The Department of Sanitation finally gets a fake Twitter account

OK, I admit that I fell for it for a second...




Anyway! Funny! Probably!

Possible delay in emergency responses this afternoon from Ladder 11

We'll periodically have information on local fire company activities, including when they are closed for periods of time... particularly the FDNY’s Engine 28 and Ladder 11 — the two fire companies quartered at 222 E. Second St.

Ladder 11 will be conducting Building Inspection this afternoon from 1 to 4, as well as every Thursday afternoon. Building Inspection may cause delays in response because parts of their Buidling Inspection District are not in their 1st, 2nd or 3rd due emergency response area.

Firefighters may also be delayed since Building Inspection takes them to the far reaches of the building, including the roofs and the basements. The alarm is sent via Fire Dept. radio to the engine/ladder in the street. The Chauffer, who is the only firefighter who waits in the engine/ladder for this expressed purpose, then alerts the other firefighters by handheld radio. They then must make their way off the roof/out of the basement/upper floor etc. to the location of the engine/ladder (Many times this could be around the corner as to not block side streets). At this time, the firefighters must then don their Personal Protective Equipment (Bunker Gear), enter the rig and then may proceed to the alarm.

RIP Caveman

We heard the sad news last night that Joe Gonzalez, better known as Caveman, has passed away. He was 54.

Caveman has been a longtime regular at Sophie's, where he would often be seen bypassing glassware in favor of drinking straight out of the pitcher. He was also a regular on the local pool scene.

We don't know many more details now about Joe's death. He had been battling diabetes in recent years. He'll be missed.

[Top photo by Cary Conover, posted with permission]

[Updated] Fire on Seventh Street

[From EV Grieve reader Clotilde Testa — check out her website here]

There are multiple reader reports of another fire last night around 11:45 ... best estimates at this point puts it at 129 Seventh St. above the Peter Jarema Funeral Home... as of this time, we do not have any details on the extent of damage or injuries. One reader reports hearing breaking glass and a woman screaming, "is he alive! Is he alive!"

We'll certainly have more on this as the day progresses

Updated: Per DNAinfo — "A blaze began on the first floor of a five-story East Vilage residential building at 7th Street and First Avenue just before midnight, an FDNY spokesman said. The fire was contained to one apartment and was put out by 12:13 a.m., officials said. One firefighter was transported to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center for minor injuries after working on the East Village blaze."



[From EV Grieve reader Steve]








[From reader Clotilde Testa]


[Courtesy of Nik]


Previously on EV Grieve:
13 fires in the East Village since May 2010

El plywood comes off at El Camion

The plywood is off at El Camion, formerly the Raven, 194 Avenue A at 12th Street.

According to a readers, there's a full bar with nine seats ... and 18 tables packed side by side — not an inch between them. Another reader reported seeing some business types (owners? investors?) inside for a meal yesterday afternoon... But the place was sealed up last night...

Some residents on Avenue A and the nearby side streets are understandably nervous about what kind of crowd El Camion will attract... More on the low-key side, like Benny's, or more like, say, something in the Diablo Royale Este-Señor Swanky’s mix... Said a reader: "I am praying it'll be a nice, quiet little corner joint and not a loud hangout!"

Back in May, the CB3/SLA committee denied their application for a liquor license ... However, despite CB3's denial, the State Liquor Authority ultimately approved the license.

On Nov. 30, Patrick Hedlund wrote about El Camion at DNAinfo... Per his story:

"The man, who was listed in online records for the restaurant's corporate company but declined to provide his name, did confirm that the emphasis will be on food rather drinks, and that the space would close no later than midnight or 1 a.m. on weekends."

Meanwhile, someone affiliated with the restaurant has a Twitter account...



And here's another shot via EV Grieve reader Paul W...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Coming to 154 Avenue A: Mexican restaurant

Meanwhile, in the "Ave A Mexican Margarita Ring of Death"

From the mind of Shawn Chittle...

You're turning the knob on your radio and this commercial comes blaring across...

Booze fans!
Booze fans!
Booze fans!
Friday!
Friday!
Friday!

It's a duel! El Diablo vs. El Camion in a title bout! Winner takes on La Lucha in the "Ave A Mexican Margarita Ring of Death" now featuring a sudden death round with the deadly "Table Doce" (Table 12) and his metal chair machine of doom! You remember what he did to former lightweight challenger La Ceiba right? THAT'S RIGHT FIGHT FANS! GONE! GONE! GONE!

Get your tickets at all Ticketmaster location or any Lincoln tunnel,
Holland tunnel, or LIRR ticket window!

******JUST ANNOUNCED FANS!******

Zaragosa to open concession stand fight night!!!

CATCH FIGHT NIGHT ON AVENUE A! YOUR FRONT ROW SEAT to all the ACTION!

Chip in: Mulch your tree

Instead of tossing your dead-ass tree on the curb...





...consider dragging the thing to Tompkins Square Park ...



...the annual TreeCycle (Mulch Madness!) is going on this weekend...



[Top three photos of EV Grieve dead tree correspondent Blue Glass]

Of course, not every tree is really mulch friendly

13th Street near Avenue B.

All sorts of reports of low-flying helicopters around Avenue A

Several readers have sent along notes asking what is going on now above Avenue A...




