Here's the latest:
According to a news release, the new hotel "is capable of destroying a neighborhood with a single destructive beam."
I think they'll need special zoning for that.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Yet another rendering emerges for the new hotel on the Bowery
So you've seen the renderings of the first two designs for the hotel coming to 347 Bowery at Third Street....
Here's the latest:
According to a news release, the new hotel "is capable of destroying a neighborhood with a single destructive beam."
I think they'll need special zoning for that.
Here's the latest:
According to a news release, the new hotel "is capable of destroying a neighborhood with a single destructive beam."
I think they'll need special zoning for that.
An update on the Three Monkeys fire scene
BoweryBoogie has an update on last night's fire at Three Monkeys on Rivington and Ludlow. As BB notes, it doesn't look so good.
NYPD: Laptop thieves accidentally started fire and killed a dog on Seventh Street
Per the NYPD Daily Blotter in the Post today:
Two burglars accidentally set a Lower East Side apartment on fire while trying to flee, police sources said.
The suspects first tried to break into a first-floor apartment on East Seventh Street at 11:30 p.m. Jan. 5. When the 79-year-old woman who lives there began screaming, the suspects clambered down a fire escape.
They then entered a ground-floor apartment and swiped jewelry, a laptop computer and credit cards. While slinking off, the two perps — who had been using a lighter as a flashlight — accidentally set something on fire. They escaped in a cab, paid for with a stolen credit card, as the flames ravaged the apartment, sources said.
One firefighter was injured and the tenant's dog was killed.
The NYPD is looking for the two men in the photo above. Tipsters can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit tips at nypdcrimestoppers.com or text info to 274637 (CRIMES), entering TIP577. Photo and info via Runnin' Scared.
For more on this photo, go here.
Possible delay in emergency responses today
We'll periodically have information on local fire companies that service, in part, the East Village ... including when they are closed for periods of time...
Engine 28 will be conducting Building Inspection this afternoon from 1-4 ... as well as every Friday afternoon. Building Inspection may cause delays in response because parts of their Buidling Inspection District are not in their 1st, 2nd or 3rd due emergency response area.
Engine 4 is CLOSED 12:30 to 4:30 for training.
Engine 28 was CLOSED this morning to exchange tools and gear for a new rig.
Ladder 11 is CLOSED from 12:30 to 4:30 for training.
Engine 28 will be conducting Building Inspection this afternoon from 1-4 ... as well as every Friday afternoon. Building Inspection may cause delays in response because parts of their Buidling Inspection District are not in their 1st, 2nd or 3rd due emergency response area.
Engine 4 is CLOSED 12:30 to 4:30 for training.
Engine 28 was CLOSED this morning to exchange tools and gear for a new rig.
Ladder 11 is CLOSED from 12:30 to 4:30 for training.
EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition
When Clayton Patterson decided to paint a non-commissioned mural on Houston and the Bowery in 1980 (The Villager via BoweryBoogie)
A collection of hardcore '80s photos (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)
A drink at Gargiulo's in Coney Island (Eater)
Op/Ed: Support CB3′s SPURA Planning Guidelines (The Lo-Down)
Baby Fat Larry!: Mobsters still have cool names (Gawker)
Drug dealers circulate business cards in the EV and LES ... and eventually get busted (The Post) Here's one of the cars, via the Post...
A look at Mechanic's Alley (The Gog Log)
In search of a Warhol street shot (Flaming Pablum)
PETA responds to the dog-killing-rat-story in Washington Square Park (NYC the Blog)
Oderus Urungus butt shot while passed out at Idle Hands — no need to thank me! (Neighborhoodr)
And off topic: Steampunk Palin (BoingBoing)
How's the food at Yaffa Cafe these days? (East Village Eats)
And here's a midnight shot of Yaffa courtesy of jdx ...
And let's hear it for the overnight snowfall! Woo! A shot looking west on 10th Street toward Avenue C early this morning via Bobby Wiliams...
Why do the French hate us?
On Tuesday, we saw the first rendering of the new boutique hotel being built on the Bowery by the Paris-based Louzon Group ...
Oh, sure... we had some fun with the design... but the joke's on us. Late yesterday afternoon, the Observer (via Curbed) unleashed the NEW rendering... This is not a joke.
Per the Observer:
And some Curbed commentary:
"It also has what appears to be a Jumbotron. The Bowery goes Times Square! So when can we expect the M&M's store?"
