Monday, December 6, 2010

Miracles in real-estate listings: The two renovated apartments that look exactly alike

Last week, we pointed out the newly renovated apartments at 222 Avenue B were now on the market... Here's the listing...



And here's what the listing shows for the bathroom and living room...




This must be a popular interior look.... As an eagle-eyed reader notes, these very same photos are also used for a newly renovated Lower East Side apartment listed at CitiHabitats...



Either real estate agencies are using stock photos... or, perhaps, someone is using the wrong photos...

Anyway, not sure where those double-doors lead to at 222 Avenue B... just looks like one door to me...

Nuyorican Poets Café is expanding; plus, looking at the Big Doves mural next door

In its East Third Street report last Friday, The Wall Street Journal noted that Nuyorican Poets Café "is in the process of expanding its three upper floors with the help of a $500,000 grant received from the city. The money is going toward developing additional performance space, a classroom and a multimedia lab."



Meanwhile, in July 2009, I did a post about Ezo's Clash-inspired mural being painted over... granted, the mural was nicked up...still, as a Clash fan, I was sorry to see it go...




Anyway, been meaning to point out the new murals here. These arrived last summer... Excellent work from Big Doves...



Bowery Poetry Club opens a pop up shop for the holidays



The Bowery Poetry Club is now featuring a Pop Up Shop for artists and vendors through Dec. 24... Poet/artist Sam Jablon is coordinating ... He says the art exhibit part is almost filled. "We are looking for vendors to pay some rent, and sell their crafts/goods for the holiday season."

Interested vendors may contact Jablon at: samuel@samueljablon.com

Cooper Square Hotel ready for chilly reception



Winterizing at the Coop.

Meanwhile, as Jeremiah reported on Friday, there's rumor that the SoHo Grand Hotel team has bought the troubled Cooper Square Hotel.

More dessert for former Ben & Jerry's space?


Paper is up at the former Ben & Jerry's space on Third Avenue and NYU... which closed back in September, as Jeremiah reported. (Ben and Jerry's closed, not NYU.) There aren't any permits on file for this space... still, it appears some work has been going on here... Prime location.... Can't imagine that we're in for any surprises here... It has to be dessert related, don't you think?

No more Lil' Monsters on East 10th Street

Not sure exactly when Lil' Monsters, the pet care and animal rescue, shuttered at 279 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue...


They opened last year around this time... I actually had to remove the post for a time. I was getting bombarded with e-mails and comments from people in North Carolina. For some reason, they seemed to think I owned the space and was responsible for kidnapping their pets. Seriously.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

ConEd laying cable on Avenue B



Swung by 7B for a drink tonight... and Avenue B between Seventh Street and Sixth Street is closed right now... A ConEd worker said they were "replacing cable." I had a tough time finding a place to park my car because of this.*


*Kidding, Jesus! Kidding about driving, that is. I mean, ConEd is really working there.

This is the cat that allegedly attacked a New Jersey woman at McSorley's



Thanks to the reader who passed along this adorable YouTube link of Minnie at McSorley's... Previously.

3:57 p.m., Fourth Street, Dec. 5



Looking east to Avenue D.

Summer of Bedbugs moves into the Winter of Bedbugs



The other night on St. Mark's Place. By Samuel Mark.

Xoom holding a coat and cold weather clothing drive


From the EV Grieve inbox...

This coming week, Xoom, the smoothie shop on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, will be having a coat and cold weather clothing drive for the The Hetrick-Martin Institute. Hetrick provides free programs and services to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender young people in New York City. Please bring gently worn or new coats, sweaters, hats, scarves, etc. to Xoom Monday-Friday and they will deliver them to Hetrick.

If you have any questions, you can call the store 212-505-9666 or e-mail Jennifer the owner at jenn@xoomjuice.com.

Lawsuit blockbusters! Cat scratch fever at McSorley's


The Post has this catty exclusive today....

A New Jersey woman has kicked up a feline fury at the 156-year-old McSorley's Old Ale House, by filing a lawsuit claiming she was viciously attacked by the venerable bar's pet cat and had to be hospitalized.

