Always the sun

Seems like a nice little end-of-summer song from 1980... the Marine Girls... featuring Tracey Thorn.

Investigating that weird thingamajig on the Second Avenue Chase branch

The last time we looked at the Chase branch on Second Avenue at 10th Street, Rev. Billy & the Church of Life After Shopping had placed some coal mountain mud in the lobby... this afternoon, EV Grieve correspondent Blue Glass notes the presence of something else...



This!



There's only one (or two!) explanations... per Blue Glass: "Is this a DOT/ConEd curse?"

Perhaps!

Marlene, 1988

Clayton Patterson's photo page, in which he publishes work from his vast archives, is my favorite feature of the newly launched Villager spinoff, The East Villager.

This week, Patterson presents this photo of Marlene Bailey in Tompkins Square Park from 1988. You may know her better as "Hot Dog."



“I think it’s great to see her looking like that,” Patterson said in the feature. “I think it’s a good example of the difficulties and hard life of living on the street. She’s a neighborhood icon to some — a reprobate to others. I think she’s one of the last of the real survivors out there on the street — one of the street warriors.”

Here's a more recent photo of Marlene (with Poet John Lesko) from Bob Arihood's excellent new photo site, Nadie Se Canoce.

Last day to help the East Side Community High School win $500,000

Over on 12th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, students and teachers are outside with computers to get people to vote online so that the school can win $500,000 in the Kohl's Cares for Kids contest.

The Villager has a nice feature on this.... As part of the competition, Principal Mark Federman has been sleeping in a tent out front of the school since Aug. 23

If you go to www.eschs.org, then you'll find more details.

The 8 types of cyclists you'll encounter on East Village streets

At several junctures during the summer, we've had posts updating the developments on the new First Avenue and Second Avenue bike lanes... and each post prompted a spirited debate in the comments: Pedestrians vs. cyclists. Cyclists vs. cyclists. Everybody vs. cyclists. Seemingly.

(You can find some of those posts here ... and here. And here.)


In many cases, all cyclists were dumped into one large "all cyclists are bad" category. While I like nothing more than grotesque stereotypes (woo!), it just seemed too easy to have people list problems that they've had with individual cyclists, which in turn made it seem as if anyone on a bike was a law-breaking cycling commando out for blood.



So! I enlisted the help of someone who knows more about cycling than I do — The Cycling Friend of EV Grieve (CFOEVG), who helped create and write these eight categories. However, CFOEVG is not totally confident that this list is a wholly accurate depiction of cyclists on the streets. So our intention is to illustrate that there is more to the NYC cycling community other than just 100 percent "rogue bikers."

Feel free to add your own categories. Plus, it's probably fair to, at some point, categorize the different types of pedestrians, motorists and bloggers too...

So now, to the list:

• Professionals — Those who work for a business outfit or courier firm. As CFOEVG says, they are "ironically, dangerous riders."

• Restaurant Delivery Workers — Often cooks or dishwashers who are put on a bike. Not to be confused with "all bikers." Some of the worst offenders for sidewalk riding.

• Pro/Amateur Racers — Usually on their way to a race, a park or New Jersey. Members of this group have a tendency to avoid bike lanes because they can't go fast enough in them.

• Triathletes — Typical greenway-variety, some of the most hated riders since they ride so poorly and can be so rude, says CFOEVG. Generally not a problem on surface streets.

• Weekend Warriors — Usually too slow to be of harm, but can end up on sidewalks. Occasionally a problem, but not to be confused with your average cyclists.

• Responsible commuters — Group members here are aware that cyclists are being watched, so they won't block crosswalks or ride on sidewalks. Increasingly, the majority of people you see riding.

• Irresponsible commuters — "Too good/too cool" for bike lanes who like to say that bike lanes are for wusses, but are actually more dangerous to pedestrians.

• Tourists — Uh-oh! Run! Tourists ride the wrong way in the park, too fast on the sidewalk. Just bad all around. Especially when the tourists are riding and unfolding a map at the same time.

P.S. As a bonus for making it this far... From 1986, the "Cocktail" of bike messenger movies...

At the Mars Bar, 'hipster' entourage forced to drink Bud, pay with cash

A little slice-of-Mars-Bar life via Matt Rosen at les pensées insouciantes:

Curly bleached blonde ‘do — sides buzzed…

Skin-tight, distressed boatneck top, with a low enough scoop to show off some of that tasty —- and Manly™ —- burger meat…

Obligatory skinny jeans and Chuck Taylors…

Without a moment’s hesitation, confidently, like he’s done a hundred times before:

“Three PBR’s.”

Bartender:

“We don’t have it.”

Hipster:

[Look of utter disappointment and confusion. Noticeably rattled. You can see the immediate calculation going on in his head…“Dare I be caught drinking something as bourgie as…a Budweiser?” He regroups, poised just enough to mumble…]

“Bud is, fine.”

His order placed, he shrugs off this initial misstep and falls back into the comfort of his group while the drinks are prepared.

The bartender returns.

Our hipster whips out the plastic.

Bartender:

“Cash only.”

Hipster:

“Uh, oh…okay.”

Back to the pack. Hands struggle down deep into tight, practically vacuum-sealed front pockets for some crumpled up greenbacks.

Just enough.

Phew.

Our hipster takes a cool sip from the unfamiliar bottle, his hand shaking a little, a bead of sweat emerging from his forehead. He turns back into the pack and starts to bop his head to what he’s pretty sure is The Stooges playing on the jukebox.

Mikey's Pet Shop mural neutered

Given the closure of Mikey's Pet Shop on Seventh Street near Avenue A last fall... it was inevitable that the Chico mural would one day vanish....

