Water Street, 5:11 p.m., Aug. 5

"Entire blocks were filled with little more than rubble and bricks"

[Photo by Q. Sakamaki]

The Times features photographer Q. Sakamaki today, who has a new book out on Tompkins Square Park. (I did a short piece on it for Curbed today, too, and there was quite a bit of feedback on the topic...)

Upon arriving in the city in 1986 he settled in the East Village, where he was alternately charmed and horrified by what he found. Dilapidated and abandoned buildings lined the streets. Entire blocks were filled with little more than rubble and bricks. Heroin was sold in candy stores, and gunshots sounded in the night. In the morning he sometimes spotted the bodies of people who had been killed or had died of overdoses.

Also, in this week's issue of the Voice, Lynn Yaeger goes on a walking tour of the neighborhood with Sakamaki.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Looking at the Tompkins Square Park riots in black and white

Coming soon to an egg cream near you: hazelnut and cappuccino (but not at Ray's)

[Image by rollingrck via Flickr]

Now Alison Nelson, a lifelong New Yorker and the owner of the Chocolate Bar is trying to revive the egg cream with a bit of a twist. With the opening after a relocation to the East Village, she is introducing egg creams in new flavors: hazelnut, cappuccino and another classic New York flavor, black and white (which is half black chocolate and half white chocolate, like the classic cookie). “I was hoping to reinvigorate the egg cream phenom that existed in the early 1900s maybe every diner and soda shop will have it,” Ms. Nelson said. “I wanted to reintroduce the egg cream to a whole generation of people.” (City Room)

[Updated: At 9:07 p.m., I changed the photo I had up of Gem Spa for Ray's. Much better. Was trying to show a real old-school place that had Egg Creams...]

Watching Manhattan (and other movies) in downtown Manhattan

Downtown Express has the story on Movie Nights On The Elevated Acre, which happen every Tuesday in August. Starting tonight. As the paper reports: "The Elevated Acre is a rooftop plaza offering stunning views of the East River, the Brooklyn Heights Esplanade, Red Hook, and the old Ferry Terminal. A seven-leveled concrete amphitheater with a sloping, lushly landscaped garden, the Acre, like the selection of movies screened this summer, is imaginatively conceived."

The schedule:

Tonight: On the Town

Aug. 12: Manhattan

Aug. 19: Stanley Kubrick's Killer's Kiss

Aug. 26: Imitation of Life

An EV Grieve reminder

I'll be doing a little writing over at Curbed.com this week.

Tonight: Captured at Webster Hall

[Image by Clayton Patterson]

Clayton Patterson is the artist and documentarian who has been chronicling the changes in the Lower East Side since he first set up shop here in the early 1980s. Some of his 100,000 photos and 10,000 hours worth of footage went into Captured, which plays tonight at Webster Hall.

Here's a trailer for the film:



Also, Patterson, who grew up in Canada, was featured in yesterday's Toronto Globe and Mail.

Patterson never had much trouble gaining access to the sort of people who might normally be suspicious of a camera in their midst - drug dealers and users, gang members, others on the margins of society - in part because he shoots without judgment. But Captured shows that newcomers to the neighbourhood -- like developers putting up $3-million condos on the Bowery -- are suspicious of his camera.

Previously on EV Grieve:
“When I go out my door now, I don’t see anyone I know. I see the loss of a community.”

Wishing you a happy National Underwear Day

As the National Underwear Day Web site says:

Since its inception in 2003, National Underwear Day has been received by the media and the public with great enthusiasm. In the past, we've invaded Times Square each August with scores of gorgeous models to run what started out as a renegade sidewalk fashion show and later became one of the most highly-anticipated fashion events of the year.

This year, to commemorate the sixth anniversary, we're bringing the celebration indoors to the glamorous Espace venue, where a growing crowd of National Underwear Day loyalists, including media and international tastemakers, will enjoy an evening cocktail party atmosphere and a full-fledged fashion show.

You heard it. Full-fledged!

[Photo of Becks from the High Line via the High Line blog]

Looking across at Manhattan in 1939

The Manhattan skyline looms overs the tenements of the Red Hook housing project in the Brooklyn borough of New York in 1939. (AP Photo)

Had to go to Times Square today -- please send help

Yankee Stadium: "Priced out of the game"

Post sports radio/TV scribe Phil Mushnick wonders why Yankee Stadium will be demolished after this season:

"It's being destroyed because it, too, has been priced out of the game. It's being knocked down for a new ballpark with fewer but far more expensive seats; eliminated so it can be replaced by a stadium with more luxury boxes and costlier come-ons for corporations and the mindlessly wealthy."

The Times revisits the wind farmers of East 11th Street

The Times had a piece yesterday on the "group of young architects who, in the 70s, took over a five-story tenement that didn’t rely on the city’s electrical grid. They lived at 519 East 11th Street, and they got their power from the wind."

[Image D. Gorton/The New York Times, 1977]

A note from our publisher, EV Grieve

Good morning.

Last week, I received an invitation to serve as a guest writer at curves.com. Being a fan of women-only health clubs, I enthusiastically agreed. When I showed up for duty (in Spandex, no less), I discovered the week-long guest stint was with CURBED.com. Oh! Well, that's even better. So, during this week, I'll be doing a little writing over there. I'll also be here. And, of course, I'll continue leaving "first!!" comments at Hollywood Tuna.

A little light reading on the bus

Wigshelf

On Ludlow Street. Alongside Katz's.

Speaking of Ludlow Street

I've loved this block from day one. Sure, this has been well-documented, but it's just hard to walk down the street anymore without getting upset.

At the Christodora Sunday night (oh, tonight!)

As we (OK, I) had mentioned earlier, tonight at 8 was the date for David Peel's birthday bash next to the Christodora. I was there a little before 8, and watched the cops prepped and ready for...


nothing. The party stayed in Tompkins Square Park, I was told. I stood in front of the Christodora anyway. Around 8:45, an officer walked up and told the troops to remove the barricades. I asked a police officer if this meant nothing was going to happen there. He, quite honestly, barked (wolfed?), "unless you know something that I don't." OK! All the police officers got into their respective vehicles and left...except for two lone officers, who were told to stand guard "just in case."


Several protestors did show up later with an "Imprison Bush" banner. There was a little shouting -- did a resident throw something at a protestor?


Meanwhile, on the way to the event, I started taking photos of the Christodora for whatever reasons...







Bob Arihood has many photos from yesterday's festivities in the Park.

"The Good Guy" may tow your ass

On 7th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. Helpful, too, that someone put a "no parking" sign on a fire hydrant.

PS. And the movie's cast includes Andrew McCarthy!

To be honest, at this point, it's not seeming delicious at all

On 11th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Enjoying the great outdoors

This week's issue of Time Out New York has a cover story on 25 things to do outdoors in New York City before the summer ends. I didn't actually read the article. But I do like the outdoors! And lists! So I decided to make my own list of things to do outdoors before the summer ends.

1. Drink.

Feel free to add any suggestions. (Ideas more creative than "shoot a Yunnie" get bonus points!)

My beautiful Lau derette

[The dumb headline makes me what to see the movie again.]