The Villager tours the Economakis mansion on East Third Street

In an article last week at The Villager, Lincoln Anderson wrote about his recent tour of 47 E. Third St., the former tenement that Alistair Economakis renovated for his family. (This after clearing the five-story rental of its residents.)

We meant to link to it ... this week, the post also appears at The East Villager. So here's another chance to revisit the article in case you missed it... no photos, though. (The family thought "this would be an invasion of their privacy.")

Anderson offers highlights from the home, which includes a wrestling room ... he also tracks down a few of the building's former tenants who took buyouts ... as well as gets comments from City Councilmember Rosie Mendez.

One other tidbit: Alistair Economakis commissioned the Mosaic Man to create a border above the basement's basement-level storefront ... which Economakis hopes to rent out to a medical facility.

Read the whole article here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
And Economakis gets the whole building for his dream mansion

At the 47 E. 3rd St. protest

More coverage here.

2 potential sinkholes to watch this summer

You never know when a sinkhole might come along and try to, say, swallow a moving truck.

So. With that in mind.

Two potential sinkholes to keep an eye on...

First Avenue near St. Mark's Place...

... and at the St. Mark's entrance of Tompkins Square Park... a problem in the past...

Remember: If you see something swallowed by a sinkhole, say something.

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Hot Wax

A favorite pastime during any season... shopping for vinyl at A-1 Records on East Sixth Street...

2 East Village street scenes involving the Joe Strummer Mural

[Via ‏@NYbillbell]

[Bobby Williams]

This is what a beauty salon on First Avenue looked like on June 30, 2012

This year, we'll post photos like this of various buildings, streetscenes, etc., to capture them as they looked at this time and place... The photos may not be the most telling now, but they likely will be one day...

Can a Movie Set Ruin Your Weekend?

KIDDING WITH THAT HEADLINE.

Crews for the feature motion picture presentation "Can a Song Save Your Life?" have been been spotted around the Lower East Side this week. (BoweryBoogie has photos here.)

IMDB describes the plot this way: "A dejected music business executive forms a bond with a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan."

Today, and this weekend, crews will be on parts of East Sixth Street, Avenue B, Seventh Street and elsewhere... we wholly expect them to film inside Vazac's at some point too...

Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo and Catherine Keener star in the film that John ("Once") Carney is directing from his own screenplay.

Painting over the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall

On Tuesday, we noted that Japanese artist Aiko was up next to create art on the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall... and tonight, workers were on the scene painting over the current piece from Retna...

[Thanks to @IrisBlas for the photo]

This afternoon in Tompkins Square Park

By Bobby Williams.

Selling price for 50-58 E. Third St. — $23.5 million

We've been reporting on the saga of 50-58 E. Third St. since early spring. Via Curbed's inbox, we now know more about the sale of the buildings — 50, 54 and 58 E. Third St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

According to a release announcing the sale today, the new owners are GRJ, a fund co-founded and co-managed by brothers Graham and Gregory Jones. (Pictured.) They closed the 78-unit, three-building package for $23.5 million. Abe Haruvi of Abart Holdings LLC was the previous owner. According to the Observer, Haruvi refinanced the buildings for $9.9 million in April 2011 — "a deal that valued the units at $213,889 apiece according to data from Real Capital Analytics."

Per Gregory Jones in the news release: "We see a real opportunity to reposition the buildings. We'll invest significant capital and we look forward to creating the most desirable walk-ups in the East Village."

A press rep for GRJ told the Observer that "he wasn't sure when the last lease in the buildings would expire, but guessed 'probably within a year.'"

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Three apartment buildings sold on East Third Street

Advocate for East Third Street buildings moving to Washington Heights

More about the lease renewals at 50, 54 and 58 E. Third St.

Tenants at 50, 54 and 58 E. Third St. banding to together in face of building sale

[Updated] Sunburnt Cow closing for renovations; going gourmet, bye-bye drunken brunch

[File photo]

We just received a news release about "a restructuring of the Moo Life Group brand that will return the restaurant group to its original mission — to develop gourmet Australian concepts in the United States and abroad."

Basically Bondi Road has been sold and the Sunburnt Cow will undergo a major transformation.

Let's get right to it, per the release:

The sale of Bondi Road was precipitated by a dramatic increase in rent for the space located at 153 Rivington Street ... The Sunburnt Cow, the first restaurant concept developed by the Moo Life Group at 137 Avenue C (between 8th and 9th Streets) will not only undergo a physical transformation, but will also shift focus to more gourmet oriented food and drink as opposed to its current deal-driven status.

"We are very excited about these changes and what they mean to the future of the Moo Life Group," says founder and owner Heathe St. Clair. "I want to thank all of our loyal customers who have made Bondi Road and the Sunburnt Cow so successful throughout the years. It was not an easy decision, but although Bondi Road will be gone, we look forward to the reopening of the Sunburnt Cow and introducing a new approach to Australian dining in New York City."

No date set for the renovations ... or what will become of the Moo Mobile.

