This year, we'll post photos like this of various buildings, streetscenes, etc., to capture them as they looked at this time and place... The photos may not be the most telling now, but they likely will be one day...
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
This is what a beer distributor on East Second Street looked like on July 24, 2012
This year, we'll post photos like this of various buildings, streetscenes, etc., to capture them as they looked at this time and place... The photos may not be the most telling now, but they likely will be one day...
La Isla has closed for good on East 14th Street
Since our post last Wednesday on the possible closure of La Isla on East 14th Street near Avenue B... several readers, including DJ Xerox of copycat, have confirmed that they closed due to a big rent hike...
The La Isla Cafe on Delancey near Pitt remains open...
Monday, July 30, 2012
Reader report: bakery-coffee shop in the works for 68 Avenue A
Here along the stretch of empty Avenue A storefronts between East Fifth Street and East Fourth Street... a reader tells us that a bakery/coffee shop is in the works for the space with the brown paper over the windows... the cafe will be taking just part of the space left vacant when East Village Pharmacy lost their lease and moved down the block...
The cafe looks to be called Croissanteria at 68 Avenue A... and they're on the August CB3/SLA docket for a beer-wine license ... the meeting will take place on Aug. 20. We'll have more on the August docket later...
Why the New York Marble Cemetery is throwing fancy parties
There's a feature in The New York Times today on the New York Marble Cemetery ... and why the historic cemetery on Second Avenue between Second Street and Third Street is hosting weddings, Vogue fashion shoots and Stella McCartney fashion events...
Per the article:
The cemetery’s trustees, descendants of some of the people interred in the vaults — the last burial was in 1937 — have allowed events to be held on the grounds to help pay for badly needed repairs and restorations.
The aim, said Caroline S. DuBois, one of the trustees, was “how we could make the cemetery pay for itself.”
“That has morphed into a business.” The fee for a wedding is $2,500, she said.
Officials at the cemetery, which was established in 1830, did turn down a promotional party for a tequila company.
However, regardless of how upscale some of the events may be...
The neighborhood’s old grittiness has not disappeared entirely. [Gardener Gresham] Lang said he sometimes found hypodermic needles on the grass. A mulberry tree near the ruined wall is now “the underwear tree” because residents of a homeless shelter nearby “throw underwear, condoms, among other things” into the cemetery.
Previously.
Topless advocate Moira Johnston still making headlines this summer
Via Gothamist yesterday, we've learned more about East Village topless advocate Moira Johnston ... who we first wrote about back on May 18... as you probably know, she has been raising awareness that it's OK and perfectly legal for women to be topless in the city....
The Daily Beast featured Johnston in a post this past weekend... (Probably NSFW)
According to the article, her advocacy campaign started in January ... after a yoga studio banished her for taking off her top in class. "Some of the other yogis complained to the owners about her bare breasts, but Johnston thought it unfair that men be allowed to go topless in Downward Dog while women are forced to keep their mammaries in their Lululemon tanks."
Since then, she has filed legal complaints against 13 yoga studios.
Meanwhile, you've likely seen her walk around the neighborhood ... she told The Daily Beast that she has received mostly positive comments from passersby ... except for "the man who told her he’d just gotten out of prison and was going to hurt her."
"I considered carrying mace [after that encounter], but that's absolutely not a common occurrence," Johnston says, adding that she's never been groped or assaulted. "Most people are fairly respectful, at least in terms of my physical space."
Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] There is a woman who has been walking around the East Village topless
Shocking revelations: People like looking at photos of topless women on the Internet
Reader report: Flood causes damage to under-renovation 315 E. 10th St.
Neighbors were buzzing about the under-renovation 315 E. 10th St. last week... Jose Garcia tells us about the following that neighbors said happened last Wednesday...
"Just as they were putting the finishing touches on 315, there was a flood that apparently did a good amount of water damage on multiple floors to several of their brand new apartments. There were all kinds of cleaning-service vans around ..."
No word from the workers on the extent of the flood damage.
As you'll recall, the city OK'd a one-floor rooftop addition here in January hours before the Landmarks Preservation Committee approved the East 10th Street Historic District.
Developer Ben Shaoul has been converting the building from nonprofit use to residential.
Previously.
[Photos by Bobby Williams]
Today in Urban Bike Etiquette Signs: 'Stop being a dick'
EVG reader Ryan spotted this sign on Seventh Street in front of Big Bar this past weekend...
"Douche bag
Your bike is in the basement of 'big bar' because they are very kind. Stop being a dick + locking your bike to our bikes."
What the rent is for the former Luca Lounge space on Avenue B
I can't tell you exactly when the Luca Lounge closed on Avenue B between 13th Street and 14th Street... I'm guessing it was in April?
