Photos tonight by EVG contributor Stacie Joy...
Saturday, October 31, 2015
The Alamo returns to Astor Place this Halloween
[Photo by Vinny & O]
Back apparently for a one-night-only appearance this Halloween... workers removed the Cube last Nov. 25 for (apparent) safekeeping during the never-ending reconstruction of Astor Place.
[Photo by 8E]
... and the Cube moves...
Astor Place cube. Best costume ever! https://t.co/vZloQa8f75 by federico #phhhoto pic.twitter.com/sm5pPtKyQL
— Federico Ulfo (@feulf) October 31, 2015
Report of a fire at 426 E. 14th St. last night
The report came after midnight from the address between Avenue A and First Avenue...
MAN ALL HANDS 426 E 14 ST, MIXED OCCUPANCY FIRE ON 1ST FLR,
— FDNY (@FDNY) October 31, 2015
Per EVG reader LULU, who took these photos and video:
Smokey hallways and smell of burning plastic prompted call to fire department. Upon arrival became clear the cleaners was source. FDNY swiftly contained. But building still smells like burning plastic. This was an apparent electrical fire that was caught just in time.
A chance to toss your pumpkins tomorrow, but go ahead and enjoy today
There's a Pumpkins Smash tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the community garden on East 11th Street — entrance west of 420 E. 11th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.
Per the signage:
Bring Pumpkins, Jack-o-Lanterns, and Gourds for a Smashing Good Time! You smash them — and NYC Compost Project will turn them into compost for City parks and green spaces. Join us for refreshments, raffles, and more!
Seems a little early to have a pumpkin smash — the day after Halloween? It would be like holding the MulchFest on Dec. 26. But we understand if you want to get this Halloween crap out of your apartment to start getting the place ready for Easter.
H/T Steven
Halloween reminders
If you're wearing a mask and want to enter the 7-Eleven on Avenue A and East 11th Street, then you will need to remove it before heading into the store, per the sign.
If you absolutely MUST keep the mask on while shopping at 7-Eleven, then head to the locations on East 14th Street near Second Avenue or the Bowery near East Third Street. Neither of those stores have the mask-off mandate.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Searching for Answers
Savages have announced a 2016 tour that will bring them to the Irving Plaza on March 28 (and the Warsaw on March 29). Tickets for those shows went on sale today.
Meantime, the London quartet has a new record out in January via Matador ... from "Adore Life," here's "The Answer."
EV Grieve Etc.: Community garden flood plans; Fall fundraiser celebration at Bluestockings
[Photo on East 4th Street by Derek Berg]
Fall fundraiser celebration at Bluestockings tonight (Facebook ... BoweryBoogie)
Inside the $5.3 billion Stuy Town deal (The Real Deal)
Flood plan funding for East Village/LES community gardens (DNAinfo)
Some opposition at the CB3 meeting over the proposed new bar the Drift on Avenue C. CB3's SLA committee ultimately gave the OK with some stipulations. (Gothamist)
Details on a fire yesterday in a Stuy Town building at 271 Avenue C (DNAinfo)
The latest Christo and Dora activity, and concern about poison in Tompkins Square Park (Gog in NYC)
The band Public Access TV carries on after losing everything in the Second Avenue explosion (HuffPost)
Documentary about Chinatown Fair Arcade Premieres at IFC Center next month (BoweryBoogie)
Orchard Street's Top Hops opening a stall at the Essex Street Market (The Lo-Down)
East Village-based band Mephiskapheles headlining the 4th Annual Devil's Night tonight at Mercury Lounge (Mephiskapheles website, Mercury Lounge)
[Wednesday in the rain via Grant Shaffer]
Walter Schreifels on the latest video from the Dead Heavens (Dangerous Minds)
The Mathieu Amalric retrospective continues (Anthology Film Archives)
Details of a murder that gripped the city in 1897 (Ephemeral New York)
RIP Market Diner (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)
... and on Sunday afternoon, Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir, fresh off a West Coast stint opening for Neil Young, begins an 8-week holiday residency at Joe's Pub... tickets on Nov. 1 and Nov. 8 are $12; $15 after that. Details here.
