Monday, June 29, 2009

On the liquor license agenda in July: Iggy's and others...

Here's what's on tap for the next Community Board 3's SLA & DCA Licensing Committee meeting on July 20:



Butter Lane is back on docket. (It was scratched from last month's agenda.)Iggy's, which is taking over the Five Rose's space, is applying for a license. A few interesting transfers (maybe!) at 40C and Cafe DeVille...

Trash and Vaudeville pays its respects



On St. Mark's Place Friday.

Noted



Hmm. Hard to read... it's sponsored by "a very popular very smooth vodka." Spotted at 10th Street and Third Avenue.

Something other than a bar opens on Avenue A

At least temporarily? The "for rent" sign is still up...The Johnny Air Cargo ... which was on First Avenue...now at 214 Avenue A, at the site of the former Gramstand Cafe that closed last December.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

NYU looking to run Greenwich Village out of town


[Image via NY Post]

"It's the purple octopus that ate Greenwich Village! New York University plans to add 6 million square feet of space by 2031 -- development that may include a 40-story residential tower, the tallest in the Village." (New York Post)

The purple octopus? Hmm. Not bad. How about:

Somewhere over Fifth Street

The weekend sky theme continues ...




I will now not ruin the moment by playing something by Rainbow, though I thought about it.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

More photos of last night's sky

Here are some more cool photos of last night's sky... these were passed along by EV reader Sergei. (And he didn't edit any of the colors...)



When you're out this weekend, please buy something at Ray's



Seventh Street and Avenue A, of course. Photo by Melanie.

Meanwhile, what you can do outside today


Starting at 2 p.m. in Tompkins Square Park

ALPHA WOMEN ATTACK THE LOWER EAST SIDE!

"Kick-ass entertainment by Jessica Delfino, Killy Dwyer, Cathy Cathodic, Rubber Room Rats, Dethrace, Jennifer Blowdryer, and other performers to be announced." [Brought to you by Our Lady of Perpetual PMS and The SHADOW]

More info. here.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition



The city’s medical examiner said that Lesia Pupshaw died from a drug overdose. (The Villager)

"Cops Friday arrested two teens who have been terrorizing Jewish residents and sites on the Lower East Side with eggs, smoke bombs and swastikas." (Daily News)

New site for NYC bargoers in their 30s (35Saturdays)

The greatest movie ever about teen angst and dancing and like, having jacked-up abs that look good when you wear a tight white tank-top while dancing in a convenient rainstorm -- all in 3D mind you! -- continues to film on the LES (BoweryBoogie)

An appreciation of mom-and-pop shops on the UES (New York Times)

Gothamist has more photos from last night's sky (Uh, Gothamist)

Now please go outside.

Seven photos of the sky taken between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. yesterday

East Village Podcasts has some really nice shots of the storm clouds too.







Friday, June 26, 2009

Cole Comfort

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition



Heritage of Pride Parade is Sunday (NYC Pride) The Drag March is tonight in TSP. Dyke March Saturday starting at Bryant Park.

The man who made bowling "sexy" (Crain's NY)

Drinking at the classic Reynold's Cafe in Washington Heights (Eater)

A shot of another classic (Greenwich Village Daily Photo)

Munchies done-chie? (BoweryBoogie)

$4 million survey finds that Buildings Department is a disaster (Daily News via Curbed)

First dog run in NYC? Tompkins Square Park, remember? (Ephemeral New York)

TV Smith show change (Stupefaction)

Subway/bus hike kicks in Sunday (Gothamist)

Swastika painted on LES synagogue (NY1)

The NYC of "The Wiz" (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

And on this topic: I'm not trying to be disrespectful here. Just curious what Jackson's death means for the cottage industry of Michael Jackson impersonators, such as the Mini Michael Jackson at 42nd Street.

At Superdive



Superdive opened last night at 200 Avenue A. (So it was Thursday the 25th after all!)

A reader sent me a fairly lengthy e-mail early this morning after a night out at Superdive. The reader started off by saying: "Maybe you can excerpt something useful from this, but I don't know. It just wasn't that interesting." We'll be the judge of that!

To the reader's e-mail:

Upon entering, confronted with a wall of noise. It's *incredibly* loud. You can't make anything out — total wall of noise.

Near the door are some mini kegs stuck in ice. By the window are guys filling mugs from a mini kegerator. Very fratty, all around. Fratty smell, especially.

We try to figure out the bar situation. Confusing. It looks like there is no bar and patrons are just doing whatever, but really there is a bar. It's just surrounded by patrons. We eventually get drinks. My mixed drink is quite strong. This is good, as it took an eternity to get it. It was served by a bartender wearing legwarmers on her arms. As we're trying to secure drinks, we're hit by a blast of flatulence. Did I mention this place is fratty? We get our drinks and head toward the front. The girls here are CUTE.

There is a live band in the back, playing under an enormous lit sign that reads APPLAUSE. The sign is always lit. I do not clap. There is a guy on piano, trying to sing over the noise, and he's accompanied by a drummer. They're playing "When a Man Loves a Woman."

There are plastic cups everywhere.

We go for another round of drinks. We ask how much, and the bartender says "Ummm.... 30?" as if we're bartering. We pay. It seems fair for the amount of drink we're walking away with.

A cringing girlfriend leading her man away from his friends.

A group of girls enter, high-fiving each other. They are cute.

A guy in a yellow shirt starts to lose composure, head in hands. He's had enough beer.

"Thriller" is played (the pianist/drummer are done now). There is cheering, dancing.

And that's about it. We get bored and go for pizza.

Reindeer games



Spotted Wednesday on Eighth Street near Avenue C.

Please place bottles, cans and pink boas in the blue trash cans



On Second Street near Avenue B.

Why you won't be able to find any hair spray on Long Island

Check out the next two weeks at Jones Beach!



Aerosmith and ZZ Top!

Doobie Brothers and Bad Company!

Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick!

Judas Priest and Whitesnake!

And yes — I'd go to every one of these shows!*

P.S. Cheap Trick opening for Poison and Def Leppard?

(*If I had a free ticket and the shows were like down the block and not at Jones Beach, which is a lovely spot for a show but sucks to get there and back and that whole no booze thing.)

The plan to save what's left of the Bowery


The Villager has coverage this week of the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors (BAN) meeting from June 16.

From The Villager:
The Bowery Alliance of Neighbors (BAN) last week presented a plan to limit the size of new buildings and preserve traditional commercial uses on the east side of the Bowery between Canal and E. Ninth Sts.

The alliance, which includes artists, loft dwellers and local merchants, has been calling for preservation of the east side of the thoroughfare for the past three years as new high-rise residential and hotel towers have been threatening to overwhelm the low-rise character of Bowery.

“This is the first step in gathering support for the plan,” said Anna Sawaryn, president of BAN, who led the group’s June 16 forum. “We intend to present it eventually to Community Board 3 and ultimately to City Planning.”

“We felt it was important to preserve the wholesale lighting, restaurant-supply and jewelry businesses that remain on the Bowery,” said Mitchell Grubler, a member of BAN. “Rezoning was the only way to do that before those businesses are forced out by expensive high-rise development.”


There's more coverage at Save the Lower East Side! and BoweryBoogie.

Grand opening for 52E4!



I see. It's for the business next door to the 15-story condo on the Bowery at Fourth Street. Seemed odd to spend $89 gajillion dollars on a condo and 39 cents at the 99-cent store on a "grand opening" sign.

ConEd repairs treacherous sidewalk



Near 130 First Ave. and St. Mark's Place. Just five days after a woman fell and smashed her face last Friday evening.




Previously on EV Grieve:
Accident waiting to happen happened