RIP Markand Thakar

[Photo by Thomas D. Ward]

The folks at Sophie's and Mona's passed along the sad news that Markand Thakar, a longtime regular at the bars, died this week. He was 82. We don't have a lot of details at the moment about a service or any possible celebrations of his life.

His artwork adorns the walls at both bars. He was a regular at the popular Tuesday night jazz sessions at Mona's. You've probably seen him there. And you'd remember having a conversation with him.

You can read about his life and work and view his art at his website, The Skunk Museum & Library. (We particularly like his oil paintings of bar scenes from the 1970s and 1980s.)

Part of his life, in his own words:

I've been asked, on numerous occasions, to explain the origins of my name and of my antecedents - and, just how did my parents, being of such different backgrounds, manage to meet? It has become obvious, that in this day of the American hyphenate, merely stating that I was born in New York City, on the 4th of July, in the fateful year, 1929 — and being the sixth child of a father born in India, and a mother born in Belgium, makes for an insufficient life history...

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After the drafting, during WWII, of my three older brothers, I began working as a gofer at a haberdashery that furnished the uniforms for Columbia's Navy ninety-day-wonders, then worked as a soda jerk — during which time I dropped out of High School. On July 18, 1946, shortly after I turned seventeen, I enlisted in the Regular Army and served for about a year in the post-WWII occupation of Japan. As a result, I joined my three older brothers as WWII veterans (all of us having served during WWII's emergency years).

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After my discharge, and over the years, I used up my GI Bill schooling allowance — during which time I worked at numerous jobs: soda jerk, bank page, RR dock worker, apprentice machinist, model maker — all the while, and from then on, I was more or less involved in the making of art. Then, from late 1953, before selling my business in 1974, I supported my wife, Betty Huber (a German Baptist, born in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1926, who was in the process of obtaining a Ph.D.) and our three children as a licensed customhouse broker and registered foreign freight forwarder. My wife of over half a century (now deceased), after obtaining her PhD. carried much of the burden of supporting the family — from 1974 on.

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We featured Thakar in a post this past Dec. 22.

[Photo by Thomas D. Ward]

Report: 9th Precinct adding more cops to crack down on nightlife-related problems

Capt. John Cappelmann, the 9th precinct's new commanding officer, told residents that eight to 10 officers would join his ranks next month to help crack down on nightlife-related problems, DNAinfo reported.

During a Community Council meeting Tuesday night, "Cappelmann said he was responding to concerns he has heard from East Village residents since taking over the command about a month ago. Many residents turned out for Tuesday night's meeting to complain about noise and unruly crowds emanating from the neighborhood's densely packed bars."

He said that he'd assign the extra officers to the midnight conditions and midnight anticrime teams. (And how about a Sunday Brunch conditions team?)

Blockbuster closes on March 18

On Jan. 29, we noted that the Blockbuster on East Houston in the Red Square strip was going out of business ... At the time, a Blockbuster employee said that they'd close on Feb. 29.

However, we just heard that the Blockbusterers pushed the date back to March 18 (confirmed by a Blockbuster employee) ... so in case that you are in the market for any previously viewed DVDs or DVD display cases...

Now.

Two questions.

1) Has anyone checked out the sale items? Worth a look? We've never had a Blockbuster membership. Do you need to be a member to buy any of the crap?

2) The store has been on the block for a year now ... looks as if Sleepy's is part of the deal too ... the listing has it going for $75 a square foot... What would you like to see in the space? (Shoe store! Egg shop! Zine store! Heh.) What do you think will end up in the space? (And please be more specific than, say, "something shitty.")

Sorry — that was four questions.

Take a bath, get transported to Italy

Oh, just pointing out a listing for a two-bedroom home at 119 E. 10th Street — "central village" as the listings always list ... Nice place. Which is what you'd expect for $6,000 in rent per month.

Per the listing:

With two wood burning fireplaces, North and South views and a bathroom which transports you to Italy, this home will not disappoint!

Hey look — new street signs!

Last Friday morning, we watched DOT employees start to put up new street signs on First Avenue...

So, before, the intersections looked like this via Google Maps with Street View...

[Whistling...not commenting]

Now, the city has placed the street names in a much more prominent position over the Avenues, as these photos by EV Grieve regular peter radley show...

Not sure how much difference they make to pedestrians ... but, if you're driving, you'll likely have an easier time finding, say, McSorley's ... And are these part of that federal mandate for all street signs to use a lowercase font called Clearview? I'm just not a font person.

Tonight: Fighting the NYU expansion plan

Find more details here.

Life Cafe listing now online

Earlier today, we pointed out that a for lease sign has appeared in the window of the Life Cafe space on 10th Street and Avenue B.

