Open Road Park closed now on 12th Street

An EV Grieve reader told me that the NYC Department of Education has closed the popular Open Road Park ... the park, adjacent to the East Side Community High School on East 12th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, is a major space, of course, for skateboarders...

Three skateboarders stood rather glumly outside the fence on the 11th Street entrance last evening. None of them had any idea what was happening with the park...

I'm told the school closed the park on Monday. I reached out to the folks who look after Open Road. Via Facebook, they said, "Sorry, we don't know right now. The school is figuring out next steps."

Meanwhile, I sent an email to the address listed on the flyer. It bounced back, noting that "Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently."

[Updated] In time for summer, the travelers return

Last Wednesday at this time, we were discussing the seemingly empty space in Tompkins Square Park where the summer travelers typically congregate...the discussion was fueled, in part, by a piece in the Times titled In East Village, Harbingers of Spring Are Missing.

Since then, the travelers have seemingly returned. Bob Arihood noted some travelers sleeping on East Fourth Street the other day ... Melanie took a photo of a group on Second Avenue... and we've all seen more and more of them arrive on Crusty Row...

And, as these photos by Bobby Williams show, some travelers were enjoying a nice day in Tompkins square Park yesterday...

The Lo-Down has an op-ed today on what the displacement of the travelers means for the East Village. You can read that piece here.

About the arrests in Tompkins Square Park Saturday afternoon

At Neither More Nor Less, Bob Arihood reports on the multiple arrests that occurred in Tompkins Square Park Saturday afternoon around 1:30 p.m. in the stretch of walkway between the chess tables and Crusty Row.

In addition, as this video shows, the NYPD escorted a press photographer out of the Park for having used his cell-cam to photograph one of the arrests.



Meanwhile, Bob's post also has more information about Lisa, who was recently arrested while sitting at the chess tables — and not playing chess. Despite what you may have read elsewhere, Bob's original reporting was accurate.

Miracle (Grills): A Ricky's and not an eatery opening on First Avenue

As Jeremiah first noted yesterday, a Ricky's is opening at the long-dormant Miracle Garden space on First Avenue near Seventh Street...

... and the store will also fill the retail space at the newish apartment building at 92 Seventh St., the site of the Miracle Grill's former garden...

An interesting turn of events... the space had been on the market as a restaurant...





Given the adjacent Foodie Row of Seventh Street, Foodie Row Watchers figured this space was destined for something artisanal or drizzled or food trucked...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former Miracle Grill garden not-so-suddenly looks like a condo

Former Miracle Grill space on the market

One restaurant, two buildings

Exit 9's short exit on Avenue A

As we reported back on June 2, Exit 9 had announced that it was leaving its home of 16 years on Avenue A. At the time, a commenter said that the gift shop would be moving just down the street.

Yesterday, our friend Jen Doll at Runnin' Scared had the scoop that the shop would open at the former Urban Roots space one block to the south. The new space is expected to be ready in September.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exit 9 exiting from Avenue A

Today's sign of the apocalypse: Sigma Burger Pie

Lauren Shockey at Fork in the Road caught this signage on West Third Street at the former home of the Fuelray Bar & Lounge ... Sigma Burger Pie promises "a fraternal order of food."

At least it's safely tucked away between LaGuardia and Thompson... Anyway, we feel for you.

Where's Ben from Neighborhood Barbers?

A reader sends along an email with news that Ben has quit his chair at Neighborhood Barbers on East Ninth Street for a new job. The other barbers won't provide any forwarding information, and the resident would like to find Ben, who has been his longtime barber... Anyone?

[Photo via]

Cleaning sidewalks, with hopes of raising $1,000 by July 1

Spotted on 11th Street near Avenue A by Shawn Chittle ... alongside the Mary Help of Christians flea market lot...

An afternoon at the opera, kind of

And a few photos from earlier today by the Tompkins Square Park pop-up piano... where members of the Amore Opera performed as part of Make Music New York day... (Photos by Bobby Williams)

And Bob Arihood has a rather funny photo involving a can of Four Loko during this... right here.

Diddy is lost

Photo by Bobby Williams.

There's an artist in here somewhere...

Earlier today, we noted that famed camouflager Liu Bolin would, uh, camouflage himself in Kenny Scharf's mural on the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall today...

Here's a photo via The Wooster Collective...

[Photo by Samdarko Eltosam]

You can find more photos here.

A Christmas in June game changer

To be honest, we were expecting some kind of October surprise this June. And today, on the first official day of summer, we got it.

After an emergency Board of Directors meeting, Gruber MacDougal, spokesperson for the International Coalition of Tree Tossing in the Spring (ICTTS), has announced that the organization has adopted a new name.

Please welcome the International Coalition of Tree Tossing in the Spring and Summer (ICTTSS).

Why did this happen? Sources say that it is because of a tree sighting on the Bowery upstairs at the Sunshine Hotel, first spotted by Goggla back in April. Although it looks to be an artificial tree, ICTTSS officials feared the backlash if this tree got tossed after June 21.

MacDougal, who is in London after unsuccessfully bidding on Picasso's Jeune fille endormie at Christie’s International, wasn't immediately available for comment.

Police swoop in on student outside PS 19

Just after 3 this afternoon, EV Grieve reader Sarah reported a strong police presence outside PS 19/Asher Levy School on First Avenue at 12th Street. According to witnesses, there were 15 police officers on the scene. Witnesses noted that the police searched the backpack of a boy, who looked about 12 years old, and found nothing.

People are now Making Music

Oh, in case you were wondering why people were randomly making music today... it's because today is Make Music New York, which according to the publicity stuff, is "a unique festival of free concerts in public spaces throughout the five boroughs of New York City, all on June 21st, the first day of summer. MMNY takes place simultaneously with similar festivities in more than 460 cities around the world — a global celebration of music making."

EV Grieve reader Sam notes a band called My Glorious Mess is now playing on East Third Street just East of First Avenue...

And yelling "Free Bird" isn't really funny anymore.

Here are two more shots of My Glorious Mess via jdx ...

Here's the website with the rundown of all the performances in the East Village this evening.