Why some people think Billy Leroy is dead

As you know, Billy's Antiques and Props as we know it is gone over on Houston near the Bowery... the former home of Billy's tent is drawing some curious onlookers... many of whom believe that Billy himself died.... helped, in part, by that missing s in the homemade RIP Billy sign... (it should read "RIP Billy's")

... not to mention the workers on the scene who may be playing along with the death rumor ... In any event, the casket lying in state, as BoweryBoogie put it, continues to draw curious onlookers...

Perhaps this will become the next stop on the Dead Apple Tours...

Out of order: World Famous Pee Phone, others, face a future without quarters, whiskey

Well, to no surprise, it appears the end is nearish for the World Famous Pee Phone (above) on Avenue A at Seventh Street and other pay phones in the neighborhood. According to the Post today, the city is ready to welcome the next generation of pay phones:

New Yorkers stuck with a battery-drained iPad or BlackBerry will soon be able to turn to the city’s newest “pay phones” — computer kiosks that let users buy access to the Web, e-mail and various apps.

The Jetsons-style setup — dubbed MIKE, or My Internet Kiosk Everywhere — will soon replace every single antiquated pay phone throughout the city, The Post has learned.

The Post reports that workers will install 100 MIKE systems (MIKE? Really?) around the city, starting at Penn Station.

A California-based company called Pacific Telemanagement Services took over Verizon's stock of public pay phones "after the communications giant decided it wasn’t making enough money off them."

Thanks Verizon. Now where are people supposed to hang their dry cleaning?

Going to the former Chapel, and we're gonna get three new floors

The scaffolding and construction netting is now in place at the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel on Second Avenue between 10th Street and Ninth Street.

As Off the Grid first reported last summer, there are plans on file to "Remodel the existing three story building and add 3 stories on top."

According to the DOB, city officials have approved those plans on Jan. 10. Here's the DOB language:

REMODEL EXISTING THREE STORY BUILDING AND ADD 3 STORIES ON TOP OF EXISTING BUILDING. SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS TO BE CONVERTED TO RESIDENTIAL ONLY. FIRST FLOOR TO BE USED AS A COMMERCIAL USE.

And yes — we've run out of headlines.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former funeral home looks to double in size with help from 'the controversial penthouse king of the East Village'

Reposts: A campaign to save Kate's Joint on Avenue B

[File photo via @HanserHanser]

We posted this on Saturday morning...

Kate is currently in arrears with the landlord. Eviction notices have been sent, court appearances have been made, and if a substantial amount of money is not raised by April 11th, the next court date, the doors will shut permanently at Kate’s Joint.

There's a campaign to help the save the space at Indiegogo here. We had a few comments on the post, and not everyone was very sympathetic.

Meanwhile, during the weekend, our friend @jarak made a good point via Twitter: "Vegpocalypse? Counter, Curly's, Quantum and maybe Kate's dunzo? Anti-soyite landlords?"

Counter on First Avenue closed last year... Quantum Leap closed on First Avenue in November... Curly's, then its replacement, the 14 Carrot, both closed on 14th Street this year... Coincidence... or perhaps a larger food trend at work here?

Espresso bar opening next month on East Sixth Street

Dave on 7th points out a new expresso bar opening next month here between Avenue A and Avenue B...

Reminders tonight: CB3 SLA licensing meeting; plus a look at 200 Avenue A

Reminder for tonight... here's the latest rundown with a few scratches...

And the application that will likely draw the most conversation: Ave A Hospitality LLC, 200 Ave A (op)

The people hoping to take over the one-time home to Superdive have been before the CB3/SLA committee three times — and turned down each time... We heard the concept during one of the meetings — an art gallery with a full-service restaurant. Read the background here.

But let's take a fresh look at the application, now on file at the CB3 website. (PDF)

The three principals are looking at business hours of 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The kitchen will be open to within one hour of closing. The application also shows that they'd be 19 tables seating 52 people, plus one bar with 12 additional seats. The gallery-restaurant would employ between 20-25 people. Lastly, there are proposed "promoted events, scheduled performances."

The plywood at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery,

It's never acceptable to make jokey observations about beloved neighborhood institutions, like if you saw plywood outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery and said something like, "Shake Shack opening here?" But it would be perfectly reasonable to think such things.

Anyway, as you've noticed of late...