We spotted one helicopter awfully close to rooftops along Avenue A near St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street... We heard another report of helicopters above Second Avenue and Sixth Street... another reader reports seeing four low-flying helicopters... Nothing on the ground (massive police presence, say) indicates anything major is going on... I asked some teens (my mistake!) what was happening... They said someone jumped off the roof, then started laughing...

Noted

"It's just like a real like nice like kind of like luxury building, which is kind of hard like in this area. It's not like ... there's not like a lot of them, anyway." — 2 Cooper Square resident discussing life in the luxury high-rise on the Bowery, from The Local East Village via Curbed

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

Effort to Limit Heights on Bowery's Eastern Side Gains Momentum (DNAinfo)

Donut Pub creams Dunkin Donut (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

LES Jewels gets kicked in the face to end 2010 (Nadie Se Conoce)

New Year's Eve at Csquat (Slum Goddess)

New Year's Eve in the Mars Bar (The Gog Log)

FAB Cafe & East Village Visitors Center grand opening one week away (Broadway World)

Juice Press on First Street lowers cost of smoothie from $18 to $15 (Grub Street)

Six women brawl in Bronx diner (NYC the Blog)

Workers can play badminton at 38 Delancey (BoweryBoogie)

Some history on the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (Ephemeral New York)

Info on a bed bugs forum (The Lo-Down)

New Strokes record due in March or so (NME)

C'mon, you liked it: A salute to "Baker Street" (Guardian UK)

And some signs somewhere on Lexington Avenue that I always liked...

Possible delay in emergency responses today from Engine 28 and Ladder 11

We'll periodically have information on local fire company activities, including when they are closed for periods of time... particularly the FDNY’s Engine 28 and Ladder 11 — the two fire companies quartered at 222 E. Second St.

Engine 28 is currentlly conducting building inspection from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (as well as every Wednesday morning). During this time, they may be delayed to emergency responses because parts of their Buidling Inspection District are not in their 1st, 2nd or 3rd due emergency response area. Ladder 11 will be conducting Building Inspection today from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (as well as every Wednesday).

13 fires in the East Village since May 2010

After hearing about the two fires yesterday in the neighborhood, many people remarked — seems as if there have been a lot of fires here of late.

Indeed, I've covered 13 since May. (I included the manhole explosion on First Avenue... though not the car that caught on fire on East Fourth Street in September.)

Thankfully, in each of these fires, there weren't any serious injuries... and as far as what has been reported, none of the fires have been deemed suspicious by authorities....

Jan. 4, East Sixth Street near Avenue A

[Photo by EV Grieve reader Jamie]

Jan. 4, Second Avenue at East Fourth Street


[Photo by Special Monkey]

Dec. 22, First Avenue near Third Street



Nov. 29, East 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue



Nov. 14, NYU's Barney Building on East Ninth Street



Nov. 13, St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue



Nov. 11, Ageloff Towers, Avenue A and East Fourth Street...


[Photo by Cluglife]

Oct. 26, First Avenue at East Ninth Street


[By EV Grieve reader Jason]

Oct. 24, Otto's Shrunken Head, East 14th Street



July 8, 240 East Houston at Avenue A



July 12, 628 Broadway between East Houston and Bleecker Street


[Photo via Twitpic]

June 8, Second Avenue near Seventh Street


[Via Fairfax Wright]

May 12, East 14th Street at Avenue A


[Photo via Sergey]

Caught on tape: New installation for Houston and the Bowery

Back in December 2009, tape artist Sam Bassett put his signature touch above the Os Gêmeos mural at Houston and the Bowery. (You can see a photo of it here at AnimalNY ... Check out the video of it too.)



On Christmas night, Bassett installed another creation above Houston at the Bowery.... which goes west to near the location of Billy's Antiques...



I asked Bassett via e-mail about the creation, and whether there was a significance with this intersection....

"I placed it there because its a central point in Manhattan, the poles line up to form the triangle, because of Billy and Billy's, because of the painting wall there," said Bassett, who was arrested in November 2009 after attempting to tape up Sotheby’s.

He continued:

"The triangle points East which represents the direction the world rotates. When we meditate in silence we face East in honor of this fact. The triangle in the sky is meant to calm, protect and inspire. To do more with less. To translate the power of reinvention and stillness. To showcase the hidden space in between, when utilized, open great possibilities of life. This ribbon sculpture is my interpretation of a Tibetan Prayer Flag. For unity and wisdom"




Meanwhile, Bassett hopes to install another tape sculpture on the former Deitch Wall, where someone quickly removed his work back in 2009. "That tape sculpture was secured like Fort Knox with very thick appoxy so it was definitely removed on purpose. If you look up to that space you can still see the faint outline of the shape. I would like to replace that tape sculpture with a painting or another tape sculpture. Thought it brought lovely energy to the intersection."

Renovations at the former Sin Sin space; 'toilet rooms' moving too

There's paper on the windows now at the former Sin Sin space on Second Avenue at East Fifth Street... according to the work permit in the window:

"Replacement of existing commercial kitchen equipment at cellar and 2nd floor kitchens. New exhaust hoods. Relocation of existing toilet rooms at 1st floor."

Meanwhile, the Sin Sin space remains on the market for $20,000 a month.

Previous Sin Sin coverage here.

Sala is 'closed for renovation'

Sala, the Spanish tapas joint on the Bowery at Great Jones, is now closed for renovations...



...per a sign on the front door...



The eatery is also apparently for sale ... and battling an upstairs neighborhood who is suing the restaurant for noise-related issues.