Monday, November 21, 2011

The Standard East Village makes it official; plus the Trilby sign is gone


On Friday morning, Page Six reported that André Balazs was ready to turn the Cooper Square Hotel into The Standard East Village.

Later on Friday, The Standard made it official on its website via a post by "Stan D’Arde," the "perennial voice of The Standard Hotels." Here's what "Stan" had to say ...

Let’s cut straight to the point. I know you have been hearing rumors that we at The Standard Hotels were bringing you, our Stan D’esirably loyal family, another property in New York City to call your own. Well, I’m here today to squash all those rumors and to give you the facts straight from the Stan’s mouth…

WE ARE VERY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE 5TH ADDITION TO OUR STANDARD FAMILY WITH THE STANDARD, EAST VILLAGE!

There. I said it, and there’s no turning back.

Since you’re already part of our family, you know how very unique all of the siblings are. The Standard Hotels in Hollywood, Downtown LA, Miami and New York are each special in their own way, and this latest property already fits right in.

Don’t get too excited though! Unlike The Standard, New York, this Eastside counterpart, located on the corner of East 5th Street and Bowery at Cooper Square, is going to be a more mellow alternative to all the boom in your Westside room. Spanning 21 floors with 145 rooms offering stunning cityscape views, The Standard, East Village will offer you all the spacious comforts and high ‘standards’ to which you’ve grown accustomed.

Over the next year, we’ll be refurbishing the rooms, revamping the restaurant and reimagining the public spaces to make everything perfect for you. Oh, and when I say I’ll be “working”, I mean I’ll be at the bar sipping my martini, pointing at things and telling people where another bar should probably belong.

We’re really excited to be moving into the hood with old friends like Creative Time and The New Museum and to meet all the new friends waiting for us. We know we’ll see you there, so keep checking back for updates. I’ll be keeping you posted every step of the way.

xoxo
Stan

xoxo right back atcha Stan!

Meanwhile, there are already a few noticeable changes. Or at least one.

Like! Remember the Trilby hitchin' post that workers installed last July?


Gone!


More views of the freshly renovated St. Brigid's

Workers removed even more of the scaffolding on Saturday...



Please do not throw bottles out your windows and into the courtyard



A reader brought our attention to this sign hanging on a Jakobson Properties building on East 12th Street... The sign is dated Oct. 31... not new, though still entertaining.

Quantum Leap makes it official

As we reported, Quantum Leap, the vegetarian restaurant on First Avenue near 12th Street, closed last Thursday due to a rent hike...


... someone put up a sign in the window making it official... and telling people to visit their original Thompson Street location... via a photo by @JorgeO ...

Sahara East is back open

[Yesterday at Sahara East]

As we pointed out last Wednesday, the state closed down Sahara East on First Avenue for "nonpayment of taxes."

EV Grieve correspondent blue glass noted that they were able to reopen again this past weekend.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Today in photos of Basset Hounds with cameras attached their backs


This Dogme 95 movement is getting stricter... in Tompkins Square Park today. By Bobby Williams.

City unveils new mattress and TV lanes on First Avenue


Of course, some jerk walking his mattress the wrong way nearly knocked me down.

Photo yesterday by blue glass.

What do you do if your Aston Martin Vantage Volanté breaks down on Houston and The Bowery?

Billy Leroy, the proprietor of Billy's Antiques, passes along this anecdote from last night ... at the crossroad of the world — Bowery and Houston.


So this fellow has a $100,000 Aston Martin DBS 1984 Aston Martin Vantage Volanté that breaks down. As Billy notes, instead of calling a tow truck, the man decides to have a buddy tow him with a few feet of twine ...




As you might expect, it snapped.

So Billy was nice enough to lend the man a chain from his tool room at Billy's Antiques.

Billy notes that the man was kind enough to return the chain.

And the Ghosts of the old Bowery strike again.

DOH temporarily closes Atlas Cafe



A visit by the DOH on Friday has knocked out Atlas Cafe over on Second Avenue... 87 violation points.

Have you found a clear, pretzel-shaped acrylic sculpture?



Also, a record for adjectives in a headline.

Noted


I'll say! Uh. Sorry. On 12th Street.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Squirrel(s) vs. hawk in Tompkins Square Park today





Photos by Bobby Williams

Meanwhile, lunchtime with a rat




Photos by Bobby Williams.

More of the rat lunch today in Tompkins Square Park

Our friend BaHa sends along a few more photos of a rat lunch today in Tompkins Square Park...





About the First Street Green Cultural Park


Now that the BMW Guggenheim Lab has moved on to confront comfort in Berlin, what's happening to the lot? Gothamist got the scoop yesterday from the volunteers at First Street Green:

The lot-turned-park will host dance, sculpture, painting, readings, music, performance, film, and annual competitions to build temporary canopies to house all of those things.

There's a kick-off party on Dec. 10 ... as Gothamist noted, First Street Green will unveil a "wishing wall" ... where you can suggest ideas for the space. (And preferably ones that don't involve liquor licenses ...)

Bobby Williams took the photos here yesterday... workers are putting in a new gate and what not.


Ave. A Deli & Food is now open


And now, 893 posts about Graceland later ... Here at Second Street, the corner deli opened on Thursday night... bringing closure to the drama that included Graceland closing, Frank's fast-food eatery not getting CB3 approval and 7-Eleven threat theatrics...

We'll have complete live team coverage — Assignment: Ave. A Deli & Food — all weekend, though I wouldn't count on it.

And now, a photo of the floor that I accidentally took...

Breaking: Workers removing more scaffolding at St. Brigid's


We've been getting a good look this week (here ... and here) ... at the renovated St. Brigid's on Avenue B at Eighth Street... this morning, a reader alerted us that workers were back at the scene removing the rest of the scaffolding on the historic church's north wall...

A note from our far-flung correspondents

From Dave on 7th, walking on 14th Street:

I just need to report that at 1:30 on Friday night, the IHOP is basically full.

And we shall call it, Squirrel in Silhouette


Early morning in Tompkins Square Park.

Friday, November 18, 2011