Today in Tompkins Square Park

The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival takes place at 3 this afternoon in Tompkins Square Park. Details here.

Seventh Street, 2:41 p.m., Aug. 29

Missing bike

Avenue A, 9:46 a.m., Aug. 29

Save the M15

Gonna take a walk down to Union Square...

Karate Boogaloo's pick from over at The New York Nobody Sings.

"Avenue A will never be the same"

NY1 filed the following report this afternoon after the funeral of Eric "Taz" Pagan:

Church volunteer Mike Rodriguez, the cook at Forbidden City, said he heard the shot that killed his friend.

"Sometimes we played cards, or we drank, just to relax," said Mike Rodriguez. "Just a split second, that's it. Life is too short."

Those who came to the funeral at Immaculate Conception Church on 14th Street, where Pagan was baptized as an infant, remembered the late bouncer as a warm-hearted man.

"I come from Florida to pay my respects for my brother, a great guy," said friend German Fernandez.

"He's such a nice guy. We always had a good laugh to come in with," said bar customer Michael Cruz. "I remember him fixing the ceiling once, just completely taking it apart more than he needed to do. It was the funniest thing to watch him do. He had some much energy coming in and out of that place."

"Taz was always the protector. I used to work at the bar next door to where he used to work and he was always there if we needed him," said bartender Laurie Beck. "We used to hang out for years, I knew him since I was about 17 years old. It's been about 10 years and there was always so much love. Like a big brother to me, you know? Anytime anybody ever needed him, Taz was there. He's such a wonderful guy and he's so missed. Avenue A will never be the same. You walk down the block and expect to see him."

Perhaps the biggest endorsement of how loved Pagan was came from the victim's own parish priest.

"He always maintained optimism in his life," said the Reverend Joy Mampilly. "Also, he tried to instill a warm feeling into the lives of people who came around him. You don't have to be a friend to know him well."

Previously on EV Grieve:
EV bars come together to create college fund for Eric "Taz" Pagan's children

EV bars come together to create college fund for Eric "Taz" Pagan's children

I just received the following notice:

East Village bars Drop Off Service, Planet Rose, Forbidden City, Common Ground, Habibi Lounge, and Superdive will donate 50% of their register on Monday, Aug. 31 (all day and night) to set up a college fund for the children of murdered bouncer Eric “Taz” Pagan.

I'm told that bar owners in the area are devastated by what happened early last Sunday morning.

Previously.

And the people apparently want signature cocktails

From Fork in the Road at the Voice:

What's this city coming to when even dive bars have to start serving signature cocktails?

"Well, we don't have to," says Mike Stuto, owner of Hi-Fi. "It's just about giving people what they want."

Reminder tonight: Rally for homeless outside the Christodora

Scoopy has more in this week's issue of The Villager:

“We’re going to ask Michael Rosen to adopt us — me, Jim Power and Biker Billy,” L.E.S. Slacktivist leader John Penley explained. Penley said he hasn’t actually read Rosen’s new book, “What Else but Home: Seven Boys and an American Journey Between the Projects and the Penthouse,” in which Rosen recounts the story of how he and his wife opened their home to a group of local youths. “I heard reports. People said it’s not bad,” Penley said of the book. “We’d like to move into the penthouse, too — if he wants three new sons... . We’re not all that young!” Penley added that the camp-out concept is being well received: “A lot of people expressed gratitude that somebody’s doing something that’s a little radical this summer,” he said.

For further reading:
"Mosaic Man" and the "Slacktivist" Promise New Tent City for the Homeless ... (Neither More Nor Less)

Long, hot summer at the Christodora (Curbed)

When it gets down to five seconds, very calmly START RUNNING

Thanks to EV Grieve reader dianeb for passing along the following shots of the fancy new walk-don't walk signs at 14th Street and Third Avenue...



As she noted, "Kind of cute, letting you know how much time you have until you're squashed by a truck."

Not to kick a Bald Man when he's down, but...

Epic takedown in The Villager this week... Been awhile since we've read an article and yelled yes...YES...YES!!!

Here's some of what Dottie Wilson had to write:

Though I never once dined at the famous “Chocolate by the Bald Man” corporation, this place gave me indigestion, headaches even. While nearby mom-and-pop establishments struggled to stay afloat, Max Brenner was constantly packed, mostly with tourists. These people would come all the way to the East Village — just to eat at a chain restaurant. I didn’t get it.

And with childhood diabetes on the rise, as well as obesity, I thought “society” was supposed to be eating more sensibly. But not at this joint. Struggling with menus the size of a hefty coffee-table book, its carefree patrons were devotees of a restaurant defined by indulgence, i.e., dessert for breakfast, lunch and dinner and drinks. In this land of “sugar on fat, on top of sugar on fat” (read “The End of Overeating” by David Al Kessler), this was an altogether obscene environment.

The restaurant’s outdoor tables, usually loaded with out-of-towners, took up an unusually large portion of sidewalk, and this annoying protrusion provoked many a resident on his or her way to and from the Astor Place or Eighth St. subways. On Friday and Saturday nights, human gridlock was the norm.

Consequently, I guess, a crazy person from a nearby apartment building started to get sick and tired of the music from the place’s outdoor speakers. He hated getting woken up every morning and night by the loud, clanking metal chains and padlocks that were used to prevent the theft of their ugly tables and chairs. Employees from the restaurant who took their breaks at the entrance of his building — smoking and laughing it up till all hours, and accidentally buzzing his apartment by leaning on the intercom buttons — drove him nuts.

Previously.

Update: Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen remains closed for renovations

Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen, which has operated at 130 St. Mark's Place since 1991, closed Aug. 14 for renovations. The shop was expected to reopen Aug. 18, as the signs noted. However, a walk by yesterday afternoon revealed that the renovations continue... the gate is partially open. It looks as if someone is inside working...



Anyone have information? Anyone talk to Peter?

Previously.

Posts that I never got around to posting: What's left behind at the former Jersey Shore Store?

The Jersey Shore store on Broadway between 11th Street and 12th Street closed back in early July. (It was only planned to be temporary.) The space is available.



Anything left behind inside the store?



Hmm — seems about right.