Report: Empire Biscuit opens today

[Photo from last week]

Empire Biscuit officially opens this morning at 8, according to DNAinfo. (Empire was open last night from 6-10.)

Per DNA:

The flaky Southern favorites will be topped with a selection of gourmet spreads, including goat cheese and black pepper butter, pineapple and thyme jam and pumpkin pie spread, owners Jonathan Price and Yonadav Tsuna said.

Here is their menu:




Starting Friday, Empire — located at 198 Avenue A — will be open 24 hours. The space was previously home to Habibi Lounge.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Incoming Empire Biscuit on Avenue A launches Kickstarter campaign (121 comments)

8 p.m., Avenue C, Oct. 29, 2012 and 2013

Photos courtesy of Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C.

'My Dead Boyfriend' filming in Tompkins Square Park

Crews arrived today for a two-day shoot in Tompkins Square Park for "My Dead Boyfriend." There's promise here ... because the film is based on Arthur Nersesian's novel "Dogrun," which is set in the East Village in 1999.

Here's a description of the book:

Mary Bellanova came home to her east village apartment, cooked dinner, and fought with her boyfriend, Primo. But soon Mary realized that Primo's silence in front of the tv set was more than just one of his bad moods: Primo was actually dead.

Suddenly Mary's life — defined so far by a string of temp jobs and unfinished short stories — takes off on a tantalizing adventure as she follows a trail of Primo's ex-lovers ... in this powerful new novel edged with black humor and poignancy.

Heather Graham (below) plays the lead... "ER" star Anthony Edwards makes his directorial debut.

You have 1 hour left to get a free hot dog at Japadog today

Japadog on St. Mark's Place is handing out freebies today to celebrate selling their 1 millionth hot dog, per DNAinfo. Just till 5!

Still haven't had one of these things...

[Photo by Derek Berg]

The spectacular now

Scenes of fall from around the neighborhood ...

[Updated] East 14th Street synagogue up for sale considered for landmark designation

[Image via Manhattan Sideways]

As we reported on Oct. 1, the Tifereth Israel Town and Village Synagogue on East 14th Street is for sale for possible development.

Upon hearing of the sale, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and a coalition of East Village, preservation, and Jewish history groups reached out to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) urging them to consider the building for landmark designation. (Find the group's letter here.)

According to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, the building has an amazing history, having served as first a German Baptist Church, then a Ukranian Autocephalic Orthodox Church, and then a Conservative Synagogue for the last 50 years. Interestingly enough, the building was calendared by the LPC and considered for landmark designation in 1966, but they never acted upon it.

Now in response to the group's request, the LPC will hold a hearing on the potential landmark designation of the property today. (Find the PDF notice here.)

"We’re very glad that this wonderful building will get its proverbial day in court, and we are optimistic that the Commission will find it worthy of designation," said Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

Updated 8:02
Turns out that the LPC hearing on the synagogue has been laid over to another month. No word just yet on a new date.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] East 14th St. synagogue on the market for conversion to residential, commercial use

1 if by land, 2 if by sea, 3 if by plywood: Yes, there's a 7-11 inside there

Construction of the incoming 7-Eleven is entering its 13th month of painful gut rehabilitation and disruptive construction on Avenue A and East 11th Street... EVG reader Cartknocker was curious to see just what was going on behind that plywood... Luckily, the plywood is easy enough to scale...



Yes, that is a 7-Eleven.



Meanwhile, the No 7-Eleven blog has a recap of Sunday's No 7-Eleven rally right here.

Sandy on Avenue C

This video, uploaded just last week, was shot from East 11th Street at Avenue C one year ago tonight ... and it shows the Sandy storm surge headed down the Avenue ...

A series of images from that night and the next morning starts at the 3:30 mark.

One year later on East Sixth Street

As far as we know, these are the only temporary boilers that remain in the neighborhood from Sandy... on East Sixth Street at Avenue C outside this NYCHA-owned building.

Of course, there are other less-visible lingering effects from the storm...

Tonight in Saint Rita of Cascia sightings on East 11th St.

Framed photo of the Patron Saint of the Impossible spotted near Avenue B... Photo via Shawn Chittle.

Meanwhile, on East Ninth Street...

Likely a perfectly logical explanation for this.

[Photo via Barbara Ross]

Westside Market coming to the East Village

The new residential complex rising on Third Avenue and East 12th Street has its first retail client — a Westside Market NYC.

Here's the official news release from today:

Westside Market NYC, the family-owned and operated neighborhood food markets in New York City, has announced that it will be opening its latest location at the base of the new luxury rental building, 84 Third Avenue. Located in the East Village on the corner of East 12th Street, this marks the fifth Westside Market NYC, and the first for the brand to be located on the East Side of Manhattan.

