Monday, May 19, 2014
EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition
[Hawkelujah atop St. Brigid's yesterday via Bobby Williams]
24-Hour watch underway at the Children's Magical Garden (BoweryBoogie)
A trip inside Mars Bar replacement TD bank (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)
The Warhol Museum moves forward with plans for LES branch (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Occupy protester Cecily McMillan sentenced to 90 days in jail and five years probation (Gothamist)
Great photos from the Dance Parade Saturday (Gog in NYC)
Part of Elizabeth Street co-named "Danny Chen Way" (The Lo-Down)
Tough Times for Irish bars in NYC (Crain's)
Revisiting the recently reopened Sarge's Deli on Third Avenue (Lost City)
About that x-rated Butthole Surfers show at Danceteria in 1986 (Dangerous Minds)
40 years of the Ramones and Joey's birthday bash tonight (Metro ... Bowery Electric)
Memorial tonight for Wen Hui Ruan
The flyer above has all the details… the memorial will be at the location where 68-year-old Wen Hui Ruan (previous published reports referred to him as Ruan Wen Hui) was brutally attacked on May 9. He died from the injuries he sustained the next day.
745 E. Sixth St. is between Avenue C and Avenue D, though closer to D…
[Looking west on East Sixth Street]
… a memorial remains in place in front of the building.
Police arrested 20-year-old Jamie Pugh early last Tuesday morning. He has been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.
Ruan, a retired garment worker who lived on Avenue C and East Seventh Street with his wife, had just dropped off his granddaughters when the attack occurred.
To recap what has transpired in this case:
Saturday, May 10
Published reports tell of an attack on East Sixth Street that left a 68-year-old man hospitalized. The NYPD releases a photo of the alleged suspect captured by a surveillance video.
[Photo of suspect via the NYPD]
Sunday, May 11
The NYPD offers $2,000 for any information about the attack.
A tipster sends us the surveillance video that shows the vicious assault and the aftermath … the video shows several people walking by the victim lying injured on the sidewalk without stopping to help.
Monday, May 12
News breaks that the victim, first identified as Ruan Wen Hui, has died from his injuries.
[Photo from 2006 via CBS 2]
His youngest daughter speaks to CBS 2 about her father, who enjoyed playing operas while his wife prepared dinner. "I couldn't believe that this happened to my father because my father is a very good man. He always helps people and he always smiles. Everybody thinks that he’s the best person in this world," she says.
Tuesday, May 13
Police arrest Pugh, who reportedly lives near the scene of the crime, in the early morning on East 14th Street and First Avenue. The arrest is made based on a tip to Crimestoppers. Investigators believe that he sought to rob Ruan, who did not speak English. Pugh leaves the 9th Precinct on East Fifth Street early that evening …
[Photo by Frank Franca]
Wednesday, May 14
Before her son's arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, Charlotte Pugh-Douglas tells reporters that she believes someone slipped the club-drug Molly into his drink last Friday evening while partying. As DNAinfo reports, "Pugh didn’t even know about the attack until one of his friends showed him the chilling surveillance footage over the weekend and said the attacker looked like him."
Judge Bruna DiBiase orders Pugh held without bail.
Thursday, May 15
Ruan's family want his killing treated as a hate crime, the Daily News reports.
[Jefferson Siegel/NY Daily News]
Friday, May 16
City Councilmember Rosie Mendez's office organizes a memorial service for May 19 to "give Hui's family and the community a chance to come together to remember his life and to take a stand against violence in the neighborhood."
Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: East Village resident dies from injuries sustained in brutal attack
[UPDATED] Reward for info on East 6th Street assault; plus video of the attack
[Updated] Family mourns Ruan Wen Hui as police hunt suspect in deadly assault on E. 6th St.