Previously on EV Grieve:
Reactions to new Bowery hotel: 'It would be cheaper and more useful just to blow up the building and leave a 30-foot crater'
Oh, sure... we had some fun with the design... but the joke's on us. Late yesterday afternoon, the Observer (via Curbed) unleashed the NEW rendering... This is not a joke.
Per the Observer:
As you can see in these new renderings provided by the building's architect, Gene Kaufman, it has light up balconies that will shimmer at night, bringing a bit of that dance-club flare back to the cleaned up thoroughfare.
And some Curbed commentary:
"It also has what appears to be a Jumbotron. The Bowery goes Times Square! So when can we expect the M&M's store?"
Previously on EV Grieve:
Reactions to new Bowery hotel: 'It would be cheaper and more useful just to blow up the building and leave a 30-foot crater'
Hotel architect says the Bowery 'is already the epicenter of cool'
[Deer photo by AWKWORD]
Speaking on the new hotel coming to 347 Bowery... I finally got my hands on the official news release. It doesn't disappoint.
New York, NY – January 18, 2011 – Eastern Consolidated announced today that Paris, France-based Louzon Group has acquired 347-349 Bowery, a development site now occupied by a three-story commercial building formerly used as an SRO by the Salvation Army.
The property is the first U.S. acquisition for the Louzon, an investment group which owns and operates several restaurants in Paris as well as one location hotel. 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.
Eastern Consolidated’s Senior Directors and Principals Alan P. Miller and Robert Ortiz procured the Louzon Group, while Jonathan S. Plotkin of Colliers International acted on behalf of The Salvation Army, the seller.
According to Mr. Miller, the site perfectly suited Louzon’s criteria — an East Village location, the appropriate size, and vacant. Mr. Plotkin marketed the site through his firm Colliers requesting proposals from previous interested parties. Ultimately, Louzon prevailed in the bidding, closing the transaction for all cash.
“Until recently, the Bowery was one of the last places one would go to find great design, or great food, but now that it is already the epicenter of cool, this project will advance the qualitative side, bringing established, internationally renowned hoteliers and restaurateurs and a new signature building that speaks about seriousness as much as -- or even more than -- style,” said [Alan] Kaufman who is the design architect for the project.
I guess they don't know that the Post said the Bowery is "out" for 2011.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Your guide to the doomed corners of the Bowery
Bars to drink in Sunday evening where you won't have to watch the Jets
Not at all comprehensive... just a few bars without TVs... not that there's anything wrong with TV. Or the Jets. We love the Jets! Go Jeter!
• Bar on A (we understand that the TV has been retired)
• Burp Castle
• Coal Yard
• The International Bar
• KGB Bar
• Mars Bar
• Max Fish
• Scratcher
• Swift Hibernian Lounge
Also! If you're on the fence (kind of want to see some of the game, but not really), then consider the Grassroots... they have the lone TV leftover from 1991 at the south end of the bar... the Jets uniforms will likely look orange, though... the color on the GR set has been wonky the past five or so years...
Feel free to name other TV-free bars in the comments... (and Hookah bars don't count...)
And, of course, there are many fine (and unfine) bars where you can watch the Jets beat the Pirates.
• Bar on A (we understand that the TV has been retired)
• Burp Castle
• Coal Yard
• The International Bar
• KGB Bar
• Mars Bar
• Max Fish
• Scratcher
• Swift Hibernian Lounge
Also! If you're on the fence (kind of want to see some of the game, but not really), then consider the Grassroots... they have the lone TV leftover from 1991 at the south end of the bar... the Jets uniforms will likely look orange, though... the color on the GR set has been wonky the past five or so years...
Feel free to name other TV-free bars in the comments... (and Hookah bars don't count...)
And, of course, there are many fine (and unfine) bars where you can watch the Jets beat the Pirates.
Dough Ray Me...
Seeing these photos of Ray's by EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams reminds me that I need to swing by to try out one of the new menu offerings... Bob Arihood has documented a few of these items, such as the crepes... and the fried dough... I'll go for the $5 turkey sandwich first...
Tonda has been closed of late
Tonda, the pizzeria at 235 E. Fourth St. near Avenue B, has been closed the last few evenings... You can see them maybe closing on a winter Monday or Tuesday... but a Wednesday and Thursday night too?
I sent Tonda an e-mail, though no one responded. The phone number still works. An outgoing message provides their hours, dinner Sunday through Thursday 5:30 to 11 pm, till midnight on Friday, with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays... The pizzeria, housed in the former EU space, opened in the spring of 2009... As Eater noted last month, Tonda has been on the block ...Per Eater: They're asking for $250,000 key money and a $10,750 a month lease.
