EV Grieve

Monday, May 6, 2013

Coming soon to Second Avenue: Block's Vision Care

Been meaning to note this... you may have noticed the sign up next door to Block Drugs ... at the former home of Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar at 101 Second Ave. near East Sixth Street ...

The folks at Block are opening Block's Vision Care...

Extra Place now home to a Little Free Library

Spotted three people installing this in Extra Place on Saturday morning... and the final product...

...with an explanation about Little Free Library ...

Per The New York Times:

Holding no more than about 20 books for old and young, the 10 new Little Free Libraries — miniature lending libraries where anyone can take or leave a book under the honor system — will pop up all over downtown Manhattan on Saturday afternoon, and will stand until Sept. 1.

And!

Jakab Orsos, the director of the PEN World Voices Festival, which features events and workshops with international authors this week, said he heard about the Little Free Library concept last year and almost immediately decided to bring some to New York.

“It’s such a rich, such a romantic idea,” he said on Thursday, waxing lyrical about the pleasures of literature. “It really restores my faith, this connectedness — how people are actually harboring the beauty of reading and the book and the importance of the book.”

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Concern for Elmo on Avenue C

And why not? Spotted by EVG reader Laura Ave B ... between East Seventh Street and East Eighth Street today... When awakened, Elmo said, "Elmo is not drunk."

So I meet you at the cemetery gates

The New York City Marble Cemetery on East Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue is open until 5 today... Chango Blanco, who took the above photo, took a walk around the grounds. Find more of his photos from today at Flickr.

[Headline h/t]

Week in Grieview

[Roman in Union Square yesterday. Photo by Bobby Williams]

May Day march arrests (Wednesday)

Veselka Bowery has closed (Monday)

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned at the former PS 64 (Thursday)

Terry: "I know what it’s like to suffer and that’s why I like to rescue things." (Wednesday)

New York Sports Club for Avenue A (Monday)

St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Schools are closing (Friday)

The future of Avenue A (Thursday)

Residents return to where Mars Bar once stood (Wednesday)

More about the the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office's future (Tuesday)

Motor City will be open to the end of June (Tuesday)

Max Fish making it official in Williamsburg (Thursday)

Another building on East 14th Street is for sale (Monday)

The return of Red Mango (Thursday)

Eastside Bakery has closed (Wednesday)

Iconic Hand Rolls has closed (Tuesday)

Cafe, tapas bar in the works for 155 Avenue B (Wednesday)

... and One World Trade Center is now the largest building in the Western Hemisphere... a view of the spire from the East Village this morning via Bobby Williams...

Citi Bikes docking stations Week in Grieview

[St. Mark's Place]

The Citi Bikes docking stations arrived in the neighborhood this past week, as you probably noticed... We did.

Our 12 posts on the topic fielded 277 comments, covering everything from the Fall of Rome, Nazi Germany, 9/11 and the Mayan Apocalypse.

These two had the most comments:

Reader mailbag: Have you read the Citi Bikes Rental Agreement? (49 comments)

And!

Here's another docking station for St. Mark's Place (49 comments)

Any thoughts on why this is such a divisive topic?

Today in street art II

Oh, here's another set of Polaroids in the "Love is an oasis of horror" collection... William Klayer spotted these...

Anyone know more about these?

Updated:

Ah, thanks to a commenter sharing a link to BelleDuPolaroid.

Previously.

Mary Help of Christians: 'This is heartbreaking'

[Bobby Williams]

The Post has a piece today on several NYC churches that are facing possible demolition... including Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church on East 12th Street, which developer Douglas Steiner is razing to build a residential-retail complex ... the story doesn't offer any new information... but people are remaining hopeful.

“This is heartbreaking,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. “We hope [Steiner] can see the light and realize it’s advantageous to use something that’s special rather than demolishing it for something that’s a dime a dozen.”

Meanwhile, the Post employed three reporters to investigate local bars that aren't selling full pints of beer.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mary Help of Christians church, school and rectory

Today in street art

Spotted on the plywood outside 51 Astor Place...

Others in this series had been ripped off the plywood.

'Spring Open Day' today at the New York City Marble Cemetery

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. On East Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Afterwards, stop by here for a swim.

Go here for more information and history about the cemetery.

Deals of the day

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Today in Tompkins Square Park

Photo by Bobby Williams

Noted

Spotted on the Bowery.

Man extradited to New York in connection with April 13 shooting on East 3rd Street

[April 13]

Back in the early afternoon hours on April 13, a man was shot in the stomach on East Third Street and Avenue C. One witness described the incident as "a drug deal gone bad."

The Post today reports of an arrest in the shooting.

According to the report, NYPD detectives, working with police in New Bedford, Mass., arrested 44-year-old José Cintron there ... he was extradited to New York this past week. Police reportedly found 120 grams of heroin on Cintron.

"He was charged there with drug possession and being a fugitive from justice, and in New York with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon."

The victim of the gunshot underwent surgery on his small intestine at Bellevue Hospital, according to the Post.

Art on East Fifth Street

[Photo via @nranra]

If you are walking on East Fifth Street right now between Second Avenue and Cooper Square ... you might find Paul Kostabi there selling some art...

Today's entertainment

Waiting for a friend. Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place. Worker from corner magazine shop sweeps the sidewalk, pushing some of the dust, cigarette butts and what not into Third Avenue.

Meanwhile, a street sweeper comes roaring up, horn honking. People standing on the corner quickly move back as the sweeper pulls up.

The driver gets out and stands on the cab. "What are you doing? I just came by here and swept," she yells down to the man with the broom.

He apologizes.

"I called this in. I already swept here. You're not supposed to sweep into the street after we come by."

He apologizes again and attempts to try to sweep up what he left behind. "Don't do that. I've already called it in." She mentions a ticket, but says that she will make sure that he doesn't get one.

She stands there a few more awkward moments. Then gets back inside and drives off... only to make a theatrical entrance a minute later. Going back and forth over the spot and then hanging a sharp left and continuing on St. Mark's Place.

[Photo on East 7th Street by @dens]

Adam Yauch, aka MCA of the Beastie Boys, died on May 4, 2012 after a battle with cancer. He was 47.

The above mural remains in his memory on East Seventh Street just west of First Avenue...

Today, in his honor, a free "MCA Day" takes place at Brooklyn's Littlefield performance and art space from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, yesterday, Adam Yauch Park was unveiled in Brooklyn. Gothamist has several videos from the day here.

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[From Centre-Fuge public art project on East First Street last May. Art by Danielle Mastrion]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Remembering Adam Yauch in the East Village