Saturday, July 2, 2011

Today at Crusty Meadow


In Tompkins Square Park this afternoon. Photo by Dave on 7th.

Mobile crane alert! BMW Guggenheim Lab construction closes East First Street today


East First Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue is closed today, as you might expect after seeing the crane photo.


Workers are on the scene to install the urban think tank, which we're told is the yellow thing on the back of the truck.*


Previously.

* Yes, that was a terrible joke.

Did you you lose a Scooby-Doo lunch box?


If so, then you're in luck. The folks at NYC Icy have it at 171 Avenue...


The contents include hand sanitizer.

Earlier today on East Sixth Street



[Photos by Dave on 7th]

And then veer right when you near the Ludlow...

East Ninth Street, 9:17 a.m., July 2

Friday, July 1, 2011

Earlier on Second Avenue today



Photos by Bobby Williams

A midsummer's night dream



Something more current than the usual hereabouts ... Dirty Beaches — basically just Alex Zhang Hungtai — play for free tonight at the South Street Seaport... And I like it because it reminds me of Alan Vega/Suicide...

Tonight in Tompkins Square Park: 'Mr. Hulot's Holiday,' French hijinks

And tonight around 8:30ish, the Films on the Green Festival presents "Mr. Hulot's Holiday." Or, to annoy your friends, Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot.

An update on d.b.a. owner Ray Deter: 'Please celebrate Ray as he passes on'


On Wednesday, we posted information about the bicycle accident involving Ray Deter, who owns d.b.a. on First Avenue as well as the locations in Williamsburg and New Orleans. He has been in critical condition since the accident. His wife, Catherine, just updated the d.b.a. Brooklyn Facebook page with this note:

"Thanks so much for everyone's kind words and support for me and the boys....Ray will no longer be with us after this weekend, but we hope our loss will give life to others. Please celebrate Ray as he passes on. Love to you all, Catherine, Jake & Maxwell"

More information will be posted at a later date regarding funeral arrangements.

[Image via MetroMix]

Earlier this morning on East Ninth Street




Photos by John Marshall Mantel.

The Yippie Museum Cafe closed for renovations



Over Bleecker Street between Bowery and Elizabeth, the Yippie Museum Cafe (and the Lenny Bruce Academy of Sick Comedy!) is closed for renovations. We don't have any further details at the moment...

And now, photos of Don King smoking a cigar in Tompkins Square Park




Don King was in the Park last night to introduce the screening of "Raging Bull." And, apparently, he was paying no mind to Bloomberg's No Smoking In the Parks rule.

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Noted



In Tompkins Square Park, not everyone appreciate the corporate sponsorship for last night's screening of "Raging Bull."

Above the Mars Bar: neighbor vows return; next door, killing rats


So the Mars Bar will be open a little longer ... However, some of the residents who live upstairs have already moved out... and per their curtain call, they'll be back.

Meanwhile, just a building down on Second Avenue, the baiting program begins ... the first sign in the demolition process...



Finally, at least one Mars Bar patron believes that the place won't be open today... to prevent any kind of teary farewells and looting. Just a feeling, that's all.

That's a wrap for the Film Academy Cafe on Astor Place



The demolition of 51 Astor Place begins today (abatement, etc.). And with that, the Film Academy Cafe had to vacate its home of 18 months... Wednesday was the Cafe's last day. Workers gutted the place yesterday.

Previously.

Dukovny Floors closes on First Avenue

[Photo by Blue Glass]

Both Blue Glass and Dave on 7th noted that Bernard Dukovny Floors on First Avenue just north of 11th Street has closed...

I went to Google Maps for a Street View... and the Google mobile caught Mr. Dukovny standing in front of his store...


I keep wondering what he was thinking about...

Open Road Park back open last evening


Dunno if it was supposed to be yet... but the gates were open... and I counted 14 skateboarders inside...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Open Road Park closed now on 12th Street

Why the Open Road Park is closed

Happy endings: No more blood on the bench

On Wednesday, we wrote about the new bench adjacent to the MTA ticket machines on Second Avenue just south of 14th Street.... the one with the dried blood on it... EV Grieve reader Peter figured it had been there for five days. MTA officials standing there told him that it wasn't there problem.

Before!


