EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

The watermelon vodka at the Mars Bar (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

The last day/night at the Mars Bar (The Gog Log)

Revisiting Bleecker and the Bowery (Flaming Pablum)

A history of Webster Hall (Off the Grid)

East Village-based court photographer Steven Hirsch at work (The Observer)

Chillmaster Dance Party III (Marty After Dark)

XXX-rated DVD shop shutters on Essex (BoweryBoogie)

New mural slated for RCN building on Sixth Street and Avenue C (DNAinfo)

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling eat FroYo at 16 Handles (Page Six)

The new 11-minute Beastie Boys video (Gothamist)

A urinal for women (Eater)

Long live the Google Street View of the Mars Bar

It's from May/June 2009 ("Terminator Salvation" playing down the street at the Village East Cinema) ... Hank Penza, the owner, sitting out front... Ray smoking on the side... Just like it always seemed. Rather perfect, yes?

As we first reported yesterday, the bar is now closed for good. Up next: Demolition ... two years of construction ... and a new 12-story luxury building.

See some photos from last night's Mars Bar vigil here.

At the Mars Bar yesterday, the DOH found 850 fruit flies (or so)

[Photo by Shawn Chittle]

When the chatter started yesterday afternoon about the Mars Bar, there was confusion whether the DOH shut the place down... or owner Hank Penza basically just said Fuck it and closed.

As Runnin' Scared noted, it was a combo. The DOH paid a visit, and shut the place down. Instead of cleaning up and reopening just to close again... "I closed up," he told Esther Zuckerman. "I don't want to be bothered."

And Runnin' Scared got a quote from a DOH spokesperson last evening. And it's a doozy!

The Mars Bar was closed because inspectors observed approximately 850 fruit flies in various areas of the restaurant and in a bottle of alcohol. Additionally, there were conditions conducive to a pest infestation ... The bar did not have a food protection certificate holder present, had a cracked and chipped wall, unsecured gas cylinders and did not have proper test kits for chemical sanitizing of dishware.

So, a question: Why is the DOH inspecting bars that are closing shortly?

Finally, one of the many rumors we've heard of late: Hank had promised two regulars that he'd sell them the bathroom doors for $1,000 each.

5 similar bars to try now that the Mars Bar has closed

We first posted this on Dec. 8 ... thought we'd repost it now... cheap gag that it was!


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Jane's Sweet Buns opens today at 2 on St. Mark's Place; features 'pastries inspired by cocktails'

As we first reported two weeks ago, a bakery is opening on St. Mark's Place in the former De La Vega Museum space.

In what seems fitting for a neighborhood overrun with bars, the bakery — Jane's Sweet Buns — will feature alcohol-laden desserts.

Jenny Miller at Grub Street had the details in a post yesterday. The buns, cakes and pies are courtesy of Cienfuegos mixologist Jane Danger and owner Ravi DeRossi. Per Grub Street: "Swashbuckling types might enjoy the Rum Runner (a bun glazed in aged rum, Galliano liqueur, cinnamon, and other good stuff), while manly sorts can try the savory Southern Special (Bourbon, bacon, brown sugar, nectarine, white cheddar)."

Grub Street notes they will also sell non-alcohol desserts. Grub Street also has the menu. Sorry, no bread.

The sign on the door states they'll open today at 2.

St. Brigid's will have that 1848 look

Meanwhile, in more positive news... The Villager has an update on the renovations at St. Brigid's, the historic church on Eighth Street and Avenue B that was spared the wrecking ball by a determined group of volunteers... and later a guardian angel who donated some $10 million to restore the building.

Anyway! To the article!

Both the west and north facades (what everyone from the street sees) of the building are going to be sheathed in cast brownstone slabs, more or less restoring the look of what was there when the church was first built in 1848. They are working on this now, and roughly a quarter of the north wall has already been installed. The original north wall had to be completely demolished and rebuilt as part of the process of restoring structural stability to the church. This necessitated filling the entire church interior with scaffolding in order to support the roof during this reconstruction. But it was a big improvement over the original repair plan to simply re-stucco the existing facade.

Read the whole article here.

And here are several recent photos that I took showing the renovations in progress...

Argosy is cleaned out on East Ninth Street

Back in May, we noted that Argosy, the vintage clothing store on East Ninth Street between First Avenue and Avenue A, appeared to be closed. The gate was down. Mailed piled up inside. In any event, in the last few days, someone has cleaned out the store...

Expect a "for rent" sign here soon enough.

Something that people may use (a dry cleaners!) opening on Third Avenue

Here, next to East Village Cheese on Third Avenue... at that short-lived boutique...

[Updated] At the Mars Bar vigil tonight

[Photo by @mgsledge.]

Around 6:30, we received notice of a planned candlelight vigil at the Mars Bar for 8 p.m. Several readers are at the scene... one estimate has 25 people outside the now-shuttered bar. With candles!

[Photo by the long-lost Intern of EV Grieve]

[Updated] Goggla sends along some photos. You can find more on her Flickr page.

