Report: Injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker emerges from coma

[Photo via @Xeus]

East Village Farm and Grocery worker Akkas Ali was critically injured on June 19 after a speeding car jumped the curb and plowed into his Second Avenue flower stand.

EVG Facebook friend Bill Weinberg posted the following yesterday:

Just dropped by East Village Farm & Grocery and they told me that Akkas Ali has opened his eyes for the first time since the "accident." He didn't talk, but I'll take what I can get. Thank you, Akkas. We are rooting for you.

The Villager first reported this development yesterday.

Meanwhile, the crowdsourcing campaign to help Ali's family with medical expenses continues. As of last night, 240 donors had pledged $14,694. The campaign ends in 19 days.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured (62 comments)

Campaign launched to raise money for gravely injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker

1st week of crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker raises $11k

Yogurt shop taking over Bleecker Bob's space has a logo with a record on it

[Photo by Benjamin Krieger via Facebook]

Well, you know the story of Bleecker Bob's closing this past spring after a rent hike ... and a Forever Yogurt leasing the space...

As you can see from the above photo, the Chicago-based chain is apparently paying some sort of macabre tribute to Bleecker Bob's by incorporating a record into its logo at this Bleecker Street location...

Here's the Forever Yogurt logo as it usually looks...



There was some brief talk that Bleecker Bob's would continue to sell record from a counter inside the self-serve froyo shop. That never materialized. By the way, we haven't heard any further discussions about Bleecker Bob's opening a new store in the East Village.

Former GM from Tribeca's Tiny's & the Bar Upstairs part of team to buy the Odessa Cafe

[Bobby Williams]

We finally have some idea about the fate of the soon-to-be-former Odessa Cafe and Bar on Avenue A. We heard last year at this time that the Odessa would likely vacate before the end of their current lease. According to city documents, 117 Avenue A was sold last summer for just north of $3 million. The LLC for the buyer shares the same address as the notorious 9300 Realty (owned by Croman Realty).

Paperwork filed ahead of the July CB3/SLA meeting shows that six principals are part of a team who is buying the business ... at least one of which is a "former owner and general manager" of Tribeca's Tiny's & the Bar Upstairs, according to public documents posted on the CB3 website. (The name of Tiny's principal and nightlife vet Matt Abramcyk does not appear on the documents.)

The application (PDF) describes that still-unnamed space as a "new American brasserie/bistro" with hours of 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. The plans show 18 tables with 54 seats as well as a bar with seven seats.



We're not too familiar with Tiny's. Here a description via the Tribeca Citizen:

The theme is rustic Americana, with antique tables, lab-style metal chairs, and mismatched plates, and the walls, ceilings, and floors are a patchwork of weathered brick, tin, tile, wood, and pink embossed wallpaper. While the menu is heavy on basics —soups, salads, sandwiches, and sides — there are sophisticated surprises, such as parsley in the beet salad and celery leaves in the sweet-potato-and-apple soup.

The pending sale of the Odessa Cafe and Bar does not impact the newer Odessa at 119 Avenue A...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Is the end nearing for Odessa Cafe and Bar on Avenue A?

Building that houses Odessa Cafe and Bar for sale on Avenue A

Tomorrow night: Alpha Women Attack the East Village

From the EV Grieve inbox... kicks off tomorrow night...

First night of a new Wed. party hosted by Our Lady of Perpetual PMS & D.J. Feo

art-punk, classic punk, 90's grrrl anthems, & protest music

Otto's Shrunken Head
538 E. 14th St. (btwn A & B)

7/3 Theme: Underground Americana
Much music from iconic American ladies & their comrades, who keep it punk, weird, badass: X, Bags, Blondie, Babes in Toyland, L7, Veruca Salt, Le Tigre, Lydia Lunch, Los Lobos & more

9 pm: COPPER VINES (female-fronted roots, blues, Americana, 1st Manhatttan show!)
10 pm: MANNEQUIN PUSSY (3 piece art-punk degenerates)
11 pm: Avant Entertainment Hour with
JESSICA DELFINO, The Lower East Side's own Queen of the Obscene! LeAnne & Olga's tribute to Heart, Poetry & Spoken word by PMS & Feo, & more subversive performers.

