Looking at the neighborhood circa the late 1970s

A friend gave me a used copy of "The Lower East Side: A Guide to its Jewish Past" by Ronald Sanders. The book, published in 1979, provides a straightforward history of the neighborhood from the 1870s to the 1920s. Text aside, I appreciate the many photos (99 in total) taken by Edmund V. Gillon, Jr. Here's a sampling of them, circa late 1970s:


Eighth Street and Avenue B.


10th Street.

Second Avenue near Sixth Street.

On Second Avenue (a cross street wasn't given).

At the Christodora on Avenue B before it was refurbished.

NYC's coffee boom

The Times today examines the number of new (non-chain) coffee places that have opened in the city the past few years...places that serve "well-made, well-prepared coffee." Including in the piece are East Village favorites Abraço Espresso on East Seventh Street and Ninth Street Espresso. "There are so many of these places that some people claim that New York is experiencing a coffee renaissance," writes Ted Botha, who did the piece for the Times. Here are a few passages from the article:

“What you see going on now is a de- Starbuckification, if you will,” said Suzanne Wasserman, a food historian who is director of the Gotham Center for New York City History. “People are yearning for authenticity.”

It will probably be a while before specialty coffee shops are as prevalent in the city as wine stores. Most New Yorkers must still travel several miles to find the perfect espresso, and price is often a deterrent to patronizing these places.

Nancy Ralph, the director of the New York Food Museum, describes paying more than a dollar for a cup of coffee as extortion. She also doubts whether $4 mochas will be enough to cover ever-rising rentals in the city. “You’ll have your answer in a year,” she said.

Because I'm a Creeper

Some members of the younger generation in my office were discussing seeing Saw V this weekend.

Yuck.

This is more my speed...Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Via the magic of Hula, here's a Halloween warmup. This episode from 1956 is titled "The Creeper," in which a serial killer known as the Creeper (duh) is terrorizing the women of New York.



[Apologies for the Dove ads...]

Noted

The average sales price for three-bedroom apartments in the 10003 zip code is $3,863,550, according to the appraisal firm Miller Samuel. Which makes this three-bedroom on Ninth Street at Third Avenue a steal for $1.5 million. In fact, it's the "Buy of the Week." (New York Times)

Why a cow was being spit-roasted today on Avenue C

The Sunburnt Cow on Avenue C celebrated its fifth-year anniversary today, in part, by spit-roasting an entire cow in front of the restaurant. And, we swear, the cow was named Bessie.

[Photos by Mrs. Grieve]

Dreaming of making it to the top in New York City....

Nice trench coat, yuppie! Go back to [insert state from Midwest here]!

Kidding!

If you stare at him long enough, I swear that he winks

On Avenue B and Fourth Street.

Charming

In front of Cheap Shots, First Avenue near St. Mark's Place.

The Grim Reaper at Manitoba's

On Avenue B.

Open Your Eyes

The Lords of the New Church.

Young former Wall Street workers ponder their next move

The Times has a lengthy piece today on the recent college graduates who suddenly find themselves without jobs on Wall Street:

Mr. Menzul, 22, is among the untold numbers of young finance types caught in limbo by the economic crisis, yearning to stay in the nation’s financial heart yet fearful that no market rebound is in sight. It is impossible to gauge how many such strivers are leaving New York or considering it. But interviews over the past two weeks with affected workers and recruiters revealed an emerging portrait of newly minted college graduates suddenly jobless in a frightfully expensive city, and forced to contemplate a change in career — or address.

And:

Adjina Dekidjiev, an operations manager at Manhattan Apartments Inc., said she had been seeing more people trying to break leases, some leaving, some just looking for cheaper places to live.
“A lot of people are doing their math, asking, ‘How can I stay in the city, for as long as possible, and try to find a job?’ ” said Win Hornig, who started the blog bankergonebroke.com after being laid off from JPMorgan in September. “People are definitely going to leave the city if the market doesn’t come back. It’s just too expensive.”

And before you make a smartassy, ha-ha comment, the Times wants you to understand this:

Many in New York have delighted, at least a little, in a sense of schadenfreude over investment-banker woes, having viewed them as a greedy breed that helped homogenize and gentrify the city. But the market crisis has already had widening ripple effects, and many young people working in jobs related to the finance sector were never making a mother lode.

Met Food lives

Good news from Scoopy's Notebook this week: "Met Food supermarket on Second Ave. and New York University have finally settled on a lease that will allow the market to keep serving the East Village customers who depend upon it and championed its cause so fiercely." (The Villager)



Now, perhaps, can they take down the sale sign for clam shell salads? I took this photo Aug. 30. And the sign was still up the last time I walked by...

Another season comes to a close at Belmont Park

The Fall Championship Meet at Belmont Park ends Sunday. The Park will be dormant until the spring.

