Conversations that we kinda wanted to hear

The NYPD pulls over the Laboratorio del Gelato truck on Second Avenue near St. Mark's Place yesterday afternoon.

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Report: East Village man arrested in 25-year-old cold-case murder

The NYPD arrested 53-year-old Edwin Alcaide of East 10th Street this afternoon and charged him in the death of 19-year-old Lissette Torres. She was found stabbed to death in Sunset Park on New Year's Day in 1987. (Daily News)

Noted

[Via @JanineJuanita]

East 10th Street and Second Avenue... Hijinks? "Dark Knight Rises"-related pub crawl?

The State seizes Fares Deli on Avenue A

Bobby Williams passes along word this afternoon that the State has seized Fares Deli on Avenue A for "non payment of taxes."

Perhaps this is all temporary, as we saw in February with Avenue A Wine & Liquor ... Or maybe this is the second deli to close on Avenue A this year...

[Updated] Q-and-A with Michael Dominic, director of 'Sunshine Hotel'

In 1999, filmmaker-photojournalist Michael Dominic set out to document the residents at the Sunshine Hotel, one of the few remaining flophouses on the Bowery. He wanted to know more about the men who had been living there, in four-by-six-foot cubicles topped by a ceiling made of chicken wire, with no particular place to go.

Dominic's ensuing documentary, "Sunshine Hotel," released in 2001, received a slew of festival awards and played on the Sundance Channel. The independently funded film was recently released on DVD for the first time. On this occasion, Dominic answered a few questions via email for us.

Have you been back to the hotel in recent years? Have you received any updates about the people who you featured in the film?

I pass by the hotel all the time but haven't been inside since 2002. But I have kept track of the changes to the hotel and the area. As far as I know, none of the residents that I knew are still living there. Many I know for a fact have died. The owners have stopped allowing new tenants and there are only a handful living in one section of the building now. [Updated: Dominic has learned that two of the men in the film, Bruce Davis and Tyrone, are still living at the hotel.]

The sister of one of my subjects in the film named Vic contacted me recently. He died in 2006, but she only found him again after nearly 50 years through my film. She and her brothers were able to gain some sort of closure after a very long time of believing he was a missing person. It was a moving experience.

For you, what are the most profound changes of the Bowery during which the film is set and the Bowery of today?

The Bowery is ever changing. Now it's on an upswing. On the ground floor of the Sunshine Hotel there is a new restaurant and an art gallery. It looks like they're planning another restaurant as well on the corner. As soon as the last of the tenants leave the Sunshine, I'm sure that they will convert the buildings into luxury housing.

When I shot Sunshine Hotel back in 1999, the Bowery was already what I thought of as gentrified. But now, looking back, that wasn't anything. Certain parts have been completely rebuilt and there's really nothing left of the old strip as far as the goings on. There are expensive restaurants, hotels and apartment buildings — and there isn't a single actual flophouse on the Bowery anymore.

Is that a bad thing? Times change and probably a long strip of drunken homeless men running through the center of the Lower East Side isn't the best idea. Still, when I look at the Whole Foods on the corner of Bowery and Houston, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.



The DVD release allows a new audience to experience the film. What would you like people to take away from "The Sunshine Hotel"?

People should remember what NYC was. They should remember it as something unique and beautiful, albeit seedy. We as a city have overdone it on clean-up. We have lost character. I hope that my film caught a little of the last of that era of New York, "when the Bowery was the Bowery."

[Nathan Smith, the hotel's manager]

Some 13 years later, what has stayed with you about making this film?

Nathan [Smith — the hotel's manager]. His friendship. He died 10 years ago, but rarely a day goes by that I don't think about him.

[Yesterday outside the Sunshine... photo by Bobby Williams]

You can buy the DVD here ... it's also available on Amazon. Dominic is now working on a documentary titled "Clean Hands," which chronicles the residents of La Chureca — Nicaragua’s largest, most dangerous garbage dump.

All wet?: More about Molecule and the healing properties of water

On Monday, we noted that Molecule, aka the Water Café, was now open on East 10th Street. Serena Solomon at DNAinfo went to check it out for a feature yesterday .... the store here between First Avenue and Avenue A has a custom-made, $20,000 filtering machine to remove the city water "heavy with chlorine, fluoride and compound metals" and returns it to its purest form.

Co-owner Adam Ruhf said that he "knows first hand the healing properties of purified water, claiming that drinking it regularly helped eased the pain caused brought on by two serious car accidents that left him without a spleen and a leg held together with metal pins."

Aside from selling single servings of the water in the shop (16 ounces for $2), the store will also have a delivery service for East Village residents seeking 3 or 5 gallons of purified water for the home.

Read the whole article here.

