Runnin' Scared has a follow-up story to Bob Arihood's post about a man attacked by up to a dozen young males last Saturday night along Avenue B near Seventh Street. Runnin' Scared describes the victim as a 30-year-old father of two who is a personal trainer and part-time wrestler. The man would only give his first name, Rob. According to his account as reported by Runnin' Scared:
Rob and his wife had come from their home in Brooklyn for a night in the East Village, and had relaxed with a pitcher of margaritas at a cafe across the street from Tompkins Square Park. When the cafe closed the couple headed out onto the street. As they argued over whether they would take a subway or a taxi, they heard a man say: "Why don't you come with us?" Turning around, Rob saw several young males ogling his wife."Mind your own business," he told them. A loud argument ensued, and more young males poured out of the park and surrounded the couple.
After the beating, Rob had a gash on the right side of his face and multiple fractures. But he declined the offer of police to ride with them to help look for his attackers. He says he didn't want to press charges, and figured he'd wait to get revenge later.
Rob has also apparently been leaving comments on Bob's post. Referring to himself as "guy in picture" (because Bob has a photo of him talking to the police)...
I realy onle remember the two main guys one had a razor scooter the other a 2x4 I laid the guy with the scooter out i figured the scooter would do more damage than the 2x4. i blocked like 6 shots from the 2x4 but then i had like 10 dudes swinging at me from behind then i got caught with the 2x4 and just started to block ,i covered up and went down to one knee. when i got up and saw blood i tried to find one so i could choke him to death i figured it was only moments before i would be stabbed anyway but they were all gone.
Thanks to the tipster for pointing out that the former Urban Lobster, which closed in late March, will soon be home to a dry cleaner on Houston near Avenue A. Well, nothing wrong with that, I suppose, except...
Kapri II dry cleaners is about 200 feet to the east on Houston...
After more than six months, an ad returns to the space above the Sidewalk on Sixth Street and Avenue A....
So, what is this ad for... Pest control? Roach Motels? New reality show starring the Kardashians? No, unfortunately, it's actually for "District 9," an extraterrestrial thriller that's out in theaters Aug. 14.
And then the Angels & Kings Twitter account was spreading the news....
Meanwhile, someone sent me a link to Celebslam.com (a little NSFW depending on where you work) that had a report on Angels & Kings. Not really a report, but a brutal takedown of Wentz:
Pete Wentz is so fucked. Once all these 17 and 18-year-olds sober up, they're gonna realize how much Fall Out Boy blows. His album sales are gonna plummet. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we see him on a street corner in six months selling his body. "Hey Mister, I'll suck your cock real good if you buy me some eyeliner."
Two teens were arrested for beating and robbing a man in Alphabet City, police said yesterday. Joshua Igartua, 16, and a 15-year-old accosted the 23-year-old man at Avenue A and East Houston Street at 11:30 p.m. Saturday, cops said. They allegedly punched the man in the face and body, then swiped his cell phone. Police were called and arrested the pair on robbery charges.
For a more complete picture of what's happening on the streets, be sure to read Bob Arihood's Neither More Nor Less.
Last night, nearly 50 residents convened at the JASA/Green Residence to discuss concerns the impact that the Cooper Square Hotel has had on the neighborhood. (Jeremiah has been on the story with his must-read Notes from the Backside series.)
The event was organized by the East Fifth Street Block Association. Matthew Moss, principal of the Peck Moss Hotel Group, the developer of the $115 million Cooper Square Hotel, was there to field questions from the audience. Stuart Zamsky, head of the East Fifth Street Block Association, ran the meeting along with Carrie Schneider, whose apartment is a few feet away from the Cooper Square Hotel's much-discussed second-level bar area. CB3 District Manager Susan Stetzer was in attendance as was a representative from the office of Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer. (I was a few minutes late, and missed all the introductions.)
The meeting started cordially enough. There was talk about the smoke coming from the fireplace in the ground-floor library. "We will not use the fireplace until we figure out this smoke issue," Moss said. That was easy. Next!
Then the discussion turned to the contentious second-floor outdoor patio (there is no actual bar outside — guests can drink in the space, though). Although the patio officially closes at 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 10 p.m. on Thursday and 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday [UPDATE: These hours are incorrect — see the comments for the hours of operation], residents have said there are disturbed at all hours. For instance, guests have been able to access the area after hours and hotel employees have used the space as a breakroom to smoke and make cell-phone calls. Moss said that until the hotel can install a permanent gate at the landing of the main stairs leading to the terrace, a security guard has been hired to stand duty to prevent off-hour access. The presence of a security guard has helped curb some unwanted chatter, people thought.
Soon enough, though, things started to change. Maybe it was the increasingly warm community room in need of a breeze, the water fountain in the back that occasionally made a clanging noise...or maybe people were just tired of Moss mumbling. Every few sentences, people had to ask for him to speak up. It didn't help that Moss, an awkward public speaker, acted at times like a fraternity brother being scolded by his housemother for not picking up his dirty clothes.
"It sucks for the people who are here," Zamsky said of all the problems the hotel has created for residents. "It's not good."
