Schwimmergate

[peter radley]

Several readers noted the arrival yesterday of a chain-link fence around the almost-done-on-the-outside-looking David Schwimmer home on East Sixth Street. No word if this is just temporary until workers dig the moat.

Why your Con Ed bill will be going up next month

That damn sinkhole on Avenue A near East Third Street claimed two more cones, who drowned. When will it end?

Ready for 'Rushmore'

Wow. A Thursday night and it's not raining. The inflatable screen is up for "Rushmore" tonight. People are showing up on the lawn. (Or so I'm told.)

Also, you'll find a pair of safety glasses and some earplugs under your seats. Please feel free to use them.

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Afternoon tweets

Inflatable screen going up for Rushmore tonight in Tompkins Square Park, as this blurry pic shows pic.twitter.com/jh5j4p3jVn

— evgrieve (@evgrieve) June 20, 2013

And, importantly.

Better than a tree @evgrieve pic.twitter.com/Exn8rKVRg2

— Eden Brower (@edenbrower) June 20, 2013

Noted

A humor bit titled "SoulCycle for the Homeless" via The Crosby Press ... filmed on East Seventh Street at Avenue A...

Oh dear

St. Mark's Place earlier today.

Updated:

Oh, a reader emailed to say that this is happening at other docking stations... is this a thing now? Or is this a way for Citi Bike to let people know not to use this particular bike? (I have no idea.. just asking...)

Updated:

Apparently I need to start reading Wired. They reported yesterday:

If a bike is suffering from mechanical issues, courteous riders have begun turning the seat around to face the wrong way, a signal to other Citi Bike users to avoid that particular bicycle. There is a built-in wrench button on the bike racks that alerts Citi Bike that maintenance is needed, but turning the seat around is a nice way to give rushed riders a quick heads-up to skip that bike and grab the next one.

404 E. 14th St.: The coolest building that you will find with a McDonald's on the ground floor

From the outside, 404 E. 14th St. doesn't look like much, right? ... especially with that McDonald's and its express window taking up the ground floor. The back of the building on East 13th Street (alternately known as 405 E. 13th St.), is more promising...



However, since the 1960s, the building has hosted and housed a dynamic community of artists, poets and filmmakers. And now, gallery artist Tom Burckhardt, who currently lives and works in the building along with wife and fellow gallery artist Kathy Butterly, have organized an exhibit showcasing the work of artists who live (or have lived) at 404. The opening reception is tonight at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery, 724 Fifth Ave. between 56th Street and 57th Street. (The exhibit is open through Aug. 2.)

Here's some information from the show's news release:

Beginning in the 1960s, it was among the first in New York to become an artist building, and remains so today. Although stylistically distinct, the artists who have lived or worked there over the years are nevertheless bound together in their shared experience of this uniquely vibrant, artistic scene.

The exhibition will comprise paintings, sculpture, and photographs by the various artists, in addition to films, correspondence, poetry and ephemera relating to the history of the building and its inhabitants. To coincide with his current Museum of Modern Art exhibition, Claes Oldenburg will be represented by working maquettes from his collection. A selection of poet Allen Ginsberg’s last photographs, taken when he lived in the building, will be included, as well as a 1966 foam floor sculpture by John Chamberlain. Rarely-exhibited works by Larry Rivers that were created at his 14th Street studio will be on view, such as a portrait of cult writer Jim Carroll, along with a large scale work from his Bad Witch series.

The building dates to the early 20th century and originally housed a button factory. It later became a warehouse for the locally owned Bloom & Krup hardware store. The first tenants, including Rivers, Claes and Patty Oldenburg, Yayoi Kusama, On Kawara, Chamberlain, and Herb Aach, arrived in the mid-1960s. (The building made a recent notable appearance in Richard Hell's memoir, "I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp," where he discussed living here and bedding Patty Oldenburg.) Filmmaker Wes Anderson owns a space in 404, and he reportedly edited "Moonrise Kingdom" here.

Tom Burckhardt, who moved into the building in 1995, answered some questions about the exhibit via email.

Were you aware of the building's history when you moved in?

I knew Larry Rivers, of course: We bought our space from him for a pretty fair price at the time. He was quite good to us. My folks had known him from back in the 1950s on. My dad, Rudy Burckhardt, made some films with him in them. ("Mounting Tension," 1950, also with Jane Freilicher and John Ashbury.) I knew Fred Wilson and Whitfield Lovell a bit through some mutual friends. I seem to have known that Claes Oldenburg had been here, too.


[Herb Aach in his studio circa the 1970s]

What compelled you to research and put together this exhibit?

