Sunday, October 8, 2017

A vision for PS122 — 'a really lively building'


[Photo from Friday]

The New York Times today takes a look at five major contemporary dance hubs below 23rd Street, including PS122 on First Avenue at Ninth Street.

PS122, which opened in the former school in 1980, has been presenting performances from other venues since gut renovations — including the addition of an elevator, new stairwells and full ADA compliance — started in February 2013 at the 122 Community Center.

According to the Times, PS122 "is poised to reopen soon."

Here's more from today's article on Jenny Schlenzka, the first female director of PS122, who previously served as a curator of performance at MoMA and MoMA PS1.

The dance and visual art worlds have become increasingly entwined over the past decade. So Ms. Schlenzka’s appointment as executive artistic director of PS122, a haven for dance experimentation since 1980, was not a shock. Her first season, tentatively scheduled to begin early next year, will focus on the history of the East Village and of PS122. She said that until she has keys to the renovated building, a former public school on First Avenue, she couldn’t elaborate further.

Her larger vision, she said, is for “a really lively building” where people come and go all day for performances, talks, rehearsals and exhibitions.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Here's the sidewalk bridge-free corner of 9th Street and 1st Avenue — and the 122 Community Center

Come along on a tour of the under-renovation 122 Community Center on 1st Avenue


[The final rendering via Deborah Berke Partners]

Dumpster of the Day



Putting one to good use yesterday on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... photos by Derek Berg

Saturday, October 7, 2017

EVG Etc.: The mayor's affordable housing efforts; Jimi Hendrix Way pitched for 8th Street


[2nd Avenue curb work yesterday via Derek Berg]

A look at de Blasio's affordable housing efforts (The New York Times)

East Village Puerto Ricans on the President's response to Hurricane Maria (B+B)

About the late-night Con Ed work on 14th Street (Town & Village)

A long read on the history of the Bowery (Curbed)

Remembering "design guru" Jim Walrod (The New York Times)

A look at the new Wagamama menu on Third Avenue and 11th Street (Gothamist ... previously on EVG)

The Films of Paul Bartel retrospective starts Oct. 13 (Anthology Film Archives)


[Suspicious curb work crop circles on 2nd Avenue via Derek Berg]

Kickboxing chain opening a location at the former G & S Sporting Goods on Essex Street (The Lo-Down)

Jimi Hendrix Way co-naming proposed for part of Eighth Street (NY1)

End of days for the DL on Delancey? (BoweryBoogie)

A David Bowie exhibit is coming to the Brooklyn Museum next year (Gothamist)

Left Bank Books is now online (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

This past week, workers removed the remaining sidewalk bridge and scaffolding on the west side of Avenue C between Seventh Street and Sixth Street in front of the NYCHA-owned building.

Per an EVG reader: "I've been living on C for 6 years now and can't remember a day when it wasn't a fixture of the buildings along that stretch of sidewalk."



However, the temporary boilers that arrived after Sandy in 2012 remain in place on Sixth Street...



... and via the EVG inbox... a benefit Sunday for post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rican Relief at the Clemente, 107 Suffolk St. at Rivington on the Lower East Sode. More details here.



... and there's a Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Pets at the Ruff Club, 34 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street, from 1-4 Sunday afternoon. Details here.

8 more solar-powered, rat-proof trash cans arrive in Tompkins Square Park



Workers were out in Tompkins Square Park this morning... delivering and installing more solar-powered, rat-proof trash cans — the Big Belly — in the eastern section of the Park.



They are taking the place of these ...



... which do not provide much protection against hungry critters ... and whose circular design doesn't display art as well as the Big Belly model...



One of the workers said that they were delivering eight of the new trash receptacles to Tompkins Square Park.


[Photo by Steven]


[Photo by Steven]


[Photo by Steven]

The high-tech trash cans are part of Mayor de Blasio's $32 million plan to help reduce the number of rats in several neighborhoods, including the East Village. The first batch of the new Big Bellies arrived in the Park in July.

Meanwhile, a squirrel with a coconut drink this morning in Tompkins Square Park



Photo this morning by Steven

The 'Wolf' of Avenue A



New(ish) month, new flavor of the month with corresponding art on the gate at Mikey Likes It, 199 Avenue A near East 12th Street.

