Breaking: Workers unloading markety-looking things at incoming Union Market

We had an update yesterday on the incoming Union Market at Avenue A and East Houston... now with a late summer opening date...

And today, as this photo via EVG reader Marian shows, workers are bringing in refrigerated cases for the new store... Can the beef-aging facility be far behind?

Previously.

East Village Town Hall meeting tonight

[Click to enlarge]

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer hosts (presents? chairs?) the Town Hall tonight from 6-8 at the Tompkins Square Park Library branch... neighbors are encouraged to attend ... and discuss community issues and speak directly to their local elected leaders.

Perhaps we should have a Town Hall Warmup... What do you think are some major issues facing the neighborhood? (Not a broad question at all!) Perhaps:

• Rampant development
• Perceived spike in crime
• Lack of affordable housing
• Over-abundance of bars/liquor licenses/woo
• Decreasing retail diversity
• Rent hikes
• Cuts in after-school programming
• Pedestrian safety
• Potential loss of senior centers

These are broader issues, of course ... Residents will often have more specific concerns to discuss... For instance, there's always an array of topics at the 9th Precinct's Community Council meetings every month ... During the June 19 meeting, a resident complained about the noise at the 13th Step on Second Avenue... residents complained about Double Wide on East 12th Street leaving their doors open late... and, according to the minutes, "Resident complained about large bright illuminated sign from a massage parlor on St Marks."

So it's very possible someone will bring up a topic like this...

So you now have the floor to speak...Or comment.

'One Last Dance' tonight at the Bowery Poetry Club

As we've been noting, the 10-year-old Bowery Poetry Club will be closing for renovations... and tonight is the last night in the Club's current state... "There will be a better mix of food and art," founder Bob Holman said to DNAinfo's Serena Solomon, who first reported the July 17 closing.

The Club is expecting to undergo renovations for several months in advance of a relaunch that will put a stronger emphasis on food. (Here's what Bob Holman told us about the plans on July 6.)

Meanwhile, here is closing-night info via Facebook...

Everything Is Subject To Change — One Last Dance At The Bowery Poetry Club

8 pm
Join us as we gather to kiss the stage at Bowery Poetry Club for the last time before it closes and goes the way of the new Bowery.

Performances by:
Farbeon
Eliel Lucero
Leticia Viloria
A Brief View of the Hudson
Mr Symphonics Shawn Randall
Duv
Grace Kalambay
Sean T. Hanratty and the Mighty Mighty
Rev. Jen Miller
Faceboy
Robert Prichard
Jessica Delfino
Diane O'Debra
Freestyle Pyramid w/ Rabbi Darkside, Hired Gun, and 4th Friday Fam!
Shappy Seasholtz live from Austin, TX!
and many more surprises!!!

Here are a few thoughts on the closing via Deanna Zandt's Extra Helping tumblr (she ran the Club's outreach and administration):

A huge portion of the BPC community is devastated by this news, understandably. Bowery is one of the last safe havens in New York for transgressive artists, poets and musicians to work out and celebrate their creations. It's one of the only places that you can walk into on any given night and run into one of your heroes accidentally.

...

Here's hoping both the Club's rebirth brings along lots of the history of this magical space, and that a new space welcoming the bleeding, racous edge of culture can still be born in the the five boroughs.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Is Duane Park in the Bowery Poetry Club's future?

What is happening with the Bowery Poetry Club?

Bob Holman on the future of the Bowery Poetry Club

The Beagle is closed for renovations

Missed this one... Several readers have pointed out that The Beagle on Avenue A is closed for renovations... been closed now for 10 days or so...

Restaurateur/Portlander Matthew Piacentini told Eater back on July 7 that The Beagle 2.0 "will have a full food menu to go along with the drinks." Also: "We're making the space more comfortable, adding some lovely banquettes, improving the sound level, repairing some floors and doors, that sort of thing."

The Beagle is expected to reopen in August.

It first opened here in the former Orologio space between 10th Street and 11th Street in May 2011. The Beagle's initial "pairing boards" included items such as Pressed Pig Head and Rum, Lamb Neck and Rye, and Scallop and Mezcal.

Never been here ourselves. Looked at the menu a few times and kept walking. Did you try it?

The Townho is for sale

Hijinks on East 10th Street.

Anyway, there's a new broker for this neo-classical townhouse at 104 E. 10th St. home... where playwright, poet and performance artist Edgar Oliver once lived, as Jeremiah wrote at Vanishing New York here.

The price is now $3.9 million, per Streeteasy. The price started at $6 million back in March 2011.

And hope the brokers clean the sign before today's open house from noon to 2 p.m. (Appointment only!)

A Good Parking Ticket Samaritan on East 11th Street

Near First Avenue...

Report: Citi Bikes launch now happening in August, most likely

[Shawn Chittle]

The city’s bike-share system will launch in August, not the previously announced start date of July (Streetsblog ... previously)

One way to keep rats out of the trash and practice your jump shot at the same time

Spotted in Tompkins Square Park today...

