This is what the corner of East Houston and Elizabeth looked like on Dec. 11, 2012

[Bobby Williams]

This year, we'll post photos like this of various buildings, streetscenes, etc., to capture them as they looked at this time and place...

[BoweryBoogie recently had an update on what's happening here at the former Billy's Antiques]

Car of the Day

A Plymouth Valiant (first generation?) on East Third Street and Avenue B... Photo by Bobby Williams.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[First Avenue and East Third Street]

East Village residents fighting landlord over Sandy-related repairs (Runnin' Scared)

Remembering Julian's on East 14th Street (Ephemeral New York)

The history of St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on Avenue A and East 10th Street (Off the Grid)

New owner of Lucky Cheng's apparently "managed to insult drag queens AND vegetarians, almost immediately" during the CB3/SLA meeting Monday (BoweryBoogie)

Landmarks Commission OKs Jarmulowsky Building restoration on Orchard and Canal (The Lo-Down)

Shopping at Toy Tokyo on Second Avenue (WABC-7)

The impact of an ever-expanding Marc Jacobs empire (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

...and Dave on 7th notes a mural in progress on 12th Street and Avenue A... an ad for "Banshee," some new action series on Cinemax...

Introducing Midnight Wednesday: 35 East Village stores staying open late tonight

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Midnight Wednesday is a new holiday tradition in the East Village encouraging shoppers to visit East Village boutiques to take care of holiday shopping. The East Village Community Coalition (EVCC) and Amé Amé have organized 35 businesses to keep late hours, until as late as midnight. Many stores will offer holiday treats and special discounts that customers can enjoy while completing their holiday shopping and supporting neighborhood shopkeepers.

Midnight Wednesday will capture planned holiday spending within the East Village, which will keep money local and amplify the effects for the community. Unlike other parts of Lower Manhattan, the mixed-use nature of the East Village does not bring a daily flow of office workers. Our shops rely heavily on evening and weekend traffic. Midnight Wednesday gives people from the East Village an opportunity to experience late night activity — separate from the bar scene - and encourages them to support direct storm recovery during the shopping season.

“Since Sandy, all businesses in the East Village suffered from some combination of structural damage, loss of inventory, business interruption, and the lasting effects
resulting in lower traffic at this critical time of year,” said Sara Romanoski, managing director of the East Village Community Coalition. “The local and federal loans that many businesses owners are reluctant to apply for have not – and may never – materialize. Preserving a creative, small business culture is essential to restoring our quality of life in this community.”

Shoppers can find a list of participating boutiques here.

The EVCC also recently released The Get Local! Shopping Guide featuring more than 400 independent businesses. A PDF is here.

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.

By James Maher

Name: Angel Eyedealism (and Marlena)
Occupation: Stratospheric Coloratura and Performance Artist
Location: 7th Street and Avenue B
Time: 12:55 on Monday, Dec. 10

Well, I’m incredible. I’m from a small town in New York State but I’ve lived in the East Village since 1983, with the exception of a few years in Europe. I’m a singer and performance artist, a Theremin player and an astrologer.

I performed around the neighborhood for many years. I was just drawing up my résumé and I’m a Stratospheric Coloratura — that’s my vocal range. It means that I have a really huge opera voice. I realized that a lot of the venues in New York that I’ve performed at are no longer around. CBGBs — I left that on the résumé. The neighborhood has changed a lot over the years and you can bitch and moan about that, but it still has magic for me. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. The tour bus comes around and goes, ‘There she is!’

I’ve got so many stories, although I’m not fully awake right now. I never walk out with my makeup this fucked up; I still have my eye makeup on from last night. I worked at a gay club last night. Last night I was reading tarot cards at a gay disco. That sounds like a Smiths song. Right now the sun is in Sagittarius and the Moons in Scorpio. It’s gonna be the end of the world soon so it’s good that you’re interviewing me now. There’s supposed to be a big shift in the consciousness on 12-12-12. Some say it’s the end of the world and some says it’s a shift in consciousness.

