Schools making it work while repairs continue at 420 E. 12th St.

This past Tuesday, workers arrived at the Mary Help of Christians parking lot on Avenue A at East 11th Street to repair the eastern wall of the school at 420 E. 12th St. (We had photos here and here.)

According to the Department of Education, the structural defect, discovered Monday, "will require the immediate demolition and subsequent rebuilding of that wall." They expect the demolition work to take "several weeks."

Students from East Side Community High School (grades 6-12) and the Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School, who share the space at 420 E. 12th St., have been temporarily relocated to other schools.

We didn't have a chance to survey the scope of the project up close until this past weekend... and you can see in the following photos how extensive the work is...

Open Road Park next to the school is closed too, of course... so the skateboarders are also displaced ...

[Bobby Williams]

[Bobby Williams]

Meanwhile, parents of the displaced students are understandably concerned and upset... we spoke with a few parents, who commend East Side Principal Mark Federman for his leadership.

East Side students made it work last week... attending classes in hallways or the gym at PS 19 or holding study sessions at the Neptune on First Avenue...

[Images via @MarkEastSide]

On Monday, students had to leave the building quickly ... with the school sealed up, students don't have access to their supplies. East Side parent Jane Nina Buchanan wondered if any local business could help out with donating school supplies for the students. (Any queries should be directed to school officials via the East Side website.)

Meanwhile, some East Side parents have launched a website titled "No Way to Learn." The site's mission:

The school that we send our children to recently experienced a structural issue concerning the school building ... We don't know when our children will be allowed back into their school and we're not satisfied with how things are being handled in the meantime by the NYC Board of Education. We hope to share some of our stories, as well as essential information for the parents of East Side Community High School students, here.

Dollar Plus store opens below million-dollar condos

As we've noted (here and here), the East Side 99¢ shop was moving from East 14th Street to become the first retail tenant in the Copper Building.

And on Saturday, the Dollar Plus store opened here on Avenue B at East 13th Street ... where a handful of the 17 residences top the $1 million mark, according to Streeteasy.

... and last night, with the new sign above the front door...

Early renderings of the building do not show any discount stores in the retail space...

Finding the right retail tenant in upscale housing must be difficult. For instance, a 7-Eleven opened in the ground floor at 52E4 — the 15 stories of condo on the Bowery and East Fourth Street.

Regardless, the Dollar Plus store is a good one.

Here are your East 10th Street Historic District street signs

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

The Landmarks Preservation Commission OK'd the East 10th Street Historic District for the East Village in January.

And, as the photo shows, the East 10th Street Historic District street signs have arrived between Avenue A and Avenue B.

As you may recall, the Commission had the date for a public hearing on its proposal for the East 10th Street Historic District expedited because developer Ben Shaoul wanted to construct a rooftop addition at 315 E. 10th St. "that could potentially affect the character of the proposed district."

And we all know how that turned out.

Remember The Frenchmen on First Avenue

EVG reader Baby Dave recently told us the sad news that The Frenchmen recently closed on First Avenue. The air conditioning shop near East 19th Street had been in business for as long as anyone can remember.

The Town & Village Blog reported on Sept. 6 that the owner, Bill Koniuk, had to close the store due to some health issues.

Reporter Sabina Mollot noted how the shop was well-known to residents of Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village for its annual Christmas party for neighborhood kids.

"The party, a decades-long tradition, included free horse carriage rides, live music, toys and a holiday window display that rivaled midtown’s department stores."

Brown paper now covers the shop's windows, but signs of the holiday remain near the Frenchmen's fantastic sign...

Jeremiah had a post about the Frenchmen's sign back in 2010, and the old-time telephone exchange.

Baby Dave shared this about The Frenchmen:

Mr. Koniuk was a very nice guy. His annual Christmas party was a real throwback, and his holiday window display was a treat.

I once went in on a sweltering Saturday needing help. I asked if the shop made air-conditioning house calls on a Saturday. My mother's machine was sort of revving, but not much else. "No, no house calls today, but what kind of machine is it?" "Does it have an electronic keypad on front?" "OK, just press 'filter alert' and 'Energy saver' [or something like that] at the same time. Hold them for about 15-20 seconds." 

