Another East Village record store closes

EVG reader Corina notes that Tropicalia in Furs, the speciality record store on East Fifth Street near Second Avenue, has closed... The storefront is now for rent. No food, per the sign.

Among other genres, the store carried rare records of Brazilian music from the 1960s and 1970s. This is the latest small-shop closure on this block... along with Gimme Gimme Records ... and Ballaro Bakery.

A tree fire on East 10th Street

Yesterday afternoon, the FDNY responded to a report of a small fire that started at the base of this tree on East 10th Street east of Avenue C...

It wasn't much of a blaze, but there were concerns the tree might be lost... here's how it looks today...

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Mermaid Inn has 'pretty exciting news to share'

Caught this tweet from the other day...

Pretty exciting news to share about the East Village with you soon.... but for now, we'll leave you with this image ow.ly/i/1o0yn

— The Mermaid Inn, NYC (@themermaidnyc) January 17, 2013

Any ideas about the announcement from this restaurant on Second Avenue between East Fifth Street and East Sixth Street...?

The flags of East Seventh Street

As I first reported, today marks the 2013 Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C. ... Uh. Anyway, Dave on 7th notes the patriotic spirit on East Seventh Street... even if one of the flags is being held by a plastic snowman.

[Flashback on Seventh Street in December, via Bobby Williams]

Feels like snow

And birds. On Avenue A this morning.

As for snow. Per our sources at The Weather Channel:

Mostly cloudy. Snow showers around this afternoon. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 50%.

Noted

Speaking of the incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A and East 11th Street... spotted on the plywood...

El Diablito Taqueria opening this spring on East Third Street

Signs are up for a new taqueria on 60 E. Third St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

There is a Facebook page for the new eatery, though it doesn't have any further information just yet...

Previously, this was home to the wholly unique Hospital Productions, the specialty record store that closed late in 2011. ... not to mention reggae specialists Jammyland...

The barber of Tompkins Square Park

Photo today by Bobby Williams. Previously.

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man on East 12th Street

No fucking idea what's happening here. But I love the photo. East 12th Street near First Avenue. Photo by Shawn Chittle.

Sunday sales on Avenue A

Sure, the Mary Help of Christians flea market may have moved over to the Immaculate Conception Church on East 14th Street at First Avenue on Saturdays... but the sales returned today to Avenue A...

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Noted

A reader shares this on Suffolk Street today...

"I love this. SUV and car pull up seperately. Park on 'no parking' side of street. Both drivers reach down and put handicap placards in windshield. Both car empties of healthy mobile people and they all walk off ..."

Week in Grieview

7-Eleven is 'Pringle-lizing the East Village' (Thursday)

Christmas tree fire on East Third Street (Tuesday)

A discussion on the Annual No Pants Subway ride (Wednesday)

Morons ride the top of a party bus on First Avenue (Tuesday)

Opening report for Wafels & Dinges on Avenue B (Thursday)

That "great-looking" 51 Astor Place (Monday)

A 2 Bros. for First Avenue (Tuesday)

Kmart is prepped for St. Patrick's Day (Thursday)

Fire at Whole Foods Bowery (Sunday)

Don't shoot dice here (Tuesday)

Charlie Sheen at McSorley's (Tuesday)

Brooklyn is too expensive (Thursday)

Here comes Epic City Pub (Thursday)

Whatever happened to this really ugly hotel plans for the Bowery? (Tuesday)

Social Tees has a new home (Monday)

Smile Morrissey! (Monday)

Milo Printing Shop will become a gelato cafe (Friday)

The East Village is losing yet another bakery

On Friday, we reported that the 87-year-old 9th Street Bakery will be closing... in the ensuing comments (53 as of now), a reader mentioned that the nearly four-month-old Ballaro Bakery is also closing on East Fifth Street...

Sure enough. Signs are up.

They close for good tomorrow here between Second Avenue and First Avenue.

And they just opened in September, as noted here. The no-nonsense bakery, which made its bread on the premises, replaced the equally short-lived Porchetta.Hog.

And Ballaro Bakery is from the same folks behind the Ballarò Caffé Prosciutteria around the corner on Second Avenue.

Report: New York City is '7-Eleven's No. 1 priority'

[On Broadway near East 12th Street, via CP]

In case you missed it... there was a Marketplace Morning Report on Friday about 7-Eleven's plans to destroy humanity expand in Manhattan...

A few highlights from the report:

Lots of places sold those commodities and 7-Eleven couldn’t compete. The company closed its few Manhattan stores in the early 80s. But now, it wants to grow, and fast, and New York is 7-Eleven's number one priority.

“Where are we not where we could be the fastest and have the most number of stores?” Barnes says.

Within five years, 7-Eleven could be nearly as ubiquitous in Manhattan as Starbucks. The company plans to open at least 30 new stores a year.

And!

That’s bad news for shop owners like Kyung Chan Yu.

“I don’t know. I don’t know why they do that to me?” he says as he stands in the corner deli in Chelsea he’s owned for years.

After 7-Eleven opened next door recently, his sales are down 25 percent.

Here's the full report:



Thanks to EVG regular Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C for the link.

Previously on EV Grieve:
7-Eleven continues to feast on the East Village; next up, St. Mark's Place

[Updated] More from the anti-7-Eleven front on Avenue A and East 11th Street

Noted

Spotted on East 14th Street and First Avenue via EVG reader Raquel Shapira...

Discovering the The Lost City of the Pyramids on East Second Street

Spotted this morning. Wonder what the rent will be...

High fence act in Tompkins Square Park

This afternoon... via Bobby Williams...

Exclusively exclusive first look inside the new Duane Reade on First Avenue

As noted, yesterday marked the Grand Opening of the new Duane Reade on First Avenue just north of East 14th Street ... conveniently located inches from a CVS...

We went inside. All three Duane Readers working at the checkouts greeted us. Nearly in unison. Good morning! GOOD MORNING! Good MORNING!

There are three levels. Accessible via escalators.

...and despite the sign, there is more than one beauty magazine...

They still have MoneyGram. And the MoneyGram phone...

No sushi or smoothies or hair salons here like at 40 Wall Street, though...

Meanwhile. Outside. Duane Reade and CVS are already embroiled in an ugly battle of Who Can Out Cute the Other Chain Drug Store With Adorably Sad Valentine's Day Stuffed Animals in the Window™ ...

Gotta give it to CVS here in Round 1. Easter promises to be interesting.

...and the now-former Duane Reade around the corner has closed... though the shelves are still stocked...

Today's sign of the Apocalypse: 7-Eleven on St. Mark's Place now delivering

Not sure how long that sign has been up... didn't notice it earlier in the week... did not see a delivery sign on the 7-Eleven Bowery location... And what would you have delivered from a 7-Eleven?

Tonight, let it be East 14th Street...

Hmm, humming the old Löwenbräu jingle for some reason... East 14th Street tonight via Bobby Williams...