RIP Charlie Romonofsky

[Photo by Sally Davies]

Charlie Romonofsky, a longtime East Village dog walker who was always seen with his chihuahua Sweet Pea, died in his East Fifth Street apartment last Friday. He was 57.

Romonofsky was born and raised in public housing in Coney Island. For the past 20 years he had lived on East Fifth Street where he ran his business, Mr. Charlie's Pet Services.

"He was a huge man who possessed the most gentle soul on the planet. Everybody knew him. Everybody loved him," said one of his clients, Diego Aguirre, who shares a dog with Jamey Poole, a longtime East Village resident and neighbor.

"Charlie's voice would be ringing in the morning air every day outside my window and he would go riding around on his bike with the tiny Sweet Pea tucked into his shirt," said his neighbor and friend Karen Platt. "The contrast between Charlie and Sweet Pea was something to behold, and when asked about why his tiny dog seemed so fearless and confident, he would always reply, 'Well, she's Sweet Pea, Queen of the Block.'"

Said his close friend Sally Davies, "Charlie was an eccentric. An original East Villager, a stand-up guy and a man of his word."

His friends created a memorial outside his apartment building between Avenue A and Avenue B.


[Photo by Sally Davies]

The memorial reads in part: "Happy trails to a Mighty Man, with a Mighty heart. We will miss you Charlie."



The memorial grew throughout the day yesterday... as did the tributes from those who knew him...



Said another friend: "Charlie was such a a larger-than-life character. Gregarious, sweet, helpful, funny, gentle but tough — infinitely likable. He was really one of a kind."

There's no word just yet about a memorial service.

Updated 12:45 p.m.

I don't know why the post disappeared earlier for about an hour. I found a version of the post in my drafts in the Blogger template. This version is missing the last photo and comment from a neighbor. I'll try to redo that.

Bruno Pizza, opening very soon on East 13th Street

Bruno Pizza is inching closer to opening at 204 E. 13th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.



We checked in with Demian Repucci, the restaurant designer-consultant who is launching his very own place with Bruno. He and his team held Bruno's first friends-and-family "super-secret, trial-and-error pizza party" on Saturday night. While the evening went very well, he says they still need to do some tweaking on their dough recipe and pizza-making process.

In any event, Repucci says that they will start serving pizzas this coming week.

Aside from pizza, the menu includes various pastas and salads... eventually the space will serve a tasting menu from his executive chefs Justin Slojkowski and Dave Gulino. (You can read more about all this over at Grub Street. Eater has more details here.)

Bruno was also OK'd for a liquor license, but there's still some paperwork pending. So no alcohol at the outset.

Meanwhile, Repucci has been posting photos of the menu items on his Instagram account …

Pizza test eleventy @brunopizzanyc

A photo posted by @demianrepucci on Jul 15, 2015 at 12:57pm PDT

There is a Bruno website with more information, though it doesn't appear fully functioning just yet.

Openings: Turntable Retro Bar & Restaurant on Avenue B

[Photo Saturday via @salim]

The sibling of the Flushing-based Mad For Chicken operation opened this past weekend at 58 Avenue B at East Fourth Street.

There's also a Turntable location on Fifth Avenue in Koreatown. Their description: "Korean eatery & bar serving fried chicken, soju & cocktails in a hip setting with jazz-themed decor."

As the signs outside the Avenue B restaurant show, everything is apparently 50 percent off during their grand opening over the next two weeks.

The previous tenant at this address, Vella Market, lasted just six months here, closing in October 2013.

The 16-year-old vegetarian restaurant Kate's Joint closed here in April 2012.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Turntable Retro Bar & Restaurant ready to play on 4th and B

S'MAC turns 9, and celebrating with a $1 deal

Via the EVG inbox…

Happy Birthday! That's right, S'MAC is nine years old!

In celebration of our 9th birthday, on Tuesday July 21st we will be offering the All-American Nosh for $1.00 (Regular, Gluten-Free or Vegan).

Available at both the East Village and Murray Hill locations.

Limit one All-American nosh per person.

Valid for takeout only, not for deliveries.

Find more details here.