[Updated] St. Mark's Place will officially be dead — or not! — on Monday
Ada Calhoun's "St. Marks Is Dead: The Many Lives of America's Hippest Street" makes its official debut on Monday… and there's a free book release party at the Cooper Union Great Hall from 6-8 that night…
The evening includes a talk from Calhoun, free beer from Brooklyn Brewery and live music from a cover band that includes Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys…
The book — a narrative history of the street — has received a good deal of press of late, including a cover story in The Village Voice and a feature in the Guardian UK.
I spoke with Calhoun, who was born and raised on St. Mark's Place, about the in-progress book in March 2013. (EVG is among the many people quoted in the book.)
Here's an excerpt from that interview from March 2013:
Any common themes emerging so far?
"The thing that I kept running into [were] people saying that there was this golden moment on the street when St Mark's was really itself and reached its full promise on this date and for these five years there was no better place in the entire world. It was the heart of culture — the center for music, art and poetry," she said. "People would describe passionately how it was so vibrant and they were so alive, then it died this horrible death."
For instance, Jack Kerouac biographer Joyce Johnson said that St. Mark's was all over in 1974 when someone flipped a cigarette into her son's stroller.
Another person Calhoun interviewed said that the scene died in 1974. Someone else said that all started in 1974. She also heard that the block reached its peak in 1978. Not to mention 1980. And so on.
"I'm really curious what's going on now. Basically my theory right now, based on doing this book, is that everyone was wrong. Everyone who thought it was dead was wrong," she said. "So people who think it's dead now are probably wrong too. My theory is that people coming out of karaoke bars or yogurt shops ... this is going to be some new wave of culture that we don't know about and won't even know about until it's over."
Updated 11/3
You can find a recap of the book event at the Observer here ... and the Guardian UK here.
Previously on EV Grieve:
St. Mark's Place is dead! Long live St. Mark's Place!
About the first Pierogi Tasting Day in the East Village
Via the EVG inbox…
The East Village Meat Market is joining forces with Veselka on Oct. 31 to host the first-ever Pierogi Tasting Day.
Time: 9 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Location: East Village Meat Market, 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street.
• We will be serving pierogies from Veselka, Rosa-Ly Pierogi, Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen and Hunter Cultural Center
• We will be giving out free pierogies ranging from the usual potato-cheese to pumpkin and short ribs.
• All pierogies will also be available for sale
[Updated] A few Halloween-related things to do this weekend
There's a "Ghostbusters"-themed party for kids Saturday from 5-7 p.m. at La Plaza Cultural on Avenue C and East Ninth Street (look for the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man inflatable...)
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The Little Missionary's Day Nursery is having a party at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue at East 10th Street from noon to 4 p.m.
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Exit9 at 51 Avenue A between East Fourth Street and East Third Street is again hosting a live surgery in the front window by Dr. Frankenchef and his nurse, Ghoulia Childs, from 7 to 9 p.m. ... which will prepare you for the self checkout at Key Food. (Check out Stacie Joy's photos from last year.)
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The School For The Dogs is hosting a Dog Trick-&-Treat Parade... meeting at 2:30 on the northwest corner of Avenue A and Second Street... (Find more details here.)
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There is a Halloween costume party from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at An.mé, 328 E. Ninth St. between FIrst Avenue and Second Avenue… it is also the one-year anniversary for the children's specialty shop…
Via the EVG inbox…
Anyone who comes in can enter their name to win one of 5 raffle prizes…. we will be giving away $10, $20, $30, $40, $50 store gift cards. Winners will be announced following week & notified by email.
Anyone who joins our mailing list that day will receive a 10% off coupon by email to use on their next purchase.
Goody bags for the kids will be given out
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... and on Sunday...
Via the EVG inbox...
Join us for a special Post Halloween performance by THE UNDEAD ! After leaving horrorpunk band The Misfits, Bobby Steele formed the Undead in 1980. They soon became one of the first hardcore punk bands based on the Lower East Side and are still going today! They are releasing a new album "The Morgue the Merrier" next month! Set time: 4 p.m.
Also, for the first time, Seth Tobocman will be showing a slideshow of his radical commix in Tompkins Square Park. The slideshow of political artwork will be projected just after sunset and will be accompanied with live music by Eric Blitz, Zef Noise and Andy Laties.
Find more details on the show here.
Le Petit Parisien opening soon on East 7th Street
Le Petit Parisien is a new French (duh) sandwich shop coming to East Seventh Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square … don't know to much about them at this point. (Oh, they are hiring. The ads says that you must be able to work in the next few days.)
