Posts that I never got around to posting: With 879 dessert choices in a three-block radius, something had to give...

On Second Avenue near Ninth Street. As Jeremiah pointed out in August, some homemade "for rent" signs went up, though the shop remained open...and more recently, Tasti packed up and left...Eater said the owner was facing a rent hike and had hoped to move elsewhere.

Related:
Tasti D-Lite (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Noted

The Times takes us on a vinyl-shopping tour of the East Village, from Other Music to Academy Records. The piece ends with a stop at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, where you can "watch the local tramps with bottles in brown bags come and go from the front steps."

Marketing tools: Packaging the East Village as a processed, luxury lifestyle

And as we turn our attention today to Columbus, Ohio, let's take a look at a new luxury apartment complex going up near the Ohio State campus. And what might this oasis of student life and luxury be called...?

Welcome to The East Village. It’s not in Manhattan, but it is inspired by the city’s once dilapidated neighborhood transformed by the artists, poets, and writers of the 1960’s. Like the original East Village, our project invites the creatively inclined or aspiring into a modern, urban village in a revitalized neighborhood on OSU’s campus. The East Village is where urban means community, where local meets luxury, and where people define the experience.

What blather. Of course, in reality, the "artists, poets, and writers" are driven out because of escalating rents caused by new luxury housing such as this... (I think you can even draw some parallels to this project to Red Square.)

As The East Village Web site notes, "luxury amenities such as 42-inch flat screen televisions, complimentary cable and wi-fi, fully equipped kitchens, washers and dryers, security and off-street parking distinguish the East Village community from much of the campus living experience."

And, if you happen to be in Columbus on Saturday, you can swing by for the official "ground-breaking" that includes a tailgate party and screening of the Ohio State-Wisconsin football game.

UPDATE:
Thanks to Mike Spence at NYPress for picking up this item... and he has more to say on the topic. "A housing complex near Ohio State University is calling itself the East Village. By the time this blog is posted, NYU plans to own half of it."

Worldwide exclusive: "For lease" signs have been removed from the Seventh Street tumor!

Aug. 19!



Now!



Good lord, what will it be? -- What will it be!

Previously. What we know. Per a construction worker -- some kind of bar/restaurant. From the listing -- 2,000 square feet (plus a basement and outdoor space).

Save the date (to be far away): Beer pong tourney at Angels and Kings on Oct. 17

$60 per team to enter, and that will get you unlimited beer and two slices of pizza...

Something strange about this ConEd Building photo...

Right. No dorms or other high rises around it... Anyway, I always appreciate the archival items that EV Grieve reader Mykola (Mick) Dementiuk finds and sends along...such as this shot of the ConEd building via 1957 (from Life magazine).



And this rooftop shot in the EV of Steve McQueen and Natalie Wood from 1963's "Love With The Proper Stranger."

Just your normal, everyday listing for 2/six story walk-up buildings for $15 million on Craigslist

Whoa. Where's this then?

$15750000 Prime E.Vill 2/Six Story Walk-Up Buldgs w/48 Units Amazing Inves Oppor (East Village)

Date: 2009-10-07, 3:01AM EDT

PRIME EAST VILLAGE 2/SIX STORY WALK-UP BUILDINGS WITH 48 UNITS
AMAZING INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

Description: 2/Six story walk-up buildings with a total of 48 units.

Lot: Bldg 1:25 x 96.17 Bldg 2: 25 x 95.17
Built: Bldg 1:25 x 80 Bldg 2: 25 x 81
Zoning: R7-2
F.A.R.: 3.44 (both)

Price: $15,750,000

10 years and many glass towers ago on the Bowery

I posted this earlier today over yonder at the New York Nobody Sings....

I can't say that I have any opinion of UK singer-songerwriter Beth Orton. Eh.

But. The video for her "Central Reservation" was shot on the Bowery and other parts of the Lower East Side. The song is from 1999 — just 10 years ago, but look at how much has changed. You'll get a good shot of Cooper Square around the 28-second mark. No Bowery Hotel. Cooper Square Hotel. 2 Cooper Square. The Astor Place Tower. Avalon Bowery Place....

What's going on....?

We're getting several reports that police helicopters are circling Tompkins Square Park and vicinity. Wrote one reader: "It's crazy. They're obviously looking for someone."

Lux Living just checked in:

"ok...WHAT is up with that f'n helicopter?!?!"

He reports that the helicopter has been hovering for nearly 30 minutes....

UPDATE:

Probably not related at all....However, Gawker is reporting via a tipster that someone jumped in from of the L train at First Avenue...and the L is shut from Eighth Avenue to Bedford.

UPDATE (1:11):

1010 WINS reports:

Police say they were called to the L subway station at 14th Street and First Avenue in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Officers found an unconscious 49-year-old man on the tracks. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim has not been identified.

The medical examiner's office will determine how he died.

Train service on the line, which was suspended for nearly 1 1/2 hours in both directions, has resumed.

Ryan Adams, you're not very funny, Ryan Adams probably said

As you may recall, artist-in-residence Ryan Adams debuted his new work at the Morrison Hotel on the Bowery. Perhaps his message on the windows out front was lost on most everyone...

Sept. 24...




And yesterday, a new sign went up on the Morrison window...

Speaking of the Bowery (And mixed messages)

Spotted near Fourth Street.

Cafe 81 will be back from vacation on Oct. 1

Over on Seventh Street near First Avenue, Cafe 81 has seemingly kept unpredictable hours of late...



...and recently, they took off for vacation. And as of last night, Oct. 6, they still hadn't returned.



