Tuesday, July 3, 2012
The Houston/Bowery Mural Wall plays starring role in new Willow Smith video
And now, here's the new video (uploaded July 1) from 11-year-old Willow Smith, daughter of Will and Jada, starring parts of Houston and the Bowery.
We can talk about it all later, maybe.
[H/t @shawnshahani]
EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition
Recreating CBGB in Georgia (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York ... Gothamist)
When “I Wanna Be Sedated” becomes Muzak for the consuming masses (The Durango Herald)
25-story hotel in the works for Chrystie Street (BoweryBoogie)
Avoiding chains on the LES (The Lo-Down)
More about Schmidty's return (DNAinfo)
Movie Star News closing in Chelsea (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)
Looking at the Terminal Stores building (The Gog Log)
NYC skyline shots that may make you dizzy (Curbed)
Bloomberg presides over the ceremonial weigh-in for Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest (Runnin' Scared)
Sunday Evening on the Coney Island boardwalk (Tripping With Marty)
And as we noted via Twitter Saturday, the Stage is on vacation until July 10...
... and EVG reader Sammy noted some minor work going on at the diner this morning ...
...and we're not sure if this wrong-bike-locked issue has been resolved at Third Street and Avenue A... photos via Dave on 7th...
Advocate for East Third Street buildings moving to Washington Heights
As we were first to report this past March 15, Abart Holdings LLC was ready to sell three buildings at 50, 54 and 58 East Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
Tenants with market-rate apartments weren't having their leases renewed. Per one resident in March:
"There are definitely much older families who live in the building, and suddenly they've been unceremoniously thrown out. The building is terrible as it is — several break-ins, terrible staircase, the entrance is poorly maintained — and now they are kicking everyone out."
Ben Kim at the Voice discovered that the landlord behind Abart Holdings LLC is Abe Haruvi. (The Voice wrote in October 2000 about how Haruvi allegedly tried to evict long-term tenants elsewhere in the city.)
The residents banded together and formed a tenants group; local politicians came out to offer support during a rally on May 7.
In the end, though, the Big Real Estate Machine was too great to overcome.
On Sunday, resident Sue Palchak-Essenpreis, who helped rally her fellow tenants, told us that she and her husband are moving out after 15 years. They tried to fight the non-renewal of their lease, which was up in May. On Friday, she and her husband appeared in housing court to see if they would have to pay the legal fees of Abart Holdings. She shared an email that she sent to other residents. In part, it read:
It is with heavy hearts and an empty bank account that Greg and I share the news that we are officially leaving.
We gave it the best that we had, but Abart's Goliath proved too huge for our humble David. The terms of the lawsuit were brutal and frightening, but in the end we settled. We ended up forfeiting our security deposit, which would cover one of the 2 months we were here past our lease end, and they accepted our last rent check. They did not hold us to the $3,500 per month they wanted us to pay, nor their legal fees, which was also in the suit. Their lawyer wrote into the settlement that they cannot come after us for any further damages to the apartment once we vacate. They will put a black mark on our credit that will be listed as "Settled to Satisfaction" once they prove we have truly vacated by July 14.
We are moving to Washington Heights.
I encourage any and all stabilized tenants to utilize 311 to it's fullest extent! Keep up the fight for acceptable living conditions! Hold Abe Haruvi accountable for the buildings that he is willing to destroy lives over!
We didn't go quietly. We fought the best fight that we could. And at the very least, we shed light on the fact that there is a real need for rent regulation and tenant protection...
Palchak-Essenpreis said that she received a few responses to her email, and that others in the buildings have either moved out or are in the process of doing so ... And a few of her former neighbors "paid outrageous brokers' fees, only to move into less space with giant rent increases."
"Abart wins, totally unaware of the devastation he's left in his wake," she said later in an email. "I cannot speak for the others, but we are completely destroyed... All because someone wants a couple extra hundred bucks a month off of our home."
Yesterday, residents received notices that
And the couple, who are moving to Washington Heights tomorrow, received notice that they owe next month's rent.
