Kamui Den has closed on Avenue A

Not sure when exactly this happened... a tipster pointed this out to us... Kamui Den at 186 Avenue A near East 12th Street has closed... and a "for rent" sign is now in the window of the Japanese restaurant ...

Portal No. 1 repaired on Avenue C; two more on the way

Last week, we noted that someone had vandalized Portal No. 1 on East Seventh Street and Avenue C... EVG reader Steven Matthews lets us know that it has been restored...



Meanwhile, the creators of the portals, Nicolina and Brazilian artist Perola Bonfanti, just started work on Portal No. 4 (there will be 13 in total) set to debut somewhere in the East Village this summer ... they passed along a sneak preview...







It will be the portal "of the material world, nature and sexuality."

Portal No. O is on East Third Street just east of Second Avenue. The portals are interactive, and by scanning the QR code on each one, "you will begin the journey to uncover their mystery."

Here's the website for the portals. Here's the 13 Portals Facebook page.

East Houston Wine & Liquor coming soon to Red Square

A new addition for the Shoppes at Red Square here on East Houston between Avenue A and Avenue B... a liquor store is taking over the space previously leased to a spa-salon.

New era for tree house living room on First Avenue

It appears the long saga of the tree house living room is over. And a new era begins.

First, a flashback. As you will recall, there were pleas to keep the space here tidy. It didn't work. Trash piled up.

Meanwhile, the tree house living room attracted a steady stream of media coverage... such as in New York magazine's "Neighborhood News" feature...

Now, after a frustrating few months of back-and-forth... the tree house team members have opted for...



...plastic flowers.



(And there are even lights for the garden!) Anyway, we hope that there won't be a need for a "this is your garden not a trash bin" sign.

Previously.

For your consideration

Jimmy McMillan campaigning on St. Mark's Place this afternoon. Photo by James Maher.

Not such a Smart Car after all?

EVG regular peter radley spotted this today on Avenue A at East Fifth Street. Anyone see what happened?

Week in Grieview

[East Seventh Street. Photo by Derek Berg]

New 6-story building in the works for East Third Street (Tuesday)

Jared Kushner is buying everything (Wednesday)

A new tenant for the Village Scandal space on East Seventh Street (Wednesday)

There is now a 3-story swingers club on the Bowery (Thursday)

Fly talks UnReal Estate (Thursday)

A rent hike for East Village Shoe on St. Mark's Place (Friday)

Jerry's Newsstand has at least another year on Astor Place (Thursday)

At the Pyramid with Jacquelyn Gallo (Wednesday)

East Second Street penthouse with a private pool and lawn (Tuesday)

Plans for market-restaurant at 125 First Ave. on hold for now (Wednesday)

Croxley Ales extension now open (Tuesday)

Renovations ready for P.S. 122 (Thursday)

Wow, this will be built on Norfolk at Delancey (Monday)

Rats now using forks in Tompkins Square Park (Monday)

Tweet smell of unhappiness in the East Village (Friday)

Alphabet Plaza rising on East Houston and Avenue D (Tuesday)

Look at the Rat Castle now! (Wednesday)

Memory of terrible movie continues to haunt the Bowery

Tonight, as Hollywood honors the alleged best movies of 2012... a moment to note that the billboard for "Playing for Keeps" is still up on the Bowery at East Fourth Street. The movie opened Dec. 7. By now, it's likely playing on TNT. Despite an outpouring of 311 calls from distracted residents and motorists who complain of Gerard Butler's hair and what appear to be smiles from a denture commercial, the ad remains...



There's a 4 percent approval rating from critics at Rotten Tomatoes, who describe it this way: "Witless, unfocused, and arguably misogynistic, Playing for Keeps is a dispiriting, lowest-common-denominator Hollywood rom-com."

Saturday

Is it March yet? Photo by James and Karla Murray via Facebook.

Religious zealots target Zoltar again

As you can see, someone has slapped a sticker across Zoltar's name here outside Gem Spa... AGAIN. (See here.)



"Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on everyones [sic] soul."

Unfortunately in America today, fortune teller machines do not enjoy the same freedoms as everyone else, and find themselves at the mercy of religious extremists. Or, at the very least, the target of people brandishing "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on everyones [sic] soul" stickers.

Noted

At the M14 stop on Avenue A near East 11th Street. More from the Silent Pro 7-Eleven Collective?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Silent Pro 7-Eleven collective launches shock-and-awe counter-offensive

330 Bowery wrapped and ready

Seeing as I already did two posts about the construction of the scaffolding here on the Bowery at Bond... might as well finish the job. It took workers a week, but they have the historic cast-iron building here wrapped and ready for exterior repairs...

Beware the cone-eating sewer grate of Avenue B

At East Ninth Street at the entrance to Tompkins Square Park. Photo by Bobby Williams.

Flight

Somewhere near East 10h Street today. Photo by Bobby Williams.