Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Double Crown now closed on Bleecker and the Bowery

In case you were wondering what's going on at Double Crown, that big place on the corner of Bleecker and the Bowery. As Diner's Journal reported, the owners decided to close the joint after three years, and reopen it in the fall as something called Saxon & Parole.


Anyway, Double Crown closed after dinner Saturday night's dinner... and they left a note.


Their adjoining bar remains open next door on Bleecker.


Meanwhile, according to LoopNet, the retail space here remains on the market. Per the listing:

The retail condominiums total 6,600 sf, are fully leased to Double Crown Restaurant/Madam Geneva Bar & Lounge and sit at the base of a residential loft building in the heart of the Bowery. The market has experienced a revitalization in recent years and presents a vibrant mix of new residential, retail, hotel, cultural, dining and nightlife offerings. Property Features: 6,600 sf on two levels: 3,400 sf on the Ground Floor and 3,200 sf in the Lower Level. 129 feet of wraparound frontage. Two existing liquor licenses in place. Fully built kitchen. This is a rare opportunity to purchase an income-producing retail condominium on the Bowery with an existing liquor license in-place.

Agata Olek'a yarn cart continues East Village World Tour

Last Thursday, a yarn-covered grocery cart — an Agata Olek original – appeared at Seventh Street and Avenue A ... Someone then promptly filled it with trash ...


Then it was gone.

But. Bobby Williams and his friend Pete tracked it down yesterday at its new home on Second Avenue at Fourth Street...


Previously.

Monday, August 22, 2011

And now, Ryan Gosling helping break up a fight on Astor Place

Well, the last time we saw Ryan Gosling around here, he was helping move furniture on Seventh Street... And now, in this video making the rounds this afternoon (thanks to RyanAvenueA for sending us the link from Jezebel), watch the Oscar nominee break up some sort of skirmish on Astor Place during the weekend... he appears at about the 30-second mark...



Suppose they were fighting about the new Astor Place design?

Why a man urinated in Pulino's sink

In its "Neighborhood News" section this week, New York magazine makes note of the following...


Meanwhile, I've worked "urinated" and "poop" into headlines today. Banner day.


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Report: Upright Citizens Brigade booking shows next month at East Village location


An EV Grieve reader sent along a link to a recent post on the Comic's Comic that provides some details on the Upright Citizens Brigade's East Village outpost on Avenue A. Sure has been quiet here of late. Workers even removed all the signs.

But! As Sean L. McCarthy reported:

UCB people told The Comic's Comic ... that they're "getting ready to open" UCB East, and I've already received word from some shows booking gigs there in September. The aim of UCB East is to provide a home for more stand-up and variety shows, thereby allowing the main UCB New York City theater in Chelsea to open up more primetime hours for improv and sketch.

So there's still time for residents to get outraged by something connected to this location.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Your 'Hot Chicks Room' sign update

[Updated] Resident starting a petition to have the 'Hot Chicks Room' sign removed at the Upright Citizens Brigade

Breaking: UCB will remove the 'Hot Chicks Room' sign!

Let's make this Cornell Edwards Way


Cornell Edwards, who opened The Flower Stall at 143 E. 13th St. in 1967 and ran it for 43 years at this location, passed away last spring. His partner Bill is leading an effort to have East 13th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue designated as Cornell Edwards Way.

You can sign the petition by stopping by the Flower Stall or Stock next door...

Previously.

More rat baiting stations arrive in Tompkins Square Park

Yesterday, we noted the arrival of a rat-baiitng station in Tompkins Square Park ... right near the playground at Avenue A and Ninth Street... newly appointed EV Grieve TSP Ratstravaganza correspondent Bobby Williams noticed six later in the day...



Meanwhile, no word yet if Ramy Issac will design additional floors for the rat-baiting stations.