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Breaking: Chipotle gets new signage on St. Mark's Place

[Bobby Williams]

Previously!

[Via]

Countdown to City Council vote on NYU's expansion

As the Greenwich Village Society of Historic Preservation website notes... the City Council's Land Use Committee is expected to vote on NYU's proposed takeover expansion plan tomorrow.

Per GVSHP: "While the full City Council likely won’t vote until July 25, tomorrow’s vote IS KEY in determining what the entire City Council will do — and it is the City Council which ultimately decides whether or not the NYU plan is approved."

You can find their action plan on the GVSHP website here.

Meanwhile, last night, an array of noted authors and academics gathered at McNally Jackson Books on Prince Street to discuss NYU ... and read from the new book "While We Were Sleeping: NYU and the Destruction of New York" by the NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan...

EVG contributor Joann Jovinelly was there ... and she shared a few photos...

Fran Lebowitz

Arthur Nersesian

Kevin Baker

Sarah Schulman

Per Joann: "The book belongs on every New Yorker's shelf right alongside E.B. White's 'Here Is New York' and Colson Whitehead's 'The Colossus of New York.'"

It's a print-on-demand edition put out by McNally Jackson. The book is $10 with proceeds going to fund the fight against the plan.

Lebowitz doesn't have anything in the book, but she was there for support. "I don't normally come out for such events, but it's rare that I ever get to be in a room where everyone agrees with me."

Check out Occupy East 4th Street for more on last night.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Why the East Village should fear NYU 2031

Anniversaries

Three like-minded blogs/websites that I follow on a hourly-daily basis are celebrating anniversaries...

No. 7 for Flaming Pablum

No. 5 for Jeremiah's Vanishing New York

No. 4 for BoweryBoogie

That's 16 years of collected wisdom, news, vanishings, rants, inspiration ...

And, as I like to do in these serious moments, I turn to a 50-year-old animated TV series about a working-class Stone Age man's life...

A $4 million 'price break' for Avenue D development site

[Google Street View]

Back on May 21, The Real Deal reported that the above stretch of retail that includes a Rite Aid on Avenue D between Seventh Street and Sixth Street was on the market for $22.5 million.

The site is earmarked for a residential development that "could potentially rise 12 stories" — particularly with "the creation or preservation of affordable housing."

Well, all that will cost someone a little less... the price has been reduced by $4 million to $18.5 million...

Late summer opening date now for Union Market

We continue to watch the northeast corner of Avenue A and East Houston... where workers have been renovating/rehabbing the space for a new Union Market. Various construction issues have delayed the opening, once set for last fall.

Here's the latest, via an email sent to residents of 240 E. Houston:

The contractors for Union Market have nearly completed their foundation work and are moving quickly forward to build out their interior space. The store's exterior work is scheduled to commence in the next week and the UM owners will be installing new brick, full-height glass panels, and a clean, continuous signature awning that should give our Building a much improved look!

In addition, unlike the previous Commercial tenants, the UM contractors will be weatherproofing all seams, to minimize the street-level erosion that occurred in the past. This Board is partnering with UM to make certain the 240 east Houston entrance to our residences is clearly delineated.

The current goal is for a Grand Opening in late August or early September.

We understand the East Village storefront will look similar to the Seventh Avenue location in Park Slope...

[Via the Union Market website]

Previously on EV Grieve:
About Union Market coming to Avenue A and Houston

Mid-summer now at the earliest for Union Market on Avenue A and Houston

35 Cooper Square is looking pretty awesome

We were, of course, saddened to see the demolition of the historic, circa-1825 building at 35 Cooper Square in May 2011...

At the same time, we are enjoying what has taken its place — an empty lot that continues to attract an array of graffiti. And some new work went up in the last few days...

Perhaps this can become our own 5Pointz ...

The 8 Rs outside the former Cabrini Center

East Fifth Street at Avenue B.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cabrini Center patients out by the end of today; closes for good June 30

Water cafe now open on East 10th Street

Back in May, we pointed out the signs for Molecule, the incoming water cafe on East 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue... Several readers told us that the cafe, which sells "hyper-filtered, perfectly pure, eco-conscious" water and various related supplies, is now open.

Unfortunately, it wasn't open for the day when we went by...

We'll stop by at some point. Anyone else try it?

Losing another Mystery Lot

Catching up with some news from late last week... The Lo-Down reported that an unknown buyer has purchased the two vacant lots at 327 and 329 E. Houston St. for $8.4 million, as well as two adjoining parcels at 331 E. Houston and 163 Ridge St. for another $4 million.

Of course, the Mystery Lot off East 14th Street/East 13th Street will soon be a new development too...

It's part of the portfolio that belonged to reclusive real-estate baron William Gottlieb ... The lot has been empty for seemingly eons ...

[File photos via EVG]

Venus and Jupiter over the Con Ed power station

Avenue C and East 14th Street around 5 a.m. Shawn Chittle, who took the photo, also sent along this handy map ...

Dueling Tompkins Square Park signs on Avenue B at East 10th Street

Earlier today at Union Square

Photo by Bobby Williams.