Posts that I never got around to posting: The trailer for the "Bad Lieutenant" remake

The Vulture over at New York magazine has information and the trailer for Werner Herzog's Nicolas Cage–starring remake of "Bad Lieutenant."

Does this make you feel any better about the project?

Posts that I never got around to posting: Memories of Fleet Week

Posts that I never got around to posting: More movie poster graffiti

On First Avenue near Fifth Street.

Posts that I never got around to posting: Open bags of confetti

On Second Street near Second Avenue.

Posts that I never got around to posting: A blurry photo taken in front of McSorley's

Posts that I never got around to posting: The phone booth on Second Street and Avenue A

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

Looking at the Gulf Coast on West 12th Street (Hunter-Gatherer)

Hard times force women to sell their old wedding gowns (The Wall Street Journal)

Anti-StuyTown graffiti on the L (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Lux Living makes note of StuyTown's upcoming Summer Concert Series. Among the family friendly fare: Jay Reatard. Lux Living then posted this Reatard performance clip:



Shockers: A new condo that opts for a water tank (BoweryBoogie)

A collection of good signs from Ken (Greenwich Village Daily Photo)

Times Square now looks like someone's backyard (Lost City)

Ray's reopens.... and C-Squat will have a benefit for Ray's.

Medal Day madness on the LES (Gothamist)

Patrick Swayze's TV show gets canceled (Variety)

You probably already read about Bravo's next reality show. If not, here's a piece on it from the Post the other day:

"NYC Prep," which premieres ... June 23, follows five students from prestigious private schools and one from an elite public high school as they groan at length about their riches — while trying to edge each other out in the social standings.

"I don't want to apologize for having money!" Camille Hughes, 16, a junior at Nightingale-Bamford School, says in the premiere. "It's good."

From Joshua Stein's recap in the Times:

“My hobby,” says Sebastian, a doe-eyed 16-year-old ladies’ man, “is hooking up with the hottest girls I can.” Like any budding player, Sebastian goes on a date to Kurve, a futuristic Thai place in the East Village, with a wingman and two hapless 16-year-old girls.

Curb just reported that the Cooper Square Hotel has released a "signature scent" scent called Wanderlust.

[Photo via Flaming Pablum]

Claim: Tuesday night's DBS Volante Convertible party at the Cooper Square Hotel "brought enough complaints to bring in the police"

Just a quick follow-up to yesterday's Cooper Square Hotel post. I wanted to highlight two comments that came in later last night.



Anonymous said...
Just for the record, one of the stipulations of the hotel liquor license is, that given its proximity to to an assisted living facility and residential apartment building, the garden is to be "a quiet gathering place for patrons and guests." Last night's event brought enough complaints to bring in the police. When residents went to inquire for the hotel manager as recommended by Matt Moss at the meeting, she was "unavailable."


Goggla said...
I hate to think what will happen the next time one of those senior residents needs an ambulance (which I see there regularly), only to have it circle the block because the wagon train of limos is blocking the entrance.

Also, I reviewed the photos that I took.... I found these. As I recall, the young man in the backpack wanted to take a closer look at the Aston Martin on display. And why not?



So he looked around for a moment and decided to unhook the velvet rope and go in where the invite-onlys were congregating.



The security guard was on him in a second. The guard was ready to push him out the way he came in...



But the other security guard interjected and suggested that the young man be taken out properly through the hotel.



The security guards that I saw were much more tolerant of guests taking drinks onto the sidewalk to use their cell phones.

City's third Caffe Buon Gusto coming to Avenue B

As we noted yesterday (and thanks to reader Empire), the former Zips space on Avenue B and Fifth Street will be Caffe Buon Gusto...



Apparently there are two other locations in Manhattan -- one on 236 E. 77th St. and one at 1004 Second Ave. I'm not familiar with these places. The Caffe's Italian fare on one site gets pretty positive remarks, except from the last person who left a review. "The 'bruschetta' was served on toasted wonder bread!"

Anyway, to repeat what I wrote earlier....is there really a need for another Italian restaurant in the neighborhood?

The scaffolding will return to the front of St. Brigid's

We've enjoyed seeing the front of St. Brigid's on Avenue B at Eighth Street since the scaffolding came down on May 26.





However, as we suspected, the scaffolding is down just for the short-term. Edwin Torres, chairman of the Committee to Save St. Brigid's, confirmed this for us in an e-mail. He said the scaffolding was interfering with testing that needed to be done inside the church. He had hoped to meet with the construction manager to find out how much longer before the new scaffolding would return.

Torres also posted a letter last Friday for supporters of the church.

Runnin' Scared has more on last Saturday night's attack on Avenue B

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.

He says that he "took two of them down with me."

A little bit of Soho in the East Village: From steamed lobster to steamed dry cleaning

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...

Human league

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.

Trainwrecks: Angels & Kings back open last night

First, a reader who lives near the bar confirms it in the comments from my previous Angels & Kings post.

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."

Wow. Uh. OK!

Previously.

Report: Police charge two teens for robbery on Avenue A and Houston last Saturday

From the NYPD Daily Blotter in the Post today:

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.

Related:
In response to recent violence in the East Village: Alphabet City Neighbors

Zips is now Caffe Buon Gusto

Many thanks to reader Empire for passing along a photo of the long-awaited debut of the former Zips space on Avenue B and Fifth Street:




More details as they become available. Previous Zips coverage on EV Grieve.

Residents discuss the problems created by the Cooper Square Hotel: Meanwhile, across the street, a party for a sports car

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?



An invitation-only party thrown by the 100 Thousand Club and Aston Martin to unveil the DBS Volante Convertible.

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.

The crowd was tan and fit. They all looked so happy with drinks in hand. (Jeremiah also witnessed the party: He has much more on the scene.)





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)

Noted

On Seventh Street.

Will there still be a Trainwreck tonight at Angels & Kings?

According to the Angels & Kings Web site this afternoon, Trainwreck Tuesday is still a go for tonight.

Also, it looks as if someone removed the "closed for maintenance issues" line that was posted yesterday:



Meanwhile....um, there's this item from Sabrina Brody in the LA Gossip Examiner yesterday:

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.

A letter to readers who use Internet Explorer from EV Grieve's Vice President of Integrated Systems and IT, EV Grieve

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.

The problem has been fixed.

My apologies.

As you were.