JoeDoe opening JoeDough on First Avenue

In November 2009, Habib's Place on Avenue A near Sixth Street closed rather suddenly... Then came the news that Habib relocated to the former Question Mark Cafe space at 135 First Avenue between St. Mark's and Ninth Street. And that venture seemed to close just as suddenly and quietly.



Anyway, Grub Street reports that the husband-and-wife team behind JoeDoe on East First Street are opening a gourmet sandwich shop at 135 First Avenue called — seriously — JoeDough. It will open sometime this fall, per Grub Street.

Personally, I wouldn't mind having another normal, nongourmet sandwich place like Sunny & Annie's on Avenue B at Sixth Street.

And does anyone know what happened to Habib?

Early verdict on tonight's CB3/SLA meeting

We've heard from several people attending tonight's CB3/SLA committee meeting... early word so far:

• Yankee Pizza Restaurant Inc, 181 Ave C aka 647 E 11th St (wb)

DENIED

• Jane's Sweet Buns (DeRossi Chelsea LLC), 102 St Marks Pl (wb)

APPROVED, but not before David McWater apparently called the other board members fascists for trying to block this one, according to an attendee. Looking forward to hearing more about this tomorrow on Eater, The Lo-Down, and others.

• Bobwhite Lunch and Supper Counter, 94 Ave C (wb)

APPROVED

This venture sounds interesting, from what we've heard... we'll have more on it later.

Gingersnap's Organic opening at former Mikey's Pet Shop on Seventh Street

Back in July, Dave on 7th told us that the former Mikey's Pet Shop on Seventh Street near Avenue A...



... would become an "organic, healthy food market."

Well, Dave on 7th sends along a shot of the sign that just went up on the front door...

Gingersnap's Organic featuring "handcrafted conscious cuisine."

And they have a website, though there's isn't much info yet.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Mikey's Pet Shop closing at the end of the month

Is the Fine Fare recycling center 'destroying' East Fourth Street?

Patrick Hedlund has the story today at DNAinfo ... Some fed-up neighbors are saying that the recycling center on the East Fourth Street side of the grocery store at Avenue C continues to cause problems. Such as: Noise. Drinking. Public urination. Fights.

Sounds like just another weekend night outside [insert pain-in-the-ass bar here].

Residents have been talking with the 9th Precinct and local elected officials this past year. Last Thursday, Hedlund reports that 15 residents met again with the 9th. Per the article:

“Essentially they live there,” said one block resident, who complained of having to pick up human feces “every day” and noted that some of the regulars hassle other people who often use the machines.

“This is a problem for us seven days a week.”

219 First Avenue ready for a chain store, probably

The northwest corner of First Avenue and 13th Street has been under renovation for the past four years... (we last looked at it here).


(Via Flickr)

Now, workers have made enough progress on the formerly four-floor building that the ground floor retail space is on the market.

According to the listing... you can see for yourself...(Plus, if shows what the renovated building with additional floors looks like...)

Check out that list of neighboring tenants — all chains. And "sidewalk seating is permitted"?

Anyway, the ground floor here once housed the Mee Noodle Shop, a favorite spot for Allen Ginsburg.

Previously.

Closing celebration at the BMW Guggenheim Lab last night

The BMW Guggenheim Lab ended its 10-week run last night with a closing party. And we were there to capture the last dance.



Technical difficulties, folks. Apologies!

Meanwhile, we'll have plenty more on these 10 weeks.... and what it all meant — if anything. Soon.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Guggenheim wants our rat-infested First Street lot

Residents pitching in to help refurbish First Street garden

Designs for urban life apparently don't include trees

Try my beer toast!: Calling for contributions to the free East Village Harvest Cookbook

From the EV Grieve inbox ...

Tompkins Square and St. Mark’s Church Greenmarkets are calling for recipes from around the East Village for our 2011 East Village Harvest Cookbook.

