When East Houston Street was 'a sleepy backwater'

There has been a lot of talk this week about what's next for Ludlow Street ... with the impending closure of Motor City Bar ... the loss of the Pink Pony Cafe... and a cloudy future for The Hat ...

Which brings us to this photo that EVG reader Paul Dougherty recently came across. He shared it with us. It's a view looking south toward Ludlow Street and beyond from his East Houston Street apartment in 1986...



"I had lived in that building for six years and had just moved to a bigger apartment in the front with this great view ... Can't really put in words the sense of neighborhood context one gets from this. Maybe 'sleepy backwater'? Pretty sure this would have been before the first youth bar/restaurant the Ludlow Street Cafe — nice place. From this acorn a mighty oak — blah, blah, blah."

We don't have a compatible today photo ... one that would show the ongoing building boom, featuring The Ludlow, Thompson LES, et al. And not much else... Except for Katz's.

Watch Abraham Lincoln give the Gettysburg Address at McSorley's

Well, in honor of Presidents' Day, McSorley's Day (Feb. 17) ... and the Oscar-busting "Lincoln" ... we give you the above video, in which, according to the YouTube description: "Greg Nissen portrays Abraham Lincoln [Ed Note: What, you expecting Daniel Day-Lewis?] on Lincoln's Birthday Feb. 12, 2011. Captain Zorikh is the Union soldier announcing him as he visits McSorley's Alehouse in New York City to recite the Gettysburg Address."

According to legend, Lincoln did actually visit McSorley's back in the day... reportedly after his famous Cooper Union Speech at Cooper Union's Great Hall on Feb. 27, 1860 ... which, according to scholar Harold Holzer, helped propel Lincoln into the presidency.

Find out more about Lincoln and the Cooper Union Speech here at the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation.

A few years ago, The Examiner offered details about Lincoln's visit to McSorley's in 1860. Do with this information what you please. There's zero sourcing for it:

Later, several men took him to the nearby McSorley's Old Ale House at 15 East 7th Street. Sipping an ale, Lincoln looked around curiously. The "Men Only" pub, with its sawdust covered floors, pot-bellied stove in the middle of the room, and friendly Irish bartenders gave him a comfortable feeling.

His confidence was renewed by his tremendous success in New York. Both the speech at Cooper Union and his visit to McSorley's helped to make his political career.

Using public records, historian Richard McDermott has pointed out that the bar really opened in 1862 and not 1854, according to New York magazine. Makes a good story nonetheless.

[Updated] McSorley's Day is Feb. 17

Speaking of McSorley's... there is an ad in today's Post noting that Feb. 17 is McSorley's Day in New York... The 17th would be Sunday, though the ad states "Friday February 17."



In any event! The bar is also celebrating its 159th (or 151st!) anniversary... (Per New York: "Though McSorley’s claims it opened its doors in 1854, NYC historian Richard McDermott used public records to prove it really opened in 1862." Which means Lincoln never set foot in the place.)

Anyway! A flashback to last year's 158th (or 150th!) festivities...

Updated:
Oh, despite what the ad says, turns out that the celebration is today, Feb. 10.. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Happy 155th birthday, McSorley's (or not)

Exclusive: Minnie McSorley's first interview

A new-look Verso reopens on Avenue C for the first time since Sandy

[Several days after Sandy]

Verso, the Italian bistro on Avenue C at East Eighth Street, hasn't been open since Sandy's floodwaters filled up the restaurant's basement. Looked grim for awhile here, a time that included a back-rent notice taped to the front door in late December.

Workers have been busy of late...


[Wednesday via Bobby Williams]

And last night, Dave on 7th noted that the refurbished restaurant was back open...



Per Dave on 7th: There's a "new, more rustic look. I actually like it. The interior is stripped down. Exposed beams and joists. Barn cladding in front."

The owners tell us that they're in soft-opening mode this weekend, with a "full force" reopening at the end of the month.

[Winter Friday Flashback] Valentine's Day tragedies: When you mix up Union Square Cafe and the Gramercy Tavern

On Fridays this winter, and probably spring and summer ... we'll post one of the 16,000-plus EVG, uh, posts from yesteryear, like this one from Feb. 16, 2010...

-----

We heard about this third-hand... So we can't verify the authenticity of it. But! A man from out of town was here this past weekend to be with his girlfriend. She is new to the city, and was interested in trying one of Danny Meyer's highly regarded eateries, such as the Union Square Cafe or Gramercy Tavern.

Anyway, some details were apparently lost in translation, and the couple arrived here at the Gramercy Cafe on 17th Street and Third Avenue for an early Valentine's Day weekend dinner on Saturday...