Based on that little I knew, I thought I should make time with Fred, who moved in in 1976, and tape his recollections. Somehow, as with someone so close at hand, we never got to it! I found out the name of Jean Dupuy, who had lived in our 2nd floor space in the 1970s and found an out-of-print book he published chronicling these amazing informal exhibitions he put on in the space. That was a big revelation. It explained the mysterious Golden Section spiral carved in my studio floor (by Gianfranco Mategna, in 1973).

I figured I should gather all this material and one day an enterprising graduate student would write a paper on it: I'm no writer, that's for sure. My wife Kathy Butterly mentioned my interest in this stuff to Eric Brown at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery and he proposed it be an exhibition. My main excitement was to track down any past residents still around, tape interviews, and form an Rashomon-style oral history, à la "Please Kill Me," one of my all time favorite books.

In retrospect, it makes sense, as Tibor de Nagy represents me, my wife and the estate of Larry Rivers. Don't know why I didn't think of pitching it to them first!


[Claes and Patty Oldenburg in loft, 1965]

What was your favorite thing that you learned about the building/previous tenants?

It's hard to choose. In talking to Claes Oldenburg, he mentioned that [Warhol star] Ultra Violet would rehearse in her boyfriend at the time John Chamberlain's loft. And I though that sounded like a great parallel Warhol/Velvet Underground kinda thing. I didn't dig much more up on that, even with Ultra Violet's help. "Everybody was in a band then" she said.

I found Yayoi Kusama's description of a wild gay orgy staged in her mirrored room for German television pretty great, even if it sounds a bit unlikely in truth. Or that the wonderful body-building doc and Arnold [Schwarzenegger] vehicle "Pumping Iron" was edited in the building by filmmaker Bob Fiore in the mid 1970s. Or the huge party in Patty Mucha Oldenburg's loft, where the punch was spiked with acid, perhaps by John Giorno.


[Allen Ginsberg's last photo, 1997]

Do you think a creative environment like this can continue to exist in the East Village of today/the future?

Well, speaking for my wife and I and Fred and Whitfield and others in the building, yes, although, clearly it's not what it used to be. I think the creative types in the neighborhood tend to find each other even with the changes in the area.

I know when my kids started school in the East Village, I met a lot of artist parents who have held on, and that was quite encouraging. I grew up on East 14 Street and 3rd (over the Jefferson Theater!) in the 1970s so my nostalgia is tempered with some appreciation for the good changes. I don't miss being mugged all the time and never felt it was good for my creative juices. I still find a lot to love in the East Village.

-----

From 1971, Inside Dope by Rudy Burckhardt with Larry Rivers, who owned 404 E. 14th St. for many years, and Brendan Atkinson.



-----

The following artists will be represented in the exhibit:





GALLERY SUMMER HOURS
MONDAY - FRIDAY
10 AM - 5:30 PM

DIRECTIONS
724 Fifth Ave, between 56th and 57th Streets
12th Floor

A catalogue will be available and will feature transcriptions of interviews conducted by Burckhardt with many of the artists, poets and filmmakers who have resided at the building from the 1960s through present day.

The Max Fischer Players invite you to view 'Rushmore' tonight in Tompkins Square Park

Well, it looks as if the weather will finally cooperate for the free films in Tompkins Square Park tonight after consecutive washouts... jinx.

So tonight ... it's "Rushmore," the 1998 comedy from East Village resident Wes Anderson... which follows the travails of Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) and his pal Herman Blume (Bill Murray).



Arrive earlier-ish ... There's pre-movie music tonight courtesy of Batala NYC, an all-women's AfroBrazilian Samba Reggae drumming band.

And upcoming:

June 27 — Reservoir Dogs
July 11 — Easy Rider
July 18 — Drive
July 25 — The Big Lebowski
Aug. 1 — Rocky Horror Picture Show
Aug. 8 — Chico + Rita
Aug. 15 — Romeo + Juliet
Aug. 22 — O Brother, Where Art Thou

Construction update on exciting new business opening along East 14th Street

As noted in April, the mostly awful but serviceable (mostly!) Cafe Amore's Pizza Restaurant on East 14th Street near Fourth Avenue is becoming a — ding! ding! — Wells Fargo branch... the above photo shows that the plywood shanty has arrived. Wonder if the bank branch will be constantly hiring for a cashier like Cafe Amore was...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exciting new business opening on East 14th Street

Minnie, 10-month-old blind dog, is missing

Flyer spotted on East 11th Street this evening by Shawn Chittle... Last seen on East 2nd Street between Avenues A and B.