S'MAC is located at 345 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Dunkin' Donuts moving into the Jefferson's retail space

[Back in April]

Back in April, we noted that the Dunkin' Donuts at 218 E. 14th St. near Third Avenue was for lease.

And we promptly forgot about it… since then several readers noted that the DD will be moving west a few storefronts to 208 E. 14th St., part of the Jefferson's retail space...



Anyway, just a short move for the DDers …



As always, if this helps… pointing out the move for you…



A CityMD opened up in the main retail space at the Jefferson, the newish still 82-unit residential building in the North West East Village.

Meanwhile, next to the 7-Eleven on Avenue A

It's an EV Wacky Package.

Photo via cartknocker

A rush hour moment

A little earlier this evening on East Ninth Street just past First Avenue... via EVG reader Sam Teichman...

A woman walked by with a bag full of ends and crumbs from various breads and baked goods, dumps it right in the M8 bus stop ... and the hordes descended.



Thankfully, the driver of the bus that pulled up 90 seconds later had enough sense to give them some room.

Sounds better today than hot chocolate

Spotted in the window at Moishe's Bake Shop on Second Avenue today.

Photo by Elizabeth Janovsky‎

Sidewalk bridge work continues at 190 Bowery

Workers continue to erect the heavy duty sidewalk bridge at 190 Bowery, where developer Aby Rosen is converting the former single-family home into office space and maybe some high-end condos.

BoweryBoogie first spotted the scaffolding going up late last week, and not much progress has been made since then, it appears.

So what's going to happen outside here at Spring Street? As Curbed reported, the plans approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission back in May call for keeping the graffiti on the exterior. Plus! "The exterior will have entrances restored to their original 1898 state, and all of the windows will be replaced."

And as for the interior of the Germania Bank Building, a company made up of agencies representing creative professionals had previously reported signing on for some of the office space.

Rosen bought the landmarked building from photographer Jay Maisel for a reported $55 million last year. And no — it's not for sale again.

Groundbreaking today on East 13th Street for the Bea Arthur Residence for homeless LGBT youth

Nearly two years have passed since news broke that the long-vacant building at 222 E. 13th St. near Third Avenue would become the Bea Arthur Residence for homeless LGBT youth.

Today, though, as Out Magazine first reported, the center breaks ground for the facility that will accommodate 18 residents.

Arthur, who died in April 2009, left $300,000 to the Ali Forney Center, an organization supporting homeless LGBT youth, in her will. In 2012, City Council as well as then-Borough President Scott Stringer awarded the Ali Forney Center and the Cooper Square Committee $3.3 million for the residence.

The property had been owned by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Executive Director Carl Siciliano of the Ali Forney Center will be in attendance at the ground breaking with several elected officials. In a press release, Siciliano said: "It meant the world to me that a star of the magnitude of Bea Arthur would do so much to help the Ali Forney Center in our work of housing homeless LGBT youths. I am very grateful that we will now be able to honor Bea and continue to keep her compassion alive through the establishment of the Bea Arthur Residence for Homeless LGBT Youth."

And here's a rendering from July 2012 of what the property will look like when it opens later next year...



Previously on EV Grieve:
A haunted house on 13th Street?

Abandoned 13th Street building becoming the Bea Arthur Residence for homeless LGBT youth

Here's what the Bea Arthur Residence will look like on East 13th Street

Good Night Sonny ready to say hello on 1st Avenue

[Photo via Facebook]

Over on First Avenue at St. Mark's Place, the owners of Good Night Sonny have been opening the bar-restaurant, like on Saturday night, to work out the kinks.

As previously reported, the proprietors of The Wayland on Avenue C and East Ninth Street took over the space after Simone closed last November.

Wayland partner Robert Ceraso shared more about the name of the new venture with us in April:

"It’s named after my maternal grandfather. Our family owned a bar on the corner of Mulberry and Hester for 40 years or so. He sold it in the 1960s. Even though he hadn’t been a bartender in 50 years, my grandfather still always kept our late hours. The name is my grandmother saying good night to him when she would go up to bed. We wanted to honor our elders as well as all the woman in our lives who put up with our crazy lifestyle and schedule."