I write these crazy songs. [Sings] I’m a tranny-chasing lesbian, I’ve got a reason to go on. I’m a part-time thespian, I am waiting for the call. I am waiting for that call. Oh, finger-fucking transgen, rock my, rock my generation! I’ve got a new band called the Fake Pussy Shadows. I do opera, A cappella, and spoken word with electronic music, but my new band is electronic, laptop, keyboard, bass, guitar, and I play the theremin. It’s dance music.

Last month I lost my job. I lost my job at Lucky Cheng's because they found out after 15 years that I had a real pussy. [Sings] I decided long ago never to walk in fake pussy shadows. If I fail, if I succeed, at least I’ve got a real pussy. So that’s why I started the band The Fake Pussy Shadows. It was devastating: The storm, the blackout, getting fired at the same time.

Lucky Cheng’s moved uptown and said they’re now a toned-down drag restaurant. It’s horrible; it’s character-less. The walls are brown; the furniture is black with some leopard spot pillows. That’s it. There are a few cheap Chinese lanterns over some bare bulbs. There’s no character.

I’ve been fired from all of these gay and drag queen events recently because they say I’m too controversial. It used to be that the gay and drag queens wanted a wild-and-crazy diva to come in and do unusual, Avant-garde stuff. It’s where even Bette Midler back in the day broke in her new, weird material. In her time, in the 1970s, she was very Avant-garde and she’d perform in gay bathhouses.

But now, they want to hear Britney and Madonna and Christina. ‘We’re normal now; we want to listen to normal stuff now; we’re normal.’ And that’s really sad for me. I’m resorting now to going back to a heterosexual audience, but heterosexual men are so literal. Like I say, [Sings] Sometimes I feel like a crack-whore on Sunday, and they go, ‘Oh my god, you smoke crack and are a whore?’ No, that’s just how I’m feeling!

But things come around. Maybe gays will get back to being Avant-garde interesting, cause they’re just trying to be accepted now. But it was hags like me that helped with all of that.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

Seventh Street parking lot destined to become 6-floor apartment building

[September 2012]

There are plans in place to build a six-floor, six-unit apartment building here on East Seventh Street just west of Avenue D. We noted that this parcel was for sale (asking: $1.95 million) back in February 2011.

As the original Massey Knakal listing (PDF) noted: "The site is located on a desirable East Village block, where condominiums a few buildings down at the Flowerbox Building have sold as high as $9,200,000 or $1,380/SF."

The DOB hasn't approved the plans just yet. (The DOB disapproved the first round back on Nov. 7, per city documents.) Paperwork points to South Fork Partners LLC as the owners; Eisner Design as the architect of record.

This space is adjacent to the new Lower Eastside Girls Club HQ and Aramark 101 apartment complex. And it's one of the few small parcels of undeveloped land left in the East Village.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The next sliver of space for development: The parking lot at 277 Seventh St.

On the Bowery: CBGB and its impact on the visual arts and downtown nightlife

There's an interesting talk set for tomorrow night at the New Museum on the Bowery titled "Parallel Lines: Visual Art, CBGB, and Downtown Nightlife."

Here's a blurb about it:

A panel discussion about the impact of CBGB and the downtown club scene on the visual arts from 1975-1985. The participants are John Holmstrom, Pat Place, Marcia Resnick and Arturo Vega.

Marc H. Miller is serving as the moderator. We asked him to recall his first visit to CBGB, circa 1976:

"When I first walked into CBGB, I was surprised to see so many visual artists that I knew from Soho and Tribeca. Some were in bands, others had friends in bands and helped out by making posters and stuff, some took photographs, most just hung out. The funny thing was that nobody wanted to be called an artist. The art world seemed phony and pretentious at the time. The favorite word was “boring.” People were looking for action, for something real, for something that actually had an audience. The music scene provided an opening."

The panel is part of the ongoing "Come Closer: Art Around the Bowery, 1969–1989" exhibit that runs through Jan. 6. (Tickets for the discussion are $8.)

And because I've only posted this video of one of my favorite songs 12-13 times on this site ... here we have the Bush Tetras, with Pat Place, on the Bowery...



[Image via Marc H. Miller]

35 Cooper Square — loving it!

We continue to take in what has become of the former 35 Cooper Square at East Sixth Street... where the historic, circa-1825 building was quickly demolished here 17 months ago.