NYREX has now posted the listing, though there isn't much information, such as the monthly rent for this prime space.

Owner Kathy Kirkpatrick closed the 30-year-old cafe last September ... while the two landlords completed long overdue repairs. Life "spans a space belonging to two different buildings with two different landlords whose dispute over the price of the work contract has prevented construction from starting," as The Villager reported last fall.

There goes the Holiday Cocktail Lounge

Workers are cleaning out the space at 75 St. Mark's Place this afternoon, as this photo by EV Grieve reader David shows...

The bar closed back on Jan. 29. Robert Ehrlich, the founder of Pirate Brands, and Barbara Sibley, the owner of La Palapa next door, are teaming up to open a tavern-restaurant that serves staples such as fish-n-chips.

Sibley told Grub Street that they were "going to try to preserve as much of the history as possible."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The founder of Pirate's Booty is taking over the Holiday Cocktail Lounge

Why the future of the Holiday Cocktail Lounge may be in doubt

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

A video tour of Anthony Pisano's Seventh Street apartment (Gothamist)

City may eliminate half the pre-K classes at two East Village schools (DNAinfo)

Andy Warhol's New York — 25 years later (The Village Voice)

Inside the last Times Square flophouse — the Elk Hotel (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

A new record from Joey Ramone 11 years after his death (Rolling Stone)

Why underage drinking in New York is on the rise (The Daily News)

FDNY on the scene at 20 Avenue A

RyanAvenueA notes that firefighters were on the scene this morning at 20 Avenue A at Second Street. Residents said that they smelled smoke. One firefighter on the scene said that everything was OK, though he didn't provide any further details.

A major roof fire broke out next door at 240 Houston back in July 2010.

[UPDATED: Store back open] Marshal seizes Avenue A Wine & Liquor

Last night, a reader noted that the Marshal had closed Avenue A Wine & Liquor between 12th Street and 13th Street... The paperwork is on the front door...

Updated 2:01 p.m.
EV Grieve reader dwg says that the store is back open this afternoon.

Last month, the Marshal seized Furry Land Pet Supplies on the other side of Avenue A. That storefront is now for rent.

Life Cafe looks officially dead on 10th and B

After 30 years in business, Life Cafe abruptly closed "until further notice" last Sept. 11, as we first reported. Owner Kathy Kirkpatrick said that she'd stay closed until the landlords completed long overdue repairs.

Apparently we've seen the last of Life here: The for lease signs went up yesterday here on East 10th Street and Avenue B.

The listing isn't online just yet. We sent an email to Kirkpatrick last night for more details.

Previously.

David Schwimmer's unfinished mansion makes New York City celebrity homes map

We received this news release yesterday from Rentenna, a newish rental search tool:

Rentenna's first-ever New York City Star Map features the buildings of over 100 celebrities across Manhattan and Brooklyn, so everyone can look up their famous neighbors, gloat to friends elsewhere in the country, then quickly go back to pretending they never cared in the first place.

We took a quick look... and were rather surprised to find that David Schwimmer's incoming home at 331 E. Sixth St. made the list... considering it's still in that hole-in-the-ground phase...

One explanation for the existence of IHOP on East 14th Street

Back on Jan. 3, we pointed out that 235-237 E. 14th St., which houses the IHOP, was on the market for $14.5 million. The Massey Knakal listing noted that IHOP was paying $45,833 per month on a 10-year lease.

The Real Deal had more details on the sale in this piece published Monday:

Just over a year after buying a bland, mixed-use building on the border of the East Village for less than $4 million, retail-focused landlord Ashkenazy Acquisition is ramping up efforts to sell that location, which is home to a popular International House of Pancakes restaurant, for $14.5 million. That extraordinary, potential growth in value at 235 East 14th Street, between Second and Third avenues, is due to the long-term IHOP lease inked at the building last year, property sales marketing material shows. But that valuable lease was a bit of an inside deal, because Ashkenazy Acquisition Chairman and CEO Ben Ashkenazy is a managing member of the company that owns the IHOP franchise rights in the tri-state area.

So to review, as a friend of EV Grieve did for us. Buy an undervalued asset. Place a retail client that you own the rights to in the space with a long-term lease. Then turn around and sell the building for more than triple what you paid for it. Not a bad day's work...

The Standard East Village's solution for making nice with neighbors: Outdoor ping-pong

André Balazs has been making the media rounds, discussing what a good neighbor the Standard East Village will be... As you know, the manager types at the former Cooper Square Hotel weren't so popular with nearby residents.

As Balazs told The Wall Street Journal: "It's a very residential community and they managed to make a design that pissed off the neighbors immediately. That's a mistake. That's not what we're going to be about."