Find the Facebook event page here.

Butter Lane combines spaces on East Seventh Street

In early June, Butter Lane Cupcakes closed for a few days for some renovations... and in recent weeks, we noticed that the annex/classroom space next door was no longer in use...

So we asked Butter Lane co-owner Maria Baugh for an explanation.

"Late last year, we set up a classroom within our Park Slope shop and got great feedback. Our setup in the East Village was never ideal — we didn't have an oven in the classroom, etc, and we'd been thinking about combining classes and retail for a while."

So...

"Once we saw how successful it was in Park Slope we decided to use it as a model for the East Village. It's more authentic (and convenient) to have classes in the shop and people get a feel for what it's like to be in a real, working bakery."

Here's a shot of the combined space via the Butter Lane Facebook page...



They opened the annex in 2010.

Citi Bike photo of the day

It's actually from Saturday... EVG reader Brion Bonkowski took this on Third Avenue at East Ninth Street... certainly not the first time this has likely happened...



... just the first time that we happened to see it.

So, does this mean we need a Citi Bikes program for kids too?

Third Rail Coffee is now (semi) open on East 10th Street

[Saturday]

As we first noted back on Dec. 31, the the second NYC location for Third Rail Coffee is taking over the former Stogo space on East 10th Street just west of Second Avenue.

And the shop had a quiet opening Sunday ... though people noticed.

Coffee-loving East Villagers rejoice: THE NEW THIRD RAIL IS OPEN AND IS KICKING ASS!!!!!
— Chris Thile (@christhile) July 1, 2013

Co-owner/barista Humberto Ricardo told us that they're "semi open." He and his team are still working out a few kinks with the new space. He'll likely have a more formal Grand Opening after the July 4 holiday.

In early January, Ricardo shared more about the space with us.

"I'm really excited to get back to the East Village. It was the first place I lived on my own in New York City when I moved there," he said. In particular, he always liked this picturesque stretch of East 10th Street — near the St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery and the circa 1860s row houses designed by James Renwick Jr.

You can read the rest of that post here.

H/T Bill the libertarian anarchist

Why did Metropolitan City Market close early today?

Multiple readers have pointed out that the Metropolitan City Market (Met Foods) on Second Avenue closed around 3 today.

There's no sign on the door indicating a problem, like, say, emergency repairs on the AC units. Calls to the Market go unanswered. Maybe they closed early in honor of Canada Day?

Anyone hear anything?

East Village boutique honors Ryan Gosling on Canada Day

We do hope that you have been enjoying your Canada Day. Meanwhile, in honor of this day, meg, the boutique on East Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, pays tribute to famous Canadian actor/peacemaker Ryan Gosling in its window display.

And once again, no love for Rick Moranis.

Photo by EVG contributor peter radley.

Blondie break

Happy birthday Debbie Harry. She is 68 today.

Listings arrive for Karl Fischer-designed luxury homes at 427 E. 12th St.

Work continues at the Karl Fischer-architected 427 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue... However, the listings appeared Friday on Streeteasy. There are 10 units that range in price from $850,000 for a one-bedroom home to $2.395 for the penthouse.

And the description:

427 East 12th Street is a brand new luxury boutique condominium outfitted with a beautifully balanced combination of brick, glass, and aluminum façade. The building offers 10 units with distinctive lifestyle experiences with a variety of layouts consisting of 1 (plus home office), 2, and 3 bedroom units.

Residences feature sleek concrete floors with epoxy finishes and floor to ceiling double pane windows. Several residences are complimented with a private outdoor space that range in size. The custom designed chefs kitchen is finished with walnut veneer and satin lacquer cabinetry, Caesar stone countertops, back painted glass, and is fully equipped with stainless steel appliances by Fischer & Paykel. Bathrooms are appointed with oversized bathtubs, custom built vanities, glass enclosed frameless showers, and Duravit & Kohler fixtures throughout.

