Today in wishful thinking

Second Avenue and 10th Street. Spotted Saturday morning outside the deli's former home on Second Avenue.

Flashback via The Daily News:

[Hughes/News via]

Windows working at future Union Square Hyatt

Over at the future home of the Union Square Hyatt on Fourth Avenue at 13th Street, workers have unveiled one of the hotel's lesser-touted amenities... fresh air for the rooms!

Open windows will come in handy for dumping water on any noisy guests enjoying those private terraces on the second floor...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Noticeable progress at the future Union Square Hyatt

A larger liquor store for Second Avenue

Two weeks back we noted that the new deli/grocery that took over half of the Dunkin Donuts space on Second Avenue had closed...

The folks who own the liquor store next door also own this space... and they are expanding into this space, according to several sources...

[Updated] You can still help save 35 Cooper Square

Sign the petition to save 35 Cooper Square here. There are nearly 1,100 signatures. Check out some of the comments, like this one: "There is no reason whatsoever for the razing of this historic building for the sake of slapping up yet another tired, useless, architectural abomination in the form of another hotel or NYU dorm. No one who lives in the East Village wants to see this important building destroyed."

Here's a recap from Friday afternoon's rally.

Updated: BoweryBoogie reports the Asian Pub has closed.

[Photo by EV Grieve reader Lisa]

Why the FDNY was on First Avenue this afternoon

In case you were wondering why the FDNY was all over First Avenue this afternoon around 2:30 between 9th Street and 10th Street.... EV Grieve contributor Bobby Williams was on the scene... where there was a minor kitchen mishap...

East 10th Street: Now with a little less shade

During the Great Thunder Blizzard of 2011 snowstorm the other night... part of this tree on East 10th Street between Third Avenue and Second Avenue came crashing down ... there were no reported injuries...

[Via SoulSeller]

This morning, the block was, er, blocked off while tree crews took to cleaning up the remains...

Last day for Phase Shift at La MaMa La Galleria

In case you haven't had a chance to stop by yet... today is the last day for Phase Shift, the collaboration between Jennifer Williams and Wilfredo Ortega responding to the changes in both the Bowery’s physical surroundings and its artist community.

Here is one of the wall collages by Williams...

La MaMa La Galleria is located at 6 East 1st St., between Bowery and 2nd Avenue. Hours: 1-6 p.m.

[Updated] Kenny Scharf restores his mural

We've been following the saga Of Kenny Scharf's mural on Houston and The Bowery... it has been bombed ... restored ... and bombed again...

The Late Adopter has this shot of Kenny Scharf on the scene last night restoring his mural...

And here are a few others courtesy of The Late Adopter...

The Late Adopter also has video here.

Bucky Turco has more at Animal New York.

The Bowery, 10:11 a.m., Jan. 30

10th Street, 9:01 a.m., Jan. 30

The tentacles at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery

A reader notes the giant Octopus Snow Sculpture at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery ... this is the work of Joey Schaefer.

Top this, Essex Street Snowman!

DNAinfo has a few more shots of the Octopussy.

Of Walmart and the city's power brokers

At the Daily News today, Adam Lisberg writes about Walmart's new ad campaign that takes aim at City Council, labor unions and other groups that are trying to block the retailer from opening locations in New York City.

"The key message here is that New Yorkers should decide where they shop and work," said Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo. "Some of the louder voices in the debate don't represent the interests of New Yorkers."

Which means that the nation's largest retailer won't be present Thursday for the Council hearing on Walmart's foray into New York.

As Lisberg writes:

To Walmart, the Council and its traditional allies are increasingly irrelevant.

This comes as union membership in New York is declining, as a once-iconoclastic city fills with Targets and McDonalds, and as the Council legislates about dog leashes and movie trailers while Mayor Bloomberg wields the real power.

Earlier this evening on East Fifth Street

The FDNY was out in full force tonight on East Fifth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... ConEd was on the scene too, a reader reports, checking for gas leaks.... No fire, just a scare...

Photos via windward.leeward at Flickr.

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