Downtown Auto & Tire has left the Bowery

This probably isn't much of a shocker... we've been watching the doomed corner of the Bowery and Great Jones the past few years... waiting for the day that Downtown Auto & Tire packed up and left ... there's no place for a auto repair shop on the new luxurious Bowery ... this was a grubby leftover in the shadows of 2 Cooper Square, the Bowery Hotel and 52E4 — the 15 stories of condo across the street.

As the sign shows, they've moved to First Avenue. (That's 117th Street. They may need to change that "downtown" part of their name...)

The space hit the market in May 2010 ... In July 2010, a few people were hoping to open the first New York branch of Segafredo Zanetti Espresso Café, the Italian-style coffee bar, on this spot. They went before CB2, who rejected the proposal, which included a patio with a retractable roof with soundproofing ... and sound-resistant sliding doors. (You can read our coverage of the meeting here.)

During that meeting, a rep from the New York Nightlife Association called Downtown Auto & Tire Club "junky." During her time to speak, Zella Jones, founder of the NoHo/Bowery Partnership, spoke out against the proposal. "We like that garage. We use that garage. The garage reminds us of what was." Later she said, "We are losing our businesses that don't serve alcohol."

Amazing that the place lasted until April 2012. We'll have details on what's next here later...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Please meet the next corner of the Bowery primed for something luxurious

The last days of the Downtown Auto and Tire?

The Bowery to get a South Beach diet

Making Faces at the Downtown Tire & Auto Center

East Third Street, 9:48 a.m., April 29

Plant sale today at El Sol Brillante

Walk this way?

These footprints appeared the other day on Tompkins Square Park... Not sure what this is promoting...

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Noted

East 10th Street/Stuyvesant Street near Second Avenue today.

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Report: Cake Shop facing eviction on Ludlow Street

[Image via the Cake Shop website]

Word is spreading that Cake Shop — the cafe/record store/bar/music venue — is facing an imminent eviction on Ludlow Street... Brooklyn Vegan had the scoop yesterday... (We read about it at BoweryBoogie.)

Here's a piece of an email making the rounds via the Cake Shop's Andy Bodes:

Calling all millionaires: cake shop needs a month-long returnable bridge loan, due to possibly bogus fines from last year, at their deadline this Monday, or we face eviction. the amount we’re looking for is 10k, to pay off these fines once and for all. we’d need it in the next 72 hours. & reminder this is a short term loan. full explanation provided, with intere$t and perks, if this appeals to you, and you’d like to help us out & continue & grow. thanks. xo.

Noted

Via EV Grieve reader Augie... A man on Suffolk Street this afternoon checking under the cushions of a sofa in the trash for change...

Celebrating the new issue of Sensitive Skin tomorrow night at the Bowery Poetry Club

The new issue of Sensitive Skin is out tomorrow. And the issue includes: "a rare interview of William S. Burroughs, conducted by Allen Ginsberg. Includes previously-unpublished photographs of Burroughs by Ruby Ray, as well as a portfolio of Ruby's famous punk photos (Sid Vicious, X, Flipper, etc)."

Find more info on the issue here.

To celebrate the new issue, Sensitive Skin is having a reading at the Bowery Poetry Club tomorrow night at 8 featuring performances by John S. Hall, Mike Hudson, Chavisa Woods, Todd Colby, Carl Watson and more. There will also be a performance of East of Bowery by Drew Hubner, with projections by Ted Barron and music by Kurt Wolf (Pussy Galore).

Former East Village resident injured by falling air conditioner remains missing

[Via EaterNY]

On Sept. 28, 2010, an air conditioner fell six stories and landed on the Winebar canopy on Second Avenue at Fourth Street.

Here's how the Post illustrated the accident:



According to published reports, the AC bounced off the canopy and hit 67-year-old Tony Franzese, who was walking his dog as he does every morning, in the head. He suffered severe head injuries, and the EMTs took him to Bellevue Hospital.

The Post reported that Franzese, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, had been evicted from his apartment... and was due to leave the building on Sept. 30.

And that's the last we heard of this accident. Until yesterday. The Post reported that Franzese had filed a $21 million lawsuit against the landlord. However, according to his attorney, Franzese vanished about a year ago.

It gets a little complicated. The NYPD brought in a "John Doe" to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital on Tuesday. An NYPD sergeant photographed the man and fingerprinted him for the Missing Persons Bureau. A few days later the officer saw the Post article about the missing man and realized that the patient at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt was Franzese. The NYPD returned to the hospital only to discover that officials had already released Franzese.

The officer who took his photo told the Post, "He's extremely incoherent. He couldn’t even say his name to me. He couldn’t formulate words." Apparently he "suffers from bi-polar disorder and serious brain injuries."

Here's the photo of Franzese from the hospital:

Per the Post: "But because authorities now have his fingerprints and have connected them to his identity, they hope Franzese will be found when he turns up at another hospital."

The Penistrator (or a clever imitator!) has a message for John Varvatos

Our friend Roger_Paw sent along this photo from yesterday... a message for John Varvatos on Allen Street between Stanton and Houston ...

Hanging around today

Photos by Bobby Williams

Pop music

XTC with "This is Pop" circa 1978.

Thrillseekers enter the Mystery Lot for photo opps

Kids today! A little bit ago... Waited until they left to post...

The Enterprise flies over downtown Manhattan

As you probably know, the space shuttle Enterprise was scheduled to fly over the city today... one day to live on the Intrepid ...

Here are photos that Lee S. Berman sent along to us... he took them on Grand Street near the FDR...

And we suddenly want to watch "Moonraker."

One way to bust an ATM thief

We came across this scene this morning on East Sixth Street near First Avenue...