"It just doesn't stop," Palchak-Essenpreis said.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Three apartment buildings sold on East Third Street
Know your rights: Help with understanding NYC rent laws
More about the lease renewals at 50, 54 and 58 E. Third St.
Tenants at 50, 54 and 58 E. Third St. banding to together in face of building sale
Is Duane Park in the Bowery Poetry Club's future?
As noted previously ... We've heard a lot of speculation in recent weeks about the future of the Bowery Poetry Club. All sorts of rumors have been flying around, from an imminent closure to a months-long renovation. On June 21, founder Bob Holman assured us the Club was not closing permanently.
A commenter left this on our Jugger-nut post last night... and it falls in line with what we've heard of late about the Club's future:
Around the BPC, it is pretty well known at this point that BPC is 1st closing for months of renovation. (i.e. transformed into an upscale supper club and stripped of it's salt-of-the-earth art aesthetic and events.) After, it is being leased by said fancy supper/cabaret club Duane Park. Many Bowery performers do indeed perform there, but their dinner/show night is $75 and their show content is mostly cabaret jazz and upscale burlesque. Apparently Bob will be booking the club on Sundays on Mondays only? So perhaps a few poetry events of choosing will remain at the BPC.... I will miss the BPC terribly.
Side note: Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance at Duane Park's After Dark party back in 2010. You can look at more of the Tribeca club's jazz and burlesque offerings here.
Looking at new lodging options in Tompkins Square Park
Friday...
Yesterday...
Photos by Bobby Williams.
Yesterday...
Photos by Bobby Williams.
Back to work on the Seventh Street sinkhole
On June 22, a moving truck got stuck in a pothole-turned-sinkhole on East Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... Crews worked to cover up the hole on June 22 and 23...
However, workers returned for the first time yesterday to finish the job...
EVG reader Chris Kilmer notes that some residents along have been without gas service since Jun 22 ... Via Chris, some aerial views of the extensive sinkhole-sewer repair...
However, workers returned for the first time yesterday to finish the job...
EVG reader Chris Kilmer notes that some residents along have been without gas service since Jun 22 ... Via Chris, some aerial views of the extensive sinkhole-sewer repair...
Forcella aiming for a sidewalk cafe on the Bowery
Over on the Bowery, Forcella — La Pizza di Napoli, which opened last fall, is seeking a sidewalk cafe... per the notice on the pizzeria's front window, the hearing on the matter is this Thursday afternoon...
...and here's the view outside the restaurant looking south...
...and north...
...and here's the view outside the restaurant looking south...
...and north...
Monday, July 2, 2012
Here's Jugger-nut at the Bowery Poetry Club
On Saturday night (well, actually early Sunday morning), Jugger-nut performed for the last time at the Bowery Poetry Club. (The band is still going strong; it's the Club's future that is rather uncertain at the moment. Read more about all that here.)
Anyway, band photographer Walter Wlodarczyk shared some photos from the set... a little something to prep you for the Fourth of July...
Find more info about Jugger-nut on the band's Facebook page.
Just added! Video by Maks Suski from the show...
Anyway, band photographer Walter Wlodarczyk shared some photos from the set... a little something to prep you for the Fourth of July...
Find more info about Jugger-nut on the band's Facebook page.
Just added! Video by Maks Suski from the show...
Report: St. Mark's Bookshop looking for a new, smaller home
In an article Crain's posted this afternoon about Hue-Man Bookstore & Café closing its doors in Harlem, reporter Matthew Flamm also notes:
St. Mark's Bookshop, a literary fixture in the East Village for 35 years, is hoping to move out of its current home when its rent goes up toward the end of this year.
According to the article, the $250,000 small business grant that St. Mark's (and many others) applied for from Chase Bank would go to finance a move to a smaller location.
Said Bookshop co-owner Bob Contant: "We'd like to stay in the East Village. We understand the print book business has declined, but we're still doing enough business to keep going, if we had a smaller space with less rent."
No word on plans if they don't get the grant...
In a much-publicized story last fall, landlord Cooper Union agreed to reduce the store's rent to about $17,500 a month from $20,000 for one year, and to forgive $7,000 in debt. But that one year is quickly coming to an end...
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