Meanwhile, this morning. The Wall Street Journal features the store as well, pointing out that water quality has long been a source of pride for New York City. However, Ruhf, described as "a former world champion boomerang player, musician and self-described social-justice activist" who moved here from California a year ago, countered that the water in NYC is "terrible."

"I don't want chemicals in my water. I don't even want chlorine in my water. Chlorine is like bleach. Do you want to drink bleach?"

Anyway, per the article:

To counteract critics, Molecule is planning a weekly naming ceremony to imbue its water with personality and Sunday blessings involving religious figures from all faiths, including Tibetan monks and pagan worshipers.

Finally, the Molecule media tour continues this morning with a scathing review by Steve Cuozzo in a Post piece titled "Molecule bottled water is ‘pure’ nonsense."

My editors asked me to turn my famously infallible palate loose on a blind-tasting of Molecule, three popular bottled waters and ordinary, unimproved tap water.

Guess what? Molecule was the only one I didn’t like.

The Post also had a video feature...



[Image of Adam Ruhf by Serena Solomn]

Free tonight in Tompkins Square Park: 'Summer of Sam'

The Films in Tompkins series continues tonight with Spike Lee's "Summer of Sam," with pre-movie music by The Debonairs and Brendan O’Hara...

The trailer...



And as we'll cut-n-paste all summer long:

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

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.

Dead pigeon on East Sixth Street AC unit still dead

So, we did that post back in February titled "How long before this pigeon decomposes?"

Flashback!

Well, Suz on Sixth, who took the photo, has an update for us.

I thought that you may be interested to know that the dead pigeon is a) still dead, b) still outside of my window, and c) not at all pleased with the soaring temperatures — its feathers are all a-jumble! Of course, that could also be due to the exploding bacterial colony where its gut used to be and the oddly curious pigeon bretheren that visit, and preen, on occasion. But, I digress.

Mmmmm.

Efforts have been made to get the tenant across the shaftway to do something about the poor dead bird. But the tenant does nothing.

So how long before this pigeon decomposes?

Said tourist back in February: "Before full decomposition you will have three more Subway sandwich shops in your neighborhood."

Close!

Anxious moments at Yankee Deli on Avenue C

Xris Spider sent along the above photo from 1:22 a.m. on Avenue C at East 11th Street ... where there was a large FDNY and NYPD presence at Yankee Deli ... An employee said later that a customer had a stroke inside the store. The stroke victim's condition is not known at this time...

After the storm: One downed branch in Tompkins Square Park

Given the severity of the the late afternoon storm (torrential rain! chunky hail! thousands of lightning strikes! Instagram madness!), we expected to find more damage in the neighborhood... Bobby Williams spotted one downed branch in Tompkins Square Park...

Anyone else notice any other damage, particularly related to the storm?

Trash can fire in Tompkins Square Park

Been awhile since we've seen a good trash can fire... oh, anyway...

Per a reader here at Seventh Street and Avenue A:

Maybe not newsworthy, but a cool sight. Most people didn't care but of course some corny suburban chick and her friend called 311 or whatever, with a smug "I'm doing what's right" look on their face. Fire truck soon came and easily put it out.

Ben & Jerry's back in the East Village, for one night only

The Ben & Jerry's store closed on Third Avenue and NYU back in September 2010, as Jeremiah first noted... (And the space is still for lease...)

Anyway, EVG regular peter radley notes the arrival of a Ben & Jerry's truck on East Fifth Street at Second Avenue...

Turns out to be a one-night-only thing... Free Greek Yogurt, per @kikaeats ...

Storm in the summertime

Photo late this afternoon by Bobby Williams.

Checking out the East 11th Street waterfall

Courtesy of @fashionbyhe ...

It's so hot out that...

... someone is cooling off this dumpster on Seventh Street...

Dumpster Sprinkler!

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Buses, rent, gardens main topics at East Village town hall with Scott Stringer

[Jacob Anderson]

By Jacob Anderson

The Manhattan Borough President addressed many issues at the town hall meeting last night at the Tompkins Square Park library branch, but did not once mention his bid for Mayor. He told the standing room-only-crowd of more than 100 people that he had no agenda for the evening.

“Basically this is open mic night in the Village,” Stringer said.

Several residents complained about the neighborhood bus routes that were cut two years ago. Stringer said he supports getting more money for public transit by bringing back the pre-1999 commuter tax for people traveling into the city to work. He said there has been resistance to that around the tri-state area.

“My name-recognition has gone up in New Jersey,” Stringer said.

“Just leave a couple of dollars so we can protect you and clean up after you,” he added. “It makes sense, Governor Christie, to help us here.”

Stringer said the effect of MTA cuts in the East Village was something that stood out to him.

“I learned more about the lack of bus service on multiple routes that I don’t think I fully engaged prior to tonight’s meeting,” he told me after the meeting.

The MTA will be restoring some bus lines, but Marcus Book of the Department of Transportation said they don’t yet know which routes will come back. (The M9 will return, according to a statement made by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver this week.)

