Rally today to save to East Fourth Street townhouses

We've written about the historic townhouses at 326-328 E. Fourth St. between Avenue C and Avenue D destined for the wrecking ball and condo afterlife... Today at noon, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), the East Village Community Coalition (EVCC), Councilmember Rosie Mendez, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, the Historic Districts Council, and the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy are holding a rally and press conference .... Read more here. And check out some photos at Untapped New York.

'Gossip Girl' guys try to act natural walking by Doc Holliday's

Thanks to the readers for pointing out that Dan and Nate (or is it Nate and Dan?) were shown in last night's episode of "Gossip Girl" walking by Doc Holliday's on Avenue A and Ninth Street...





I wonder where they were headed. San Loco?

Previously on EV Grieve:
'Gossip Girl' returns to the East Village, a headline that may score me some awesome SEO!

The Times goes to the Mars Bar with one of those guys who's in "Gossip Girl"

Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick, Taylor Momsen

Noted, 'Joy to the Juicy' edition

McDonald's on First Avenue near Sixth Street.

Reminders tonight: The past, present and future of the Bowery

Tonight at 6:30, the Tenement Museum is holding a discussion titled, "Bowery: Past, Present & Future" with David Mulkins, co-founder and chair of the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors. Free admission — and co-sponsored by Bowery Boogie!

[Image via Bowery Alliance of Neighbors]

Diablo Royale Este owner blasts the 'blasphemous lies' of residents, invites the State Liquor Authority to investigate

A discussion of Diablo Royale Este prompted a heated exchange during tonight's CB3/SLA subcommittee meeting between owner Jason Hennings and Avenue A residents.

Hennings and his attorney were present to discuss a review of the stipulations that the bi-level Mexican-themed bar and eatery at 169 Avenue A agreed to upon being approved for a liquor license. The restaurant opened in May. Among other things, it is stated the bar must closes its 18x20 backyard space by 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends.

Several Avenue A residents were on hand (many carrying signs reading "Northern Avenue A says No More") to discuss ongoing issues with the bar, including noise and overcrowding. (And several people brought up the Sept. 5 Boats 'N Hoes bash!) Residents also claim that the backyard stays open beyond its stated hours.



Several residents spoke in front of the committee about the crowds on the sidewalk. Avenue A resident Shawn Chittle recounted how he had to walk on Avenue A to catch the 14A because the sidewalks were so full. When he turned to look, the bus' rearview mirror clipped him in the forehead, causing a deep gash. Upon hearing this, Hennings was seen smiling, laughing and shaking his head, which prompted an angry reaction from Chittle.

Avenue A resident Andrew Coamey said that during the bar's Halloween party, Hennings allegedly approached him on the sidewalk ... that he would see him in 10 years and Coamey "would still be complaining about gentrification." At the time of the confrontation, Hennings was dressed as a gladiator.

After hearing a handful of residents speak out, Hennings called their claims "blasphemous lies." He apologized to the committee for being so upset, but that sitting there and hearing the residents was "angst provoking."

"I'm laughing at some of the stories that I hear." He said that not only does he own Diablo Royale Este, but he also manages the space. He estimates he's there 100 hours a week.

Hennings said that he has only ever received one complaint from residents. He said the Boats N' Hoes bash wasn't their party; that an NYU student had rented out the space and misled the bar on his intentions.

Hennings later singled out Coamey, who he described as a "full-time activist." Coamey quickly stood up and noted that the is the senior vice president for housing and chief financial officer of Housing Works Inc., overseeing 600 employees and a $50 million budget.

Acting committee chair Herman F. Hewitt asked Hennings if Diablo Royale Este operates as a restaurant. He said that they did, and he had his executive chef on hand as well. Hennings estimates that he spends 20 hours a week working on new recipes for the restaurant with his chef.

The committee decided to recommend sending a letter to the State Liquor Authority to investigate Diablo Royale's various stipulations and claims. Committee member David McWater asked Hennings if he would voluntarily agree to stop using the backyard. If he did so, then the committee wouldn't send a letter to the SLA.

"I'm happy to be investigated," Hennings said. He wanted the fact that he welcomed the investigation to be noted in the letter. Several times Hennings mentioned that he had surveillance cameras in the backyard, and that the committee could review the video.

Also on the docket: The committee voted down Jevan Damadian's plans to reopen 34 Avenue A, the onetime home of Aces and Eights....ditto for the "restaurant for the senses" planned in the old Superdive space.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Diablo Royale Este opens today: features two bars, one screening room and spit-roast pigs in the backyard

Cafe Hanover's rather sad sidewalk sale

Cafe Hanover closed up on St. Mark's Place... and the owners are looking to make a little money off what's left.

Here's an e-mail from tonight ... from EV Grieve reader Michael:

"Cafe Hanover is selling out their inventory at $1 a piece on folding tables on the sidewalk right now.

