We're DOOMED

Zoltar is out of order again outside Gem Spa... He was fine this morning when I walked by... At this rate, the Mets should sign him to a big contract.

Photo by Bobby Williams.

[Updated] Reader mailbag: No water on my block!

We received a late-night/early-morning email from a reader noting:

"There is no water in my block. I thought it was just in my apartment, but I asked my neighbor and she doesn't have water either. I also went to the corner deli to get something, and the deli guy brought up that they didn't have water."

The reader followed-up, saying that the water returned this morning to where he lives along East Seventh Street and First Avenue ... but that the water was now a rust color coming out of the faucet...

Anyone else experience loss of water the past 12 hours? Or notice some construction ... or...

Updated:
Added the photo that Bobby Williams took yesterday on East Seventh Street near Avenue A... showing the work on the water main...

Here's where the Santas will be on Saturday

A reader sent along the zones for SantaCon on Saturday...

...and they are expected in the East Village between 4:30 and 7 ... "Have fun anywhere in the green zone," according to the directive. Pay no mind to us residents! You're just having fun!

Per the reader:

Although they have specific bars listed ... I imagine there will be Santas everywhere in the neighborhood. The other crappy thing is that the time frame (4:30-7:00) means that a lot of the Santa's probably won't go across to Brooklyn at 7pm and will just stay in the EV all night.

Also:

It might be nice to have a few places that volunteer to be "Santa-free zones" that could be publicized as safe places to go on Saturday.

I know that the Grassroots on St. Mark's won't serve any Santas... anywhere else?

Also, we understand that there at least two other separate Santa events here Saturday...

And noting the main photo on the SantaCon home page:

Tompkins Square Bagels turns 1

This weekend, Tompkins Square Bagels celebrates its one-year anniversary at 165 Avenue A. On the eve of the occasion, we asked proprietor Christopher Pugliese to reflect on the past year.

On the local community:

"I'd really like people to know how thankful I am for their support. I've met so many amazing people at Tompkins Square Bagels this past year, you could not imagine. Every type of person. What a great great community we have. Anyone who says the spirit of the East Village is gone or done is absolutely wrong. The people are here."

On what he's most proud of:

"One of the things I'm most proud of, and maybe something that landlords should pay attention to, is that I made it without a liquor license. They were dangling that in front of me like a carrot if i agreed to pay a little more in rent. I made a decision early on — no liquor, no cigarettes, no targeting the school kids around the block by filling my place with junk food and candy. No lotto tickets. I was going to either live or die being a responsible member of the community. And I lived."

On the future:

"I'd love to put an old-fashioned Italian-style pork store/market type of place in the Diablo Royale Este space next door. [The bar temporarily closed late in August; it is not expected to return. The space is on the market.] I want to knock down a wall in TSB and connect the two. I want to have meats, fish, cheeses, coffee, bread, groceries, pre-made food, pasta, etc.

I'm interested in doing this because I live here and, personally, I'm tired of having to walk blocks and blocks for a decent piece of fish or some good pasta. Where I grew up in Brooklyn, we had places like Pastosa Ravioli. Have you ever been to one? It's like an Italian pork store, pasta shop and gourmet food place all rolled into one. There's a real neighborhood here on Avenue A. The people are here. Yet, they don't have basic needs met like a good market."

Previously.

Reflecting on 51 Astor Place

Enough glass up here on 51 Astor Place that we can do this...

... shaping up. Like it any better now with glass?

Previously.

A petition to name part of East Sixth Street after Donald Suggs

Donald Suggs, a familiar face around the neighborhood, died in early October from an apparent heart attack. He was 51.

Now his many friends and loved ones have started a campaign to petition the city to name the block that he lived on East Sixth Street between Avenue A and B in his honor.

