An afternoon view, featuring Most Holy Redeemer Church

Photo by Ex Vacuo ... taken from East Seventh Street...

Testimony Of Councilmember Rosie Mendez regarding the former PS 64

This afternoon, the Landmarks Preservation Commission is listening to public comment regarding the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street... developer Gregg Singer will need approvals from the LPC to make changes to the exterior of the building for his proposed 500-bed dormitory. What follows is the testimony given by Councilmember Rosie Mendez...

Good afternoon, my name is Rosie Mendez — and I am the City Council Member who proudly represents District 2 — including the entirety of 605 East 9th Street which is the subject matter of this Public Hearing on application 14-2418 concerning the appropriateness of proposed alternations at the underlying site. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to testify here today on this most important matter.

In 2006, after years of concentrated community effort, the LPC designated the old PS 64/CHARAS El Bohio Cultural and Community Center as an Individual Landmark, citing many
singular facets of its design and century-long role as a publicly accessible community resource. In fact, the beautifully written designation report narrates at length about the rare architectural and community significance of this beloved building. I would go a step further and call the CHARAS building an absolute community treasure that universally symbolizes our shared history, collective struggles and our united path forward.

While the LPC is not specifically empowered to consider use — the history, architecture, cultural and community significance of this building is inexorably intertwined with the role it has played in the lives of successive generations on the Lower East Side. This building embodies a unique composition of remarkable and unequaled architectural features paired with a longstanding community-driven mission that dates back to 1904. Today, I urge the LPC to protect both of the unparalleled features of this building.

With respect to the plans submitted by the applicant, I have very serious concerns about the alterations proposed to the exterior of the building. My specific concerns include, without limitation:

• The proposed work on the roof — including installation of metal screen railings, mechanical equipment, an ATS room, boiler room and four stair bulkheads — will substantially detract from the distinctive roofline profile of the CHARAS building. These alterations may very well compromise the remarkable and striking architectural features of the building — including the mansard roof and pedimented dormer windows that are specifically cited — for their uniqueness and distinction — in the designation report. These dormers are, of course, the very same that were systematically destroyed, removed, and relocated in 2006, leaving nothing but a tarp flapping in the wind for the last seven years.

• I am very concerned that the proposed removal work in the elevated courtyards will undermine the hallmark concept and original design of this unique H-Plan building. The elimination and privatization of floor space on the 9th Street side of the building stands in stark contrast to the preserved vision, as articulated in the designation report which states, “The open space provided by the courtyards, the large groups of windows and the elegant decorative ornament were generous gestures and made this building stand out in this neighborhood of plain, rundown, and overcrowded tenements”... as these courtyards provided… “the luxury of open space in densely packed neighborhoods.”

Many things have changed since 1904, but the need for shared open space that is a source of community pride has not.

Conclusively, I strongly recommend that the LPC refrain from approving this proposal and require the developer to amend the current plans in a manner that entirely preserves the exclusive and remarkable characteristics of the CHARAS building — including the distinctive and landmarked roof, dormers and courtyards — consistent with the original design and designation report.

At this hearing, the LPC will officially vote to approve or deny the application... the Commission may also ask the applicant to return to a future hearing with revisions. We'll keep you posted as to what transpired this afternoon...

Meeting photos via MoRUS...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Will old PS 64 get a theater for nonprofit groups?

Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

2 new sidewalk bridges arrive as city disapproves latest plan for P.S. 64

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Citi Bikes docking station arrives this morning on East 14th Street and Stuy Town

EVG reader Brett notes that the docking stations arrived this morning around 10...



... here on East 14th Street... just east of Avenue B and adjacent to Stuy Town...



Bike docking stations also arrived this morning on East Sixth Street ... on the south side of the street near Avenue B...


[Photo by Sally Davies]

Amanda Bynes memorial doesn't make it through first 24 hours in the East Village

As noted yesterday, a shrine of sorts arrived on East Ninth and Stuyvesant Street in honor of Amanda Bynes, the actress who may or may not be, uh, acting in a "troubled" fashion, per various news accounts.

