"You don't have to spend a million to look like a million!"

Gawker had a good thread Saturday night in which weekend editor Ian Spiegelman asked, "What's your favorite movie or TV show where the Big Apple and its culture, sensibility, and aesthetic is intrinsic to the narrative?" (There were nearly 400 responses...) Here's a clip provided by commenter Dickdogfood. It's a series of commercials from WNEW-TV from 1985. The first ad, for the Ritz Thrift Shop, is a classic:

Buy the Astrotower for $99,000

That's the going rate for an iconic piece of Coney island history. Ten Astroland Park rides were posted for sale last week following the announcement that the Coney Island park will close for good today. The rides are listed with Ital International, a Nashville-based broker. (New York Post)


Will there be a 11th hour repieve?

Meanwhile, there's a new book on what it was like to grow up in a deteriorating neighborhood adjacent to Coney island in the 1960s and 1970s. (Kinetic Carnival)

Rent ends; Life lives on

Rent is ending its 12-year run on Broadway. Meanwhile, fans of the musical won an online video contest to attend a party at the Life Café where the first scene is set. The Times has the back story today:

For Kathy Kirkpatrick, the owner of the Life Café, it was a moment she had resisted. During nearly all of the show’s run, she had done little more to capitalize on the cafe’s appearance in the show than to put up a poster signed by the cast . . .

“We thought if we did anything it would look like we were exploiting the show, and that’s not what we are about,” Ms. Kirkpatrick said.

But times have changed — and so have the needs of fans, who began to take menus as souvenirs. Since the play announced in March that it was closing, the cafe has begun to sell “Rent” memorabilia, designing a line of T-shirts, buttons, hats and tote bags and displaying journals in which fans can memorialize how the play has touched them.

In today’s East Village, expensive glass-fronted condominiums abut rows of hip Mexican and Asian restaurants, and the anti-materialistic, bohemian spirit immortalized in “Rent” can be difficult to see.

Gone are the days when the Life Café could stay afloat selling 50-cent bowls of vegetarian chili cooked over a Coleman burner, as it did in 1981, when it opened in a dilapidated storefront on East 10th Street and Avenue B, surrounded by abandoned buildings and shuttered storefronts.

The rent Life Café pays is now “well over $9,000 a month,” said John Sunderland, Ms. Kirkpatrick’s husband, and may double when the lease comes up for renewal in June.

So when “Rent’s” public relations firm asked whether the Life Café would host a video contest and party to mark the end of the show, Ms. Kirkpatrick said yes. “It’s hard to continue on in the way we have over the years without taking some hard, tough decisions to move forward. You do have to be creative in order to survive,” she said.

Here is the list of the winners and their videos. I'm not sure of any of these Rent fans were winners (oh, the third clip was a winner). . .here's their entry via YouTube:

NYPD Daily Blotter item on Friday night's arrests

Here's a description of the arrests Friday night following the Donut Social. From the NYPD Daily Blotter in the Post today:

Five protesters were arrested Friday after clashing with police in the East Village following a rally against police brutality and gentrification.

Cops said the rally, on East Fifth Street near First Avenue down the block from the 9th Precinct station house, had ended peacefully at 8 p.m. when anger flared.

One man was busted for throwing objects at police.

The arrest sparked more violence from the crowd and led to the arrest of a man who allegedly threw a chair at cops.

Two protesters were arrested for damaging patrol cars, including an 18-year-old man.

A fifth person, an 18-year-old woman described by police as homeless, was arrested when she tried to interfere with police, laying down in the street and refusing to move, cops said.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Friday night in Tompkins Square Park: Unity and a sitdown (and several arrests)
At the Donut Social
Coverage at Neither More Nor Less

Friday night in Tompkins Square Park: Unity and a sitdown (and several arrests)

Details are sketchy. Here's what Mrs. Grieve saw (a little before 9). She was traveling solo at the time:

Cop cars racing down Avenue A. People hovering. Some kind of disturbance. Cops seemed over-anxious. A skinny kid picked up a chair and threatened to throw it. The cops said to put it down. He threw it anyway. Cops went ballistic. Chased after him. A crowd followed. A few minutes after, a sit down occured in front of a cop car. Lots of people gathered around in support and just watching. Cops stood emotionless as the crowd called for them to quit, commit suicide . . . and called them Nazis.





To be continued.