Meanwhile, we heard from a few amused-horrified residents who passed along this link to a piece in UrbanDaddy yesterday about the new hotel's new restaurant. The Restaurant at the Standard East Village opens today. Aside from things like burgers ($15) and BLT turkey clubs ($12), the eatery sports an outdoor ping-pong table.

As only UrbanDaddy can do:

The vibe here: distinctly more laid-back than its MePa sibling. A little world wearier. Just a little readier to kick your ass and take your name at the patio ping-pong table that calls to you from among the wooden furniture and gardens.

We see you hustling the naive masses, lime-lingonberry-puree-infused cocktail in hand, in front of an awed crowd, giving a clinic on the art of topspin.

You know, keeping it low-key.

P.S. Here's the menu:

Your chance to discuss plans for a new Pier 42 park

As you may know, there are now plans (with funding!) that would redevelop Pier 42 to build a new park along the East River between the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges ... the park/urban beach would include green space and river access, according to one report. "Visitors to the fenced-off beach would not be permitted to swim in the river but would be allowed to dip their feet into it," the Post noted.

Per The Lo-Down: "Part of the Pier 42 money will be used to remove an abandoned shed to make room for more public space, and to stabilize the pier, which is just south of Montgomery Street. The entire Pier 42 park project is expected to take about five years and cost more than $40 million."

This would all eventually connect Lower Manhattan's waterfront parks.

You'll have your chance to tell our elected politicos what you think of the plan... there's a public meeting tonight hosted by CB3, the Parks Department and State Sen. Daniel Squadron’s office. It takes place at 7 p.m. at the BRC Senior Services Center, 30 Delancey St., which is between Chrystie and Forsyth.

For further reading ... The Lo-Down has been following this story for some time. Read more here.

What's happening next to the former East Village Farms at 100 Avenue A

[Bobby Williams]

After a rather long goodbye, East Village Farms closed for good on Feb. 9. (The flower guys stuck around until last Wednesday.)

There were all sorts of rumors about this space that included a not-so-secret old movie house. The employees of East Village Farms had said the building's landlord would demolish the building.

However, there weren't any work permits to back up these claims.

But there are now.

There's a permit pending — dated today — at the DOB. According to the all-cap job description:

TO RENOVATE EXIST. HIGH TWO STORY BUILDING INCLUDING THE EXPANSION OF THE CELLAR FLOOR, THE RAISING OF THE ENTIRE SECOND FLOOR AND INSTALLING A NEW STOREFRONT. 2) TO ADD A NEW PARTIAL THIRD AND FOURTH FLOOR FOR ONE DWELLING UNIT WITH A ROOF GARDEN ON THE 2ND FLOOR ROOF ACCESSORY TO THE DWELLING UNIT.

So, no demolition. But, if approved, the landlord plans to renovate the existing building, including the storefront, and add one doozy of an apartment (3,000 square feet in total) with an outdoor space.

We'll have more on this later.

At first glance, though, this sounds like the $4.8 million "owner's triplex" above Sunny and Annie's on Sixth Street and Avenue B...


Previously on EV Grieve:
A little bit of Hollywood on Avenue A

East Village Farms is closing; renovations coming to 100 Avenue A

Inside the abandoned theater at East Village Farms on Avenue A

Reader reports: Village Farms closing Jan. 31; building will be demolished

Reports: Bar Veloce suing former employees over East Village flyer campaign

Back in January, presumably former employees of the wine cafe on Second Avenue placed flyers around the neighborhood accusing the Bar Veloce owners of allegedly underpaying workers and taking money from the tip pool.

In April 2011, Bar Veloce workers reportedly sued the owners of the restaurant group for wage and labor violations. Now, as Eater reports today, the owners are counter-suing the workers for a smear campaign that they believe is tarnishing the Veloce name.

According to the new suit: "customers have been driven away, potential investors lost, and employees unnecessarily upset and confused."

Per Grub Street on the lawsuit, "A note to disgruntled restaurant employees: Taking out a telephone-pole flyer smear campaign may not be such a hot idea."

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

[By East Village-based photographer James Maher. Find his work here]

What could drive Yonah Schimmel out of business after 101 years on East Houston (The Lo-Down)

A map showing all of Ben Shaoul's East Village properties (Occupy East 4th Street)

The history of Blimpie Base (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

The World Famous Pee Phone on Avenue A hasn't worked since August (East Village Corner)

Inside Five Napkin Burger on 14th and Third (Eater)

At Otto's Shrunken Head (Tripping With Marty)

The BBC preps a series on 19th-Century Five Points (BoweryBoogie)

More change on 12th and Broadway (Flaming Pablum)

Manhattanhenge dates for 2012 (Gothamist)

Sign of the cross at St. Brigid's

The front of the under-renovation St. Brigid's has been under wraps in recent months here on Avenue B at East Eighth Street... On Friday, the cross from the top of the church made an appearance...

