Where the wild things are — Astor Place

Earlier today. Photo by EV Grieve reader Grant.

Kim Kardashian was in the East Village on Tuesday, ever so discreetly

[Zinno Park]

These photos were taken by Zinno Park at I Love East Village. For unknown reasons, Kim Kardashian and her sister Klyde Kourtney were shopping at Healthfully Organic Market on East Fourth Street east of Second Avenue on Tuesday. It's possible that we have nothing else to say on the matter.

[Zinno Park]

Memorial for the downed willow tree at La Plaza Cultural

Ninth Street and Avenue C. Photo by Steven Matthews. Why this tree is significant here.

Hurricane Irene observations from afar, and closer to home

[Shawn Chittle]

Perspectives on the East Village/New York City via the national/international media leading up to Hurricane Irene:

The Los Angeles Times:

"Happy Hurricane Day," a burly, bearded man named Carlos said as he walked into Mona's, a longtime watering hole in New York's East Village, on Friday night and asked a barmaid to pour him a whiskey. "Nah, that's Sunday," came the barstool reply from a short, clean-shaven man who looked like the actor Fisher Stevens (and may in fact have been him).

A kind of stoic comedy, with a kick of gallows humor, permeated New York late Friday night as the city braced for what meteorologists predicted could be one of the worst natural disasters in its history. In preparation for Hurricane Irene, the state was already taking the unprecedented step of shutting down mass transit at noon Saturday, a move that equates roughly to Los Angeles banning cars on city streets during the weekday rush hour.

... The East Village, where Mona's is located, is one of New York's premiere nightlife districts. Well past midnight on almost any weekend night, bars are typically packed, the sounds of noisy inebriation — emanating from those who've traveled miles from homes in suburban New Jersey or blocks from dorm rooms at New York University — filling the streets.

The Guardian UK:

[EV Grieve reader Lauren]

You get used to odd sights in New York, especially in the East Village, a crowded artsy neighbourhood known for a bohemian mix of hipsters and gritty old-timers, which boasts a bar on virtually every corner.

But panic-buying supplies for a hurricane? That was still a novelty for even the most jaded Manhattan eye. Yet there they were: crowds of people lined up outside local supermarkets and thronging "deli" corner stores.

The queue outside the Trader Joe's supermarket on 14th Street stretched all the way down the block, filled with a cross section of East Village life from suited-up young office workers to people clad in gym gear to smartly dressed nighthawks.

Seeing the line it was easy to be briefly disappointed at a lack of fortitude in a city that celebrates a reputation for toughness and scepticism of danger. But, gratifyingly, the line for the cheap wine shop next door was even longer.

Upon hearing about the panic shopping, an EV Grieve reader, stuck out of town last weekend, observed via email: "Have we become a bunch of pussies?"

For some reason I tried to put it in some perspective. I explained that it was equal parts media hysteria and Mayor Bloomberg's grim soundbites that helped spark the frenzy. Or maybe we are a bunch of pussies.

Still, it was a dangerous storm that killed 40 people in 11 states ... with damages estimated anywhere from $3 to $13 billion depending on your news source.

Chris Smith at New York thinks Bloomberg got it right. "Given the facts and the odds as Irene churned up the East Coast, Bloomberg made the right calls, evacuating low-lying parts of the city and endorsing the transit shutdown. That the storm didn't hit as directly or devastatingly as it could have doesn't change the rightness of the mayor's actions."

Meanwhile, there has been plenty of discussion on the media's shrill tone in the days leading up to its arrival in the area. I found the coverage unnecessarily dire and (sorry) overblown. I went to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website for updates. They don't have sizzling graphics or branded personalities. Just facts.

Jeff Jarvis called the media coverage "storm porn." Countered David Ropeik, a consultant in risk communication, on MSNBC: "Yes, the information the media presented was wrapped up in breathless alarmism ... But ... under all the alarmism was really important information that helped people stay safe: storm track timing, tips for preparedness, evacuation routes. It was alarmist in voice, but an informative tool. And that probably helped more than it hurt."

(You can read more about the storm coverage at The Columbia Journalism Review, where I found the above passages.)

I waited a few days to post any of these various perspectives... let a little time pass. Maybe we'll feel a little differently about the media coverage and Bloomberg's actions now...

This Halloween, illustrate how scary you find NYU’s massive expansion plans

On Tuesday, Off the Grid — the blog by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) — noted NYU and Community Board 2 Children’s Halloween Parade. There's a contest to design an image for this year’s parade.

Per Off the Grid:

Well, we couldn’t think of anything scarier than NYU’s massive proposed 20-Year Expansion Plan, in which the university asks the City to give them public land, lift zoning restrictions, loosen open space requirements, and eliminate urban renewal deed restrictions in order to allow the addition 2.5 million square feet of space (the equivalent of the Empire State Building!) south of Washington Square Park...

