What's coming to the Robot Daycare/Missing Sock/Mime Academy space

Well, for those of you have have been following the goofy sign saga at 70 E. First St. ...



According to an EV Grieve operative, the space will be home to a smoothie shop. No joke. Opens on May 15.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another day, another wacky new store sign on First Street

Superdive now only open two nights a week -- but new hours are on the way

Uh-oh, though -- new spring hours on Monday, May 3. Does this mean the joint will be open during the week when/if the new owners take over?

The former Atomic Passion space is for rent

As Jeremiah pointed out on Friday, Atomic Passion on East Ninth Street has closed... and the space has quickly gone on the market...




I'm curious what happened to the two cutouts who adorned the wall above the store for so many years...


[Bottom photo via Jeremiah]

Zerza moving to Avenue B

The long-empty Carne Vale space on Avenue B near Fourth Street finally has a new tenant...(and the Carne Vale Web site is still alive...)



... it appears to be Zerza, the Mediterranean/Moroccan Restaurant & Bar that's now at 308 E. Sixth St.



They're on the docket for the next CB3/SLA meeting next Monday. According to the Zerza Web site, they feature hookas after 10 p.m. ... and there is belly dancing on the weekend ... I know nothing about Zerza, but the mere idea of hookahs and belly dancing in an Avenue B bar/restaurant brings up unpleasant memories of Le Souk and Layaly... and the Horus Cafe... By the way, as you may know, Carne Vale was owned by the Jacob brothers, who also run Le Souk...

Le Souk owners offer new sign to explain what happened

A new sign adorns the door at the former bane of Avenue B, Le Souk... and how are they describing what went down there...?

Tallgrass Burger shows its beef and wings sign

The work on Tallgrass Burger at the former Elvie's Turo-Turo on First Avenue continues...



...and we now have a better idea of their menu agenda...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Burger joint fad continues: Select Burger coming to First Avenue (aka Burger Alley)

Medina Restaurant "temporarily closed" for renovations

The Medina Restaurant on First Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street...



...is "temporarily closed" for the time being...

Classic Kicks has closed

You may have noticed in recent weeks that streetwear boutique Classic Kicks on Elizabeth between Houston and Bleecker has closed...



People looking for high-end vintage sneakers can still shop online.

According to StreetRat: "Due to increasing rates of rent, Classic Kicks decided to temporarily close in order to find a more suitable retail space. No word on where they’re looking or how soon the move will be, but keep tight."

This sign in front of the old shop, which opened in 2003, doesn't seem so encouraging, though...

Famous people looking at buying East Village home

According to a Hollywood Life exclusive, Katy Perry, who is famous for some reason, and her beau Russell Brand, are house shopping around these parts...

An eyewitness tells us she ran into the wacky couple walking into an open house at an apartment building in the East Village on April 11, just as she was walking out.

Dressed like they hadn’t changed since going out the night before — our eyewitness says Russell was wearing skintight leather pants, while Katy was sporting a skin-tight mini skirt with lace print and platform shoes — the couple checked out the two bedroom apartment in the village’s Alphabet City neighborhood. And although we couldn’t get an asking price out of her, our eyewitness did tell us that she heard Russell ask if he could use the bathroom, which is apparently a big no-no at open houses.

Hmmm... the Copper Building had an open house today... Here are other open houses today that fit the bill...

[Photo via]

Avenue A Sushi is confusing us

You may have noticed that the neon lights at Avenue A Sushi were back on this weekend... there was talk that the place had closed and would reopen as one big eatery that also incorporated the Mini Thai Cafe space next door... However, that deal apparently fell through...



An EV Grieve reader spoke with the owner... and the reader reported that the Mini Thai Cafe and Avenue A Sushi kitchens have been combined, though they were still serve separate menus... The owner also said Avenue A Sushi was just having a "soft opening" now...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Mini Thai Cafe and Avenue A Sushi to be combined into one new restaurant?