Anyway! As of last evening, the blood is gone.

Now!


Now if someone would only pick up that coffee cup!

And now, the newly designed menu at Odessa


Matt Rosen at Neighborhoodr notes the newly designed menu at EV Grieve favorite Odessa on Avenue A.

The previous menu seemed to be about, oh, 20 pages... Matt says that the new version is more streamlined.

Oscar winners film TV commercial in Yonah Schimmel, Katz's


A reader came across this scene earlier this week at Yonah Schimmel Knishery on Houston ... a crew was on the scene filming a commercial. After a little digging, it turns out this is a high-powered crew — Tom ("The King's Speech") Hooper on the left and Guillermo ("Pan's Labyrinth") Navarro on the right. They were also filming a scene at Katz's ... it's for a credit card commercial...

When using a Groupon at Veniero's



Last evening on 11th Street. Such confusion among the Grouponers! We even heard squealing.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Before 'Raging Bull' tonight in Tompkins Square Park




Oh, don't worry — we won't be posting all these photos before every movie in Tompkins Square Park this summer... we were curious about the first one, what we could expect, etc.

If you went, what did you think? Of the scene, not the movie..

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Things to be advised about before watching 'Raging Bull'


On the way in to see "Raging Bull" tonight in Tompkins Square Park. In perpetuity, of course! Photo by Dave on 7th.

Avenue A, 7:17 p.m., June 30

Soon, 'Raging Bull'

Bobby Williams spotted crews setting up for the "Raging Bull" screening tonight in Tompkins Square Park... I remember those cheers...


...and it looks like quite a production, with sponsor tents and what not...

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Bobby Williams]

A rundown on the recent high-profile police activity on the LES (BoweryBoogie)

Ray becomes a naturalized citizen of the United States of America on July 15 (Neither More Nor Less)

About the changes coming to PS122 (The New York Times)

CIA activity on East Fourth Street? (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Return to the Chillmaster's (The Gog Log ... and Marty After Dark ... and Slum Goddess)

An update on Tuesday night’s riot outside Tammany Hall on Orchard Street (The Lo-Down)

2 great NYC neon signs (Ephemeral New York)

Tonight is your last chance to see the exhibit by photographer Jesper Haynes, titled "St. Marks 1986-2006" at Gallery Onetwentyeight, 128 Rivington St. Closing party tonight 6-9.


And Billy Leroy notes that The White Wolf of the Bowery told his pal The Grizzly Bear that there is a treasure trove of grease and blubber oozing out of Pulino's and to hurry up and wolf it down before those slick L.E.S. Rats get to it...

Just a few more hours left for Veselka at the First Avenue/Houston kiosk

Matt Duckor at The Feast reports this morning that Veselka closes today at noon at the First Avenue/Houston kiosk. They'll be vacating the space to make way for S'MAC. Meanwhile, Veselka Bowery is expected to open in the next year or two.

[Photo by Matt Duckor]

New Seventh Street mansion re-emerges with additional floor

The Economakis Manor isn't the only recently unveiled, newly minted single-family home in the East Village... Here we are over at 64 Seventh Street between Second Avenue and First Avenue. (Or, for coffee fans, between Van Leeuwen and Abraco.)

Before!


Jeremiah wrote extensively about the history at this address in March 2010. (Read his post at Vanishing New York here.) It has been the Les Deux Megots coffeehouse that attracted everyone from Allen Ginsberg to William F. Buckley Jr. ... as well as the Paradox, the macrobiotic restaurant where Yoko Ono and Loudon Wainwright III both worked...

According to Streeteasy, this 1837 Federal Townhouse was originally part of Peter Stuyvesant's parcel of land.

Today!


It's now a single-family home again just like in 1837 ... though now with an elevator. Per the Streeteasy listing, the new owner bought the place in April 2008 for $5.7 $5.3 million.

The house is configured with 13 windowed rooms: three interior rooms, a kitchen on the main floor, three bathrooms and four fireplaces.

Meanwhile, we're not sure what kind of welcome wagon the new tenants will receive from neighbors. According to the DOB, there have been 22 complaints filed against 64 Seventh St. in the past 12 months, ranging from "illegal work on Saturdays" to some steel beams used for the additional floor causing some walls to crack at 62 Seventh St.