And darned if it didn't work. I was practically about to write him a check on the spot, or scurry to the cash machine, and he fixed the problem for free.

In the last few years, it was unclear just how much business the place was doing. I suppose much of the air-conditioning work was done off the premises, but the display of audeo equipment was like a museum: used boom boxes from 1982, maybe a Discman.

And so a little precious bit of a community disappears.

Indeed. No idea what will come here next. But you get an idea of the new local landscape with the recent arrival of this next door ...

[Updated] Mystery applicant (for now) taking over part of the Life Cafe space

[File photo by Bobby Williams]

So far, no one seems to know much about mystery applicant Yardbird LLC, aiming to take over the former Life Cafe space on the corner... (9th Street Espresso is expanding into half of the storefront, as The Villager first reported.)

They are on the October CB3/SLA docket for a wine-beer license under the Renewal with Complaint History heading. (??)

And Yardbird LLC is not to be confused with the Blackbird that opened in August in the former Lakeside Lounge space right next door...

Know anything about the situation here? Please send them our way via the EV Grieve email

Updated 10-2:

We did here from one of the proprietors, and will have an update later...

But it is so tempting

Just admiring some of the artifacts from the Houston Street Corridor Reconstruction ... piles of leftover, unwanted, unused, etc., construction materials and what not along East First Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...

I like this urban junkyard...

So many little nooks and crannies ... and it makes for a great place to take a ...

Oops. Guess not then.

Anyway. Now you know.

DNAinfo reported in May that the $60 million Houston Street Corridor Reconstruction project would not be completed until the summer of 2014. (One year later than planned.) Long time to wait.

EV Grieve Eatery Etc.: Entrez enters the East Village; another Lucky Cheng's soft opening date

Pomodora, the "pizzaria" on Second Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street, closed for renovations in late August and never reopened. As we noted, a supervisor at the scene told Blue Glass that the space would soon become some kind of "Italian-French fusion" restaurant.

On Saturday, Blue Glass noted that workers put up the new sign — Entrez Bar & Grill ...though it appears that the Pomodora awning remains ...

So we're not sure which number to call...

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San Matteo Panuozzo on St. Mark's Place remains closed... a sign that says they are closed for renovations and will reopen on Tuesday has been in the window for a few weeks...

...and a bad sign: the rent bill is lying on the floor inside the door...

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East Village Thai — recently named one of the best Thai places in NYC by the Daily News — had to close for Saturday night.

Per the sign: No gas.

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According to the Lucky Cheng's Facebook page: "This Friday, October 5th is our soft opening in Times Square. Grand Opening on October 15th."

[EVG file photo]

The East Village location celebrated its 19th anniversary this past weekend.

Moving day

Someone piled leftovers outside Tompkins Square Park on Avenue A...

[Bobby Williams]

... and some people apparently moving on Avenue B saved time by dropping trash bags of items onto the street below...

[Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C]

Activists: Pol who called Lady Gaga a slut for smoking pot must resign

Last week, Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro inexplicably called Lady Gaga a "slut" during a youth anti-drug program, as the Daily News reported. This outburst came after the singer was photographed smoking a joint at her concert in Amsterdam.

Later last week, she revealed that she has struggled for years with bulimia and anorexia, both of which are alleviated by medical marijuana, whose use she has supported.

Tomorrow at noon, longtime activist and medical marijuana proponent Kenneth Toglia and others will rally at the steps of City Hall to call for Molinari's resignation.

Via Facebook, I asked Toglia why he is organizing the rally.

"I am promoting a common sense 'East Coast' perspective on medical marijuana: Lady Gaga recently announced she has struggled with bulimia and anorexia for years, a very brave stance, I believe, and one that shows, well, common sense," Toglia said. "When asked recently about her smoking of pot, she said: 'I want you to know it has totally changed my life and I've really cut down on drinking. It has been a totally spiritual experience for me with my music,' acknowledging something we all know but very few people are brave enough to say: that pot is safer than alcohol."

Plus: "I think the SI Boro Prez calling her a slut is scandalous and sexist."

In late 2000, the NYPD arrested Toglia for running a medical marijuana club at the University of the Streets at East Seventh Street and Avenue A. The authorities later dismissed the charges. (You can read more about his work in this article in the Voice.)

