rooftop near Second Avenue and East Fourth Street.

And how was your commute?

What the heck, let's step away from the neighborhood for a moment ... this has been making the rounds... From a Manhattan bound E or M train on Sunday.

Updated: Boo! YouTube removed the video!

A discount Mercedes

Shawn Chittle came across this Mercedes doubling as an ad vehicle for the Discount Organic Cleaners & Laundromat ... here on 14th Street at Avenue A.

You always build credibility by using a Mercedes to help advertise a "Discount" laundromat!

The Muppets take Manhattan, sort of

Dave on 7th notes that a crew is filming something with a Muppet Murray Monster now in Tompkins Square Park near the dog run.

One dog owner told us that the crew members were grumbling about so many dogs barking.

Earlier, a very special EV Grieve correspondent noted that the poor Muppet Murray Monster had seemingly been impaled...

And what Muppet is this? Elmo's Crusty Cousin? Thanks to a reader... it's Murray Monster.

A lower Second Avenue now and then

I had forgotten about this project ... earlier this year, I was trying to line up a now-and-then with the lower stretch of Second Avenue at Houston ... to document the soon-to-be-demolished buildings at 9 and 11 Second Avenue...

First up, how the block looked in an undated photo via the NYPL Digital Library of Second Avenue... looking north to First Street... The Mars Bar building once housed the Woolworth Theater.

...and from this year...

...a little bigger...

It's not quite right, but you get the idea. I always felt rushed with the shots ... this required a trip upstairs to cafe area of the Whole Foods Bowery...

Jeremiah has more on this stretch of Second Avenue here.

Former Ruby Lounge becoming a residence on East Second Street

Over on Second Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, there's activity at the long-dormant space that once housed something called Ruby Lounge.

And, in a bit of a surprise, it appears that another bar or retail space won't be coming soon here. According to the DOB, workers are converting the space into residential use.

Croxley Ales beer garden sign finally removed

While we're waiting to hear what kind of development deal is in place for the former Croxley Ales beer garden on Avenue B ...

...we noticed that the Beer Garden sign that remained up the past few years even though the bar stopped using the space in 2006-2007 ...

[Yun Cee Ng for New York magazine]

However, workers have now removed the sign.

Intervideo Electronics now closed on First Avenue

Store closing signs went up late last month at the computer repair shop-plasma TV installers-DVD rental place on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street... Swung by to see if there were any further markdowns...

Unfortunately, I found that the owners had already closed the store ... nothing left inside...

...with just a few reminders of what was here ...

The 123 Third Ave. sales office may be closed, but the penthouse sales live on

The 123 gang moved out of their 10th Street office last month.

Dunno if the $3.6 million is noticeable enough. May I suggest putting it in neon?

Perhaps the new 123 marketing materials should now also mention the proximity to IHOP.

The Tompkins Square Park dog run loses a tree — unnecessarily so?

Following the storms that passed through last Thursday evening... EV Grieve reader Allen Semanco emailed us this photo showing a downed limb at the Tompkins Square Park dog run...

Now, EV Grieve reader Wayne Embacher gives us this shot from today. Workers have removed the entire tree.

Perhaps there was more to the problem than a broken limb. Still. As Wayne notes, "One branch falls and the rest of the very healthy, mature, and GREEN tree goes. Unnecessary." Agreed.