While a few residents have grumbled about the muddy, rat-infested eyesore, others see the quiet beauty of the colorful graffiti that continues to arrive here ...

Either way, enjoy it while you can... plans for a 9-story dorm are on file with the DOB as of August...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Something 28,998 square feet or so coming to Cooper Square (and goodbye Cooper 35 Asian Pub?)

Here's what's coming to 35 Cooper Square: 9-story dormitory

Village Joker signage appears at The Burger Shop on St. Mark's Place

And on St. Mark's Place, a new sign has appeared above the 14-month old Burger Shop ...

The Village Joker. Sounds like the, say, 6th stop on a pub crawl.

No one was around to ask about the name change. The Burger Shop sign remains...

Famous 99-cent Pizza is now open on East 14th Street

The Famous 99-cent Pizza signage arrived on East 14th Street at the former Desi Roti back on Nov. 17...

And now — it's Grand Opening time this week here just west of Avenue A...

East Village Hawkeye, who took the above photo, ate here and noted that it was pretty tasty as far as 99-cent slices go...

Meanwhile, as everyone has noted, it does seem as if there are more and more cheap-slice shops here. One theory, per Pinch in the comments on the original post:

I'm starting to think this is some kind of reality TV show, like let's see how many cheap pizza shops we can gradually (or may not so gradually) put in one neighborhood and watch people's reactions.

[IUpdated] New awning(s) in the works for Doc Holliday's on Avenue A

Well, the Doc awnings here at Avenue A and East Ninth Street were rather weather- and pigeon beaten... Anyway, the scene outside tonight ...

[Bobby Williams]

This, of course, comes a mere two years after the awning made its triumphant appearance on "Gossip Girl" along with Nate and Dan (or is it Dan and Nate? Never seen the show) ...





Updated, sober light of day:

And we didn't notice the ghost signage on the East Ninth Street side at the time of the photo... the previous tenant was Tompkins Park Restaurant, and before that...?

A better photo of the remaining P and H via Shawn Chittle...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Chico freshens up Doc Holliday's

'Gossip Girl' guys try to act natural walking by Doc Holliday's

An arrest late this afternoon on Avenue A

Some readers passed along details of an arrest late this afternoon on Avenue A near St. Mark's Place... At first look, one reader thought that an SUV had clipped a man standing near the curb.

"Turns out to have been some sort of arrest/bust ... when we arrived on the scene, the young man was on the ground and not resisting. He was talking and yelling loudly but no apparent physical resistance to the slew of undercover cops who were subduing him ... [a] woman next to me yelled to the young man not to resist because 'they will hurt you.'"

Also.

"Toward the end of the encounter, a youngish guy approached one of the undercover detectives with what looked to be a very large wad of cash, of which another undercover detective took possession."

Headed to Ughters Zers for some chopped liver

First Block Drugs, now Russ & Daughters! All of the great neon in the neighborhood is getting repaired at once...

"Ughters Zers" (Photo via Josh Russ. The neon sign will be fixed.) @ Russ & Daughters instagr.am/p/TFXip_j_Gg/

— Russ & Daughters (@LoxPopuli) December 11, 2012

OK, who put the large dog carrier in this tree on East Sixth Street?

Josie's (and Sophie's and Mona's) co-owner Richard Corton passed these on to us from this afternoon... spotted in a tree near Josie's on East Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...

Sorry to say, we do not know, like, how or why this is in the tree. Perhaps you know? Or have a guess?

Updated:

Oh! Someone just mentioned that this has been up there since Sandy...?

So, moving along... how do we get it down?

