Feeling the loss at La Plaza Cultural

Meanwhile, many residents are mourning the loss of the majestic willow tree that has graced La Cultural Plaza since the 1970s ... The winds and soaking rain of Hurricane Irene helped to uproot the tree on Avenue C at Ninth Street...

[Dave on 7th]

EV Grieve reader Jill Woodward shared these photos...

At the Times yesterday, Colin Moynihan wrote about the significance of the tree to the neighborhood.

The gardeners who run La Plaza, as it is called in the neighborhood, staved off several attempts at the garden’s development in the 1980s and ’90s. During those battles, the tall willow was embraced as a symbol of resistance and its likeness appeared on fliers and posters urging neighbors to oppose planned takeovers.

You can read more about the tree's symbolism here.

Melanie has another shot of the downed tree here at East Village Corner.

I've exchanged emails with Ross Martin, who's in charge of general maintenance and capital projects for La Plaza. I've been trying to get an assessment of the damage, and some possible next steps. Unfortunately, in the last few days, he hasn't been able to get anyone to take a look at the tree, and he has tried everyone from the the Parks Department to Rosie Mendez's office to professional tree services, to name a few.


[Fall 2010]

Saifee Hardware isn't accepting any Irene-related returns or exchanges

A reader unhappily notes that Saifee Hardware on First Avenue at Seventh Street won't take back any Irene-related supplies — not even for store credit.

If you can make out the sign...

All emergency items purchased on Thursday, Friday & Saturday including:

Flashlights
Batteries
Candles
Tapes
Tarps
Strings/Twines

FINAL SALE
No exchanges and no returns

So I may hold off before trying to return the eggs and Fruity Pebbles to Key.

DOH temporarily closes Friend House on Third Avenue

Yesterday, the DOH temporarily closed Friend House, the Asian bistro on Third Avenue at 13th Street. Officials haven't posted the latest results online yet. In April, Friend House received 32 points, including for "Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas."

'Greetings From Tim Buckley' filming in the East Village

[Photo on Fifth Street and Avenue A via a very special tipster]

Expect to see crews for the new Jeff Buckley-Tim Buckley biopic filming around the East Village in the coming weeks. We've heard that they've been scouting some familiar locations.

Now! A quick synopsis of the film:

Greetings from Tim Buckley follows the true story of the days leading up to Jeff Buckley’s eminent 1991 performance at his father’s tribute concert in St. Ann’s Church. Through a romance with a young woman working at the concert, he learns to embrace all of his feelings toward the father who abandoned him — longing, anger, forgiveness, and love. Culminating a cathartic performance of his father’s most famous songs, Jeff’s debut stuns the audience and launches his career as one of the greatest young musicians of his time.

And, well, Penn Badgley of "Gossip Girl" fame — and no stranger to the East Village! — is playing Jeff.

Anyway, doesn't seem like that long ago that Jeff Buckley was playing at Sin-é at 122 St. Mark's Place in the early 1990s.

[Jeff Buckley circa 1993 via]

The St. Mark's version of Sin-é closed in 1996. Jeff Buckley drowned in Memphis in 1997.

Updated: Our friends at This Ain't the Summer of Love note in the comments that Anthrax bassist Frank Bello will portray Richard Hell in the movie.

Noted

EV Grieve readers Meaghan Burke and Liz Prutting send along the above shot of a traveler/crusty setting up a bunk in an East Village stairwell ... They asked some questions that other readers have been curious about: "He was ... playing games on his smartphone. Where does he charge this phone? Who pays the bill? Games use up a lot of data..."

Cool Gear of some sort for Second Avenue

Something called Cool Gear is opening on Second Avenue near Fourth Street... it replaces the dry cleaners that closed in, what, late spring? Early summer? The awning went up last week... and no one is ever around the store when we walk by. So no word yet just what kind of Cool Gear this will be.

Today in (unsexy) photo shoots in New York City Marble Cemetery

Well! This is more like it! For those of you who were offended by the photos from the shoot on St. Mark's Place earlier today... EV Grieve reader Spike passes along shots from the New York City Marble Cemetery on East Second Street...

It's a photo shoot for the new Arcade Fire side project. Kidding! The old-timey photographer is Hal Hirshorn. All the people are from the Merchant House Museum.

Today in (sexy) photo shoots on St. Mark's Place

At Avenue A... Photos courtesy of BaHa... not sure what the product is ... very likely it wouldn't fit me anyway...

No word is this shoot is related to this sign!

On Avenue A, a call to abolish heel highs

This morning... via Dave on 7th...

Per the sign: "Outlaw the manufacture and sale of high heel shoes They break ankle and cause maximum pain, shoes without socks not a joke"

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop opens Saturday at noon

On Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. Via Twitter.

Previously.

Your CB3/SLA agenda for September: A renewal for Heather's; a new bar for the Coop?

The CB3/SLA Licensing Committee agenda is now out (thought not yet online) ... the meeting is Monday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. JASA/Green Residence, 200 E. Fifth St. at Bowery.

Not the juiciest of agendas as far as juicy agendas go ... here's a look at some of the East Village-related items... we'll have more on some of these later... (And, for people curious about a new place from Mars Bar owner Hank Penza, there's nothing on this agenda that fits that description.) ...

