Out and About in the East Village

In this ongoing feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Colette Pwakah
Occupation: Artist, Adventurer, and Part-Timer. Editor of Time Warp.
Location: Tompkins Square Park
Time: 3 pm on Friday, June 10

I was born and raised here: first near the Bowery, but I later moved further into the Lower East Side. My mom is from Syracuse and my dad is from Queens and Long Island. They moved to NYC in the early 1980s. I guess my dad always knew that he was meant to be in Manhattan, so he just had this drive to move here eventually. That was his goal.

Growing up in NYC was kind of fun and carefree. Most of my time was spent in the Tompkins playgrounds and the surrounding areas. I remember there were always a lot of strange characters around here. My dad would often point them out. He would say, ‘That kind of thing only happens here,’ or ‘only in New York.’ Living here, you'd learn to be more loving and accepting toward people, instead of hating or being afraid of people just because they look or act differently.

I was always into the punk aesthetic from a young age, and I liked that sort of music, but I didn’t know of any really good bands. Then in my late teens, I started doing more research and finding more genuine punk and rock 'n roll bands, like the real dank shit. Ramones, Misfits, the Clash, the Cramps, Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Leftover Crack...

Even as a kid, I heard about CBGBs and I always kind of fantasized about being able to go to shows there. In 2006, I think I was 12 or 13 so I was too young to even go to the matinee shows, and that was when they shut down. My little dream was crushed right there.

When I was little, there were still a lot of empty lots, a lot of garages, a lot of parking lots, empty spaces that didn’t have nasty glassy towers built on them. What really makes me go into this mental disconnect, is that so much is changing, faster than ever before, and its kind of heartbreaking sometimes. It’s hard to develop or maintain a sense of place when your surroundings are always looking different from month to month. What you knew and loved about your neighborhood — the familiar sights and imperfections — is being steadily destroyed and replaced.

One of the things I love most about New York City is that you can be anyone you want to be here. Everyone will accept you. That’s how it should be and that’s how it’s always been. If you want to reinvent yourself, go for it. That’s kind of a punk thing, too. You can be true to yourself and not have people judging you... and if they do, who the hell cares? Embracing punk music and ideologies has helped a lot in my life transition.

I studied wildlife biology in college. I was extremely depressed, anxious, and isolated, repeating endless cycles. It felt like being in prison. After a couple of years, I realized that no one really listens to scientists anymore. I began to question the system I was conforming to. Graduating high school, finishing college, getting a degree in some field, and hopefully getting a job... That's not realistic. It doesn't work for everyone. I really wanted to save natural places and wildlife — especially wolves and other predators.

I realized that there’s just so much corruption in politics that you can’t really do much as a scientist anymore. You might publish a study but no one really pays attention to it. Our global environment and ecosystems wouldn't be in such a mess if people in power would listen to the scientists or even common sense, for that matter. They only listen to the money. So, what’s the point of spending more than four years of my life studying and doing this work if it’s not even going to make a difference?

I left the city for maybe four months at a time each semester, and each time I came back to the city, the changes were very significant. It seems like time passes more quickly, here. You might leave for a week and it’s like a month has passed. It kind of freaked me out when I returned from my first semester and saw how the area around Mars Bar had changed in such little time. Astor Place suffered a similar fate. The streets are swarming with zombie-like people. It's like something outta the Twilight Zone.

In part 2 next week, Pwakah discusses launching her zine. "With Time Warp, I am trying to inspire people to act and actually do something instead of just being sad and resigned to the situation we’re in." (Find a PDF of the zine here.)

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

Report: Police make arrest in Avenue D murder; suspect's brother in prison for beating death of elderly man on 6th Street

Police have reportedly made an arrest in the deadly shooting of Michael Rodriguez outside the Lillian Wald Houses on June 3.

Terence Pugh, 24, was formally charged in the death of Rodriguez, 22, after a drug-related arrest two weeks ago.