To commemorate the end of the season, here's a look back at Belmont Park fashions in 1957...If we shot this today, how many of the spectators would be wearing sweats or cargo pants?

Fatcats to pay top dollar for chance to heckle Jets upclose

By now, no doubt, you have already registered for the ultra-supreme tickets at the New Jets Stadium. Check out the Coaches Club...where you can stand on the field -- just five yards off the Jets bench! Oh, and access to a private 20,000 square-foot bar and lounge!



As the Post reports, at least one fatcat has already overpaid, which prompted giggles. And quips!

Looks like the mystery mortgage mogul who shelled out $400,000 for the rights to buy the two best seats in the house for Jet games fumbled the timing of the market.
That's because the "personal seat licenses" for nearby seats in the much-hyped Coaches Club section at the new stadium are selling for less than a third of the price the fat-cat fanatic paid.
"Maybe he's used to overpaying for assets," quipped Kyle Burks, president of Season Tickets Rights, referring to the current mortgage meltdown.

He must now also fork over another $14,000 per year for his actual season tickets.

And check out the incredibly life-like artist rendering...And just what is going on with head coach Eric Mangini on the far left?

Is the game in his pocket?

Extra Place gets its first tenant...And it's dessert (shocker!)

Terrifying news from Time Out New York's The Feed yesterday afternoon (via Curbed):

This just in from budding chocolatier Rachel Zoe Insler, previously of the pastry kitchen at Union Square Cafe and now the owner and mastermind of the soon-to-open Bespoke Chocolates...Two pieces of good news (we cherry-picked the best for you):

(1) BESPOKE CHOCOLATES HAS AN OFFICIAL ADDRESS!

The lease on the shop has been signed and it looks like our fabulous landlord will be turning over the keys on Halloween. Scary, yes, but also exciting! By the end of November, you will be able to visit us in the East Village at 6 Extra Place, New York, NY, 10003.

Two pieces of good news? I didn't make it to that second piece of good news in The Feed post. Now can someone tell me what the first piece of good news is?

Extra Place coverage on EV Grieve is here.

Tonight: Episode 3 of "Life on Marzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

Tonight at 10, we will bravely soldier on and watch "Life on Mars."

Meanwhile, Hunter-Gatherer, an aficionado of classic TV from here and abroad, weighs in today on the U.S. version of "Mars":

Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen, is now officially out of ideas. The first two episodes borrow so heavily from the UK version that one wonders at first if ABC bothered hiring writers at all for the domestic offering. But after watching a bit of the show I quickly realized that dialogue this flacid could only be made in the good old USA. Is there such a thing as TV karaoke?
I love Harvey Keitel, and I really like Michael Imperioli and Gretchen Mol. But good actors as they are, they are all hogtied by a dreadful script that attempts to Americanize a UK concept for pablumesque primetime consumption. In this portrayal of life in 1973, howlers reign supreme and Michael Imperioli’s character, Det. Ray Carling, leads the cavalcade of cringe with lines like “he’s as crazy as a fruit bat at a cranberry convention” ……….wow.

Well put.

And HG ends with a sensible question: "[W]hy not just show the original series?"

See you at 10!

Still on the record

Alex posted some dandy NYC-related album covers yesterday. I love that Kiss "Dressed to Kill" cover.

Meanwhile, here are two that don't need much explanation:

Oh, and as for this Sinatra cover...I have no idea if it's New York...I just like it.

Here comes the bailout...?

When 2-3 apartments in the same building just aren't enough

Tom Cruise has reportedly gobbled up five units in the American Felt Building on 13th Street, where he and Mrs. C have been staying of late. "One they use for a gym, and two apartments are for staff." You may now make a "he must have a big staff" joke. Or not. (Page Six)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Noted (ZOMG edition)

At old Yankee Stadium before Game 1 of the World Series

The Phillies beat the Rays 3-2 in Game 1 of the World Series last night in St. Petersburg, Fla. Meanwhile, for this occasion, I ventured up to the Bronx to visit old Yankee Stadium before the game. In no particular order, it was rather cold, lonely and depressing outside Yankee Stadium. Pretty much what I expected. (Except for the cold. Check the weather forecast next time.) Few people were around. Except for the Yankee office entrance and the gift shop, the old stadium was shut tight. I couldn't help but imagine the mob scene right about now had the Yankees not been so underwhelming* this past season...and actually were hosting Game 1 of the Series.

[* open to other suggestions to describe the 2008 season.]

On River Avenue, which runs across from the Stadium, the gift shops and bars were closed for the season. Ball Park Lanes was open -- several teens milled about on the inside. Here's a bit of what Yankee Stadium and vicinity looked like...

Portions of the walls outside the stadium are filled with messages from fans.

Across 161st Street, the new Yankee Stadium looms (lurks?).

The only action was at the venerable Yankee Tavern, which was full with a boisterous happy hour crowd.

I have more photos on my Flickr page.