In if you're new to all this, Cafe 81 used to be the lovely and amazing Verchovyna Tavern aka George's Bar aka Bar 81. They closed Jan. 1, 2005. Jeremiah paid tribute to it several years ago...

Meanwhile, if you feel like being really annoyed, read Shecky's description of Cafe 81:

Café 81: Can we survive with one less Ukranian watering hole? (OK, perhaps this question answered itself.) Much to the chagrin of aging ex-pats, newbie Café 81 has filled the void of East Village institution Verchovyna Tavern, demolished to make way for this spanking new boozerie. While some would like to give decrepit bars status as endangered species, this replacement has a lot to offer. The bartenders are friendly and outgoing, the kitchen puts out real food instead of stale pretzels and beer nuts, and the crowd is young locals instead of aging winos. If that's not enough to win you over, they also pour shots of snazzy cocktails like Sex on the Beach.

Noted

"Even our fantasies are being downsized. Neiman Marcus Group Inc. mailed out its annual Christmas Book catalog, which each year features over-the-top 'fantasy' gifts, to one million customers on Tuesday. But for the first time in a decade, there isn't a seven- or eight-figure price tag on the list. The most expensive fantasy item for 2009 is a $250,000 'his and hers' two-seater Icon aircraft, which comes with pilot training for two. That's a far cry from the $20 million submarine offered in 2000, the $10 million Zeppelin of 2004 or the $10 million stable of racehorses of 2008." (The Wall Street Journal)

Still, there's a cupcake car.



It gets up to 7 mph and runs on a battery. And it's yours for $25,000. (And I know who would LOVE this ride...)

State of Emergency: A community meeting on Thursday evening to "Stop the Violence"

At the East Side Tabernacle Church on Second Street near Avenue C.

And in case you missed the most recent incident to make headlines, Bob Arihood had the story first about a series of BB gun attacks on Avenue D near Third Street. Three days later, the Times did a piece...who credited the Daily News for breaking the story... Police have reportedly made several arrests in the case.

Mikey's lives (for just a little while longer)

So, three weeks ago, we said goodbye to Mikey's Pet Shop on Seventh Street near Avenue A. Landlord jacking up the rent to $20,000, etc. We heard it ourselves from Mikey. And when we went by later, the canopy was ripped down, etc.

Well! Maybe that $20,000-per-month nail salon deal fell through... As a Mikey's customer/EV Grieve reader reports, the store is back open...While basically stripped inside, several items remain for sale... According to the reader, the landlord gave Mikey one more month...

Which may explain the eviction notices dated for Oct. 31...




Previously.

I will NOT be commenting on Yahoo!'s new ad campaign

Like the ad here above the Bowery Bar.

FiDi gets in on fried chicken craze: Bon Chon coming soon

Bon Chon Chicken — "the most beloved fried chicken in NYC" — is opening an outpost on John Street in the Financial District ... at the home of the former Zen Palate.

Dickchicken expands

Off First Avenue and 10th Street...

Question of the day: "Where is the two ounce 'anti-energy' relaxation shot that the world so desperately requires?"

We get story ideas in the inbox!

Hello!

Great job with E.V. Grieve; I just spent some time thumbing through old posts, and I'm a fan of the site!

I'm contacting you because I have a suggestion for a piece. Do you remember Drank, the purple beverage that is the yang to Red Bull's yin? Drank came out last summer, marketing itself as the 'anti-energy' drink slash legal substitute to the illegal yet hip-hop-popular Sprite plus cough syrup concoction. Hilarious.

And, somewhat related, I'm sure you've noticed with Red Bull, people got tired of all the extra ounces of consumption required, thus the 5 Hour Energy Shot was born.

Which brings one to a very logical question: where is the two ounce 'anti-energy' relaxation shot that the world so desperately requires?

Enter our client, Mini Chill, the answer to not only our question, but our fast-paced modern lifestyles. Mini Chill is a delightful two ounce elixir that promises to not only reduce stress, but also enhance concentration without a drowsy side effect or loss of energy. Basically, chill.

Mini Chill is already in stores in the Village area and more sporadically about Manhattan. Additionally, there will be free giveaways during the next two weeks:

Tuesday, Oct. 6 -- Thursday, Oct. 8
Washington Square 2 pm – 2:45 pm
Outside NYU Campus – 3 pm - 4 pm
Subway-W 4th St/Wash Sq-V – 4:15 pm – 5 pm
Subway-8th St/New York Univ-N,R,W – 5:15 - 6
Subway-Christopher St/Sheridan Sq-1 –TBD

Tuesday, Oct. 13 -- Thursday, Oct. 15
Union Square - 50 E 17th St - 2 pm – 2:45 pm
Subway-14/Union Sq-L,N,Q,R,W,4,5,6- E 14th St –3pm – 4 pm
Subway-23rd St-N,R,W- 2 W 23rd St - 4:15 pm – 5 pm
Subway-23rd St-4,6- 98 E 23rd St – 5:15 pm – 6 pm
Subway-6th Ave-L-531 6th Ave - TBD

We would love to offer you a free sample in exchange for a review of the -- let's face it -- intriguing new beverage.

True, Mini Chill lacks the allure of illegally sippin' on sizzurp, but with claims so bold as to improve focus while simultaneously relieving stress, don't you want (and i apologize in advance for this pun) to give it a shot?

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please get back to us. You can view some basic product info at http://minichill.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

The new venture of old Christine's

As Jeremiah noted last fall, Christine's Polish American Restaurant at 208 First Avenue near 12th Street had closed... (subject of Allen Ginsberg's "The Charnel Ground," as he pointed out...)

Nearly one year later, a new tenant has emerged...



...a Lebanese pizza and grill...