Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Citi Bike photo of the day



It's actually from Saturday... EVG reader Brion Bonkowski took this on Third Avenue at East Ninth Street... certainly not the first time this has likely happened...



... just the first time that we happened to see it.

So, does this mean we need a Citi Bikes program for kids too?

Third Rail Coffee is now (semi) open on East 10th Street


[Saturday]

As we first noted back on Dec. 31, the the second NYC location for Third Rail Coffee is taking over the former Stogo space on East 10th Street just west of Second Avenue.

And the shop had a quiet opening Sunday ... though people noticed.


Co-owner/barista Humberto Ricardo told us that they're "semi open." He and his team are still working out a few kinks with the new space. He'll likely have a more formal Grand Opening after the July 4 holiday.

In early January, Ricardo shared more about the space with us.

"I'm really excited to get back to the East Village. It was the first place I lived on my own in New York City when I moved there," he said. In particular, he always liked this picturesque stretch of East 10th Street — near the St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery and the circa 1860s row houses designed by James Renwick Jr.

You can read the rest of that post here.

H/T Bill the libertarian anarchist

Monday, July 1, 2013

Why did Metropolitan City Market close early today?

Multiple readers have pointed out that the Metropolitan City Market (Met Foods) on Second Avenue closed around 3 today.

There's no sign on the door indicating a problem, like, say, emergency repairs on the AC units. Calls to the Market go unanswered. Maybe they closed early in honor of Canada Day?

Anyone hear anything?

East Village boutique honors Ryan Gosling on Canada Day



We do hope that you have been enjoying your Canada Day. Meanwhile, in honor of this day, meg, the boutique on East Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, pays tribute to famous Canadian actor/peacemaker Ryan Gosling in its window display.

And once again, no love for Rick Moranis.

Photo by EVG contributor peter radley.

Blondie break



Happy birthday Debbie Harry. She is 68 today.

Listings arrive for Karl Fischer-designed luxury homes at 427 E. 12th St.



Work continues at the Karl Fischer-architected 427 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue... However, the listings appeared Friday on Streeteasy. There are 10 units that range in price from $850,000 for a one-bedroom home to $2.395 for the penthouse.

And the description:

427 East 12th Street is a brand new luxury boutique condominium outfitted with a beautifully balanced combination of brick, glass, and aluminum façade. The building offers 10 units with distinctive lifestyle experiences with a variety of layouts consisting of 1 (plus home office), 2, and 3 bedroom units.

Residences feature sleek concrete floors with epoxy finishes and floor to ceiling double pane windows. Several residences are complimented with a private outdoor space that range in size. The custom designed chefs kitchen is finished with walnut veneer and satin lacquer cabinetry, Caesar stone countertops, back painted glass, and is fully equipped with stainless steel appliances by Fischer & Paykel. Bathrooms are appointed with oversized bathtubs, custom built vanities, glass enclosed frameless showers, and Duravit & Kohler fixtures throughout.

With its retail diversity, restaurant density, proximity to NYU, Cooper Union and all that downtown has to offer, the East Village is a mecca for artists, musicians, students, and writers. The centerpiece of the neighborhood is the popular Tompkin’s Square Park, which hosts music events and the year round Greenmarket that supports local farmers every Sunday

And some renderings...







We've been following this one through the years... there were some issues. In a previous look in early 2012, there were support braces in the muddy (and long-dormant) pit to help prop up 425 E. 12th Street... and complaints to the DOB about the construction causing "damage to phone lines at 429 E. 12th St. and cracks in bathroom walls."

[January 2012 by Greg Masters]

And the space back in 2005...


[Via Village Confidential]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Karl Fischer designing new East 12th Street residence

427 E. 12th St. back from the dead?

Workers making a pit stop at incoming Karl Fischer-designed building on East 12th Street

First Avenue Pierogi & Deli closing for the remainder of the summer



One of our favorites, First Avenue Pierogi & Deli at 130 First Ave., will be closing after Wednesday through Labor Day... the owners are taking off a little more time this summer than in previous years...

In any event, you have today through Wednesday to stock up on pierogis, blintzes, cabbage rolls, etc., for the next two months...

'Serendipity' returns to Tompkins Square Park


[Bobby Williams]

The life-sized sculpture of Christopher Gamble's silhouette returned to Tompkins Square Park on Saturday after a brief appearance last week ... The silhouette by Fanny Allié will be in the Park through November ...


[EV Grieve]


[EV Grieve]

The work is in honor of Gamble, who was homeless for nearly 28 years. He now lives in an apartment run by the Bowery Residents' Committee.

Read more all this here.

Noise isn't funny?



