Giant green baby alert: All American Temper Tot arrives on the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall

Here's a look at the all-new Houston/Bowery Mural Wall, where Ron English began work yesterday on what's he's calling All American Temper Tot…



And here is some of the official news release on the mural via wall curators Goldman Properties:

Jessica Goldman Srebnick, CEO of Goldman Properties, creators of the international outdoor street art museum, the Wynwood Walls, in Miami, has announced that Ron English will be the next artist whose work will adorn their famed Houston Bowery Wall in lower Manhattan. English joins an elite group of artists Goldman Properties has personally curated to paint one of the most sought after mural walls in the United States.

Describing his work as “Popaganda” – a mash-up of high and low cultural touchstones, from superhero mythology to totems of art history and his own original characters, English has enjoyed a successful career as a street artist as well as a fine artist. He will begin working on the Wall on Friday April 17 and the mural, entitled All American Temper Tot, is expected to be completed by Wednesday, April 22.

… and here's a photo from late yesterday afternoon via EVG contributor James Maher…



Animal NY, BoweryBoogie and Gothamist have more pics.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Houston/Bowery Mural Wall has been boarded up

The mural wall will remain on the Bowery and East Houston

Os Gêmeos: (Almost) day by day

5 years later, Os Gêmeos returning to the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall

Peeling off the layers through the years of the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall

After midnight, workers remove the Moishe's Bake Shop sign

[Photo by Paul Kostabi via Instagram]

Multiple EVG readers let us now that in the late night/early morning hours, workers took down the familiar Moishe's Bake Shop letters at 115 Second Ave. (EVG reader Ryan spotted the work happening at 1:30 a.m.)

So sad to see the Moishe's letters come down tonight. @evgrieve #EastVillage pic.twitter.com/cgVV7XeNJR

— Nicholas Evans (@nicholasevans) April 18, 2015

While this retail space has been for lease since last summer, there hasn't been any mention of a closure from the owners of Moishe's. (The only sign in the window states that they are closed on Saturdays and open on Sundays.)

There is a complaint on file with the Department of Buildings dated April 11 (in the DOB's ALL-CAP style):

FROM THE RT. SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE NEW BUILDING HAS "SHIFTED" & THE WALLS HAVE MANY HOLES. THE BENDED CANOPY IS NOT ATTACHED TO THE WALL & IS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE WALL, AT LEAST BY 4 INCHES.

The DOB issued an Environmental Control Board (ECB) violation for "failure to maintain front facade." So perhaps this is the first step in renovating the storefront to meet the DOB's standards.

The bakery, which opened in 1978 (or maybe 1972), returned last Sunday after being off for the Passover holiday. Moishe's is one of the many merchants whose business tailed off in the days after the Second Avenue explosion.

In a widely circulated Associated Press photo from March 27, owner Moishe Perlmutter was seen offering the FDNY some of his baked goods...

This man is handing out cookies to firefighters clearing rubble from yesterday's explosion in the East Village (@AP) pic.twitter.com/MpZ0Xuc6TQ

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 27, 2015

Updated 9:13 a.m.



Updated 4/20

Several readers spoke with Moishe at the shop yesterday... he reported that the sign will return after the facade repair... and that they are not going anywhere.

Full Stop Work Order issued for 117 2nd Ave. for 'testing and taking apart gas lines' without permits

The DOB yesterday served a full Stop Work Order at 117 Second Ave. ... right across Seventh Street from the site of the deadly gas explosion on March 26.

The building is owned by Maria Hrynenko, who is also the landlord at 121 Second Ave., the site of the blast.

According to DOB records:

WORK WITHOUT A PERMIT - TESTING & TAKING APART GAS LINES

Here's more detail from documents on file with the DOB:

FULL STOP WORK ORDER - WORK WITHOUT A PERMIT; INSPECTION TIME 11:07AM
AT TIME OF INSPECTION I OBSERVED GAS PIPING IN THE RESTAURANT IN GROUND FLOOR AND CELLAR DISCONNECTED, CAPED AND BEING PRESSURE TESTED BY THE PLUMBERS NO PERMITS WITH DOB

As a result, San Marzano, the restaurant here, had to close yesterday after reopening on April 10...



