Friday, January 3, 2014

[Updated] Gone but not forgotten

Remembering a few of our friends and neighbors who died in 2013...

Butch Morris, innovative jazz musician and conductor



-----

Alan Shenker, aka Yossarian/Yo, legendary figure in the underground comics world

[Photo by Patrick Rosenkranz]

-----

Saul Leiter, acclaimed street photographer


[Image via]

-----

Joel Pakela aka LES Jewels, "gutter pirate," poet


[Photo via MoRUS]

-----

Cesar Monico, longtime employee of Stromboli Pizza, father of three


[Photo by EVG reader Aizaz]

-----

Walter De Maria, noted sculptor, musician


[Photo by Patrick Rogers]

-----


Taylor Mead, "the quintessential Downtown figure"


[Photo from 1979, © Deborah Feingold/Corbis]

-----

Joey McGibbon, longtime East Village resident, "gentle spirit"

[Photo by James Maher]

-----

Walter Seda, happy hour aficionado


[Photo by Tim Finn]

-----

Arpad Miklos, gay porn superstar

[Image via Pitchfork]

-----

John Blanco, popular bouncer at Croxley Ales,


[Photo by Stacie Joy]

-----

Arturo Vega, artist, "the fifth Ramone"


[Photo by Curt Hoppe from March 2013]

These EV Grieve posts received the most reader comments in 2013

Amazingly, a Citi Bike post did not crack the top 10...



Incoming Empire Biscuit on Avenue A launches Kickstarter campaign (July 9, 121 comments)

A case against using the term 'crusty' (June 28, 105 comments)

RIP LES Jewels (Sept. 14, 80 comments)

Report: FDNY rescues partygoers from 2nd Avenue 'rooftop rager' after stairwell collapse injures 1 (Sept. 29, 74 comments)

Avenue A's anti-7-Eleven campaign now includes arsenal of 20,000 stickers (Jan. 8, 73 comments)

Report: The making of Empire Biscuit; plus, people drop biscuits on the floor but eat them anyway (Nov. 12, 72 comments)

Report: Empire Biscuit opens today (Oct. 30, 65 comments)

[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured (June 19, 62 comments)

Top cop's SantaCon endorsement: 'It's what makes New York, New York' (Nov. 24, 59 comments)

Reader report: 9th St. Bakery is closing after 87 years (Jan. 15, 59 comments)

Here is the future of East 14th Street and Avenue A: 7 stories of residential and retail (Oct. 18, 57 comments)

Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave (or read!) a comment.

The most-viewed EV Grieve posts of 2013


In case you are in the mood for one more year-end listicle…

-----

[Updated] Female diner decides to go topless last night at Verso, July 8



------

Noted, Aug. 28



-----

RIP LES Jewels, Sept. 14


[Photo from 2011 by Bob Arihood]

-----

[Updated] The Joe Strummer mural is gone, Aug. 19


[Bobby Williams]

-----

Something Sweet space for rent on First Avenue, July 8


[Photo by Blue Glass]

Thursday, January 2, 2014

A fearless visit to the roof during Hercules!



EVG reader John Speakman braved a familiar roof for this Hercules update…

Meanwhile on East Fifth Street…



Photo by Paul Kostabi via Instagram

On the front lines of Hercules

Signs of the impending Storm of the Jan. 3®







Meanwhile, the aliens are ready to harvest our frozen bodies… or maybe it was just a photo shoot. Still!



Photos today in and around Tompkins Square Park by Bobby Williams

Sure, it looks nice now...



A postcardish early morning in Tompkins Square Park... but that will all change with this MAMMOTH Winter Storm headed right toward us...

Anyway, hope that the snow holds off until we figure out what happened here...



What is it a good restaurant year for the East Village in 2013?



Seems so … as far as the arrival (and return!) of some affordable/unpretentious restaurant options … For starters, there's the second outpost of Joe's Pizza on East 14th Street… and Archie & Sons on Third Avenue...



Not to mention all the new taco choices — an East Ninth Street storefront for Tacos MorelosOtto's on Second Avenue … El Diablito Taqueria on East Third Street… There is also Taqueria Diana, which I haven't tried over on Second Avenue. (Ditto for Sembrado on East 13th Street.)