Mini Thai Cafe mysteriously reopens as Mini Thai Cafe

Things that I was glad I didn't see

The Greenwich Village Spring Bar tour yesterday. Remnants spotted here on Seventh Street at Cooper Square.

The Os Gêmeos mural on Bowery and Houston is gone

This street mural by Brazilian street artists and identical twins Os Gêmeos went up at the Bowery and Houston last summer...



And, sometime during the weekend, it was removed...





Jeremiah has more on the history of this corner and what might be coming here next...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Last day for the Os Gêmeos mural on Bowery and Houston?

A tribute to fallen Polish leaders outside St. Stanislaus

Members of the local Polish community left candles and flags outside St. Stanislaus on Seventh Street during the weekend to pay tribute to Polish President Lech Kaczynski and other government leaders who were killed in a plane crash yesterday morning...





The Wall Street Journal has more on the local reaction...

iCrotch

On St. Mark's Place near Second Avenue. And I had my first iPad-in-public sighting last Saturday... a fellow standing in the brunch line at Prune.

Call the cops if you've seen this guy

Via 1010 Wins:

The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance to identify a man wanted for a series of burglaries in the East Village.

Police say the suspect is responsible for nine burglaries, with the most recent coming April 4.

In all the incidents, police say the man fled the scene with assorted property.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers Web site or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

All calls are strictly confidential.

Previously.

First Avenue, 9:52 a.m., April 10

And I hope that no one was inside at the time of the drunken buffoonery.

Report: East Village burglar has hit nine apartments in last month

Fox News has the following report:

The NYPD is investigating a series of burglaries in the East Village. The brazen burglar has struck at least nine apartments from March 10 through April 3, police said.

He even hit one building twice in one day -- once in the morning and once at night, the NYPD said.

The nine apartments are in the East Village from East 13th Street to East 8th Street from Avenue C to 3rd Avenue.

He usually comes through a window or back door, but on March 17 he came through the roof of a building on East 9th Street to burglarize the top floor apartments, police said. The owner of that apartment believes there were at least two burglars.

NYPD BLOTTER

The New York City Police Department is asking for the Public's assistance identifying the male wanted for a series of Burglaries that occurred within the confines of the 9th Precinct, details are as follows:

1. 03/10/10 at 1600 suspect entered 410 East 13 St apt 3A through Roof/sliding door
2. 03/10/10 at 0730 suspect entered 410 East 13 St apt 6B through window
3. 03/12/10 at 1600 suspect entered 416 East 11 St through rear door
4. 03/14/10 at 1800 suspect entered 316 East 11 St Apt 4c through window
5. 03/14/10 at 2000 suspect entered 121 St. Marks Plc through window
6. 03/17/10 at 1900 suspect entered 339 East 9 St through window
7. 03/17/10 at 2300 suspect entered 343 East 9 St through roof
8. 03/20/10 at 0149 suspect entered 207 Ave B through window
9. 04/03/10 at 2210 suspect entered 153 Ave C through window

Hi neighbor!

Another day, another wacky new store sign on First Street

First, as Jeremiah noted at 70 E. First St., came the sign for Robot Daycare....



...then came the Missing Sock....

...and the latest, courtesy of an EV Grieve reader... The NY Academy for Mime.




Previously on EV Grieve:
A new shopowner with a sense of humor on First Street

Atomic Passion has closed

The Web site for Dirt Candy on East Ninth Street brings the news that its neighbor, Atomic Passion, has closed after 17 years.

They just couldn’t make the numbers work anymore. We all know that life isn’t fair, and anyone who expects the good guys to win is living in a dream world. But it’s a loss to the block for Atomic Passion to go, and losing my neighbor makes me feel like it’s not Atomic Passion that’s wrong here, it’s the world where their numbers aren’t the ones that work. Most people didn’t notice Atomic Passion close, but if you were on East Ninth Street last week you would have seen part of the city die. Because when Atomic Passion closed, New York City became just that much colder, just that much of a tougher place to live.

I learned of the news via Jeremiah. He has more on it here. Terry Richardson wrote about it here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village vintage stores doomed?