San Marzano's owners left a note for patrons saying they will be closed until further notice…


[Image via @anoop]

San Marzano was closed from March 26 through April 9. No. 117 was under a full vacate order from the DOB.

The Times looks into the real-estate holdings of the Hrynenko family

[2nd Avenue photo yesterday by EVG reader Daniel]

The New York Times dispatches three reporters to dig into the real-estate holdings of the Hrynenko family.

Maria Hrynenko is the landlord who owned 121 Second Ave., where a gas explosion on March 26 killed two men and injured more than 20 other people.

Per the Times:

Officials are investigating the cause, which they believe may have been a gas line being improperly tapped to supply newly renovated apartments on the floors above a sushi restaurant in the building, and an effort to cover up the misuse.

Hrynenko owns 121 and 119 Second Ave., which was also destroyed. According to the Times, she also owns 117 Second Ave., 46 E. Seventh St. and 96 Second Ave.

Here are a few passages from the article:

Ms. Hrynenko’s husband, Michael Hrynenko Sr., who died in 2004, went into real estate in the 1970s, long before the East Village was chic. The buildings he bought remain a family enterprise. But as the investigation into what went wrong has unfolded, the Hrynenkos have not spoken publicly, and few on Second Avenue seem to have known them well.

Each real estate company of which Ms. Hrynenko is now the principal seems to bear a form of her children’s names — Crystal Apartments L.L.C. for her daughter Crystal, 31; Nasher Realty Corporation may be for two daughters, Natasha, 21, and Sherry, 22. One, M.A.H. Realty L.L.C., may refer to her son, Michael A. Hrynenko, known as Mischou. Another company’s name consists of the initials of all four children’s first names.

And:

In the East Village, Ms. Hrynenko built personal relationships with some tenants. [117 Second Ave. tenant Billy] Calanca said she doled out hugs when they passed her on the street. Her office was across the street from Sushi Park, the restaurant on the ground floor of 121 Second Avenue.

Hyeonil Kim, who owned Sushi Park, recalled swapping details with Ms. Hrynenko about their personal lives, particularly the loss of her husband. “If you hear her life story in the past, you will know it is a tearful story,” he said.

But Mr. Kim also said Ms. Hrynenko was out of touch with what went on her buildings. He described her as in over her head.

You can find the article, which will appear in tomorrow's paper, here.

7th Street reopens west of 2nd Avenue

Workers removed the barricades early this evening... opening up Seventh Street west of Second Avenue to traffic again for the first time since the deadly gas explosion on March 26...



Updated 4-18

Spring break

Here's Manchester UK-based Spring King with "City" … off their new EP "They’re Coming After You!"

A new online resource about the East Village explosion

Several readers reported seeing these flyers around of late.. Per HelpEastVillage.com:

This website has been created to streamline important information on how to help people and businesses, as well as provide information, to those displaced by the devastating East Village gas explosion that occurred on March 26, 2015. Please help share this information (including posting on your social media); and kindly consider donating to affected individuals and businesses. Every little bit counts! This website will be continually updated, and if you would like to be listed here or have helpful information, please contact helpeastvillage@gmail.com Thank you for all your support! (This site has been created anonymously, and is not a recipient of any of the donations.)

1st look at the revamped East Village Radio studio on 1st Avenue

As you may have heard, East Village Radio is returning.

The station signed off last May 23 after 11 years. Ultimately, East Village Radio's popularity did them in. The Internet station was averaging more than 1 million listeners worldwide a month.

"Every time we get a new listener, it costs us more money with licensing fees and Internet costs," East Village Radio CEO Frank Prisinzano told us last May. "After doing some projections, we see that it is going to be very, very difficult for us to continue to break even."

The comeback was made possible by the recently launched Dash Radio network. (Brooklyn Vegan had the scoop on the return last November.) East Village Radio and a new sister station — Brooklyn Radio, which will operate from a storefront studio in Williamsburg — are now part of the Dash family.

East Village Radio is expected to be up and running in less than two weeks. (Keep an eye on the station's Twitter feed for more relaunching info.)

So why is this time different for the station?

