Petition asks Mayor de Blasio to remove the Skywatch tower from Tompkins Square Park

[Photo Tuesday by ‏@urbanmyths]

The patrol tower that the NYPD installed in the middle of Tompkins Square Park on Tuesday has prompted plenty of discussion. (Our post has 135 comments and counting.)

Yesterday, East Village resident Penny Rand, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1968, launched an online petition asking Mayor de Blasio to remove the tower.

Per the petition:

There is no crime happening in the park that cannot be handled by foot police or officers in patrol cars. The precinct is just around the corner, patrol cars find their way into the park on a moment's notice.

Take down the tower. We don't want it. It makes us feel violated, insulted and angry that you chose this path under the guise of protecting us.

Take down the tower. We don't need it. It is overkill and just a display of muscle that infringes on our enjoyment of the park.

Take down the tower, Mr. Mayor. Take it down. Today.

The goal is 1,000 signatures by end of the month. Find the petition here.

Meanwhile, Gothamist talked to people in the Park yesterday about the tower.

"It's stupid, it's a waste of money," Annick de Lorme told us as she walked her dog past the tower last night. "It doesn't make sense to have two police officers sit around."

De Lorme said that she has lived next to the park on East 7th Street for 13 years, and felt that Tompkins is "one hundred percent" safer than it was when she first moved to the neighborhood.

Gothamist also gets an explanation from the city.

Mayor de Blasio's press secretary, Karen Hinton, told us that the Tompkins Skywatch "is a temporary 'high visibility' police command post to address safety issues on a temporary basis," and that "how long it stays is up to the Boro Commander."

Hinton said that the "NYPD tried to park the Skywatch in the street area, away from the park, but that was problematic. The park was the next best solution."

Previously on EV Grieve:
NYPD installs patrol tower in the middle of Tompkins Square Park (135 comments)

The Post reports Tompkins Square Park 'has become a homeless haven' (113 comments)

Observer editors write, 'it's time to take back Tompkins Square Park' (49 comments)

Parts of Avenue C and D now with a SkyWatch tower, additional NYPD lights

[Updated] NYPD patrol tower arrives on Avenue D

Why yes — the Tompkins Square Park patrol tower now has a (fake) Twitter account

In our post about the newly installed NYPD Patrol Tower in the middle of Tompkins Square Park, someone began leaving comments as NYPD TEXT TOWER.

An example of the all-cap comments:

WE DONT SEE HOMELESS IN PARK BUT WE SEE LOTS OF U ON TINDER.

And!

APPOLOGIES TO JAMES FRANCO. PLZ CONTINUE ENJOYING YOUR BAGGED LUNCH.

Now that commenter has taken his or her commenting to Twitter, with the official (unofficial) NYPD TWEET TOWER account.

BE SURE TO WRITE THE @NYPOST AND LET THEM KNOW #TOMPKINSSQUAREPARK IS VAGRANT FREE SO WE CAN GO HOME. BORED UP HERE. #EASTVILLAGE

— NYPD TWEET TOWER (@NYPDTWEETTOWER) July 22, 2015

The former Contrada space is for rent

[Photo by Vinny & O]

Contrada, the Mediterranean-influenced restaurant on Second Avenue at East Fourth Street, quietly closed earlier this month.

Apparently the closure isn't temporary: A for rent sign arrived at the space yesterday,

Per the listing at Alpha Properties, the asking rent is $16,000 with $200,000 key money.

In the spring of 2014, the space evolved from Calliope, a French bistro. Prior to this, Belcourt held forth in the space.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Contrada has not been open lately

Because we haven't posted anything about the incoming Black Seed bagels in more than 2 months

Yes, it was back on May 13 when we last got a look inside 174-176 First Ave., where workers are renovating the retail space for Black Seed bagels.

EVG reader Lola Sáenz took this photo of the space yesterday here between East 10th Street and 11th Street … showing the progress…



We still haven't heard about any official opening date for Black Seed, which is leasing the space of the former DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe. Black Seed opened on Elizabeth Street in April 2014. This will be their second location.

You can head to Black Seed's Instagram account to see their Montreal-NYC hybrid bagels in action…

It's never too hot to eat lunch in the park. 📷: @mrs.munchies

A photo posted by Black Seed Bagels (@blackseedbagels) on Jul 20, 2015 at 10:28am PDT

Previously on EV Grieve:
Black Seed bringing bagels to the former DeRobertis space on 1st Avenue (43 comments)

Free tonight in Tompkins Square Park: 'Big Night'

Tonight's free movie is "Big Night," the 1996 restaurant drama co-directed by and starring Stanley Tucci. (According to the organizers, Billy Joel selected this film for tonight.)