What else? The much-appreciated (by me, anyway) return of the original Nino's Pizza on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place… and the very happy return of Mee Noodle Shop and Grill on First Avenue…

What else? The new outpost of Papaya King on St. Mark's Place… Han Dynasty on Third Avenue?

Obviously there were many other openings … kept this to places that weren't selling, say, Bibb Lettuce Salads drizzled with cherimoya nectar for $39.

Anyway! Feel free to mention any other new places in the comments ... as long as it isn't a blatant shill.

Controversial halal food cart on Avenue A moves … a few feet around the corner

Well! The world's most controversial halal food cart that arrived last week on the southeast corner of Avenue A and East Second Street, quickly drawing the ire of some nearby residents, has moved… a few feet around the corner to a new spot on East Second Street…



Oh, if this helps…



A few neighbors had complained of noise, exhaust fumes, dumped ashes and a blocked sidewalk, among other things… someone even papered the block with flyers

The move will now likely infuriate a whole new set of neighbors…



In another development, RyanAvenueA noted that the cart was gone by 9 last night ... several hours earlier than usual...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Angry residents don't want this food cart on Avenue A and East 2nd Street (42 comments)

Avenue A food-cart fight now with flyer campaign (21 comments)

CB3/SLA January highlights include new projects from Alex Stupak and John McDonald; plus a new applicant for 50 Avenue B

Community Board 3 has released its meeting schedule for the month… here's a look at the SLA Licensing Committee docket…

But first! The meeting is Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. … at the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery…

To date, not much is known about some of these applicants … so we'll just have to randomly speculate! (Like usual!) Anyway, to some East Village-related highlights from the agenda…


[132 St. Mark's Place]

Applications within Saturated Areas

• To be Determined, 132 St Marks Pl (op)
Empellón chef Alex Stupak plans to open his third restaurant at this location. The Sushi Lounge closed at the end of October.

• Swauto Ltd, 25 Ave A (op/alt/convert part of basement to lounge with additional bar)
Looks like 2A has some expansion plans…

• To be Determined, 511 E 6th St (op)
This is the former Identity Bar and Lounge, which closed back in October.

• Wafels & Dinges (Degeest LLC), 15 Ave B (wb)

• Love Craft, Johnny Favorite's (Sunrise Shadow LLC), 240 E 4th St (aka 50 Ave B) (op)
There appears to be a new player interested in the former Affaire space on Avenue B… some residents weren't too keen on the previous applicant who wanted to open Brownstone Bar and Grill.

Paperwork on file at the CB3 website lists the applicant as Mario Yagubi, owner of a boxing promotional group, as well as 1849 Restaurant, Bar and Parlor on Bleecker Street.

Here is a promotional flyer for 1849's weekend dance parties:



Alterations
• Everyman Espresso LLC, 136 E 13th St (wb/include alcohol service in theater)



• Brazen Fox Kitchen & Craft Beer (106 3rd Ave NYC Inc), 106 3rd Ave (aka 145 E 13th St) (op/2nd Fl outdoor deck in back)
The new bar-restaurant at East 13th Street … we recall that some neighbors had issues with the previous tenant, Friend House… we attended a CB3/SLA meeting where residents complained about late-night noise from the second-floor bar … but those were different operators, of course …

New Liquor License Applications

• 9 East First Street LLC, 9 E 1st St (upgrade to op)
The former Veselka Bowery space. Eater and Grub Street previously reported that restaurateur John McDonald signed a lease for a steakhouse/oyster place here. This was a scratch from a previous month.

• To be Determined, 325 Bowery (op)
This is the address of Peels… wonder what's going on here… the building was sold last summer for more than $9 million.

• Il Posto Accanto (And Another One Inc), 190 E 2nd St (op)

• Farfasha (Entrez Bar & Grill Inc), 162 2nd Ave (upgrade to op)

• Feast (Two Guize LLC), 102 3rd Ave (upgrade to op)

• Moonstruck (88 2nd Ave Food Corp), 88 2nd Ave (op)

• Robataya (America Ootoya Inc), 231 E 9th St (upgrade to op)

• Mei E Iron Sushi 38 Inc, 212 E 10th St (wb)


• To be Determined, 600 E 14th St (op)
Hmmm… this is AlphaBet Cafe at Avenue B, which has had problems of late with gas and the DOH… appears something new is in the works here.