"We have an infrastructure that we didn't have before," Peter Ferraro, the general manager/head of programming at East Village Radio, told us during a telephone interview. "Last time it was us trying to really bootstrap it … I don't know if we had the team in place. Now we have someone looking after the licensing situation for us. We have a good team of radio people, and people who know the music business and the media landscape."

Said Prisinzano, the chef who owns neighborhood restaurants Frank, Lil Frankies, Supper and Sauce: "I'm so happy to give it back to the neighborhood. I'm excited that we figured it out."

In recent weeks, workers have revamped the small studio space at 19 First Ave. between East First Street and East Second Street. Workers upgraded the heat and air conditioning, among other things.

"And we've upgraded the equipment," Ferraro said. "It's a significant investment in the equipment and the platform."

Ferraro invited EVG contributor James Maher inside the storefront studio to check out the new equipment … and new look.











On Wednesday, Ferraro did the first test in the studio with returning DJs Chances with Wolves.

First day of testing out the new setup with @ChanceswWolves .. pic.twitter.com/EKmLNo0fjt

— East Village Radio (@EVRadio) April 15, 2015

Aside from some returning favorites, Ferraro said that there will be new live and recorded shows and programming as well as some produced specials. He stressed that there won't be as many shows on the schedule as when they signed off last May — at least initially.

"In the beginning, anyone tuning in expecting it to be actually the way it was … it won't," he said. "It will get to what it was — 10-12 hours of live programming, then re-streams and pre-recorded stuff. We really want to ramp it up slowly and do it right."

We asked Prisinzano what he missed the most about East Village Radio.

"The music! We missed East Village Radio just as much as everyone else. We get to be listening again. We can't wait."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: East Village Radio is signing off after 11 years; final day of broadcasting is May 23 (53 comments)

East Village Radio says goodbye with Johnny Thunders

Signs of life at East Village Radio, but what does it mean?

2nd Avenue update (April 17)

[Photo this week by Derek Berg]

The love story behind B&H Dairy (Off the Grid)

Destroyed deli cancels online fundraiser. "I feel guilty getting someone else's money," said Roop Bring, who opened Sam's Deli at 123 Second Ave. in 1997. (DNAinfo)

Alleged gas siphoning only further fuels turmoil at another EV building (The Villager)

Recap of Saturday's Small Business Crawl on Second Avenue (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Via Della Pace owners worry that without help, blast site will be a "Ghost Corner" (Bedford + Bowery)

Firefighter honored for heroics in East Village blast (Daily News)

Four East Village cats remain missing (The Villager)

The return of Standings (Vice Sports)

The "Love Saves the East Village" is an all-day benefit concert tomorrow at La Palapa on St. Mark's Place (EVG, Facebook)

"Eastville Loves the East Village: A Benefit for the Victims of the East Village Fire" on May 19 (Facebook)

... and Enz's, the longtime rockabilly boutique in one of the retail spaces at 125 Second Ave., has a new pop-up shop ... opening today at 90 Stanton St. between Ludlow and Allen...

Tomorrow is Record Store Day

And here's who is participating around here ...

• Academy LPs, 415 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A

• Good Records NYC, 218 E. Fifth St. between the Bowery and Second Avenue

• Other Music, 15 E. Fourth St. between Broadway and Lafayette

• Turntable Lab, 120 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue

• A-1 Records, 439 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue

You could also visit Rainbow Music, 130 First Ave. near St. Mark's Place, and Sounds, 20 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Find the official Record Store Day website here ... and the list of special Record Store Day releases here...

Proto's Pizza returns under new ownership on 2nd Avenue

The for rent signs arrived outside the pizzeria at 50 Second Ave. between East Second Street and East Third Street in early March.

However, the storefront didn't stay on the market long. A few weeks later, signs arrived saying that Proto's was returning under new ownership.

Anyway, it has reopened this week. We always liked the pizza here, and will check out Proto's 2.0 soon.

Brooklyn native Rob Proto opened the original pizzeria here in May 2012.

Seems like old times at the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall

The newly constructed Houston/Bowery Mural Wall returned to view yesterday afternoon, as BoweryBoogie pointed out this morning.