After the crash: This evening outside East Village Farm and Grocery

Walked by East Village Farm and Grocery on Second Avenue and East Fourth Street this evening... the site of the awful accident around 7 a.m. today. Everything seems strangely back to normal. The Grocery is open, though they aren't currently selling any flowers, which were wiped out when the speeding Nissan Altima jumped the curb and knocked over a street sign, tree, pay phone and fire hydrant.

Diners/drinkers are sitting along the Avenue's many sidewalk cafes... a lot of people seem unaware of that the area was a crime scene earlier in the day ... others are walking and pointing to some of the damage. It happened right here.





As previously reported, the NYPD charged Shaun Martin, 32, of Bayside, Queens, with DWI. The Post reported that Martin lives with his parents and works for his brother, a roofer. Said neighbors:

"I've known him his whole life. A very good kid,” Frank Mingione, 60, a neighbor said. “Never caused any trouble as far as I know. He's a very hard worker. He's always been a good person."

“He's very nice, a good kid. Very respectful,” said another neighbor who identified herself as Eleni. "He helps me with my grocery bags. I never see him drinking, you can tell."

Police say Martin also has a prior arrest record for DWI and cocaine possession. Depending on the report, the police found marijuana in his sock and hash in his the battered 2013 Nissan Altima he was driving.

Per the Daily News:

His white Nissan Altima was racing against another vehicle before jumping the curb in a horrifying mix of screeching brakes and twisted metal, an eyewitness said.

According to Metro, Ali, the most seriously injured of the East Village Farm workers, is expected to survive his injuries.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured (51 comments)

Chip! Chip! Hooray!

As you can see, a very large pile of wood chips arrived today in Tompkins Square Park. At least we think they are wood chips. Anyway, they are for the Park's new self-serve Meat Smoking Section flowerbeds and stuff.

Photo by Bobby Williams, who shouldn't be held responsible for that headline.

Davey's Ice Cream opening soon on First Avenue

As we first noted back in February, an ice cream parlor was opening at the former dry cleaners at 137 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street ... the sign went up today, as this photo via EVG regular William Klayer notes... the proprietors are hoping to open next week... dunno too much about the place at this point other than that they specialize in small batch, handmade ice cream ... they have a coming soon website...

Report: The 9th Precinct issued 11 speeding tickets in 2012

[Photo via @WPIX]

In its coverage of this morning's probably drunken drag-racing crash on Second Avenue at East Fourth Street, Streetsblog reports the following. I wanted to highlight this here:

This crash occurred in the 9th Precinct, where officers issued 11 speeding tickets in all of 2012. To voice your concerns about neighborhood traffic safety directly to Deputy Inspector John G. Cappelmann, the commanding officer, go to the next precinct community council meeting. The 9th Precinct council meetings happen on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the precinct, 321 E. 5th Street. Call 212-477-7805 for information.

The City Council district where this crash occurred is represented by Rosie Mendez. Since March 2012, at least seven pedestrians and cyclists have been killed by motorists in Mendez’s district, including three people in 2013. To encourage Mendez to take action to improve street safety in her district and citywide, contact her at 212-677-1077 or @RosieMendez.

[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured

[Fox News]

A car crashed into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue and East Fourth Street this morning around 7, according to published reports. Readers have said that there is a large emergency response on the scene.

Fox reports that there are several injuries, and that at least two cars were involved in the accident. WABC 7 reports that "five people were being treated inside the vehicle."

We'll pass along more information as it comes in...

Updated 7:56

NBC 4 reports that eight people have been taken to the hospital, "including three in serious condition." It still isn't clear if the injured were passengers in the two cars that collided or pedestrians or grocery employees.


[Photo via @Xeus]

Updated 8:04


[Photo via @JanSichermann]

Updated 8:29

Witnesses say fire hydrant, trees, bikes, store front taken out when car jumps curb. Updates: http://t.co/Sfr8iuiflH pic.twitter.com/LFNtt3MPhu

— MyFoxNY.com (@MyFoxNY) June 19, 2013

‏
Updated 8:33


[Photo via @kiwi1978]

DNAinfo reports that the injured include pedestrians... a reader hears that at least one of the injured worked at the grocery.

Updated 8:57

#BreakingNews horrific accident in #East Village. Car jumps curb. Injures 8 @evgrieve pic.twitter.com/RVUtAurWhx

— Lisa Colagrossi (@LColagrossi7) June 19, 2013

Updated 9:45

The Post reports that the car, a white Nissan Altima, hit four people. The most seriously hurt is a East Village Farm & Grocery worker who had been setting up the flower stand. He is in critical condition at Bellevue. A bicyclist was also struck, and was listed in stable condition.