[Update: Bob Arihood has more details and photos at Neither More Nor Less. In short, he reports on his site: After the Donut Social, several protestors, including Leftover Crack singer Scott Sturgeon, traveled to Tompkins Square Park "to continue the music with a more intimate acoustic version of the donut concert. For some reason -- we did hear that the arrest may have had something to do with Sturgeon having hurled donuts at the cops earlier at the Donut Social -- police broke-up the gathering and arrested Sturgeon at 8:45 pm . Members of the gathering attempted to prevent the police cruiser carrying Sturgeon from leaving the park. The mini-riot that ensued resulted in 3 more individuals being arrested." ]

At the Donut Social

On First Avenue and Fifth Street. The folks in attendance were kept inside a fenced-in area next to Rite Aid. I was only able to stay for 30 minutes or so. The music was ordered to be kept at such a low volume, I couldn't really hear it. And I wasn't too far away from the speakers.




Meanwhile, several people standing on the north side of Fifth Street wondered why this officer had his hand on his gun the entire time. We were worried about making any sudden moves.






A little video:



Please check in with Bob Arihood's Neither More or Less for many more photos and details.

Leftöver Crack, "Rock the 40oz"

Do you have what it takes to tear down Yankee Stadium?

New York City is looking for demolition companies that think they can tear down Yankee Stadium without damaging any of the seats or other pieces that might be sold to collectors.

The razing of the famous ballpark is scheduled to start in March and last as long as a year, according to a solicitation form issued by the city’s Economic Development Corporation. The first stage of the demolition will involve salvaging all of the stadium seating as well as some large features like the white frieze that adorns the wall behind the bleachers and the 120-foot-tall bat-shaped boiler stack outside the main entrance.

(City Room)

EV Grieve Storm Center

Many good things to do outdoors tomorrow, from Howl! to the East Village Radio festival at the South Street Seaport. However, the remnants of the deadly Tropical Storm Hannah promise to wash away any of those plans. (The Art Parade in Soho has already been canceled.) 

I've been following Rolando's informative posts at Urbanite on Hannah...He also takes a look back at Hurricane Gloria, which smacked Long Island in September 1985. (His last post includes Weather Channel footage of Gloria via YouTube.)

Speaking of Gloria and YouTube...Here are a few jokesters in Brooklyn who made a parody of reporters covering a storm back during Gloria's days in 1985. (It's in two parts; the second half shows a wee bit of Coney Island.) Watch only if you're really bored.

"NYC for the most part is a dead playground for yuppies and trustfunders"

Yesterday, BoingBoing posted an excerpt from the July Vanity Fair essay by Christopher Hitchens on the demolishment/development of Greenwich Village.

Here are a few responses to the essay/post:

#9 POSTED BY SEYO , SEPTEMBER 4, 2008 11:25 AM
The only thing that will save NYC in general, let alone the Vill., would be a brutal global recession. An economic downturn that would drive the rich people away and back to the burbs, and that would make foreigners stay home. Crime rates rising, budgetary deficits forcing reduction of police, and infrastructure breakdowns would help. In other words, the 1970's all over again. Not likely to happen. Bloomberg has a budgetary surplus, and has devoted his mayoralty towards turning Manhattan into a "luxury product" for financial service executives, lawyers, media moguls, international restaurateurs and fashion designers, and foreigners from the wealthy EU and Arab nations. His strategy is impervious to recession. While the rest of the country might be experiencing contraction, NYC, specifically Manhattan, has stayed stable. He doesn't give a shit about Bohemian culture, nor do the wealthy people flocking here. What they want is an Epcott Center simulacra of NYC grit and edginess because it is so Sex and the City, but they certainly don't want the real thing.

#14 POSTED BY ORCATEERS , SEPTEMBER 4, 2008 11:54 AM
I think that in a lot of neighborhoods like this, small business owners get punished for their success. They stick it out for years in a non-central neighborhood with a high crime rate and after all their hard work, the residual benefit of their business (increased community interaction, more pedestrian taffic, etc.) causes rents to rise outside their grasp, or for wholesale redevelopment to occur.

Recently I visited a traditionally downtrodden suburb of Seattle and my first thought was "wow, so many authentic, diverse, independent businesses, this place doesn't stand a chance!"

#15 POSTED BY NEWWAVE , SEPTEMBER 4, 2008 12:03 PM
Forget the Village, there isn't a single neighborhood in New York that resembles what it was in it's "heyday". Most of the people complaining have already missed the party. NYC for the most part is a dead playground for yuppies and trustfunders. Look in your backyard before you head to NYC looking for bohemia. The real thing is probably closer than you think.

"It'd be a great thing to see more opportunity for small businesses to grow again"

Gothamist interviews Steve Cohen, station manager at East Village Radio.

(EVR is throwing a music festival tomorrow at the Seaport...hope the stupid weather holds out...)

Included in the Q-and-A:

Given the opportunity, how would you change New York?

In the old days every neighborhood in New York was uniquely different than the next. Lots of different family businesses that lent a lot of character to the city. It'd be a great thing to see more opportunity for small businesses to grow again. Believe it or not, in the mid 70's, I worked as a busboy and was able to afford an apartment in Manhattan! It's always a good idea to try and feed peoples souls, now that'd be a change.