And here's a scene from "Big Night" …



Gates open at 6 p.m., music (from Hawthorne) starts at 7 p.m., and the movies starts at sundown. You can head to the Films in Tompkins Facebook page for any updates.

Today in power washing Tompkins Square Park

Yesterday Temperance Fountain, today the ping-pong table.

Are we expecting company? (Aside from the NYPD...)

Photo by Derek Berg

A moment on Avenue B

[Click on image to go big]

The watermelon toss outside Sunny and Annie's on Avenue B at East Sixth Street...

Photo by Peter H. from 8th St.

Here's the lineup for the 3rd annual MoRUS film festival

Via the EVG inbox...

The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) will partner with community and activist groups to present I [heart] NRCHY: Subversion & The City, which runs Aug. 1-8, with screening times at 8 PM.

This series of shorts, documentaries, oral histories and features will pay homage to the spirit and legacy of anarchy in New York, its impact on the United State and explore self-determined communities fighting for their own forms of power today. Dates, times and locations are as follows:

• Saturday, Aug. 1 @ Orchard Alley, 350-54 East 4th Street between Aves. C & D. 8 PM – TENEMENT MUSEUM presents “Immigrants, Anarchism & the USA” featuring ANARCHISM IN AMERICA, dir. Steven Fischler and Joel Sucher

• Sunday, Aug. 2 @ Orchard Alley, 350-54 East 4th Street between Aves. C & D. 8 PM – ABC NO RIO presents “Bio Terror, Manufactured Fear & State Repression” featuring MARCHING PLAGUE, created by Critical Art Ensemble and STRANGE CULTURE, dir. Lynn Hershman Leeson

• Monday, Aug. 3 @ Le Petit Versailles, 346 East Houston Street between Aves. B & C. 8 PM – THE GOOD FIGHT presents “Neighborhood Narratives” featuring oral histories from contemporary community activists.

• Tuesday, Aug. 4 @ 6th & B Garden, 6th Street and Ave. B. 8 PM – TIME’S UP! presents “Grassroots Gardening and Bicycling Change the City's Urban Design” featuring STILL WE RIDE dir. Andrew Lynn, Elizabeth Press, Chris Ryan, and the debut of the new MoRUS found footage piece titled community gardens: 42 years of Activism in Greening Manhattan with more TBA

• Wednesday, Aug. 5 @ La Plaza Cultural, SW Corner of 9th Street and Ave. C. 8 PM – 350NYC presents “Sustainable Activism” featuring DISRUPTION, dir. Kelly Nyks and Jared P. Scott and IDLE THREAT, dir. George Pakenham (filmmaker in attendance)

• Thursday, Aug. 6 @ La Plaza Cultural,SW Corner of 9th Street and Ave. C. 8 PM – 596 ACRES presents “Reviewing Renewal” featuring REZONING HARLEM dir. Natasha Florentino and Tamara Gubernat and THE RINK, dir. Sarah Friedland (with guest speaker DW Gibson and filmmaker in attendance)

• Friday, Aug. 7 @ El Jardin del Paraiso, 311 East 4th Street between Aves. C & D. 8 PM – INTERFERENCE ARCHIVE presents “Rooted in Community: Filmmakers Collaborating with Community Movements” featuring VOCES DE FILLMORE, dir. Ariana Allensworth, Teresa Basilio, and Regina Eaton; CLAIMING OUR VOICE, dir. Jennifer Pritheeva Samuel and FALLING, dir. Maya Suchak and Imani Peterkin (filmmakers in attendance)

• Saturday, Aug. 8 @ El Jardin del Paraiso, 311 East 4th Street between Aves. C & D. 8 PM – MoRUS presents for the closing night SALT OF THE EARTH, dir. Herbert J. Biberman

A limited supply of all-inclusive passes for $20 are now on sale here or by visiting MoRUS, 155 Avenue C between 9th and 10th Streets during hours of operation. Admission to each individual screening will otherwise require a suggested donation of $5.

Visit the MoRUS website here for more details.

In the case that you are just being an ass about the buzzers

An Urban Etiquette (Door Buzzer) Sign spotted at 20 Avenue A...