DNAinfo has the story:

Pugh was first arrested at approximately 6 p.m. on June 6 near Bowery and Broome Street as part of a three-day takedown that netted a total of nine individuals after a months-long operation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office called “Operation D Block,” according to a law enforcement source.

The investigation was sparked by a rash of shootings plaguing Alphabet City, according to the source. Seven of the arrests took place at the Riis Houses and the Lillian D. Wald Houses, both in Alphabet City...

Pugh's younger brother Jamie was convicted of second-degree murder last August for the vicious beating of 68-year-old grandfather Wen Hui Ruan on East Sixth Street near Avenue D in May 2014. The younger Pugh is now serving a sentence of 25 years to life.

Ruan, a retired garment worker who lived on Avenue C and Seventh Street with his wife, had just dropped off his granddaughters when the attack occurred.

DNAinfo reported that mother of Terence and Jamie, Charlotte Pugh, was also arrested. "She had worked alongside her son dealing Percocet, according to court papers, and was charged with conspiracy in the fourth degree," per DNAinfo.

Report: Steve Croman case pushed back to September

[Photo via a Croman tenant]

Landlord Steve Croman appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court yesterday. Croman, who owns more buildings in the East Village than any other landlord, was hit last month with a 20-count indictment on charges including grand larceny and filing false documents.

As The Lo-Down reported, Supreme Court Justice Jill Konviser adjourned the hearing until Sept. 20. Croman's high-powered defense lawyer, Ben Brafman, said that they were close on a plea deal, according to the Post.

A handful of Croman tenants were on hand to greet their landlord at the courthouse.

Per The Lo-Down:

Tamalyn Miller, a Croman Tenant at 521 East 5th St., said that even though Croman’s case was pushed back, she’s happy. “The court case may go on and on,” she said, but Croman’s reputation is forever tarnished. “When we were going through this in 2009, 2010, nobody would listen to us,” she added.

Meanwhile, across the street yesterday, The Lo-Down reported that another controversial East Village landlord, Raphael Toledano, was in New York City Housing Court for civil and criminal contempt. He reportedly was there after failing to pay a settlement to tenants at 444 E 13th St.

St. Mark's Bookshop, which closed 4 months ago, receives an eviction notice

After 38 years at four locations, St. Mark's Bookshop closed last Feb. 28 (with an "epilogue sale" on March 5) at 136 E. Third St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

As you probably know, the long-struggling store reportedly owned some $70,000 in back rent to the city (the NYCHA is the landlord here).

In any event, several readers noted that an eviction notice, dated June 9, had been taped to the gate this past week...



Seems a little late. NYCHA reportedly initiated eviction proceedings last July, per DNAinfo.

Inside, there are still some books on the shelves... looking the way it did on its last day in business.

The photo below is from May 22 by Arthur Nersesian ... the inside looks the same inside today...

Report: Man shot in stomach during fight on East 4th Street

An EVG reader shared these photos from early this morning after a man was shot once during a confrontation at the Bracetti Plaza on Fourth Street near Avenue C.

According to published reports, there were three shots, with one hitting the 22-year-old victim in the stomach around 2:40 a.m.

Per NBC 4:

Police said that the man got on his bike and road toward his home and was stopped and helped by housing police at Avenue D and East 8th Street.

The victim hasn't been cooperating with investigators, police said, and no description of a suspect was available.

The victim is expected to survive the shooting, police said.

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.

More residential units and a 5th-floor addition in the works for landmarked 4 St. Mark's Place

A few weeks back we reported that plywood arrived outside 4 St. Mark's Place, where workers are presumably going to renovate the empty storefront here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

An Eastern Consolidated listing shows that two retail spaces will be available following the renovation.

Being a landmarked building, the new owners of the building (Liberty Place Property Management) will need the proper OKs before any work can take place.

Tonight, reps for the applicant will appear before CB3's Landmarks Committee. The flyer on the plywood says that the applicant is seeking approval to renovate the "existing street and rear facade, interior alterations, modifications to existing windows, and roof and rear yard addition."