I sent Tonda an e-mail, though no one responded. The phone number still works. An outgoing message provides their hours, dinner Sunday through Thursday 5:30 to 11 pm, till midnight on Friday, with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays... The pizzeria, housed in the former EU space, opened in the spring of 2009... As Eater noted last month, Tonda has been on the block ...Per Eater: They're asking for $250,000 key money and a $10,750 a month lease.
Live above Superdive!
That's right! Now's your chance... there's a new listing this week for 200 Avenue A... Here's the description via StreetEasy (the link to the realtor was broken...):
Duplex with Roof Deck!*2 Baths!*A Must See!
Huge duplex with 2 baths.
Roof deck that is private to this unit.
New hardwood floors.
20 Foot Lofty Ceilings.
The one-bedroom unit is going for $2,400... Think how close you'll be to the action once Superdive reopens! And with two bathrooms, you may be able to charge Superdivers to use your restroom when their lines get to0 long...
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The former Paul's Boutique burns down on the Lower East Side
A little outside our usual coverage area... However, several readers sent word of a fire on the Lower East Side... Per a tweet by @winedanddined:
"Wow...the Three Monkeys at Ludlow and Rivington on Lower East Side just burned down."
[Photo via @winedanddined]
This corner was once Paul's Boutique, made famous by the Beastie Boys. (BoweryBoogie has more on that here.)
According to DNAinfo: "The fire department received a call about a fire in the first floor of the restaurant at 99 Rivington St. about 8:11 p.m. The fire was put out by 8:46 p.m., FDNY said."
There weren't any reported injuries.
[Via @hwmk]
Interestingly enough, BoweryBoogie noted just last week how some residents were unhappy with the noise coming from Three Monkeys at night...
[Via @john_swaggerdap]
"Wow...the Three Monkeys at Ludlow and Rivington on Lower East Side just burned down."
This corner was once Paul's Boutique, made famous by the Beastie Boys. (BoweryBoogie has more on that here.)
According to DNAinfo: "The fire department received a call about a fire in the first floor of the restaurant at 99 Rivington St. about 8:11 p.m. The fire was put out by 8:46 p.m., FDNY said."
There weren't any reported injuries.
Interestingly enough, BoweryBoogie noted just last week how some residents were unhappy with the noise coming from Three Monkeys at night...
Earlier today in Tompkins Square Park
A few Tompkins Square Park photos from late this afternoon courtesy of EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams... a few kids apparently started a fight, which promptly brought a large police presence....
Smoking Volvo prompts fire scare
A reader notes heavy FDNY presence on East Eighth Street near Avenue C a little bit ago... three trucks and an ambulance...
According to the reader, a smoking manhole under a Volvo (here come the jokes!) prompted a resident to call 911... However, there was nothing apparently amiss under the Volvo.
According to the reader, a smoking manhole under a Volvo (here come the jokes!) prompted a resident to call 911... However, there was nothing apparently amiss under the Volvo.
There is now a large hole in the middle of Seventh Street
Between First Avenue and Second Avenue is presently closed... and the DEP is on the scene.
Nothing yet on what's going on here...
Nothing yet on what's going on here...
NYPD looking for couple in connection to a Ninth Street mugging
From the Crime Blotter in The Villager this week:
Police are seeking public assistance in locating a man and a woman wanted in connection with a Sat., Jan. 8, mugging of a woman at 5:26 a.m. in front of 608 E. Ninth St. betweenAvenues A and BAvenues B and C. The man grabbed the victim, 26, from behind, demanded her bag, threw her to the pavement and fled with the bag, police said. The mugger was described as a black man between ages 35 and 45, wearing a dark knit cap with white trim, a gray hooded jacket and a long coat with fur trim. His accomplice, described as a black woman, between ages 35 and 40, in a red or orange coat with a hood, a dark hat and carrying a purse, was acting as lookout, police said. Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or make a report online at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text to CRIMES (274637) and enter TIPS577. All calls are confidential.
Verizon doesn't allow murals on its buildings — except for in Southern California
Earlier we posted an item about Verizon's ongoing battle with graffiti on their Second Avenue building... Perhaps a local artist like Chico could create a mural here? But! A Verizon spokesperson told DNAinfo, "We typically do not permit murals to be painted on our buildings" ... adding that the company will continue to paint over the graffiti as it goes up.
