5 developments to watch (and worry about!) this summer

As you probably know, today is the first day of summer... and a good time to look ahead at five East Village developments that we're keeping tabs on...

1) 9-11 Second Avenue.
This parcel that includes the Mars Bar will be demolished sometime in August to make way for a 12-story high-rise.

[Curbed]

2) 51 Astor Place

Prep work for the demolition of the former Cooper Union engineering building starts on July 1. Expect to see an un-neighborhoody-looking black glass-black granite office building here in 17 months or so.

3) 347 Bowery

Back in January, Eastern Consolidated announced that Paris-based Louzon Group bought 347-349 Bowery. The group has plans to construct a 72-room boutique hotel at the site with a restaurant "operated by one of the most famous Parisian brands."

Meanwhile, Louzon officials haven't announced any kind of timeline for the new hotel. We expect to find demolition permits at the DOB one of these days for the Salvation Army's East Village Residence, which closed here at East Third Street in August 2008.

4) 35 Cooper Square

This one is a mystery. The people at the Arun Bhatia Development Corporation, who specialize in dorms and luxury condos, haven't made public their plans for the parcel of land on Cooper Square at Sixth Street. But they were seemingly in a hurry to demolish the historic 35 Cooper Square.

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

5) 500 E. 14th St.

We've been talking about this space where Stuyvesant Grocery and Pete's-A-Place were lost to a fire. There's only speculation now about the future of this corner. The only activity at the DOB is for the new boardwalk-quality sidewalk shed.

[EVG reader Tom]

Plus:

— 75 First Avenue. A modified (and shorter) version of this rendering is expected here at Fifth Street.

— The BMW Guggenheim Lab on East First Street/Houston

What's next for the the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall?

We were curious how much longer Kenny Scharf's mural would stay up on the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall. Scharf started his mural back in late November.

Now we know... thanks to this handy-dandy news release ...

Tony Goldman is pleased to announce the Inside Out Group Action: "Lakota, Dakota Nation" at the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall.

This is the sixth project at this historic wall after the Kenny Scharf spray paint mural; it will be presented on June 23, 2011. The Inside Out Group Action: "Lakota, North Dakota" will highlight the Standing Rock and Pineridge Native Reservations — some of the most important Native American reservations whose impoverished and forgotten communities have suffered unspeakable hardships. The Lakota, Dakota Nation group action is to show that the people in this community are still struggling to hold onto their native way of life.

Community leaders work with their people to teach their traditions, history, and ceremonies - knowledge which is critical to their collective survival. The Inside Out Project "Lakota, Dakota Nation" is intended to shine a light on this rich culture, for which they are fighting daily.

Inside Out is a large-scale participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Everyone is challenged to use black and white photographic portraits to discover, reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world.

The INSIDE OUT project is a creation of the artist JR, recipient of the 2011 TED Prize.

How will people view this project? Someone bombed the Scharf mural three times.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Latest addition to Kenny Scharf's mural: Security cameras

And on the seventh day ...

Would you pay $150 for Momofuku Ko reservations?

We spotted this item last evening at Eater.

Someone is looking to command $150 on Craigslist just for the pleasure to get into Momofuku Ko this Saturday night. The rest is up to you!

Scenes from today's march in the East Village against rent hikes

Earlier this afternoon, dozens of residents joined Council Members Dan Garodnick and Rosie Mendez for a March and Rally for Fair Rents ... The group met at the northeast corner of 14th Street and First Avenue ... and then marched to The Great Hall at Cooper Union.

EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams documented the march...

The Rent Guidelines Board's final vote happens next Monday at the Cooper Union's Great Hall.

For more on the story... DNAinfo ... The Local East Village ...