We’re looking for YOUR favorite recipe featuring fall farmers’ market ingredients, especially produce. Simple recipes are best – avoid exotic ingredients and Iron Chef-type cooking techniques. Eligible entries will join some Greenmarket fall favorites in our 2011 East Village Harvest Cookbook, which we’ll offer for free at the markets in time for Thanksgiving. (Don’t forget to include any info you’d like us to credit – including author’s name, organization or company name and contact info if applicable, and any note or story about the recipe.)

Email your recipe to:

Lela Chapman lchapman@greenmarket.grownyc.org or Greg Manley gmanley@greenmarket.grownyc.org

Or write it down at the Market Info table at Tompkins Square Sundays or St. Mark’s Church Tuesdays.

Recipes due by Sunday, Nov. 6.

Image via.

Bowery Coffee opens today

[Photo via @majman]

Several readers have noted that Bowery Coffee opens today at 87 E. Houston just west of the Bowery. (BoweryBoogie noted this last week.) Boogie reports that the decor can be described as "rustic Americana." While there are a few tables, it's more of a to-go place.

Anyway, if you try it, then please let us know what you think. Of the coffee.

BB has more on the owner here.

At the La MaMa 50 World Block Party

This afternoon on East Fourth Street... More details here ... Photos by Bobby Williams...

[Updated] 17 year old shot and killed on East 12th Street early this morning

There have been multiple reports of a fatal shooting last night on 12th Street and Avenue C. According to the Daily News this afternoon, someone shot 17-year-old Keith Salgado (pictured, right) about 1:50 a.m., police said. He later died from his wounds at Bellevue Hospital.

"His life was taken too soon," Salgado's cousin, Jahaira Rivera, told the Daily News. "We were hanging out last night and he decided to split for five minutes. In five minutes, he got shot."

The Lo-Down reported that Salgado's mother was the leader of an anti-violence youth group.

[Photo via the Daily News]

Avenue A Mini Market now without part of its front window

A reader notes that someone smashed part of the front window at the now-closed Avenue A Mini Market near 10th Street....

This aside, anyone else notice an increase in smashed car windows of late? Dave on 7th noticed several the other morning on Seventh Street...

Week in Grieview

Joe's Bar closed for good? (Monday)

Wi-Fi for Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday)

Bad news for the Holiday? (Thursday)

Village Scandal facing eviction (Tuesday)

Even an empty 34 Avenue A is pissing people off (Monday)

Heathers lives (Wednesday)

The Chocolate Library is checking out of St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

The falling window lintel on East 10th Street (Sunday)

The next dessert fad for St. Mark's Place (Monday)

A new hawk in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday)

[Updated] Occupy Saturday

John Penley and a handful of protestors spent the day in Tompkins Square Park yesterday... before moving to the corner of Seventh Street and Avenue A when the Park closed at midnight...

[Top photos by Bobby Williams]

We understand that more people may have joined the Tompkins Square Park group. According to a reader, "Around midnight or 1, I was woken up by a parade of Occupiers. I guess they were coming from Washington Square Park, and heading for Tompkins Square Park ... being followed by the cops. Maybe 50 of them?"

Most of the Occupy Wall Street protests took place yesterday in Times Square, where Gothamist reported that the NYPD arrested 42 people.

There were also protestors yesterday in Washington Square Park, where some from Times Square joined in for an after-party and meeting. Bobby Williams spent part of the day there, and sent along these photos...

Also yesterday, DNAinfo reports that the NYPD arrested 20 people at the Chase branch on Astor Place. Protestors were on the sidewalk telling people to close their Chase accounts. Per DNA: "We were sitting here and the police came with paddy wagons and people started to leave," said Maeve Dwyer, 18, a Bard College student. "But then, we said we were not going to leave."

[Updated: Another source at the scene said that they weren't any arrests made at this Chase branch.]

Back at Tompkins Square Park, we heard that someone superglued the locks to the Park last night.

Tompkins Square Park, 1:57 p.m., Oct. 15

[Photo by jdx]

Occupy Tompkins Square Park just getting started...