Not all was lost. After realizing their error, they made their over to the Gramercy Tavern on 20th Street near Park Avenue South... they eventually got seats at the bar...

Scenes from Valentine's Day 2013

The usual line this day at Sunny's on Second Avenue and East Sixth Street, by peter radley



Prepping for a romantic meal at Dallas BBQ on St. Mark's and Second Avenue, by Bobby Williams



Um, this on East 14th Street, via Bride of 7th






Valentine's pigeon in Tompkins Square Park, by Bobby Williams

The new mini food truck movement comes to Tompkins Square Park

Via Dave on 7th

Actually, it just looked as if someone was making a stop-motion film or something...

Mayor Bloomberg gave his last State of the City address today

Fuck. And I missed his 73rd 12th and final speech.

Gothamist has the "Top 10 Quotes From Bloomberg's Final State Of The City" as well as copy of the whole shebang speech. Find that here.

Apparently he talked a lot about "development," per this Gothamist graphic.

Why a lot of people think that Verizon sucks, especially along Avenue C

The WNYC News Blog has a post on how some residents and business owners in the East Village — particularly along Avenue C — have quit Verizon after extended phone and Internet outages dating back to Sandy. Many businesses were unable to process credit-card orders, and have lost business in the process.

Among those business along (or near!) Avenue C that made the switch to other providers, such as Time Warner and Clear: Bobwhite Lunch Supper Counter, Alphabet City Wine Co., Barnyard Cheese Shop and Brix Wine Shop.

Verizon "wouldn't say how many people and businesses are still without service and couldn't fully explain the persistent outages and poor communications along Avenue C," according to the article.

Said a Verizon spokesperson: "There are certain instances where we have access issues, getting into certain buildings, but people and businesses should feel confident that we’re working 24-hours, around the clock, with not only building managers and property owners, but also within our own network to get this restored."

Read the whole article here.

Have you been affected (or maybe infected) by the Verizon outage?

[EVG file photo]

Is this the cutest couple in the East Village?

As you may have heard, today is Valentine's Day. (Exclusively reported here first.) Anyway, on this occasion, The Village Voice speaks with Pilar and Walter La Rosa, the owners of Pilar Jewelry Repair at 32 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.

The couple, who are originally from Lima, Peru, have been married for five decades. And they've been running this shop for 20 years. Reporter Araceli Cruz talked to Pilar about love and marriage and romance ... "Couples are too independent today. Couples should do everything together. Women go off with their friends too much. Instead they should bring them over, even the singles ones."

Read the whole piece here at Runnin' Scared.

[Photo via the Voice]

Incoming 7-Eleven franchise on Avenue A still in need of an owner

There has been a lot of discussion about the 7-Eleven being carved out of the former Bar on A and Angels & Kings on Avenue A and East 11th Street.

Current home of that remarkable plywood structure...



As for the construction, there hasn't been a whole lot of activity here in recent months. (Perhaps the building changing hands had something to do with this slowdown...?) Workers gutted and plywooded the space back in September. Work picked up again in December. Bobby Williams took a look inside the space last week...

Meanwhile, a reader the other day pointed out that this location was still on the market for an owner, per the 7-Eleven Franchising site. According to the site, the estimated opening date is May 2013.



Related:
The organizers behind the East Village No 7-Eleven movement were guests Tuesday night on "Let’s Get Real With Chef Erica Wides" on the Heritage Radio Network. You can listen to the archived program here. The show is #56 and titled "7-Eleven Is To The East Village What Pringles Are To Potatoes."

Mass schedule for St. Brigid-St. Emeric

Meant to note this earlier... in case you wanted to see the inside of the recently unveiled Church of Saint Brigid-Saint Emeric on Avenue B and East Eighth Street... (And, of course, to attend a mass.) Signs went up last week showing the times for the various masses... (And the church has a new website here.)

Good chance to practice up to be the next Pope.

The New York Times apparently didn't like Pouring Ribbons

The New York Times checks in today with mini review of sorts on Pouring Ribbons, the bar on Avenue B (across from Mona's near East 14th Street) that opened last September. The place is from "veterans of Death & Company and Milk & Honey," the kind of place where you can order "Norwegian-inflected Hagar & Helga, which includes Linie Aquavit, dry Curaçao, cumin syrup and cinnamon bitters."

Never been to this place. Never planned on it. Anyway. Pretty brutal write-up. Like!

"[T]here’s little interest in conjuring a Prohibition-era ambience — or really much ambience of any kind."

And!

