Night falls on Karl Fischer's incoming unit on East 3rd St.

We've been keeping tabs on 316-318 E. Third St., the future home of a Karl Fischer-designed, 33-unit apartment building between Avenue C and Avenue D ... However, we haven't been by recently ... and were surprised to see it cut such a full figure at night ... especially looking at it from East Houston... (Wasn't this just a pit the other day? Seems like it.)



It will look like this one day...


[Brody/Amirian]

Meanwhile, in unrelated matters, neighbors on this same block have reported an uptick in drug sales and use... there's an emergency meeting tonight at PS 14 to address the issues.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another parcel of East Village land ready for development

Landmarks Preservation Commission rejects hearing for 316 E. Third St., paving way for 7-floor condo

Emergency meeting called to discuss 'the blatant drug activity' on E. 3rd St.

Army & Navy Bags reportedly spared from crippling rent hike

Some possible good news for fans of Army & Navy Bags, the 40-year-old shop at 177 E. Houston St. between Orchard and Allen.

DNAinfo's Serena Solomon reported yesterday that the shop will likely be able to remain open after its landlord Serge Hoyda agreed to a lower rent increase than he had initially offered.

Last month, Hoyda said he would nearly triple the $3,800-per-month rent for the 300-square-foot space, as BoweryBoogie first reported.

The new leases isn't a done deal. The landlord is still drawing up the papers. There was also a demand to "improve the front of the store to look more like other tenants along the block, including the pricey new restaurant Preserve 24, Russ & Daughters and American Apparel," Solomon wrote at DNA.

[Image via Yelp]

East Houston storefronts start to get CVS'd

Oh, just noting that work has picked up over at that blando building on East Houston between Mott and Mulberry...



Soho Billiards closed here back in the fall... and the Subway and dry cleaners cleared out in August. All this to make room for a CVS, as BoweryBoogie first reported.

Could have been worse. Could have been a [_________].

Previously on EV Grieve:
Retail space that included Soho Billiards is up for grabs on East Houston Street

Tonight in photos of a mannequin that someone discarded on E. 5th St.

[Via Twitter]

Yes! Slum Goddess spotted this right now on East Fifth Street near First Avenue. Hurry!

Seeking 'Shelter' in Tompkins Square Park

[Bobby Williams]

Films crews were set up today in Tompkins Square Park for "Shelter," which marks the directorial debut of actor Paul Bettany ... he is directing his wife, Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly, in a drama called "Shelter." According to published reports, the plot is "a closely guarded secret," though he did tell The Telegraph earlier that the film is a "love story set among the homeless living on the streets of Manhattan."

They filmed on Astor Place on Saturday...



The Daily Mail has more photos and stuff here.

As for the filming in the Park, we didn't get any paparazzi shots... though Bobby Williams did find Jennifer Connelly's stand-in...

Noted

A scene today in Tompkins Square Park via EVG contributor Derek Berg ... a resident humanely caught a rat in her apartment... and released it into the wilds of Tompkins Square Park...

Tourists taken for a $500 pedicab from Times Square to (hoo boy!) Coyote Ugly

And, well, the three tourists from Michigan are pretty pissed about it.

The Post has the story today. It happened back on June 14 when the three women (first time here – welcome!) traveled the 2.9 miles from Times Square to First Avenue's home of boobs, denim shorts and beer. And shots.

And when they arrived?

The driver initially demanded $163.60. Jennifer’s friend, Mary Simons, 40, was stunned by the fee, but said she would pay and then fight it when she got back home.

After Simons paid, Halladay said the driver snapped that it was that much per person, not for the three of them.
“We couldn’t believe it,” Halladay said. “We were standing with our mouths hanging open.”

Good for a $500.80 tab! (Good thing the beers are cheap at CU!)

Long story, but the women paid the tab and figured to fight it later. If I read the piece correctly (possibly not), then two of the three women received a refund from their banks ... and they tracked down the pedicab driver (Ibraiym Denizov) ... and filed a complaint with the city Department of Consumer Affairs.