So GVSHP invites you to submit your best design illustrating just how scary you find NYU’s massive expansion plans. See the rules and contact information here. (Bottom of the post.) Deadline is Sept. 8. OK, designers — get to work...

You have 20 shopping days left until the East Village IHOP opens!

I stopped by the incoming outpost here on East 14th Street last evening ... and the makeshift file-folder sign greeted me.

But! Daniel Maurer at the Local learns that the EVIHOP will open Sept. 20.

Twenty days from now! Oh, crap. Or is it 19? I hate math!

Which means! You will have time still to to take part in IHOP's Carmel Apple Sensations — "good through Oct. 30" as seen via IHOP.com.



And now, for a limited time only, the complete EV Grieve IHOP collection...

• And the hits keep on coming! IHOP opening on East 14th Street

• New East Village IHOP will employ more than 200 people

• Breaking: IHOP sign going up on East 14th Street

• Behold your East Village IHOP

• East Village IHOP passes first major test; plus, a sneak peek inside!

• Will the EVIHOP feature the Toto SS113-01 Cotton White SoftClose Toilet Seat? (Kidding! But I'm working on it!)

Veselka Bowery has beverage director; will open early next month

[Bobby Williams]

The Post had a feature yesterday on new restaurants, chefs and what not. I didn't read it. But... an EVG reader did, and noted that the Post included Veselka Bowery in its round-up, even running a photo of the new restaurant's beverage director.

Per the paper:

Count the bottles of Eastern European vodkas at Veselka Bowery (9 E. First St.; 212-387-7000), offspring of the beloved East Village Ukrainian soul-food joint. The new spot, opening in early October, will boast a full bar focused on small-producer vodkas from Poland, Ukraine and Russia, and an expanded menu. “It will be different and creative,” promises owner Tom Birchard.

Al fresco dining at Gemma — pay no mind to the diner's unattended purse on the sidewalk

On the Bowery last evening.

Tonight in Tompkins Square Park: vampire hunters, the undead — plus a movie!

OK, boo to the headline. Tonight is the second to last of the free music-movie nights in Tompkins Square Park. This evening's word picture: "Stake Land."

I don't know too much about this one. Let's head over to Wikipedia for a summary:

The United States is a lost nation. [Ed Note — duh] When an epidemic of vampirism strikes, humans find themselves on the run from vicious, feral beasts. Cities are tombs and survivors cling together in rural pockets, fearing nightfall. [Ed Note: Sounds like Third Avenue when school starts!] When his family is slaughtered, young Martin (Connor Paolo) is taken under the wing of a grizzled, wayward hunter (Nick Damici) whose new prey are the undead.
Simply known as Mister, the vampire stalker takes Martin on a journey through the locked-down towns of America's heartland, searching for a better place while taking down any bloodsuckers that cross their path. Along the way they recruit fellow travellers, including a nun (Kelly McGillis Ed Note: Woo!) who is caught in a crisis of faith when her followers turn into ravenous beasts. [Ed Note: 12 years of Catholic schools will do that to a guy!]

Sounds fun. Bring the kids!



And upcoming:
Sept. 8 — Rosemary’s Baby

[EVG flashback] Off the wall

Our post from yesterday about the the closure of the Manhattan Parking Group at 74-84 Third Ave. at 12th Street ... and of the mysterious windows in the Yummy House building... prompted me to dig up this post from February 2009...


I'm always rather surprised to see the side of the building free of ads here along this stretch of Third Avenue near 12th Street...Been empty for at least a week since "The Pink Panther Part Duh" banner came down...




This is always prime ad space too. A short history of the wall from 2008...







BONUS FOR MAKING IT THIS FAR!

From July 2009...

Ad for Julia Child movie is oddly erotic

First, though, the latest ad to grace the building on Third Avenue near 12th Street.



And, um. Really? I'll say nothing else, in fear that I will appear in a blurb for the movie...

"Julie & Julia is finger-lickin' good!"
— EV Grieve

Previously on EV Grieve:
Where are all the ads?

Two Boots introduces The Martina

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Dear Friends of Two Boots,

To commemorate the U.S. Open being in town, and to celebrate tennis great Martina Navratilova, Two Boots has created a special pie for the next two weeks, with all proceeds going to the Harvey Milk High School, an amazing New York City public school dedicated to serving the gay, lesbian and transgender communities.

Please come try "The Martina," and see Two Boots featured on U.S. Open broadcasts on the Tennis Channel!

Best,
Phil

Today in Porsches being towed near Extra Place

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Second Avenue pipe break conjures up memories of the Icicle Audi, sort of

This afternoon around 3, several readers sent along word of some gushing water on Second Avenue near St. Mark's Place... Bobby Williams was on the scene, where workers confirmed (duh) the broken pipe...