While free of trite preciousness like gold damask wallpaper and birdcages, Pouring Ribbons’ plain décor and unflattering lighting offer minimal atmospherics.

And the description of the crowd:

A step above the Murray Hill bar crawl. Women wore Ann Taylor pashminas and matching cardigans, riding coats and corduroy blazers. Men looked comfortably frumpy in college hoodies, big button-downs and boot-cut denim. It’s an after-work congregation for those who have outgrown Bud Light-doused happy hours.

If you could turn back time: Spend your Valentine's night with Cher, sort of

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Many years ago, Reverend Jen had an epiphany: She didn't know or care who St. Valentine was. Not only that, she cared even less about Valentine's Day. Her solution: Name the holiday after someone she and others recognize and love. For some inexplicable reason, Cher came to mind and Valentine's Day quickly became "Cher Day." On Cher Day, celebrants are encouraged to listen to Cher's music, watch Cher films and dress as Cher (or as one of her loves.).

What could be more fun than Cher Day? How 'bout a Cher Day that falls on a Thursday when Rev. Jen hosts her open mic, The Anti-Slam! As a result, Rev. is throwing a very special Cher Day Valentine extravaganza!

Along with the regular open mic, there will plenty of crazy fun bonus activities including an "Art Star Dating Game" and a raffle (benefiting Waggytail Rescue) where guests can win special prizes like vibrators (who needs a significant other?) and gently worn "elf panties." Guests, are of course, encouraged to dress as Cher, reenact her films or simply be groovy and fabulous!

Starts at 7:30 at the Pyramid, 101 Avenue A. Here is the Facebook events page with more info.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reverend Jen's Anti-Slam is back; starts tonight at the Pyramid

Last-minute Valentine's Day gift ideas, if you're feeling lucky

Step right up to the (slightly refurbished) Treasure Chest here then on East 14th Street near First Avenue ... outside the Community Grocery & Candy store.



The game of chance has been stocked in recent weeks with some nice Valentine's Day-related items.



But. If you want a sure thing, then we suggest that you try Zoltar.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Before Zoltar, there was Treasure Chest

Crowdsourcing campaign winding down for Rawvolution — in Santa Monica

Rawvolution, the raw vegan cafe/retail store on East 12th Street, closed "for renovations" back in early December. At the time, Jill heard from an employee that they would reopen Jan. 1.

A week or so later, a former employee said the Rawvolution was done here, that the owners were focusing on their Santa Monica, Calif.-based flagship store.

Claimed the employee: There was "no warning, or heads up to their employees…shady shady." Said another former employee: "Furthermore, they failed to pay their entire staff their last two paychecks."

The Rawvolution website still says: "At this time we are not delivering locally to New York City, this is only temporary and will keep you updated when we do start again."

Meanwhile, in Santa Monica, a crowdsourcing campaign is winding down to save that shop. Per IndieGoGo: "Our landlord is trying to evict us. He has been trying to find ways to take away this community hub of amazing food and inspiration for years and to replace RAWvolution with a corporate coffee bar. We need $38,000 to keep the doors open and to ensure that we have enough capital to ensure a sustainable future." [Updated: Good point per a commenter: No mention in this campaign of the East Village location.]

With about 20-some hours left, the owners are nearly $34,000 short of their goal.

An East 12th Street resident told us that the storefront has been gutted, with some "real-estate types" in and out of the place.

Rawvolution opened in August 2011 here just east of Avenue A.

Today in photos of a fire breather in Tompkins Square Park

Getting ready for Valentine's Day?

Above photos by EVG regular peter radley.

Here are a few more via Bobby Williams...











Updated:
Read more about Penny Pollak here.

Reader report: Araman closes for good tonight

[Via Bobby Williams]

As first noted back in November, Amaran is closing on Avenue B... the store that specializes in imported home goods at East Seventh Street originally said that they would close on Jan 27 ... now Bill the libertarian anarchist passes along word that tonight is the store's last night...


[Bill the libertarian anarchist]

[Updated] DOH temporarily closes Maharlika on First Avenue; bonus gas leak

EVG reader AC points out that Maharlika, the Filipino restaurant on First Avenue near East Seventh Street, is temporarily closed. Per the DOH, they had 63 violation points on an inspection dated Jan. 29 ...

Interestingly enough, despite the telltale DOH stickers, signs on the door point to a "gas leak."



Updated 2-15
Per Eater, the restaurant reopens tonight.

This week in reminders of how luxurious the Bowery has become

A penthouse at 250 Bowery is in contract for $2,500 per square foot, supposedly a record for the area. The home sold for nearly $3.9 million total. (The Real Deal)