With its retail diversity, restaurant density, proximity to NYU, Cooper Union and all that downtown has to offer, the East Village is a mecca for artists, musicians, students, and writers. The centerpiece of the neighborhood is the popular Tompkin’s Square Park, which hosts music events and the year round Greenmarket that supports local farmers every Sunday

And some renderings...







We've been following this one through the years... there were some issues. In a previous look in early 2012, there were support braces in the muddy (and long-dormant) pit to help prop up 425 E. 12th Street... and complaints to the DOB about the construction causing "damage to phone lines at 429 E. 12th St. and cracks in bathroom walls."

[January 2012 by Greg Masters]

And the space back in 2005...


[Via Village Confidential]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Karl Fischer designing new East 12th Street residence

427 E. 12th St. back from the dead?

Workers making a pit stop at incoming Karl Fischer-designed building on East 12th Street

First Avenue Pierogi & Deli closing for the remainder of the summer

One of our favorites, First Avenue Pierogi & Deli at 130 First Ave., will be closing after Wednesday through Labor Day... the owners are taking off a little more time this summer than in previous years...

In any event, you have today through Wednesday to stock up on pierogis, blintzes, cabbage rolls, etc., for the next two months...

'Serendipity' returns to Tompkins Square Park

[Bobby Williams]

The life-sized sculpture of Christopher Gamble's silhouette returned to Tompkins Square Park on Saturday after a brief appearance last week ... The silhouette by Fanny Allié will be in the Park through November ...


[EV Grieve]


[EV Grieve]

The work is in honor of Gamble, who was homeless for nearly 28 years. He now lives in an apartment run by the Bowery Residents' Committee.

Read more all this here.

Noise isn't funny?

Some rather hastily written signs appeared recently outside the Upright Citizens Brigade on Avenue A at East Third Street...



Are there some noise issues here? It has been some time since we noted any noise signs here...

Flashback!

Previously.

[Updated] Breaking in the public plaza at 51 Astor Place

The 24-hour public plaza outside 51 Astor Place was unveiled back on June 21... and people have been using and enjoying the space, as far as we can tell...

... and it's starting to have that lived-in East Village look, complete with litter, tags and overflowing trash cans... as seen this weekend...







Updated 5:15

EVG reader John passes along this photo... showing a spotlessly clean plaza... the tags are gone. Ditto for the heading piles of trash...

For Whom the PBR Tolls

Just noting a little memorial that appeared in the past few days at the Blarney Cove, which closed for good last Tuesday on East 14th Street.

Swissted's posters for CBGB shows at Avalon Bowery Place

The art wall over at Avalon Bowery Place along East First Street is now featuring the work of Swissted's Mike Joyce ... it's part of a project that the NYC-based graphic designer launched in January 2012...

The Village Voice explained the concept this way last year:

Joyce combs through flyers of old-school punk, hardcore, and indie rock shows, retains the vital info, and uses that text to create Swiss Modernist-style posters that often incorporate geometric patterns. His work favors minimalism, and his only font is Berthold Akzidenz-Grotesk Medium (lowercase, natch).

This collection features shows from CBGB...

7 random East Village photos from the weekend with zero context

This will do

Anything to cool off... East Ninth Street at Avenue C...

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Week in Grieview

The Yippie Museum Cafe is closing (Friday)

Tacos Morelos coming to East 9th Street (Monday)

Update on crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker (Friday)

The glassy future of East 10th Street and Fourth Avenue (Tuesday)

Former funeral home becomes Townhouse 49 on East 7th Street (Monday)

The polite tip jar thief (Thursday)

A case against using the term 'crusty' (Friday, 86 comments)

More about Davey's Ice Cream, opening this summer on First Avenue (Tuesday)

The Blarney Cove closed (Tuesday)

New security cameras for Campos Plaza (Tuesday)

Driver crashes into gate at Tompkins Square Park (Thursday)

Phillip Giambri's East Village (Wednesday)

Rite Aid's new look on First Avenue (Tuesday)

Illegal penthouse coming down on East Sixth Street? (Friday)

Retail for 51 Astor Place (Tuesday)

Name change at Billy Hurricane's (Tuesday)