Before:


... which happened yesterday....



It's the second Chico mural to be painted over this week....

It takes a Ferrari tow truck....

...to tow a Ferrari... here on 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue yesterday ... via EV Grieve correspondent Blue Glass....

Why the president of the East Fifth Street Block Association carries a baseball bat

We've been writing about some of the issues stemming from Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge on Fifth Street and Second Avenue... In the aftermath of the deadly shooting on this corner on Aug. 22, neighbors reiterated the ongoing problems that they've had from the club.

Per Patrick Hedlund's article today at DNAinfo:

East Fifth Street resident Stuart Zamsky has gotten so fed up with the noise and violence stemming from the nearby nightclub Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge that he’s taken to patrolling the sidewalk with a baseball bat to keep the crowds from disturbing his family.

Visitors to the popular nightspot will often gather outside the window of his two young sons’ room, screaming obscenities and even fighting on busy weekend nights, he said.

Zamsky is the East Fifth Street Block Association.

And here's Sin Sin's take on the issues:

“There have been altercations on the street. It’s a very busy intersection,” said Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge owner Philip Quilter, who supplied the police with surveillance footage of the suspects from the night of the shooting.

“It has been mentioned that we’re responsible entirely [for the noise and violence], and that’s not the case,” he added. “We are responsible for some noise, but we’re the only place to police the streets until 5 o’clock in the morning.”

He said that they will have four or five bouncers on duty during busy weekend nights.

One resident has also taken some videos of a few incidents.... (the altercation begins about the 2-minute mark on this one...)






Previously on EV Grieve:
NYPD hosting meeting between Sin Sin and neighbors tonight

East Village noise wars new battlefront: Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge

Allen Ginsberg's former apartment quickly rented

Just last Wednesday we did that post on Allen Ginsberg's former apartment at 437 E. 12th St. hitting the market.... the freshly renovated one bedroom unit was listed at $1,700.

Dmitry (Daniel) Kramp, Kramp Residential Team, City Connection Realty Inc., told me that the apartment has been rented.



And the new tenant is aware of the apartment's history, he said. (Kramp also said that he received a lot of calls from people who read the post via New York's Daily Intel and Curbed.)

Meanwhile, several of Ginsberg's friends left comments on the post...

I'll share one of them:

Rosebud Pettet said...
I had the great joy and privilege of knowing Allen for 33 years. Lived with him and Peter on and off during that time — at 5th st., 10th st., and long time at 12th st. I2th street was always "home" to me.
Allen was always kind, generous, patient...he gave me the small (Peter's) apartment next door to live in with my son whenever we were in NYC, but mostly we lived in Allen's.
Went back to see the place the day before it was completely gutted, and Peter Hale took some photos. It was so very hard to say goodbye to the place, all the memories...Burroughs, Dylan, the Bad Brains, all the amazing people who spent time there, esp. my "spiritual husband" Harry Smith...
Met my former husband Simon at Allen's, then we lived downstairs for years-Allen "best man" at our wedding.
Loved Allen like a father, was at his side when he died. Will always miss him and our little home on 12th street.
AUGUST 30, 2010 1:25 PM

Via: Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Louis Cartwright, Herbert Huncke, William Burroughs, Allen & Peter's new apartment, 437 E. 12th St., New York City, December 1975. Photographer unknown.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Allen Ginsberg's former 12th Street apartment now on the market

Who you'll find lounging at the 2 Cooper pool: A Jonas brother! That one woman from 'Twilight'!

Jennifer Gould Keil has this scoop in today's Home section in the Post:

Bloodsucks “Twilight” beauty Ashley Greene has signed a lease for a one-bedroom at the new 2 Cooper Square rental building, where one-bedrooms start around $4,000 per month.

Greene, who plans to share the new apartment with her dog, hasn’t moved in yet but has already been seen at the building. While our spies can’t see the future like Greene’s “Twilight” character, they’ve spotted the actress sunbathing by 2 Cooper Square’s rooftop pool with her hunky Jonas Brothers beau, Joe Jonas.

Also, the online version of the story has "bloodsucks" while the paper version has "Bloodsucking." I think I like "bloodsucks" better.

A Building sidewalk shed ushers in new crisis: How will residents hail a cab?

Per Tuesday's post, workers began erecting a sidewalk shed in front of the two-year-old pool-party-palace the A Building on East 13th Street... Shed up! The DOB issued the work permit yesterday for...



... "emergency repair to balconies." (The Real Deal reported on some of the problems with the building back in April.)

Meanwhile, speaking of emergencies...



... the sidewalk shed now obstructs one of the building's many amenities....



... the light-up sign for hailing taxis....


[top image via Curbed]

Or maybe the sign had to be removed. Well, at least the sidewalk shed will keep residents out of the elements while waiting for a cab.

For further reading:
East Village, Long Gentrified, Takes a Snooty Turn

Why you'll have to wait a while longer to get your borscht from Veselka on the Bowery

Construction may have started in February for the Bowery/First Street location of Veselka...



But I caught a look inside the space the other day... Workers were carrying in some supplies... there's still a ways to go here, as you can see...

A party at Avenue A sushi.... and on the sidewalk

We're getting word of a huge blowout last night at Avenue A Sushi (or G2 Kurosawa — little confused on the name these days). The line, which lasted a good portion of the evening, went north to Seventh Street, and then west on Seventh Street. All the while, the crowd blocked most of the sidewalk. Bob Arihood, who took the above photo, talked to some of the line dwellers, and was simply told there was a party.

Indeed.