Friday, November 2, 2012

Energy bikes at ABC No Rio today

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Time's Up! will continue to provide free bike-powered assistance on Friday, Day 4 of power outage, from noon - 6pm on the Lower East Side

WHAT: Time's Up! will be setting up their energy bikes to continue offering downtown residents, left without power now for 4 days, a place to charge their cell phones and laptops. Food will also be offered by ABC No Rio Community Center.

WHEN: Friday, November 2, 2012, from noon - 6:00pm.

WHERE: In front of ABC No Rio, 156 Rivington Street, between Clinton & Suffolk in the Lower East side.

NEW YORK, NY (November 2, 2012) -- On Friday, November 2nd, Time's Up! will be setting up their energy bikes to continue offering downtown residents a free place to charge their cell phones and laptops, in front of ABC No Rio Community Center from noon - 6pm. Volunteers pedal the Time's Up! Energy Bikes to produce electricity that directly powers the charging stations. The energy bikes have been assisting New Yorkers without power since the first full day of the blackout.

The Time's Up! Energy Bike, that was previously used to power Zuccotti Park for Occupy Wall Street, was on display at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) in the East Village.

"The tidal surge flooded the basement of the MoRUS museum, but we were able to use the energy bike that was on display to power the water pump and drain out the basement," said Keegan Stephan, one of the designers of the Time's Up! Energy Bike.

"Time's Up! wanted to do our part to help our neighbors in need with the resources we have available, bicycles and eager cyclists ready to pedal all day to juice up cell phones so people without power can stay connected. Two energy bikes were set up outside on Avenue C for East Village residents affected by the storm. Today, Nov 2nd, we will head over to pedal on the Lower East Side," said Time's Up! volunteer Barbara Ross.

From C-Squat this week...



NEVER MIND Report: Con Ed says power back on to all of Manhattan by the end of today

Per Bloomberg News this a.m.:

Manhattan, slowed by power outages, flooded subways and closed markets since Sandy struck Oct. 29, should have electricity fully restored by the end of today, Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) spokesman Robert McGee said.

UGH!

Bloomberg has a follow-up story saying:

Mike Clendenin, a spokesman for the New York-based utility, corrected another company spokesman who told Bloomberg Radio this morning that all of Manhattan would be restored today.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Heading back home


I tried to do the Grieve today from the neighborhood, but it wasn't working... spotty Internet access... it was just taking too long to get anything posted. So instead of roaming around, I zipped up to Lightsville for a good portion of the morning and afternoon to be more productive. Will likely do the same tomorrow. I'd much rather stay put... Meanwhile, if you have any Sandy-related stories to share, please send them to the EV Grieve email.

Be well tonight.

How you can help the Bowery Mission

Via the Bowery Mission website...


Current Needs
• Financial donations — We are serving three times as many as normal, and we will need to restock food and resources once we have power.
• Gasoline for our generators that are providing emergency power -- Please deliver to 227 Bowery (at Prince Street), 45-51 Avenue D (between 4th and 5th Streets), or our Administrative Headquarters at 132 Madison Ave. (Madison & 31 St).
• Blankets at The Bowery Mission Transitional Center — Please deliver to 45-51 Avenue D (between 4th and 5th Streets) or our Administrative Headquarters at 132 Madison Ave. (Madison & 31 St).
• Sweatshirts at The Bowery Mission ‚ Please deliver to 227 Bowery (at Prince Street) or our Administrative Headquarters at 132 Madison Ave. (Madison & 31 St).
• Large and XL coats and hoodies — Please deliver to 227 Bowery (at Prince Street) or our Administrative Headquarters at 132 Madison Ave. (Madison & 31 St).
• Men's jeans sizes 34-50 — Please deliver to 227 Bowery (at Prince Street) or our Administrative Headquarters at 132 Madison Ave. (Madison & 31 St).
• Men's boots sizes 8-13 — Please deliver to 227 Bowery (at Prince Street) or our Administrative Headquarters at 132 Madison Ave. (Madison & 31 St).
• Pantry items such as sugar, oatmeal, coffee, rice, potatoes — Please deliver to 227 Bowery (at Prince Street) or our Administrative Headquarters at 132 Madison Ave. (Madison & 31 St).

Volunteer Opportunities:
Help provide food for 200 people at a time (make and/or get and drop off at the Mission - 227 Bowery)

Make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and drop them off
Trays of cooked food, ready to be served
Large amounts of Gatorade and Iced Tea - Currently only serving water

Community


Keep hearing the same variation of this... the sense of community... the community spirit after Sandy hit the area...

Find more EVG on Twitter

Meant to say much earlier that I'm tweeting and retweeting stuff @EVgrieve ...