Offering freshly-prepared foods, specialty products and catering, the two-level store will occupy 18,871 total square feet – 10,500 square feet at the ground level and the remaining space at the lower level. Noticing a gap in the market for food retailers in the area, representatives from 84 Third Avenue felt that adding Westside Market NYC to the building would help further elevate the offerings at the nine-story, 90,000 square foot residential development and the neighborhood overall.

“Since the original Westside Market NYC was opened by my father, John, in 1965, we have worked diligently to provide the best supermarket experience to residents along the West Side of Manhattan,” said George Zoitas, CEO of Westside Market NYC. “After 48 years, four locations, and many people asking when Westside Market NYC would meet the East Side, we felt that the opportunity with 84 Third Avenue was the perfect introduction for our brand to the other side of Manhattan.”

Currently under construction, Westside Market NYC and 84 Third Avenue will be completed early next summer.

The space here was previously home to Nevada Smith's, Yummy House and a parking lot.

I'm familiar with the Westside Markets, though I've never shopped at one. Can anyone offer their opinion on them?

Oh, good morning!

EVG reader Ingrid shares these photos from yesterday morning... when a red-tailed hawk visited her fire escape on East Seventh Street and Avenue A.

"[The hawk] tormented my cats for about 3-5 minutes before flying away."

Learn how to play guitar like Lee Ranaldo tonight at Other Music

Lee Ranaldo, the prolific artist-writer-musician best known as the guitarist for Sonic Youth, is appearing tonight at Other Music...

Per the store's website:

That's right, Lee Ranaldo's going to be taking time out of his busy tour schedule supporting his new album, Last Night on Earth, to stop by Other Music on Monday evening, October 28, to host his first ever Guitar Clinic. Not only will there be a discussion and demonstration from this iconic axe man, but you'll also walk out with a signed poster!

He also has a new album out with Lee Ranaldo and the Dust. Meanwhile, here's something off his "Between The Times and The Tides" record from last year...



---

H/T Dangerous Minds

More speculation on the 'saint' who saved St. Brigid's

In May 2008, the Archdiocese of New York announced that it had accepted an anonymous $20 million donation to restore St. Brigid's on Avenue B and save it from demolition.

To date, the donor's name was never made public. But there was a lot of speculation... including, but not limited to: Matt Dillon (he spoke out to help save the church), Donald Trump and George Steinbrenner.

Now another name has emerged from a reliable source — Mel Gibson.



Apparently the actor-director donated to a lot of religious causes, including for preservation... (And this was pre-divorce settlement.)

If this is true, then thank you Mr. Gibson. Nice that one historic church was spared the condo after-life here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
13 keys dates in the 165-year history of St. Brigid's, reopening on Sunday

New bike lane buffers kills off First Avenue garden

[Photo via Michael Hirsch on Facebook]

As you may have noticed, workers have been replacing the bike lane buffers/pedestrian refugees along First Avenue ...

One reader heard from workers that the original contractors used cheap cement three years ago. So they hired new contractors to re-do the buffers that started cracking.

"Great moments in New York City wasted taxpayer money," said longtime resident Michael Hirsch.

Meanwhile, much to the chagrin of several residents, the reconstruction has killed off the small garden that they created and tended to at East Seventh Street these past three years...





... and the buffer garden at East Seventh Street in better days ...



Garden photos via EVG reader Raquel.

Construction watch: 536 E. 13th St. is finally happening

An update on the activity here on East 13th Street just west of Avenue B... where work recently started at this long-dormant development site.

Approved plans call for six units in the six-floor building. Perhaps it will one day look like the rendering up on the plywood...



As for the actual site, it looks like this...



... compared to December 2009...


David Howell of DHD Architecture and Design is listed as the architect of record. Ranga Krishna of East Village Realty is listed as the owner.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Your chance to own a stalled project lot on East 13th Street

A dormant construction site on East 13th Street

Reminders: Ignore the East 5th St. Tree Committee at your own peril

[Neerad Jet via Facebook]

Here on East Fifth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square, the East Fifth St. Tree Committee holds forth, warning cyclists from locking their bikes to the tree guards.

As you can see in the above photo via the Committee's telltale pink flyers, a cyclist received a warning. When the bike remained in place for several days... Well!



Bam! Case closed. Next!



Previously on EV Grieve:
The East Fifth St. Tree Committee back in action

The East Fifth St. Tree Committee is alive and well, and they do not mess around

And now, a word from the East Fifth St. Tree Committee

More bike racks for Second Avenue and East 9th Street

A few weeks after the city installed new bike racks on (and around!) Second Avenue and East Ninth Street, EVG Second Avenue and East Ninth Street Bike Rack Correspondent Terry Howell notes the arrive of several more (bike racks).



And here's a bonus photo of trucks double-parking near the other new bike racks yesterday morning... (not that the bike racks caused this, of course...)

The Cellphone Doctor is (almost) in on Avenue C

Just noting the pending arrival of a new business on Avenue C between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street... at the empty storefronts owned by the NYCHA... where the images from Chico's mural here on the roll down gates have nearly vanished...