Honoring Japan and the memory of Mark Enger

The latest mural outside the Mars Bar for the latest art show, which starts today ... by Hamlet Zurita.

Artist Mark Enger died in January of oral cancer. See more of his work here.

The Times champions sex and ping pong, sort of

Today, a newspaper called The New York Times has an article that has something to do with ping pong. The piece includes mentions of the new table in Tompkins Square Park.

The article ends this way:

In 1971, a United States Ping-Pong team visited China. The ostensible purpose was to conduct some exhibition matches, but the effort has been credited with helping pave the way for President Richard M. Nixon’s historic trip the next year and has been described as “Ping-Pong diplomacy.”

Could the sport that paved the way for more open relations between two cold-war powers improve relations among New Yorkers, still shivering from a blustery winter?

Clearly, some are already counting on it. At the Duane Reade on Avenue B and East Second Street, one vertical display positioned in front of a wall of beer features Ping-Pong balls on one side, condoms on the other. Let the games begin.

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

DOH temporarily closes Mulberry Street Bar; plus, Barry Manilow

NYC the Blog reported yesterday that the DOH has temporarily shuttered the century-old Mulberry Street Bar — an EV Grieve favorite most of the time. NYC the Blog called the bar and was told they'd be back open tomorrow. Read the whole post here. Gothamist has more details here.

[Top photo via the Voice]

PS

While looking for an image to run with this post... I found these of Barry Manilow at the bar via Getty!

Ah, the old jukebox.

The Post thinks Mason Dixon and the Ace Bar are dive bars

The Post has a feature today titled "Gimme dive! NYC’s seedy saloons are holding on — with a twist." Not quite sure of the point here. Perhaps the lead can explain: "World class museums. Four-star restaurants. Broadway,Divebars. All very important New York institutions. But with some classic dives — such as Max fish and Mars — in danger of extingtion, we take a look at some seedy watering holes with secret weapons that will hopefully keep them afloat."

And why, for example, is Mason Dixon down on Essex Street on the list? To the listicle!

This is the only Lower East Side saloon with a mechanical bull to get your “Urban Cowboy” on. While a fine bourbon collection and $9.95 barbecue pork dogs may have purists calling this place more a kitschy honky-tonk than traditional dive, we’re giving it the nod because patrons routinely end up on the floor without being thrown out of the bar.

Per a Post commenter: "This is probably the worst article about dive bars in the history of articles [on?] dive bars."

[Photo via]

Next step in the demolition of 35 Cooper Square

Yesterday, we noted the presence of rodent control signs at 35 Cooper Square... today, crews are on the scene to remove the water and sewer lines... all necessary steps that the developer needs to complete before demolition can commence...

A face lift for Nevada Smith's

Third Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street. Will the workers clear out before Wales-England at 11 a.m.?

East 11th Street, 9:27 a.m., March 26

Today in photos of a large crane on Avenue A

Putting in the new sign for the 7-Eleven? (KIDDING! I know, not funny...)

Bike gang overruns East Village

Oops! Check that...

Photos by EV Grieve correspondent Bobby Williams...

Then from his eyes, Spring fireflies

Siouxsie and the Banshees with "The Killing Jar." 1988.

Mara's Homemade blames their closing, in part, on the East Village bike lanes

Word is getting out this afternoon (via Twitter and Eater, for starters) that Mara's Homemade, the Cajun eatery on East Sixth Street, is closing at the end of April.

Via a letter linked to on Twitter, they mention multiple factors for the closing.

But the reason for closing that might generate the most discussion?

We accepted a short term lease to give us time to re-locate or negotiate a longer term with our current landlord. Since that time, the BP explosion took place, bike lanes were installed on First and Second Avenues which reduced parking and the signs of future property tax increases have occurred.

Report: craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant coming to old Kurve space

Grub Street gets the word on what's coming to the former Kurve-Rhong Tiam space on Second Avenue and Fifth Street: a craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant. And it's from the team behind Dempsey's and Sláinte. And don't call it an Irish pub! "The food will be in the American comfort-food mode with some twisted-up Irish dishes mixed in for good measure," owner Tom O'Byrne told Grub Street.

They're just one of the 40 items on next month's CB3/SLA docket.