• 279 E Houston Corp, 279 E Houston St (wb)
This is a vacant storefront between Suffolk and Clinton that last housed some kind of boutique, right?

---

b=beer only | wb=wine & beer only | op=liquor, wine, & beer | alt=alterations

The Jefferson sheds its sidewalk bridge



At long last workers have removed the sidewalk bridge in front of The Jefferson, the new luxury residences at 211 E. 13th St. Look, the front doors!





As The Real Deal reported back in December, the 82-unit condo at the site of the former Mystery Lot in the North West East Village is 100 percent in contract.

Meanwhile, the sidewalk remains closed.



Previously on EV Grieve:
City approves new building for Mystery Lot

The last days of the Mystery Lot

Before it was the Mystery Lot

The Mystery Lot developers using famous dead comedians to sell condos at The Jefferson

The Jefferson reveals what '21st Century living in the heart of Olde New York' costs

So where's that fucking bank branch that's taking the former Mars Bar space?


[Dec. 28]

Last Jan. 2, Steve Cuozzo reported at the Post that a 4,300-square-foot TD Bank branch was going to anchor the retail space at Jupiter 21, the new luxury apartment building that rose from the ashes of the Mars Bar and other businesses on Second Avenue and East First Street.

So where is this fucking bank branch anyway?

Well!

In recent days, someone finally put up some brown paper in the windows here… perhaps a sign of work commencing!


[Jan. 1]

Before workers papered the windows, we spotted a microwave inside… perhaps an incentive for opening a checking account here?



Meanwhile, it has been almost a year since we heard our last Mars-Bar-is-returning rumor.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The former Mars Bar is becoming a fucking bank branch

Sidewalk bridge arrives outside dormant construction site on Avenue B



A small sidewalk bridge arrived this week outside 26 Avenue B… this is the site for a 6-floor apartment building … excavation work here last April 16 "possibly contributed" to the evacuation of residents next door after a crack was discovered running all the way up the back of the building.

A partial Stop Work Order remains in effect on the site of the new building. However, the city OK'd a permit in late November for "structural repair work" for 28 Avenue B.

At this point, we're not sure how many people are living in the building. The city rescinded the vacate order for residents on July 12. (Croxley Ales was able to reopen for business on June 27.)

As EVG regular Salim has noted, the entryway for residents to No. 28 appears supported by jacks, and many of the windows on the upper floors look vacant.

Meanwhile, there aren't any noticeable changes to the construction site, which remains dormant.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Report: 28 Avenue B has been evacuated

Full-stop work order served at construction site adjacent to evacuated Avenue B building

[Updated] 6-story apartment building ready to rise from the former Croxley Ales beer garden

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

On New Year's Day 2014


A few photos from around the neighborhood this first day of 2014… from Derek Berg







… and from Bobby Williams in Tompkins Square Park…










… and via EVG reader Luke A on East 10th Street…

Report: Tellers snub would-be bank robber on the Bowery

According to the Daily Blotter in the Post today, a man tried to rob the Chase on the Bowery at East First Street… but walked out empty-handed after tellers ignored his threat.

To the report!

The man slipped a note penned on a Whole Foods receipt to a teller ... at 12:18 p.m. Monday.

The note read, “Give me all the money nobody getting hurt!” the sources said.

The robber then whispered in a West Indian accent, “Just read it,” according to the sources.

The teller ignored him and walked away.

Infuriated, the crook screamed at a second teller, “Give me the money!” the sources said.

That teller, too, walked away without giving the would-be robber anything.

What can we learn from this?

Somewhere on Avenue B, a New Year's Resolution has started

Avenue A, 8:12 a.m., Jan. 1

Avenue A regulars



Kim working the day shift at Ray's...

Photo by Bill Moss from November

-----



Anton's birds

Photo by Grant Shaffer

-----



Niagara and Joe Strummer

Photo by Fenton Lawless

In case you are making New Year's resolutions...


Here's one for you...