Exclusive first look at "The Smurfs Movie" filming today in the East Village

Well, I can dream that they film a scene in the Mystery Lot...

Previously.

How Lit Lounge is trying to be a better neighbor

During the CB3/SLA meeting on March 15, the owners of Lit Lounge -- the two-floor bar/music venue/art gallery at 93 Second Ave. -- were requesting a license transfer to launch a new venture in the space.

As Eater reported that night: "The pitchforks and community outcries came out ... several community members brought signs and spoke out against the owners of Lit, complaining about crowds on the sidewalk forcing pedestrians to walk in the street and music that plays past 4 a.m. on weekends."

There was more: "You run an unbelievably irresponsible business," said one young man who moved above the bar six months earlier. (He's not renewing his lease.) Nearly every speaker invoked the same phrase: 'Lit is not a good neighbor.'"

As The Lo-Down reported: "One resident called the owners 'a lawless group,' who don't bother cleaning up broken glass on the sidewalk, refuse to control their customers and are unresponsive to complaints."

The owners withdrew their transfer request until they can demonstrate that they are willing to make changes.

I recently contacted David Schwartz, one of Lit's co-owners, and asked him what Lit has — and will — be doing in the coming weeks to be a better neighbor.



Via e-mail, he sent me a lengthy list of the steps they are taking. Among them:

Security
Hired an extra person outdoors for crowd control from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., and to tell patrons to watch belongings inside. Also, we're now asking people to kindly move on after smoking outside or go back inside. We also have brand-new red ropes for two separate corrals for smokers outside.

Noise control
Limiters for sound system
Turn amps down to take control away from DJs.
Informed all staff to tell appropriate parties to lower music if too loud.
Informing people who are controlling the levels how to adjust the system to keep levels fair and balanced.
Lowering bass.
Hiring sound engineer to do meter readings next door.
Soundproofed whole side of bar.
Music off at 4 a.m. mandatory

Safety
All signs have been replaced or made noticeably bigger.
Cameras.

Band loading
Making sure someone is at Lit while load in takes place and load out happens safely and earlier than later.

Staff
Gave out a memorandum that stated that the some neighbors and community board were not happy with Lit. Listed different topics for them so they could give me some more creative, serious ideas to help us be better neighbors.

The Lit owners have also places fliers on adjacent apartment buildings...



Last Thursday, Schwartz met with members of the East 5th Street Block Association, several of whom spoke out at the March 15 CB3/SLA meeting. The Block Association will be approving and signing a list of the stipulations... I hope to have those soon...along with some more local reaction.

Schwartz said that Lit will likely wait several months before returning to the CB3 to make sure that they're doing things right...

Mud Truck ready again for action?

Nearly two weeks have passed since the Mud Truck was seen on Astor Place... as Eater noted, the truck was hit by the Department of Health...

However, last night, I spotted the truck out front of its home on Ninth Street near Avenue C...



... looking ready for action... and no sign of the telltale DOH sticker...



Updated:

Maybe not... no Mud Truck in the usual spot on Astor Place a little bit earlier this morning ... but the guy in the DOT van here was drinking coffee...

Final dance for the Musical Box?

Given it's draped front door, it's always hard to tell when the Musical Box on Avenue B near 13th Street is actually open... However, it appears the well-worn former hotspot might be closed for good...

Northern Spy expands

Six-month-old Northern Spy on 12th Street was closed on Monday and Tuesday for some renovations...



The restaurant reopened last night... and team Spy have simply removed the cases that sold to-go items in the back and replaced them with a few more tables... makes sense, given that the place seems to be getting more popular...



More info via the Northern Spy Web site.

Will old PS 64 get a theater for nonprofit groups?

Last Thursday I noted that the sidewalk shed had been removed by workers at the old PS 64 space owned by developer Gregg Singer ... fueling plenty of speculation, mostly by me.

Anyway! The plot thickens here on East Ninth Street ... Scoopy notes the following in his column in The Villager this week..

"Michael Rosen, a Christodora House neighbor and founding member of the East Village Community Coalition, tells us there may be a new twist: A local preservationist ... recently told him that, while plans are still to make the building a dorm, now the owners also want to renovate the old school's existing basement theater and rent it out to a nonprofit theater company. And Singer is still very much involved."

