Muzzarella Pizza ... and what the East Village is not

Eater is running a new feature in which the editors solicit some non-foody, farm-to-table foodapalooza restaurant suggestions from readers, who have the chance to highlight the essential, unglamorous places that we need more of here and everywhere ...

Yesterday, an Eater reader gave props to Muzzarella Pizza on Avenue A just south of 14th Street. It soon became less of a restaurant review and more of a battle cry... thought it was worth noting... in part:

The East Village that I know and love is not the glitzy $15 cocktails and $20 two-bite snacks. ... It’s not a happy-hour hangout for Murray Hill finance investors. It’s not a place for mommies with strollers sipping $7 lattes. It’s not a high-rise glass tower blocking my sunlight. Muzzarella Pizza is everything that the East Village used to be and is losing at an alarming rate.

Muzzarella's pizza never quite gets that kind of response from me... but I appreciate and understand the sentiment. I have those moments more often than I'd like.

Read the whole post here.

Belated announcements: TenEleven has reopened

Um, sorry... I meant to note this much earlier than this. Anyway, TenEleven is back open on Avenue C... The bar had to temporarily close while waiting for its liquor license renewal... The CB3/SLA committee refused to renewal the bar's license due to some complaints last month... You can read about that here.

Anyway, the SLA renewed TenEleven's license.

Meanwhile, we're glad that a good bar has returned...

And now, a word from the East Fifth St. Tree Committee

Between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Good luck getting around on Saturday

Well, by public transportation anyway. The city is planning to shut down the entire transportation system on Saturday in anticipation of Hurricane Irene's arrival, officials revealed today. (The Daily News) What, no curfew?

And how are we supposed to get to our designated city shelters? Pedicabs?

Image via.

Threat of Hurricane Irene forces cancellation of Charlie Parker Jazz Fest Sunday in Tompkins Square Park

Oh, well, the headline is pretty much the whole post. This information comes via Brooklyn Vegan.

More info here.

Noted

You may soon be able to buy frozen Artichoke Pizzas. (Eater)

The Bean is now open on Broadway and 12th Street

EV Grieve regular jdx notes that the new outpost of Bean is now open on Broadway at 12th Street...

Meanwhile, as we first reported yesterday, the Bean will open a new cafe in the "Crazy Landlord" building...

Irene is coming — are you prepared?

As the media have reported, we're doomed. High winds. Storm surges.

NYC Hurricane Map

But one concern that people who are concerned have: Fallen trees. An already soggy August will get soggier today with more rain ... which heightens the concern for downed trees from strong winds, per the Weather Channel...

So be careful ... particularly in Tompkins Square Park ... by the dog run, where several trees have already come down this year...

[Allen Semanco]

Gothamist has more on what the city is doing. And for another take, here's our friend Jen Doll at Runnin' Scared. Here.

Meanwhile, stock up?

Tomorrow:
The 5 Best East Village Bars to Watch Hurricane Irene (Kidding! Though I wouldn't put it past someone to create this listicle...like me)

Lavagna the setting for an AARP commercial

Filming now on Fifth Street near Avenue B.

Why we need to protect 316 E. Third St. — and other East Village properties

We've been writing about 316-318 E. Third St., the historic townhouse between Avenue C and Avenue D. The home belonged to Barden Prisant, a member of Community Board 3 who advocated for affordable housing.

As Curbed reported on Aug. 12, the new owner will turn the space into a Karl Fischer-designed, 33-unit apartment complex. This will not only destroy the home, but also the bucolic adjacent garden space.

On Monday, Off the Grid — the blog of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation — laid out seven reasons why the home needs to be saved. You can read those here.

Here's No. 7, and arguably the best reason:

Frankly, we’re just getting sick of seeing the neighborhood turn into this:

[Off the Grid]

The have created a template letter to send to the Landmarks Preservation Commission urging them to landmark 316 E. Third St. You can find that here.

Per usual, so far the Commission just doesn't give a shit. Per the GVSHP:

"The Commission has responded by refusing to hold a hearing on designating the structure, claiming that 'senior staff' at the Commission internally reviewed the building and found it not to be worthy of designation. This follows the Commission allowing other historic houses in the East Village ... to be destroyed." Like 35 Cooper Square and 326 and 328 E. Fourth St.

East Village studio features awesome collection of Barry Manilow refrigerator magnets

There's a studio apartment for sale over at the St. Mark on East Ninth Street at Third Avenue... according to the new listing at StreetEasy, the place is going for $379,000.

Anyway, it's worth a look just for the shot of the refrigerator door...

...with an impressive collection of Barry Manilow refrigerator magnets.

We're guessing that the owner is a Manilow fan (nothing wrong with that!) as opposed to an ironic-hipster collector. Perhaps neighbors will be pleased that they won't be subjected to late-night jam sessions featuring, say "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" for much longer...

A view to a kill

A view of the former 35 Cooper Square from atop the Death Star. Photo by Shawn Chittle.

Work crew returns to 35 Cooper Square

Speaking of 35 Cooper Square... Bobby Williams notes that a work crew returned to the scene yesterday... the first activity spotted here in nearly three weeks...

Unlikely foes joining forces for Tompkins Square Park domination?

EV Grieve TSP Ratstravaganza correspondent Bobby Williams captured the top-secret meeting earlier this week.