The space was previously home to Pilar Jewelry Repair, which closed in the spring when proprietor Pilar La Rosa's husband Walter passed away.
Photo yesterday by Derek Berg
Wooing the condo crowd with naked women motif on Avenue A
Ben Shaoul's 100 Avenue A has now entered the next phase — sales!
The broker bunting arrived on the sidewalk bridge yesterday here between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street … advertising the teaser site with contact info for broker Ryan Serhant, star of "Million Dollar Listing New York," and his team.
And how would you choose to sell these 33 (or 44!) condominium residences?
With naked women!
The design — naked women lying at rest with 100 Avenue A written all over her body — recalls the title sequences that Maurice Binder created for the first 14 James Bond films…
An homage? Or just some butt shots?
Anyway, we know who the target audience is now for these residences, which as reported, will range in price from $1.3 million to $2.3 million.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Trying to figure out what is going on at 98-100 Avenue A
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Newsflash: It doesn't take long to demolish a gas station
The workers made pretty quick, uh, work today of the former BP (and Gulf!) station at 24 Second Ave. at East First Street…
We're going back later to nab some of those cinder blocks to build a kiln … and maybe rummage around for any leftover bagels (I recall them having a toaster…)
In case you missed this from yesterday, we got the first look at the new 10-story retail-residential complex that will call this corner home.
Continuing to jazz up the Charlie Parker Residence on Avenue B
The restoration work continues at 151 Avenue B between East Ninth Street and East 10th … not sure exactly what the workers are doing (no work permits are online that we could find).
Perhaps they are sprucing up the landmarked, circa-1849 building where jazz great Charlie Parker lived from 1950-1954. As we first reported on Oct. 2, No. 151 is for sale. Asking price: $9.25 million.
Although the listing notes that the buyer could turn the Gothic Revival-style townhouse (now with four residences) into a single-family home, No. 151 is triple-landmarked by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, the State Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places. So the new owner would have a few hoops to jump through to make any major renovations.
Updated 5:44 p.m.
Dave on 7th notes that the workers were doing a little stucco patching here…
Previously on EV Grieve:
The historic Charlie Parker Residence is for sale on Avenue B
The Post discovers Alphabet City again
Having cleaned up Tompkins Square Park, the Post now turns its attention to the new luxury developments in the neighborhood.
The real-estate section today has a cover feature titled "Record-setting real estate gentrifies once-gritty Alphabet City."
Let's get to the best parts!
In talking about East Second Street between Avenue C and Avenue D:
Sure, this gritty East Village enclave saw its fair share of shenanigans related to drug use and violent crime not terribly long ago, and perhaps that’s one reason why new housing construction here has remained relatively dormant — until now.
Violent crime = shenanigans!
And!
Yes, at last, Alphabet City is getting a healthy dose of nice housing, and experts agree the activity there comes hand-in-hand with downtown’s development boom. But it also marks developers’ discovery of the area’s cheaper land and convertible buildings. Combined with buyers’ strong demand for downtown living, this previously overlooked zone is filling up quickly with more upscale new options. (They’re a far cry from the rundown artists’ shacks immortalized in the ’90s hit musical “Rent.”)
At last!
And!
Beyond the friendly atmosphere and better prices, sources say Alphabet City’s creative spirit — thanks to a long-standing community of artists — is another lure for house hunters.
And!
“What’s nice about the East Village is that it’s finally becoming residentially amenable to everybody,” says Nest Seekers’ Ryan Serhant — who’s gearing up to launch sales at Magnum Real Estate Group’s 33-unit 100 Ave. A. Meanwhile, Magnum’s president, Ben Shaoul, says the area’s “very cool modern bohemian lifestyle vibe” is a winning factor for buyers.
Can we please have some video of Ben Shaoul actually saying the words "very cool modern bohemian lifestyle vibe" about the East Village?
Previously on EV Grieve:
The Post reports Tompkins Square Park 'has become a homeless haven' (105 comments)
543 1/2 E. 6th St. is for sale
[EVG photo]
The corner buildings on Avenue B and East Sixth Street — aka home of Sunny & Annie's — is warmly being marketed as an "East Village Performing Investment."
Let's check out the listing, which arrived last week, via Halstead:
543.5 East 6th Street consists of two contiguous and inter-connected buildings at the corner of Avenue B and East 6th Street. The buildings comprise five residential apartments and two ground floor commercial units, all free market and all currently leased. The free market residential units are on annual leases and the commercial leases expire on 2020 and 2016.
