Reminders this weekend: Occupy Tompkins Square Park

[Photo by Paul DeRienzo via Facebook]

As you may have heard, there are are plans, spearheaded by John Penley, for a peaceful demonstration starting with a picnic in the Park at noon today... Via Facebook, I asked Penley last night if the rally was still a go. "Hell yes."

He left this comment on the previous Occupation thread:

"People will be at the park at noon. Some will be leaving for Times Square and some will not. It is my understanding that Judith Malina and the Living Theater will lead a march from Times Square to Union Square and then on to Tompkins Square. Anyone who can bring food to share, drums, musical instruments, art supplies anything else you can think of to make this a fun and noisy but peaceful occupation."

Meanwhile, did you notice that park officials put up new signs around the Park pointing out the curfew...?

[Dave on 7th]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Occupy Tompkins Square Park (119 comments)

A different type of demonstration at Tompkins Square Park yesterday

Yesterday afternoon, the Great New York City Bike Share Tour made a stop on Avenue A along Tompkins Square Park... The program starts next summer with 10,000 bikes at more than 600 locations...

.... and here are a few shots from the afternoon...

[Top four photos by Bobby Williams]

[Dave on 7th]

[Sara Louise Tucker]

Here is an FAQ about the program. Bloomy announced the program last month.

Is this a good idea?

Fill 'er up

T. Rex. "Life's a Gas." 1971.

Bologna bandit on the loose!

EV Grieve reader Jaime noted that someone — or something! — carefully placed a cold cut of unknown origins on this ad here on Avenue A at Third Street...

Witnesses spotted the meat tosser fleeing in this vehicle...

Police searching for armed robbery suspect who held up Gem Spa

On a more serious note, as DNAinfo reports, the NYPD is looking for the above suspect who has held up various stores in Murray Hill, the West Village... and on Oct. 6, he allegedly robbed Gem Spa on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place at 3 a.m.

Per DNAinfo, "The suspect, described as a heavy-set man between the ages of 25 - 40 years old, allegedly entered five businesses over the past two months armed with a gun, before demanding cash and fleeing on foot."

Late shift at the Meatball Factory

On Wednesday, we had a photo one of the awnings going up at the classy-sounding Meatball Factory on 14th Street and Second Avenue.

A reader, who happens to live in the same building, passed along another photo...

The reader notes that the Meatball crew has been working late. "Construction lasted until 2 AM [Wednesday] night/this morning! Not cool ... the construction noise has been getting later and later over the past few weeks."

As an aside, the resident notes that workers renovating the space painted 231 Second Ave. on the plywood. However, the address of the previous tenant — the Arthur Treachers-Nathan's-Pizza Hut combo! — was 251. E. 14th St. Which means various tenants of 231 Second Ave. have been getting mail for the Meatball Factory. No word yet on any secret meatball recipes.

Previously.

Meanwhile, enjoy Karl Fischer's 263 Bowery penthouse for just $15k per month

We've all been busy watching the hyper-luxurification of the Bowery in recent years. Karl Fischer's 263 Bowery is one of the higher profile projects ... just south of Houston... where workers demolished the onetime four-story building that housed the Restaurant Auction Outlet in the summer of 2008.

The million-dollar condos hit the market just about a year ago. Turns out that the three-bedroom penthouse remains on the market, going for $3.495 million now. But. In the meantime, the unit just hit the market as a rental — a tidy $15,950 per month, per Streeteasy.

Here's the listing at Douglas Elliman:

This beautifully appointed sundrenched 2177 sq ft 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom Penthouse duplex boasts picturesque city views with over 660 sq ft of 3 private outdoor spaces. Award winning architect Karl Fisher combined with Richardson Sadeki's minimalistic vision provides the perfect combination of form and functionality, from the flowing layout with unique concrete floors, to the sophisticated sleek finishes. Residents of 263 Bowery enjoy virtual doorman services, common roof deck, private storage unit and 421a Tax abatement. With its desirable location 263 Bowery has the very best of what downtown has to offer from the New Museum to the incredible new Sperone Westwater gallery & trendy Keith McNally's new restaurant Pulino's.

Seems like a nice perch to watch the ongoing slaughter!

Take a look yourself Sunday during the open house from 2-3 (p.m.)

Open Double Wide and...: Double Wide Bar & Southern Kitchen opening this weekend on East 12th Street

We don't know much about the new bar-restaurant opening at 505 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B (the former homes of Totem and Mundial). (We talked about the space in late August when some neighbors were upset by the late-night renovations here.)

We traded emails with one of the partners of the new venture. He invited us to stop by for a tour. (Never made it by for some reason...) The place is called Double Wide Bar & Southern Kitchen. And according to the Double Wide Facebook page, they're opening this weekend.

One detail: We asked the partner about the rumored "white trash" theme. "'White trash' may have come from descriptions of some of our menu items, like Frito Pie, Sloppy Joe Sliders, Chicken Fried Steak, etc (with four-star quality and ingredients)."

Stay tuned for more details...

[Updated] The Double Wide folks say that they'll be "partially" open this weekend...

Previously.

MTA eliminates that pesky Alphabet City in new subway map

[Via Second Ave. Sagas]

Meant to note this earlier in the week... when the Times ran a piece on the new MTA subway map... In a "decluttering" effort, the MTA streamlined the map to make it easier to read ... in the process, Avenues A, B, C and D (among many others in the city) are no longer represented.