Ahead of the official grand opening, Good Night Sonny is offering a limited menu, featuring oysters and clams from their raw bar. You can find more photos and details on the Good Night Sonny Facebook page.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Shaping up the former Simone

Paperwork filed to renovate Peter Brant's gallery space on East 6th Street

Just noting that reps for Peter Brant have filed the application to renovate 421 E. Sixth St.

Per the DOB, in their glorious ALL-CAP style:

ALTERATION TYPE 1 FILING TO CHANGE USE ON FLOORS 1-3 TO GALLERY AND SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING ON THE 4TH FLOOR. WORK TO INCLUDE PARTITIONS CEILINGS AND FINISHES AS PER PLANS FILED HEREWITH.

Estimated cost of the renovations per the DOB paperwork: $4.8 million.

As previously reported, the building between Avenue A and First Avenue is intended to be a gallery space to display Brant's personal art collection. The intention is to have approximately two shows per year, with the first one scheduled for Fall 2016.

Brant has met with neighbors to discuss his intentions for the building… the plans look like this.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rumor: The Brant Foundation buying Walter De Maria's E. 6th St. studio for an exhibition space (19 comments)

Confirmed: Peter M. Brant buys Walter De Maria's amazing East 6th Street home and studio

1st permits filed for renovation of Walter De Maria's former home-studio on East 6th Street

More about the 1st show at Walter De Maria's former home-studio on East 6th Street

Here's what Peter Brant wants to do with his new exhibition space on East 6th Street

When the world's top collectors of Dom Pérignon rosé came to the East Village for dinner

Reader report: 421 E. 6th St. will house Peter M. Brant's personal art collection

Peter Brant's East 6th Street Outreach Tour 2015 continues

Peter Brant meets the neighbors

Lucy's will return Aug. 14

Lucy is on her usual summer break here on Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street… back open on Aug. 14…



Meanwhile, a random Lucy's photo from the EVG archives…



As I recall, this photo is from early on a Saturday night last November. Someone asked Lucy to turn on a specific college football game. She found a Yankees Classic on YES and asked if this was OK.

NYPD rescues dog locked in car on Avenue B

Last night around 10:15, with the heat index hovering around 100 degrees, passersby noticed a pit bull locked inside a vehicle on Avenue B near East Eighth Street.

Someone called the police, who arrived and freed the dog from the car… the police took the dog away in a cruiser. No word on the whereabouts of the pit bull's owner.

Thanks to EVG reader Chris Ryan for the photo and report

Updated 10:25 a.m.

There's also a video clip...

Week in Grieview

[The hand shadower with apparently no shadow on the Bowery by Derek Berg]

Welcome back Ray! (Friday)

A memo from the NYC Department of Pedestrian Etiquette (Monday)

Details on the financial assistance available to businesses affected by the Second Avenue explosion (Thursday)

Ben Shaoul curtails rooftop ragers at Bloom 62 (Tuesday, 63 comments)

CVS is the first retail tenant for the Death Star/51 Astor Place (Monday)

Cops: This cyclist has nabbed 2 phones from pedestrians (Monday)

The NYC films of BAM's Indie 80s series (Thursday)

Russian Souvenirs closes on East 14th Street (Thursday)

Out and About with Maurice Whitaker and Laura K. Reich (Wednesday)

Looking at all the new construction along Avenue A (Wednesday)

A look at the backlogged work orders and violations of local New York City Public Housing properties (Wednesday)

Here then, the new Moishe's Bake Shop sign (Monday)

Out with Euzkadi on East Fourth Street (Monday)

Contrada appears to have closed (Wednesday)

What happens to the neighborhood once the planet gets warmer (Wednesday)

10 stories of condos in the works for the long-vacant corner of 4th Avenue and East 10th Street (Tuesday)

La Lucha space for rent on Avenue A (Monday)

Looking at One Great Jones Alley, "a private paradise" (Monday)

Archie meets the Ramones! (Tuesday)

Signage arrives for interesting new business on East 14th Street (Monday)

Joli Beauty Bar coming to East First Street (Monday)

A look at three recent business openings (Thursday)

And this week in Tompkins Square Park:

• Observer editors write, "it's time to take back Tompkins Square Park" (Wednesday)

• Extra police and media foot patrols in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday)

• Mayor de Blasio visits (Thursday)

• After recent complaints, city vows to crack down on stuffed lions in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday)

[Updated] Report of a fire at 410 E. 6th St.