From the EVG inbox:

Donald Suggs Street, or Donald Suggs Way, or Donald Suggs Avenue
Sign a petition to name East 6th Street, between Avenues A & B Donald Suggs Street. Donald Suggs was an amazing, brilliant, multi-talented New Yorker who lived for over 20 years at 526 East 6th Street. His journalism at The Village Voice was groundbreaking in its expert coverage of marginalized people. He was African-American and gay. He was a social activist, a raconteur...

His family and friends feel the loss very deeply. He made it a point to know his neighbors, not just in his building, but on his block, and extended his friendliness to most of the East Village, becoming so well-known and well-liked, just for being him, that his death prompted overflowing expressions of grief on the same sidewalks where he'd walked so much, and his Facebook page has practically vibrated from the outcries and postings.

Donald's contributions to his neighborhood and to the city are considerable and noteworthy and deserve this street-naming recognition. Here is a formal obituary.

To sign this petition the old-fashioned way, you may stop by Exit 9 on Avenue A (between East Fourth and East Third) where Suggs recently worked.

Here are the hours to sign the petition at Exit 9:
Today, noon to 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec 17 — Thursday, Dec. 20, noon to 7:30 p.m.

Per his friend Jennifer: "Right now we will see if we can get enough signatures this way. If need be, we will look into doing an online petition."

Previously.

[Image via Facebook]

Natori remains open on St. Mark's Place

At the end of November, we heard that Natori, a longtime favorite on St. Mark's Place, was closing for good on Nov. 30. We understood that the owner needed to return to Japan for family matters. Workers confirmed this closure to us.

However, in the last week, several readers noted that Natori was back open. We brought this up to our original tipster, a reliable source. The tipster was surprised. "I went there that [last night] and the owner was sobbing over it being the end."

Then an EVG regular just had dinner there, and brought up the topic. The waiter said that they weren't closing, and dismissed the topic. The EVGer tried again to no avail. The waiter though, was friendly and talkative about other topics. The EVGer also noted that there weren't any early-bird specials that Natori had been known for... In any event, Natori is still open. We'll try to get more information about what's happening here.

The Drunken Clam opens tonight on St. Mark's Place

Via Thrillist, we learned about The Drunken Clam, a clam-beer bar that opens tonight below the tofu-karaoke complex at 6 St. Mark's Place. (Thrillist describes it as "an underground bunker of clams and beer.")

On the menu:

NAKED CLAM
Half Shell Raw Clams

DRUNKEN CLAM
Two Dozen Steamed Clams

BIG-FAT SHRIMP
12pcs Fried Jumbo Shrimp

DRUNKEN CLAM IN THE HOUSE
Two Dozen Clams + NY TOFU Stew of Your Choice

GREENDOG
A Jumbo Dog Served in Romain Lettuce with Tomatos, Cheese, Onions & Sauerkraut

PANCAKE ARMY OR MARINE
Crispy Kimchi or Seafood Pancake

B.B.B.(BEST BUD OF BEERS) PLATTER
Fried Calamari, Popcorn Shrimp & French Fries

HOT WING 12pcs

WINES & BEERS AROUND THE WORLD

Meanwhile, the whole building here (most recently Mondo Kim's) remains on the market for $14.5 million.

Previously.

[Images via Facebook]

Construction mishap turns NYU dorm into a concrete jungle

There's news to report about the incoming 16-story building coming to 133 Third Ave., just north of Third Avenue...

Some sort of construction mishap on Dec. 5 "accidentally sent wet concrete oozing through a wall and into an NYU dorm next door," according to a report yesterday on DNAinfo. The ooze reportedly damaged the rooms of three students on the dorm's fourth floor. NYU has repaired the rooms, though the students have decided to stay for the time in their alternative housing.

As a result, per DNA:

The owner of the building leased by NYU for use as the Coral Towers dorms is seeking $1 million in damages from developer McArthur Morgan, LLC and a permanent end to construction at 133 Third Ave.

Maybe we can bring back that addendum to Jam Envelope & Paper?

[H/T Curbed ... above photo from two weeks ago]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another high rise rising on 14th Street and Third Avenue

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