Something big went down on avenue B around 5:15 this afternoon. i was walking down houston when at least a dozen cop cars and a few ambulances zoomed past and went up B. i overheard one guy saying shots had been fired. i lurked for a few minutes and saw the cops kind of fan out around the area of B and and 2nd street. overheard some other store owners and passersby that the shooter was "on the loose." decided to hightail it out of there and a few minutes later saw 2 helicopters hovering over the neighborhood. Sorry i don't have more details but it seemed quite serious.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Eyewitness: Shots fired on Avenue B and Second Street
From a reader:
The Save Ray's clothing and accessories line
East Village resident Conrad Oakey designed the Save Ray's logo for the flyers promoting tonight's Save Ray's benefit at the Theater For The New City on First Avenue... Oakey says the image is taken from a photo of Ray holding up the the cover of the Daily News in the days after Sept. 11, 2001...
"I got to know Ray first by becoming addicted to his frozen yogurt, then later by setting him up with Internet access," Oakey says. "I've never seen anyone take such joy in the access to the world the Web provides.
"When he told me about his troubles making rent, I started thinking about what how iconic he is ... and how having some T-shirts around to sell to his late night following would give him another revenue stream."
Now, in another fund-raising effort for Ray's, Oakey and Matt Rosen teamed up to incorporate the Save Ray's image and launch a line of Save Ray's clothing and accessories at Cafe Press. There are more than 80 items for sale. (Including the Save Ray's "classic thong.")
Rosen, who moderates the East Village Neighborhoodr blog, says Ray gets 100 percent of the "markup" on each item sold. (So, if a T-shirt has a wholesale/base cost of $8, and is sold for $12, Ray gets $4.) As Rosen notes, the benefit of using CafePress is that neither Ray or anybody else has to put up any money up front to purchase the inventory and then worry about selling it afterward. CafePress sends out checks once sales reach a certain amount.
"I'll just keep track and hand Ray the money as it comes in," Rosen says. "Hopefully this really takes off. Aside from the fund-raising aspects, it's a neat way for people to show their support."
There will be several of the clothing items available for purchase tonight at the benefit.
As for tonight, Rev. Billy and the Life After Shopping Gospel Choir will be one of the many groups performing. I asked Rev. Billy why Ray's is important to the East Village. He responded, via e-mail:
"I got to know Ray first by becoming addicted to his frozen yogurt, then later by setting him up with Internet access," Oakey says. "I've never seen anyone take such joy in the access to the world the Web provides.
"When he told me about his troubles making rent, I started thinking about what how iconic he is ... and how having some T-shirts around to sell to his late night following would give him another revenue stream."
Now, in another fund-raising effort for Ray's, Oakey and Matt Rosen teamed up to incorporate the Save Ray's image and launch a line of Save Ray's clothing and accessories at Cafe Press. There are more than 80 items for sale. (Including the Save Ray's "classic thong.")
Rosen, who moderates the East Village Neighborhoodr blog, says Ray gets 100 percent of the "markup" on each item sold. (So, if a T-shirt has a wholesale/base cost of $8, and is sold for $12, Ray gets $4.) As Rosen notes, the benefit of using CafePress is that neither Ray or anybody else has to put up any money up front to purchase the inventory and then worry about selling it afterward. CafePress sends out checks once sales reach a certain amount.
"I'll just keep track and hand Ray the money as it comes in," Rosen says. "Hopefully this really takes off. Aside from the fund-raising aspects, it's a neat way for people to show their support."
There will be several of the clothing items available for purchase tonight at the benefit.
As for tonight, Rev. Billy and the Life After Shopping Gospel Choir will be one of the many groups performing. I asked Rev. Billy why Ray's is important to the East Village. He responded, via e-mail:
A healthy neighborhood feels good, it's funky, it's real and it's love! Our neighborhoods are not for sale: we must protect local shops like Ray's, which allow us to encounter each other and share and create stories with each other in a community!
The Best Actor at Sophie's
As we mentioned last month, American Songwriter Magazine did a photo shoot at Sophie's with Jeff Bridges for an upcoming feature... Bridges was in character as Bad Blake from his Oscar-winning role in "Crazy Heart."
Anyway! The issue of American Songwriter with the Bridges cover story is out now... haven't seen the issue myself, but it has been put to good use so far...
The article is online. The Web version of the story only includes one of the Sophie's photos... and there's no credit for the photographer. I wanted to mention his name because I really like the shot...
Previously on EV Grieve:
Jeff Bridges at Sophie's
Anyway! The issue of American Songwriter with the Bridges cover story is out now... haven't seen the issue myself, but it has been put to good use so far...
The article is online. The Web version of the story only includes one of the Sophie's photos... and there's no credit for the photographer. I wanted to mention his name because I really like the shot...
Previously on EV Grieve:
Jeff Bridges at Sophie's
Avenue A's Monk Thrift Store relocating
The Monk Thrift Shop on Avenue A near 10th Street is moving...
But I'm a little confused by where exactly...
97 First Ave. is the home of Banjara. (Perhaps it's opening here...?) In any event, Monk is gone. And Avenue A's face continues to change...
I'm curious what becomes of this Avenue A space. Next door, work continues on the EV location of Diablo Royale.
Restaurateur Jason Hennings told Eater: "As for this location ... it will have numerous similar menu items but will add many bocaditos. It will also have a pool table in the basement with 40 seats, a second bar for private parties, and get this, 25 outdoor seats in the rear garden."