Some rather hastily written signs appeared recently outside the Upright Citizens Brigade on Avenue A at East Third Street...



Are there some noise issues here? It has been some time since we noted any noise signs here...

Flashback!


Previously.

[Updated] Breaking in the public plaza at 51 Astor Place


The 24-hour public plaza outside 51 Astor Place was unveiled back on June 21... and people have been using and enjoying the space, as far as we can tell...

... and it's starting to have that lived-in East Village look, complete with litter, tags and overflowing trash cans... as seen this weekend...







Updated 5:15

EVG reader John passes along this photo... showing a spotlessly clean plaza... the tags are gone. Ditto for the heading piles of trash...

For Whom the PBR Tolls



Just noting a little memorial that appeared in the past few days at the Blarney Cove, which closed for good last Tuesday on East 14th Street.

Swissted's posters for CBGB shows at Avalon Bowery Place



The art wall over at Avalon Bowery Place along East First Street is now featuring the work of Swissted's Mike Joyce ... it's part of a project that the NYC-based graphic designer launched in January 2012...

The Village Voice explained the concept this way last year:

Joyce combs through flyers of old-school punk, hardcore, and indie rock shows, retains the vital info, and uses that text to create Swiss Modernist-style posters that often incorporate geometric patterns. His work favors minimalism, and his only font is Berthold Akzidenz-Grotesk Medium (lowercase, natch).

This collection features shows from CBGB...







Sunday, June 30, 2013

7 random East Village photos from the weekend with zero context













This will do



Anything to cool off... East Ninth Street at Avenue C...

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Week in Grieview



The Yippie Museum Cafe is closing (Friday)

Tacos Morelos coming to East 9th Street (Monday)

Update on crowdsourcing campaign for injured East Village Farm and Grocery worker (Friday)

The glassy future of East 10th Street and Fourth Avenue (Tuesday)

Former funeral home becomes Townhouse 49 on East 7th Street (Monday)

The polite tip jar thief (Thursday)

A case against using the term 'crusty' (Friday, 86 comments)

More about Davey's Ice Cream, opening this summer on First Avenue (Tuesday)

The Blarney Cove closed (Tuesday)

New security cameras for Campos Plaza (Tuesday)

Driver crashes into gate at Tompkins Square Park (Thursday)

Phillip Giambri's East Village (Wednesday)

Rite Aid's new look on First Avenue (Tuesday)

Illegal penthouse coming down on East Sixth Street? (Friday)

Retail for 51 Astor Place (Tuesday)

Name change at Billy Hurricane's (Tuesday)

Last call for the Motor City Bar today

The Motor City Bar closes for good after tonight. The landlord chose not to renew the bar's lease... Motor City opened at 127 Ludlow in 1996.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Motor City Bar is closing on Ludlow Street

In time for a Star Spangled 4th of July Christmas!



Well! A tipster passes along this well-maintained Christmas-holiday tree spotted yesterday on Second Avenue and East Sixth Street... with some smartphone proof for Authentication purposes...



... and via OlympiasEpiriot ... the beauty made it through the night...



Looks like this is all legit in our estimation, though it's not ultimately up to us. Gruber MacDougal, spokesperson for the International Coalition of Tree Tossing in the Spring and Summer (ICTTSS), is currently in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport for unknown reasons.

And thanks to EVG reader Steve for this shot too...



How soon before it rolls into the bus lane?

Pride



Outside Nowhere on East 14th Street...



And visit the NYC pride website for a list of today's Pride-related activities...

Cutting back a damaged tree in Tompkins Square Park



A crew arrived early yesterday morning to attend to a tree in Tompkins Square Park ... a limb came crashing down the other day...

Here's what the tree, in the southern section near East Seventh Street, looked like later in the day ... via these photos by EVG contributor peter radley...



City unveils new light poles





We'll be here all weekend, unfortunately.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

A private party in a public Tompkins Square Park



Several residents have told us that part of Tompkins Square Park was closed off this afternoon for a private party of some kind... in an area between East Eighth Street and East Ninth Street along Avenue B... the residents said that they were unaware that a section of a public park could be shut down for some private gathering... the partygoers were flashing permits to people who were put out by what was transpiring ... even the men who are part of the drum circle along here were told that they needed to vacate the area. And, from what we were told, they were quite unhappy about it...

Updated:
One reader said that this event was a birthday party for a chihuahua.

Updated:
Here is information from the Parks & Recreation website with information on requesting a special event permit.

"From the smallest birthday party to the largest concert, special events take place every day in New York City parks. If you want to have any activity in a City park with more than 20 people, or where you would like to reserve a specific area within a park, you need to apply for a special event permit."