Andre Trenier's 1980s-flavored mural in October pays tribute to one of the greatest films from that era — "Teen Wolf," which topped "Out of Africa" for Best Picture that year as I recall.

Anyway! As always, the mural coincides with the flavor of the month, which is Teen Wolf, a combo of maple ice cream, chocolate covered marshmallows and pumpkin spice Oreos.

And a bonus photo of last month's mural – Tone Lōc ... (the flavor was "Wild Thing") ...

Friday, October 6, 2017

Friday's parting shot



10th Street and Avenue D via Bobby Williams...

Recycling day on 6th Street



Near First Avenue... someone Downsizing?

Previously

Come-to-the-Jesus-Lizard moment



The Jesus Lizard are back, touring for the first time in eight years. They'll be at the Irving Plaza on Dec. 10.

Meanwhile, enjoy "Gladiator" (above!) from 1992.

1st look at the new corporate partners of the birdbaths in Tompkins Square Park



The Robins seems to like the Fruit Loops anyway...



Photos by Steven

Time for the Harvest Festival at the 6th and B Community Garden



Tomorrow marks the 32nd annual Harvest Festival at the 6th and B Community Garden (on the corner of Sixth Street and Avenue B, if this is helpful).

There will be music, BBQ and a raffle during the festivities (2-7 p.m.).

You can find more details on Facebook here. Find a list of the raffle prizes (dinner for two at the Odessa!) here.

Openings: Ummburger, the Fern, Kokus, though just through Sunday



Ummburger opened this week at 99 First Avenue at Sixth Street.

As the name implies, this place sells a variety of burgers as well as salads. Here's a look at their menu from the Ummburger website...


[Click image to go big]

The drinks menu includes what they are calling "Ummazing Chalices," 38-ounce fish bowl cocktails on dry ice, including the Mari Juana, which pairs apple, pineapple, kiwi liquid smoke and vodka. ($25).

The previous tenant at this address, Mancora, moved across Sixth Street this past summer.

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The Fern is now open at 166 First Ave. near 10th Street. The bar-restuarant is from the same folks who run the Belfry on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Don't know anything else about the place at the moment. The Fern only has a placeholder website at this moment.

This address was previously, in fairly quick succession, North River and The Nite Owl, which closed in September 2015.

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And Kokus, billed as NYC's "first plant-based soft serve with organic cultured coconut cream and lightly sweetened with raw honey," is serving its wares through Sunday at the Bowery Market, 348 Bowery at Great Jones. (They started on Wednesday.)

Mayor and Mendez team up for Town Hall meeting next Thursday (Oct. 12)



Mayor de Blasio's Town Hall Tour 2017 comes to Council District 2 next Thursday (Oct. 12).

The Mayor is hosting the Q-and-A session in collaboration with District 2 City Council Member Rosie Mendez at PS 188, 442 E. Houston St. (at Baruch Drive). The Town Halling starts at 7 p.m.

If you want to attend, then you need to RSVP by 5 p.m. on Tuesday (the 10th). You can RSVP right here.

2 more weekends for Cafe Orlin


[Photo from Sunday]

News began circulating back on Sept. 8 that St. Mark's Place mainstay Cafe Orlin was closing after service on Oct. 15.

A rep for Cafe Orlin confirmed the closure in an email, as I posted on Sept. 8: "Yes — it's sad but true. The owner asked me to say that he's thankful to all who came to the cafe over the years. Cafe Orlin had a great run of 36 plus years, but he's ready for a change."

Grub Street reported that the Cafe Orlin owner is also the building's landlord, "and a new restaurant will open in its place."

I don't know much about the ownership. This is from a Village Voice feature on sister restaurant Cafe Mogador in September 2014:

Owner Rivka Orlin came to New York City from her home in Essaouira, Morocco, at the start of the 1980s, and helped her recently transplanted brother run Cafe Orlin, still in operation just down the street. Shortly after, the siblings heard the space at 101 St. Marks was becoming available, so they opened a second restaurant, using recipes from their mother in the kitchen and naming it after the small town in Essaouira where their Israeli-Moroccan family came from. Mogador is now run by Rivka’s nephew, Gal, and cousin, Ariela.

Anyway, you have two weekends left to visit Cafe Orlin at 41 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue. It first opened in March 1981.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cafe Orlin will close next month after 36 years in business (34 comments)