Fire scare at Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen

Firefighters were on the scene this afternoon just before 3 at Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen on St. Mark's Place... EV Grieve contributor Bobby Williams happened to be on St. Mark's at the time... There were reports of a basement fire at the bakery, though — thankfully — that didn't turn out to be the case...

6:01 p.m., Houston Street, Jan. 31

A Valentine's Day gift from The New Yorker

Classic. Thanks, New Yorker!

Noted

Via CBS New York.

[Updated] 24/7 security guards now on duty at the Bowery-Houston mural

Apparently those surveillance cameras on the Deitch Wall aren't enough. Billy Leroy at Billy's Antiques sends along word that Goldman Properties have hired 24/7 security guards to watch over the often-bombed mural on Houston and The Bowery.

Updated at 1:45: Billy reports back... turns out Goldman did hire security, though they were only for until the paint on Scharf's work from Saturday night dried...

Yesterday on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Kenny Scharf restores his mural

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

Inside the ruin of Coney Island's Playland Arcade (Nathan Kensinger Photography)

More Village East history (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

The 5th anniversary of McHale's closing (Lost City)

Reviews of Stuy Town on Yelp (Lux Living)

John Lydon brands Jay-Z a 'nonsense parody' (NME)

More winter misery on the way — woo! (Weather Channel)

And the San Loco truck on Avenue A before this most recent storm...

Report: Asian Pub closed at 35 Cooper Square

BoweryBoogie has the scoop (and the photos above). The space has been cleared out, he reports. They lost their lease. You can still try to save the historic building here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Something 28,998 square feet or so coming to Cooper Square (and goodbye Cooper 35 Asian Pub?)

Doom and doomer: More of Cooper Square primed for development

Cooper 35 Asian Pub part of development deal on Cooper Square

Cooper 35 Asian Pub putting up a fight before being torn down

Those vacant spaces next to the Mars Bar

Over the weekend, we spotted a worker poking around the empty spaces adjacent to the Mars Bar ...

We've never seen these spaces open... and was very curious to take a peak inside... and what did we find?

Protest outside the Continental Saturday night

On Saturday night, a group organized by The ANSWER Coalition demonstrated outside the Continental on Third Avenue for what they say are discriminatory acts by the bar’s bouncers.

Bar owner Trigger Smith has denied the allegations, telling the Local East Village on Jan. 21 that patrons were not being turned away because of the color of their skin but because the bar has a policy against admitting patrons who do not adhere to its unwritten dress code. “There’s not a prejudiced bone in my body,” he said.

According to the Facebook group called Boycott Continental Bar in NYC, "the ANSWER Coalition has collected testimony from more than 30 people who claim to have been met with racism or bigotry at the Continental Bar. When the Continental managers were asked by ANSWER Coalition organizers to address these complaints, they refused. Now the New York City Commission on Human Rights is investigating the charges." (Read more on that investigation here.)

While Smith told the Local EV that he would not speak with members of the Answer Coalition, he is cooperating with the Commission's investigation. Smith said that he expected more demonstrations and more investigations because he plans to continue his unwritten dress code of “no baggy, saggy jeans.”

Photo from Saturday night by Vivienne Gucwa via her Flickr page. Reprinted with permission.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another picket planned outside the Continental

Patrons accuse the Continental of discrimination

A birthday celebration tonight at Ray's

As Bob Arihood reports, there will be some entertainment tonight at Ray's ... as he celebrates his 78th birthday... festivities start around 10:30 or so... Perhaps you can stop buy earlier to buy a drink or sandwich or fries... we know that Ray could use the business... tough times again here...

[Photo of "Creme Burlee" via Neither More Nor Less ... where you can find more shots from last year]

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]