Reminders this weekend: Occupy Tompkins Square Park

[Photo by Paul DeRienzo via Facebook]

As you may have heard, there are are plans, spearheaded by John Penley, for a peaceful demonstration starting with a picnic in the Park at noon today... Via Facebook, I asked Penley last night if the rally was still a go. "Hell yes."

He left this comment on the previous Occupation thread:

"People will be at the park at noon. Some will be leaving for Times Square and some will not. It is my understanding that Judith Malina and the Living Theater will lead a march from Times Square to Union Square and then on to Tompkins Square. Anyone who can bring food to share, drums, musical instruments, art supplies anything else you can think of to make this a fun and noisy but peaceful occupation."

Meanwhile, did you notice that park officials put up new signs around the Park pointing out the curfew...?

[Dave on 7th]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Occupy Tompkins Square Park (119 comments)

A different type of demonstration at Tompkins Square Park yesterday

Yesterday afternoon, the Great New York City Bike Share Tour made a stop on Avenue A along Tompkins Square Park... The program starts next summer with 10,000 bikes at more than 600 locations...

.... and here are a few shots from the afternoon...

[Top four photos by Bobby Williams]

[Dave on 7th]

[Sara Louise Tucker]

Here is an FAQ about the program. Bloomy announced the program last month.

Is this a good idea?

Fill 'er up

T. Rex. "Life's a Gas." 1971.

Bologna bandit on the loose!

EV Grieve reader Jaime noted that someone — or something! — carefully placed a cold cut of unknown origins on this ad here on Avenue A at Third Street...

Witnesses spotted the meat tosser fleeing in this vehicle...

Police searching for armed robbery suspect who held up Gem Spa

On a more serious note, as DNAinfo reports, the NYPD is looking for the above suspect who has held up various stores in Murray Hill, the West Village... and on Oct. 6, he allegedly robbed Gem Spa on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place at 3 a.m.

Per DNAinfo, "The suspect, described as a heavy-set man between the ages of 25 - 40 years old, allegedly entered five businesses over the past two months armed with a gun, before demanding cash and fleeing on foot."

Late shift at the Meatball Factory

On Wednesday, we had a photo one of the awnings going up at the classy-sounding Meatball Factory on 14th Street and Second Avenue.

A reader, who happens to live in the same building, passed along another photo...

The reader notes that the Meatball crew has been working late. "Construction lasted until 2 AM [Wednesday] night/this morning! Not cool ... the construction noise has been getting later and later over the past few weeks."

As an aside, the resident notes that workers renovating the space painted 231 Second Ave. on the plywood. However, the address of the previous tenant — the Arthur Treachers-Nathan's-Pizza Hut combo! — was 251. E. 14th St. Which means various tenants of 231 Second Ave. have been getting mail for the Meatball Factory. No word yet on any secret meatball recipes.

Previously.

Meanwhile, enjoy Karl Fischer's 263 Bowery penthouse for just $15k per month

We've all been busy watching the hyper-luxurification of the Bowery in recent years. Karl Fischer's 263 Bowery is one of the higher profile projects ... just south of Houston... where workers demolished the onetime four-story building that housed the Restaurant Auction Outlet in the summer of 2008.

The million-dollar condos hit the market just about a year ago. Turns out that the three-bedroom penthouse remains on the market, going for $3.495 million now. But. In the meantime, the unit just hit the market as a rental — a tidy $15,950 per month, per Streeteasy.

Here's the listing at Douglas Elliman:

This beautifully appointed sundrenched 2177 sq ft 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom Penthouse duplex boasts picturesque city views with over 660 sq ft of 3 private outdoor spaces. Award winning architect Karl Fisher combined with Richardson Sadeki's minimalistic vision provides the perfect combination of form and functionality, from the flowing layout with unique concrete floors, to the sophisticated sleek finishes. Residents of 263 Bowery enjoy virtual doorman services, common roof deck, private storage unit and 421a Tax abatement. With its desirable location 263 Bowery has the very best of what downtown has to offer from the New Museum to the incredible new Sperone Westwater gallery & trendy Keith McNally's new restaurant Pulino's.