And what's the lesson here?

[Pic via]

Report: David McWater is resigning from Community Board 3

[David McWater, seated left, during last week's CB3/SLA meeting. Photo by BoweryBoogie]

Longtime CB3 member David McWater will resign during tonight's full board meeting, according to an article published at The Villager this morning.

Per the article:

“I’ve done more than any community board member in the history of New York City,” McWater told The Villager. “Nobody in the last 20 years did anything like the Lower East Side rezoning and SPURA. The community owes me a debt — nobody’s ever done what we’ve done. Nobody — nobody ever did anything like SPURA and the rezoning.

“The proudest moments in my life were the Lower East Side rezoning and SPURA,” he said. “With the Lower East Side rezoning we stopped N.Y.U. in their tracks at Third Ave.; except for a few areas, you can’t go over eight stories. We stopped the dorms, we stopped the hotels. It’s the greatest bulwark against gentrification the Lower East Side could ever have — and I believe, in my heart, we saved the homes of hundreds and possibly thousands of people, protecting them from being harassed out of their homes by landlords and developers to build buildings.”

McWater said that he'll likely make his remarks to the Board and community tonight "between the public session and the period where politicians and their representatives give their reports."

The resignation comes one week after an ugly confrontation between McWater and neighborhood group the LES Dwellers during the CB3/SLA committee meeting on Sept. 16.

You can read the entire Villager piece here.

East Village neighbors come together for Giuseppi Logan

[Photo from Sept. 7]

Word circulated on Saturday morning that Tompkins Square Park regular Giuseppi Logan had been jumped earlier in the day on East Ninth Street. The soft-spoken musician didn't offer many more details. (Apparently nothing had been taken from him since he didn't really have anything.)

Upon hearing this, many residents via Facebook came together and took up a collection for the 78-year-old Logan during the annual 9th Street A-1 Block Association Block Party.

On Sunday morning, an East Ninth Street resident presented Logan with the money that people had collected.

"Giuseppi was quite grateful and said repeatedly 'God bless you, God bless you all, this really helps me,'" said the resident who delivered the money.

Also on Saturday, resident Patrick Salt Ryan gave Logan a tenor saxophone (someone had left it in bar Ryan worked in some years earlier). Logan was quite pleased with the gift...


[Via Facebook]

Emergency meeting called to discuss 'the blatant drug activity' on E. 3rd St.

Perhaps a sign of the bad old days, or whatever you want to call them, on East Third Street between Avenue C and Avenue D... the flyers tell of an emergency meeting tomorrow night at PS 15 to address "the proliferation/spread of drugs on our block."

The conversation will center on topics ranging from drug sales to drug use...

One of these years someone may finally do something about 'the Grand Canyon of E. 4th St.'

Meant to mention this earlier... NY1 had this report last Wednesday ... about a big-ass crack in the sidewalk on East Fourth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C (on the north side, a little closer to C)...



Residents say that they've been tripping over "the Grand Canyon of East Fourth Street" for years.

"I think it's terrible," said one resident. "Anybody could fall break their leg or something. It's terrible. That needs to be addressed."

Calls to 311 have yielded zero results.

Per NY1:

According to the city's Department of Transportation, it's the property owner's responsibility to fix the sidewalk. It turns out that the sidewalk sits in front of a city housing authority building. After NY1 told that to DOT, inspectors went out to take a look at what needs to be fixed. DOT said it'll start the process to make that happen.

Place your bets on when something may finally happen. Dibs on 2018!

Watch Jimmy McMillan 'Debate' in the East Village

Yesterday, Animal NY debuted the latest video extravaganza from Rent Is Too Damn High Party candidate Jimmy McMillan. (He's still in the race!)

The 7-plus-minute opus (Curbed said that the video is "too damn long") was shot in the neighborhood... and you might see some familiar faces... Animal notes that Christalle Fellix, McMillan's daughter, who serves as the Rent Is Too Damn High party president, plays a featured role ...

Animal NY has more here with McMillan on the mayoral race.

Meanwhile, watch the video here...