In any event, the space is for rent...
Happened to spot the listing at the Croman 9300 site... and it refers to the Luca Lounge as "legendary" ... which must explain why the asking rent is $19,995 dollars per month...
Meanwhile, the Luca Bar remains open on St. Mark's Place...
In any event, the space is for rent...
Happened to spot the listing at the Croman 9300 site... and it refers to the Luca Lounge as "legendary" ... which must explain why the asking rent is $19,995 dollars per month...
Meanwhile, the Luca Bar remains open on St. Mark's Place...
521-523 E. 12th St. sells for $10.9 million
According to public records, an entity called JMS Village LLC purchased the property from EL-LOU Holding Company. The JMS contact on the documents is Jack Avid, whose name came up in two Village Voice articles about SROs being converted to tourist-class buildings back in the late 1990s. You can find those articles here ... and here.
More noticeble progress at the incoming Ludlow Hotel
Back in the spring, work resumed at 180 Ludlow, a four-plus-years-in-the-making eyesore that will one day be the 20-story, 170-room Hotel Ludlow...
And there's noticeable progress at the site...
[Via @mCase513]
In October, Curbed reported that BD Hotels — the team involved with the Maritime, Chambers, Greenwich, Jane and Bowery hotels — bought the stalled site for $25 million.
We'll find out soon enough if the Lower East Side can absorb yet another hotel... another hotel that figures to be a nightlife destination ... and what impact the double-whammy of luxury with the Ludlow next door will have on surrounding businesses...
Anyway, for more on thedrama background here, you can check out BoweryBoogie and The Lo-Down.
And there's noticeable progress at the site...
In October, Curbed reported that BD Hotels — the team involved with the Maritime, Chambers, Greenwich, Jane and Bowery hotels — bought the stalled site for $25 million.
We'll find out soon enough if the Lower East Side can absorb yet another hotel... another hotel that figures to be a nightlife destination ... and what impact the double-whammy of luxury with the Ludlow next door will have on surrounding businesses...
Anyway, for more on the
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Week in Grieview
'Heavy construction' promised for any remaining tenants of 50-58 E. Third St. (Thursday)
Dining at the IHOP at 4:15 a.m. (Monday)
Construction starts at the Mystery Lot! (Monday)
St. Mark's Bookshop crowdsourcing funds to move (Wednesday)
DOT removing bike racks on Astor Place (Tuesday)
Looking at short-term rentals on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)
170-174 E. Second St. hits the market for $16.5 million (Tuesday)
Demolition starts at the former Charles Theater on Avenue B (Thursday)
Looking at the East Village Brownstone on East 12th Street (Wednesday)
Two new restaurants open on Extra Place (Tuesday)
And photos galore from the derecho of the century.... here and here and here...
The poor, potential geyser got overlooked by the derecho! (Thursday)
[Updated] Perhaps the greatest missing bike flyer ever
East 10th Street and Third Avenue last night via the Bagel Guy.
Per the sign, possibly a fake but still entertaining — "no reward."
"I don't even want this bike back. I just made these flyers to tell you that I hate you, bike thief. I hope you ride my bike without a helmet and get hit by a monster truck. I hope my bike takes you straight to Hell."
Updated:
Ah, so the sign is old... but apparently people are still putting them up... perhaps to help sell these T-shirts. Per the comments, the flyer is the work of David Shrigley.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Hieroglyphs on Avenue B
A photo via Dave on 7th showing Sixth Street and Avenue B... now that Avenue B has been repaved, it's time to tear it up again...
Last weekend for Magic Fingers, Old Good Things on East 10th Street
She'll be open from 3-7 p.m.today and tomorrow.
Brunch for preservation tomorrow
From the EV Grieve inbox...from the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative...
[Click image to enlarge]
Organizers say the benefit event is mostly for the meal and conversation ... though they will touch on some strategizing on preservation and landmarking in the East Village and Lower East Side moving forward... More details here.
Organizers say the benefit event is mostly for the meal and conversation ... though they will touch on some strategizing on preservation and landmarking in the East Village and Lower East Side moving forward... More details here.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Are you missing a bird?
From a reader just now in Tompkins Square Park:
Unfortunately, the reader didn't get a photo... but if you are missing a bird...
I saw a smallish, grey and blue (maybe some purple) budgie or parakeet or little parrot looking bird flying around tompkins square park at about 12:30 today. He was on the fence on the west/north side of the center lawn. When I stuck my hand out he flew away (he can fly pretty well) to the rail on the lawn just west of the center lawn. I tried to get close to him but he wouldn't let me. He was hanging with the wild birds and they weren't attacking him so maybe he'll be ok, but he must belong to someone.
