Clearing up?

Just now, via Bobby Williams... the showers are ending here. Meanwhile, tonight, there's a 95 percent chance of woo.

Hate Crime

This assault occurred Monday night on St. Mark's Place... According to the statement, the man in the sketch got out of a luxury sedan with tinted windows, "calls victim 'a faggot' and hits him om the side of his face."

Call the Hate Crimes Task Force if you have more information... (646) 610-5267.

East Village gallows

At 21 E. First St. at Second Avenue. Photo and headline by EVG regular jdx.

East Ninth Street parking lot will yield to 6-floor residential building

Following our post on Wednesday about the current construction projects in the neighborhood... a tipster told us about a development that we were unaware of — 327 E. Ninth St., currently a parking lot between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

The city has already OK'd plans for a six-floor residential building in the space...

Per the DOB, the 7,200-square-foot building will contain two residences ... with a garage and an elevator. Per the application, our old friend Ramy Issac is the architect ... and the owner is listed as Terrence Lowenberg of Icon Realty, who has been busy with turning 147 First Ave. into a hotel ... as well as developing 326-328 E. Fourth St. ... and other properties.

Meanwhile, the tipster also points us to the adjacent buildings here along East Ninth Street...

There are additional floors in the works for 329 E. Ninth St. ... No. 331 ... No. 333 ... No. 335 ... However, so far, the DOB hasn't approved any of the additional floors for these addresses dating back to early last year...

Today's quiz: How tall will the weeds in the East Houston median grow by the end of summer?

A reader asked this question after taking a cab ride across Houston to the FDR the other day... the reader asked, "Is this what the city means by green streets?" The reader also thinks the weeds will be taller that the Hamilton Fish Park Library across the way.

Hmm... here's looking west from Avenue D toward the construction zone...

The $60 million Houston Street Corridor Reconstruction is expected to end in the summer of 2014. The plan calls for the widening of sidewalks, enlarging of medians, installating new pavement markings and bicycle lanes from Second Avenue to FDR Drive and creating two new plaza areas.

Anyway, we kind of like weeds.

How to host a more inviting Open House

Tip No. 16: Do not place the Open House sign next to an overflowing trash can.

One evening here at 13th Street and First Avenue.

Actually, it's not even inviting when the can is empty...

[EVG reader Steven]

Summer Fridays rehash: The Second Avenue bike lanes — What do we think so far?

Hey, we're digging into the EVG archives for these next few summer Fridays... We first posted this one on July 1, 2010...

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Well, the bike lanes have been up now for long enough on Second Avenue, complete with a line of parking that's meant to add protection to the cyclists ... for me to hear some grumbling... Not really any kind of cyclist vs. pedestrian thing... but more of a safety issue. Trucks and cabs abruptly pulling over into the bike lane... pedestrians standing or walking into the bike lane... oh surely there are other offenses... soon enough, the First Avenue lanes will be a go (not to mention the dedicated bus lanes for the M15 on First Avenue and Second Avenue)...


So what do you think so far?



The makeover includes a line of parking that's meant to add protection to the cyclists...




Previously on EV Grieve:
Green day: Second Avenue getting its bike lanes

Summer Fridays rehash: About Angelina Jolie's 'semi-crusty phase' in Tompkins Square Park

Hey, we're STILL digging into the EVG archives for these next few summer Fridays... We first posted this one on Oct. 9, 2009...

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As Scoopy writes in this week's issue of The Villager:

We were surprised to learn, recently, ... that none other than Angelina Jolie also went through her own semi-crusty phase, hanging out in the park and smoking pot ... During the L.E.S. Slacktivists/veterans' "adoptathon" outside Christodora House last month, Lara Mascara ... told us how she used to run with the young Jolie. "We were friends of the band Sick of It All," she said. "We called ourselves the Alleyway Crew." The members each had a Sick of It All dragon tattoo. "Angelina Jolie was skinny, no figure — just straight, she had no boobs — hair in her eyes," but did sport her trademark big lips even back then, Mascara recalled. "Her dad didn't pay child support. ... She was just not going to high school, like all of us. She was known as Angie."

[Top photo via; Bottom photo via]

Breaking: Blackbird's opening postponed

[Photo from Tuesday by Bobby Williams]

Earlier, we mentioned that Blackbird would be opening tonight in the former Lakeside Lounge space on Avenue B ... From the EV Grieve inbox...

"HEY EVERYONE — URGENT UPDATE: BLACKBIRD WILL NOT BE OPEN THIS WEEKEND AFTER ALL. WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED SOME CONSTRUCTION-RELATED ISSUES AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OPEN UNTIL NEXT WEEK. PLEASE ACCEPT OUR APOLOGIES FOR THE LAST-MINUTE NEWS. BUT IF YOU WANT TO GO OUT TONIGHT, PLEASE GO AND SUPPORT OUR FRIENDS ON AVENUE B: MANITOBA'S, REVISION, AND BOXCAR LOUNGE!"