Cheryl Sibley, 53, of Hasbrouck Heights, says she suffered the mini-mauling in October 2009, according to papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court last week.

The suit doesn't say exactly how the terrible tabby made a meal of Sibley.

But the woman claims the "live animal" attack left her with "serious injuries" that required medical care, the court papers state.


Gothamist has more photos of Minnie.

[Minnie photo via the Post]

Paging Yukon Cornelius



Outside the Bean on First Avenue and Third Street.

Dear Mercedes-Benz owner,



Please move your car.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

People who use the bike lane

No shit



Third Avenue near 10th Street.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

20,000 Leagues Under Avenue A

Frosty is lit up, so to speak



First Avenue near Fifth Street.

Stolen Cost art fetches $4,200 on eBay



As I reported, the Cost Showpaper box turned up missing on Second Avenue near Houston. Gothamist noted earlier this week that the item turned up on eBay.

The bidding ended today...looks like it fetched $4,200.



[Top photo via AWKWORD]

Newspapers continue discovering East Village streets

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal reported on East Third Street, noting that the area is becoming a nightlife destination, which doesn't always make some longtime locals happy.

Meanwhile, The Real Estate Section in the Times checks in with a piece on Seventh Street titled "Musty Old, Clever Young East Seventh Street."

This is a stretch of the East Village that has enchanted local publications for centuries. For instance, Time Out featured Seventh Street last February.

Anyway!



Unfortunately, I didn't make it past the fourth paragraph of the Times article ... with the scene described at Abraço...

"A lanky Italian with one leg of his corduroys tucked into an argyle sock leaned against a tall, skinny wooden table on the sidewalk, sipping from a demitasse and reading The Financial Times. Inside, a rumpled young man lingered in the open window, wearing homesickness for Brazil on his comely face. At his elbow, a middle-aged woman in matte red lipstick and a hand-knit snood was eyeing the cured olive cookies and chatting about the charms of her East Village neighborhood.

Behind the small counter, one of the proprietors, Jamie McCormick, worked his La Marzocco machine and called greetings to his regulars. “Where you been?” Mr. McCormick said to a reedy young man in a motorcycle jacket with a striped scarf tossed loosely around his neck. “You been on tour?”


Whoa! This is a dangerous level of adjectives. Let's toss a few of them into Wordle!



Oops. I don't think I put them back correctly.

"A hand-knit Italian with one leg of his corduroys tucked into a wooden sock leaned against a skinny argyle table on the sidewalk, sipping from a demitasse and reading olive cookies. Inside, a rumpled scarf lingered in the open window, wearing homesickness for Brazil on his middle-aged face. At his elbow, a comely woman in striped red lipstick and a lanky snood was eyeing the reedy Financial Times and chatting about the charms of her tall neighborhood.

Behind the young counter, one of the proprietors, Jamie McCormick, worked his La Marzocco machine and called greetings to his regulars. “Where you been?” Mr. McCormick said to a cured young man in a motorcycle jacket with a matte small man tossed loosely around his neck. “You been on tour?”

Makeup Mania shutters on Allen Street



EV Grieve reader Heather passes along word that Makeup Mania, a sliver of a storefront on Allen just south of Houston, has closed rather suddenly. As she notes, "I swear the place was full and a lady was getting a makeover not more than a few days ago."

9:04 a.m., Avenue A, Dec. 4



At the World Famous Pee Phone©.

Sato is missing



Flyer spotted on 13th Street near Avenue A.

Just another photo of a man walking around with a cat perched on his head



This amazing — but true! — photo taken on Broadway near Waverly comes courtesy of James Maher. (Reprinted with permission from James Maher Photographer.)

He's at the 10... the 20...the 30... the bushes... the fence... Touchdown!




Unfortunately, the play was called back for holding. Tompkins Square Park yesterday afternoon.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Giant computer truck on Avenue A

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Bobby Williams for these shots earlier this afternoon on Avenue A near Seventh Street...





..teaching today's youth how to use large van-sized computers to watch online porn... or not...

