Looking for love and thick slices of Viennese apple strudel: Page Six Magazine doesn't fail to deliver again!

The new issue of Page Six Magazine was included for free today in the Post that costs 50 cents. If it gets better than this (deliriously and unintentionally hilarious features), then I'd like to know about it...

Attila and Marius Dogudan, NYC's New Stud Muffins
Attila and Marius Dogudan are gentlemanly Austrian millionaires who brought the Demel pastry empire to the United States. Now they're luring in the ladies with sharp suits, a glamorous backstory and a secret weapon...chocolate.

And that's just the headline and second deck of the story...which begins!

At the Demel pâtisserie at the Plaza Hotel, two dashing Chuck Bass look-alikes — Attila Dogudan Jr. and his brother, Marius — are cutting thick slices of Viennese apple strudel and chocolate torte and pondering one of their favorite subjects: Manhattan's women.

Their decadent pastries aren't your typical nutritionist-approved nosh, but that doesn't stop a parade of Park Avenue blondes from venturing into the bowels of the Plaza to sit at the café and flirt with the handsome brothers who man its counter. "My brother is a complete chick magnet," laughs Attila, 25, regarding the ladies who seem more interested in Marius, 23, than in his Sacher torte. Attila also has a fan club. He waves to a pin-thin girl with long, straight hair cascading down her back, as she makes a "call me later" motion with her hand.

Reminder tonight: "Photographs for Your Kitchen"

As the flier says, opening reception is from 8:30-10:30....

So why is Aces & Eights doing this?

And read more about Curt Hoppe here.

Good news, kids! NYU dining halls now with fewer vermin

There's an investigative piece in the Washington Square News — NYU's student newspaper — that examine's the university's health violations in dining halls.... To the story!

Health violations at NYU's dining halls dropped to 2008 levels after a sharp increase in the beginning of 2009, according to a WSN analysis of New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's restaurant inspections.

In March 2009, examinations at the university's dining halls received an average score of 19. During the most recent round of inspections, the average number of violation points for the 15 dining locations listed was 11, the same number of points as in 2008. While 28 points is considered a failing grade, 14 points is the New York City average.

NYU Director of Dining Facilities Owen Moore said the issues raised by the inspection reports are being addressed. One of the most common issues in the report was that the facility was not "vermin-proof," with "evidence of live mice in facility's food." According to Moore, NYU has been working with pest control experts.

"In New York, there's always going to be that problem — because of the fact that it is a several hundred year old city," Moore said. "You're never going to eliminate, only control."

And later!

Stern freshman Janshaaz Khan recently picked a green piece of roast beef out of his Quizno's sandwich. Still, he said he eats at Upstein — which scored 14 violation points — every day.

"It makes me feel vulnerable to disease," Khan said. "This was the first time, though."

Take your pick: Season's greetings from Tompkins Square Park

Oh. Oops. Missing a season.

"Come see what's new on Avenue C"

After seemingly eons, a lot of the plywood has been removed by workers in front of 189 Avenue C near 12th Street, home to the cleverly named 189 C...a new rental complex whose slogan is "Come see what's new on Avenue C."





...there will also be a 12th Street entrance, just next door to the Social Security Administration Building....



Michael Muroff Architects did the blueprints and what not. Accorcing to the MMA site:

This is a unique ‘L’ shaped low-rise multiple dwelling tower that has retail space on the ground level. The building wraps behind a corner building to face two streets in Manhattan’s East Village. The facade is mainly comprised of large windows, brick, and cast stone accents. The building was seamlessly constructed using two structural systems; steel structural framing on the wider and cantilevered portions while the narrow portion, which faces East 12th Street was built using a concrete column and two way structural slab system.

No prices for these units just yet, but you can see the floorplans on the 189 site. Regardless of the prices, this will be a challenging sell. As a StreetEasy commenter said, "Building looks great, classic brick with large windows, but location will be tough: Mitchell-Lama high rises across the street to the east and Campos Houses to the north."

When you go to the 189 site and look at the area map and those big patches of NYU violet, you'll know who these places are intended for...

NYC blizzards...in 1948 and 1888

Here are two of my favorite blizzard-related photos from the Corbis archives...

Times Square in 1948...



...and Union Square in 1888... Per the original caption:

"The Perils of Union Square in the midst of the Blizzard". Scene of people struggling to walk in Union Square during the blizzard of 1888. Wood engraving.



Think of a possible caption from yesterday...

"The Perils of Union Square in the midst of the Blizzard". Scene of people struggling to walk in Union Square during the so-called blizzard of 2010 while carrying those Earth-friendly Whole Foods paper bags that shred at the first drop of moisture because you didn't bring your own recyclable bag*. Digital photo.

* Not written from experience.

Burger joint fad continues: Select Burger coming to First Avenue (aka Burger Alley)

Minutes after reading The Real Deal's piece on the number of burger joints on the rise in NYC... I spotted this new sign for a coming-soon burger joint on First Avenue near 14th Street...



Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, Tallgrass Burger is coming to the former Elvie's Turo-Turo... and, further south, who can forget Permanent Brunch & Burger?

A Hamburger Today asks a good question:

Is First Avenue in the East Village About to Become the New Hamburger Alley?

Zum Schneider's disco fever

Oh, just in case you see any drunken partygoers in polyester out and about near Seventh Street and Avenue C starting tonight...