The Bowery Mission needs help

No reservations


East 10th Street near First Avenue. Photo via ‏@stevemotts

The scene at Associated this afternoon




As @Finitor noted in a follow-up tweet: "Situation I observed is more about people making calm sensible use of unspoiled discards, NOT desperation."

As noted earlier, the store here at East Eighth Street was hit hard by the storm surge Monday night. There are unconfirmed reports of looting here too.

A Con Ed call



Anyone else receiving the robo calls?

Father's Heart needs volunteers to help deliver food to the elderly who weren't able to leave

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Friday, November 02, 2012, 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Group: Father's Heart, Hurricane Sandy Relief

Location: The Father's Heart, 545 East 11th Street

Attendance Limit: 25

Volunteers needed to help The Father's Heart distribute food to the elderly who were not able to evacuate on Aves C & D.

RSVP here.

C-Squat and MoRUS helping power the neighborhood

[Photo by Alta Tseng via Facebook]

Courtesy of Times's Up!, C-Squat and the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Spaces (MoRUS). Read more about it about at New York Natives here.

The folks at C-Squat also broke out the BBQ... Last night via @Finitor... ...

[Updated] Claim: People are dumpster diving for food in the East Village



Updated:

Here's a tweet via Jonathan Vigliotti, a correspondent for News 4 New York...



A reader who witnessed this thought it wasn't necessarily out of desperation ... just people taking advantage of free groceries, with the rummaging happening to find the items that hadn't expired...

Updated 5:59:

View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.

[Updated] East Village restaurants that are serving now

Fork in the Road has a list of East Village restaurants open right now.

Find the article here.

Quickly:

• Paradiso on Avenue B
• Ray's on Avenue A
• Macaron Parlour on St. Mark's
• Oyama on 1st Avenue

What else? Please let me know in the comments.

Updated:

Luke's Lobster on East Seventh Street
JoeDoe on East First Street for drinks at 6 p.m.
Spina on Avenue B at East 11th Street
Professor Thom's on Second Avenue
Shervins Cafe on East Seventh Street near Avenue A opens at 6
Bar 82 on St. Mark's Place near St. Mark's
Zerza on East Sixth Street

Free medical care until 6 p.m. on East 2nd Street


Via Dr. Dave Ores:

I’m open today if I can help anyone. Until 6 pm. 189 E 2nd Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The view from Williamsburg last night


Via Rob Ferri ...

LES food and distribution sites

Via EveryBlock:

Food and water distribution sites will open throughout lower Manhattan at 3 p.m., Mayor Bloomberg announced today.

Sites below 14th Street include:

10th Street between Avenues C and D
Catherine Street between Monroe and Cherry Streets (Smith Houses)
Pitt and Houston Streets
Grand and Clinton Streets — water only
Bowery and Division Street (Confucius Plaza)

In addition, the National Guard, NYC Service and the Salvation Army will go door-to-door in residential high-rises in order to check on seniors and those with disabilities who have been affected by the blackout.

The line for water and ice now at Union Square


Via ‏@LinzaPinz

Resident shares photos of wiped-out apartment; looks forward to return

EVG reader Mark Smith shares these photos of his basement apartment that got wiped out in the storm surge on Monday night ...




His employer put him up in temporary quarters. But he is looking forward to returning to the neighborhood as soon as he can ... he asked if anyone had leads on an apartment. Here's his email.

St. Brigid's at night


Last night.

Last night


Somewhere along East Ninth Street near Avenue C. The remnants of a flood-damaged apartment.

A quick look at Avenue C and D this morning

Around 8:15 a.m. or so... As you would expect, a lot of activity at the Con Ed substation (it doesn't look so busy in this photo, just trust me...)


...a common sight... hydrants are open... I saw a few residents of the Lillian Wald houses fill up buckets and take them back inside the buildings...






The remnants of a big tree that fell on East Seventh Street near Avenue C....



It is difficult to tell how much damage there are to the businesses and buildings on the parts of Avenue C and D that were flooded (I believe the water stopped around East Fifth Street at Avenue C) ... Most places look fine on the outside, where the gates are down. I know there are many flooded basements. Yesterday, there were all sorts of gas-powered pumps in action.

The Associated on Avenue C at East Eight Street was hit particularly hard. There appeared to be an inch of water on the floor this morning. A worker was carrying out bags of mucky products.


I'm still playing catch-up with all this. Please let me know if you have any updates or anything Sandy related.

Tuesday night on St. Mark's Place during the blackout



St. Mark's Place on Tuesday. Via Gothamist, who has more photos of the East Village in the blackout here.

Noted


East 11th Street near First Avenue.