A look at the proposed plans at the CB3 website (PDF here) reveals that the 4-floor building would increase its residential units from three to eight... with the help of a fifth-floor addition and expansion in the rear ... (the proposed renderings are on the left)


[Click for more detail]

...and the profile section...



To date, there aren't any new work permits on file for the address — outside the construction of the plywood fence.

...also, you can ignore the post-modern rendering on the plywood...



According to the CB3 website, the meeting is tonight at the JASA/Green Residence, 200 E. Fifth St. at the Bowery. (The posted flyer at No. 4 gives the wrong address of the meeting.)

Until this past February, the retail space at 4 St. Mark's Place was home to Trash & Vaudeville for 41 years. (The store is now at 96 E. Seventh St.)

Report: Steve Croman due back in court today

Vanity Fair files a piece on Steve Croman, whose real-estate empire includes 47 buildings with 617 units in the East Village. (As previously noted, Croman owns more buildings in the East Village than any other landlord.)

In May, Croman of 9300 Realty was hit with a 20-count indictment on charges including grand larceny and filing false documents ... as well as a civil suit via the New York state Attorney General's office. He faces up to 25 years in prison. Croman pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. Per the article: "The civil suit is seeking to strip him of his real-estate business entirely and force him to pay millions of dollars in fines and restitution to tenants."

The Vanity Fair piece notes the "fever dream" pace at which the Cromans — Steve and wife Harriet — live on the Upper East Side and in the Hamptons. "They feted their son with a bar mitzvah under the whale at the Museum of Natural History, at which pop star Ariana Grande sang a tune for the crowd."

Croman, 49, has hired Ben Brafman, "the famed attorney who is also representing the so-called 'pharma bro' Martin Shkreli in his securities-fraud case." They are due in court this morning.

Brafman told Vanity Fair that they are "working diligently in the hope of ‎reaching a global agreement with the Attorney General that will resolve both the civil and criminal cases" against Croman.

H/T Steven

Updated 6 a.m.

Via the EVG inbox...

Tuesday, June 21st, at 9.15 am sharp, please join some of Steve Croman's tenants as they meet and greet their indicted, disgraced landlord in front of 100 Centre Street. Steve will be heading to the Criminal Court on the 13th floor immediately after.

[Sign via the email invite]

Report: Earth School students successfully lobby for LGBT studies in classroom

Fourth and fifth grade students at the Earth School on Sixth Street at Avenue B have successfully made their case to add LGBT coursework to its classroom curriculum this fall.

DNAinfo has more on the story:

BrainPOP, an interactive digital educational company based in the Flatiron that's used by students in public schools across the city, has agreed to create a new LGBT Civil Rights-specific curriculum by the fall — following nearly a year of pressure from students the East Village's Earth School as well as an outpouring of grief following the recent tragedy in Orlando.

“What is the purpose of education if not to change things for the better?” said Earth School teacher Colin Schumacher, who spearheaded the charge after his fourth grade class realized last year during their civil rights studies that BrainPOP had nothing available regarding the LGBT community's struggle.

Here are some Earth School students in a video from April...



ABC 7 has a story here from Friday... and Fox 5 from last night.

A seasonal Urban Etiquette Sign on 7th Street

An EVG reader passed along this photo of an Urban Etiquette Sign on Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... a sensible request not to throw firecrackers ... they scared the note-writer's dog... and are a potential fire hazard, she writes.

About '14th Street Peopleway'

There's a movement afoot to restrict 14th Street between Irving Place and Sixth Avenue in both directions to buses, bikes and pedestrians during the upcoming L train service shutdown... and perhaps permanently.

Meanwhile, Transportation Alternatives has launched an initiative called "14th Street Peopleway: A New Way to Get Across Manhattan." There's a launch rally for this tomorrow evening at 6:30 in Union Square South. (Find more details here.)

Here's more from TA:

The upcoming shutdown of the L train will remove a vital link from the city’s transportation network. This will make it much more difficult for people who rely on transit to get across town in Manhattan as well as getting to and from Brooklyn. The hundreds of thousands of people that count on the L train will be forced to find other options.

