Does the new Cooper Union building have a renter? (Plus, food cart!)

The "store for rent" signs are gone from in front of the new Cooper Union buidling...and the windows along Cooper Square have been papered over...so, has a retail client been secured for this spot? What could it be?



The first "for rent" ads stipulated "non cooking food." Which leaves open the possibility of FroYo. You don't cook that, right? Just pour it out of a bag?

Speaking of food!

For some reason I know that "House" premieres tonight

Noted

At Seventh Street and First Avenue.

Noted

The Giants are playing the Cowboys now on NBC... the game is on in the background. The new Cowboys Stadium cost $1.2 billion. NBC compared it to the Roman Coliseum. NBC also captured Cowboys owner Jerry Jones....

Car plows into ConEd gates on Avenue D

Just after 5 this evening, a car crashed into the ConEd fence at the dead end of Avenue D at 12th Street.




There were several accounts of what happened. One tipster noted that the car had been driving north on Avenue D with its hazards on before crashing into the fence. On the scene, one witness thought the car had clipped a van before coming to a halt at the fence. Yet someone else thought the driver simply made a mistake and kept going straight at the dead end.



In any event, nothing really sinister afoot here. The woman driving the car was in a great deal of discomfort. She was simply visiting her mother who lives nearby.

Lunch with a bunch of liars

Liars Picnic. Part of Conflux 2009.

Noted

At Superdive. Missing out on some NFL action.

Flashback:

There was a 100 percent chance of rain in the northeast section of Tompkins Square Park yesterday. Otherwise, sunny

Thanks to the EV Grieve reader who passed along these photos... from a photo (or film) shoot yesterday afternoon in Tompkins Square Park involving fake rain and the real Paul Rudd. Anyone know what this was...?





Too bad the organizers couldn't have planned this for back in June. On one of the 39 days that it rained that month.

Noted

From the Post:

A Manhattan condo is flush with amenities -- as in royal flush.

The city's newest legal underground card den is in a renovated condominium at 254 Park Ave. South, where a 1,400- square-foot poker room and lounge is being constructed in the basement of the 13-floor tower.

The developers of the condo, where the 123 units list for up to $3.28 million, are betting the poker room will attract a full house in a slow real-estate market.

"This isn't a gimmick amenity. The poker room is an extension of people's living space," said Daniel Rosen, a principal at Rosen Partners, one of the developers.

"We thought it was a good idea and then realized that no one else had done it before in Manhattan."

The poker den, pimped out with an eight-seat, green-felt poker table, a pool table and a posh bar, is already attracting residents lured by the idea of hosting their own weekly card games in style.

"The poker room and the high ceilings -- that did it for me. I knew it was the right fit," said David Stern, 30, who's moving into his two-bedroom unit in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, on Page 34 of the new issue of Rolling Stone...

P.S.

If you pause those Bud Light commercials for football fans....



Just stay off the subways.

"Your balloon needs to be all fro-yo'd up, bitches!"

The Urballoon made an appearance in Tompkins Square Park last evening as part of the Conflux Festival.





As Gothamist noted: "The Urballoon consists of a large helium balloon with a video projector and a wireless laptop that projects user-generated content onto public spaces. It floats above its tethers in parks or plazas and displays the video onto the ground, encouraging people to gather around a digital bonfire. People will be asked to address the theme 'What is New York?'"

Interesting idea, though I didn't stick around long enough to read any responses...





Slum Goddess didn't stick around too long either.

I knew if I didn't leave I would start texting offensive things to their balloon project..like "Your balloon needs to be all fro-yo'd up, bitches!" or "Let's all have a fucking crack binge tonight NYC!"..so I just wandered off. It didn't seem very exciting anyway.

Noted

Avenue B under the St. Brigid's sidewalk shed.

CB3 licensing meeting follow-up

The CB3's liquor licensing meeting from Monday night just ended about five minutes ago. Well, it was a seven-hour meeting. And Eater correspondent Gabe Ulla bravely sat through all of it.

Here's his report. A highlight:

Heather's Bar, which was under renewals with complaint histories, was by the far the most contested application of the night. The community came out in full force (signs reading "NO TO HEATHER'S BAR") to explain why they believe the owner is negligent and the space is a detriment to the neighborhood. Critics point to an overwhelming amount of noise and smoke, as well as Heather's inability to tackle any of these problems effectively. The owner of the space insisted that she has done everything to satisfy neighbors and comply with community board stipulations, but that it "doesn't seem to be enough." The fact that the establishment is on a side street only makes matters worse. The board agreed to hold off on a vote until the residents and the bar owner set up a meeting to attempt to work out their problems.

The Lo-Down was there as well at the meeting...

Previously.

Sweet Dreams

Because I have been reading a lot about ZE Records lately.

The Brooklyn Bridge as a bar code for toilet paper

We were so busy comparing brands of toilet paper earlier... we didn't even notice the bar code here... Thanks to Goggla for pointing this out...

Your face is going to hell

Lots of people are reporting on this now... I read it first at The Vulture:

MTV Games has released the first frightening images of Iggy Pop as a Lego mini-figure from November's Lego: Rock Band. At least they got the crotch right.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

RIP Galaxy Diner (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

It's Park(ing) Day NYC (Transportation Alternatives)

A tree etiquette sign (BoweryBoogie)

A gutted Bouwerie Lane Theater on the market (Curbed)

NYC unemployment rate hits 10.3 percent (Gothamist)

Devo coming to NYC (Flaming Pablum)

Matt Damon endorses Bloomy (Runnin' Scared)

A 19th Century pub crawl (The Lo-Down)

Here's the Coney Island Film Festival poster (Kinetic Carnival)

First look at "Alphaville"

Yesterday's big news was, of course, that there was some window washing happening at E2E4. Also! It was reported that Robert DeNiro and Spike Lee were teaming up to produce a TV show called "Alphaville" set in the East Village. As Reuters noted:

Set during the 1980s, the drama will re-create the neighborhood's mix of struggling artists and musicians living alongside Puerto Rican and black families. Along with its growing bohemian and celebrity population, which also included graffiti artists, break-dancers, rappers and DJs, the neighborhood was plagued by illegal drug activity and violent crime.

Perhaps it will be a little like 1984's "Alphabet City," but a little more Spike Lee-er-er.



However, based on this reel that DeNiro and Lee created to pitch the network executives — given to me exclusively — the series promises to have more of a German synthpop feel.

Is a giant praying mantis feasting on East Village apartments?

I recently came across this rather innocuous listing for an apartment on 10th Street and Fourth Avenue... I can see why someone moved out (or worse...)... LOOK ON THE BALCONY!



THEY'RE HERE! RUN!



NO!

A quick note about stuff from EV Grieve

Well, we made a few (subtle!) changes on this page... and the EV Grieve site loads much more quickly now... my apologies for any hang ups earlier. I just thought it was my crummy computer and Internet(s) connection at home...