A vision of Times Square's future in 1986

EV Grieve reader Sarah passed along these scans from a spring 1986 issue of Psychotronic, the B-movie magazine ...

(The images are actually connected, but we couldn't make that work as well here...)

The first image is a nightmare vision of the "future" Times Square, which, as Sarah notes, is exactly how the actual Times Square turned out ...

and a photo of the St. Marks Cinema as it was nearing the end of its run...

For more on the St. Marks Cinema on Second Avenue at St. Mark's Place, go here.

Update:

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Beatrice the Cat for splicing these images together for us...

Local 'blogger' wrong about 'butchered' willow tree

Last Dec. 10, a local (hyperlocal?) "blogger" reported on a willow tree that workers cut back on Eighth Street near Avenue C. ("Butchered" was the actual word.) Several readers assured the local blogger that the tree would, some day, come back.



Meanwhile, seven or so months later, EV Grieve Willow Tree Correspondents Bobby Williams and Dave on 7th have noted that the tree is looking healthy again.

Not quite back to as it was before, but on the way, perhaps.



Previously on EV Grieve:
The willow trees of Loisaida

11th Street condo owners want to chop down this willow tree

Places in the East Village that take Bastille Day seriously (guillotine alert!)

Jules on St. Mark's Place, of course.

Lights! Tables! Extra Place ready for action

As we've been noting (and noting and noting), Extra Place has been undergoing an extreme makeover lately... As these photos from yesterday afternoon show, the Place is ready for action ... and, perhaps, more than one food vendor...

Let there be light!

And, an Extra Place flashback to 1978...

[Top Image via Forgotten New York]

And for grins ... from November 2006...

Earlier this evening on St. Mark's Place

Sorry to say that we don't know what was happening here. But it just looked funny. The Red Bull promo car was probably speeding.

Today in sneaky ConEd product placements

Photo by Bobby Williams.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

"The booting of the Footmen is another sign that the city's gritty soul is on the run." (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

CB3 opposes plans for the outdoor plaza at the new 51 Astor Place (The Local EV)

Aerialist Seanna Sharpe's Williamsburg Bridge performance last night (BoweryBoogie ... The Lo-Down ... Gothamist)

A contentious co-op board election at Seward Park (Curbed)

Uncovering murals at the former Famous Amadeus on Eighth Avenue (City Room)

7 ways to Celebrate Bastille Day in New York City (Runnin' Scared)

And blue glass checks in with a few updates on East Ninth Street... This location of Tangdance is closing...

... and several weeks ago, Verameat opened her first shop at 315 E. Ninth St.

What are the rights of residents when it comes to an interruption in water service?

The Houston Street Corridor Reconstruction continues... scheduled to wrap up in 2013 (heh — right!)...

A resident who lives along Second Street between Avenue C and D has a question about water shut-off regulations as they pertain to projects by the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC).

According to the reader, "usually my building gets maybe a 12-hour notice for shut offs that will happen the next day from 8 am - 4 pm. They've even done this on a Saturday."

The water interruption affects all buildings on the north side of Houston/Second Street and Avenues C and D.

Last Wednesday, however, the resident said that officials gave them very short notice before shutting off the water all day, which interrupted plans and other business matters. Apparently officials can give less than 24-hour notice for any emergency construction, and all construction can be considered emergency for any reason (via 311).

The resident and the resident's neighbors have filed multiple complaints with the city and the field supervisor. One small victory — getting a couple days notice for the shut off last Tuesday, to then be followed up with no notice regarding Wednesday morning's interruption.

"We (my neighbors and I) are prepared to be flexible to support the infrastructure updates, but we need more notice and some input on timing and regularity.

Said the resident, "Can't help but think that if I lived on Park Avenue, the City might have a little more consideration for the tenants. Do I really have no rights as the City tells me?"

Anyone with any advice?

On Avenue A, a bagel oven for Tompkins Square Bagels

Yesterday, Tompkins Square Bagels at 165 Avenue A near 10th Street took a big step toward its opening date with the delivery of a bagel oven and dough mixer ...

Christopher Pugliese, part owner of Court Street Bagels in Cobble Hill, is eyeing an Aug. 1 opening ... we'll have more on all this later...

Previously.

Claim: Tompkins Square Park is 'Heroinville'

The Villager has an article in this week's issue about Asylum, a group of travelers who hang out in Washington Square Park. The members claim that the NYPD leaves them alone since they're not bothering anyone.

Which leads us to this passage:

However, Hollywood claimed that this isn’t the case in Tompkins Square Park where rumors are that the police have driven some homeless people out of the park permanently.

“The hard drugs are in Tompkins,” said Hollywood.

Russell, another Washington Square Park regular, added.

“I don’t go to Tompkins Square Park because there’s a f---ing bad vibe there. It’s Heroinville!”

Police officers make it extremely hard for the homeless to stay in Tompkins Square Park anyway. They tend to confiscate transients’ belongings as well as harass them incessantly, the transients say.

“You can’t even lie in the grass,” Russell said. “Just because we are homeless doesn’t mean we don’t have rights!”