I just bought a box of melba toast and a big tray of Oreos for $2."

Reading from 'Alphaville'

A few readers had expressed interest in this... Michael Codella, who wrote the LES crime memoir "Alphaville," will be reading excerpts tomorrow night at 7 .... at the Tribeca Barnes & Noble, 97 Warren St.

Now reading

From New York magazine this week:

NYU — The School that Ate New York. Read it here.

More on NYU's Barney Building fire

The Post has an item today on the early-morning fire yesterday at NYU's Barney Building on East Ninth Street...

Fire marshals yesterday were trying to determine what caused a blaze inside an NYU building in the East Village. The fire broke out in a third-floor art studio in the six-story Barney Building on Stuyvesant Street near Third Avenue. The blaze was contained to a small sculpture- and jewelry-design studio. NYU officials said other studios on that floor are expected to be open for classes today. There were no injuries.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Late-night fire at NYU's Barney Building

'Viva Loisaida' tonight with Marlis Momber

[Marlis Momber]

Lelaine Lau, founder of 403, a cultural salon in New York City which seeks to encourage discussion, the exchange of ideas, and action through presentations on the arts, culture and humanitarian concerns, passed along information about her latest event...which is tonight (apologies for the short notice..)

Please join me for a presentation and discussion with Lower East Side pioneer and photographer Marlis Momber as she takes us on her journey and a look back at the characters and culture of the Loisaida, and the cultural, physical, social and historical shifts which have taken place there over the last 35 years. It is a story of urban development, gentrification, affordable housing, homesteading, cultural identity, the arts, and the vibrant Puerto Rican community that once thrived there, and the invigorating, dynamic nexus of politics, music, art, and indomitable spirit of a community. Marlis Momber is a pioneer and long-time resident of the Loisaida since 1975. Formerly a successful fashion photographer, working for Elizabeth Arden, Gucci and Harpers shooting the likes of Grace Jones and Jessica Lange, her main body of work documents the struggle of the mostly Puerto Rican people in the Loisaida, and has been used to illustrate national and international publications on political and cultural topics. She is a living archive of information across 35 years.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15 FROM 7-11PM $40 ENTRY INCLUDES LIGHT DINNER AND COCKTAILS RSVP to 403rsvp - at - gmail - dot - com. The address will be provided at that time. Please note we only take cash at the door

Marlis was featured in the Feb. 18, 2008 issue of the Times:

To Marlis Momber, a German photographer who began roaming the neighborhood in the mid-1970s, that terrain provided a setting for decades of documentation. “People called it a war zone,” she said. “I grew up in Berlin after World War II, and it looked the same.”

On a recent evening, Ms. Momber strolled the streets near Umbrella House. The blocks that she photographed still exist, of course, but they have changed. The empty lots are no longer empty, and the abandoned buildings have been razed or rehabilitated. But not everyone can afford the thousands of dollars per month that the new apartments rent for. And, to Ms. Momber, the streets no longer look as compelling through a camera lens.

“Sometimes I miss it,” she said of her early days in the neighborhood. “We were all so much closer to each other back then.”

[Photo: Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times]

1984 View of The Empire State Building from 334 East 4. Street @ Avenues C+D

[Marlis Momber]

You can read another feature on Marlis from The Villager here.

This is New York?

A reader notes this morning, rather unpleasantly:

"This is really for EV Heave, but there's an amazing puke pic on Second Avenue around St. Mark's, on the Cemusa bus stop, a thick cascade over an ad that says 'this is New York!'"

And, if it's OK by you, we'll just skip the pic.

Then and now: The Provident Loan Society of New York

As Eater reported Friday, the Element Nightclub on Houston and Essex is closing... Sunday marks the club's last night... Per Element management: "We are sad to say that the management of Element contacted us earlier to let us know that The Bank has been sold. They aren't sure what it will become but the one thing that is for sure is that it will no longer be a club."

I've lost track of how many clubs this space has been in the last 15 or so years... The space was originally The Provident Loan Society of New York, which opened here in 1912... the space served as a studio for Jasper Johns in the 1970s...

Amazingly enough, the classic revival brick building has retained its look through the years... Here are some photos from the NYPL Digital Gallery..... the first photo isn't dated...



from 1936...



from 1935...


and today...



I wonder if, in 1912, locals were annoyed that another bank branch was opening...

The possible future of 200 Avenue A: A destination restaurant 'that involves all the senses'

Tonight, the folks who want to take over 200 Avenue A (aka, Superdive) go before the CB3/SLA subcommittee... Last Monday, the team who plans to open a new restaurant here met with neighbors to explain the concept...

I did exchange e-mails with one of the partners who wants to take over the space... However, we never were able to meet to discuss the concept. Jill at Blah Blog Blah attended last Monday's confab... and she passed along some notes....

• They were very sincere in their desire to create something special and unique that would also provide a high return on investment.

