The Big Dig begins at The Mystery Lot

Construction equipment arrived at the Mystery Lot back on July 23... and crews this morning are now digging in, as you can see from this photo via EVG reader Katja...

Next stop, the Lowline!

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Mystery Lot likely facing a luxurious end

The last days of the Mystery Lot

'Desperate Endeavors' leads to the Essex Card Shop on Avenue A

Essex Card Shop on Avenue A is arguably the best mom-and-pop shop in the neighborhood. And today, its owner, Jayant Patel, celebrates the theatrical release of a movie based on his life. Patel serves as the executive producer of "Desperate Endeavors," which is playing at the Quad Cinema on East 13th Street.

The movie is adapted from Patel's 1991 book, "Seeking Home: An Immigrant's Realization." A little about the plot:

Derived from a true story, the film "Desperate Endeavors" revolves around the misadventures of newly arrived immigrant Ram Patel to NYC in 1973. Attempting to extricate himself from a self-dug hole, 'Ram' encounters more obstacles than he can count, and ultimately finds a remedy to his numerous problems by encountering a spiritual adviser, legendary 'Dada Bhagwan' played by Bollywood star Gulshan Grover. Also stars Michael Madsen, Robert Clohessy, Ismail Bashey & Samrat Chakrabarti.

If you've been in the store at any time in recent weeks, then you likely received a flyer for the movie. Several readers told me about the movie... apparently this word-of-mouth is how the book ever got into the hands of a filmmaker — through a customer in the film business who heard about the book and passed it along...

I look forward to seeing the film... even though I may know how it ends...

The ABCs of Alphabet City today

[Play-fighting in Tompkins Square the other day, by Bobby Williams]

East Village Week continues at The Wall Street Journal ... On Wednesday, there was the piece on the growing number of bars and all that. Today, there's a piece titled "Contrasts Grow as Alphabet City Evolves," focusing on Avenues A-D.

To the article!

Alphabet City has capitalized. Recently, it has become the go-to neighborhood for franchise extensions from fancier parts of town — the West Village's Westville, Park Slope's Fonda and Chelsea's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre — rendering it a kind of Epcot version of the city's coolness.

And!

Perhaps the most telltale sign of the brighter days for Alphabet City came last year, when Tompkins Square Park, which for decades was a seedy, drug-addled tent city for the homeless, installed permanent ping-pong tables, a nod to the changing demographics swinging toward both affluent hipsters and young families.

And the quote of the day goes to!

"We're seeing a lot more young women come to the neighborhood, I'd say a 70/30 split," said Arik Lipshitz, president of DSA Realty, a local firm started by his father in 1986. New residents work in fashion, tech and media. "Not so much finance," he said. But also not just waiters and bartenders and that kind of thing. These are proper professionals now."

Looking for the plane truth

EVG reader M shares this photo that he took last night around 7 in the sky over the East Village...

It's a little grainy... but you can clearly make out two planes... M first asked if we had heard anything about two planes. We had not. "I guess it was nothing...or at least nothing we'll ever hear about."

True.

Here's a narrative from M: "They were both flying in the same western direction, with the trailing plane gaining on the front plane. When I lost sight of them they couldn't have been more than a football field apart. And both were at roughly the same altitude from what I could see I'd guess 10,000 feet, so not a photo op type flight."

Any non-Lady Gaga-related theories? Like, fighter jets?

100 Avenue A, the spot

Photo and text by East Village resident Edward Arrocha via Facebook

Sunday morning... he sleeps it off... a black eye, who knows, perhaps a fight. 100 avenue A... it has become the spot... he has a water bottle next to him... ah another day in the avenue...

Hyatt Union Square entrance looking underwhelming (for now!)

At long last workers have removed the plywood from the front entrance at the incoming Hyatt Union Square on Fourth Avenue and East 13th Street... And! Five years in the making...

Well, OK. Obviously there's work to do. Unless this is supposed to look like a hotel you'd find outside a regional airport.

No, splendor and glory are on the way!

[Image from Archpaper via Curbed]

Not to mention the hydroponic bamboo garden and halo!

Previously.

This is what 638 E. 12th St. looked like on Aug. 25, 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...

Reminders: Tompkins Square Iron Chef is Sunday

[Bobby Williams]

Previously posted on Aug. 23...

Greenmarket proudly presents Tompkins Square Greenmarket Iron Chef: Veselka Bowery versus Hearth Restaurant/Terroir Wine Bar.

Come see two culinary cornerstones of the East Village in the hot seat as Veselka Bowery and Hearth Restaurant/Terroir Wine Bar face off to claim the title of Tompkins Square Iron Chef.

