Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Remember those bees the NYPD found on the Bowery earlier today?

The ones that Gawker reported on...?

Well, the NYPD and some bee types just released bees into Tompkins Square Park... Police on the scene said that these were, in fact, the Bowery Bees.

Photos via EVG reader psm ...



Here is St. Brigid's!

It has been two-plus years since we're seen the front of the under-renovation St. Brigid's on Avenue B at East Eighth Street...

This afternoon, workers began removing the construction tarp and scaffolding. Bobby Williams is on the scene.

Behold the new St. Brigid's...



Bees on the Bowery!

Word is coming in that a swarm of killer bees has invaded the Bowery the NYPD found a large beehive colony of bees in a tree on the Bowery near East First Street.

Gawker was first to report on this.

There is video. Exclusive video!



Updated
Photo from inside the Bowery Hotel. Oops. No. It's just Olivia de Havilland in "The Swarm." Our photo department's fault.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

[Photo by Dave on 7th]

A look at old-timer Faerman Cash Register Co. on the Bowery (WNYC)

Streaming the new Joey Ramone record (Rolling Stone)

A case for not tearing down the existing Essex Street Market (The Lo-Down)

Looking at the Portico of St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery (Off the Grid)

The future of Bond and Lafayette (Curbed)

NY Senate honors MCA (Gothamist)

A Sugar and Plumm Purveyors of Yumm store by Murray's Cheese Shop? (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Hotel at 151 Houston wants to be bigger (BoweryBoogie)

Breaking: Car fire on East Ninth Street


Just east of Second Avenue... Photo and tip via EVG reader Kristen, who notes, as of 7:32, emergency responders were on the scene...

And a little later ... after the FDNY put out the engine fire ... via @JacobDAnderson



And from EV Grieve reader Terry Howell...





... and this afternoon.... via EVG reader William Klayer...

Does a quiet block even exist in the East Village?


A reader is looking to move apartments later this year, and is starting to do some research for an ideal block. Despite being in a so-called Resolution Zone, the Community Board continues to OK liquor licenses, and the block the resident lives on has "disintegrated into a chaotic nightly mess."

The reader loves the East Village (in general!) ... but was thinking — is there such a thing as a quiet residential block here?

The reader grew up here and is "well aware silence does not exist in this city, but there has to be a strip that's known to be more civil and residential and less likely to draw those bar crawlers who come from I don't know where."

Finally.

"While the neighborhood has certainly changed, I want to still believe there is hope."

I made a few suggestions, including:

• 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. (Yes, a major thoroughfare to and from Avenue A, but only one liquor license — the Brindle Room.)
• 11th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.
• 13th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
• Seventh Street between Avenue C and Avenue D.
• Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

I made more suggestions... but that's enough for now.

There are many fine blocks, though I may not want to live on them. What do you think — is there a quiet block? (And would you tell us if there is?) What about the above picks?

[File photo outside Superdive back in the day]

Alphabet City Beer Co. opens tomorrow

[Photo last week by EVG reader Nathan Archambault]

Last week, we pointed out the signage at the coming-soon Alphabet City Beer Co. on Avenue C near East Sixth Street... and the owners passed along more information, which we'll post part of here...

Alphabet City Beer Co. will open its doors on Thursday, 17th to serve the East Village, just two doors down from the current Alphabet City Wine Co. on Avenue C. The store will sell upwards of 350 bottled beers, a dozen draft lines for growlers, and provisions to go as well as have small fare, tasting flights, and pints to eat and drink in a tasting bar and seating area at the rear of the store, which will accommodate approximately 25 people.

Alphabet City Beer Co. (or ABC Beer Co. for short) will carry over 350 domestic craft beers, handcrafted imported beers, and craft cheeses with a sharp focus on good value, customer service and education. Customers will be provided with magazines, newspapers, comfortable chairs, and free WiFi.

The store will be owned and operated by David Hitchner, a co-owner of Alphabet City Wine Co. and In Vino Wine Bar at 215 E 4th St, and local resident Zachary Mack.

[Via Facebook]

36th annual Ukrainian Festival is this weekend

And one of the things that we always look forward to around here...


And, as of now, we'll have nice weather for this...


Previous coverage is here.

Key Food sign is fresh!

Through the months we've been looking at the under-renovation Key Food on Avenue A and East Fourth Street... (We wrote about it here ... and here...)

One remaining thing to examine — the sign out front. Workers removed the old one.


Which we didn't even remember exactly what it looked like. So through the magic of Google...


Dave on 7th sent along this photo showing that the new sign was in place. Uh, looks like the old one. Well, if you click on the image, you can see the fonts are a little different. (Is there a font person in the house?)


And the smaller Key sign now sports a Fresh.


Does Fresh here mean like invigorated? Or, say, saucy? Or both?

Previously on EV Grieve:
How do you feel about the renovated Key Food?

Such is Life


East Village-based photographer Gudrun Georges caught a glimpse of the now-shuttered Life Cafe the other evening... capturing the 30-year-old restaurant in a sad state of interior-demolition limbo on East 10th Street and Avenue B.

Find more of her Life photos (like the one above) here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
9th Street Espresso taking over part of the former Life Cafe

CB3 OKs beer license for Zaragoza on Avenue A

[Photo via Serious Eats]

That's the word from Alison Herman, who covered Monday night's CB3/SLA meeting for Eater. You can read more about Zaragoza's plight here.

In other action... the CB3/SLA committee OK'd a sidewalk cafe with liquor license extension for Nicoletta, foodie boner guy Michael White's new pizzeria coming to 10th Street and Second Avenue.

Eater also has more details on the Standard East Village's approved alterations here.

The Lo-Down has coverage of the meeting here ... and here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Making the case for Zaragoza Mexican Deli & Grocery to serve beer

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Waiting for Mila?

Odessa Cafe on Avenue A is the site of an interior shoot for "Blood Ties," the 1970s-era family crime drama starring Clive Owen and Mila Kunis ... The crew seems to be locking down the sidewalk more so than usual, a few passersby have noted...



Photos by Shawn Chittle...

Landmarks Preservation Commission spares historic stable from the condo afterlife


From the EV Grieve inbox...

After a six-year campaign led by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) today voted unanimously to landmark 128 East 13th Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues. The building is believed to be the city's last surviving horse auction mart building, served as the studio of artist Frank Stella, and during World War II was an assembly-line training center for women. The structure was designed in 1903 and by the firm of Jardine, Kent, and Jardine.

In July 2006, the GVSHP discovered there were plans to tear the place down to make way for a seven-story condo.

Previously.

Here's the Asbury Park outpost of Max Fish

Last week, Paper reported that Max Fish was opening an outpost on the Asbury Park boardwalk for the summer...

Movin' On Up NYC took a look at new beachier Max Fish upon its grand opening last weekend ...



The bar also has a patio...

Per Movin' on Up: "The spot [owner Uli Rimkus] secured for the bar is on the southern patio of Convention Hall, jutting out onto the beach. The view could not be more picturesque."