While the repairs are unavoidable, there is much we can do to minimize the inconvenience for everyone. By dedicating 14th St to public transit, walking, and biking, we can maximize the usefulness of our limited street space and increase safety along this very busy corridor.

Here's a link to a petition to make 14th Street vehicle free.

Thanks to car-free dreamer Chris Castiglione for the info!

Flyers call out convicted rapist Brock Turner

Slum Goddess passes along word that the above flyers, like this one on Second Avenue near East Houston, are starting to show up around the neighborhood.

Brock Turner, a former Stanford student and member of the swim team, was sentenced earlier this month to six months in jail for raping an intoxicated and unconscious woman behind a dumpster at a fraternity party in January 2015. Turner faced a maximum of 14 years in state prison.

The story has prompted outrage for many reasons, including the lenient sentence handed down by Judge Aaron Persky, who said he feared a longer term behind bars would have a "severe impact" on Turner.

Last Wednesday night, Grlcvlt, described as a national secret society, held a "Fuck Rape Culture" event in East Williamsburg to unseat Persky.

Gothamist has coverage from the event here. A similar Brock Turner rapist flyer was spotted outside the venue, Holyrad Studio.

1st night of summer, Avenue A

A video posted by EV Grieve (@evgrieve) on Jun 20, 2016 at 5:46pm PDT

You have to click on the video to start... and to stop it... or it will keep on auto playing...

Taking away our Dearly Beloved

An EVG reader notes that workers this morning carted off the Prince-inspired Sing for Hope pop-up piano (titled Dearly Beloved), which had been in Tompkins Square Park since June 8.

Brooklyn-based artist Eric Inkala designed the piano, which Sing for Hope will now place in an NYC public school.

Thanks for the memories, Dearly Beloved...

The Dorian Grey Gallery saying goodbye to 9th Street

The gallery, which focuses on street art/graffiti and the pioneers of the 1980s New York art scene, is leaving their East Ninth Street space after six years.

There's a send-off event this Wednesday...



Back in March, we heard that the gallery was on a month-to-month lease after Benchmark Real Estate Group became the landlord of No. 437 here between Avenue A and First Avenue. And now they are closing. There was discussion on Facebook that the asking rent more than doubled.

Gallery rep Molua Muldown responded graciously about the closure.

"We're terribly sorry we weren't able to come to an agreement with the new building owner," she said via email.

Perhaps the gallery will look elsewhere for a space in the East Village?

"We've not yet decided what the next chapter will be," she said. "We have a pop up gallery in Watermill for the summer and will gather our thoughts about the future in the autumn."

Bummer, BARA has closed on East 1st Street

BARA, a French/Japanese bar-restaurant at 58 E. First St., closed after service on June 11.

A sign on the door here between First Avenue and Second Avenue reads, "BARA is permanently closed. Bummer, right?"



The restaurant opened in December 2014 ... serving a menu created by Momofuku vet Ian Alvarez.

At a friend's suggestion, I tried BARA and liked it, dining here several times. (I've never eaten at any of the Momofuku places, for the record.) The BARA staff was low-key and friendly, and they played music by Can, Television and Richard Hell & the Voidoids on evenings I was there.

It was a good early-evening adult spot after seeing a movie at the nearby Anthology Film Archives or Sunshine Cinema... in part because it wasn't really that busy. (Meanwhile, people were in line for a table at Prune a few doors away.)

The previous establishment here, Prima, closed in August 2014 after nearly three years. In a refreshingly honest assessment, Prima's owners said that they closed because they just weren't busy enough.

Before Prima, the space housed the Thai restaurant The Elephant for 17 years).

The PokéSpot set for former Subway (sandwich shop) space on 4th Avenue

There's a taker for the corner space on 4th Avenue and 12th Street that previously housed the Subway (sandwich shop) until late January.

Otter signage has arrived for The PokéSpot.

Earlier this year, Gothamist noted that "New York City is in the midst of poke-sanity," with several newcomers ready to serve up the dish.