Seems like a nice perch to watch the ongoing slaughter!

Take a look yourself Sunday during the open house from 2-3 (p.m.)

Open Double Wide and...: Double Wide Bar & Southern Kitchen opening this weekend on East 12th Street

We don't know much about the new bar-restaurant opening at 505 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B (the former homes of Totem and Mundial). (We talked about the space in late August when some neighbors were upset by the late-night renovations here.)

We traded emails with one of the partners of the new venture. He invited us to stop by for a tour. (Never made it by for some reason...) The place is called Double Wide Bar & Southern Kitchen. And according to the Double Wide Facebook page, they're opening this weekend.

One detail: We asked the partner about the rumored "white trash" theme. "'White trash' may have come from descriptions of some of our menu items, like Frito Pie, Sloppy Joe Sliders, Chicken Fried Steak, etc (with four-star quality and ingredients)."

Stay tuned for more details...

[Updated] The Double Wide folks say that they'll be "partially" open this weekend...

Previously.

MTA eliminates that pesky Alphabet City in new subway map

[Via Second Ave. Sagas]

Meant to note this earlier in the week... when the Times ran a piece on the new MTA subway map... In a "decluttering" effort, the MTA streamlined the map to make it easier to read ... in the process, Avenues A, B, C and D (among many others in the city) are no longer represented.

Hmm, I don't know. I like things cluttered. Like stores. And maps. And streets. Why does everything in the city have to be so neat and orderly. Like you have to have a shiny Cemusa coffin instead of a ramshackle newsstand.

Anyway!

2nd Ave. Sagas has a lot more on the changes here.

Oh, and here's a look at the older map...

[via]

h/t Shawn Chittle

Caller No. 12, you're on the blog: More about Chinese takeout/delivery

Several people thanked us (for some reason!) for our Chinese delivery/takeout post from Friday... Well, thank you for everyone who left a comment — 41 in total, including the person who chastised us for ending our headline with a preposition. Woo. (Read the post here.)

EV Grieve reader LesMis asked if we could drill a little deeper... Sure. What the hell. We take requests.

Per LesMis: "I love good old fashioned New York Chinese food, just like I ate as a kid. Sure, I like the fusion, the exotic, the healthy, the Thai-masquerading-as-Chinese and even the Sushi joint-afterthought-for-people-who-don't-eat-sushi-but-got-outvoted-by-the-group varieties. But sometimes, I just get a hankering for the now unfashionable and often ridiculed basic dishes. Chop Suey, Chow Mein and Lo Mein rule."

So basically, he's looking for a low-brow menu with some standards and specifications:

• Folding cardboard containers.

• High standards of hygiene and food protection.

• High quality (fresh oil, vegetables and meat well-prepared classic style)

As a guide, two of his favorite places for this fare are Charlie Mom on Sixth Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street ... and Cottage on Irving Place and 16th Street. But a little closer to our neighborhood.

OK then. Uh, anyone?

Police say this woman is stealing purses from Katz's

The Daily News reports that police are looking for the woman in this video that they say has stolen three purses from Katz's since May. She is "stealing from customers as they're busy eating."



And only three? I could have stolen around 15 purses on my last visit... and maybe a backpack or two. People leaving stuff lying around unattended.

She also allegedly nabbed a purse from the Clinton Street Baking Company in June.

Anyway. You know what to do if you have information: Call 800-577-TIPS.

Did Starbucks borrow East Village juice bar ideas?

According to Page Six today — yes! Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz reportedly hired away the manager of Liquiteria on Second Avenue and 11th Street to train staff in Seattle for the chain's new juice-bar concept. Liquiteria owner Doug Green had this to say about Schultz "He befriended us, asked about our concept, then took her. It is a huge slap in the face."

Schultz had been spotted checking out Juice Press on First Street and Liquiteria back in March.