Monday, October 6, 2014

Espresso for kids?



Closed for renovation signs remain up on the door of Au Breve Espresso, which closed back in early August here in the retail space of Cooper Union's 41 Cooper Square building.

Meanwhile, the Philip Berley Preschool of the Arts next door has co-opted the space… looks as if they made their own little cafe for the kids…

Dojo Izakaya announces itself on Avenue B



Signage is now up at Dojo Izakaya, which the Post described as "a Japanese gastropub."

It is the latest restaurant from chef David Bouhadana, who opened Sushi Dojo in June 2013 on First Avenue.

No word on an opening date here yet.

Cafe Rakka, the previous tenant here at 38 Avenue B near East Third Street, apparently got Cromanated last November.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Chef David Bouhadana looking to open Dojo Izakaya in former Cafe Rakka space on Avenue B

From Cafe Rakka to Dojo Izakaya on Avenue B

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Week in Grieview


[Photo yesterday by Luke on Seventh]

The Bowery Mission needs donations (Monday)

A sneak preview of the Westside Market, opening soon on Third Avenue (Thursday)

No, 'NYC's first bar for pregnant women' isn't opening on Avenue A (Monday)

What's going on with the former Mary Help of Christians property? (Tuesday)

The expanding Jehovah's Witnesses on Avenue C (Tuesday)

Yaffa Cafe closes for good (Thursday, 45 comments) for this reason (Friday, 32 comments)

How you can help save Siempre Verde Community Garden from luxury housing (Friday)

Korilla BBQ's interior will include an illustration by East Village artist Terry Galmitz (Tuesday)

PS 64 rally coverage (Tuesday)

Full reveal at the rebranded Eleventh and Third (Monday)

About the Cock moving to Avenue B (Tuesday)

Looking for Dana Scully (Monday)

In case you have some mystery charges from South America (Thursday)

The Os GĂȘmeos mural returns to view on the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall (Tuesday)

Hitchcocktober! (Wednesday)

Kotobuki has closed on 3rd Avenue (Thursday)

One less dorm in the East Village, but one more luxury rental (Friday)

Cool clouds (Tuesday)

Lou Reed wasn't really feeling this interview (Tuesday)

Neighborhood's priciest rental now selling for $9.5 million (Wednesday)

Menkui-Tei has closed for renovations (Wednesday)

Out and About with Mikey Cole (Wednesday)

… and speaking of Mikey Likes It Ice Cream… just noting the new mural on the gate for October's flavor of the month — Halloween

Last night's waxing moon



Here's a report from local astronomy buff Felton Davis:

It rained all day Saturday, and that must have washed a lot of soot out of the atmosphere, because the waxing moon came up unusually sharp and clear. Gassendi Crater on the edge of the Mare Humorum was spectacular as the shadow of the sun receded across its sharp edges and central blip. And down and to the left of Tycho was another stretch of jagged craters that will all look smooth on Tuesday night when the moon is full.



The eclipse of the moon will take place just before dawn on Wednesday, Oct. 8, as the earth passes directly between the rising sun and setting moon.

We've had a whole lot of partly-cloudy-chance-of-showers in the last week, so don't get your hopes up for anything different on Wednesday. If it is clear, all the way down to the horizon, I plan to get on the #5 Train to Bowling Green at 4:30 am, and walk over to Battery Park. The moon will set long before the eclipse is over.

It's too cold and too far away to bring the telescope, but anyone with a camera and a tripod should be able to get some amazing photos. Will the darkened moon set over the Statue of Liberty, over Ellis Island, or north of Ellis Island? I have no idea!

Report: NYPD looking for a possibly albino suspect in yesterday's Chase branch robbery


[Photo yesterday by Derek Berg]

As we reported yesterday, someone robbed the Chase branch on Second Avenue at St. Mark's Place.

The NYPD have released the following description of the suspect, who left with $1,080:

"white male (possibly albino), 5'10", mid to late 20s, light colored hair with a medium build. He was last seen wearing a black and grey jacket, dark rimmed glasses, black sneakers with a red bandana around his neck."



Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.

H/T Gothamist

St. Stanislaus represents in the annual Pulaski Day Parade



Today is the 77th annual Pulaski Day Parade in New York City. This year's theme: "Canonization of Blessed John Paul II."

And, once again, St. Stanislaus on East Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue will be part of the parade… as you can see from these float photos this morning by EVG Senior Float Photographer Derek Berg …


There is, apparently, a plant thief among us



A reader shared this from a building on East Seventh Street.

Don't make it an issue, OK?

Mystery surrounds faceless cartoon mural on East 12th Street



On East 12th Street near First Avenue.

Last week! (Above!)

Yesterday!



A source will only reveal that the mural will be of a "beloved bald cartoon character."

Well, Ziggy is too short… so it has to be Henry, right?



Updated: Thanks to everyone who confirmed this is the work of street artist Jerkface.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Reader report: Chase branch robbed on 2nd Avenue


[Photo by Ada Calhoun]

The one at St. Mark's Place. (Not the one on East 10th Street.) Officers on the scene earlier this afternoon confirmed a robbery to onlookers. No other details at the moment.

In May 2013, a man named Jerry Gomillion reportedly tried to rob this branch.


[Photo via @Ewingweb]

Today



Photo by Bobby Williams

A block party on East 9th Street today



We're told that the block party is rain or shine here on East Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C, so… looking like rain at moment, according to looking out the window.

It's beginning to look a lot like …ahhhhhhhhhhhh!