More change coming soon to the Bowery?

East Village Podcasts brings the news that the Salvation Army’s East Village Residence at 1 E. Third St. at the Bowery is closed. EVP reports: "We can confirm that we have absolutely no confirmation of a destructive demise for the residence, but we did try to call the number on the door’s sign for more info and received the Army’s voicemail replete with lilting British Isles accent."

Meanwhile, I have taken a solemn oath not to end posts with sarcastic asides such as, "Expect a [Duane Reade, Bank of America branch, PinkBerry, dessert bar, Dunkin' Donuts, 24 Hour Fitness with Derek Jeter, etc., etc.] soon. So I'll let EVP do the work for me with their headline on the post: "Salvation Army Leaves, Wine Bar Next?"

Report: Burglaries up in the East Village and LES last month

The Villager is reporting a spike in burglaries in the East Village and Lower East Side:

In the Ninth Precinct, which covers the East Village, grand larceny surged to 22 for the week ending Aug. 24 this year compared to 12 the same week last year. Grand larceny increased to 81 in the 28-day period ending Aug. 24 this year compared to 65 in the same period last year.

Burglaries also spiked in the Fifth Precinct, which covers the Lower East Side, Little Italy and Chinatown from Broadway to Allen St. between Houston St. and the Brooklyn Bridge, during the week ending Aug. 24 when 10 were reported compared to four the same week last year. For the 28-day period ending Aug. 24 there were 22 burglaries compared to 13 the year before.

Reminder: Donuts and etc. tonight at 6

Here's an earlier version of the flier and social from several weeks ago. (Please note that the time and location have changed.)  This hung on the Ninth Street side of the Christodora for two whole days. (Surprised that it wasn't removed sooner than that....)

The Donut Social takes place at Fifth Street and First Avenue. Bob Arihood has more details at Neither More Nor Less.  The Donut Social also has its own MySpace page. 

On Avenue A

In front of Bendel's

On Fifth Avenue.

A fool and his e-mail (New York Yankees/Ticketmaster edition)

My good friends at the New York Yankees and Ticketmaster sent me a nice e-mail yesterday with this subject line:

"Only three series remain at Yankee Stadium."

No kidding. It has been well reported that tix for the final 10 home games are going for a premium via StubHub and scalpers. But!



Hmm, well, maybe they released some tickets. Maybe I'll nab a decent seat in Tier Reserve or something! So I click on the links in the e-mail to Ticketmaster for the individual games. Guess what? Every game is sold out! Just like I thought. Thanks for the e-mail!

Will the (soon-to-be-former) Knitting Factory space become a nightclub?

As you know, the Knitting Factory is closing its Leonard Street location in Tribeca and moving to Williamsburg. According to an article posted on the Tribeca Tribune site Aug. 29, the Tribeca location is expected to close in January. Here's a little more from the article:

For Jared Hoffman, the club’s owner, the move signifies a rebirth for the Knitting Factory legacy. For Leonard Street residents, the club’s departure means the end of years of complaining about noise, garbage and loitering outside the club.

“It’s not fun to be somewhere where you’re seen as the bad guy,” Hoffman said during a recent interview in a converted Brooklyn apartment that’s the club’s new office. “There’s just no way, in that environment, not to annoy some people. It’s an un-winnable situation.”

“People are expecting Tribeca to be as quiet as a suburban street in Greenwich, Connecticut,” he added.

Ahn-Tuyet Pollock, who has lived next door to the Knitting Factory for eight years, said she and many of her neighbors have been waiting for the day that the club would close and the sidewalk be free of its patrons.

“It’s been a struggle for us ever since we moved in,” Pollock said. “[Club-goers] line up in front of the building, they smoke, they make all kinds of noise, they want to come into our building to use our bathroom...it’s a nuisance.”

While the departure of the Knitting Factory is welcome news to many Leonard Street residents, their respite from club-going throngs could be short-lived.

Joe Rosales, a broker for Lee Odell Real Estate, closed on a $12 million sale of the six-story building at 74 Leonard Street to the Laboz Family Trust in July, and the space, he said, has already drawn interest from developers looking to install another nightclub.

“The way that space is laid out, it has to stay commercial,” Rosales said.

Posted without comment (or smartass headline)

On Clinton Street near Rivington on the LES.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A short history of subtle butt-in-the-air billboards downtown

Dropping dead 33 years later

Gov. Paterson has said New York is facing a 1970s-style fiscal crisis. So with all this talk of economic woe facing the City, I revisted the infamous Daily News cover from Oct. 30, 1975.

What struck me more than anything...Stocks Skid, Dow Down 12!

12?

(By the way, I was unaware that there was an NYC-based record label called Ford to City Drop Dead)