• They were truly surprised that there would be opposition to their concept. They knew that SuperDive had a lot of problems ... but did not seem sensitive to the issues about how SuperDive had impacted the residents.

• Most of the owners/investors (there were about 6 people there from their organization) had never been to the block on a weekend night. The residents with the most vocal opposition were those that have been directly impacted by the problems that SuperDive caused in terms of direct noise and loss of sleep and lowered quality of life from those crowds. The next set of opposition came from people who are dismayed with the change of character in the neighborhood brought on by the frat bars, as well as the loss of retail diversity.

• Their concept is more about the concept and the branding than about food. They don't have a menu, prices or chef, but they do have an idea, funding and a manager.

• The landlord representative said that the owner of the building will not consider any tenant other than a restaurant ... but did not want something that was only a bar.

• They want to create a "destination restaurant" that involves all the senses. They will have several large video screens in the back room lounge, with couches and maybe a smell machine. In the front there will be a 13-foot bar with an unknown number of seats and an unknown number of tables seating an unknown number of people.

• They want to build a brand and then take it to the west coast (or possibly sell it?). To my ears, I heard something akin to "Hard Rock Cafe" — a branded theme chain with locations all over the world.

• They did not have a menu, a potential menu, or a chef. When asked the price point of the entrees, they had no idea. When asked $8 or $30, they said "somewhere in between."

• They intend to operate 6 pm-4 am 7 nights a week, serving food until within an hour of closing. When asked if they would consider closing earlier, they said absolutely not.

• They will have doormen and not encourage the fratboy scene

• They intend to do extensive work to soundproof the interior

• They were unclear about the music but it would fit into their "sense" theme, and would be bringing in live music and djs for an event or specific purpose. Not rock bands, but amplified music is in their agenda. But it's not a nightclub. When asked if they would consider not having live music, they said absolutely not.

• They have never owned a restaurant with a liquor license. They ran a themed sandwich shop called Project Sandwich in Soho which closed after 9 months. They run 40+ sushi bars in supermarkets around the city and Long Island.

• They plan to invest $1 million in this venture

• They served delicious sushi and cookies, which I enjoyed to their fullest

I asked the Superdive owners about the future here... and via e-mail, Team Superdive said: "The liquor license has been put in safekeeping and we all look forward to Nov. 15 when a prospective purchaser, (a fine intelligent respectful gentleman i might add), appears before the beloved community board.

Hopefully, the trial by kafka is not the experience he undergoes. a bright light perhaps but please comm bd 3 — no waterboarding!!!"

Speaking of night's meeting, we hear that CB3/SLA chair Alexandra Militano won't be able to attend. We heard that she fell last week and had to have emergency surgery on her elbow.

At the B Bar, a new temporary wall and opening on the Bowery

Back in August, there was some chatter about the the additional cinder blocks that went up around the B Bar on the Bowery and Fourth Street.....maybe to prevent those spying eyes from 2 Cooper from seeing in the back of the B Bar...

Now, late last week, a temporary wall went up on the bar's Bowery side...







According to the DOB, the B Bar is adding "an additional opening in existing exterior wall on Bowery."

And, rather randomly on Friday afternoon, a bathtub outside the B Bar...

Today in car bomb drinks

At the Redhead on 13th Street near First Avenue.

Grand openings

Opening tonight at the former Xunta space on First Avenue near 11th Street...




Also!

Ichiban-Tei is now open on the northeast corner of 13th Street near First Avenue...




Last evening, they were giving out samples of their chicken nanban (boneless, skinless fried chicken in their special sauce) ... which was quite good... Fork in the Road wrote about Ichiban-Tei and their octopus balls last summer....

And...

Bust a move

On East Fifth Street and Avenue B.

Outside the Physical Graffiti building this morning

Given the dramatic photos of firefighters last night at 98 St. Mark's Place... I wasn't sure what to expect outside this morning...




While there isn't much evidence of damage from the sidewalk... a reader says one apartment was ruined.... and several others were flooded... No report of injuries.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Fire scare on St. Mark's Place at iconic Physical Graffiti building

Late-night fire at NYU's Barney Building

Several readers passed along word of a late-night (or early-morning) fire between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. on East Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...

The fire occurred at the former Lucas A. Steinam School of Metal Working, 227 E. Ninth St. It is part of NYU's Barney Building. Here's what it looks like this morning. (Anyone happen to get photos at the scene?)





A worker on the scene sweeping up the broken glass on the sidewalk described it as "a really bad fire. It could have been a lot worse. There was a lot of gas out here." No word on any injuries.

Busy night here for the FDNY.

A Sunday morning

A man walking his dog on Houston and Avenue A drops a baggie of puppy poo into the trashcan. Right then, a garbage truck pulls up. Upon seeing this, the sanitation worker yells, "THANK YOU! No really, thank you so much. You cocksucker." A moment passes as the man hurries along. The sanitation worker isn't done. "DICK ASS."