But I'm a little confused by where exactly...
97 First Ave. is the home of Banjara. (Perhaps it's opening here...?) In any event, Monk is gone. And Avenue A's face continues to change...
I'm curious what becomes of this Avenue A space. Next door, work continues on the EV location of Diablo Royale.
Restaurateur Jason Hennings told Eater: "As for this location ... it will have numerous similar menu items but will add many bocaditos. It will also have a pool table in the basement with 40 seats, a second bar for private parties, and get this, 25 outdoor seats in the rear garden."
From McDonald's to MoMa
Last summer, workers started painting over the McDonald's ad on First Avenue just past Second Street...though nothing else ever replaced the ad...
This weekend, a crew started on the space for MoMa...
...for a new ad for a Marina Abramović exhibit starting this weekend...
This weekend, a crew started on the space for MoMa...
...for a new ad for a Marina Abramović exhibit starting this weekend...
Cheep's is cheap, but what else?
As we noted Friday afternoon (thanks to a photo from a reader), signs went up Cheep's, which took over the former Snacklicious Cinderella at Second Avenue near St. Mark's Place... By Friday evening, the place was open for business... With an open-air entryway, it seems pretty inviting...
But how is the food? EV Grieve reader Alessandra provided these thoughts Friday night:
But how is the food? EV Grieve reader Alessandra provided these thoughts Friday night:
Ate there this evening they had only been open for about 5 hrs and they were still trying to get it together. Other than that the prices were great but the Shawarma was at best average. I would probably wait another couple of weeks to venture back and give them a second try and maybe the vertical roaster will be better seasoned and all will be better!
Another First Street shop shutters
Mirari, a costum-made jewelery shop at 70 E. First St. near First Avenue is going out of business...
...joining Alpana Bawa next door in closing...
...joining Alpana Bawa next door in closing...
Chabela's closes on Avenue B
Last spring, Chabela's opened at 40 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street... Now it appears to be closed. Yesterday, workers were removing fixtures from the Dominican eatery...
Before Chabela's, the address was home to Russo's, a pizzaria. What next?
Before Chabela's, the address was home to Russo's, a pizzaria. What next?
Bank branch grows plywood
The new HSBC branch at Ninth Street and Second Avenue is taking shape...now with plywood.
Jeez, almost makes us miss Max Brenner...
[Top photo via Jeremiah's Vanishing NY]
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Kids in Action in Tompkins Square Park
The following photos displayed here in Tompkins Square Park today were taken during March-May 2009 by children who live in Chunchi, the Andean town in Ecuador...
Learn more about the project here.
Learn more about the project here.
Danny Meyer's future in politics
At the Post, Jennifer Gould Keil conducts a Q-and-A with restaurateur Danny Meyer... Blah, blah, blah... and he doesn't really answer this question ... that I'd love to honestly hear him answer...
Q: What happened in Nolita? You were going to build a Shake Shack in a parking lot and backed off when some neighbors complained. Why?
A: One of the good things about the experience is that there will not be an unlimited number of Shake Shacks in New York and life is too short. That's the bottom line. We are going to open our first Shake Shack in Miami in late spring, before it gets too hot. And there will be others opening on the Upper East Side and in the theater district soon. There's also one in Central Park, at the Delacorte Theater.
So life is too short is what happened? Or maybe it had something to do with this resident...
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Ray's in the Times
At the Times, Jim Dwyer checks in on the situation at Ray's. He talked with Bob Arihood... He also spoke with Arianna Gil, who helped organize the Saturday night delivery service. (Speaking of which, it's Saturday. If you need something delivered... 718-473-9636)
The headline: Not Your Banks’ Bailouts: Stores Too Loved to Fail
Anyway, here's a passage:
One recent blustery night, Maria Musial stood behind the counter at Ray’s, where she has worked since arriving from Elk, Poland, in the early 1980s.
“When I came, he was nearly the only store on the block,” Ms. Musial said. “The squat people was here. Now it’s young customers, new people.”
A friend, Bozenna, chimed in.
“They don’t like egg creams,” Bozenna said.
Read the whole article here.
[Photo by Michael Sean Edwards.]
Friday, March 5, 2010
Cheep's eats for Second Avenue
Thanks to the EV Grieve tipster for passing along this signage shot of Cheep's, which is going in at the former Snacklicious Cinderella, Second Avenue near St. Mark's Place...
Previously on EV Grieve:
Fairytale new beginning for Snacklicious Cinderella?
This is not a test: Cooper Union in imminent danger of "projectile vomiting"
A friendly tipster passed along the following from a Cooper Union student, who — wisely at first — thought the e-mail below was a hoax given all the upheaval there of late. But it is not.
From: bulkmail@cooper.edu
Date: March 3, 2010 2:37:35 PM EST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: A nasty stomach virus at Cooper
Cooper has been hit by a 48 hour stomach virus, characterized by projectile vomiting and high temperatures.
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. This is the single most effective preventive step you can take.
Go back to using the Purell dispensers.
Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Avoid large gatherings.
If you get the virus, stay home! Drink lots of fluids.
Alan Wolf
Campus-wide Safety Coordinator
Our friends at EV Heave have been notified. He or she has made the necessary preparations for the weekend, and is already on the scene. See for yourself.
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