As EV Grieve reader T.E.V.B. pointed out in a Long Beach, Calif. newspaper... the article, titled Mural Brightens Verizon Wall, highlights the work of Long Beach-based muralist Roy Herweck.
Anyway, as for the Verizon wall on 13th Street, T.E.V.B. said, "A community mural there is a great idea."
[Image via]
As EV Grieve reader T.E.V.B. pointed out in a Long Beach, Calif. newspaper... the article, titled Mural Brightens Verizon Wall, highlights the work of Long Beach-based muralist Roy Herweck.
Anyway, as for the Verizon wall on 13th Street, T.E.V.B. said, "A community mural there is a great idea."
[Image via]
Verizon brass content to keep battling graffiti artists on 13th Street
We've been documenting the battle for the brown wall here at the Verizon building on 13th Street at Second Avenue... (Previously.)
At DNAinfo, Patrick Hedlund checks in with the Verizon folks to see what the next steps are.
However, a Verizon spokesperson said that they don't allow murals to be painted on their buildings, and that they'd simply continue to paint over any new graffiti.
Sounds good coming from the company HQ. But what about the people on the ground here?
Ashraf told Hedlund that he's tired of seeing the eyesore each day on his way to work.
"It's miserable," he said. "But it's New York."
At DNAinfo, Patrick Hedlund checks in with the Verizon folks to see what the next steps are.
"We'll try to clean it off, and the next thing you know…" said Verizon employee Sam Ashraf, who manages the phone company's retail store in the building. "It just looks bad."
The NYPD's 9th Precinct has observed the building for years, even sending undercover officers to stake out the site and making numerous arrests, said Det. Jaime Hernandez, a 22-year-old veteran of the neighborhood.
To deal with the graffiti scourge, Hernandez suggested that Verizon bring in a muralist to paint the wall, noting that street art rarely gets run over by vandals because of the respect given to the work.
However, a Verizon spokesperson said that they don't allow murals to be painted on their buildings, and that they'd simply continue to paint over any new graffiti.
Sounds good coming from the company HQ. But what about the people on the ground here?
Ashraf told Hedlund that he's tired of seeing the eyesore each day on his way to work.
"It's miserable," he said. "But it's New York."
The Pigeon Lady proving more elusive than originally thought!
A reader snapped this shot on Avenue A near Ninth Street earlier today... just missing the notorious Pigeon Lady, though in time for the aftermath...
When Joey Ramone went to the day spa
Marjorie Ingall uncovered a long-lost treasure from her time at Sassy: An article from the never-published last issue (December 1994) in which the magazine sends Joey Ramone to a day spa. However, thanks to the Internet, the article — written by Andrea Linnett — lives on...
An excerpt!
With Joey's hair saturated, Getty placed a pure plastic cap on his head and led the famous songwriter to a heat-lamp throne, where he enjoyed reading about his socialite friends in Town & Country magazine. After about 20 minutes of pure 18-carat relaxation, Getty took Joey to the extravagant hair washing massage bed so he could receive an aromatherapy scalp rub and shampoo. Joey was on cloud nine as he purred, "I'm finding this very pleasant. I'm in nirvana. (not the band)"
Hairdresser to the rich and famous Hugh Mac Dill arrived to blowdry and style the golden voiced singer's newly revived locks to perfection. Joey's reaction? "My hair's fluffy full." Rejuvenated and ready for the fast-paced life of a superstar, Joey bid Brian and his team farewell, and headed home to his luxury apartment in Manhattan's superexclusive East Village, where a bag full of Aveda products awaited him for his whirlwind tour of glitzy Czechoslovakia.
You can read the whole piece here.
Writes Marjorie on her blog: "I remember everyone gushing about how terribly sweet and terribly shy Joey Ramone was on his spa day."
Related reading, kind of, on EV Grieve:
Forget James Cramer and his ilk, how would Joey Ramone invest in this troubled market?
Another reason why the super may have been pissed at Lady Gaga
Yesterday, our friend Cat Sitter in the City told us that Lady Gaga was giving Anderson Cooper and film crew a tour of her old Lower East Side haunts, including her onetime home at 176 Stanton. This apparently ticked off the super, who called the NYPD to complain about her intrusion...
In any case, as a tipster told us, perhaps the super didn't want anyone to know that workers were renovating part of the building — without any proper permits from the DOB.
Also, several readers pointed out that this interview will be part of Cooper's "60 Minutes" feature on Lady Gaga that airs before the Grammy Awards on Feb. 13.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Anderson Cooper interviews Lady Gaga on Stanton Street; police called
Bad news-good news-maybe good news about Avenue A retail
The bad: East Village Pharmacy on Avenue A and Fifth Street has lost their lease...
