Protecting the artwork in Extra Place

Bobby Williams notes today that workers put a protective coating over the artwork on Extra Place...

Wasn't that long ago that workers were quickly removing graffiti as quickly as it went up on Extra Place ...

Polonia has closed

blue glass passes along the sad news that First Avenue Polish diner mainstay Polonia has closed.

Per the Polonia Facebook page:

I am sorry to announce that on this Christmas Eve Polonia will be closing its doors permanently. We would like to thank all of our amazing customers who have supported us this quarter of a century. As all good things, Polonia's time has come to an end. It is time for new ventures. Keep your ears open for NYC Pierogi Factory. And again... Thank You!

We're curious about the sounds of NYC Pierogi Factory. (Except for the "Factory" part of the name, which The Meatball Factory has ruined for us.)

Jozef and Renata Jurczyk opened Polonia in 1989. Per the Polonia website:

Jozef and Renata were both born in Poland and traveled to New York City in the early 1980’s in hopes of following The American Dream. Arriving in the US with very little money, they both worked dead end jobs until saving enough money to open their own business, a restaurant which would allow them to share their culture and memories with other New Yorkers living in this dominantly Ukrainian and Eastern European neighborhood — The East Village.

In November 2010, their son, 22 year-old Paul Jurczyk, officially took over the restaurant from his parents. He worked to update the menu, taking it from diner food to something more upscale. Jurczyk hired a chef, the 26-year-old Olaf Wozny, who previously worked at Il Bucco, to help update the menu.

We interviewed Paul here last year. Read those posts here.

A few of us grumbled about the changes. However, as Jeremiah Moss wrote on Dec. 6, 2010: "There's still a homey feeling here that has little to do with the hyper-gentrification that is washing over the neighborhood ... This place is not going to attract any douchebag crowds anytime soon, so don't fret."

One rumor is that the landlord was raising the rent.

An Eighth Street now and then

EV Grieve reader Steve Carter passed along this shot from East Eighth Street near Avenue C (roughly early 1990s)...

...and we attempted to line it for for a now-and-then...

From 1983-1985, the address was home to the performance space 8BC...

[Via Ephemeral New York]

77 E. Seventh St. East Village's lone entry in 'NYC's Worst Landlords Watchlist'

[77 E. Seventh St. via Google Street Maps]

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio has released the 2011 NYC's Worst Landlords Watchlist ... and it looks as if one East Village building made the list.

At No. 29 in Manhattan: Robert Koziej, head officer, 77 E. Seventh St. with 110 total infractions. With 16 units in the building, that's roughly 6.8 infractions per apartment...

de Blasio's database contains 358 buildings owned by 317 separate landlords in all five boroughs. Topping the list: 1071 Home Corp, which had 1,187 infractions total in eight properties in the Bronx.

Read more at the Daily News ... h/t Curbed ...

Noted

To be honest, we're not sure how long this has been on the plywood outside the former P.S. 64/CHARAS/El Bohio Community Center on the Ninth Street side... we noticed some messages after the holiday party/community potluck here on Dec. 18 ... but we didn't see this (Real? Fake?) phone number for controversial developer Gregg Singer, who owns this ... and whose plans haven't gone anywhere since he bought the place during a city auction in 1998... he is apparently pressing on with plans ... Scoopy had an entertaining item on all this a few weeks back at The Villager (last item).

Anyway, nice job of someone trying to paint over this ...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will old PS 64 get a theater for nonprofit groups?

Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

'Public Assembly' for the former P.S. 64 on Friday

Support for Karl Fischer's 427 E. 12th St.

Just noting this as part of our ongoing coverage of 427 E. 12th St., future home of a 6-level Karl Fischer-designed apartment building, as we first reported on July 21.

Anyway, there are now support braces in the pit to help prop up 425 E. 12th Street...

According to the DOB, the most recent complaint here was dated Nov. 22, when a caller noted: "While doing work at above location, the top part of the adjacent building has separated walls due to this work."

The Ides of Mulch

We have a little more time left before the start of the City's annual MulchFest. But! It's not too soon to start dragging your Christmas trees over to Tompkins Square Park... here was the scene yesterday...

Photo by Bobby Williams.

A year-end appreciation: First Avenue Pierogi & Deli

Near St. Mark's Place ...

A holiday greeting for David Schwimmer on East Sixth Street

A very special correspondent notes the latest greeting outside 331 E. Sixth St., which may or may not be the new 6-story home of David Schwimmer...

We'll be there for you, David...

Flashback!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Is David Schwimmer the 'Friends' star who now owns the demolished 331 E. Sixth St. townhouse?

Outrage over total demolition of historic East Sixth Street townhouse

Billy's Antiques closing on Jan. 1 for the next 10-12 months

As The New York Times reported on Dec. 5, the iconic tent that houses Billy's Antiques on Houston at the Bowery is coming down to make way for a two-story brick building. Billy's will be moving back into the new structure. BoweryBoogie got the scoop that the tent will come down on Jan. 1.

We asked Billy for a few more details... He figures it will take about 10 to 12 months for the work to happen on the site... but he did confirm that Billy's will remain at the location. (Previously, Billy told us that the brick for the new structure is coming from an old factory in Massachusetts.)

And what will Billy do in the interim?

"I am a co-host on a new Antiques Reality show called 'Baggage Battles' on Travel Channel. We have already filmed two episodes in Miami and London," he said. "I got the part out of 60 Antique Dealers. The pay is decent and who knows — America might really dig Bowery Billy. Or might not?"

Flashback: Dec. 27, 2010

The blizzard of the century that was almost bigger than the last blizzard of the century.

As the For Rent sign turns at 34 Avenue A

August!

Last week!

Now!

Curly's Vegetarian Lunch closed for renovations

Thanks to @robbyohara for the tip... No word on when the restaurant will reopen here on East 14th Street near Second Avenue...

When a fire hydrant is the perfect advertising medium

Via Andrew Adam Newman on Avenue C.