Photo via RyanAvenueA

Blockheads opens tomorrow on 3rd Avenue

The San Francisco-style Mexican restaurant opens tomorrow at 5 p.m. in the East Village.

The big burrito specialists, from the folks who launched Bennie's, is at 60 Third Ave. between East 10th Street and East 11th Street.

Per their Facebook page, frozen margaritas at this location will be $3 for the rest of July.

This will be the seventh Blockheads in Manhattan … not to mention the Benny's in the West Village.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Blockheads bringing their San Francisco-style burritos to the East Village

133 Avenue D is for sale (again)

An EVG reader points us to 133 Avenue D, where the 6-floor building between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street is on the market now for $12 million.

Here's some details from the listing at The Besen Group:

The 14,600 SF property is built 42.5' x 80', sits on a 42.5' x 93' lot and is zoned C1-5/R8A. The current maximum allowable FAR is 6 providing 3,646 SF of additional air rights. With cut-outs, the building has generous light and windows on all sides.

There are two retail units and one residential unit on the ground floor. Avenue D Deli & Grocery occupies the first unit with 850 SF of retail space. Marty's Wine & Liquor occupies the second unit with 850 SF of retail space. The residential unit has two-bedrooms and 600 SF.

The property has four two-bedroom units on floors two through six each with approximately 575 SF. Gut renovations were completed on all free market units. The roof has a cell tower lease in place until April 2020 which is pre-paid, and can produce future income if extended.

Highly desirable location and in demand for high-end residential and retail. 133 Avenue D is a few blocks away from Tompkins Square Park, situated close to subway stations, M140 bus stop, and walking distance to the cornucopia of stores, restaurants, and nightlife the East Village has to offer. The property is also walking distance to one of the best public schools, Bard High School Early College.

Situated close to what subway stations?

Updated 7:55 a.m.

Thanks to commenter EVEddie for noting that this building just changed hands back in the spring for $10.5 million. Per The Real Deal:

Vintage Group acquired an East Village mixed-use building at 133 Avenue D for $10,5 million ... Red Man Takes It Back Realty Inc. is the seller.

Nice flip!

Revisit King Tut’s Wah-Wah Hut starting today at the Whitney

[Photo via Facebook]

From the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, the southeast corner of Avenue A and Seventh Street was home to King Tut’s Wah-Wah Hut (now the Niagara … and from 1981-1984, A7).

It was here at the bar where the performance duo Dancenoise (Anne Iobst and Lucy Sexton) organized a weekly performance series.

And starting today the duo is getting the museum treatment. Let's head to the preview piece in the Times from Sunday for more:

In “Dancenoise: Don’t Look Back,” Wednesday through Sunday, the Whitney Museum of American Art celebrates these two collaborators with programming that includes a new performance, an installation, film screenings and a reimagining of King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut ... Tom Berry, who originally designed the Wah Wah Hut’s ever-changing décor, will construct it in the lobby of the Whitney’s theater.

From the looks of it at the Whitney website, the show performances are all sold out. However, the installation is open daily for viewing. And there's also the film and video screenings on Sunday. Head to the Whitney website for times and everything.

If you're on Facebook, then you can see more ephemeral on the King Tut's Wah Wah Hut group page right here


[Photo via Facebook]

Previously on EV Grieve:
The amazing murals inside King Tut's Wah Wah Hut

NYPD installs patrol tower in the middle of Tompkins Square Park

[Photo via EVG reader Ryan]

The NYPD continues to expand its presence in Tompkins Square Park following the Post and the Observer's recent reports citing anecdotal evidence that there's an influx of homeless people and drug users in the park.

This afternoon, the NYPD brought in a patrol tower (SkyWatch) to sit right in the middle of the park.


[Photo by Tullah from 7th Street]


[Photo by ‏@urbanmyths]

Thoughts?

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Post reports Tompkins Square Park 'has become a homeless haven' (113 comments)

Observer editors write, 'it's time to take back Tompkins Square Park' (49 comments)

Wash day for Temperance Fountain

The Hope side needs some attention. (And read about the history of the fountain here.)

Photo in Tompkins Square Park this morning by Derek Berg

RIP Charlie Romonofsky

[Photo by Sally Davies]

Charlie Romonofsky, a longtime East Village dog walker who was always seen with his chihuahua Sweet Pea, died in his East Fifth Street apartment last Friday. He was 57.

Romonofsky was born and raised in public housing in Coney Island. For the past 20 years he had lived on East Fifth Street where he ran his business, Mr. Charlie's Pet Services.