Extra Place and Heidi currently 'closed for renovation' in Extra Place

Things have been a little quiet over in Extra Place, the pedestrian walkway off East First Street... in part, two of the restaurants here, Extra Place and Heidi, have been closed... a sign on the door points to a renovation...



Extra Place at No. 8, a namesake restaurant with 50 seats serving Mediterranean fare, and Heidi at No. 6, a smaller Swiss eatery with 20 seats, opened from the same owners in July 2012.



We reached out to restaurant reps to see when they might reopen. (Yelp already lists that Extra Place is restaurants closed. No mention of the renovations on the restaurants' website or social media.)

In July, CB3 dropped the hammer on the restaurants, denying renewal of its beer and wine license. Here's CB3's official CB3ease:

BE IT RESOLVED that Community Board #3 moves to deny the renewal of the beer wine license for Extra Place America LLC, 8 Extra Place, between Second Avenue and Bowery, because
1) the applicant has violated its stipulation that it will not serve alcohol outside of its establishment,
2) the applicant has usurped a public pedestrian plaza for its private use in violation of New York City Department of Transportation restrictions by setting up an illegal sidewalk café in said public plaza, and
3) the applicant has used its license illegally by serving beer and wine to its patrons outside of its establishment and allowing its patrons to consume beer and wine outside which they had purchased within its business.

The SLA currently lists two liquor licenses for the address... one is active; the other is not.



Previously on EV Grieve:
With new restaurant opening, will Extra Place finally become a dining destination?

Extra Place now officially a Dead End

Meanwhile, Extra Place continues to maintain its proud heritage

Fall shadows

East 11th Street.

After 5 years, time to repair fire hydrant outside the Miracle Garden on East 3rd Street

[Via Facebook]

There has been a long-standng problem at The Miracle Garden on East Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...

Basically, every year, volunteers obtain a permit to use the hydrant on the street to water the garden... unfortunately, the hydrant has a crack in it... and just as much water ends up on the sidewalk and street as it does in the garden...



Despite five years of calls to the city, FDNY, local elected officials, etc., etc. ... the hydrant remains cracked... and wasting so much water in the process...

This new video, released Friday, sums up the situation in 80 seconds...

Please help us fix the hydrant (1 min. & 20 sec.) from Artola Digital on Vimeo.

[Updated] Asbestos concern at the Neighborhood School

We've heard from some parents over at The Neighborhood School/PS 63 on East Third Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...

As we understand it, officials from the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) announced last week that they will begin removing asbestos from the building this fall ahead of a 2- to 3-year school renovation... the removal will occur after school hours starting at 4, which will disrupt a fair number of programs

From an email from a parent that is in circulation:

[Last] week my fellow parents and I were alarmed to find out that the scaffolding surrounding our school is there to take out asbestos and remove lead paint. I was even more upset to discover that no work was done over the summer and that the contractor wants to start now when school is session. We cannot allow this to happen!!! Asbestos and lead that are airborne due to construction pose serious health threats.

There's a meeting this morning with school officials to begin to address these issues (available parents are encouraged to show support outside the school, per the above flyer) ... there will be also be a Neighborhood School community meeting on Thursday morning at 8:40 with SCA reps.

The parents hope to postpone the work until next summer ...

Updated 9 a.m.
Serena Solomon has more details on this story over at DNAinfo.

Cornell Edwards Way

[Saturday morning]

On Saturday morning, the office of City Councilmember Rosie Mendez led a co-naming ceremony on East 13th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

It is now also known as Cornell Edwards Way.



This is in honor of Edwards, who opened The Flower Stall at 143 E. 13th St. in 1967. He passed in April 2011.

It Was Her New York wrote about Edwards and his role on the block for so many years.

"Cornell wasn't just a neighbor to the people on his block. Cornell was a neighbor to his neighborhood."

It Was Her New York shared three stories about Edwards in October 2011. You may find those here ... here ... and here.

Reader rumor report: 504-508 E. 11th St. has been sold

A tipster shares this report... which we're posting verbatim...