Each chef has just an hour to transform a "mystery basket" of market ingredients into a delicious dish. Traven Rice of The Lo-Down and our esteemed panel of judges will crown a winner, and limited samples will be available to the public.

Sunday, Sept 9
1-4pm
Tompkins Square Greenmarket
7th St by Avenue A

Meanwhile, at 16 Handles

[Via @samlevysam]

A reader said that there is a $1 for allyoucaneatFroYodeal at 16 Handles on Second Avenue... and that the line stretches around the corner.

You could wait in line. Or just go get the Bacon Milkshake at Mark Burger on St. Mark's Place...

From the EV Grieve lost and found

Bobby Williams spotted this lost (or abandoned!) karaoke machine in Tompkins Square Park late this afternoon. You can have it back as soon as we're done singing "Sweet Caroline."

From the inbox: Arabella 101 50 percent leased on Avenue D

From the EV Grieve inbox about Arabella 101, the rental building that sits atop the new Lower Eastside Girls Club on Avenue D between Seventh Street and Eighth Street.

[EVG file photo]

In less than two months since The Dermot Company announced the launch of leasing at Arabella 101, the 12-story building is 50% leased. The Alphabet City residence has also introduced its landscaped roof deck complete with a working grill, plentiful seating and year-round plantings. Designed by Cutsogeourge Tooman & Allen Architects, Arabella 101 is on track to receive LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Here's Arabella 101 on Avenue D

Why there's an Airstream trailer inside the new Lower Eastside Girls Club home

Here is the new home for the Lower Eastside Girls Club

Reader report: Large FDNY presence at the Standard East Village

We've heard from several readers about a large FDNY presence (10-12 fire trucks) outside the Standard East Village on Cooper Square this afternoon...

These photos are via EVG reader William Klayer...

Word on the scene — a freon leak in the hotel basement ... no official word just yet.

A stolen phone and chase on East 10th Street this morning

EVG Facebook friend Wendy Slater posted this photo this morning... Here's an account of what happened... the woman in the white tank top (to the right in the photo) was walking on East 10th Street at Fourth Avenue... a man allegedly grabbed the woman's phone and ran west toward Broadway. The woman screamed and chased him. Several passersby saw what had happened, and followed in pursuit. At Broadway, several men took down the alleged phone thief. (A cyclist involved in the chase flipped over his handlebars during all this.)

In the end, the woman got her phone back ... however, it broke when the suspect hit the pavement.

A look inside the under-renovation former Cabrini Center on East Fifth Street

Here's a look inside the main entrance of the former Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, which closed at the end of June.

Workers are converting the space here on East Fifth Street at Avenue B to residential use. And, as you can see, workers have removed just about everything.

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

More details on Cabrini's closing announcement

Q-and-A with Patricia Krasnausky, president and CEO of Cabrini Eldercare

Cafe Mogador closed until Sept. 14 for renovations

And only yesterday did I learn that Cafe Mogador on St.. Mark's Place closed Monday for renovations...

Per the sign... they reopen Sept. 14...

And workers are actually renovating the space... this isn't a case where "closed for renovations" is code for "we're really closed, but don't want to tell anyone yet... so that maybe we can get a head start out of here." Or something like that.

[Originally noted via the EVG Twitter account, where all the action is!]

Porchetta.Hog temporarily closed on East Fifth Street

Porchetta.Hog quietly opened on East Fifth Street just east of Second Avenue back in May... seemed to take some people by surprise...

On Tuesday, Slum Goddess noted that the place is now "temporarily closed" ...

We called, though no one picked up the phone... and there wasn't any outgoing message... anyway, as you may know, this space is not affiliated with Porchetta on East Seventh Street co-owned by Sara Jenkins.

Back to school

Today is the first day of class for all NYC public schools... leading up to today, I was going to photograph every school in the neighborhood... sitting empty, waiting...

I did one.

P.S. 34 Franklin D. Roosevelt at 730 E. 12th St. near Avenue D.

Glad that I'm not getting graded on this project.

Today in posts about string cheese

A reader passes along this Public Service Announcement from the Associated on Avenue C at East Eighth Street... be mindful if you're buying any Polly-O string mozzarella cheese...

We want to avoid a string cheese incident.

Noted

Somewhere along East Third Street.

Have you seen this 'pudgy purse snatcher'?

Oh, lordy... the Post has a report this evening that the NYPD is looking for the above woman, who they describe as a "a pudgy purse-snatcher in a white frock" as well as a "long-haired looter."

The woman allegedly took two bags and a cell phone, a wallet, cash and credit cards from Arlene's Grocery on Stanton Street back on Aug. 7.

"Police are asking for the public’s help identifying the 25-year-old suspect."

I do hope that you will take this seriously and not make jokes.