Nonetheless.

Yesterday morning!



This morning!



We heard that the shrine-memorial-art project had already been carelessly-thoughtlessly tossed yesterday afternoon.

All that remains is a tear-soaked napkin... and our memories.


[Rachel Borg]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Amanda Bynes enshrined in the East Village

Meanwhile, on Google...

Punk nostalgia

Coming soon to a department store, movie theater and museum near you...

Item.



This Bloomingdale's ad appeared in the Post yesterday. According to the ad, we're in for a Punk Summer. Prepare now! His Ramones T-shirt is $48, her Pretenders T-shirt is $64.

Item.



Also in the Post yesterday. A fashion spread in which you can "become a rebel belle with stripped-down styles inspired by priestess of punk, Patti Smith."

Item.

James Wolcott has an essay in the May Vanity Fair titled "Punk Is in the Air," a look at the new wave of nostalgia with the Richard Hell memoir, the upcoming CBGB biopic and the the Costume Institute's Punk: Chaos To Couture exhibit.

Here then, a few of his thoughts on the CBGB film, which he hasn't seen yet.

To those of us who were there, one of the anticipations of screening CBGB once it’s released from captivity is seeing not just how it simulates the squalor, congestion, snarling sound, and cove-like sanctuary of this landlocked submarine, but how it portrays the musicians, bartenders, waitresses, and regulars without whom it would have been just another hangout.

And!

When filmmakers attempt a teeming mural like this, populated with recognizable figures, it’s easy to end up with a Mort Drucker–esque Mad-magazine spread with familiar faces packed like sardines and pressed against the glass, contorted and distorted.

Item.

On that topic, the CBGB Facebook page posted a few more stills from the film in recent weeks...

"Hilly... Playing chess with the bikers"



And... "Blondie and Iggy on stage... nice lipstick"



Item.

The press preview for the Costume Institute's Punk: Chaos To Couture exhibit was yesterday. Racked was there. One apparent highlight. A replica of the CBGB men's room.

The Christodora House receives a Cultural Medallion

There was a ceremony yesterday at the Christodora House on Avenue B at East Ninth Street... where the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center unveiled the latest in its Cultural Medallion program...



...honoring Harry Lloyd Hopkins...



It reads:

Harry Hopkins, one of the most influential non-elected officials in American history, became a Settlement House worker in 1912 at Christodora, where his exposure to the struggles of new immigrants helped shape his thinking about social reform. Christodora, launched in 1897, was then housed in 143/145/147 Avenue B, and to this day continues its mission to help alleviate inequities among the underserved. In 1933, President Roosevelt asked Hopkins to implement the Social Security Act of 1935, and to direct the Works Progress Administration, which hired more than 3 million unemployed to rebuild highways, bridges, public buildings, and parks. During WWII, he was Secretary of Commerce and FDR's personal representative to London and Moscow. In 1945, Hopkins helped arrange the Potsdam Conference for President Truman, who honored him with the Distinguished Service Medal.

Here's a photo of the Christodora from 1929...

[From the Collections of the Museum of the City of New York]

Top three photos by Bobby Williams.

Former Local 269 space back on the market

The Local 269 on East Houston at Suffolk never reopened last fall after a flood apparently KO'd much of the live music venue's equipment.

Applicants who were previously involved with the Apocalypse Lounge (2004-2007) on East Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B apparently had designs on a new bar here. However, the applicants apparently never appeared before the CB3/SLA committee back in March, according to the CB3 meeting record.

So now the space is back in play. An EVG reader points us to this Craigslist post:

188 Suffolk Street corner of Houston St
EAST VILLAGE BAR/ RETAIL SPACE in Prime Location
· Located at 269-271 East Houston St
· Prime location
· Approx 900ft² street level with approx. 1200ft² usable downstairs
· 4AM Liquor License
· Showings from 10:30-6pm
· Monthly rent $14,500
· $100,000 Key Money
· No fee
· AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY

The Local 269 space was previously home to Meow Mix and Vasmay Lounge. The Local opened in February 2009.

