Monday, July 14, 2014

That's it for the New Amsterdam Market at the South Street Seaport



This is outside our usual coverage zone. However, we know several East Village residents who used to frequent the market at the South Street Seaport. The following letter is via the EVG inbox...

I am sorry to announce that New Amsterdam Market has ended, and will no longer take place on South Street.

Founded in 2005, New Amsterdam Market was first staged at the site of the Old Fulton Fish Market in Lower Manhattan on December 16, 2007. Over the ensuing seven years, the market grew in frequency and scope while nurturing an evolving community of small businesses dedicated to sustainable food production, regional economies, and fair trade.

Through our steadfast presence under every adversity, we also championed the preservation of New York City's oldest commons, where public trade has been conducted since 1642. We held a total 88 markets and numerous innovative celebrations of our region's bounty; supported nearly 500 food entrepreneurs; and contributed to the creation of more than 350 jobs.

However, I was never able to raise the funding or attract the influential backers needed for our organization to thrive. Furthermore, we were dealt a mortal blow in 2013 when Council Member Chin, who had long professed to support our cause, betrayed the community in favor of a suburban shopping mall developer, Howard Hughes.

As a result, Lower Manhattan has already lost more than one acre of beloved and irreplaceable public space and is now seeing its most precious public asset ruined by inappropriate programming and terrible waterfront design.

Our last market at this location was held on Saturday, June 21, 2014.

I thank all of you who supported this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Robert LaValva, Founder
New Amsterdam Market

Happy Bastille Day from St. Mark's Place



Outside Jules Bistro.

Other headlines under consideration:
Citi Bike introduces new overtime fees
New landlord makes final buyout offers to rent-stabilized residents
EV Grieve is now posting photos of guillotines
Headless body found in tapas bar

Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery on 3rd Avenue has not been open lately



The Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery over at Third Avenue at East Ninth Street has not been open for at least a week … there's no sign on the door noting any temporary (or permanent) closure …



Birdbath, an eco-friendly spinoff of City Bakery, was closed for several days in February without any explanation until a sign arrived about a broken door.

As for now… calls to the location are kicked over to a generic voice-mail greeting … and the address is no longer mentioned on the City Bakery website ….



We reached out to City Bakery for more information about this location's status.

The bakery opened here in May 2011. The location on First Avenue near East 13th Street closed in March 2013.

The Bao is the latest St. Mark's Place restaurant entry



Signage arrived Friday for the new restaurant coming to 13 St. Mark's Place (above Spot Dessert Bar) … The Bao, which, as you can see, will be serving xiao long bao (soup dumplings) in the space that previously housed Pan.

No word just yet who the owners are … or when the place will open.

Well, while we're on this block between Second Avenue and Third Avenue … here's a recap of other new bar/restaurant entries …

Barcade is opening one of their bar-retro video game venues at 6 St. Mark's Place.



Something called Crab Shack is in the works for 30 St. Mark's Place, the former home of Japadog.



Also! A reader told us that the 2 Bros. outpost at 36 St. Mark's Place — the one with the glitzy $1.50 SUPREME slice — is no longer part of the 2 Bros. empire…


[EVG file photo from May]

All the 2 Bros. branding has been removed … and there's just a generic PIZZA sign now… still selling $1.50 slices though.

Demolition watch along East 14th Street



A month has passed since we checked in on the demolition progress on East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Workers have just taken out the fire-damaged spaces of the former Stuyvesant Grocery, Pete's-a-Place, Jackson Hewitt and the beauty shop starting at the southeast corner of East 14th Street and Avenue A...





The buildings that housed Rainbow and (sniff!) the Blarney Cove are mid-rubble at the moment.



Coming soon along this corridor — two, 7-floor retail-residential buildings.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

3 storefronts down in the ongoing demolition of East 14th Street

Here is your East 14th Street Dunkin' Donuts plywood



The plywood is up outside part of 542 E. 14th St., where workers are carving out space for a new Dunkin' Donuts.

A tipster told us back in May that the Dunkin' Donuts several storefronts away at 520 E. 14th St. will move here.

No. 542 is the former home of La Isla Restaurant, which closed in July 2012.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Dunkin' Donuts moving on East 14th Street

New murals for 90-year-old Best Housekeeping on Avenue A


[Click on images for more detail]

Just noting the new murals on the rolldown gates at Best Housekeeping at 17 Avenue A. (Home of the best business sign in the East Village?)



You'll likely recognize the work of East Village artist Ori Carino, who worked on these last week. Among his artwork, he created the great mural on the rolldown gate outside the Mars Bar (part of which a resident was able to save!).

As Bedford + Bowery noted last week, Best Housekeeping turns 90 this year. The family owns the building … and in an interview from July 2012, owner Fred Stern said that he hopes to have the wholesale appliance store ready for the next generation — he has six boys and one daughter.

Unidentified Flying Chickens now open on 3rd Avenue



The East Village outpost of the Jackson Heights-based Korean fried chicken restaurant opened this past weekend at 60 Third Ave. near East 11th Street.



Apiary, the nearly 6-year-old restaurant, closed here in the spring for a revamp. After a splashy, well-publicized makeover, the new place, Après, closed after just three weeks.