Moss, who was prone to squirming, tugging at his lip and — a few times — rolling his eyes, said at one point, "There's nothing else for me to say. The responsibility lies with me... Anything I say is going to sound like an excuse."
Fifth Street residents talked about the lack of parking spaces now available to them and the limos that line up in the evenings. One woman in a wheelchair said their families can't find a place to park when they come to town for a visit. "You have nothing but excuses! You have created another problem for us."
Said Moss, "I don't doubt for a second that the hotel has some negative impact on the community. I'm also of the belief that there is some good that comes from" our presence. He didn't offer what that was.
Moss also said that the hotel has offered to pay to soundproof the windows for residents at 207 Fifth St. who are adjacent to the hotel and have suffered the most since the patio opened last month. "That's not a perfect solution," he admitted.
A representative from Scott Stringer's office, who arrived late, confirmed that Moss met with Stringer yesterday morning and put it in writing that the hotel is willing to pay to soundproof windows. [CORRECTION: The representative from Scott Stringer's office, Greg Kirschenbaum, did not indicate that Borough President Stringer met with Moss: he stated that Moss had reached out to him to offer the soundproofing and that Moss then provided that offer in writing. Stringer did not meet with Moss. We apologize for the error in reporting.] One problem, though: The landlord of 207 Fifth St. is not receptive to such an idea.
One resident said soundproofing windows just wasn't good enough. "You have a public space out there. There are public spaces such as libraries where even homeless people that hang out know you have to be quiet." He mentioned that management should tell the hotel guests to whisper while they're on the patio. Continued the resident, "The other thing about soundproof windows: You're suggesting that the people who live there will never want to open their windows."
The residents had more to say.
Moss looked as if he wanted to shrink inside his blue blazer. He was unprepared. He had no noticeable personality. He lacked the diplomatic skills necessary for the hospitality industry — or any industry. He had no answers to questions about the noise complaints and other quality-of-life issues raised during the meeting. "I don't know...We need to figure out how to make it work," he said. He wouldn't offer a timetable for possible solutions to the noise. "I don't even know what the solutions are going to be."
Someone mentioned the tactics used by residents to retaliate against the noise. "I don't think it's really relevant," Moss snapped. Another resident asked about the secret nightclub that was going to open in the Cooper Square Hotel. "It's not going to be a nightclub," Moss said. He called it a "supper club," which will be in the basement. "I'd be surprised if it happened this year," he said.
At this point, you get the idea. To be honest, so much was discussed during the 75-plus minutes that I was at the meeting. I didn't capture every complaint, every name, every possible solution from calling 311 to the hotel manager on duty. But I had a good snapshot of what has been happening to the residents living adjacent to the hotel. So I left.
I started thinking about the hardships that I heard that night. The woman in the wheelchair whose family can't find a place to park to visit her. The residents being kept up by the party-going hotel guests. I thought about the older man who cared enough to show up at the meeting with a sign of protest against the hotel. Later, he fell asleep in the back of the room near an open door.
So I walked out of the JASA/Green Residence, which faces the south side of the Cooper Square Hotel. And what was there waiting for all the concerned residents exiting the meeting?
Just to spell this out for myself. The co-owner of the Cooper Square Hotel agreed to meet with concerned local residents about noise complaints and quality-of-life issues on the same night that his hotel was throwing a party for a $280,000 sports car.
Guests took turns sitting inside the car for photo opps.
A few of the residents who attended the meeting stood on the sidewalk by the Cooper's outdoor patio with incredulous looks on their faces. One man ran back inside to ask Moss if he was aware there were 200 people partying behind the hotel.
I saw three different people leave the patio and enter the sidewalk with drinks. The security on duty only seemed concerned with the non-guests gawking on the sidewalk. One guest walked east a few buildings on Fifth Street. He hiked his khaki-clad leg up on a railing while holding a bottle of Stella and talking on his cell phone. Meanwhile, chauffeured town cars double-parked on Fifth Street. Other cars idled in front of fire hydrants.
One driver shrugged off the threats of a resident who asked him to move. He continued talking on his cell phone.
By the way, the only time Moss ever offered an apology last night occured after he was asked to speak up so the people in the back of the room could hear him.
For further reading: Raging Against the Coop: the Developer/Neighbor Faceoff (Eater)
Your options for overpriced douchery just got slightly slimmer in New York City: Angels and Kings, the LES bar owned by Pete Wentz, has been closed down for receiving its third citation for serving minors. Don't worry, your opportunity to punch him in the face and scream FALL OUT BOY SUCKS while running screaming across the bar isn't gone for good. The bar will reopen after he responds to a court date, pays some insane fine, and probably watches some videos about America's Draconian drinking laws. Hire a door guy, dude. There are a million heavyset, intimidating black guys in NYC perfect for the part. The cops are always looking for reasons to shut down stuff in the city, because of all the horrible people who moved into renovated condos in the Lower East Side for the 'authentic New York experience' and then started complaining about all the loudness and the bar crowd.
Thank you to the reader who pointed put the following:
Since yesterday, when I try to go to your EVG blog, the page comes up, then I get a pop-up error message saying Internet Explorer can't open the page. When I click "OK" on the popup message, the page goes blank.
