Questions over Christmas tree fine

On Tuesday, DNAinfo's Patrick Hedlund reported that the Department of Transportation fined Roger Baust, who sells Christmas trees and wreaths outside St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue at 10th Street, for having a temporary structure on the sidewalk that gives his staffers periodic breaks from the cold.

Baust has been doing business here every holiday for the past six years without incident. The summons is for $1,500, but Baust thinks it could end up as high as $5,000. He has a court date on Feb. 14. According to a reader, Baust got the OK for the shelter from church officials and the Parks Department (as well as the manager who runs the farmer's market here on Tuesdays).

According to the article: Susan Stetzer, district manager of Community Board 3, said her office received complaints about the sidewalk structure, so she turned them over to the city, which came last week to summons the vendor. "Just because somebody got away with something for years does not mean it is correct," she said of Baust not having permit for the shack.

As the resident noted, the temporary structure is 7 feet wide; the Tuesday farmer's market tents are 10 feet wide. Neither interferes with pedestrian traffic. Just look at the photo. TWO people walking side by side by the structure without incident!

The summons was issued by DOT — not by whatever department issues vendor permits. So it's unclear whether there were any actual complaints about the structure taking up space or whether some alleged failure to obtain a permit of some kind is behind this.

A few questions we'd like answered:

• Why and at whose request did the DOT get involved in this?
• And why now? The stand went up on Nov. 27.
• What dept. of officialdom is responsible for issuing these permits? Why couldn't the Community Board office have told Baust he needed one? Their office is only seven blocks from Baust's stand — it's not like he was hiding.
• Is there some sort of vindictiveness going on here? Did Baust piss off some influential person somehow? Did Baust fail to grease someone's palm?
• How does a complaint or two turn into a hefty fine... or put a damper on concerts in Tompkins Square Park?

A great new sign for C'est Magnifique?

Many thanks to Ken Mac for sending along this photo ... a new awning for MacDougal Street mainstay/survivor C'est Magnifique.

Fire advice

While going through old e-mails last night, I came across a missive from DJ Xerox. He lives adjacent to Otto's Shrunken Head on 14th Street, and was temporarily displaced after the fire there back in October...

Given the number of fires of late... I appreciate his advice... not to be a definitive guide, but a good place to start.... Per DJ Xerox:

I would urge you to remind your readers to make sure they have renters' insurance, as your possesions are not covered, just the facilities. I would also say it would be a good idea to keep an envelope of important info ready to go near the fastest exit. And also, take the time to think about two possible escape routes, wherever you are.

jdx took the photo at top last night during the fire on First Avenue...

Give the gift of Mars Bar this holiday season

Goggla passes along word that men's style T-shirts are available at the Mars Bar ... As of yesterday afternoon, there were only smaller sizes left. But more are likely on the way.... No word on commemorative Mars Bar toilet seats.

Laundry loyalties on Avenue B

The new Quick Coin laundromat is now open on Avenue B near Fourth Street... in the former Carne Vale space...



Meanwhile, a few doors to the south... the other, older laundromat is throwing a 20th anniversary special...



...and just a few doors to the north... another laundromat ... (which is, I think, just drop-off service now, right?)



A reader told me that he feels guilty about using the new laundromat, but it is better, he says.

Noted

Ninth Street and First Avenue. Santa? That's not the North Pole area code, though.

Two of the only affordable places to eat along Avenue B temporarily shuttered

Plumbing issues shuttered China Wok and Cafe Rakka yesterday on Avenue B at Third Street...





Hope they open soon... two of the few affordable places to eat along here....

A great storefront (and noted)

11th Street just west of First Avenue...

Meanwhile, hanging inside the doorway... just took this shot for posterity. A reminder of what could be the biggest flop in Broadway history.

Season's Greetings

East Fourth Street near Avenue B.

Remembering Joe Strummer

I was happy to see to see that a few people came by the Joe Strummer mural tonight at Seventh Street and Avenue A to pay their respects on the anniversary of his death....

More photos from tonight's First Avenue fire

Thanks to jdx for these photos. Witnesses said the fire started around 7:30-7:40... It was under control by 8... The fire was between Second Street and Third Street. Previously.

EV Grieve reader Anna sent along the above shot from tonight's fire on First Avenue... She saw a bus on the scene taking displaced residents to a shelter for the evening...

Breaking: Fire on First Avenue

Dozens of fire trucks are on First Avenue between Second and Third Street. The fire seems to be under control. A paramedic on the scene didn't think there were any injuries. One witness said the fire started on the roof. More soon.

Middle of Avenue A, 5 p.m., Dec. 22

Where did you all go?

Joe Strummer, Dec. 22, 2002

Thanks to East Village Radio for the reminder... today marks the eighth anniversary of Joe Strummer's death...

You can watch the video that includes the mural's creation here... (Someone disabled the embedding...)

Meanwhile...

When trees are cold

High noon on Avenue A

...on such a winter's day... photo courtesy of jdx ... see more here.

Census 2010 and the East Village

As I first reported, the Census Bureau released data galore yesterday as part of their decennial look at America's demographics.

Oh, nevermind all that! (I made a mistake about the Census info — see the comments.) So I guess that I've been browsing local date from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, based on samples from 2005 to 2009.

Back to the original post...

And The Times has this amazing interactive map ... every city, every block in America... You can search by zip code... I typed in 10009 ... here are a few screengrabs for ...

Race/ethnicity:


Households with income over $200,000:


Median monthly rent:


I randomly picked census tract 2602, roughly Ninth Street to Sixth Street, from Avenue B to Avenue D... the median monthly rent is $1,576 — up 46 percent since 2000. Census tract 2202's median monthly rent is $1,647 — up 57 percent since 2000. (The tract looks to include Second and Third Street from Avenue B and Avenue D...)

Anyway, I haven't had much more time to investigate the area in greater detail.... Here's the link. One word of caution: This interactive tool will cut down your productivity today by 89 percent over yesterday.

427 E. 12th St. back from the dead?

So that's what you look like! On Monday, workers removed the long-standing sidewalk shed in front of 427. E. 12th St. across from the East Side Community School...



And now...





There aren't any new permits for this space on file with the DOB. (In fact, all the work permits here have long expired.) Plans originally called for a six-story, 12-unit rental. When we last checked in here, back in November 2009, Massey-Knakal had just listed the pit space for $2.3 million. That listing is no longer active. One neighbor figures the presence of the porta-potty (Johnny on the Spot? Loader Up?) means the crew is there to clean out the hole...

6 East Village buildings part of $276 million portfolio

Massey Knakal is handling the sale of 26 multi-family "investment properties" throughout Manhattan. In total, there are 595 apartments, 22 retail stores and approximately 350,000 square feet. The properties can be sold individually in 16 different offerings, per the MK site.

The East Village buildings for sale in this parcel are:

• 410-418 East 13th Street
• 432-434 East 13th Street
• 330 East 6th Street
• 40-44 Avenue B
• 73-75 East 3rd Street
• 221 First Avenue

(Seems to me that most of these were already on the market here...) Combined there are 16 buildings, for a total cost of $276 million. If you want all the gory details, then you can download this 800-page PDF.

I particularly like the photo for 73-75 E. Third St. Happy that the photo includes some local color from the Hells Angels HQ next door at No. 77.