Despite what Google Maps shows, the Sunburnt Cow is still open

Although the Sunburnt Cow may be for sale, the Endless Brunch hotspot on Avenue C and East Ninth Street remains open... Per the Cow's Facebook page yesterday:

Google Maps is WRONG!! We have not closed or re-located. We have reduced our hours to Friday - Sunday. Hope to see you all back next weekend!

Tonight: Discussion about the 'Tompkins Square/Alphabet City Slow Zone'

[Click image to enlarge]

As you may recall, CB3 member Chad Marlow, and the group that he founded in 2011, the Tompkins Square Park & Playground Parents’ Association (TSP3A), are kicking off a major neighborhood safety initiative.

Allow me to cut-and-paste this from the previous post on the topic:

It involves applying to the Department of Transportation to have them create what the group is calling the "Tompkins Square/Alphabet City Slow Zone" (TSACSZ).

The TSACSZ, in short, is an effort to improve pedestrian safety for children and all others who live/work/play in the proposed 0.38 square-mile zone by reducing motor vehicle speeds. As Marlow writes, the slow zone program "takes a well-defined, relatively compact area, and reduces its speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour, with further reductions to 15 miles per hour near schools."

And tonight, the proposal gets the CB3 committee treatment:

Transportation & Public Safety / Environment Committee
Tuesday, May 7 at 6:30pm — Community Board 3 Office, 59 East 4th Street (btwn 2nd Ave & Bowery)

• Request for support of the proposed "Tompkins Square/Alphabet City Slow Zone"

Marlow introduced the proposal with this op-ed first published in The Villager.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Call for an East Village 'slow zone' (34 comments)

'Authentic Georgian-Mediterranean cuisine' coming to Avenue B

A reader told us that a new restaurant is opening in the space recently vacated by Caffe Buon Gusto on Avenue B and East Fifth Street.

We don't know much about the space. The reader noticed diners inside Sunday night, but thought that it was a friends-family kind of thing.

The restaurant is called Oda House, serving "authentic Georgian-Mediterranean cuisine" per the signage outside, from chef and managing partner Maia Acquaviva. Sounds interesting... hope to receive more information later...

Bending elm awaits its fate in Tompkins Square Park

Workers closed off the area surrounding the great bending elm in Tompkins Square Park yesterday... apparently the Park workers are awaiting for arborists to check out the tree... Meanwhile, it was eerily quiet early last evening ... as these shots by East Village Hawkeye show...

Praying for a miracle

Outside Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church on East 12th Street this evening... There are permits on file to demolish the church and its adjoining buildings for a new residential-retail complex.

Photo by Shawn Chittle.

Reader report: Is a bike-accessories thief on the loose?

A reader who lives in the vicinity of Second Avenue and East Third Street sends along the following:

Someone stole my bike lights. They came with an Allen wrench and took them.

I just wanted to let people know that a thief is on the loose in the East Village and to keep their bike accessories with them.

The reader said the theft occurred yesterday morning or early afternoon.

More support on the way for the bending elm in Tompkins Square Park?

On Friday, GammaBlog noted that the bending elm in the center of Tompkins Square Park was down to one support cable, and that the lashing around the cable appeared to be fraying... (The second cable was lost during Sandy).

Earlier today, workers arrived and cordoned off the area surrounding the tree...





No word yet on what exactly will be happening here...

Photos via our friends at MoRUS...

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Concern for the bending elm in Tompkins Square Park

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

[Outside St. Brigid's yesterday via @NYCCorners]

1980s-90 NYC via photographer Efrain Gonzalez (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

A look at 105-year-old John’s of 12th Street (DNAinfo)

Man arrested for groping 9-year-old girl in the East Village ( WNBC 4 New York)

At the annual Cannabis Peace Parade and Rally on Union Square (Slum Goddess ... Gog in NYC)

The developers interested in Seward Park (The Lo-Down)

More grumbling about Citi Bikes (Curbed)


[Photo from Ideas City by Stephen Popkin]

Recap of the Ideas City Street Festival on the Bowery (BoweryBoogie)

Remembering the Tenth Street Studio Building (Ephemeral New York)

Remembering Johnny Blitz on East Fifth Street (Flaming Pablum)

Marky Ramone and Andrew W.K. play the Ramones at Santos Party House (Rolling Stone)

RIP Joey McGibbon

We heard the sad news this past weekend that longtime East Village resident Joey McGibbon has passed away. He was 54.