Good thing this didn't happen during the winter. ICICLE AUDI!

Downed-tree tour continues....

We'll continue our depressing downed-tree tour in Tompkins Square Park... After the storm passed, the most visible downed tree was in Tompkins Square Park inside the Ninth Street entrance...

[Dave on 7th]

... a scene that attracted onlookers throughout Sunday...

[blue glass]

Crews finished this work up yesterday...

...the loss of a tree aside ... the collateral damage seemed minimal...

Illegal work continues at former Mundial space on East 12th Street

The most recent bars to inhabit 505 E. 12th St. — Mundial and Totem — were nightmares for some nearby residents here on the block just east of Avenue A.

Recently, residents have noted that workers are busy renovating the space... which is fine, except that there aren't any work permits on file with the DOB.

Per one neighbor: "The work furiously continues on the former Mundial space ... with no sign of a work permit. They were working on the space well into the night last night."

"They got a lumber delivery a little after 8 this morning, and one of the guys who is working on the space is hustling to get it all inside."

"Why do I get the feeling that whatever this space is going to be, it isn’t going to be a good neighbor?"

People should know by now: You don't fuck with 12th Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another nightmare bar for 505 E. 12th St.?

Last night's CB3 recap: Residents 1, Bar Owners 0

Here comes the fear again: 505 E. 12th St. back on the market

The East Village will lose a parking lot and gain an apartment building

Today is the last day for the Manhattan Parking Group at 74-84 Third Ave. at 12th Street. (The number to the lot has already been disconnected.) Multiple lot workers have confirmed the closure.

A handful of cars remain on the lot this morning.

Several EVG readers who have parked their car here received phone calls a few weeks ago saying that the lot was closing. Per one reader: "I asked what was going on and they said some wealthy Cuban man bought that lot and the building next door. The guy claims he saw all the drawings for the new building that is going up and that the architect had come by with the drawings."

We've heard these rumors, too, from various sources. One of the parking lot attendees — always reliable! — said that the new building will be 20 floors. Not sure about that claim. (Read more on this here.) An NYU spokesperson already said that they were NOT the new property owners, listed as 74-84 Third Ave. Corp.

Anyway, we're waiting to hear more details from official channels, including a look at the rendering.

Meanwhile, haven't you always wondered what was behind those two single windows and grubby curtains in the floors above the old Yummy House?

About The Bean's East Village expansion

[The Bean/Facebook]

On Monday, we broke the news that Bean is expanding its East Village presence to include a storefront on First Avenue at Ninth Street... to go alongside their original location at First Avenue and Third Street, Broadway and East 12th Street and the Crazy Landlord building.

In response to the post, Guy, The Bean's general manager, left the following comment:

It's a pretty exciting time for The Bean and we wanted to let the East Village community know what's going on.

The Plan: we're opening two more cafes around the East Village. We don't really think of this as an "aggressive" business move as The Bean remains an independently owned and operated neighborhood business. We haven't "sold out" or "gone corporate" and we've had this expansion in mind for sometime. Our cafes' walls will still feature the artwork and photography of East Village artists and photographers and we're super excited to ably to service more of our friendly & loyal customers in the East Village — old and new — whether they're just stopping in for a quick cup of coffee or penning the next great American novel sitting in one of our cafes.

Ultimately we'd rather open a business to service the neighborhood than have another bank or fast food restaurant further de-characterize the East Village.

The Bean remains committed to our customers, their dogs and — as always — we're open to suggestions. Just no poetry readings. :)

Guy
General Manager, The Bean

At Fork in the Road, our friend Rebecca Marx mentions Joe the Art of Coffee, an independently owned shop with seven locations in different parts of the city. "So while it's nice to see East Village storefronts being snapped up by a local business that isn't Duane Reade, one wonders if the Bean's owners would do better to spread out the wealth a little bit," she writes.

Some readers have chimed in on the topic on the previous post. A reader left this comment last night:

"2 new shops in the neighborhood opening simultaneously is clearly aggressive, especially since one is on the same block as Mud

The amount of money it takes to pull this off is huge. Market saturation is a ruthless corporate strategy, mom & pop shops don't have the resources and are usually a bit more sensitive to their neighborhood...no way is it independent."

Less shade now in Tompkins Square Park

As you know, Hurricane Irene took out many trees in the neighborhood this part weekend... we lost a handful in Tompkins Square Park too, including my favorite right in the middle of the Park (an area some people have dubbed Crusty Meadow) ...

I took these shots in the late spring... thinking it would make for a gag post, such as "tree-bending culprit captured on film!"

And after the storm ...

Yesterday, Bobby Williams noted the workers have removed the tree...

Which means more sun and space for sunbathing here in the quad...

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.