The good: They're just moving to 41 Avenue A at the corner of Third Street, the site of the long-dormant coffee shop... this will help bring a little life to this lonely stretch of Avenue A...
Maybe good news: Maybe something else decent will move into the soon-to-be-empty East Village Pharmacy space... the sign says no restaurants, but food OK...
The good: They're just moving to 41 Avenue A at the corner of Third Street, the site of the long-dormant coffee shop... this will help bring a little life to this lonely stretch of Avenue A...
Maybe good news: Maybe something else decent will move into the soon-to-be-empty East Village Pharmacy space... the sign says no restaurants, but food OK...
Jimmy McMillan just lost the cyclist vote
Jimmy McMillan, the rent is too damn, blah, blah guy, is running for president. He's even holding a news conference in Tompkins Square Park next week to announce his candidacy.
Meanwhile! The Local East Village conducted a Q-and-A with McMillan ... to an excerpt!
Bike lane use is a big issue in the East Village. How would you handle that issue?
Get rid of them. You have cars running up on bicycle lanes – people are getting run over. These are idiots! There are not enough bicyclists. I did a personal count. In one week in the East Village on First Avenue and Second Avenue, there were about 25 people on each avenue. It’s not enough. They’re better for states with warmer climates, like in Florida. You cannot have bicycle lanes where there is snow.
Another Avenue B storefront for rent
Been some time since I did a count of the empty storefronts along Avenue B ... (Last time: December 2008.) Anyway, the space that housed the eclectic discount store is gone... meanwhile, a few doors down, La Bonne Bouffe closed in December...
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tonight in $250,000 cars parked on East Fifth Street
Maxwell Z. sends along a photo of this Rolls-Royce motor car (and the vanity plates read something like
Rockefeller Center holiday tree dumped on East 10th Street?
OK, OK... but this thing is enormous... bigger than the car behind it... the sanitation crew is going to need a bigger truck...
Anderson Cooper interviews Lady Gaga on Stanton Street; police called
Exciting international news developing now on Stanton Street ... CNN's Anderson Cooper with camera crew is interviewing former LES resident Lady Gaga. And our very own Cat Sitter in the City is on the scene. She filed a live report ... Lady Gaga is showing Anderson her old stomping grounds at 176 Stanton... it appears that they enter the building for a tour... afterwards, the pair walk toward Clinton Street, where a police car pulls up. Lady Gaga says hello, etc. They move on. Then! The police car pulls in front of 176 Stanton, where someone who could be the super emerges and starts screaming and gesturing. Basically, he's pe-od that Lady Gaga got into the building... Minutes later, the super is still screaming.
One other note. "She was not dressed properly for the weather," Cat Sitter reports. "But she's Lady Gaga." So, no sleeves, stockings, that kind of thing.
Possible delay in emergency responses today
We'll periodically have information on local fire companies that service, in part, the East Village ... including when they are closed for periods of time...
Ladder 11 (as well as Ladder 6 and Ladder 18 that serve the area) will be conducting Building Inspection today from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (as well as every Wednesday). During this time, they may be delayed to emergency responses because parts of their Buidling Inspection District are not in their 1st, 2nd or 3rd due emergency response area.
Further, E-15, located on the LES on Pitt Street but responding to parts of the East Village, will be CLOSED from 12:30 PM-4:30PM for training at the Fire Academy.
Ladder 11 (as well as Ladder 6 and Ladder 18 that serve the area) will be conducting Building Inspection today from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (as well as every Wednesday). During this time, they may be delayed to emergency responses because parts of their Buidling Inspection District are not in their 1st, 2nd or 3rd due emergency response area.
Further, E-15, located on the LES on Pitt Street but responding to parts of the East Village, will be CLOSED from 12:30 PM-4:30PM for training at the Fire Academy.
EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition
Cops: Bouncers helping thieves steal purses and stuff from East Village bars (DNAinfo)
What happens to The Alamo with the Astor Place reconstruction? (Neighborhoodr)
36 hotties on the subway (Refinery29)
Two new roller coasters for Coney Island (The Wall Street Journal)
Also: A new exhibit on 26th Street, “Nickel Empire: Coney Island Photographs 1898-1948” (Amusing the Zillion)
The rat killer of Washington Square Park (NYC the Blog)
The subway map of 1972 (Nonetheless)
America's best Chinese restaurant is in ... Bryn Mawr, Pa.?! (NY Post)
Greek treats on Essex Street (With Leftovers)
Looking at vintage NYC menus (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)
Busier days for Ray's (Nadie Se Conoce)
High-end bread for Orchard Street (BoweryBoogie)
"Murray Hill Is For Douchebags, Arrested Development" (Runnin' Scared)
A new look for EugeneMerinov.com ... where you'll find many fine photos, such as this one of Richard Hell...