Updated 11:06

MANHATTAN: U/D - DRIVER OF CAR THAT STRUCK 8 PEDESTRIANS EARLY THIS MORNING AT 2ND AVE & 4TH STREET ARRESTED FOR DWI! @DNAinfo #911BUFF

— 911 Operator (@911BUFF) June 19, 2013

Aside from the reported arrest of the drive... NBC 4 says that only six people were injured, not eight as originally reported. An employee from the market reportedly has life-threatening injuries; the other five are expected to be OK.

Updated 11:50 a.m.

East Village car wreck scene on 2nd Ave/4th St as of 11:45am pic.twitter.com/ydyLTZmSbt

— JwalkinNYC (@JwalkinNYC) June 19, 2013

Metro reports that the driver of the car is Shaun Martin, 32, from Queens. The 37-year-old man cyclist was riding a Citi Bike, Metro noted.

DNAinfo reports that Martin had priors for drunken driving and cocaine possession. Police took him to Bellevue, where they reported found a marijuana stash in his sock.

Updated noon

From the Daily News:

"They were racing each other - that's what happened," Alvraro Alban, 38, told the Daily News. "I saw them race right past me. This stupid thing of who's going to take the next 10 blocks faster."

Witnesses say the driver was going 80 mph and weaving in and out of traffic minutes before the crash.

The Altima was "weaving in and out of traffic," said Alban, who estimated the two cars were flying at about 80 mph. "That's probably how he lost control. They weren't driving straight."

The Daily News also has some horrorfic aerial shots from the accident scene.

Updated 12:25



Updated 3:12

A commenter points us to NY1's updated coverage...

Neighbors in the area tell NY1 they were particularly concerned for the three workers injured at the corner store which they describe as being a neighborhood institution.

"The whole neighborhood is out here wanting to know how people are," said one East Village resident.

"I know the guy too, the flower guy who has been working there for about 20 years, so I hope he's alright," noted a second East Village resident.

One worker was seriously injured. Some positive news. According to Metro: "The 62-year-old victim’s condition has been upgraded and he is no longer considered likely to die."

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: Yadi Maria
Occupation: Student/Waitress
Location: 2nd Street between Avenue A and B
Time: 3 pm Friday, June 14

I’ve been here since I was 4 years old. I’m 22 now. I grew up on 3rd and C, although I took a short 5-year break, when we moved to Danbury, Connecticut. I guess you could say those were the most important years of my adolescence — from 6th grade to sophomore year, but then I came back because it was just too quiet.

I’m a student at BMCC at the moment. I’m studying business administration. I’m actually looking for jobs. I usually hostess in the neighborhood at diners and bars and places like that. I’m also developing my own online vintage clothing website. It’s going to be solely online. That’s what I’m working on now.

It’s fun waitressing around here although it’s not the same as living here and just walking the streets. A lot of people come to the Lower East Side to eat, to party, and to bar hop so you meet a whole bunch of different people from outside of the neighborhood. It’s different from the people you see living here. This is the place to be. It’s very interesting to walk down just one block. I like to walk around the entire Lower East Side and explore the nooks and crannies. You always find some place new no matter how long you’ve lived here for.

I loved growing up here and I love it here. The neighborhood is very diverse and very inspiring. There are people from all over the world with different styles, different everything, and a lot of energy. We’re different from everyone else. For example, my boyfriend is from Queens and over there I guess you could say they’re more tight-knit. They’re not as social as we are here in the Lower East Side. There are open personalities here. A lot of my friends from Queens and Brooklyn, they’re not like that. They see me talking to people all over the place and they’re like, ‘how do you do that?’ That’s just how it is over here. And they say, ‘Well it’s not like that where we live.’

My family is Dominican. My mom is a single mom. She raised 4 kids on her own. I’m the youngest one, the baby. My oldest brother is 33. We came here from the Bronx actually. Things got rough with my father, so my older brother took it into his own hands to move my mother away from him. And my father ended up getting deported, so we’re free from his craziness. I didn’t really know him though.

My oldest brother is my father figure. I don’t know anything other than the Lower East Side, but my brother tells me that we have it so much better here than he did growing up in the Bronx. That was the South Bronx in the 1980s. He used to tell me crazy stories about that. We moved here because it was a nice area. The Lower East Side, if you know the history of it, there’s a history of immigrants coming to this area. It was known for that. He did his research and came to visit a couple of times and he liked it. He felt like this would be a good place for his younger siblings to grow up. Also, the schools are good. I mean, they have their flaws but they’re good enough, especially compared to where he came from.