The FDNY is out in full force in response to a fire at 610 E. Sixth St. at First Avenue in the Village View complex… the fire is reportedly in a 6th-floor apartment...

MAN ALL HANDS 410 EAST 6TH ST, FIRE ON 6TH FL,

— FDNY (@FDNY) July 19, 2015

… and via a reader…



Updated 1:51 p.m.

MAN ALL HANDS 410 EAST 6TH ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE ON 6TH FL, UNDER CONTROL

— FDNY (@FDNY) July 19, 2015

Updated 2:08 p.m.

We are unaware of any reports of injuries. @GregJKrieg was on the scene and posted photos of firefighters caring for a female pit bull from the building. (Not sure if the dog was in the apartment with the fire.) The dog was limp (but breathing) when firefighters removed her from the building…





After giving her water and oxygen … and applying ice packs…

She's licking at firefighters now and moving around a bunch. pic.twitter.com/s24Ojtgzb6

— Greg Krieg (@GregJKrieg) July 19, 2015

The new islands of 3rd Avenue

Been meaning to note this… you've likely noticed this if you've crossed Third Avenue or Cooper Square anywhere from East Ninth Street to East Fourth Street of late… workers have been installing pedestrian crosswalk islands as part of the ongoing Astor Place Reconstruction Project…





According to the city, the entire reconstruction/reconfiguration project is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2016.

Looks like we're in for another week of New York Post reporters in Tompkins Square Park

Not sure exactly what happened here in the ballfield in the Park's northwest corner… aside from a recent fire, that is…



Maybe some lovelorn Mumford & Sons fans?

In any event, we found the fridge someone left in another part of the Park last week.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Post reports Tompkins Square Park 'has become a homeless haven' (105 comments)

Miscelanea NY now open on East 4th Street with coffee and tortas to go

Miscelanea NY opened Thursday at 63 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery…

They describe themselves as a "Mexican speciality food and concept store" … and they have coffee and homemade aguas frescos (and Mexican Coca-Cola) as well as some food (tortas, salads) to go …


[Photo yesterday by Derek Berg]

The shop is open Tuesday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. They serve coffee all day; food until 4 p.m.

Noted

Spotted along Avenue A between East 11th Street and East 12th Street…



Not even a Kushner property…

[Updated] An urban garden grows atop Umbrella House on Avenue C

Via the EVG inbox…

Today from 4 to 7 pm the former Lower East Side squat Umbrella House will host an open house to inaugurate its urban farming project. At 5 pm members of Umbrella’s Rooftop Garden Committee will speak briefly about the development of the project.

EVENT RAINDATE: Sunday July 19; 4 — 7 pm.

This 820 square foot intensive green roof serves as a source of fresh produce for building residents, as a means to assist in storm water management, and as a model for other New York

The garden was initially conceived in early 2012 and construction was completed in December 2014. Now in its first growing season, the garden is producing swiss chard, broccoli, white onions, eggplant, okra, spinach, zucchini, basil, sugar snap peas, jalapeno peppers, lamb’s quarters, and several varieties of tomatoes; as well as medicinal plants: hyssop, lemon balm, chamomile, calendula, and passion flower.

Umbrella’s Rooftop Garden involved extensive construction: structural steel framing and concrete planking were required to build the raised 8” planting bed. Construction cost was $150,000. Area architect Paul Castrucci was the project architect.

Umbrella House members believe that this project is a worthy example for other co-ops and property owners to emulate.

Umbrella House Garden Committee and Co-op Board Member Parker Pracjek states: “Access to healthy food through Farmer’s Markets, Green Food Carts, and Farm to Table initiatives have made some improvements to food health literacy in New York City, but more must be done. Food justice should be expanded to urban farming to transform underused spaces into productive environments. The benefits of urban farming are far-reaching and include decreased carbon footprint, responsible use of natural and human resources and community health.”

