And here, the ground rules of Mexico City are in effect—no guacamole, no sides of rice and beans, and a staunch anti-burrito position. Drop by at the start of a long night and you'll get a grilled tortilla doused with six different imported chilis, created by a guy who's eaten his way around the Mexican capital. Or specials like the Mil Máscaras: a trio of tortillas piled with cecina steak, Oaxaca cheese and enough bacon to make sure you're ready for the various tequila menus of the East Village.
Miller used dimensional type to engage and activate multiple planes and architectural surfaces. The building identity, for example, is optically extruded letterforms that appear "correct" when seen in strict elevation, but distort as the profile of the letter is dragged backwards in space. The top half of the letters, appearing on one plane of the canopy, are dimensional, while the bottom half are cut out of another plane, echoing the transparency of the building's skin of perforated stainless steel.
What’s happened on the Bowery is surely gentrification, although the distance from five-buck flops to $500-a-night luxury suites cries out for a stronger term. I see something else: a lesson in urban ecology. The places where it’s possible for new architecture to thrive in Manhattan are generally those districts where the political clout of civic groups is the weakest. In Greenwich Village or on the Upper East Side, the community boards and neighborhood activists rush in like SWAT teams to counter development threats. But on the former skid row, the power to say no to development isn’t as strong. A preservation-oriented downzoning of the East Village, approved late last year, left out the Bowery. Development on the west side of the street is moderated by the low-density zoning of the Noho Historic District and the Little Italy Special District. The east side of the Bowery, where most new development has taken place, was left undefended. While an organization called the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors has tried to have rules put in place to limit buildings on the east side of the Bowery to eight stories, that strip is still approved for what the city’s Zoning Handbook calls “high bulk.”
One time, shortly after the completion of the massive apartment complexes that now face the Bowery on the north and south sides of Houston Street, I emerged from a nearby subway station — something I’d done literally hundreds of times — and had no idea where I was. The new buildings, the hopelessly bland Avalon Bowery Place and Avalon Chrystie Place, developed by a large real estate investment trust, had wiped out my sense of place.
By contrast, the architect Carlos Zapata’s Cooper Square Hotel has emerged as a landmark. But not all landmarks are created equal. The glassy 21-story tower, which borrows its milk-colored glass and swoopy style from Frank Gehry’s much nicer IAC headquarters on the West Side, is wedged so tightly between the neighboring tenements that it appears to be a cartoon illustrating the evils of overdevelopment. I attended a party in the hotel’s penthouse that was a total mob scene, but on the afternoon of a recent walking tour, I found the public spaces ghostly and depopulated. I’ve heard that its East Village neighbors have coined a nickname for the Cooper Square: “Dubai.” And as I sat by myself in the back patio, the building prompted the exact question I found myself asking all the time in Dubai: Who is this place for?
On a recent night, a group of freshmen girls (and several boys) on the ninth floor of Hayden residence hall fought each other for a spot at the window in a dorm room. They all pressed their faces against the glass, straining to catch a glimpse of someone a few floors below in the building behind Hayden.
The word was spreading — Jude Law had officially moved in next door.
"We didn't even know he lived here," Tisch freshman Erica Rose said. (Her room is where the students gather to spy.) "I just came home one day and the entire floor was in my room staring out the window," Rose said.
LSP freshman Bryan Hall said he feels bad for Law.
He said: "He moved in next to a freshmen dorm, so he'll always be ogled by freshmen girls."
Live the uber-bohemian lifestyle in this swanky lil' East Village pad. Unit features exposed brick, tasteful interior design (thanks, tenant!), and an ENORMOUS, beautiful, bucolic tree (outside the window, of course). There's also an entirely separate eat-in kitchen (how many studios have that?!), a walk-in closet (or that!?) and this really old, really cool looking woodsy-like floor material that was probably carried over from the old country on some poor shlub's back. Oh, and the apartment is on the third floor in a walk-up building, which is an ASSET: keep your body up to the standard of all the slinky lil' hipsters in the nabe by running up and down the stairs. Old-world wood flooring, new-world body-molding...an ideal combination of the contemporary and yesteryear.
Hello E.V.,
As a travel blogger, we would like to introduce you and your readers to one of the newest and most artistically robust hotels to debut in NYC in recent years, The Surrey. The hotel debuted on November 12 in Manhattan's most exclusive neighborhood, the Upper East Side, and it premiered with an extensive art collection — including works by Jenny Holzer, Jimmie Martin, Richard Serra, Donald Sultan and William Kentridge — and 3-star, in-room dining by Cafe Boulud.
Built in Beaux-Arts architectural design, The Surrey has just concluded a $60+ million dollar re-creation by renowned architectural and interior designer Lauren Rottet, FAIA, IIDA. Beaux-Arts/Art Deco custom-designed furnishings and fixtures fill the walls of this 1900s structure with pieces such as hand-painted armoires and ornate walnut cabinetry. Sprinkled throughout the 17 floors, guests also encounter captivating black & white photos of New York and unexpected graffitied pieces.
The Surrey features 190 salons, including 30 suites, a Penthouse and a Presidential suite, that range from 350 to 4,500 square feet. At the heart of all salons and suites is the handcrafted DUX bed by Duxiana, engineered for perfect support, and dressed in Sferra bedding.
As an introductory package for your readers at EV Greive, we would like to offer a special Intro Package that includes a complimentary room upgrade, a welcome gift, breakfast for two, and much more. For more information please visit http://www.thesurrey.com/Introductory.
Asian Gogo Dancers for Fashion Event: fun, outgoing (East Village)
When: This Friday, 11/20
Where: East Village
What: Private event with club-like atmosphere
Seeking: Experienced club dancers, must be thin and pretty, very outgoing, comfortable with very skimpy outfits
Costumes and Makeup: Will be provided
Must respond with: Measurements, phone number, link to photos (Myspace, Facebook)
Include either a resume or a quick list of dancing experience
229 East 2nd Street is a brand new boutique condominium that combines modern design and sleek sophistication into the highest standard of living, while providing a tranquil intimate atmosphere. This beautiful 2 bedroom/ 2 ½ bath Garden Townhome features double height ceilings in the living and dining area with floor to ceiling windows creating a sun drenched grand space that opens up to your 693 SF private garden! Even more impressive is the additional room that overlooks the double-heighted living room - ideal for an office, a media room, a guest bedroom or an entertainment den. Access your home from the ground floor or by using the key-locked elevator that opens up to your second floor. This residence is impeccably appointed and features beautiful hard wood flooring, high beamed ceilings and warm inviting color tones. Large open kitchens are equipped with the finest European appliances: Liebherr refrigerator, Wolf cooking range, Miele Dishwasher and wine cooler. Adding further to the ambience are Caesar stone countertops and state of the art cabinetry. All apartments have floor to ceiling windows and glass enclosed terraces off the Living Areas lending itself to either entertaining or quiet relaxation. Situated at the edge of East Village and Lower East Side, 229 East 2nd Street boasts exceptional access to the New Museum, Bowery Hotel, Whole Foods, restaurants and endless entertainment. 421a Tax Abatement. Laundry room in the basement. BEAUTY and VALUE!!