Signs of cell phone life on Avenue C

The front of Esperanto on Avenue C and East Ninth Street is a spot for cellular service... At last look, there were 25 people making calls, texting, etc. (And there are rumors that the cell phone reception area will be applying for a beer-wine license...)


... and a few steps away. Didn't see anyone around at this hour.


This happening at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) on Avenue C? Does anyone know?

An in vogue food truck


East 12th Street and Avenue C.

Welcome back


East 10th Street and Avenue C this morning.

Watch Con Ed blow up, and in slo-mo replay

You may have been one of the 6 million plus people who already viewed this video...



Per the description:

The initial explosion at the Con Ed Plant, E14th and FDR in New York City.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A quick break in any serious reporting to let you know that ...


Zoltar was fine. Here he is yesterday afternoon.

In the dark

Well this sucks. Everyone OK? We got hit pretty hard, but we're fine. No power. Internet. Online poker. 3G. Etc.

Stayed behind to help out some neighbors in flood-damaged apartments. If all goes well, then I'll be back tommorrow with photos, updates and Zoltar.

Be well.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Avenue C flooding; word of Con Ed transformer explosion

Water is rushing down Avenue C according to multiple residents... Here's is East Seventh Street and Avenue C...


Via ‏@nsj806

And we witnessed that flashing light and explosion... people on Avenue C said that a Con Ed transformer blew, though the green light was witnessed south of the substation... Car alarms blaring from East Seventh Street to East 14th Street... lights flickering...

Sandy's approach

[Click image to enlarge]

From Avenue D this afternoon via @dpentecost

Fallen storefront on Avenue B and East Second Street


At the incoming Wafles & Dinges.

Photo by Michael Ford via Facebook.

Reader report: Storm damage on Avenue A and East Fifth Street

Panoramic view of the East River at 5 pm

[Click image to enlarge]

By Gregory Patrick

Late afternoon at the East River




Photos by Bobby Williams.

Light pole down on the FDR


At East Houston Street exit... via Gregory Patrick

Sandy skyline


Photo by @lindseyfulgenzi

[Updated] Stores that are open today

[Katz's at 1:20]

We're in the process of compiling a list of stores that are open today (aside from Ray's).

Please let us know in the comments. Or via the EV Grieve email. Or on Twitter. #EVopen (clever!)

Partial list... in progress Call ahead first. (and thank you for all the tips!)

Avenue A:
Key Food (now closed)
Ink
Croissanteria (now closed)
7A
Ray's
Tompkins Square Bagels
Ost
Table 12
That crazy liquor store at East Fourth Street
Native Bean
Yuca Bar (CLOSES at 5)

East 14th Street:
Associated (NOW CLOSED)
McDonald's
7-Eleven
Dunkin Donuts
Papaya Dog
Duane Reade(s)
Adams Deli

St. Mark's Place:
Ray's Pizza and Bagel Cafe
Gem Spa
St. Mark's Market
Mamoun's
St. Mark's Comics
Cafe Mogador (NOW CLOSED)
St Dymphna's (NOW CLOSED)
Tuck Shop

First Avenue:
The Bean (NOW CLOSED)
McDonald's
Saifee Hardware (NOW CLOSED)
The International
Rite-Aid
First Avenue Pierogi & Deli
Brickman & Sons (NOW CLOSED)
The Neptune
dba

Second Avenue:
Professor Thom's on Second Avenue opens at 5
Bar 82
Kabin on Second Avenue
Moonstruck Diner
Cooper's Craft & Kitchen

Also:
Mud Coffee
9th Street Espresso on East 10th Street
Moishe's Bake Shop
Stage
Liquiteria
Bluebird on East First Street
Veselka (Second Ave. Last seating passed — take out only now Now closed)
Russo's on East 11th Street (NOW CLOSED)
Juice Press on East 10th Street open until 5.
Katz's
Mona's, Josie's and Sophie's will be open for part of the evening

Avenue B:
Happy Wok
Sunny & Annie's
Cornerstone
Duane Reade (rumored to be open around the clock)
Vazac's
Manitoba's
Blackbird

East Second Street:
Il Posto Accanto
Il Bagatto is delivering

East Fifth Street:
Lavagna is serving dinner from 5-10 p.m.

Avenue C:
Associated (Now closed)
Bobwhite
ABC Beer
ABC Wine
Casa Adela
Fine Fare
Cafecito (until 1 a.m.)

Most corner delis are open...

How long any of these places stays open depends on the changing weather conditions...

Scenes from Ninth and C — and the East River

The reader who took these also notes that the NYPD isn't stopping people from hopping the police tape on the East 10th Street pedestrian bridge...



...and an angry-looking East River from before 4 p.m.