Looking at 'Bowery Bombshells — Great Ladies of the Lower East Side'

Low Life 7: Bowery Bombshells — Great Ladies of the Lower East Side marked the Grand Finale during this weekend's Howl Festival in Tompkins Square Park... EVG contributor Stacie Joy was on-hand yesterday to capture the sights, sounds, wigs, fishnets...



Sweet Lorraine of HyperGender Burlesque



Vangeline Theater



Velocity Chyaldd of BadAss Burlesque





Nicholas Gorham and Shredding Wench Factory



Kat Mon Dieu and Gothic Hangman





Rachel Klein Theater



Scooter Pie





Shredding Wench Factory



Heather Litteer/Jessica Rabbit Domination





Founder of Vangeline Theater

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Thanks to The Jackie Factory NYC for another great show. Read more about the event here.

The Blarney Cove will close for good at the end of June

Well, we knew this one was coming. As we've been noting, many businesses on East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B are either relocating or closing to make way for some yet-unspecified development.

Bartenders at the Blarney Cove are now telling patrons that they will close at the end of the month. It's not relocating. (How could this ever be replicated elsewhere anyway?)

It Was Her New York wrote about the Blarney Cove and this stretch of East 14th Street yesterday.

[T]he further east we got the worse things look. It was like Close Encounters of the Third Kind when Richard Dreyfuss slips into the restricted area and all these dead cows are lying around.

Every store was empty with 'For Rent' or 'Going Out Of Business'. The cheap place was gone. 40 years of buying necessary and unnecessary affordable shit, gone.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East 14th Street exodus continues

The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development

Bargain Express has closed on East 14th Street

Zoubi, famous East Village cat, needs dental surgery — and your help

Longtime East Village resident Leslie Sternbergh Alexander told us about a crowdsourcing fundraiser for Zoubi (aka Lula), the friendly store cat from Village Magazine at 102 Second Ave. ... "now living with East Village hippies Adam Alexander and Leslie Sternbergh Alexander."

Here's the situation via GoFundMe:

East Village hippies' famous 20 year-old cat, known for decades as the friendly store cat at 2nd Ave. & 6th St. before her retirement & adoption by her old friends indigenous east village hippies Adam & Leslie, appears to need dental surgical attention ASAP — including blood work & other prep tests necessary for older cats before general anesthesia's use ... we believe our goal's a fair estimate for her imminent care, we're blessed with fine local vet resources, & we thank you in advance for sharing our love of excellent cats with your generosity.

The goal is $3,500. And what do you get in return for the help? Well, some pretty cool things from these artists. For example, for $50: "Your choice of one of Adam & Leslie's original mid-80's late Punk Era nightclub invitation postcards - Authentic East Village collectible nostalgia!" For $500: "Framed Original Adam Alexander Fractal Art or Photographic Print." Check out his work here.

Find the GoFundMe site here.

Pricing for apartments at former Cabrini Center revealed; 4-bedroom unit for $7,600 at Bloom 62

Several units from Bloom 62, developer Ben Shaoul's luxury apartment building that replaced the former Cabrini Center on East Fifth Street and Avenue B, appeared on Streeteasy this past weekend. There are six listings, ranging from a one-bedroom unit for $3,450 all the way up to a four-bedroom unit for $7,600.

The listings all basically showcase the same amenities. Here's the one for the four-bedroom pad:

Brand New Listing in Pristine New Building. Huge 4 Bedrooms with Tons of Closet Space. Amazing Deal. This Apartment will not last!

Apartment Details:

-Brand New Renovations
-Very Spacious Layout
-Queen Size Bedrooms
-Beautiful Spa Style Marble Bathroom
-Wide Plank Hardwood Floors
- Closet Space!

Kitchen Features:
-Chef’s Kitchen
-Plenty of Counter Space / Cabinet Space
-Stainless Steel Appliances (Dishwasher, Refrigerator, Microwave)
-Granite Counter top

WASHER & DRYER

New Doorman bldg Features:
AMENITIES

24 hour doorman
Gym & exercise facility with weight room
Secured landscaped courtyard entrance
Standard storage
Laundry room
Bicycle storage
Landscaped roof deck with showers, Weber grills, & teak sun-deck
Yoga room with music system
Handicap accessible

According to Streeteasy, the apartments are available starting June 14. The previous tenant here was the 240-bed Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation — sponsored by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — that provided health care for low-income elderly residents in the East Village. The center opened in 1993 and served 240 patients and employed nearly 300 employees. The facility closed last June.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Here's Bloom 62, the luxury apartments replacing the Cabrini Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation

Report: Local politicians reach out to Ben Shaoul as re-sale of the Cabrini Nursing Center seems likely

More details on Cabrini's closing announcement

Betola Espresso Bar is moving to Brooklyn

A tipster let us know that Betola Espresso Bar on East Sixth Street has closed. Here's the message on Betola's Facebook page:

Some bittersweet news, Betola is officially closing on 6/1 but we are moving to Brooklyn! Stay tuned for new location details. THANK YOU friends, family and coffee lovers for all the love and support! We hope to see you at our new spot soon!

Betola, an unpretentious spot with friendly owners, opened here at 514 E. Sixth St. almost one year ago. While higher rents are usually the culprit, it wasn't the case here. Apparently the owners got the proverbial deal that they couldn't refuse to move to a larger space with a sweet rent.

Latest weapon in the First Avenue $1 slice wars: Dancing Pizza Menu Woman

@evgrieve the pizza wars have taken a disturbing turn: vine.co/v/b3z6xiMx5QM

— David Fitzgerald (@david_fitz) June 1, 2013

Spotted outside Joey Pepperoni's this past weekend.