[Updated] Report: Murder suspect's mother says her son was high on Molly at the time of attack
Report: Family of Ruan Wen Hui wants hate crime charges brought against suspect
Dunkin' Donuts moving on East 14th Street
A tipster tells us that the Dunkin' Donuts at 520 E. 14th St. is on the move… heading east toward Avenue B a few storefronts away … to the former home of La Isla Restaurant, which closed in July 2012…
DOB permits for this address at No. 542 point to a renovations for a Dunkin' Donuts …
Meanwhile, what will become of the storefronts at No. 520? The building will be the last thing standing here … with bookend 7-floor retail-residential complexes on the way …
Gino DiGirolamo's Royal Tailor shop at No. 520 is closing on May 31. Gino is retiring after 50 years in business. A bit of a forced retirement given that the landlord was doubling his rent here.
In other Dunkin' Donuts news … as we reported on Friday, a DD is taking the former Norman's Sound & Vision storefront at 67 Cooper Square.
Demolition continues westward ho on East 14th Street
OK, so we've posted several photos already showing the demolition along East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. However, we hadn't been by ourselves for whatever reasons.
So here we are. Cool! Blogger portals in the plywood for easy photos!
According to the handy sign, the demolition ahead of the two, 7-floor retail-residential buildings will wrap up in August.
In two weeks, the workers have taken out the former ABC Animal Hospital and Petland. The former Bargain Express is next to fall …
… as the demolition heads west to Avenue A… sparing only 520 E. 14th St.
Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units
A sad day for Mother Earth at the former Sapporo East
Renovations continue at the former Sapporo East space on First Avenue and East 10th Street … the 30-year-old Japanese restaurant closed for good at the end of December, as we first reported.
However, the space will remain a sushi restaurant. Yuji Umeki, who manages Kenka at 25 St. Mark's Place, is one of the principals at the restaurant that will be called Beronberon. EVG regular William Klayer, who took these photos on Friday, hears that they will be offering a menu very similar to Sapporo East's offerings.
Unfortunately, the renovation plans didn't include keeping Chico's longtime "Love Mother Earth" mural on the East 10th Street side… or the ad for Crystals Garden next door. (While the murals were nicked up, people liked them — based on how many readers passed along news of their demise this past weekend.)
Workers blacked out the murals on Saturday…
[Photo by EVG reader Fallon]
[Photo by EVG reader Fallon]
For now, just a section that reads "Love Moth" remains. We understand that workers will be adding windows in this space.
[Photo by Kevin Decatrel]
It will be 'easy to convert' Launderette into a restaurant on 2nd Avenue
Late last month, the owners of the longtime laundromat at 97 Second Ave. near East Sixth Street posted a detailed letter about why they are closing their business later in the summer. (You can revisit that post here.)
Now the brokers put up a "for lease" sign in the front window … showing a "rendering of possible new storefront" and offering other details about the space…
… such as it will be "easy to convert to restaurant" and something about hot air.
Oh, and the asking rent per the listing: $25,500 a month.
Desi Shack signage arrives on Fourth Avenue
The second Manhattan location of Desi Shack is coming soon to Fourth Avenue at East 13th Street. The signage appeared late last week.
Here's their description: "Desi Shack is a casual restaurant that offers New Yorkers a new take on Indian and Pakistani food. Our simple menu offers endless choices. We serve fresh grilled food, giving you the option to customize your meal the way you want it."
And here's what New York magazine had to say about Desi Shack after its Lexington Avenue shop opened in the fall of 2011: "Truly authentic it’s not, but quick, satisfying, and cheap is good enough."
The Shack is located next to the incoming Liquiteria…
The spaces previously housed a Blimpie and Young Chow.
H/T Andrew Fine!
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Miss Lily's 7A Cafe is open
Although tomorrow night is the official opening for Miss Lily's 7A Cafe on Avenue A and East Seventh Street… several EVG readers have noted that the restaurant is (softly?) open tonight for business… EVG reader Darbi Worley notes that the hostesses are inviting passersby in for dinner or drinks…
If you go, then please let us know how it was/is …
Updated 4:09 p.m.
Here is the menu via Eater... who has a preview of the interior here.
Miss Lily's opens tonight at 6.