Per the work permits:

RESTORATION OF EXISTING BRICK ARCH AND ASSOCIATED IRON GATE LOCATED IN WEST YARD
OF CHURCH PROPERTY. NO CHANGE IN USE, EGRESS OR OCCUPANCY.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New commercial turns historic St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery into a bank branch

C’est Magnifique is now on East Ninth Street

Thanks to an EV Grieve Facebook regular for letting us know that C’est Magnifique relocated earlier this month from Macdougal Street to East Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

As the Times noted a few years back, Funzy and Josephine Albrizio opened the store on Macdougal Street in 1959 ... the next generation of the Albrizio family now run the jewelry store...

And from the Times, a familiar story...

After more than half a century in the same spot, Mr. Albrizio said he was unsure of C’est Magnifique’s future: the building that houses the shop changed hands around six months ago, and he fears that the new owner might raise the rent when his lease runs out in two years. "My uncle said to me, 'This place had a birthday; it was born,'" Mr. Albrizio said. "And everything that’s born dies. It's just the way it is. Nothing lasts forever."

Glad they found space here... and just maybe, their old neighbor, Bleecker Bob's, will find a new home here too...

Design studio moving to empty Avenue A storefront

Obscura Antiques and Oddities opened at 207 Avenue A a few weeks ago... they'll soon have a new neighbor at a nearby empty storefront between 12th Street and 13th Street ... 203 Avenue A will be the new home of an The Original Champions of Design, an independent branding and design agency. There currently have space on East 12th Street...

Noted

Ad spotted on First Avenue for restaurant/bar/lounge Sons of Essex down on Essex Street...

Rejected headlines:
• Choke your chicken at Sons of Essex
• The Waffle and Cock Show
• And now, a photo of an ad showing a woman suggestively biting a waffle and clutching poultry between her legs while squatting

The Pudgie's-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's canopy arrives on First Avenue

On Saturday afternoon, workers put up the new sidewalk canopy thing for the incoming Pudgie's-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's action-packed combo at the site of the former King Gyro between Third Street and Fourth Street.

And does it seem strange that the canopy doesn't actually go to the restaurant's front door?

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Weekend leftovers

[Third Street and Avenue A]

[Second Avenue near 10th Street]

[Avenue A and Ninth Street this morning]

["State of Grace," set around St. Patrick's Day in Hell's Kitchen, on TV last night]

A little help here please?

Hey, c'mon guys. This isn't funny anymore. Can you please let me out. Guys? Anyone?

Second Street between the Bowery and Second Avenue... photo by Bobby Williams.

Revisiting: Ulli Rimkus and Max Fish

[Joann Jovinelly]

This past week, we posted a two-part series by East Village-based writer Joann Jovinelly on Ulli Rimkus and the beginning of her bar, longtime LES favorite Max Fish.

In case you missed it...

The art evolution of Ulli Rimkus and Max Fish (Thursday)

From Tin Pan Alley to Max Fish (Friday)

DOH temporarily closes Hot Kitchen

~evilsugar25 pointed out in the comments yesterday that new EV Grieve favorite Hot Kitchen on Second Avenue and Sixth Street got DOH'd ... the notice is dated Friday. Apparently the paperwork hasn't been filed online — didn't see a report at the DOH website just yet... Regardless, we'll be back when they reopen...

How was your St. Patrick's Day?

All in all yesterday was pretty fun. (Too bad St. Patrick's Day doesn't always fall on a Saturday!) In case you missed it, several neighborhood bars had drink specials. And keeping the budget-minded in mind, bars also offered free entertainment and keep-sake souvenirs. It was a little reminiscent of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, except without the humidity and ugly architecture. (If we want to look at old French buildings, we'll simply travel to the country of French and see the real thing.)

Did it get a little loud at times? Sure! But it was St. Patrick's Day! It's fun! Or are you so old that you don't remember what fun is? Anyway, New York City is loud! It always has been. If you don't like it, then move to New Mexico or someplace where it's not loud and be with the other smelly hippies.

All photos by Bobby Williams.

Noted

Seventh Street and Avenue A. Sums up the day pretty well.

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Chris F. for the photo.

9:09 p.m., Avenue B, March 17

9:08 p.m., East Sixth Street, March 17

And later at McSorley's

Late afternoon... Photos by Bobby Williams...

Earlier.