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

Newsstand in the works for the Bowery and Second Street

Tomorrow night, CB3's Transportation & Public Safety/Environment Committee meets... and among the items on their agenda: Newsstand Application: SE corner, Bowery & E 2nd St.

Interesting... though it will likely be one of those lifeless Cemusa boxes filled with digital advertising.

Meanwhile, about six blocks up on Astor Place, the city is trying to toss Jerry Delakas and his newsstand of 24 years.

New shop carries on proud tradition of St. Mark's Place

As we reported last April 1, Cherries, the porn adult gift shop on St. Mark's Place had closed...

Smart money was on a frozen yogurt shoppe taking over the space... a rare commodity in these parts.

But seriously, the new shop has emerged...

Fu Sushi gets the OK to reopen

After several failed attempts, the DOH let Fu Sushi on Avenue B reopen. On Friday, the DOH revisited, and gave Fu nearly a clean bill of, um, health — just two violation points... that's down from the 99 points that shuttered the place back on June 23. So the the restaurant was able to reopen for the weekend.

After three damning stories, what are the chances that the New York Post notes that Fu Sushi has reopened?

Previously.

C coffee shop quickly closes on East Third Street

On April 18, C cafe opened at 256 E. Third St. near Avenue C. And on June 28, C closed.

Per a Yelp reviewer:

Great while it lasted. The owner was a drummer/arranger/classical pianist ... He wanted to run the place in his spare time because his second passion was coffee and he was making a great living as a producer and sideman. Unfortunately for us, his spare time ran out.

At the Second Line March tonight for d.b.a.'s Ray Deter

Tonight at 7, friends of d.b.a. owner Ray Deter arrived at the bar on East First Street to celebrate his life with a Second Line March.

Deter, the owner of d.b.a., died on July 3 after a bicycling accident.

Thanks to jdx for all the photos here.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

Changes coming to 84 Second Ave.? (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

The Hare Krishnas move out of 96 Avenue B (BoweryBoogie)

City to secretly sell off piece of NYC history – to one person (Lost City)

Rainbow Room getting a glitzy makeover (Grub Street)

People are now using the subway on weekends too (Runnin' Scared)

The owner of Union Market, coming soon to Avenue A, denies bogus-meat story in today's Post (Gothamist)

And now in really important news... last week, we posted the photo of actor Vincent Piazza dressed as Lucky Luciano for a scene in "Boardwalk Empire" on East 12th Street.

Per The Atlantic Celebrity Gossip Net: "She’s never been shy with the boys, and Ashlee Simpson was spotted expressing her affection for beau Vincent Piazza in New York City yesterday (July 10). The “La-La” songstress and her newfound mate were barely able to keep their hands off of each other as they strolled together through the trendy East Village neighborhood of Manhattan."

And did you know: Lucky Luciano grew up at 265 East 10th Street (Off the Grid)

Second Line March tonight at d.b.a for Ray Deter

Tonight at 7, friends of Ray Deter are invited to d.b.a. on First Avenue to take part in a Second Line March. Per the bar's Manhattan Facebook page: "Please everyone bring a candle, if you like an umbrella, and perhaps a tambourine. And ladies please bring a white handkerchief. We plan to send Ray off in the spirit he would have wanted. N'awlins style." See Edible Manhattan for more details.

Deter, the owner of d.b.a., died on July 3 after a bicycling accident.

Report: A double mugging on 11th Street and Avenue B

From the NYPD Daily Blotter in the Post today:

Two armed goons mugged two women walking through the East Village early Wednesday, cops said. The women, both 30, were on East 11th Street near Avenue B at 1:15 a.m. when the men jumped them from behind, pulled out a black handgun and demanded their bags, cops said.

When the women tried to resist, one was punched in the side of the face and the other in the jaw. The muggers managed to get away with only one purse, but the women told cops that it contained a cellphone, a digital camera, $200 and several credit cards.

RIP Dominic Philbert

Last Thursday around 7 p.m., a reader told us that several ambulances and fire trucks were outside Bikes By George on East Fourth Street. "I could see a paramedic performing CPR on George's son. Hoping to see a post later the he's okay..."

George's son, Dominic Philbert, who worked for his dad since he was 16, died that night. He was 43. We don't know any more details at this time.

The shop was closed Friday.

A sign on the store's front window provides information about the memorial service.

We last discussed Dominic in late May, when Dateline NBC's Chris Hansen taped a segment on stolen bicycles. According to the Dateline promo, "it's the most explosive confrontation of Hansen's career." Hansen confronts Dominic Philbert about having bought a stolen bike. And the cameras keep rolling as Dominic becomes increasingly agitated. It's difficult to watch.

Dominic later told Bob Arihood that he gave a man — a paid actor — $25 for a bike. The man told Dominic that he had lost his job and needed money to feed his kids. NBC did not show this exchange between Dominic and the actor.

In a more pleasant video, here's a clip of George and Dominic from the documentary "The City."

[Photo by Bob Arihood]

For further reading on George Philbert:
East Village bicycle legend just keeps on rolling (The Villager)