And just what is poke or poké (pronounced poh-kay)?

In the simplest terms, it's a raw fish salad, similar to a tartare or even ceviche, though poke is typically less acidic. Raw tuna, typically, is marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil then tossed with onions, jalapenos and wasabi, for example, though the combinations are myriad. Regardless of the protein source, another poke standout is the cubed shape of the meat, as the word comes from the Hawaiian for "to slice or cut."?

The signage includes a poke shot... though it really doesn't look so delicious in the morning sun...



Several other East Village restaurants serve up poke, such as Mother of Pearl on Avenue A and Noreetuh on First Avenue.

Looks like the end for TakeMeHome Rotisserie Chicken on Avenue A

The quick-serve restaurant at 151 Avenue A between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street kept irregular hours in recent months. It was closed for roughly two weeks, then open again for one night, and so on.

Now it appears TakeMeHome has served its last chicken. Legal documents arrived on the door last week... with a Rent Demand for the sum of $29,277.70 (the "arrears").



As we said in previous posts, people we talked with generally liked the food here — large portions for the price. But it never could sustain any business.

TakeMeHome opened in November 2014. The space was previously home to San Loco.

Please welcome the first floor of 500 E. 14th St.

Just last Monday we noted that the new 7-floor retail-residential complex at the corner of Avenue A and 14th Street was looking ready to rise...

And rise it has. Or risen. Look, a floor...





Still no above-ground sign of Extell Development's new building mate at 524 E. 14th St., where the foundation work is ongoing.

Anyway, in no time at all, No. 500 might just look like this conceptual rendering...



To this point, we haven't heard just yet if these homes will be rentals or condos.

New York Yimby did a little math on the building the other day... they noted that given the overall square footage, "the apartments above should average 1,215 square feet apiece, which suggests condominiums are in the works."

Previously

Week in Grieview

[Paper shredder at an E. 5th St. stoop sale yesterday via peter radley]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Second Avenue residents file $17 million lawsuit over deadly gas explosion (Wednesday)

Murder trial starts for high driver who crashed into East Village Farm and Grocery (Saturday)

Abraço looking to move into a larger space across 7th Street (Friday)

The Alamo returns to Astor Place on Wednesday (Sunday)

Wagamama coming to 55 3rd Ave.; M2M to depart? (Wednesday)

After 15 years, Artikal is closing on 12th Street (Tuesday)

Sweet Generation selling rainbow cupcakes for Equality Florida (Tuesday)

Workers clearing out the mysterious 84 2nd Ave. storefront (Tuesday)

Cuomo clears way for brunch drinking to start at 10 a.m. on Sundays (Wednesday, 35 comments)

Zadie's Oyster Room opens on East 12th Street (Thursday)

GG's introduces a Garden Dinner Kit with ingredients from its backyard garden (Thursday)

Today in Tompkins Square Pork (Monday)

The penthouse at 347 Bowery sells for $17 million (Monday)

14-story building planned for 827 Broadway (Wednesday)

Molly Ringwald's East 10th Street duplex is for sale (Monday)

Out and About Part 2 with Joe (Wednesday)

More bubble tea for East 14th Street (Monday)

CB3 wants alternatives about a larger 438 E. 14th St. (Friday)

Enjoy 'A Summer in Paris' next month in Tompkins Square Park (Thursday)

215 E. 12th St. is available for $16 million (Wednesday)

People's Pops not returning to the East Village (Thursday)

Melt Shop bringing grilled cheese sandwiches to 4th Avenue (Monday)

Cholo Noir wants to bring Mexican BBQ and art to East 6th Street (Friday)

After 2 months, J-Mar Special Touch barber shop closes on East 6th Street (Monday)

... and in Tompkins Square Park, Christo is keeping the kids in rats...


[Photo yesterday by Bobby Williams]

Tranquil June Sunday ruined by sight of Santa hats

Oh, the day wasn't ruined! Just a reminder that it's just six more months to SantaCon!

Photo on 7th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue by EVG Day Ruiner Correspondent Derek Berg