[Top two photos by Bobby Williams]

Looking forward to seeing the rest of the restored church soon...

Here's a shot from 2009 ...


Previously.

New window frames for St. Brigid's

Meanwhile, yesterday, workers outside St. Brigid's were busy putting in new frames for the stained-glass windows for the front of the church...

Workers recently put in the stained-glass windows for the church's north side...

Photos by Matt LES_Miserable.

And later... via Bobby Williams...

Workers making a pit stop at incoming Karl Fischer-designed building on East 12th Street

When we last looked in on 427 E. 12th St., the future home of a six-level Karl Fischer-designed apartment building, workers had planted some support braces in the pit to help prop up its neighbor to the west...

Now, as EV Grieve reader Greg Masters notes in these photos, work is under way ...

This spot had been dormant for several years.

Meanwhile, according to the DOB, a caller on Feb. 10 says that the construction "has caused damage to phone lines at 429 E. 12th St. and cracks in bathroom walls."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Karl Fischer designing new East 12th Street residence

Famous Original Ray's Pizza closes on East Houston

So the Famous Original Ray's Pizza here in the Red Square shops is gone. As you can see, workers have cleared out the space...

I get all the various Ray's mixed up. (Serious Eats does some detective work here.)

According to the Famous Original Ray's Pizza Facebook page:

We are the Mangano family, the owners of Famous Original Ray's Pizza. The patriarch of our family, Rosolino "Ray" Mangano, started it all. He created the original Ray's Pizza. Today we still follow Ray's recipes.

Recently, there has been significant media attention surrounding the closing of the Ray's Pizza on Prince Street and the closing of Famous Ray's Pizza on 11th Street. A number of incorrect statements have been made in the news stories. To be clear, we own federal trademark registrations issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the Ray's Pizza trademarks. Over the years we have systematically taken steps to stop infringers from using our trademarks. We did commence an infringement lawsuit against the operator of the Famous Ray's Pizza located on 11th Street. That lawsuit was recently settled.

We have an important message for all infringers of the Ray's Pizza trademarks: WE WILL STOP YOU. If you want to avoid litigation and the payment of damages STOP NOW.

Anyway, the Famous Original Ray's Pizza is still open on the other side of Houston near Orchard Street.

P.S.
By the end of yesterday afternoon, workers had removed the Ray's sign from the building...

The Winter Antifolk Festival starts tomorrow at Sidewalk

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Up from the Underground Winter Antifolk Festival Highlights 50 Artists from Legendary Songwriting Scene at East Village’s Sidewalk Cafe, February 22 through 26

Nearly 50 songwriters and other performers who have drawn attention within the underground network of artists centered at Sidewalk Cafe in the East Village will be highlighted in the 2012 Winter Antifolk Festival from February 22 through 26.

For almost two decades the Festival has featured the most promising and prominent performers from the scene at Sidewalk. The venue is known for serving as a launching pad for the careers of artists like Regina Spektor, Jeffrey Lewis, and The Moldy Peaches and also is home to a supportive and deep-seated artistic community.

Among those scheduled to perform are Larkin Grimm, Level 2, Turner Cody, Jon Berger, Debe Dalton, and Emily Einhorn, as well as Osei Essed and Ching Ching, two Sidewalk favorites making long-awaited return visits to the club. The 2012 Winter Antifolk Festival is held at Sidewalk Cafe, 94 Avenue A (Sixth Street). No cover, one drink minimum.

Find the full schedule here.

More about Boukiés, opening next month on Second Avenue

[Bobby Williams]

We received a news release yesterday with more information about Boukiés, the new Greek eatery from restaurateur Christos Valtzoglou coming to Second Avenue and East Second Street...

A few highlights cut-n-paste from the news release...

• Valtzoglou has enlisted famed chef, Diane Kochilas, as Consulting Chef, along with Chef de Cuisine, Stefan Sanders, to design a menu rooted in delicious, modern variations of authentic Greek fare.

• Boukiés is slated to open in March.

• Culinary offerings at Boukiés, which means “small bites” in Greek, include classics like: Greek taverna mussel saganaki and unique regional dishes such as Thessaloniki eggplant “dolmas” with spiced ground meat, Volos-style shrimp and cauliflower with a twist, feta-filo flutes with Greek honey and more. Boukiés will offer only two main courses: grilled lamb chops and Greek grilled fish.

• Boukiés will be open daily for lunch and dinner, offering brunch on weekends and expanded outdoor dining when weather permits.

Previously.