She has some videos too... including people collecting their art from inside the bar ... and a version of "Mars Bars Blues."

Dining with the red-tailed hawk in Tompkins Square Park

Last night, Bobby Williams pointed out the arrival of a red-tailed hawk in the Park.

This evening, East Village-based photographer Stacie Joy saw the hawk too... right at dinner time.

Per Stacie: "It was an awesome spectacle, except for the kids pelting the hawk with super-soakers and rocks."

That's it: The Mars Bar is closed for good

Earlier, we mentioned that the DOH had shuttered the Mars Bar today. Goggla just stopped by. They're not reopening. That's it. Per Goggla, George is frantically taking down art. So — if you have stuff here, now would be a good time to stop by and collect it.

Updated: Slum Goddess has a post on the closure with some recent pics. Per Slum Goddess: "I will miss this place more than any normal person should miss a bar considering I don't much care for bars really..but this one was special! NYC just became a lot more boring."

Tourists discover the Hare Krishnas today in Tompkins Square Park

Bobby Williams notes that there were a good number of tourists in the Park today....

Meanwhile, we don't have an explanation for this...

[Updated] Mars Bar is closed, temporarily or not

The EV Grieve inbox is busy this afternoon with reports that the Mars Bar has closed for good.

However, one source said the DOH shuttered the Mars Bar.

We called the bar. Whoever answered (with a "hello" and not a "Mars Bar") said that they were just temporarily closed. Oh?

"The health department shut us down."

They thanked us and hung up before we could get any further.

According to the DOH website, the bar was last inspected on May 23, with 16 violation points. But for some big stuff, like filth flies and live roaches.

Updated 6:02 — A walk by the bar confirms that it is closed. A piece of cardboard with "closed" written on it is visible on the door. And the gates are down.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

Ray is now a U.S. citizen (Neither More Nor Less ... The Villager)

The new High Line doesn't need old auto centers (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

A brief history of Donald Capoccia's EV developments (The Local East Village)

A new hotel for Mott Street (Curbed)

The woo-wooers of 1872 (Ephemeral New York)

Tiengarden reopens on Allen Street (BoweryBoogie)

Your guide to changes coming to 14th Street between Second and Third Avenue

1) Plywood is up at the former fast-food triplex on the corner of Second Avenue. We're awaiting word on what's coming into this space.

2) As Eater reported, Eddie Huang is opening his second Baohaus location... coming to the Thai Me Up space. Having seen the gutted interior, July 25 seems like an optimistic opening date.

3) Plywood is up now at the coming-soon IHOP.

4) The Exquisite DVD store is open, though the space is for lease...

5) The new awning is up at the relocated Xoom. We expect to hear about an opening date very soon.

6) The Super Saving Store is closing near Third Avenue...

7) The Mystery Lot now features a Happy Hour...

Biking on lower Bowery and the Manhattan Bridge promises to be messy for the next few months

Longtime lower Bowery resident Curt Hoppe passes along this photo of the new bike lane on the street...

As Gothamist has reported, this is all part of the Manhattan Bridge rehabilitation work that starts today. It's a little confusing, these plans. But have a look.

[Via Gothamist]

So Manhattan-bound cyclists will exit the bridge on the Bowery and bike north to Prince Street... along the pre-existing path...

Per John Del Signore at Gothamist: "The change is annoying because on the Brooklyn side, cyclists will now have to dismount and carry their bikes up and down the stairs to get to the path. And they'd better get used to it, because this is the way it's going to be through January 2012. WHY GOD?!"

Meanwhile, Hoppe is curious how the Fung Wah Bus company will deal with this. Their buses typically idle exactly where the new bike lane is painted in on the Bowery.

Said Hoppe, "What a mess this is going to be."

The Bean's new home on Broadway

On Friday, we reported that the Bean is expanding its operation from its Third Street/First Avenue home... We're just confirming the second location on Broadway at 12th Street across from the Strand...

...at the former home of Quiznos and its toasty bullets.

Part of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America HQ is for lease

At 203 Second Ave., for lease signs are now up... the first and second floors are available ...

This is the national headquarters for The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America. (The Ukrainian Museum moved to its new home on East Sixth Street in April 2005.)

Last August, a fire in the stairwell of the upper floors damaged part of the offices. The renovated offices were dedicated this past June 11.

Related reading on EV Grieve:
Ukrainian Sports Club ready to go retail on Second Avenue

The Marshal seizes the shuttered Bowery Wine Company

Last weekend, as we reported, the Bowery Wine Company called it quits on East First Street... On Friday, the Marshal served the now-vacant restaurant with a seizure notice.

As we've noted, August Cardona, owner of dell'Anima, L'Artusi and Anfora, will take over the space ... and expanding into the empty storefronts to the east.

Pulino's enters Bowery sidewalk cafe garden party; DBGB put on notice

Three months after DBGB installed a garden oasis on the Bowery, corner mate Pulino's has retaliated with its own urban greenery...

Check mate, Boulud!