EV Grieve

Friday, September 13, 2013

First sign of more development on East 14th Street?

[Image between A & B via Google]

As you know, many storefronts along East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B have been cleared out ahead of some new development that will eat up a good portion of the block. (Read about this here.)

Now it appears that it's time to starting clearing out storefronts just to the west... between Avenue A and the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office, whose lease expires in February.

The USPS will lease the former Duane Reade on East 14th Street near First Avenue for retail services, such as stamp sales and P.O. boxes.

Back in April, we noted this about the single-level businesses lined up next to the post office: "This is all drool-worthy space for some developer."

And just like that, an EVG Facebook tipster notes that the Stuyvesant Stationery shop next door has lost its lease and is closing...

For now, there are only the usual rumors about what's next here (NYU dorms are always a popular guess) ... and how will the other businesses along here fare in the coming months? Will the rest of the block to Avenue A go away to make way for a new development?

Previously on EV Grieve:
UPDATED: Did you hear the rumor about the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office branch closing?

Report: Closure of the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office is pretty much a done deal

Give me 'Liberty:' New mural on East 9th Street honors Tompkins Square Park

Throughout the week, we've been watching a new mural go up on the side of Doc Holliday's on Avenue A and East Ninth Street... Bobby Williams has been keeping tabs on the progress...

... the mural is now complete...

What's it all about? Per a tipster:

A gift from Dorian Grey Gallery [on East 9th Street] and UK street artist STIK to the neighborhood. The mural is titled "Liberty" in honor of the history of Tompkins Square Park.

This month: A lot of community garden plays and art on the Lower East Side

From the EVG inbox...

1) COMMUNAL SPACES: A GARDEN PLAY FESTIVAL

This September, five short plays inspired by and performed in Lower East Side community gardens will take place. The 2013 version of writer, director and native New Yorker Lillian Meredith's Communal Spaces marks the outdoor festival's third annual installment. Meredith, whose body of work uses site-specific productions to "explore the boundaries of performance and the role of the audience in live theater," has commissioned five 30-minute plays. Each takes place in a different Lower East Side community garden.

Fri.-Sun., Sept. 13-15, 20-22 and 27-29. Each play is 30 minutes.
For more info, visit lillianmeredith.com. Admission is FREE. No
reservation needed.

Schedule: Fridays - Sundays: Sept. 13-15, Sept. 20-22, & Sept. 27-29.

11:00am - Tim and Tuna in Town.
Written by Josh Gulotta, Directed by Jaki Bradley
Siempre Verde Garden on Stanton and Attorney Streets
(no performance on Sept. 14)

12:30pm - Extinguish Yourself
Written by Angela Santillo, Directed by Michael Padden
Miracle Garden on East 3rd Street btw Aves A and B

3:00pm - Yield!
Written by Will Arbery, Directed by Stella Powell-Jones
All People's Garden on East 3rd btw Aves C and D

4:00pm - CO . OP
Written by Patrick Shaw, Directed by Lillian Meredith
Parque de Tranquilidad on East 4th btw Aves C and D

6:00pm - Limoncello Limoncello.
Written by Alexandra Bassett, Directed by Lillian Meredith
Green Oasis Garden on East 8th btw Aves C and D

Find more details here

2) LUNGS (Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens)
SECOND ANNUAL HARVEST ARTS FESTIVAL IN THE GARDENS

Saturday, September 27 & Sunday, Sept. 28
24 Community Gardens
Loisaida / The East Village / The Lower East Side / The Village

WHAT TO EXPECT

A multidimensional arts festival that reflects the creative spirit of the neighborhood and the integral part that community gardens play in the culture and life of Loisaida. Scheduled events include music, dance, performance, films, photography, puppets, environmental workshops, yoga. Each garden is designing its own program, so we know it will be interesting.

In addition, The Communal Spaces Play Festival, five 30-minute plays inspired by the selected garden landscapes, will wrap up its three-week run during the Harvest Arts Fest.

We hope you'll join us for an hour, a day, or the full weekend.

WHAT IT COSTS
Nothing. Nada.

HOW IT HAPPENS
The 2013 Harvest Arts Festival in the Gardens is organized by LUNGS (Loisada United Neighborhood Gardens).

This year's festival is sponsored in part by a generous grant from The Citizens Committee for New York City.

Find more details here.

Archie & Sons now sporting neon signage

Over on Third Avenue just off St. Mark's, the newish Archie & Sons (try the tuna melt) now features a new neon sign... right there.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Archie & Sons, a new luncheonette, opening very soon at 23 Third Ave.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Tonight's thunderstorm in action

From tonight's storm... looking northeast toward the East Village and Brooklyn..

Via EVG reader Ariel E. ... Taken with 8-20 seconds exposure with Panasonic G3, through the closed window...

A hard rain fell

East 10th Street and Avenue C tonight. Photo by Bobby Williams.

The Feast of San Gennaro starts tonight: Do you care?

[EVG file photo]

Or maybe the question is, Will you go?

Anyway! I haven't been since 2009, and that was before anything was open for the day.

Also, Eater has a food preview here. The official Feast site is here.

That Cadillac that we've long admired on East 2nd St. now has a stuffed tiger on the front seat

Yes, this one on East Second Street. It has been for sale, and the addition of the stuffed tiger makes it all the more...

Thanks to EVG reader Ann for the photo.

5 pretty amazing photos of Tompkins Square Park in 1904

Thank you to esquared™ for pointing out these photos of Tompkins Square Park from the Museum of the City of New York... these photos date to 1904, and are from an "Arbor Day" celebration in the Park ...

Can we get that overhead seesaw thing back?

And head on over to the Museum's website for more photos... they are available for purchase as well as gawking...

Avenue A is for... Avoid?

Well, no. But we have talked with a lot of people in the last month who are dreading the Construction Hell that awaits parts of Avenue A ... between the new residential complex at 181 Avenue A, aka the former Mary Help of Christians lot between East 12th Street and East 11th Street ... and the impending destruction of 100 Avenue A between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street ... which will yield a new residential building and retail space...

And for good measure... there's the out-of-place-looking 7-Eleven opening soon enough on East 11th Street...

Not to mention the loss of the familiar — the Odessa Cafe and Bar, which had been around since 1965. At least the Joe Strummer mural is coming back to East Seventh Street and Avenue A.

Updated: Brownstone Bar & Grill bringing Caribbean/Southern food to former Affaire space

Affaire, the French bistro and lounge, closed at 50 Avenue B last August. According to documents (PDF!) filed ahead of Monday night's CB3/SLA meeting, new owners are looking to open a venture called Brownstone Bar & Grill.

Proposed hours are noon - 2 a.m. Monday to Wednesdays; 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday to Sundays. The application lists a menu of "Caribbean/Southern food," including burgers, ribs and chicken. As for the ample space here for various DJs, weekly burlesque performances, etc., the application simply notes "There will be events, but no covers will be charged."

Before Affaire, China 1 prompted a whole lot of noise-related complaints from neighbors.

Updated 5 p.m.
This item has been removed from the September meeting docket.

Neighbors complaining about the trash at newly opened Taverna Kyclades

The East Village outpost of Astoria favorite Taverna Kyclades opened for business last week at 228 First Ave. By most accounts, people are very happy to have the chance to eat their Greek fare in the neighborhood.

However, some neighbors here between East 13th Street and East 14th Street are already grumbling about the restaurant's trash.

Here is one claim by an affected party, who sent along the photos:

"They dump really stinky fish trash not in front of their restaurant but outside of neighboring business properties and next door to the local street fruit market seller ... causing horrible stenches."