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

Last evening along Crusty Row (Neither More Nor Less)

R. Crumb's role on the latest release from Eden & John’s East River String Band (The Villager)

At the Folsom Street East fair under the High Line (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

At the Mars bar art show yesterday (Marty After Dark)

And more on what's next at 9-11 Second Avenue (New York Post)

A Q-and-A with Philip Glass (Sonic Scoop)

Events for the new 33 1/3 volumes on the Rolling Stones’ Some Girls and Television’s Marquee Moon (Patell and Waterman’s History of New York)

Why Broome Street smells (New York)

East Village nightlife in 1985 (Ephemeral New York)

And several readers have passed along these found cat flyers from Second and Third Avenue around 12th Street...

[Photo via @elizabethsuman]

Last art show at the Mars Bar?

Our friend Melanie Neichin at East Village Corner shared what is likely the last mural for the monthly art shows at the Mars Bar... The mural for yesterday's show is by Terry Galmitz, a lifelong resident of the East Village...

Here's his sketch of the Mars Bar that was featured at the SB D Gallery last fall ...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Terry Galmitz's East Village

And how was your weekend?

Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue from Friday night. Courtesy of our new friends at Someone in NYC Hates You. And the caption at Someone for this photo: "if you lived here, you’d be home by now!"

Boardwalk empire on 14th Street

We don't have any new news about 14th Street and Avenue A, where a fire destroyed the stores on the southeast corner in May 2010...

However, EV Grieve reader Tom has been keeping tabs on the space, and he got an aerial view of the sidewalk shed... that looks pretty hardcore...

Only new DOB permits point to an installation of a sidewalk shed...

[Updated] A look inside the Bowery Diner

We've been following the news of the forthcoming Bowery Diner at BoweryBoogie and The Lo-Down... You can go there for all the details.

In any event, this steakhouse-diner hybrid in the groundfloor of the Sunshine Hotel is expected to open this summer, according to the plywood message. Late Friday afternoon, we took a look inside the new restaurant from Motorino's Mathieu Palombino ...

And yes — they received a full liquor license from CB3.

Updated: Folks from the Bowery Diner told us that it's now a diner without the steakhouse elements reported on earlier...

Who thought THIS was a good idea?

A guard cat for the birds... Bobby Williams took these photos outside Furry Land Pet Supplies on Avenue A near 12th Street yesterday...

Report: Avenue C deli owner busted for possession and sale of narcotics

[Photo by Dave on 7th]

On Friday, we noted that the NYPD had shuttered the deli on the corner of Fourth Street and Avenue C... The Local East Village followed up on the story later on Friday, reporting that the NYPD arrested and charged the shop's owner with possession and sale of narcotics. Undercover officers reportedly bought narcotics from the store on five occasions. The owner is expected to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court today, according to the Local East Village.

Giant white Timber Wolf spotted on Houston and the Bowery

Luckily, it seems as if Billy Leroy was able to tame the beast..

Watch those feet!

At the Tompkins Square Park dog run earlier today. Photo by Bobby Williams.

2 rent rallies

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Two things to consider doing tomorrow

1. Get on the bus to Albany on Monday

Tenants and our allies in the State Senate and Assembly are hoping to get a deal done on stronger rent laws Sunday or Monday. Buses are going up to Albany on Monday and if you want to let Republican state senators who are holding up stronger rent laws know what you think, here's your chance to get on the bus.

FREE buses to Albany leave Monday morning from Manhattan (95th & B¹way) and Brooklyn (Dekalb & Flatbush). Call 347-541- 3339 to reserve your seat. More buses to be announced!

Sponsored by the Real Rent Reform Campaign.

OR...

2. Join Council Members Dan Garodnick and Rosie Mendez tomorrow for a March and Rally for Fair Rents

When:
June 20 at 4pm.

Where:
Meet on the Northeast corner of E. 14th St. and 1st Ave.; march to The Great Hall at Cooper Union, 7 East 7th St. at 3rd Ave.

