Monday, December 6, 2010

Miracles in real-estate listings: The two renovated apartments that look exactly alike

Last week, we pointed out the newly renovated apartments at 222 Avenue B were now on the market... Here's the listing...



And here's what the listing shows for the bathroom and living room...




This must be a popular interior look.... As an eagle-eyed reader notes, these very same photos are also used for a newly renovated Lower East Side apartment listed at CitiHabitats...



Either real estate agencies are using stock photos... or, perhaps, someone is using the wrong photos...

Anyway, not sure where those double-doors lead to at 222 Avenue B... just looks like one door to me...

Nuyorican Poets Café is expanding; plus, looking at the Big Doves mural next door

In its East Third Street report last Friday, The Wall Street Journal noted that Nuyorican Poets Café "is in the process of expanding its three upper floors with the help of a $500,000 grant received from the city. The money is going toward developing additional performance space, a classroom and a multimedia lab."



Meanwhile, in July 2009, I did a post about Ezo's Clash-inspired mural being painted over... granted, the mural was nicked up...still, as a Clash fan, I was sorry to see it go...




Anyway, been meaning to point out the new murals here. These arrived last summer... Excellent work from Big Doves...



Bowery Poetry Club opens a pop up shop for the holidays



The Bowery Poetry Club is now featuring a Pop Up Shop for artists and vendors through Dec. 24... Poet/artist Sam Jablon is coordinating ... He says the art exhibit part is almost filled. "We are looking for vendors to pay some rent, and sell their crafts/goods for the holiday season."

Interested vendors may contact Jablon at: samuel@samueljablon.com

Cooper Square Hotel ready for chilly reception



Winterizing at the Coop.

Meanwhile, as Jeremiah reported on Friday, there's rumor that the SoHo Grand Hotel team has bought the troubled Cooper Square Hotel.

More dessert for former Ben & Jerry's space?


Paper is up at the former Ben & Jerry's space on Third Avenue and NYU... which closed back in September, as Jeremiah reported. (Ben and Jerry's closed, not NYU.) There aren't any permits on file for this space... still, it appears some work has been going on here... Prime location.... Can't imagine that we're in for any surprises here... It has to be dessert related, don't you think?

No more Lil' Monsters on East 10th Street

Not sure exactly when Lil' Monsters, the pet care and animal rescue, shuttered at 279 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue...


They opened last year around this time... I actually had to remove the post for a time. I was getting bombarded with e-mails and comments from people in North Carolina. For some reason, they seemed to think I owned the space and was responsible for kidnapping their pets. Seriously.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

ConEd laying cable on Avenue B



Swung by 7B for a drink tonight... and Avenue B between Seventh Street and Sixth Street is closed right now... A ConEd worker said they were "replacing cable." I had a tough time finding a place to park my car because of this.*


*Kidding, Jesus! Kidding about driving, that is. I mean, ConEd is really working there.

This is the cat that allegedly attacked a New Jersey woman at McSorley's



Thanks to the reader who passed along this adorable YouTube link of Minnie at McSorley's... Previously.

3:57 p.m., Fourth Street, Dec. 5



Looking east to Avenue D.

Summer of Bedbugs moves into the Winter of Bedbugs



The other night on St. Mark's Place. By Samuel Mark.

Xoom holding a coat and cold weather clothing drive


From the EV Grieve inbox...

This coming week, Xoom, the smoothie shop on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, will be having a coat and cold weather clothing drive for the The Hetrick-Martin Institute. Hetrick provides free programs and services to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender young people in New York City. Please bring gently worn or new coats, sweaters, hats, scarves, etc. to Xoom Monday-Friday and they will deliver them to Hetrick.

If you have any questions, you can call the store 212-505-9666 or e-mail Jennifer the owner at jenn@xoomjuice.com.

Lawsuit blockbusters! Cat scratch fever at McSorley's


The Post has this catty exclusive today....

A New Jersey woman has kicked up a feline fury at the 156-year-old McSorley's Old Ale House, by filing a lawsuit claiming she was viciously attacked by the venerable bar's pet cat and had to be hospitalized.

Cheryl Sibley, 53, of Hasbrouck Heights, says she suffered the mini-mauling in October 2009, according to papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court last week.

The suit doesn't say exactly how the terrible tabby made a meal of Sibley.

But the woman claims the "live animal" attack left her with "serious injuries" that required medical care, the court papers state.


Gothamist has more photos of Minnie.

[Minnie photo via the Post]

Paging Yukon Cornelius



Outside the Bean on First Avenue and Third Street.

Dear Mercedes-Benz owner,



Please move your car.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

People who use the bike lane

No shit



Third Avenue near 10th Street.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

20,000 Leagues Under Avenue A

Frosty is lit up, so to speak



First Avenue near Fifth Street.

Stolen Cost art fetches $4,200 on eBay



As I reported, the Cost Showpaper box turned up missing on Second Avenue near Houston. Gothamist noted earlier this week that the item turned up on eBay.

The bidding ended today...looks like it fetched $4,200.



[Top photo via AWKWORD]

Newspapers continue discovering East Village streets

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal reported on East Third Street, noting that the area is becoming a nightlife destination, which doesn't always make some longtime locals happy.

Meanwhile, The Real Estate Section in the Times checks in with a piece on Seventh Street titled "Musty Old, Clever Young East Seventh Street."

This is a stretch of the East Village that has enchanted local publications for centuries. For instance, Time Out featured Seventh Street last February.

Anyway!



Unfortunately, I didn't make it past the fourth paragraph of the Times article ... with the scene described at Abraço...

"A lanky Italian with one leg of his corduroys tucked into an argyle sock leaned against a tall, skinny wooden table on the sidewalk, sipping from a demitasse and reading The Financial Times. Inside, a rumpled young man lingered in the open window, wearing homesickness for Brazil on his comely face. At his elbow, a middle-aged woman in matte red lipstick and a hand-knit snood was eyeing the cured olive cookies and chatting about the charms of her East Village neighborhood.

Behind the small counter, one of the proprietors, Jamie McCormick, worked his La Marzocco machine and called greetings to his regulars. “Where you been?” Mr. McCormick said to a reedy young man in a motorcycle jacket with a striped scarf tossed loosely around his neck. “You been on tour?”


Whoa! This is a dangerous level of adjectives. Let's toss a few of them into Wordle!



Oops. I don't think I put them back correctly.

"A hand-knit Italian with one leg of his corduroys tucked into a wooden sock leaned against a skinny argyle table on the sidewalk, sipping from a demitasse and reading olive cookies. Inside, a rumpled scarf lingered in the open window, wearing homesickness for Brazil on his middle-aged face. At his elbow, a comely woman in striped red lipstick and a lanky snood was eyeing the reedy Financial Times and chatting about the charms of her tall neighborhood.

Behind the young counter, one of the proprietors, Jamie McCormick, worked his La Marzocco machine and called greetings to his regulars. “Where you been?” Mr. McCormick said to a cured young man in a motorcycle jacket with a matte small man tossed loosely around his neck. “You been on tour?”

Makeup Mania shutters on Allen Street



EV Grieve reader Heather passes along word that Makeup Mania, a sliver of a storefront on Allen just south of Houston, has closed rather suddenly. As she notes, "I swear the place was full and a lady was getting a makeover not more than a few days ago."