Additionally, there are approximately 800 square feet of available air rights. Luxury triplex unit with deck and private roof, currently rented at $9,000.00/ month, would make an excellent owner occupied unit. Triplex and one bedroom units could be upgraded to increase rent roll. Roof replaced 1 year ago. New HVAC units in triplex. Triplex decks replaced one year ago. Great opportunity to own a performing asset, or as a live in opportunity with income.
The price: $8.95 million.
Here's a look at that triplex above Sunny & Annie's...
Interestingly enough, we wrote about these buildings six years ago to the date.
[In case you don't believe me]
At the time, the asking price was $4.8 million. (According to public record, the building last changed hands for $4.2 million in 2006 to a revocable trust.)
Meanwhile, Sunny & Annie's and the Woodhouse Spa (that name!) are the two retail tenants. It's not clear from the listing whose lease expires in 2016 ... and which one is up in 2020, per the listing.
Triplex images via Halstead
Noted
Perhaps it's time to start thinking about the annual gathering of drunken revelers in costumes.
No, not Halloween...
Multiple EVG readers have passed along photos of the "We love SantaCon!" poster on the front door of the Continental, Third Avenue at St. Mark's Place...
Per the sign, first noted here, the Continental will open at 11 a.m. on the day of SantaCon.
So far, there hasn't been any official announcement about a date or location for the annual gathering of [______________].
But the organizers have already started priming the pump, or whatever…
No, not Halloween...
Multiple EVG readers have passed along photos of the "We love SantaCon!" poster on the front door of the Continental, Third Avenue at St. Mark's Place...
Per the sign, first noted here, the Continental will open at 11 a.m. on the day of SantaCon.
So far, there hasn't been any official announcement about a date or location for the annual gathering of [______________].
But the organizers have already started priming the pump, or whatever…
About 'a coordinated visit' to buildings owned by Brookhill Properties on East 5th Street
[EVG file photo of 233-235 E. 5th St.]
Despite assurances to the contrary, some residents who live in the 16 buildings that Raphael Toledano's Brookhill Properties recently purchased are apprehensive about their future rental situations… especially with the news that has been coming out of 444 E. 13th St. in recent months, where rent-stablized tenants claim that they were allegedly threatened and harassed to leave their homes after Brookhill's January acquisition. (See The New York Times and DNAinfo for more background.)
We received the following statement from the East Fifth Street Toledano Tenants Coalition, consisting of five Toledano-owned buildings on Fifth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.
[T]hese five buildings on East Fifth Street received a coordinated visit last Thursday [Oct. 22] by a group of representatives from the New York State Attorney General’s office, The New York City Department of Buildings and The New York State Division of Housing and Renewal. All apartment doors were knocked on, and representatives spoke with available tenants, made inspections of apartment conditions and building conditions and issued violations to the buildings. Perhaps the presence of these state and city agencies will ensure that Toledano’s tenants on East Fifth Street will not have to suffer what those at 444 East 13th St. did.
Meanwhile, a resident on East Fifth Street passed along this letter, noting that "Brookhill forgot to pay his post office box fee! Attached is a letter all East Fifth Street residents received last week."
[Click on image for larger view]
Per the note:
We are doing our best to have your monthly rent payments processed as soon as possible and apologize for any delay in doing so during this first month of ownership. Moving forward you can be confident that processing of your payments will be timely and accurate. This being said, if you have found that your rent check has not been processed for the month of October 2015 and your bank account has not been debited, please re-send your payment to the below address. We have been informed by USPS that there was a system glitch, which resulted in the return of numerous tenant's rent payments. This was remedied on October 19,2015.
If your payment was processed and thus your account has been debited, no action is required on your part. Please continue to ensure that your check is made payable to the order of
the specific LLC designated to your building.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Landlord of 444 E. 13th St. threatened 'to drop dynamite on the building'
Reader report: Large portfolio of East Village buildings ready to change hands
Report: State investigating East Village landlord Raphael Toledano
Report: Uncle suing nephew broker Raphael Toledano over $100 million East Village deal
Report: Raphael Toledano completes purchase of 16-building East Village portfolio
More about alleged harassment and landlord visits via Brook Hill Properties
Brook Hill Properties launches chocolate offensive
In op-ed, Raphael Toledano says that he wants 'to make the East Village a better place'
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