Editor's note: And Mona's ... and Vazac's ... and B-Side ... and Blarney Cove... and Otto's ...

Garage door at Downtown Auto now part of ad campaign for fashion label

Over at the former Downtown Auto Space on the Bowery and Great Jones... we always liked this mural ...

As this photo that Goggla sent us shows... it's now one of the many rolldown gates around the neighborhood featuring the latest ad campaign (it's about bringing back the nightlife to the city) from Cole Haan...

Somehow, East Village nightlife primed to become more fucking ridiculous

And at the Daily News today, there's a chirpy report that East Houston ... "the boozy border separating the East Village from the lower East Side is about to get a whole lot more chic."

Let's go right to the article!:

In recent weeks, major nightclub operators associated with the Meatpacking District, SoHo and West Chelsea have been sniffing around the E. Houston corridor from the Bowery to Avenue A, where the weathered and fully licensed lower First Ave. properties Sutra Lounge and Lucky Cheng’s are prized commodities.

According to our sources, those interested in either these spaces (or a handful of unlisted ones in the area) include operators from Pink Elephant, Greenhouse, Hudson Terrace, Acme, 1Oak and Electric Room.

And here's a quote from a member of the Community Board 3's State Liquor Authority & Department of Consumer Affairs Licensing committee:

“The East Village is ripe for the picking right now,” says Ariel Palitz, who’s closing Sutra Lounge after nine years. “There’s an opportunity to change the culture and the makeup of the neighborhood from the underground nightlife experience to a high-end clientele.”

Yes! Especially if you're trying to sell a lounge space near East Houston!

And from Alex Picken, described as a "nightlife real estate specialist" ...

“It’s a good location for nightlife, because the residents for the most part are a younger age group,” he says. Picken also notes that a neighborhood used to loud bars won’t be impacted by a switch to lounges and clubs.

Yes, because a switch to lounges and clubs will have zero fucking impact on the neighborhood! And we're all 22! And want clubs and lounges everywhere! WOO!

The piece also mentions the coming changes to the former Nice Guy Eddie's space and Club Element on East Houston...

Good thing the MTA put in those bus bulbs to handle the overflow of limos and stretch Hummers on First Avenue...

Rogue bike discarders threaten sanctity of the East Fifth St. Tree Committee

On Monday, we noted that the East Fifth St. Tree Committee had returned with a vengeance, removing bikes from a tree guard between First Avenue and Second Avenue ...

Now, EVG reader Podunk notes more threats of discarding bikes parked on the sidewalk along East Fifth Street (between Second Avenue and Cooper Square), though it appears to be the work of another individual ... or, perhaps, a splinter group... Regardless, like the East Fifth St. Tree Committee, these people mean business...

Tokyo Rebel is leaving Avenue B

... for parts unknown just yet, as the sign shows...

And why? Per the Tokyo website:

Simple — our lease is up, and that's given us an opportunity to look for a better location. We signed a 3 year lease in 2009 knowing that by this time, we'd have a good idea whether or not we wanted to keep on keeping on, and whether we liked our current location or wanted to find a new one.

The good news is we definitely want to stay open. But we think we can do better than our current spot. We'd like a place that's easier to get to for more of our customers, for one thing. New York can have some challenging weather, so being nearer more transportation options is important for us and our customers.

We're also looking for a space that's better for events - ideally one we can host events in itself! But if not, then at least closer to appropriate venues. Hopefully we can run more events once we reopen.

After Aug. 25, you can still find their rock-punk-gothic goods at their website.

Still, another loss for Avenue B.

[Updated] Blackbird opens tonight at former Lakeside Lounge; 'for people who don’t want to be part of the woo-woo scene'

[Photo from Tuesday by Bobby Williams]

We've been curious about what would be taking over the Lakeside Lounge space on Avenue B... BoweryBoogie got the scoop late last week — the place will be called Blackbird, "owned and operated by Lakeside principal Laura McCarthy and a current 'bartender from Niagara.'"

Per BB's tipster:

Definitely NOT a whiskey bar. And not a dive. Just a bar for people who don’t want to be part of the woo-woo scene and who are too smart to wait in line for an $22 cocktail. [It's] intended to be a beautiful but comfortable bar with a rock & roll vibe.

And they're opening tonight, per a BoweryBoogie follow-up post. BB received an invite, which reads in part:

Please join us for riveting deejays, nightly open bar from 9-10 p.m, and simply the most charming people you will ever see in one room together ever again.

Late yesterday afternoon, we saw workers racing to get the place together...

Previously.

UPDATED:
The opening has been postponed... no opening date just yet...