Unfortunately, the reader didn't get a photo... but if you are missing a bird...
One more photo of the derecho of the millenium
7:30 last night looking south from the East Village ... Photo by c ring.
When we almost lost St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery to a fire
On July 27, 1978, a fire nearly destroyed the St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, long a focal point of the community. At the time of the blaze, workers were nearly done with a $500,000 restoration of the historic church on Second Avenue and East 10th Street.
According to an account by Tom Sotor in the East Side Express:
The fire began when a workman's welding instrument ignited a section of the timber cornice, and from there the blaze spread rapidly. "Smoke was pouring out of the hell tower when we arrived," recalls one of the first firefighters on the scene. "I said to myself, 'This ceiling's going to go.' And sure as hell, there was a partial collapse." The rear section of the 50-foot high peaked roof collapsed a half-hour after the fire began.
The 75 firefighters involved with the three-alarm blaze Were faced with many other problems as well. A six-foot iron fence that surrounded the church and a graveyard on one side prevented the companies from utilizing anything but portable equipment. Consequently, a tower ladder had to be employed to spray the front and rear, while the sides of the church remained practically unassailable.
There was also danger of the 150-foot steeple collapsing. "We kept an eye on the steeple'supports," explains John J. Moffatt, the commander in charge of the fire. "If it fell, we would have had a lot of injuries."
There weren't any reported injuries... though the fire caused major damage to the church, including the loss of the roof and nine of the 23 stained-glass windows.
The Citizens to Save St Mark's was founded to raise funds for its reconstruction ... supervised by architect Harold Edelman. The restoration was completed in 1986, with new stained-glass windows designed by Edelman, who personally supervised the entire project, according to his obit in the Times from 1999.
And a little snippet of the history via the Church website:
The St. Mark’s Church and its yards are just a few reminders of the once vast “bouwerie,” or Dutch plantation, which Peter Stuyvesant, governor of New Amsterdam purchased in 1651 from the Dutch West India Company. When Stuyvesant died in 1672, his body was interred in a vault under the family chapel he’d had built in 1660. In 1793, Stuyvesant’s great-grandson, Petrus Stuyvesant, donated the chapel property to the Episcopal Church with the stipulation that a new chapel be erected and on April 25, 1795, the cornerstone of St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery was laid.
Bike rentals at Busy Bee
We've been writing about the upcoming
60 hours of Conrad Schnitzler on East First Street this weekend
Via a post at Gallerist, we learn the following: Audio Visual Arts on East First Street (just east of Second Avenue) is presenting a nonstop marathon of the audio work of the late German artist and musician Conrad Schnitzler outside its storefront. Per AVA — Nothing will be repeated.
The Schnitzler starts at 6 tonight and runs through to 6 a.m. on Monday.
Some Schnitzler background via AVA:
Conrad Schnitzler (1937 – 2011) is legendary in the German electronic and avant-garde music scene as a founding member of Tangerine Dream and of Kluster, but his intermedia work from the 60s, 70s and 80s is far less known. On the anniversary of his passing, New Yorkers will have a rare opportunity to see and hear many of his seminal multi-channel concerts and film/video works, most of which have never been screened or performed in the US until now.
First of the Tompkins Square Park Riot Reunion shows this Sunday
From the EV Grieve inbox...
THE TOMPKINS SQUARE REBELLION IS ON!!
24th ANNUAL TSP RIOT REUNION!! Commemorate the anniversary of the mini police riot of July 30, 1988, followed a week later by the infamous 6 hour riot inside and outside of Tompkins Square Park on August 6, 1988, in which hundreds of "New York's Finest" from all over the city descended on our neighborhood, indiscriminately clubbing anyone in their sights in furtherance of a non-existent midnight park curfew.
Where: Tompkins Square Park: When: July 29 + August 4 + 5, 2012
These shows celebrate the vitality of the counter cultural scene that has survived on the Lower East Side, despite the rampant gentrification, soaring rents and lost venues that have contributed to the cultural genocide sweeping New York City.
Sunday, July 29:
Blest Mess
Dust Angel
Gas NYC
Nihilistics
Rejuvenate
Iconicide
We'll post the lineups for the shows on Aug. 4 and 5 later next week...
A Mystery Lot slice of life
From last evening... via EVG reader Katja... featuring an NY1 crew... an NYPD cruiser ... and more ...
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Meanwhile, right before the end of the world...
AKA more photos of the derecho (a derecho?) ... Hey, more incoming storm photos ... these shots via EVG reader Tony Devers...
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