Monday, April 14, 2014

Report: July 4 fireworks returning to the East River

[The spirit of America!]

You will apparently no longer have to rekindle that friendship every July with those people you really don't like who live on the west side and have a rooftop view of the Hudson ...

According to The Observer, Mayor de Blasio is expected today to announce that the July 4 fireworks will return to the East River where God wanted them to be.

In his former job as public advocate, Mr. de Blasio, a Brooklynite who campaigned as a champion of the outer boroughs, called on Macy’s, the event’s sponsor, to move the show back from the Hudson River so it could be seen by residents in Queens and Brooklyn. The display was moved to the Hudson, between Manhattan and New Jersey, in 2009.

And now a look back at the July 4 fireworks from an EVG friend's roof in the East Village in 2009 ... feel free to ohh! and ahh!



This year's Howl! Festival has been postponed

[Photo from 2013 by ~Joan]

Word went out last night that the annual Howl! Festival has been postponed… here's the message from the Howl! website



And that's all we have about it at the moment…

Updated 4/14:

Bob Holman had this to say about the situation last evening on his Tumblr

Steve Cannon will continue as Poet laureate and will rule at the next HOWL, whenever that is. It’s Tompkins Sq Park bureaucracy, IMHO — HOWL has never been supported like the Treasure that it is.

Another flyer campaign to 'stop the rooftop noise' at 84 E. 10th St.



These signs are up along East 10th Street between Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue … (we also spotted some on Third Avenue…) …





Here's a look at the recently remodeled 84 E. 10th St. …



And the helpful arrow points out where the roof likely is…



Seriously, though … there have been complaints about rooftop noise here dating back to June 2010 … before the building got the makeover…

According to a listing that we spotted for No. 84 in March 2013, there is only one residential unit here … (the 2-bedroom space was asking $7,500). The amenities included "a huge private roof deck."

Yoo's Convenience Store — home of New York's 'best coffee' — going out of business on 2nd Avenue



The time for Yoo's is coming to an end at 50 Second Ave. …



The owner (is it Mr. Yoo?) said that the landlord is doubling his rent. "How can they do this?" he said while shaking his head. "But what are you going to do."

We'll miss the handwritten notes here boasting having the best coffee in the city…

Exchange Alley has not been open lately



The New Orleans-themed Exchange Alley has not been open for the past week or so here at 424 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

There aren't any signs up to note a temporary closure … and there's nothing on their website or Facebook page to indicate anything is amiss. Calls to the restaurant go unanswered. However, the well-regarded restaurant is no longer listed on Open Table. We reached out to chef Paul Gerard, formerly of the SoHo House kitchen, to see what was happening here.

Exchange Alley, which opened in August 2012, was the latest to give this space a try … where Olivia, Sintir and Zi' Pep all closed in fairly quick succession ...

The restaurant enjoyed some high-profile press ahead of its opening, including a write-up on Vogue.com

There's a really steep fine for jumping on this sidewalk gate outside Bedlam



Spotted these stickers the other day in front of Bedlam at 40 Avenue C…



Not sure who enforces this fine… and gets to keep the money. And how are we expected to pay?

DOUBLE ghost signage discovered at 88 3rd Ave.



Earlier last month, EVG reader Dave from 14th Street noted the above ghost signage that workers uncovered while converting the former Amici Pizza into (heh) a Funkiberry Premium Frozen Yogurt shop.

NOW!

EVG regular ~evilsugar notes that there was ghost signage under the Lawrence & Paul's Pizza & Restaurant ghost signage…



Here's a better shot via Scoboco … showing Luigi's 3rd Ave. Pizza…



Meanwhile, the remains of the the Lawrence & Paul's sign are now in the dumpster on Third Avenue…



Previously on EV Grieve:
Stuff that you can't make up: More FroYo for the East Village

Ghost signage uncovered on Third Avenue and East 12th Street

Luke's Lobster goes more art house





East Seventh Street.

Previously

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Tonight's almost full mooooooon



Looking east from East Houston Street via @speakman

Week in Grieview


[Union Square yesterday by Terry Howell]

Shakespeare & Company losses lease on Broadway (MondayThursday)

RIP A Gathering of Tribes (Thursday)

The hawk couple of Tompkins Square Park now has three eggs (Wednesday)

Gino DiGirolamo is retiring after 50 years in business (Thursday)

Landmarks Preservation Commission OKs 8-floor hotel adjacent to the Merchant's House Museum (Tuesday)

Clayton Patterson is moving to the Austrian Alps (Monday)

This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef has closed (Wednesday)

Why the East Village smelled like a campfire (Monday)

Check out this rooftop art gallery (Tuesday)

6 St. Mark's Place is for lease (Friday)

Wicked Wolfe BBQ opens on East 14th Street (Thursday)

First exhibit for City Lore (Monday)

Out and About with Jon Gerstad (Wednesday)

Max Fish clears first hurdle in return to LES (Tuesday)

More about the retail-residential complex coming to 50-62 Clinton St. (Thursday)

An updated look at Alphabet Plaza (Wednesday)

Openings: Handsome Dan's and INA (Tuesday)

Hello 311? These street lights along East Houston have been out for a long time (Friday)

King Tut evicted from tomb on East 8th Street



An EVG reader spotted this in the De Colores Community Yard & Cultural Center on East Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C…

Word here is that his tomb is being converted into a 3-bedroom apartment with roof deck. Per the Streeteasy listing, the apartment will feature "high-hat lighting, exposed brick and old world charm."

In bloom



The jackets are coming in nicely this spring!

Photo in Tompkins Square Park yesterday by Michael Sean Edwards

Saturday, April 12, 2014