And then the Scoopster let's loose:

"Clearly, Singer wants to exploit preservation-specific tax credits he can get for renovating the landmarked building — the same building he ironically defaced only a few years ago, trying to reverse its landmarking. Talk about 'theater of the absurd.'"

I forgot what H was for

Here's an exclusive, upclose look at the H in the new HSBC branch sign at Second Avenue and Ninth Street... yep, she's a beaut. Thanks guys!



Hoist her up!

Your Shepard Fairey/Cooper Square Hotel daily update!

Preservation groupies unite! Here's your new Landmarks Application resource

From our inbox...The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation sends along word that they have introduced a
new Landmarks Application page that provides details on every application to the Landmarks Preservation Commission in Greenwich Village, NoHo, the East Village, the South Village and the Meatpacking District that requires a public hearing.

Per the release: "With this new page, you can find out critical information about current and past proposals to make changes to the exterior of a building, construct a new building, or demolish an existing building which is either landmarked or within a historic district in these neighborhoods."

At first glance this seems like an invaluable resource....This should keep us busy the next few days....

Community advocate Harry Wieder killed by cab on the LES

Harry Wieder, a Community Board 3 member and an activist for gay and disabled rights, was struck and killed by a cab last night on Essex Street. He was 57.

According to DNAinfo, Wieder was leaving a Community Board 3 meeting at PS 20 when the incident occurred on Essex Street between Houston and Stanton.

“I will miss Harry terribly,” CB 3 Chairman Dominic Pisciotta told DNAinfo. “He contributed so much to the board, and you could always count on him being at nearly every meeting. He loved serving the community, and most of all fighting for it.”

As The Lo-Down noted: On Wieder’s Facebook Page, he described himself as a: “Disabled, gay, Jewish, leftist, middle aged dwarf who ambulates with crutches…”

An unscientific survey! What you had to say about the B&H sign

The other day I posted photos of the new-look front at B&H on Second Avenue... I asked for your thoughts... But first!



I checked in with Jim and Karla Murray, the acclaimed photographers behind "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York." They include this photo of B&H circa 2001 in their book:



And what do they think of the 2010 version?

While we will always miss the old version of the sign, we have to applaud them for not going the vinyl awning route that so many stores now use. The green color of the sign and entire storefront IS very attention-grabbing. Not many stores have a green storefront!

And here are your comments...

Anonymous said...
I like it! They kept the sign true to its roots, only green.

Bowery Boogie said...
tasteful.

creature said...
Agreed. I like it.

marjorie said...
I love it too! i kinda wish it didn't clash with the green of the awning, tho. i'm anal like that.

Ken Mac said...
not bad at all!

glamma said...
thumbs up

VH McKenzie said...
I'm on the love train. Could have been a disaster but it is just a freshened up version of the original.

Looks like they're going for a more streamlined appearance by sticking with the all-green (sorta) color scheme. Good for them, good for the EV.

BrooksNYC said...
Likey!

Anonymous said...
i knooow, it's probably the best that can be done, and it is in good taste in staying w/ the original, but can i just say i miss a tiny bit the faded blue and just plain ol' letters? but everyone's right -- at least they didn't due a huge bubble sign.

UPDATED:

So...that's new sign: 9... hate the new sign: 3

Previously on EV Grieve:
B&H hangs its new sign: What do you think?

Toy Tokyo is moving

As you can see, Toy Tokyo, the collectibles hotspot where you can buy the likes of, say, Nintendo Super Mario Brothers Mushroom Slippers, has cleaned out its store on Second Avenue near Seventh Street ...



Have no fear, though! They're simply moving...



Still have no fear! The new store will be just a few blocks away at 91 Second Ave.



...where workers are busy stocking the store for Saturday's grand opening here...

Rite Aid's sign gets more comical

On 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

On Seventh Street tomorrow: Smurfs, Ted Danson, craft services

Yesterday, smurfers placed more signs around the neighborhood about filming "The Smurf Movie" here in Mushroom Village...




P.S.

Thursday promises to be a busy day for filming on Seventh Street... up on the next block, "Bored to Death," starring Ted Danson and Jason Schwartzman, will be setting up shop...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Smurfs up: Mushrooms, blue creatures in store for Thursday?