EVG Facebook friend/photographer Michael Paul spotted these in the front windows at Dee & Dee on East 14th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue…

Happy Easter.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Flyers warn of a 'sexual predator'



The above flyers are up along Avenue B and East Eighth Street and East Ninth Street.

The person responsible for the flyers said that the incident took place outside 295 East Eighth St. at Avenue B around 2 a.m. Friday. The suspect described in the flyer left the scene when a neighbor intervened and jumped the fence into Tompkins Square Park.

A painting-perfect day



East 10th Street near Avenue A this afternoon… via Bobby Williams

Tie me up, tie me down



Here is Primetime with "Tied Down." The London-based band released their debut 7" EP in August via La Vida Es Un Mus Records.

Doggone it: Someone stole the annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade posters


[Photo from 2013 by Derek Berg]

That's the word from organizer Garrett Rosso, who reports that someone stole the FedEx delivery boxes from outside his apartment door yesterday.

It will be another week before more posters will arrive.

Meanwhile, he shared the information with us... the date is Saturday, Oct. 25 ... the rain date is Oct. 26...



Per Garrett: "Runway competition will be from Noon to 2:30 p.m. Then all pawticipants will follow this year’s BEST IN SHOW for a pawsitively posh, costumed canine parade around the entire park. All donations go to City Park Foundation for the maintenance and upkeep of the Tompkins Square dog run."

East Village now down a dorm



Renovations continue at 101 E. 10th St., the former SVA dorm at the corner of Third Avenue.

The 5-story building that houses a TD bank hit the market back in the spring. However, it appears that real-estate investment firm Atkins & Breskin still retains the property.

Regardless, the job site has a partial approval from the DOB, which notes a "gut rehabilitation of existing apartment building and change in the number of dwelling units. Obtain amended [Certificate of Occupancy]." So we're looking at a conversion to residential.

The Real Deal originally reported in March that "an additional 7,802 square feet of as-of-right air rights" existed for the building. There's nothing yet on file with the DOB to note any extra floors.

SVA students reportedly left the dorm after the spring term. A school official told The Villager that the school would use a new residence on East 24th Street at First Avenue.

More about Yaffa Cafe closing


[Photo from 1997 by @JenniferKellow]

As we first reported yesterday, Yaffa Cafe is now officially closed at 97 St. Mark's Place.

The DOH temporarily closed the restaurant on Sept. 5. In addition, the city ordered Yaffa's owners to shut down the backyard garden.

Last night, ownership posted this statement to their Facebook page:



Yes, Yaffa is closed. We really want to thank everybody who came to Yaffa and kept it open for 31 years.

I know we helped a few families to start a relationship at our establishment.

We had a great years and some not great, but now its time to go.

The city closed our garden, one of our not friendly neighbours complained to the building department, and they came and put 35 families out of work.

I am sure she is very happy.

Thank you all for supporting us.

Throughout the day yesterday, Yaffa fans took to Twitter to express their feelings.





Grub Street has a collection of the tweets here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A Google ad now covers the iconic Yaffa Cafe mural on St. Mark's Place

Yaffa Cafe will be back, though likely without its backyard garden

Yaffa Cafe is officially gone; back garden dismantled

How you can help save Siempre Verde Community Garden from luxury housing


[Photo from June via Facebook]

The following news release is via the EVG inbox from Wednesday evening...

The Siempre Verde Garden – located at 181 Stanton Street and 137 Attorney in the Lower East Side – is threatened by new residential luxury development proposed by a city agency, HPD.

The issue is coming before the Community Board 3 Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 6:30 pm. We are calling on community members to join us there to make their voices heard. A petition can be signed here.

Siempre Verde Garden was created by the community in the 1980s. In the summer of 2012, a diverse group of volunteers began transforming two rubble-strewn city-owned lots into an oasis where neighbors, children, plants, trees, birds and bees congregate. New foliage, plants and raised garden beds were put in. With the support of Greenthumb and the unanimous support of Community Board 3, Siempre Verde was given a license by November.

Since then, pounds of tomatoes, greens, herbs and other vegetables have been harvested and shared with neighbors. The garden has held over 70 community workshops and events including worm composting, children’s story time, art,
music & yoga workshops. Green space for residents is sorely lacking in the garden’s vicinity and the garden is home to some of the only trees in the immediate area.

The luxury development is backed by the Gottleib Bender family who own an adjoining lot bought for $5,000 in the 1970s. Since their lot has no street access and is too small for any development, they are proposing to add the garden’s small two city-owned lots to their parcel.

Even the combined lot would remove light and air from nearby tenements with limited income residents. Siempre Verde is calling for all those who support the garden to go to the CB3 meeting to show their opposition to more luxury housing being built in a community with very little green space. The meeting will be held at University Settlement, at 184 Eldridge St (between Rivington nd Delancey Streets) on Oct. 14 at 6:30 pm.

For more information about Siempre Verde Garden:
Website
Facebook
Twitter


Here's more on the story via The Lo-Down ... and BoweryBoogie.

Fit to a Teavana



The TEAVANA letters went up yesterday on Broadway at East Ninth Street.



As previously reported in July, the Starbucks-owned Teavana, a specialty tea and tea accessory retailer, was taking over the former Silver Spurs corner space.

Last December, Silver Spurs got rent-hiked out of its 34-year-old home here.

Thanks to EVG reader @elivalley for the photos!

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 34 years, Silver Spurs is closing on Broadway

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