I usually go blank too. But! Apparently there was a rogue! Javascript running inside the body tag. I think.
If you've been following Bob Arihood's work at Neither More Nor Less, then you're well aware of the recent attacks that have occurred in the neighborhood. In response to the uptick in violence, an East Village resident has launched the site Alphabet City Neighbors.
This neighborhood will not succumb to violence and thuggery. Alphabet City -- Avenue A through Avenue D -- is a place where people -- whether they be homeless people who enjoy Tompkins Square Park or Wall Streeters who live in penthouse suites -- should feel comfortable. Mostly, it's a neighborhood full of decent people trying to live decent lives. We won't let thugs change that.
On Friday, Michael Brown, an environmental designer and East Village/LES resident, debuts "LostLES" — described as a panoramic installation that celebrates "the vivid character of the Lower East Side through its distinct architectural heritage."
The installation will be on display throughout the summer at Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop at 129 Rivington St.
Brown, founder and creative director of Lot71, answered several questions about the project via e-mail for EV Grieve.
How will the historic spirit of the Lower East Side be reflected in the installation/mural?
Kevin Gregor, my friend and owner of Tiny's Giant, approached me in February with the idea of designing an installation for his restaurant. Having lived in the East Village/LES for 12-plus years, I have long been a fan of this part of Manhattan.
The neighborhood has a cultural diversity different than any other part of the five boroughs. The historical heritage of immigrants — my family's included — resounds in this area through the architecture, the storefronts, and the lasting cultural markings of industry and arts. I have often drawn from the rawness of spirit and visceral character unique to the EV/LES in my work and my research. Ultimately, I began to consider the "place" (neighborhood, community, environment) as the driving narrative for the work I would create.
LostLES has been described as a true celebration of an iconic neighborhood. Can you elaborate?
LostLES is a celebration of this iconic neighborhood in several ways. Tiny’s is set behind two plate-glass windowed walls that create a transparent, double-sided environment — from the outside, an intimate space on a vibrant LES street corner; from the inside, court-side seats to experience the vibrancy flow by, in all directions. Inspired by the camera obscura photography of Abelardo Morell, the mural is a reflection of the old Lower East Side superimposed across the new.
I shot a photograph of an old tenement building on Orchard and Broome that we will project inside Tiny's Giant from a single source. The image will streak across the walls and ceiling of the space, and a group of scenic artists (several who are local to the EV/LES) will then paint the mural from this guide. The resulting effect will appear as a cast silhouette, or reflection, of the old architecture that has redefined the sculptural space of the restaurant.
Ultimately, the graphic/2-d image will transform the 3-d space, rendering the space with a new narrative/experience. In the work is a metaphorical play on exterior space over-layed on interior space, as well as a visual comment of the old tenement architecture re-imagining a space for the new. It will transform Tiny's Giant into a jewel-box, experiential stage of the LES.
The work is intended as a gesture of honor to the old architecture, and in our painting style, the scenic artists will be informed by the longstanding traditions of street mural and graffiti artists in the neighborhood.
Some longtime locals are upset about the changing skyline — the condos, the hotels — and feel as if these changes take away from the spirit of the neighborhood. How do you feel about this mix of the old and the new?
I, too, am discouraged by some of changing skyline of the EV/LES. While I'm not entirely well-read on the matter, I find it staggering that this area was not landmarked or otherwise, considering that close to 25 percent of U.S. citizens can trace their genealogical roots to this neighborhood.
I certainly appreciate modern architecture — there are qualities of Tschumi's Blue Building, as well the New Museum, that appeal to me within the context of the EV/LES. However, respect for the past and balance of context for the new is very important to me, and there are certainly several instances of egregious condo-fication here that pain the eye.
Ultimately, the context/balance of which I write guided the choices I made for LostLES. I am hopeful that with my installation I am able to create a space that celebrates the past with a deference to the present. I do not intend my work to be sentimental, but rather simply an encouragement to open one's eyes anew and reflect on our surroundings — cultural, architectural, and spatial.
To learn more about the project and make a pledge to support the work and community, watch this video.
The McDonald's ad is getting painted over on First Avenue near Second Street. I'm curious, though, do you suppose in, say 20 years, we'll be excited about the discovery of a faded McDonald's ad?
Stupid viral ads. These Lucy fliers have seemingly been everywhere on Second Avenue. I finally looked at the advertised url. Fat chance that it's going to be another cutesy, annoying subway romance tail. The fliers are for a new Web series on IFC.
Prepare to be intrigued, intimidated and, if you are the jealous or private type, possibly a little nauseated. The Novogratz family — two good-looking parents and seven photogenic children, along with their $25 million Manhattan mansion, Brazilian beach house, New England country estate, famous friends and cool parties — could soon be the name that you associate with everything from sandwich bags to boutique hotels.
Robert Novogratz, 46, his wife Cortney, 37, and their brood, which includes two sets of twins, have been renovating dilapidated buildings in New York’s up-and-coming neighbourhoods for 13 years. Along the way, they have charmed the city’s style magazines and blogs with their ability to combine French salvage, flea market finds, undiscovered artists and high-end fittings to striking effect.