[Via Scott Stringer's Twitter account]

Resident Brian Cooper and others said they are concerned about rent increases. Cooper said his mother lives in public housing, and that some people can’t afford to pay more than they already are. Another resident said rent was raised in 2008 under the auspices of oil costing $150 a barrel, and asked why, when oil prices dropped back down again, rent didn’t.

“To this day I am totally befuddled as to how they calculate what a reasonable rent increase could be,” Stringer said. He added that he wants a better rent guidelines system, and a “true, independent body” to oversee it.

Stringer was flanked by about a dozen representatives from various city government departments —NYPD, housing, transportation, etc. — who would chime in on specific issues, as well as by State Senator Daniel Squadron, City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, and new Community Board 3 chairwoman Gigi Li.

Several gardeners apparently took a break from their weeding to show up. One asked about getting community gardens permanently protected. Both Stringer and Mendez said that they support permanent protection. Stringer added his support for people who grow their own food on neighborhood farms. He said he wants to create an agency to oversee agriculture and farmers markets for the city.

Some people expressed frustration over slow or no responses from Stringer’s office and other departments, like the NYCHA and the 9th Precinct. Stringer stayed upbeat, and told pretty much everyone with a specific complaint that his office would follow up with them. Afterwards, one man said to a member of Stringer’s staff, “Tell him he’s a nice guy. I like him.”

[Via Scott Stringer's Twitter account]

Other notes from the meeting:

• Anthony Donovan, who lives in an East 4th Street building owned by not-so-popular landlord Ben Shaoul, said that he’s being taken advantage of. Stringer’s response: “We’ve got to do better getting the bad actors to stand down.”

• Several people came out to oppose the Spectra pipeline, which is scheduled to be built in the West Village. They warned of dangerously high levels of radon gas. Stringer called himself “an intervener” on the pipeline, and said he’s working with scientists on the radon issue. When he was pushed to take a position: “I’m not going to say I oppose something that we know is going to happen.”

• Stringer said he has allocated $3 million for solar panels on school roofs.

• The award for biggest applause went to Judith Zaborowski, the co-chair of the 9th Street A-1 Block Association, who said to the panel of city employees who had occasionally fielded questions throughout the evening: “I’m not sure that you’ve even walked around this neighborhood, or have any idea about the transportation, and the bars, and the noise, and the NYU students that stay here for a year, and have no respect for those of us who are here.”

• Community gardeners will not be given a wrench to open fire hydrants to water their gardens. They can call the fire department for that.

Jacob Anderson is a freelance reporter in the East Village.

Jim Power and his Mosaic Trail [Video]

Jim Power is the subject of a brand-new video over at The Etsy Blog... I particularly like the archival footage of Jim...

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

[East Fourth Street... by Bobby Williams]

The "Jazz Rabbi" is leaving the Sixth Street Community Synagogue (The Jewish Week)

Who really made CBGB "cool"? (The Huffington Post)

7-Eleven just... won't ... stop (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

A recap of First Street Green's NYChair Event (BoweryBoogie)

More NYU carnage in the Village (Off the Grid)

Head out to 5 Pointz before the bulldozers arrive (The Gog Log)

Battling one of NYC's worst landlords... and winning (The Village Voice)

And if you want to see a new John Varvatos video ad/featurette ... starring British musician Miles Kane and Paul Weller of The Jam and the Style Council... recently filmed on Rivington Street near Attorney...



h/t The Telegraph UK...

The last days of Bleecker Bob's

The folks at Capital have a documentary from filmmakers Hazel Sheffield and Emily Judem titled "For the Records," a look at Bleecker Bob's ... the record store that's getting priced out of its longtime home.

Per the film's introduction at Capital:

Bleecker Bob’s will stay open until the landlord has found a new tenant. When it goes, it will take with it a huge part of the history of the Village. And it looks unlikely to find a new place to open up.

You can watch the documentary here.

As we noted back in March, rent on the East Third Street storefront is $17,000.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[UPDATED] Let's help Bleecker Bob's find space in the East Village

[Image from March via Dave on 7th]

Mars Bar closed for good 1 year ago today

[Photo by Slum Goddess]

Kinda seems like longer than 1 year. Well, you know, the place was closing anyway to make way for the 12-story apartment building on the lot... But people thought that they had the rest of the summer to enjoy the bar... or at least go to it.

But that DOH visit did them in on July 18, 2011 ... 54 violation points and mentions of every known type of fly. (Filth flies! Flesh flies!) And apparently owner Hank Penza said the Hell with it. And closed.

We've talked to a lot of people who really miss the place... people still searching for somewhere else to fit in...

And how it looked yesterday...

[Bobby Williams]

And on the East First Street plywood ... old-school Yelp? ...

All 8,760 Mars Bar posts here.