Zum Schneider Disco Total

Studio 7C - Where you Booze and Boogie

Costume Party
Thursday, February 11
through Tuesday, February 16

Like every year, Zum Schneider will produce an
extravagant and unique show and party for the Karneval season.

Dress to match the cast!
70's disco glamour style, but anything goes

The Zum Schneider Web site has photos from previous extravaganzas, like this one...

High-end-looking furniture shop for Avenue A and Third Street

Just last night we noticed that a new high-end-looking furniture shop had opened in the last few days on Avenue A at Third Street, the site of Sarah Jessica Parker's old favorite, MoMo FaLana ... don't know much else about this just yet...



A reader noted: "Looks like a home furnishing shop with lamps and tables -- and thrift store deer paintings?"

In case you really need some more pictures of snow

Still... I did get an e-mail from an EV Grieve reader, an EV transplant, who somehow got stuck living in Arizona... and he misses this...

There's always that one guy in gym shorts in this kind of weather

Third Street.

Previously.

The perils of falling in love with a Mars Bar regular

Great piece by Jennifer Blowdryer in this week's issue of NYPress:

Here's how it starts:

SEE THAT GUY at the end of the bar, telling the same story about auditioning for The Ramones for the umpteenth tourist? Meticulously counting out the drinks until his Sky and Seven buyback, glued to his stool, pupils black with the drink? That’s my man!

Read the rest here.

Standing in line at Duane Reade on such a snowy day

And yes -- I went into a Duane Reade...

Finest Pizza and Deli not closing because Le Souk went away

In recent months we've noticed that Finest Pizza & Deli on Avenue B at Fourth Street was no longer open 24 hours... A Curbed commenter wrote on this post yesterday:

"Because of La Souk being shut down, the bodega on Avenue B/4th street (next door) will not be renewing his lease. His profits are down $2000.00 a month since their closing. I liked it so much more when someone complained about the noise they were told to 'Shut Up'."




That's just not true. There has been a minor movement to show what a loss Le Souk's closing has been on the neighborhood... those comments like, "Le Souk made the LES upscale."

At the CB3/SLA meeting in October, a Le Souk proponent stood up and said: "the community was in shambles while Le Souk was closed." The argument focused on economics and the idea that this is not the time to shutter a club that brings much business to the neighborhood.

In any event, the Finest Pizza & Deli is NOT closing because Le Souk closed. Straight from an umimpeachable source:

Abdul reports that there just isn't the business necessary for them to stay open late. They will stay open until around midnight or so on normal nights and possibly a bit later on weekends or if it gets crowded. He stated that it has nothing to do with Le Souk's closing, that the business had been dying for a while.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

Blue Iron Burger crew taking over Village Bistro East (previously Le Gamin) on East Fifth Street (Eater)

Village Paper burns down (Runnin' Scared)

5 Essex is gone (BoweryBoogie)

Fraunces Tavern lives (City Room)

More pain expected for NYC retailers in 2010 (The Real Deal)

The calm before the storm (Gog Log)

Dressing for a blizzard in 1899 (The Bowery Boys)

Karate Boogaloo went to the Virgin Islands and didn't invite us (Stupefaction)

Wondering about the Jackson Triplex (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

And not many people getting haircuts so far today on St. Mark's...

Tompkins Square Park, 10:23 a.m., Feb. 10

Melanie has been taking photos in the Park, too.

Free daily thinks city is cowering

Second Avenue at 10th Street. I've been out for two hours and didn't see one person cowering...

The East Village in photos from 1978-1985

An EV Grieve reader passed along a link to the Flickr page of Michael Sean Edwards, who has a treasure trove of East Village photos from the late 1970s and early 1980s... which include the following shots...

Like this one of Ray's...



...the Gem Spa...



the East Village Fruit Exchange, Seventh Street and First Avenue circa 1979 ...



Avenue A and St. Mark's Place, circa 1979...



On St. Mark's Place...



On Avenue A near Fifth Street, 1979..



...and Leshko's on Avenue A at Seventh Street, from 1979.



And this one may be my favorite, simply marked "Lion, 5th Avenue 1985." Does the woman in the photo look familiar to you?

Historic James Renwick house on East 10th Street now 17.5 percent less expensive

According to Trulia.com, this beauty on 124 E. 10th St. was reduced in price by 17.5 percent last Friday, from $4,599 million to $3,795 million. Here's the listing at Corcoran:

Historically known as the "Renwick Triangle" This Anglo-Italianate row house is attributed to James Renwick, Jr., who is best known now as the architect of the Smithsonian Institute's "castle" on the Mall in Washington D.C. These row of houses were some of the last single-family homes built in this neighborhood, and "they have always been among the most sought-after properties in the East Village". This is a rare opportunity to own a private townhouse designed by the architect Renwick, (Grace Church, St Patrick Cathedral} and built circa 1859 /1860. It's a 6 story home with lots of original detail, charm and unlimited potential to design it to your own taste. It features 3 original marble fireplace mantels, original wood floors, doors, mouldings and shutters that exist throughout. Roof deck is allowable. Also features a garden apartment on lower 1 1/2 floors(duplex). Remainder of the house is 4 1/2 floors, easily re-united as full one family home.

By my count, there are four homes (here and here) for sale on East 10th Street betweeen Third Avenue and Second Avenue. Seems like a lot for a short stretch of homes along this corrider... Why are so many people fleeing the Renwick Triangle...? (Perhaps it's the rats?)

My blue heaven

The blue construction netting is now up at St. Brigid's on Avenue B and Eighth Street.




Previously.