Stay free



The Clash, Capitol Theater - Passaic, New Jersey - March 1980.

Holiday Fair at the Neighborhood School (plus, pix of cute kids!)

From the EV Grieve inbox...



The Neighborhood School’s Holiday Fair:
A FUN FAIR FOR A GREAT CAUSE!

The Neighborhood School’s beloved Holiday Fair is back! On Sunday, December 5, from 11 am to 5 pm, come out to support a local public school and have a blast. There’ll be carnival games, arts & crafts, face-painting, print-making, henna and temporary tattooing, a huge kid-built maze (made of deconstructed cardboard boxes — the Avenue A equivalent of a corn maze), a raffle and great food from neighborhood vendors including Ciao for Now, Solo Pizza and Mudspot.

And of course there’s the silent auction. A mere sampling of items up for bids this year: Gift certificates to terrific local shops, salons, spas, yoga studios and gyms; passes to the Landmark Sunshine; museum memberships; theater subscriptions; Knicks tickets; Doyle & Doyle jewelry; family portraits by professional artists and photographers; meals at fave neighborhood spots like Mama’s Food Shop, Esperanto, Il Buco, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, Café Mogador, Caracas Arepa Bar, Balthazar and many more! Bid online or in person. Neighborhood School dad and EV institution Richard “Handsome Dick” Manitoba and writer Zoe Hansen will host a live auction at 3pm. Bidding closes at 4pm.

Admission to the fair is free and open to the public. Wondering what a progressive public school in the East Village is like? Come check us out! This is a great (and cheap) way to have fun indoors with your kids on a chilly winter’s day; you can have a nosh and shop for some great items while your kids run around playing and art-making with their friends. Proceeds from the fair support the Neighborhood School PTA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization that pays for the school’s art and music education, field trips, classroom supplies, special programs and teacher support. The Neighborhood School is at 121 East 3rd Street between First Avenue and Avenue A


And a school parent passed along photos of some of the students... most of them were taken by the kids, some in an afterschool photography class (taught by a parent, since there is no more funding for afterschool programs) and some in school as part of the curriculum.






Dorian Gray opening, hiring




Here at the former Cannonau (previously Assenzio) space on East Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... new eatery-tavern combo coming soon. CB3 approved this transfer in September.

Some place that the Wall Street Journal should discover



And I wish that today's Wall Street Journal piece on the new hotbed of action on East Third Street and Avenue C included a mention of the 5C Cultural Center and Cafe ... they do some great programs here... and they really need support... Here's their upcoming schedule. Maybe the Journal could also dig into the nasty landlord dispute here.

The Elephant is closing, and selling off its wares today




As you can see, the Elephant, the troubled Thai eatery on East First Street, has closed. You can read its history here, including an interview with the manager.

We don't really know either




Weather balloon crashed into the new Edi & the Wolf, the Austrian Wine Tavern!, here on Avenue C near Seventh Street?

Newspaper discovers East Third Street



The Wall Street Journal
checks in today with a piece titled "New Crowd Descends on East Third Street."

Let's jump into it!:

A once-seedy slice of the East Village is turning into a new night-life Mecca, drawing crowds of late-night revelers to increasingly trendy nooks.

The stretch along East Third Street between Avenues A and D has long appealed to culinary and night-life entrepreneurs. Now, the area is teeming with newly opened bars and restaurants, more of which are venturing farther east toward the grittier Avenue D.


Surely there are repercussions from this new-found popularity?

"The rents have gone way, way up, so that the people who made this community vibrant in the first place can't afford to live here," said Susan Stetzer, district manager of Community Board 3, who lives on East Third Street.


Still, it's good that Nuyorican Poets Café is doing well. But there's always a but.

Despite those signs of success, some ponder the impact of the changing demographics on the neighborhood.

"It's a weird vibe when people come here for events who have no context of the economics or politics of the Lower East Side—they just come for events." said Steve Cannon, a poet, playwright, novelist and retired professor at City University of New York, who founded A Gathering of Tribes in 1990.


Next week... East Fourth Street!

[Image via The Wall Street Journal]