'A Singular Vision' opens today at The Ukrainian Museum

From the EV Grieve inbox ... via The Ukrainian Museum at 222 E. Sixth St. ...

A Singular Vision: Ilona Sochynsky, Retrospective of Painting, a comprehensive exhibition of more than 50 paintings, including many large-scale works from all phases of the artist's development, will open to the public today. Curated by Jaroslaw Leshko, Professor Emeritus at Smith College, the exhibition will be on view through October 7.

Ilona Sochynsky’s painting career, entering its fourth decade, presents an oeuvre of visual beauty, intelligence, intensity and complexity. At its core, it is a profoundly personal journey of discovery. Her earliest paintings explore the imagery of Pop Art (she was especially drawn to the works of James Rosenquist) and Photorealism, a movement prominent in the 1970s. She responded to the latter’s hyperrealism and its subject matter of cars, motorcycles and street scenes, which she reinterpreted in her work to extraordinary effect.

Fetish in Black & White
2008, oil on canvas

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair! (plus, Best Pickle on A-Stick)

In case you missed yesterday's street fair on Second Avenue ... there's another one today on Broadway, from Union Square to, oh, maybe Astor Place. Didn't actually look ...

...and cliffhanger ending...

Meanwhile, after yesterday's Second Avenue street fair...

We don't know what it is either.

Wedding party pub crawl?

Seventh Street and Avenue B.

Today

An anti-fracking protest that drew the attention of the NYPD...

...Spring Fling in Tompkins Square Park...

...and the ping-pong table photo shoot...

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Spring Fling in Tompkins Square Park this afternoon

Workers set up the temporary stage in Tompkins Square Park... it's the Spring Fling concert this afternoon...

Bands appearing (in alphabetical order)
Crosshatch
Charetta
Demilitia
Fall of the Albatross
Kore Rozzik
Nevereven
Risk/Reward
SOS

SET TIMES
SOS 2
NEVEREVEN 2:30
CROSSHATCH 3
RISK/REWARD 3:30
KORE ROZZIK 4
CHARETTA 4:30
FALL OF THE ALBATROSS 5
DEMILITIA 5:30

[Updated] Breaking: Hostage situation on East 12th Street

Sources say that it's at 514 E. 12th St. ... also from the Gothamist news map...

NYPD on scene say that four shots were fired.

Photos via EVG reader Rick V.

Updated: 11:01 a.m. People on the scene say that it's over... NYPD has left... We'll see if we can any details on what happened.

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair! (plus, Bouncy Castle!)

Woo! Street fair season is heating up ...

And look — two butterflies on the M15 sign. (And what does that mean when two butterflies land on an M15 street fair notice? You won't catch a cold all summer?)

Just before 9, workers were setting up starting at East 14th Street, heading down south to Cape May County maybe Fifth Street. Or Sixth? I didn't walk down to see.

There are balloon arrangements...

...and the usual variety of food stands...

... and entertainment...

Bouncy castle! Bouncy castle!

Avenue A, 8:44 a.m., May 12

Reader reports: DOA on Avenue B

Several readers have told us that emergency responders are/were on Avenue B and East Sixth Street. Readers say that there was a DOA male in a wheelchair near Sunny & Annie's. We don't know more at this point. We'll head over that way and see if we can find out any more information.

B-Side turns 9 today

EV Grieve reader Michael notes the above sign... B-Side on Avenue B between 12th Street and 13th Street... celebrating an anniversary today... always a solid bar... and one that we haven't written about too much.

Oh, and hurry on that happy hour...

Get Down on it

fIREHOSE with "Down With the Bass" from 1991.

People now petitioning in favor of a 7-Eleven and Dunkin' Donuts on the LES

On second, second thought. Earlier this week, the Seward Park co-op board agreed (for the time being) not to lease space to a 7-Eleven and Dunkin’ Donuts. Among other things, a group of residents started a petition drive opposing the franchises from setting up shop on Grand Street. But! Another group of residents just launched a petition in support of the two businesses. (The Lo-Down)

Neighbors rallying to oppose new hotel on East Fourth Street

[Click to enlarge]

Residents and and various preservationists are rallying to oppose plans for a nine-story hotel next door to the landmarked Merchant's House on East Fourth Street.

Plans call for demolishing the one-level garage/repair shop adjacent to the circa 1832 Merchant's House.

Per the petition:

The proposed building, at 9 stories tall (twice the height of the Museum) and without any setbacks, would overwhelm and detract from the special architectural and historic character of the Merchant’s House Museum. Its excessive size and bulk is not respectful of the historical context of the Museum and does not relate to its small scale.