We’re close knit and very family oriented. We like to hang out together, barbecue, go out to the park and just do family things. For Father’s Day we’re all going to go out to watch a Mets game.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

174-176 First Ave., home of DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe, is for sale

174-176 First Ave. is now on the market. The asking price for the two buildings between East 10th Street and East 11th Street: $12 million.

Here's the brief Corcoran listing:

This prime East Village asset is comprised of two adjoined mixed use walk-up apartment buildings, with a combined 35.5’ of frontage on First Avenue. The basement and first floors are occupied by 3 unique retail stores. The 176 First Ave building, has rail road style one bedroom apartments on the second, third and fourth floors with east and west exposure. The 174 First Ave building, has rail road style one bedroom apartments on the second and third floors with east and west exposure.

Nothing too alarming about that listing, like, Building will be delivered vacant ... or Plenty of air rights for an ugly condo!... 176 First Ave. is the longtime (since 1904) home of DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe, one of our favorite places around. It's our understanding, via city records, that the DeRobertis family still owns the buildings ... (DeRobertis has their in-house bakery in the basement...)

We're not sure at this point what a sale means long-term for the bakery. Regardless, the bakery has been through a lot since 1904 ... From their website:

There are not many Pasticceria and Caffe's that can actually claim four continuous generations of friendly, family service. Our family tradition has survived through all types of conditions such as World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the fabulous Fifties, the Vietnam War, the recession of the 70's, the boom of the 80's ... With hard work, a determination to provide the finest pastries, cakes and desserts and your patronage, we will continue into the 21st Century.

Read more about the history of DeRobertis on their website.

After failing to attract a bar, 14 Avenue B is for rent. Again.

There's a long recent history at 14 Avenue B.... This has been a popular space for new bar concepts, most recently "Epic City Pub, the first gay pub in the East Village." CB3 has nixed various other concepts here between East Second Street and Houston, including a 3,000-square-foot bar/restaurant "with an occasional D.J." and the brewpub that borrowed the Prime Meats menu...

[2008]

Anyway! A new listing arrived at RKF yesterday:

COMMENTS
Dense residential neighborhood
Visible from Houston Street
Space can be easily vented
Interior features rustic brick walls
Selling Lower Level may be possible
Previous tenant had a Liquor License
Tenant Allowance available to finish Basement

No mention of rent. The last tenant here was the loathsome Butterfly, which closed in 2007.

EV Eatery Etc.: Hi Collar, Iris Cafe now open

After a week or so of soft openingness ... Hi Collar opened yesterday in the old Rai Rai Ken space on East 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... it's the latest from Bon Yagi, who owns the whole block. Or so.



Sprudge.com had an extensive preview of the space:

Currently they are open 11-4 for lunch and coffee, and then at 6pm they switch over to a bar menu, offering an expansive array of Japanese beers and sakes alongside a selection of small plates. I talked to to Sakura Yagi, Mr. Yagi’s daughter, and she said that they are planning on incorporating a morning service of coffee and breakfast fare, including the classic kissaten “Morningu Setto” of an egg, small salad, and thick slices of Japanese style “pan” toast.

They are now serving coffee roasted by Porto Rico Importing Co.

-----

... On St. Mark's Place, the Iris Cafe has opened in the former Rockit Scientist space (RIP)... This Iris Cafe is not related to the one in Brooklyn... a reader stopped by and noted that this Iris Cafe is a Taiwanese-style bakery selling little cakes and bubble tea, among other items ... (there's a location in Flushing too...)


[Photo from early June]

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Angelika's Kitchen on East 12th Street is currently running this polenta special... a portion of the proceedings from the dish will go to The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) on Avenue C...



-----

Meant to note this earlier... workers have cleaned out Bowery Veselka... the Veselka spinoff closed April 29 ...



-----

... and several readers have noted that Good Guys, the burger-fries-salad-wraps-waffles-smoothie eatery that replaced a Subway on Second Avenue, has closed ...


[William Klayer]

We noted this on Friday (RIP Anus Beef)... no word on what is taking over the space.

Con Ed's 'constant ear-splitting' work on 14th and C

Some residents who live near East 14th Street and Avenue C are upset by ongoing noise from Con Ed crews working on the street... per one resident:

Last night ConEd did below-street level work until 3 AM at 14th and Ave C. Tonight they have been jackhammering for a full hour from 8 to 9 PM. It's so loud my daughter is crying!

This street work started several days ago. It always begins around 8 or 9 PM and then goes on for hours and hours.

Residents are beside themselves. We can't sleep, we can't function in our homes due to constant ear-splitting noise.