He has been working to help legalize medical marijuana in New York State. In addition, Toglia is offering a free pot-screening service at the University of the Streets on Thursday nights. Per an article from The Villager last month on the screenings, Toglia says that there is a cancer-causing fungus called Aspergillus fumigatu found in a lot of NYC street pot.

As for tomorrow's rally, Toglia is also encouraging attendees to dress up like Lady Gaga.

Here comes 'Golden Boy'

Crews working on a new TV series called "Golden Boy" will be rolling into parts of the neighborhood this evening... we spotted the above sign on Seventh Street and Avenue B ... there are others along parts of Avenue A and B ... and some side streets...

According to IMDB, "Golden Boy" involves "the making of a man that tracks one cop's meteoric rise from officer to detective to police commissioner." The cast includes Al Sapienza, Nicolette Pierini and Theo James.

Week in Grieview

[East Second Street]

Remember Bob Arihood (Friday)

Damaged wall displaces students on East 12th Street (Tuesday)

Robert Sietsema's State of the East Village Dining Union (Wednesday)

A new bakery on East Fifth Street (Friday)

Looking for the sidewalk bike mechanics (Tuesday)

Rumors about East 14th Street's future (Friday)

A new awning for First Avenue Pierogi & Deli (Tuesday)

Zoltar arrives on St. Mark's Place! (Monday)

A Cold Stone Creamery for East Houston (Friday)

Topping off 21 E. First St. (Monday)

A Stop Work order for the incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A (Friday)

Plantworks is closing on East Fourth Street (Tuesday)

Opening date for the Hyatt Union Square (Thursday)

Steve's on the Bowery has closed (Saturday)

Sign arrives for Nevada Smiths (Thursday)

Another Saturday night, another stretch limo idling in the bus lane

Last night, Dave on 7th noted that car that was pulled over on Avenue A, causing the M15 driver to honk his horn for 10 minutes before finally just going around the vehicle...

Another reader shared this scene from Second Avenue at East Sixth Street... where a stretch limo was parked in the bus lane...

Only to be replaced by a stretch Hummer several hours later...

Per the reader: "Kudos to NYPD Traffic Enforcement for their business-friendly attitude."

Looking at the 2 Bros. fire damage

Things were pretty quiet on St. Mark's Place this morning (save for the group of crusties camped out adjacent to the 7-Eleven) ... Not much sign of damage from last night's fire in the apartment above Little Tokyo and 2 Bros. Pizza.

Little Tokyo was sealed up, but the 2 Bros. gate was open (this is the one that sells the $1.50 "supreme slice") ...

Workers at the scene wouldn't answer any questions, such as what the extent of the damage was or when they might be able to reopen.

Per an EVG and witness to the fire: "The place next door to 2 Bros, Little Tokyo, is devastated; a wall was torn out and everything up against it smashed or thrown onto the sidewalk. Those poor guys are going to have a hell of a cleanup..."

Bus stop on Avenue A

Dave on 7th noted this tonight ... a car pulled over on Avenue A at East Sixth Street...

Per Dave:

"The bus just keeps honking his horn. He can't or won't go around the car illegally parked in the stop in front of Benny's. Going on for about 10 minutes so far."

Finally, the bus pulls around the car...

More about the fire on St. Mark's Place tonight

Multiple readers passed along information about the fire that broke out tonight on St. Mark's Place above 2 Bros. Pizza just west of Second Avenue...

[Top photos via EVG reader John]

Per another reader who took all the photos below...

"Many fire trucks, the street is blocked off. Firefighters broke through windows on the apartment above the pizza shop. The fire started around 5:45 pm ... No visible damage to the exterior of the restaurant or the apartment above, other than the now-smashed apartment windows."

So far we haven't heard about any injuries... and per our reader who sent the above shots:

"The place next door to 2 Bros, Little Tokyo, is devastated; a wall was torn out and everything up against it smashed or thrown onto the sidewalk. Those poor guys are going to have a hell of a cleanup..."

And via Facebook...

Fire on St. Mark's Place

We'll have more photos and info later tonight. The FDNY is leaving the scene as of 7 pm.

Meanwhile, at the Williamsburg Bridge

Photos by Bobby Williams.