While we didn't know him personally, he is someone we saw often in the neighborhood. And we featured him last Aug. 29 in Out and About in the East Village.

I moved down here by accident. I was in love with this girl and we were in the throws of breaking up. I grew up in Queens. I had no intentions of moving down here, especially back then when this neighborhood was the way it was. But she moved here and I followed her. I thought maybe we’d get back together but it never happened and I ended up staying.

Here's an obituary, which notes:

His gentle spirit and kind way will be missed dearly.

[Thanks to Bill the Libertarian Anarchist for letting us know about Joey]

Amanda Bynes enshrined in the East Village

Over on East Ninth and Stuyvesant, a shrine of sorts arrived in honor of Amanda Bynes, the actress who has apparently been acting in a bizarre fashion of late. (Enough so to make ABC News the other day.)

As for this shrine, EVG reader Rachel Borg notes that the tribute-maker even Photoshopped Bynes' face on the Mary candles.

I can't stop taking photos of 51 Astor Place

I know. I know! There is some sort of life force within the new building that compels me to take out a camera every time I walk by... (And I've tried taking different routes...)

Oh, and the front entrance and public plaza are shaping up...







Now I want to go inside. (Via 51AP's official renderings)

'Stop with the graffiti on this building!'

EVG reader John spotted this Urban Etiquette Sign over at 134 E. 13th St., home of the Classic Stage Company and Everyman Espresso...

On Avenue B, Sigmund Pretzel Shop is closing to reopen as a restaurant

The folks at Sigmund Pretzel Shop on Avenue B just south of East Third Street let us know that, starting today, they will be closed until June 12 or so... Here is their official message via Facebook:

A lot of you know that we've been planning to graduate from a favorite neighborhood snack and sandwich place to favorite neighborhood restaurant for some time now.

And the time has come — we are briefly closing to do some magic in our East Village spot.

CLOSED BETWEEN MAY 6 - JUNE 12

ORDERS? YES!
You can call us at 646.410.0333 Mon-Fri 10 am - 4 pm and order pretzels, dips or book a catering gig. All deliveries will come to you directly from our bakery in Greenpoint, BK and our lovely Alicia will be on the phone to take care of all of you.

Coming soon to Second Avenue: Block's Vision Care

Been meaning to note this... you may have noticed the sign up next door to Block Drugs ... at the former home of Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar at 101 Second Ave. near East Sixth Street ...



The folks at Block are opening Block's Vision Care...

Extra Place now home to a Little Free Library

Spotted three people installing this in Extra Place on Saturday morning... and the final product...



...with an explanation about Little Free Library ...



Per The New York Times:

Holding no more than about 20 books for old and young, the 10 new Little Free Libraries — miniature lending libraries where anyone can take or leave a book under the honor system — will pop up all over downtown Manhattan on Saturday afternoon, and will stand until Sept. 1.

And!

Jakab Orsos, the director of the PEN World Voices Festival, which features events and workshops with international authors this week, said he heard about the Little Free Library concept last year and almost immediately decided to bring some to New York.

“It’s such a rich, such a romantic idea,” he said on Thursday, waxing lyrical about the pleasures of literature. “It really restores my faith, this connectedness — how people are actually harboring the beauty of reading and the book and the importance of the book.”

Concern for Elmo on Avenue C

And why not? Spotted by EVG reader Laura Ave B ... between East Seventh Street and East Eighth Street today... When awakened, Elmo said, "Elmo is not drunk."

So I meet you at the cemetery gates

The New York City Marble Cemetery on East Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue is open until 5 today... Chango Blanco, who took the above photo, took a walk around the grounds. Find more of his photos from today at Flickr.

[Headline h/t]