The Sunburnt Cow just reopened for seven-days-a-week service on June 1.

Updated July 6:

A Sunburnt Cow rep says that the "Endless Brunch" on weekends will continue in the new-look eatery.

Something is happening at the former Kate's Joint space

Kate's Joint closed on Avenue B and East Fourth Street back in April ... the for rent signs quickly went up — almost as quickly as the Starbucks rumors started.

One EVG reader with knowledge of the space heard that the asking rent is $17,000.

In any event, the space has been relatively quiet ... until this morning. Per EVG reader Kat:

Around 10:30 this morning this pile of wood appeared outside the former side entrance of Kate's and I've seen a few people filtering in and out. No one in the neighborhood (even the deli guys who know everything) seems to know what's happening with the space yet, but after a few really quiet months something looks to be moving in...

There aren't any new permits on file with the DOB to provide details on what might be coming next. Do you have any information about the situation here? Please send them our way via the EV Grieve email

Putting a dent in the July 4 celebration

EVG reader Augie notes the damage on Suffolk between Houston and Stanton ... after someone set off fireworks (explosives?) on the hood of this Range Land Rover Defender...

Signs of renovation life at 100 Avenue A

[Photo from June 13 by Bobby Williams]

Nothing has really happened renovations-wise here at 100 Avenue A since East Village Farm (or Farms, as I like to call it) closed back in February.

The city disapproved the first round of plans to renovate the space, including adding a "dwelling unit" and roof garden on the upper floors.

But!

On Monday, 100 Avenue A reps filed new paperwork with the DOB:

LOWERING OF THE EXISTING CELLAR WHICH INCLUDES FOUNDATION WALLS AND FOOTINGS. NO CHANGE IN USE, OCCUPANCY OR EGRESS.

And at an estimated cost of $175,000.

Well, that's not much, but it is some kind of proof that plans are still in the works to convert the former grocery and theater.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A little bit of Hollywood on Avenue A

East Village Farms is closing; renovations coming to 100 Avenue A

Inside the abandoned theater at East Village Farms on Avenue A

Reader reports: Village Farms closing Jan. 31; building will be demolished

Temporary sunroof for 154 Second Ave.

[Terry Howell]

We walked by 154 Second Ave., the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street, the other day and looked inside the opened plywood. Not much left on the inside! The sun was pouring into the space from where there was a roof.

For a better angle... EVG reader Terry Howell provided an aerial view showing the progress here where workers are adding three new floors for luxury apartments...

And for some contrast... how the building looked in February...

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

Redeveloped funeral home looking for a few live retail tenants

The walls come tumbling down at 154 Second Avenue

You may 'Exit Through The Gift Shop' tonight for free in Tompkins Square Park

The Films in Tompkins series continues tonight with "Exit Through the Gift Shop."

Per Wikipedia:

Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy Film is a film by graffiti artist Banksy that tells the story of Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant in Los Angeles, and his obsession with street art. The film charts Guetta's constant documenting of his every waking moment on film, from a chance encounter with his cousin, the artist Invader, to his introduction to a host of street artists with a focus on Shepard Fairey and Banksy, whose anonymity is preserved by obscuring his face and altering his voice, to Guetta's eventual fame as a street artist himself.

Meant to see this film... never got around to it.

And as we'll cut-n-paste all summer long like the Beach Boys:

Free. Gates Open at 6 p.m. Music Starts ½ Hour before the Start of the Film (sundown)

July 5 — Exit Trough The Gift Shop, Music by Church of Betty

July 12 — Fantastic Mr. Fox, Music by Dandy Wellington And His Band

July 19 — Summer of Sam, Music by The Debonairs and Brendan O’Hara

July 26 — Goldfinger, Music by The Luddites

Aug. 2 — Donnie Darko, Music by The Rad Trads
A Two Boots 25th Anniversary Event with Free Pizza!

Aug. 9 — The Big Lebowski, Music by Main Squeeze Orchestra
A Two Boots 25th Anniversary Event with Free Pizza!

Aug. 16 — Poltergeist, Music by Timbila

Dates subject to Rain Delays.

Films In Tompkins is sponsored by Ella, The Blind Barber, Two Boots, Grolsch, GalleryBar, Tower Brokerage and NYC& Company.

The CBGB Festival starts today; and please don't pee in the sink. Or be a dick.

The CBGB Festival starts today... the whole lineup and what not is here.

And thanks to the CBGB Festival people and East Village Radio for giving six all-access passes to EV Grieve readers.

And some words of wisdom from the back of the Festival program...

Lucky Cheng's now promoting new Times Square location

Moving up to West 52nd Street at the end of the summer, as Grub Street noted on June 7... the current home has been on the market...

7-Eleven now hiring on IHOP Way East 14th Street

Previously.

The hell with the West Side and Hudson River

A little Yankee Doodle Dandy from the East Village courtesy of James and Karla Murray...

Independence Day

North on First Avenue. Where the cloud formation looks slightly familiar.