Why:
MARCH, RALLY, AND GIVE TESTIMONY at the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) public hearing. The RGB proposed renewal lease guidelines for rent stabilized apartments to increase rents between 3 - 5.75% for a 1 year lease, 6 to 9% for 2 years, and add a 1% surcharge for buildings with oil heat. That is way out of line with inflation and wages.

Co-Sponsors:
NYS Senators Tom Duane, Liz Krueger and Daniel Squadron; NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and Members Deborah Glick, and Brian Kavanagh; Community Boards 3 and 6; The Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association, Tenants and Neighbors, CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities, the Cooper Square Committee, Good Old Lower East Side, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing, and University Settlement

Shopping woes on the Lower East Side

Crain's checks in today with an article titled Lower East Side's fashion faux pax ... here are a few excerpts of the piece by Adrianne Pasquarelli:

Initially expected to be the next SoHo or West Village, the Lower East Side is getting an F as a shopping destination. Since February ... several other apparel shops, including trendy In God We Trust, have given up on the Lower East Side. Others, such as accessories purveyor Bag and fashion boutique Convent, have announced their imminent closures. Businesses complain that landlords, anticipating completed developments, have been jacking up rents, though several construction projects are still stalled with recession-related woes.

And!

The influx of nightlife has only driven up rents, making the area even less appealing for emerging boutiques. In the past 18 months, asking prices in the neighborhood have jumped, increasing 20% following recession-related drops. Now, asking rents on prime streets range from $100 to $150 a square foot, while secondary areas are closer to $65 a square foot, according to brokers.

And!

“If I was a landlord, I'd want to fill the block with cool local stores so the foot traffic is cool—we don't need another NoLIta or SoHo,” said Julie Noyce, In God We Trust's general manager. “The Lower East Side has always been for artists and rock 'n' rollers — if you get rid of that local flavor, then it's just Steve Madden and a bunch of bars.”

Taggers hit Cooper Square Hotel fence; spare Pimm's Cup sign

A worker was out this morning cleaning off the freshly tagged popsicle fence at the Cooper Square Hotel.

However, the Pimm's Cup sign was spared.


Previously.

A bird bath in Tompkins Square Park

EV Grieve resident ornithologist Bobby Williams captures a robin in the wilds of Tompkins Square Park yesterday...

A 'tragic theft'

Several readers pointed out these stolen bike flyers that appeared starting late last week... we spotted this one on Second Avenue near Third Street...

Today at the Tompkins Square Park pop-up piano

EV Grieve Senior Pop-Up Piano Correspondent Bobby Williams was on the scene...

And, he reported, this couple danced to "New York, New York" ...

And what Lower East Side bar did the NYPD close last night?

Welcome to the Johnson's. According to reports, the 7th Precinct cited them for allegedly serving minors.

This is the latest bar the 7th Precinct has shuttered. BoweryBoogie and The Lo-Down have full reports on this latest closure.

[Photo via BoweryBoogie]

Ivories on pop-up piano in Tompkins Square Park ready for tickling

Today, the nonprofit organization Sing for Hope officially unveils the piano in Tompkins Square Park, one of 88 that you can find around the city...

This morning, Allen Semanco photographed Jordan Bailey tuning up the piano...

Meanwhile, Bobby Williams noted it last night as it sits near the ping-pong table.

So! What will be the first song that someone plays? This is my guess. Sounds pretty good on a piano...



Uh, anyway. A few other facts. The artist Nicolina did the art for this piano, dubbed "Piano of Magical Merriment."

And go here for the official list of activities at this piano.

Houston and Chrystie, 10:11 am., June 18

Previously.

Another tree comes down at the Tompkins Square Park dog run

As we pointed out on Monday, workers removed a tree after a storm knocked out a branch near the Tompkins Square Park dog run...

Allen Semanco sends us this photo, noting that workers had to remove another tree after Thursday night's storm took out a branch...

And the DEP catch of the day is...

Second Avenue at 10th Street.

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair!

Setting up this morning... traffic is cut off at Sixth Street... how far north does this goes, I have no idea...