... not sure if this is legitimate information... but it appears that someone wrote down information about the ATM thief...

Hello, it's Eak the Geek

Here's Eak the Geek (aka Eduardo Arrocha), longtime East Village resident...

He is a senior cast member of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow ... having performed there for more than 15 years...

These photos by Stacie Joy are from a recent Congress of Curious Peoples at Coney Island USA, where he performed.

While we're not sure how much Eak the Geek will perform there this year, the Sideshows are under way, currently held on Saturdays and Sundays... and the shows will expand as the season progresses ... Visit the Coney Island USA site for all the details...

Dr. Geller, I presume?

Spotted this morning outside Villa Schwilla (uh, David Schwimmer's new home at 331 E. Sixth St.)...

Report: Police guns stolen from 9th Precinct

Since February, someone has stolen four 9mm handguns, two bulletproof vests and other items from a locker room at the Ninth Precinct, the Post reports today.

Despite an Internal Affairs investigation, the thefts have continued, usually during the night shift at the station on East Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

"Whoever is doing this is pretty ballsy. I can’t believe the department, especially the Internal Affairs Bureau, isn’t taking this more seriously," an unnamed source tells the Post.

The NYPD believe it us an inside job — the room is inaccessible to anyone walking in off the street, the Post notes. And nearly 180 people work in the station house.

And how is the thief penetrating the lockers?

"If you just bang on the lockers they pop open," said one source.

[Image via New York Songlines]

The rent for the Lucky Cheng's space

A few weeks ago, Eater reported that Steve Kamali Hospitality was looking for an operator to take over the Lucky Cheng's space on First Avenue at East Second Street.

At the time, we couldn't find the listing... here it is, though there isn't a mention of rent...

A tipster with knowledge of the lease told us the asking rent: $40,000 a month for the massive space that includes two full-service kitchens, three full liquor licenses and a cabaret license.

On April 10, owner Hayne Suthon told us that there are several interested parties, but no deal yet. She plans to leave the space for Midtown in mid-July.

For more on the history of the space, visit Jeremiah's Vanishing New York.

Previously.

From Con Ed to Con Ed

Here's a penthouse view from the Con Ed power plant on East 14th Street looking west toward the Con Ed HQ on Union Square ... taken yesterday morning with the compliments of Mr. Gleason.

On the subway with Stanley Kubrick

As you may know, the Department of City Records unleashed some 870,000 photos of Manhattan dating back to the mid-1800s. But, no one can access them — the overwhelming demand shut down the site, as BoweryBoogie noted yesterday.

So. While we wait ... check out some photos that Stanley Kubrick (yes, that Stanley Kubrick) took on the NYC subways for LOOK Magazine in 1946...

[Museum of the City of New York]

You can find this photo and several others at the Museum of the City of New York blog.

[Updated] New, larger Rai Rai Ken opens Sunday on East 10th Street

As you may have noticed, the small noodle bar has moved a few storefronts to the east here between Second Avenue and First Avenue... into the former Teriyaki Boy space...

After a few tasting parties, per the sign, the place opens to the public on Sunday...

...Meanwhile, the former Rai Ren Ken space at 214, is empty at the moment...

The former location(s) are on the May CB3/SLA agenda:

Corporate Change (not heard at committee)
• Rai Rai Ken (Sobaya Restaurant Inc), 214 E 10th St (b)
• Curry-Ya (Shinko Foods Inc), 214 E 10th St (wb)

One neighbor heard that this would become a sake bar. Trying to get this one straightened out...

Updated 9:12 a.m.
Ev Grieve reader Michael notes that he ate in the new space last weekend... no special invitation or anything. It was just open.

It always seems so much more glamorous on TV

Doesn't it always though? Off the red carpet and away from the paparazzi ... you don't see the dingy entrance to usher the talent into the Loews Village 7 on Third Avenue or the sidewalk shed protecting people from a now-demolished Nevada Smith's or smell the urine coming up from the nooks and crannies of the darkened sidewalk...

Sa Aming Nayon appears closed on First Avenue

Several readers have noticed that Sa Aming Nayon, the Filipino restaurant that opened here between 12th Street and 13th Street last June, has been closed of late... here it is last evening...

... with these dishmachine notices on the rolldown gate...

It took over the space when Wai? Cafe moved to Avenue B. Readers had mostly positive comments about Sa Aming Nayon. Perhaps too ambitious at the outset? They were also open for breakfast.

Anyway, perhaps a Filipino resurgence isn't going to happen (And RIP Elvie's Turo-Turo, Krystal's Café and Pistahan). Still, we hear a lot of good things about Maharlika down First Avenue at Seventh Street.

EV Eatery Etc.: Tink's signage; Cafe Amore's for rent signs

Catching up on a few items...

[Bobby Williams]

Back in December, we first spotted the signage for Tink's Cafe coming soon to 102 E. Seventh St. As you can see, workers added an awning on Tuesday for the eatery, which will serve Middle Eastern comfort foods...

A few weeks ago, the Marshal seized Cafe Amore's Pizza on East 14th Street... guess it's for good — "for rent" signs went up late last week ...

[Bobby Williams]

... and "United States of Food" and its host, chef Todd Fisher, have been filming around the neighborhood... outside the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop yesterday... (it's on the renamed Planet Green network — Discovery Communications... )

Doug Quint at Big Gay Ice Cream said that it was for a bacon episode — a breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktail and dessert all with bacon ... filmed at Crif Dogs a few days ago....

FroYo arriving soon on First Avenue

Several readers pointed out the arrival of the NLYU FroYo awning at 159 First Ave. near East 10th Street. One reader thought that this was the sole location for NLYU.