"He was a huge man who possessed the most gentle soul on the planet. Everybody knew him. Everybody loved him," said one of his clients, Diego Aguirre, who shares a dog with Jamey Poole, a longtime East Village resident and neighbor.

"Charlie's voice would be ringing in the morning air every day outside my window and he would go riding around on his bike with the tiny Sweet Pea tucked into his shirt," said his neighbor and friend Karen Platt. "The contrast between Charlie and Sweet Pea was something to behold, and when asked about why his tiny dog seemed so fearless and confident, he would always reply, 'Well, she's Sweet Pea, Queen of the Block.'"

Said his close friend Sally Davies, "Charlie was an eccentric. An original East Villager, a stand-up guy and a man of his word."

His friends created a memorial outside his apartment building between Avenue A and Avenue B.


[Photo by Sally Davies]

The memorial reads in part: "Happy trails to a Mighty Man, with a Mighty heart. We will miss you Charlie."



The memorial grew throughout the day yesterday... as did the tributes from those who knew him...



Said another friend: "Charlie was such a a larger-than-life character. Gregarious, sweet, helpful, funny, gentle but tough — infinitely likable. He was really one of a kind."

There's no word just yet about a memorial service.

Updated 12:45 p.m.

I don't know why the post disappeared earlier for about an hour. I found a version of the post in my drafts in the Blogger template. This version is missing the last photo and comment from a neighbor. I'll try to redo that.

Bruno Pizza, opening very soon on East 13th Street

Bruno Pizza is inching closer to opening at 204 E. 13th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.



We checked in with Demian Repucci, the restaurant designer-consultant who is launching his very own place with Bruno. He and his team held Bruno's first friends-and-family "super-secret, trial-and-error pizza party" on Saturday night. While the evening went very well, he says they still need to do some tweaking on their dough recipe and pizza-making process.

In any event, Repucci says that they will start serving pizzas this coming week.

Aside from pizza, the menu includes various pastas and salads... eventually the space will serve a tasting menu from his executive chefs Justin Slojkowski and Dave Gulino. (You can read more about all this over at Grub Street. Eater has more details here.)

Bruno was also OK'd for a liquor license, but there's still some paperwork pending. So no alcohol at the outset.

Meanwhile, Repucci has been posting photos of the menu items on his Instagram account …

Pizza test eleventy @brunopizzanyc

A photo posted by @demianrepucci on Jul 15, 2015 at 12:57pm PDT

There is a Bruno website with more information, though it doesn't appear fully functioning just yet.

Openings: Turntable Retro Bar & Restaurant on Avenue B

[Photo Saturday via @salim]

The sibling of the Flushing-based Mad For Chicken operation opened this past weekend at 58 Avenue B at East Fourth Street.

There's also a Turntable location on Fifth Avenue in Koreatown. Their description: "Korean eatery & bar serving fried chicken, soju & cocktails in a hip setting with jazz-themed decor."

As the signs outside the Avenue B restaurant show, everything is apparently 50 percent off during their grand opening over the next two weeks.

The previous tenant at this address, Vella Market, lasted just six months here, closing in October 2013.

The 16-year-old vegetarian restaurant Kate's Joint closed here in April 2012.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Turntable Retro Bar & Restaurant ready to play on 4th and B

S'MAC turns 9, and celebrating with a $1 deal

Via the EVG inbox…

Happy Birthday! That's right, S'MAC is nine years old!

In celebration of our 9th birthday, on Tuesday July 21st we will be offering the All-American Nosh for $1.00 (Regular, Gluten-Free or Vegan).

Available at both the East Village and Murray Hill locations.

Limit one All-American nosh per person.

Valid for takeout only, not for deliveries.

Find more details here.

S'MAC is located at 345 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Dunkin' Donuts moving into the Jefferson's retail space

[Back in April]

Back in April, we noted that the Dunkin' Donuts at 218 E. 14th St. near Third Avenue was for lease.

And we promptly forgot about it… since then several readers noted that the DD will be moving west a few storefronts to 208 E. 14th St., part of the Jefferson's retail space...



Anyway, just a short move for the DDers …



As always, if this helps… pointing out the move for you…



A CityMD opened up in the main retail space at the Jefferson, the newish still 82-unit residential building in the North West East Village.

Meanwhile, next to the 7-Eleven on Avenue A

It's an EV Wacky Package.

Photo via cartknocker