When will it end? Full-frontal nudity? Then what about the children?

Previously on EV Grieve:
First Avenue $1 Pizza Wars — now with draft beer

Checking in on the $1 pizza war on First Avenue

The Immigrant Tap Room is now open on East Ninth Street

EVG reader MP notes that the Immigrant Tap Room is now open on East Ninth Street...



As we first reported in January, Jason Corey (pictured above) was opening a bar extension next door to The Immigrant ... he called the new space "a low-key locals hangout bar extension."

EV Grieve Eatery Etc.: Neon signage for Wafels & Dinges; Entrez becomes Farfasha

Several readers have pointed out the recent arrive of neon signage at the incoming Wafels & Dinges on Avenue B and East Second Street... W&D founder Thomas DeGeest, an East Village resident, told us that he doesn't have an exact opening date yet ... "It's definitely gonna be June," he told us.

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Entrez Bar & Grill opened on Second Avenue last fall... and it has randomly, quickly been converted into a hookah bar called Farfasha ...



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Pinalito City closed for renovations in April, as BoweryBoogie reported. Anyway, still under renovation... just noting the Chico plywood now here on East Houston and Clinton...

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Pho 32 and Shabu recently closed at 13 St. Mark's Place... and something called Pan is taking its place very soon... no details on this just yet.

Budget now open on East Ninth Street

As you can see, there's now a Budget car rental place adjacent to the parking garage here on East Ninth Street. And look what you can upgrade too!



Just need to find a docking station!

The storefront has been vacant for more than four years ... since M Sonii, the vintage boutique, lost its lease here...

David's Shoe Repair has left the East Village

As reported earlier, high rents sent David's Shoe Repair packing from its longtime home on East Seventh Street to ... West 35th Street...



Previously on EV Grieve:
For rent sign appears at David's Shoe Repair

Howl! or just another Sunday in Tompkins Square Park?

Photos by Bobby Williams

'It's the Bomb' in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by peter radley

These people just ate a shitload of pastrami from Katz's

Wow. World champion competitive eater Joey Chestnut ate 25 7-ounce pastrami sandwiches to win the first ever Katz's Delicatessen World Pastrami Eating Championship trophy this afternoon on Orchard Street.



Photos by Stephen Popkin.

BoweryBoogie has video here if you can stomach it! The Lo-Down has photos here.

The Katz's Delicatessen World Pastrami Eating Championship trophy is on the move!

[Photo by Stephen Popkin]

On its way to Orchard Street...

Week in Grieview

[3rd Avenue at East 13th Street]

A note for the "Birthday Girl on the Second floor" (Tuesday, 30 comments)

Cab backs into DBA (Sunday)

An update on Kita The Wonder Dog of East 10th Street (Friday)

The end for Odessa Cafe and Bar on Avenue A? (Thursday)

At the Loisaida Festival (Monday)

First sign of the 17-year cicadas in Tompkins Square Park? (Thursday)

Matt Torres talks about all his family in the neighborhood (Wednesday)

An assualt on First Avenue and East First Street (Thursday)

Crunch moving to the Bowery (Friday)

Closing night party info for Motor City Bar (Thursday)

First Citi Bikes spotted in the wild (Monday, 25 comments)

Everyman Espresso doesn't [heart] NY at the moment (Thursday)

Citi Bikes makes dumb mustache joke (Monday, 20 comments)

Distribution deal for CBGB biopic (Thursday)

Remembering Taylor Mead at Art Around the Park

Taylor Mead, the artist and Warhol superstar, died on May 8 after suffering a stroke in Colorado. He was 88. And his spirit lives on at Art Around the Park this weekend ...

Art Around the Park in 6 seconds

Art Around the Park vine.co/v/b3A917QLmJd
— evgrieve (@evgrieve) June 2, 2013

One way of highlighting a lot of the murals without posting 50 photos...

A lot of murals to highlight... such as Nicolina and Perola painting Portal 8 ...


[Courtesy Shane Perez]

GammaBlog has some nice shots here.

The Wall Street Journal does not care much for Citi Bikes

Several readers have pointed us to this video from The Wall Street Journal, in which editorial board member Dorothy Rabinowitz rips Mayor Bloomberg and the entire bike-share program.

Katz's at 125

A look at the deli this morning... celebrating 125 years in business this weekend... nice that crews from the Houston Street corridor reconstruction left the crane parked right outside for all today's festivities!



There will be live entertainment all day...



...including sets from EVG reader Stephen Popkin, who will be playing a selection of death metal music throughout the decades... (from the 1930s, 40s, etc.)...





Also today, the Katz's Delicatessen World Pastrami Eating Championship takes places as part of DayLife on Orchard Street. Find that info here.

On East Village Radio Friday, AndrewAndrew delivered their show live from Katz's. Find that archived program here.

Now everyone [with a credit or debit card!] can ride Citi Bikes!

[East 13th Street yesterday morning]

Bike Share launched last Monday for folks who bought the annual membership... and today, 24-hour and 7-day passes are now available at Citi Bike kiosks...



Here's info on pricing:



And this is happening today:

Celebrate Citi Bike!
@ Union Square
North Side of Union Square Park, Manhattan
Sunday, June 2
11 am - 3 pm
We'll have a DJ, food, a Citi Bike Street Skills
zone where you can test your urban biking
skills, NYC DOT will be fitting and giving away 500
free helmets (must be 18+ or have a parent or guardian
18+ accompany you), plus some other fun special surprises. It’s free and open to all.