Paper first reported on UFC's impending arrival on May 30.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Après closes 3 weeks after debut; Unidentified Flying Chickens on the way in

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Frenzy



A scene from Tompkins Square Park today via Bobby Williams…

Someone stole this bike today



From the EVG inbox…

Today, Sunday, July 13, my bike — a GT Aggressor, red/white/black — was stolen from in front of my building at 225 E. 6th St. (between 2nd and 3rd Ave) around 3 p.m. Any help or information is appreciated. Please contact Lisandro at 646-325-4348.

Free chair of the day



EVG contributor Derek Berg spotted this on East Fifth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery this evening… strangely enough, we were just listing to No Bugs Just Broken's first record earlier today …

Week in Grieview


[Supermoon over the East Village photo by Allen Ackerman]

After 76 years, Bowlmor Lanes has closed (Monday)

How Kushner is treating residents at 170-174 E. Second St. (Thursday)

Snack Dragon closing this month (Friday)

Starbucks-owned Teavana coming to the former Silver Spurs space on Broadway (Tuesday)

Stage Restaurant returns from holiday (Wednesday)

Car fire! (Wednesday)

There's not much left of 324 E. Fourth St. (Tuesday)

NYU adding building to former Plantworks garden center space (Wednesday)

IHOP on East 14th Street now has a sidewalk cafe (Thursday)

It's always nice to hear from Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street (Friday)

Rodeo Bar is closing (Thursday)

GNC opening at 79 Third Ave. (Monday)

Goat Town has closed (Monday)

Mimi Cheng's Dumplings now open on Second Avenue (Wednesday)

The Second Avenue BP station is gone (Tuesday)

The first batch of books arrive at the new St. Mark's Bookshop (Thursday, and the former location has been gutted)

Sushi proposed for former Cafe Rakka space on Avenue B (Tuesday)

A look at those new condos on East Seventh Street (Thursday)

Sketchy pink box update (Tuesday)

A summer moment (Sunday)

Avenue C in July 2010 after Germany beat Argentina


Seeing how the Germany-Argentina World Cup final is today at 4 … thought I'd revisit this post from July 3, 2010, showing the scene on Avenue C and East Seventh Street after Germany defeated Argentina 4-0 in a quarter-final match…

As I wrote then, "Some fans watching the match at Zum Schnieder, Alphabet City Lounge, Kafana, Arcane and the Porch all converged.

A fire truck arrived... and the firefighters good-naturedly joined in the celebration, honking the truck horn and waving a German flag. And posing for photos. When a few fans jumped on top of the truck, the firefighters quickly made them get down... The entire celebration all seemed pretty harmless and went on for about 15 minutes…"






As for TODAY… these two gentleman arrived at 8 a.m. to be first in line for Zum Schneider ….



Previously on EV Grieve:
Avenue C is for...crazy German fans

More photos from yesterday's German-themed Avenue C street fair

New from 10th Street Free Press



Between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

Previously.

Kids in the Park, red-tailed hawk edition



Goggla shared a few photos from early last evening in Tompkins Square Park … where Christo and Dora's offspring were zipping around … to the delight (mostly!) of passersby …





Head over to Gog in NYC for more on the hawks.

The Manhattanhenge divide



Lining up to catch the last Manhattanhenge of the year at East 14th Street and First Avenue …



Wasn't quite like Friday night for sunset photo opps, though.

Photos here by EVG reader Joe.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Reader report on a possible danger along the East River River running path

From EVG reader JJ:

This morning on the East River running path there were some suspiciously laid out tire spikes right in the middle of the sidewalk near 18th Street and Avenue C — right before you turn onto the Promenade.

I obviously can't say they were placed there, but they definitely weren't there last night and they were laid out in such a way by the curb that you wouldn't see them unless you were looking down.

Not excited if this is a new type of new high school prank...

JJ removed the spikes and reported the find to the NYPD.

Your Manhattanhenge sunset (and entourage!)



Manhattanhenge — "when the setting sun aligns precisely with the Manhattan street grid" — returned last evening.

And here are some photos. First batch from Union Square via James and Karla Murray.





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On 34th Street via EVG reader Stephen Popkin…









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And a view of 23rd Street from Williamsburg … photo by @AcademyRecords



And if you missed it, then you can catch a half-sun at the horizon tonight around 8:25.

And now, equal time for the Supermoon



Here's a look at 3 a.m. from Avenue A and East Third Street via EVG reader Peter Shapiro



And Bobby Williams took this photo at 2:27 a.m. ….



… and I'm not sure exactly when Stephen Popkin took this one…



Cutting and pasting this from ABC News:

The full moon this weekend will be extra large due to it proximity to the Earth, according to NASA. It’s the second supermoon of the year, though the largest one will occur in August.

The moon will peak around Saturday and will appear bigger and brighter than a normal full moon as it hits its closest point to Earth.

Someone stole this bike last night



EVG reader Ted Roden passes along word that his "ridiculous bike (for hauling my kids) got stolen" last night from around East Sixth Street and Avenue C. Some time between 7 and 10 p.m.

As he says, hard to miss. So in case you happen to spot it … let us know…