Renewal with Complaint History
• Heather's (Ariel Inc), 506 E 13 St (op)

This was a scratch from last month's docket. Heathers went before the CB3/SLA committee in September 2009 ... and there was a lengthy discussion. The Times checked in with a lengthy article in January 2007 about the ongoing noise issues between the bar and neighbors.

• Amsterdam Billiards & Bar (Corner Billiards Corp), 110 E 11th St (op)

Always classy!



Applications within Resolution Areas

• Yankee Pizza Restaurant Inc, 181 Ave C aka 647 E 11th St (wb)

Part of the growing Yankee Deli empire.

• Cornerstone Café (AO Café & Restaurant LLC), 17 Ave B (wb)

The newish cafe at Second Street that was once La Bonne Bouffe.

Alterations/Upgrades

• Diablo Royale (East Village Café & Restaurant LLC), 167 Ave A (alt/op)

• Hea Hea Bar & Restaurant (Friend Tri New York Inc), 145 E 13th St aka 106 3rd Ave (alt/op)

• Heartbreak Restaurant (Christos Restaurant LLC), 29 E 2nd St aka 37 2nd Ave (up/op)

New Liquor License Applications

• Cooper Square Hotel (CooperAB LLC), 25-33 Cooper Sq (op)

Hmmm... a new bar for the Coop?

• Ichibantei LLC, 401 E 13th St (wb)

The octopus ball eatery just east off First Avenue. Anyone ever eat here?

• Ciao for Now, 521-523 E 12th St (wb)

Key:
b=beer only | wb=wine & beer only | op=liquor, wine, & beer | alt=alterations | trans=transfer | up=upgrades

Tompkins Square Park chainsaw massacre

As these photos by Bobby Williams show, workers spent a good part of yesterday cleaning up the Irene-damaged trees in Tompkins Square Park...

Melanie notes at East Village Corner that five trees were lost during the storm.

Bob Arihood has some cleanup photos here.

We hope to have an update on the downed trees at La Plaza Cultural later today or tomorrow.

'Food use OK' at former First Avenue video-computer store

The weird-cool little Intervideo Electronics store on First Avenue near Sixth Street closed earlier in the summer... And now, "for lease" signs have gone up here...

We took a look at the listing. The rent isn't listed. However, take a look at the ad... Espresso City? With wi-fi!

By listing "Caracas Arepa Bar, Luke's Lobster Bar, Porchetta NYC, Pylos ... and Cafe Mogador," they're certainly gunning for more upscale food...No mention of Restaurant (Turnover) Row across the street...

Coming next week to First Avenue: Ugly Kitchen

Speaking of Restaurant (turnover) Row on First Avenue ... Grub Street's Jenny Miller has the scoop on what's opening at the now-departed Veloce Pizzeria on First Avenue... something called Ugly Kitchen, from people who run the Blue Ribbon restaurants. Per Grub Street: "the eatery will serve lots of grilled meats, such as Argentinean-style dry-aged steak ... Ugly Kitchen will serve Asian and South American–inflected cocktails, including a mango margarita and a cucumber-pear martini."

Ave. A Mini Market abruptly closes

I swear the place was open Sunday morning... was making notes of what stores were open... and then, yesterday, the place was empty... Pages from Sunday's papers were hanging in the windows...

Meanwhile, @Taylor_Lorenz snapped this shot yesterday...

Anyone know what happened here?

Fall out boys: Angels & Kings is now hosting Penn State football games this fall

On 11th Street near Avenue A. Never been here, though the place never struck me as a sports bar. Per UrbanDaddy upon the opening in April 2007: "Launched in part as a hangout for the members of Fall Out Boy ... and Gym Class Heroes, Angels and Kings — or AK-47, as the kids are calling it — is your chance to sip a cheap bottle of beer and chat up attractive TRL aficionadas."

Maybe now just change that to ... "and chat up JoePa aficionadas"?

Despite downed trees, the Four-Leaf Clover Lady of the East Village goes about her work

Today, with downed trees serving as a backdrop, Hildegard Ford — AKA the Four-Leaf Clover Lady of the East Village — did her thing in Tompkins Square Park...

Photos by Bobby Williams

You can read more about her in this feature from the Daily News from 2008.

The Bean is now apparently opening on every corner in the East Village

Last week, we reported that the Bean was opening at the Crazy Landlord building on Second Avenue and East Third Street...

[Via The Bean on Facebook]

... and they just opened on Broadway and East 12th Street...

Now EV Grieve regular Esquared sends this along... sign went up today on First Avenue at Ninth Street, the former home of Anjelica's Herbs ...

The upper levels will soon be home to luxury apartments.

AND. According to their Facebook page, they will remain at Third Street and First Avenue, their original location.

Why Life Cafe is closed today

10th Street and Avenue B.

Irene-damaged Tompkins Square Park reopens; holiday tree barely survives

In advance of Hurricane Irene, officials closed Tompkins Square Park Saturday afternoon... The Park remained closed yesterday ... and we saw some of the damaged trees...

Around noon, the Park reopened... and we got a better look at the losses. What we didn't see before: That tree that sort of leaned in Crusty Meadow has fallen...

...and it nearly took out the Park's Holiday Tree...

Melanie notes at East Village Corner that five trees were lost during the storm.