Saturday, August 20, 2011

Today in East River Park





Photos by Bobby Williams.

Noted


Well, the Agata Olek original at Seventh Street and Avenue A is now being used as a trash can.

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Days of wine and ... dogs?


Oh, it's the Dog Days at Astor Wines this afternoon ... where John Marshall Mantel took these photos....








Behold your East Village IHOP


Workers have removed the plywood here on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... Pretty low-key looking. So far! A quick look inside confirms the interior will be very similar to the one going in Bushwick.

[Thanks to Jennifer at Xoom for the tip!]

Tonight: East Village Flashback


And here's a snippet from "7th Street" (2003) ...

Tagging the Cooper Square Hotel fence III


The Cooper Square Hotel anti-graffiti team is a little slack this morning. In the past, the team would have already wiped away the tag.

Previously.

What a web site


EV Grieve reader Greg McHale sent along this photo this morning from the 9th Street Community Garden.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Storm center

Using up all my storm headlines in one night... Anyway! Many thanks to James Maher for sharing these photos...



Find more of his work here.

The incoming storm tonight



Wow. Photos by Bobby Williams.

It was a dark and stormy night — really


Photo by Crazy Eddie

BareBurger coming to former Sin Sin space on Second Avenue


Another outpost of the organic hamburglar BareBurger is opening on Second Avenue at the site of the former Sin Sin space. This after the bakery-cafe-bar concept died.

Check out their menu here (PDF)

Until tomorrow today



The Lords of the New Church with "Live for Today" circa 1983.

Earlier today on Second Avenue



[By blue glass]

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

[Bobby Williams]

Check out the latest work at the EV Grieve animated gif tribute site — but beware of the Subway BBQ sandwich! (EVGif)

Storing bikes on East Ninth Street (Curbed)

Your chance to spray "2 hot girls in white tanks" with a garden hose on Ludlow Street (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Jesus and the Prayer Station in Tompkins Square Park (Slum Goddess)

A look at LES hip-hop history (The Villager)

A look at MoMA's "New Photography" Exhibit (PopSugar NY)

Last day to see Rude and Reckless: Post-Punk Graphics, 1976-82 at Steven Kasher Gallery (Nonetheless ... Alex checks it out here)

New work from the Mosaic Man (East Village Corner)

New chef for Northern Spy (Eater)

At the rally to save an 82-year-old woman from eviction in Bed-Stuy (Runnin' Scared)




If André Balazs buys the Cooper Square Hotel, then are we in for some public displays of sex here?

According to Hotel Chatter (via Curbed), hotelier Andre Balazs may be taking over our very own Cooper Square Hotel.

As you'll recall a few summers back, there was all that hoopla at the Standard, a property that Balazs operates by the High Line. There were those exhibitionist types screwing or masturbating doing this or that in full view of the commoners below.

[Photo at the Standard via]

Well, this is just one way to spice up an otherwise rather moribund property like the Cooper Square Hotel. Been some time since we've seen any Cooper Square Cheesecake.

Those persistent rumors about 74-76 Third Avenue and the future of Nevada Smith's


We've heard those rumors about Nevada Smith's relocating to a larger space for some time now. The rumors have picked up again with the recent arrival of the sidewalk shed in front of both Nevada Smith's and the former Yummy House location.

So far, nothing at the DOB suggests anything out of the ordinary.


Also, earlier this week, workers posted the Asbestos Abatement Notices — often a sign of an impending demolition.


Several former Nevada Smith's regulars claim that the celebrated soccer/football bar will close soon — possibly relocating. There has been some turmoil within the bar in recent years. After a closure for alleged underage drinking in March 2010, management fired two popular bartenders, which prompted a Facebook campaign.

One former regular explained that many of the major supporter clubs have moved on to other venues for the games, leaving behind some tourists and the newbie, throw-a-jersey-on-for-a-day types. Tonight, there is an "appreciation night" at the bar.


Meanwhile, given the proximity of this property — including the parking lot on the corner of East 12th Street that one tipster said has been sold to developers — NYU has been mentioned as the new landowner.

We checked in with James Devitt, deputy director for media relations at NYU, for comment.

"Completely false," he said via email about NYU buying the spaces.

As for Nevada Smith's, the future may be uncertain ... but maybe that's OK in the estimation of one former regular: "I have great memories of that place, but it can't and won't ever be re-created again, and to be honest — I don't want it to be."


The Tompkins Square Park Media Ratstravaganza Part 2 this September?

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

In his Villager column this week, Scoopy has a statement from the Tompkins Square Park & Playgrounds Parents’ Association (TSP3A). The comment reads, in part:

If they do not have an alternative plan, or think what they have done so far, like putting in rat-proof garbage cans and laying down wood chips, is an acceptable alternative, they are mistaken. The Parks Department can rest assured that around mid-September, TSP3A will be inviting the entire New York City media back to our playground, with their cameras in tow, to see how the Parks Department has done. If they have eliminated the rats, it will be a great day for the Parks Department and for our children. But if the situation is largely unchanged, then they will be in for a second round of embarrassment courtesy of every newspaper, television and radio news program, and news blog in the New York City metropolitan area.

Woo! Blogs!

Oh, anyway. Read all the statement (and the rest of Scoopy) here. And! For the record, Bob Arihood coined the termed TSP Ratstravaganza ... we're not sure about the licensing agreement...

Restaurant (turnover) row on First Avenue


Yesterday, we noted that Veloce Pizzeria on First Avenue was "closed for renovations." Well! Matt Rosen at Neighborhoodr was first with the scoop last weekend ... Also yesterday! Grub Street got the word that they "will be relocating to midtown Manhattan sometime in 2012."

We also hear that the owners of Veloce Pizzeria might be keeping the space and trying another concept.

Meanwhile, there is a lot of restaurant turnover along First Avenue here between Sixth Street and Seventh Street:

L’asso EV is taking over the Bonjoo space.

• wd~50 pastry chef Alex Stupak is opening Empellon, "a fine-dining Mexican restaurant," at the former Counter.

Filipino pop-up restaurant Maharlika is the fourth restaurant to try 111 First Ave.

What gives here?

Of course, there was Teresa's, the always-reliable (and affordable) Polish diner at 103 First Ave. (which was/is Veloce Pizzeria) that closed in May 2007 ...

A sign of things (pancakes, namely) to come on 14th Street

Yesterday, Bucky Turco at Animal NY got a look inside the incoming IHOP in Bushwick ... Seeing as one (an IHOP, not a Bushwick) is opening on 14th Street soon enough, well, here's what you can likely expect....

[Bucky Turco]

And here's how it will look from the outside on 14th Street...


KIDDING about that exterior...