Starting tomorrow, Animal NY noted that POPaganda painter Ron English will begin a new mural that will look something like…

Ahead of that, Graffiti writer HOUND left behind a message on the wall.

Meanwhile, construction of a two-story building continues adjacent to the wall…

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Houston/Bowery Mural Wall has been boarded up

The mural wall will remain on the Bowery and East Houston

Os Gêmeos: (Almost) day by day

5 years later, Os Gêmeos returning to the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall

Peeling off the layers through the years of the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall

Report: 169 Bar will remain open

Earlier in the week news surfaced that city officials were suing to shut down 169 Bar on the Lower East Side for underage drinking.

Now, though, comes word via The Lo-Down that owner Charles Hanson agreed to pay a few thousand dollars in fines and add several safeguards, such as an electronic scanner.

Per DNAinfo, who first reported on the story: "Authorities caught the East Broadway bar selling beer to minors twice last year when underage auxiliary officers bought two cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon on Nov. 19, 2014 and two cans of Miller Lite the next day, court documents show."

A 169 Bar lawyer countered that the ID used by the NYPD auxiliary officer was fake, thus making the alleged police operation unlawful," The Lo-Down reported.

Anyway, it's all worked out now, probably, as a judge dismissed the case this morning for the bar at 169 East Broadway off of Essex Street.

Image via the 169 Bar website

Stage owner Roman Diakun responds to allegations of illegally siphoning gas

[Image via Facebook]

The following was published yesterday on the Stage's Facebook page...

In response to the recent news, Roman Diakun, the proprietor of Stage Restaurant has released this statement:

We at the Stage Restaurant are deeply troubled by the landlord’s false allegations that we engaged in any illegal siphoning of gas. Stage is a long-standing restaurant with deep connections to the community – we have never siphoned gas, and have committed no wrong.

In response to a complaint made by one of the residential tenants of the Building, Con Edison turned off the gas to the entire building, including Stage’s gas supply as a precautionary measure in light of the recent tragic events that transpired on March 26, 2015.

Con Ed promptly came to the Building and performed an inspection, which made no findings that Stage had ever tampered with the meters or pipes. In connection with restoring gas services to Stage, a licensed plumber determined that Stage needed to replace one of the pipes servicing Stage.

In an effort to remedy the issue as quickly as possible, Stage commenced work prior to obtaining what was later learned to be a necessary work permit, and a stop work order was issued. Stage immediately complied with the stop work order, paid the fines thereon and hired a licensed plumber to apply for the proper applications to perform this work, so that Stage can get back to servicing the community it has had the pleasure to serve for the last 35 years. Stage has requested that the Landlord sign off and cooperate with Stage’s efforts in this regard.

However, to date, Stage has been unable to secure the Landlord’s consent to completing this repair work, which is vital to the safe and continued operations of Stage, as well as for the safety of the community. Stage has requested that the Landlord withdraw the termination notice, and cooperate with Stage’s efforts; however, the Landlord in not interested in promptly remedying a potentially dangerous issue at the Premises, but instead the Landlord is seizing on the recent tragic events as an opportunity to wrongfully evict us for reasons unknown to us.

The building has several violations which are not related to the present issue, and none are indicative of the Landlord’s spurious and malicious claims that Stage has engaged in any wrong-doing other than overzealously attempting to remedy a potentially dangerous condition.

As amNY reported on Tuesday, Joseph Goldsmith, a lawyer for landlord Icon Realty, believes that the Stage was "trying to cover up the siphoning that they had previously done and the Department of Buildings went for an unnanounced inspection and caught them in the act."

Goldsmith told amNY that Icon is waiting for gas use records and pictures that a DOB inspector had taken during the visit in late March.

Bedford + Bowery has more from both Goldsmith and Diakun here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The possibility that the Stage won't reopen on 2nd Avenue

City serves stop work order on Icon Realty-owned building for installing gas pipe without permit across from deadly 2nd Avenue blast zone (48 comments)

Petition to help reopen the Stage

Tenants at 128 2nd Ave. file suit against Icon Realty in housing court

Troubling talk about 128 Second Ave, and the long-term future of the Stage

[Updated] Report: Icon Realty serves the Stage an eviction notice