Report of a falling air conditioner on East 13th Street
Just watched a massive AC fall out of a window and nearly kill a guy. Fuck. @evgrieve
— David Fitzgerald (@david_fitz) May 18, 2014
he dodged it but it was a close call. @evgrieve
— David Fitzgerald (@david_fitz) May 18, 2014
And afterwards… no one was around to claim responsibility for it…
This occurred on East 13th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue … mid-block on the south side of the street…
Previously
Week in Grieview
[Avenue A the other day]
An arrest in the deadly attack of Ruan Wen Hui (Thursday)
Exclusive: East Village Radio is signing off after 11 years (Wednesday)
Rumors: The Brant Foundation is buying Walter De Maria's workshop-home on East Sixth Street (Tuesday)
Baby hawks! (Friday)
CB3 says no to Friedman-Bloomfield cafe concept (Monday)
El Sombrero closes for renovations (Monday)
St. Mark's Bookshop signs a lease for a new home on East Third Street (Wednesday)
6-floor building in the works for former LaVie space (Monday)
A Dunkin' Donuts is taking the former Norman's Sound & Vision space (Friday)
Listing for Kim's Video says location is good for a bank, Starbucks or 7-Eleven (Friday)
Miss Lily's 7A Cafe opens Monday (Thursday)
Basic Plus moving into the Surprise! Surprise! storefront? (Thursday)
Lebrini's Pizzeria has been sold (Monday)
Matiell Consignment Shop leaving the East Village (Thursday)
Empire Biscuit had to be closed on National Biscuit Day (Wednesday)
Out and About with Alan Lefkowitz (Wednesday)
Westside Market revealed on Third Avenue (Tuesday)
Plantworks is closing after 40 years (Tuesday)
The Mars Bar 2.0 = The Pink Elephant (Monday)
Mother's Day on Avenue A (Sunday)
118 E. First St. is on the market with air rights (Wednesday)
When the moon showed off (Monday)
Merry May 12 Christmas! (Monday)
Waiting for the bike lanes to reappear on East Ninth Street and East 10th Street (Tuesday)
East 14th Street demolition getting serious (Wednesday)
[Updated] Something is happening at 2 Bros. Pizza
The $1 sliceria at 32 St. Mark's Place is currently closed. Bill the Libertarian Anarchist passes along word that workers are tearing up the floor preparing to close the shop … this according to one of the workers doing the floor tearing up.
The 2 Bros. at 36 St. Mark's Place (with the upscale $1.50 SUPREME slice!) is open a few storefronts to the east with all the $1 slice signage.
However, one worker at No. 36 said the shop at No. 32 will reopen later this week, though he initially tried to avoid the question…
So there you have it, kind of. Closed for good or reopening Thursday! To be continued…
Updated 5:31 p.m.
The $1 2 Bros. is back open today with a new floor… so much for our info!
The fucking TD Bank branch is now open on Second Avenue
Hey, that TD Bank branch anchoring the Jupiter 21 building on Second Avenue at East First Street officially opened yesterday. We walked by and were greeted by no fewer than 14 TD employees on the sidewalk offering free coffee and pastries or something pastry like. They were friendly! (But we missed the TD mascot!)
Did anyone go in to be among the first 100 visitors to receive a free gift? If so, then please let us know what the gift was!
And, as you know, the corner space was home to the Mars Bar until 2011… And, well, what the hell…
[Photo from 2006 by Ixtayul Martinez]
Meanwhile, some WTF variation of the Mars Bar is returning to East First Street … in a cafe-restaurant-club combo that will feature a juice bar and quinoa bowls.
Previously on EV Grieve:
The former Mars Bar is becoming a fucking bank branch
So where's that fucking bank branch that's taking the former Mars Bar space?
The fucking TD Bank signage arrives at the former home of the Mars Bar
The 8th annual Anarchist Film Festival is today
From the Festival's description:
The AFF will be screening a variety of short films that celebrate the spirit of resistance and liberation amid the increasing criminalization of dissent around the world. The AFF, is a participatory event where the screenings spark vigorous discussion about the possibilities of political change and cultural transformation.
Find more info about the program here. Theatre 80 is at 80 St. Mark's Place just west of First Avenue.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
DanceFest 2014
[Photo by Bobby Williams]
[BW]
So the Dance Parade came on down into Tompkins Square Park today… here are just a few of the photos of the participants in the DanceFest via EVG contributor Stacie Joy …
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