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Lafayette Street Sunday morning]

Man struck and killed by L train this morning at 14th and First (AP via the Post)

Eden has more photos and video from the MoRUS opening Saturday (Slum Goddess)

"Representatives of the Landmark Theatre Company told members of Community Board 3 that their plan to sell alcoholic drinks at the Sunshine Cinema offers the only hope of keeping the art house theater at 143 East Houston Street." CB3 not supporting the idea — yet. (The Lo-Down)

Stories of East Village residents rebuilding after Sandy (WNYC)

How East Village resident Jenny Adams helped crowdfund Sandy relief for the neighborhood (NPR)

Yoga to the People on St. Mark's stops offering classes patterned after Bikram Yoga (The New York Times)

Tiengarden on Allen Street closed until February for renovations (BoweryBoogie)

The late, great Movie Star News in Chelsea will soon be home to an upscale bathroom fixtures shop (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Alex returns to the Downtown Music Gallery (Flaming Pablum)

Rebuilding Coney Island (The Wall Street Journal, subscription ID needed)

And introducing Marty Wombacher's Meanwhile, Back in Peoria

Workers arrive on the scene of Claire Forlani's disembodied scotch ad hands

Yesterday, we noted the rather unnerving presence of Claire Forlani's giant billboard hand(s)... on that Scotch ad on Lafayette and Great Jones...

Today, a reader notes that workers have arrived at the scene. But for what reason?

To reattach the hand to the host body? Or hands.

Enjoy these 2 Manhattan views from the Christodora House in 1929

Here is the view to the northwest from the roof of the Christodora House on Avenue B and East Ninth Street circa Feb. 5, 1929. (Click image to enlarge, of course)

[From the Collections of the Museum of the City of New York]

And here's the view to the south toward the Woolworth Building...

[From the Collections of the Museum of the City of New York]

And here is the stately building from the same day...

[From the Collections of the Museum of the City of New York]

The great Samuel H. Gottscho took these photos... and they are via the Museum of the City of New York's website, where you can find many amazing archival photos. Where I'm buying a few things from their archives for holiday gifts.

Updated:

Dave on 7th thinks that the top two photos were taken later than 1929... Perhaps 1931. "That's an almost complete Empire State Building in the middle and it was completed in May of 1931 and the site was excavated in Jan of 1930 (per Wikipedia). So, I think their date is off by two years."

Memories of Tompkins Square Park poster refuses to die

[Bobby Williams, from Dec. 3]

Yes, it has been several days since we last checked in on the poster board thingy in Tompkins Square Park... the one put up by unknown people asking Parkgoers to share their favorite TSP memories. By last Wednesday, the sentiments started to get a little more, uh, salty. Or, as Slum Goddess noted in the comments — like the stalls of the women's bathroom in the Park.

Anyway, we never posted this on Friday morning...

One person claimed that a disgusted parent tore the two posters off the railing.

So by Friday night ...

Then Saturday morning! It was back! (Sort of!)

Then it disappeared. Then, last evening, Bobby Williams emailed me this photo, noting: "Here's old sign refusing to die."

Who knows where it will appear next, and in what form...

As for the memories. Thanks to everyone — Goggla, Chris Flash, John Penley, Gojira, BaHa, DrBOP, Shawn Chittle, Big Gay Ice Cream Man, Marty Wombacher, Andrew Tyndall, among others — for sharing their memories in the comments on the original post.

Previously on EV Grieve:
What's your memory of Tompkins Square Park?

Reader mailbag: Are the new lights too bright at St. Brigid's?

A question from a reader:

Have the obnoxiously too bright lights at St. Brigid's on Avenue B bothered anyone else?

Well, yes — one reader mentioned the "the ludicrously bright lights and ugly fixtures" in this post about the bells of St. Brigid's.

Anyway, the reader understands the deterrent from possible vandalism (and perhaps warding off anyone from sleeping on the front steps) that the lights provide.

"But they are so freaking bright! I wonder if the fact that they're bothering me is my anal-retentiveness coming out ... or I’m guessing I can’t be the only one."

Anyone else with a comment on the lights?

Naked Pizza looking for another location

We've noted a few times that Naked Pizza on East 14th Street near Third Avenue had been closed in recent weeks. Per the NP website, they were going to be on vacation until after Nov. 20. Then! That vacation got extended to after Dec. 4.

There's aren't any messages now for this location, which looks rather unsettled... Their phone is also out of service.

But! We asked NP's Twitter account what was happening...

@evgrieve We're looking for another location . . . stay tuned.

— Naked Pizza (@NakedPizza) December 10, 2012