On the trail of the Pigeon Lady
As we've noted, someone — dubbed with some affection, "the Pigeon Lady" — continues to drop about 50 pounds of bread a few times a day at the entrance to Tompkins Square Park at Ninth Street and Avenue A ...
This morning, a reader notes the aftermath of a recent bread dump...
Previously on EV Grieve:
Capturing the Pigeon Lady
This morning, a reader notes the aftermath of a recent bread dump...
Previously on EV Grieve:
Capturing the Pigeon Lady
Reactions to new Bowery hotel: 'It would be cheaper and more useful just to blow up the building and leave a 30-foot crater'
Yesterday, thanks to Curbed, we all got a look at the new boutique hotel coming to Third Street and the Bowery:
Oops, crap. Wrong image. Sorry! Here it is!
Sorry! Blogger is giving me problems today!
This likely isn't surprising, but no one seems to like the design... or the thought of another hotel along here...
Here's a sampling of Curbed comments:
And!
Gothamist ran a post with a headline, "The Bowery's Next Hotel Is Looking Pretty Ugly." Per commenter Newhce: "Holy crap. What is this, 'New Brutalism'"?
Runnin' Scared went with the headline, "New Bowery Hotel Uglier Than The Last."
And at EV Grieve? Here's a sampling of the comments:
And!
And!
And on the EV Grieve Facebook page, Luc Sante left this comment:
Meanwhile, I've taken it upon myself to make a few suggested changes... Work in progress people...
Oops, crap. Wrong image. Sorry! Here it is!
Sorry! Blogger is giving me problems today!
This likely isn't surprising, but no one seems to like the design... or the thought of another hotel along here...
Here's a sampling of Curbed comments:
And people thought the Bowery was bad in the "old days"? I'd take the Salvation Army building over this any day.
Pretty much everything new going up on the Bowery now says "crap-tastic" + "major ego at work". This new building looks like the winner of a contest where crazed architects are asked to design their weirdest fantasy buildings.
Eventually the Bowery will have a NEW reputation, as the place tourists can go to see the absolutely *ugliest* collection of buildings in NYC.
And!
Odd to think that the Bowery was actually better and had a peculiar, if worn and gritty, charm before qualified "designers" took it upon themselves to show the uneducated masses how things might be. As it stands, they should rename it the Rue de Pretension.
Gothamist ran a post with a headline, "The Bowery's Next Hotel Is Looking Pretty Ugly." Per commenter Newhce: "Holy crap. What is this, 'New Brutalism'"?
Runnin' Scared went with the headline, "New Bowery Hotel Uglier Than The Last."
And at EV Grieve? Here's a sampling of the comments:
Cookiepuss said...
Both of these images horrify me! The skinny structure every time I see it, either in person or in a photograph brings me all the way back to points in my life where I experienced trauma. Both structures mimic the symmetry of Hitler's army. Sometimes I think that architects and developers are trying to create a new and superior race!
And!
Bowery Boy said...
The merits of each individual hotel on the new Bowery can be debated, but taken as a whole, this is about to be the worst stretch of Manhattan ever planned. Ok, maybe not planned, but developed. It looked better as Skid Row. The individual developers are getting their money, so they don't care, but one-by-one they are turning the Bowery into an architectual freak show. So sad.
And!
cvinzant said...
Does anyone know what those ridiculous white boxes are that jut out for no purpose? Are they made of stone? Metal? How much will the pigeons enjoy roosting on them?
And on the EV Grieve Facebook page, Luc Sante left this comment:
It would be cheaper and more useful just to blow up the building and leave a 30-foot crater.
Meanwhile, I've taken it upon myself to make a few suggested changes... Work in progress people...
Beaming up at the new Lower Eastside Girls Club home
We've noted the progress on the new Lower Eastside Girls Club home going up on Avenue D between Seventh Street and Eighth Street... You can see a lot of the progress on the Seventh and Eighth Street sides... However, a walk by this past weekend revealed the first beams going up on the Avenue D side ...
Previously.
Previously.
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