Hmm, I don't know. I like things cluttered. Like stores. And maps. And streets. Why does everything in the city have to be so neat and orderly. Like you have to have a shiny Cemusa coffin instead of a ramshackle newsstand.

Anyway!

2nd Ave. Sagas has a lot more on the changes here.

Oh, and here's a look at the older map...

[via]

h/t Shawn Chittle

Caller No. 12, you're on the blog: More about Chinese takeout/delivery

Several people thanked us (for some reason!) for our Chinese delivery/takeout post from Friday... Well, thank you for everyone who left a comment — 41 in total, including the person who chastised us for ending our headline with a preposition. Woo. (Read the post here.)

EV Grieve reader LesMis asked if we could drill a little deeper... Sure. What the hell. We take requests.

Per LesMis: "I love good old fashioned New York Chinese food, just like I ate as a kid. Sure, I like the fusion, the exotic, the healthy, the Thai-masquerading-as-Chinese and even the Sushi joint-afterthought-for-people-who-don't-eat-sushi-but-got-outvoted-by-the-group varieties. But sometimes, I just get a hankering for the now unfashionable and often ridiculed basic dishes. Chop Suey, Chow Mein and Lo Mein rule."

So basically, he's looking for a low-brow menu with some standards and specifications:

• Folding cardboard containers.

• High standards of hygiene and food protection.

• High quality (fresh oil, vegetables and meat well-prepared classic style)

As a guide, two of his favorite places for this fare are Charlie Mom on Sixth Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street ... and Cottage on Irving Place and 16th Street. But a little closer to our neighborhood.

OK then. Uh, anyone?

Police say this woman is stealing purses from Katz's

The Daily News reports that police are looking for the woman in this video that they say has stolen three purses from Katz's since May. She is "stealing from customers as they're busy eating."



And only three? I could have stolen around 15 purses on my last visit... and maybe a backpack or two. People leaving stuff lying around unattended.

She also allegedly nabbed a purse from the Clinton Street Baking Company in June.

Anyway. You know what to do if you have information: Call 800-577-TIPS.

Did Starbucks borrow East Village juice bar ideas?

According to Page Six today — yes! Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz reportedly hired away the manager of Liquiteria on Second Avenue and 11th Street to train staff in Seattle for the chain's new juice-bar concept. Liquiteria owner Doug Green had this to say about Schultz "He befriended us, asked about our concept, then took her. It is a huge slap in the face."

Schultz had been spotted checking out Juice Press on First Street and Liquiteria back in March.

Why the future of the Holiday Cocktail Lounge may be in doubt

Uh-oh. 75 St. Mark's Place hit the market yesterday. It's initial asking price: $4.6 million. Here's the Corcoran listing, which is full of passages that give us the fear:

This is a rare opportunity to own a premium mixed use building on St. Marks Place. Located between 1st and 2nd Avenues, and home to the famous Holiday Cocktail Lounge, 75 St. Marks Place stands out as an excellent and flexible financial investment. The building has been owned by one family since 1973, meticulously cared for and in excellent condition. It contains the Holiday Cocktail Lounge on the ground floor (scene of innumerable TV and film shoots), 4 free market, 1400 square-foot apartments, one of which was completely renovated this year. The remaining three residential units are 2 bedroom + home office, one bathroom apartments, and are substantially below market rent, offering significant upside potential. All are very attractive, with soaring ceilings, Southern exposure, and large enough to feel like a home to any occupant. Two apartments are month-to-month, with the third lease expiring early 2012 so the rent roll is poised to increase substantially. The commercial lease is controlled by the owner, so it can be delivered vacant or the Holiday Cocktail Lounge continued. It is a long-run financial success made all the more valuable by considerable additional income as a film location. In addition, with a 4.0 FAR, there are ample air rights to expand in the event of a condo conversion, a great alternative given the paucity of condos in the area.

Got all that? One family has owned it since 1973 ... rent increase ... delivered vacant ... condo conversion. Good lord. Might as well set up the dumpster out front tomorrow morning.

OK, OK so no reason to get all doomsdayish... yet. The listing does seem to flatter the Holiday, calling it "famous" and "a long-run financial success." Encouraging? Promising?

The Holiday kept going after Stefan's passing in early 2009. While the Holiday has undergone a few changes (some cheesy promotions, several new full-screen TVs that attract the sportos), it's still a classic bar rich with East Village history.

Stefan opened the Holiday here in 1965. (It had been a bar since 1936.) Read more about the bar at Jeremiah's Vanishing New York here ...

And now, a walk-off passage from an article by former East Village resident Mike Hudson in the Niagra Falls Reporter a few years back:

[L]ike many Manhattan dives the Holiday Lounge had its writers.

For years Allen Ginsberg had a large apartment in a building almost directly across the street, and he and other Beat writers like Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, Gregory Corso and Herbert Huncke spent considerable time with the bookies, dope dealers, working girls and alcoholics for whom the Holiday was a second home.

[adm on Flickr via JVNY]

Please don't piss or urinate here

"please do not piss in this property. do not urinate. thank you" ... spotted off Union Square. Photo by Marisa Gertz via La Dee Dah, where she has a fine collection of Urban Etiquette Signs.