As if 11th Street wasn't under enough stress with that plastic scourge from the 'burbs, 7-11, on the verge of puking up its burnt weenies and Slurpees all over the corner of 11th and A. Now it seems that the nearby building of 504-508 E 11th Street has been recently sold to a real estate investment cabal with big plans to cash in on the current East Village real estate feeding frenzy.

And there's certainly copious amounts blood in the neighborhood waters these days. Word has it that the new dollar sign eyed owners intend to clear the 28 unit building of its tenants asap, "renovate", and then jack up the rents to the grotesque amounts commanded by landlords utilizing the rapidly fading vapors of EV hipness to entice the legions of eager neighborhood newbies waving fistfuls of dollars. Boy howdy, what could cooler than having a brand spanking new 7-11 right on your corner!

To date, nothing in the NYC property records indicates that the building has recently changed hands. But, given the frenzy described above, it's certainly not surprising to learn that a deal is in the works ...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Your guide to construction hell on East 11th Street

The Halal Guys are now open on East 14th Street and 2nd Avenue

A recap from Saturday... This past Friday, the fellows with the popular food cart on 53rd and 6th opened an outpost on the northeast corner of East 14th Street and Second Avenue... they are open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

We are excited to share that we will be opening a new cart in the East Village on Friday. Look for us the NE corner of 14th St. and 2nd Ave

— THE HALAL GUYS (@HalalGuys) September 19, 2013

At the 1st annual Nuyorican Poets Cafe Block Party

Yesterday, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe commemorated 40 years of presenting poetry, music, theater and other events to the neighborhood... EVG contributor Stacie Joy was there on East Third Street to capture some of the event...

First sunset of fall

Photo via Bobby Williams

Zoltar feels the cold shoulder of the Key Master

See?

Outside Gem Spa on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

Photo by Hugh Burckhardt, who does an excellent job of documenting the neighborhood from his blog More Than Usual.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Gem Spa stunner: Zoltar now has Key Master competition; doomsday predicted

Week in Grieview

[At the first Nuyorican Poets Cafe Block Party yesterday, photo by Stacie Joy]

Illegal penthouse disappears on East 6th Street (Thursday)

The Joe Strummer mural returns (Friday)

Astor Place ready for its reconstruction (Wednesday)

Peephole season at this community garden (Friday)

David McWater vs. residents at CB3/SLA meeting (Tuesday)

An improvement at 14th and First (Monday)

A mural for LES Jewels in Venice Beach, Calif. (Thursday)

Out and About with Christopher Tanner (Wednesday)

St. Mark's Bookshop looking for help (Tuesday)

The big plans for SPURA (Thursday)

When Tompkins Square Park had a Milk House (Monday)

The story of the old glass at the new Standard East Village lobby (Tuesday)

7-Eleven AC update (Thursday)

East Village murals of the early 1990s (Tuesday)

Stand-up comedy in an East Village apartment (Friday)

Fake fed robs real couple (Wednesday)

Citi Bike docking station posts are always fun (Thursday)

That early-morning sky

Photo by Nick Solares.

The NFL took my baby away

Eh. You can do much better than that headline.

The Halal Guys are now in the East Village

We now have a cart open today in the East Village. It is found on the NE corner of 14th St. and 2nd Ave. It will be open from 11am to 11pm.

— THE HALAL GUYS (@HalalGuys) September 20, 2013

The fellows with the popular food cart on 53rd and 6th have opened an outpost hereabouts... per the above tweet... they announced this back in June.

Reader report: Jazz legend Giuseppi Logan jumped on East 9th Street

EVG reader Bayou talked with a bloodied Giuseppi Logan in Tompkins Square Park... The 78-year-old Logan, a familiar sight in the Park with his saxophone, said that he had been attacked earlier in the morning on East Ninth Street ... He said the assailant(s?) didn't take anything — because he didn't have anything... Bayou brought him bandages and a little something to eat... The soft-spoken Logan didn't provide any other details.

-----

For further reading in the Times from April 2012:
Giuseppi Logan’s Second Chance