We also request that the strictest of construction standards be applied to any proposed building on this site so that the structural integrity of the Merchant’s House is not in any way compromised. Given the antiquity of the Merchant’s House and the extreme narrowness of the lot at 27 East 4th Street, this is critical.

Find the petition here.

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation laid out the next steps here. The applicant is presenting their proposal for a second time at CB2's meeting on Monday at 6:30 p.m. (at the Our Lady of Pompei Church, 25 Carmine St., Father Demo Hall).

BoweryBoogie wrote about the planned hotel here.

Here are your East Village bike share locations, probably

The city has unveiled the preliminary locations for its NYC Bike Share program sponsored by ...

Now these aren't the final final locations ... a few could still change before the program launches in July. But for now.... (and I may have missed a few nearby ...)

• North side of East 2nd Street near Avenue B
This station will have 39 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• South side of East 6th Street near Avenue B
This station will have 28 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• North side of East 7th Street near Avenue A
This station will have 35 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• South side of East 10th Street near Avenue A (Tompkins Square Park)
This station will have 35 docks and will be located on the sidewalk.

• South side of East 13th Street near Avenue A
This station will have 39 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• South side of East 7th Street near First Avenue
This station will have 31 docks and will be located in a no-parking area of the street.

• South side of East 3rd Street near First Avenue
This station will have 31 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• South side of East 11th Street near Second Avenue
This station will have 39 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• South side of East 12th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue
This station will have 39 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• South side of East 2nd Street near Avenue C
This station will have 31 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• South side of East 5th Street near Avenue C
This station will have 31 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• North side of East 9th Street near Avenue C
This station will have 39 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• East side of Avenue D near East 11th Street (Riis Houses)
This station will have 23 docks and will be located in a NYCHA (public housing) development.

• East side of Avenue D near East 8th Street (Riis Houses)
This station will have 23 docks and will be located in a NYCHA (public housing) development.

• East side of Avenue D near East 3rd Street (Wald Houses)
This station will have 23 docks and will be located on the sidewalk.

• South side of East 3rd Street near First Avenue
This station will have 31 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• South side of East 2nd Street near Second Avenue
This station will have 31 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• South side of East 4th Street near Second Avenue
This station will have 39 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• North side of East 7th Street near Second Avenue
This station will have 39 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• South side of East 12th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue
This station will have 39 docks and will be located in the parking lane of the street.

• Center of East 7th Street near Cooper Square (Cooper Triangle)
This station will have 39 docks and will be located in a public park or plaza.

• West side of Fourth Avenue near East 8th Street (Astor Place)
This station will have 55 docks and will be located in a no-parking area of the street.

Find the interactive map here.

Your reaction please in the comments.

This just might be my new favorite store cat in the East Village

Bobby Williams sent me this photo on Wednesday... it's the liquor store cat on 10th Street and Avenue C...

I never noticed the cat before... in part because it's not my usual liquor store ... Or maybe I have seen the cat but not his or her eyes...

Anyone know the cat? His or her name?

Anyway, from here on out, all cats, all the time.

Michael had to go to Rikers; will be back

Michael has been sleeping in front of a renovated storefront on East Sixth Street. Next to the incoming Schwimmer Manor, actually.

This note appeared this week. As you can see, he had to go to Rikers, either as a visitor or guest. Not sure which.

His blankets are also stored here.

Someone stole the horns off the Billy's Antiques sign

Billy Leroy told us last night that someone swiped the horns off the Billy's Antiques sign on Houston at the Bowery...

"Kinda blows," he said.

So keep your eyes out for these...

The big tent came down here earlier this year... a new Billy's may be back at this corner... Meanwhile, Billy is busy with "Baggage Battles" on the Travel Channel.

2 photos of former East Village pizzerias

Pizza Week is wrapping up over at Eater... and one of their features — Old Photos of New York City Pizzerias.

Among the photos: Village Inn Pizza on Avenue A at St. Mark's Place circa 1979...

Which reminded of a photo I saw a few weeks ago at Neighborhoodr: Tito's Pizzeria on the corner of Second Avenue and 12th Street in 1965...

At the site of the current City Cinemas Village East...

The Tito's photo came via urban metaphysics.

Find all of Eater's Pizza Week stuff here.

Another sign of the cross at St. Brigid's

The cross is back atop the under-renovation St. Brigid's on Avenue B at Eighth Street... and it looks more permanent since the last time that it made an appearance...

Dunno about you, but we're really looking forward to that construction tarp coming down from the front of the church.

And a photo of the church from 1928 via the NYPL Digital Gallery ...