[Image via the Umbrella House website]

Umbrella House is at 21 Avenue C between East Second Street and East Third Street.

Read more about the garden here. The New York Times has a feature on the garden here.

Updated 9:26 a.m.

Due to showers and thunderstorms forecast for this afternoon, the Umbrella House Garden Open House has been rescheduled for tomorrow 4-7 p.m.

Ping ponging in Tompkins Square Park this evening

Photo by Grant Shaffer

Call of the 'Wild'

After playing the 4Knots Festival last Saturday on Pier 84, New Jersey's Screaming Females hit the road for the remainder of the summer... Here's "Wild" from 2011.

Fundraiser at the 6th and B Garden tomorrow

Via the EVG inbox...

EV Grieve Etc.: Looking at deregulated apartments; Going Beyond Cassavetes

[Photo outside Gem Spa by Derek Berg]

More than 50,000 NYC apartments have been deregulated in the last eight years, with heavy losses in the East Village and Lower East Side (Gothamist)

The Bowery Mission receives donation of 300 new luxury mattresses (DNAinfo)

Housing advocates stage sleep-in to push for more affordable accommodation (Daily News)

About the #crashnotaccident campaign (Gizmodo)

Happy 10th anniversary to Alex! (Flaming Pablum)

Scaffolding and a sidewalk bridge arrive at 190 Bowery (BoweryBoogie)

This weekend: "Beyond Cassavetes: Lost Legends of the New York Film World (1945-70)" (Anthology Film Archives)

2nd Floor on Clinton closing on July 29 (The Lo-Down)

Fire Escape Season (Gog in NYC)

So long to one of the city's last vintage, stand-alone diners (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

The Papaya King story (Eater)

Boston subbing for NYC in "Ghostbusters" reboot (Runnin' Scared)

Commercial flashback: Phil Rizzuto pitches The Money Store (Ephemeral New York)

... and The New York Times has a feature on East Village resident and astronomy buff Felton Davis, who has been kind enough to share his stargazing photos from Second Avenue (and elsewhere) with us through the years...



Find the article, titled Strangers on the Street Find a Connection in the Stars, here.

Welcome back Ray!

[Photo yesterday by Peter Brownscombe]

Back on June 16, Ray Alvarez, the 82-year-old proprietor of Ray's Candy Store at 113 Avenue A, had heart valve replacement surgery.

Doctors discharged him on Wednesday evening from VillageCare Rehabilitation on West Houston Street with his new pacemaker.


[Photo Wednesday via Facebook]

Here's an update via the Ray's Candy Store Facebook page ... from Wednesday night:

Ray was released from his rehab facility today! His first stop, NATURALLY, was Ray's Candy Store, to get some oatmeal...and to try and help fix the air conditioner. A month after heart valve replacement surgery. Because, Ray.

The doctors and nurses FELL IN LOVE WITH RAY and were sad to see him go, but he's got a business to run and a neighborhood that needs him back where he belongs.

It may be a while before Ray is working the night shift again, but having him home means the world to us.

Yesterday, Ray was at work during the afternoon… taking it easy, but the same ol' Ray…


[PB]


[PB]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Get well soon, Ray!

Remembering East Village resident Mary Bellis

Via the EVG inbox...

Longtime East Village resident Mary Bellis aka CalmX was a filmmaker, artist and writer.

She received an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and funding from the National Film Board of Canada to create her experimental works. Her 1984 independent film "Agent of Paradise" shot in the New York underground art scene starred numerous downtown performance artists, including John Kelly, The Unknown Comic, Philly McAninch as well as James Oseland star of Bravo TV’s "Top Chef Masters." "Agent of Paradise" premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and screened in art house theaters worldwide.

Mary worked as an independent video game developer, animator and journalist while continuing to make and exhibit her computer-generated art. She was the originator and author of the Inventors site for the web portal about.com.

Mary loved tending her garden at 6th Street and Avenue B and dancing at the Pyramid Club. Mary was a beautiful person and dear friend and will be greatly missed by all of those she touched.

Please join us in a celebration of life for our friend at the 6th Street and Ave B Community Garden on Sunday from 4-8 p.m.

Bellis died on March 28 following a short illness.