BMW Guggenheim Lab removes poop just like everyone else

[Photo by Steve Carter]

Well, with all that think tanking going on here, we figured they'd have come up with a novel urbanistic, sustainable solution for waste removal by now. But, to be fair, they still have until Oct. 16 ...

New East Village IHOP will employ more than 200 people


On Saturday, we pointed out the newly unveiled exterior of the East Village IHOP on East 14th Street between Third Avenue and Second Avenue ... Meanwhile, Jennifer London, who operates Xoom across the street, met the new manager, who said that IHOP was hiring more than 200 people to start. Quite an operation...

And EV Grieve reader Tom wonders is this exterior will be similar to the Harlem IHOP location...


Previously.

Veselka Bowery now has ... stationery!


Tomorrow, we compare the toilet paper to the Veselka mothership. Plus, OK — they likely had the stationery for awhile now... just not on display in the front window.

The Cardinal opens today on East Fourth Street


We've been keeping an eye on The Cardinal, the incoming Southern-style restaurant on East Fourth Street near Avenue B. According to UrbanDaddy (via Grub Street), the place opens today.

As Daniel Maurer at the Local first reported, former Bubby's chef Curtis Brown is behind the bi-level space; that American Apparel CEO Dov Charney is a backer.

And, via UrbanDaddy, here's a look at the menu ...


We're very confident the BBQ will look better than this.

[Repost] BareBurger coming to former Sin Sin space on Second Avenue

We first posted his Friday around 5 ... so in case you missed it...


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)

New: On Friday evening, EV Grieve reader Stephen Popkin happened by the BareBurger location in Murray Hill ... and sent along these photos ...






Sunday, August 21, 2011

Report: fake real estate agent soaks 2 people for security deposits

From the NYPD Daily Blotter in the Post today:

An East Village real-estate agent turned out to be one big phony, authorities said. Renato Bardini, 48, showed an apartment seeker a place on East Third Street near First Avenue last month, authorities said.

The victim wanted to move in and gave Bardini a $500 security deposit and a $75 “application fee.”
The faux agent also showed the apartment to another victim, who gave him more than $3,000 for rent, deposits and fees.

It’s not clear how the fraudster accessed the apartment. Bardini was charged with third-degree grand larceny, scheming to defraud and petit larceny.

Today in Lamborghinis on Great Jones Street and the Bowery


Before the rain... Not the EV Lambo, though ... Photo by Bobby Williams...

P.S.
In case you never saw this. Phew! Good for you!

At the Red Bull Manny Mania 2011






At the Red Bull Manny Mania 2011 in Coleman Park under the Manhattan Bridge.

Photos by John Marshall Mantel.


Week in Grieview: Hard rain, dead trees — and truck nuts

[Watch out Flaming Cactus!]

Workers chopped down trees at 51 Astor Place (Monday)

It rained and stormed and stuff (Friday)

We wondered about the future of Nevada Smith's (Friday)

Bowery Beef leaving the Bowery Poetry Club? (Thursday)

A model and snow on Great Jones (Tuesday)

Spotting truck nuts (Tuesday)

A suspicious fire at the Flea Market Cafe (Tuesday)

A 33-unit apartment building to rise at the former home of a Community Board 3 member (Monday)

Open Mic Night returned to the Sidewalk (Monday)

Your "Lower Manhattan Theme Song 2011" (WOO!) (Wednesday)

And now, 5 random photos from this weekend






Noting some defensive rat tactics in Tompkins Square Park

A few items to note about the defensive tactics vs. the Tompkins Square Park rat population...

For starters, Park workers yesterday removed the decorative trash can wraps that prompted critter-friendly pile ups...

Before!


Now!


We also noticed the presence of a lone baiting station adjacent to the playground on Avenue A at Ninth Street...


There may be others, but we didn't spot them...

We previously noted the arrival of "feed a pigeon, breed a rat" signs ... Will any of this help head off another Media Ratstravaganza?


In a way, it seems as if they never left


Chase branch on the Bowery near First Street.