Report: July 4 fireworks returning to the East River

[The spirit of America!]

You will apparently no longer have to rekindle that friendship every July with those people you really don't like who live on the west side and have a rooftop view of the Hudson ...

According to The Observer, Mayor de Blasio is expected today to announce that the July 4 fireworks will return to the East River where God wanted them to be.

In his former job as public advocate, Mr. de Blasio, a Brooklynite who campaigned as a champion of the outer boroughs, called on Macy’s, the event’s sponsor, to move the show back from the Hudson River so it could be seen by residents in Queens and Brooklyn. The display was moved to the Hudson, between Manhattan and New Jersey, in 2009.

And now a look back at the July 4 fireworks from an EVG friend's roof in the East Village in 2009 ... feel free to ohh! and ahh!

This year's Howl! Festival has been postponed

[Photo from 2013 by ~Joan]

Word went out last night that the annual Howl! Festival has been postponed… here's the message from the Howl! website …



And that's all we have about it at the moment…

Updated 4/14:

Bob Holman had this to say about the situation last evening on his Tumblr …

Steve Cannon will continue as Poet laureate and will rule at the next HOWL, whenever that is. It’s Tompkins Sq Park bureaucracy, IMHO — HOWL has never been supported like the Treasure that it is.

Another flyer campaign to 'stop the rooftop noise' at 84 E. 10th St.

These signs are up along East 10th Street between Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue … (we also spotted some on Third Avenue…) …





Here's a look at the recently remodeled 84 E. 10th St. …



And the helpful arrow points out where the roof likely is…



Seriously, though … there have been complaints about rooftop noise here dating back to June 2010 … before the building got the makeover…

According to a listing that we spotted for No. 84 in March 2013, there is only one residential unit here … (the 2-bedroom space was asking $7,500). The amenities included "a huge private roof deck."

Yoo's Convenience Store — home of New York's 'best coffee' — going out of business on 2nd Avenue

The time for Yoo's is coming to an end at 50 Second Ave. …



The owner (is it Mr. Yoo?) said that the landlord is doubling his rent. "How can they do this?" he said while shaking his head. "But what are you going to do."

We'll miss the handwritten notes here boasting having the best coffee in the city…

Exchange Alley has not been open lately

The New Orleans-themed Exchange Alley has not been open for the past week or so here at 424 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

There aren't any signs up to note a temporary closure … and there's nothing on their website or Facebook page to indicate anything is amiss. Calls to the restaurant go unanswered. However, the well-regarded restaurant is no longer listed on Open Table. We reached out to chef Paul Gerard, formerly of the SoHo House kitchen, to see what was happening here.

Exchange Alley, which opened in August 2012, was the latest to give this space a try … where Olivia, Sintir and Zi' Pep all closed in fairly quick succession ...

The restaurant enjoyed some high-profile press ahead of its opening, including a write-up on Vogue.com

There's a really steep fine for jumping on this sidewalk gate outside Bedlam

Spotted these stickers the other day in front of Bedlam at 40 Avenue C…



Not sure who enforces this fine… and gets to keep the money. And how are we expected to pay?

DOUBLE ghost signage discovered at 88 3rd Ave.

Earlier last month, EVG reader Dave from 14th Street noted the above ghost signage that workers uncovered while converting the former Amici Pizza into (heh) a Funkiberry Premium Frozen Yogurt shop.

NOW!

EVG regular ~evilsugar notes that there was ghost signage under the Lawrence & Paul's Pizza & Restaurant ghost signage…



Here's a better shot via Scoboco … showing Luigi's 3rd Ave. Pizza…



Meanwhile, the remains of the the Lawrence & Paul's sign are now in the dumpster on Third Avenue…



Previously on EV Grieve:
Stuff that you can't make up: More FroYo for the East Village

Ghost signage uncovered on Third Avenue and East 12th Street

Luke's Lobster goes more art house

East Seventh Street.

Previously

Tonight's almost full mooooooon

Looking east from East Houston Street via @speakman

Week in Grieview

[Union Square yesterday by Terry Howell]

Shakespeare & Company losses lease on Broadway (Monday … Thursday)

RIP A Gathering of Tribes (Thursday)

The hawk couple of Tompkins Square Park now has three eggs (Wednesday)

Gino DiGirolamo is retiring after 50 years in business (Thursday)

Landmarks Preservation Commission OKs 8-floor hotel adjacent to the Merchant's House Museum (Tuesday)

Clayton Patterson is moving to the Austrian Alps (Monday)

This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef has closed (Wednesday)

Why the East Village smelled like a campfire (Monday)

Check out this rooftop art gallery (Tuesday)

6 St. Mark's Place is for lease (Friday)

Wicked Wolfe BBQ opens on East 14th Street (Thursday)

First exhibit for City Lore (Monday)

Out and About with Jon Gerstad (Wednesday)

Max Fish clears first hurdle in return to LES (Tuesday)

More about the retail-residential complex coming to 50-62 Clinton St. (Thursday)

An updated look at Alphabet Plaza (Wednesday)

Openings: Handsome Dan's and INA (Tuesday)

Hello 311? These street lights along East Houston have been out for a long time (Friday)

King Tut evicted from tomb on East 8th Street

An EVG reader spotted this in the De Colores Community Yard & Cultural Center on East Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C…

Word here is that his tomb is being converted into a 3-bedroom apartment with roof deck. Per the Streeteasy listing, the apartment will feature "high-hat lighting, exposed brick and old world charm."

In bloom

The jackets are coming in nicely this spring!

Photo in Tompkins Square Park yesterday by Michael Sean Edwards

Afternoon delight

Tompkins Square Park today by Bobby Williams

Topless weather

East Seventh Street and First Avenue today via EVG contributor Derek Berg.

High times: New clock appears above East 13th Street and 4th Avenue

So last Saturday we spotted our old friends from Bay Crane doing something or another on the southeast corner of Fourth Avenue and East 13th Street… we took the above photo (remember: you always take photos of cranes).

And that was that. Until blogger Andrew Fine pointed out to us the arrival of an old-timey clock …





Per A Fine Blog:

It appears to be part of the re-branding of Pan Am Equities' 4000 unit apartment portfolio by Mirador Properties, which is now in charge of marketing and leasing. Mirador is overseeing the upscaling the properties with Restoration Hardware fixtures, high end appliances, and sleek lobbies. It is being branded as "True North", dedicated to combining "Old New York design" with "modern technology and amenities". Ok, whatever.

Early morning car fire on East 8th Street

The FDNY was quick to respond to this car fire on East Eighth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D… EVG reader Peter H. from 8th Street shared these photos …











No word at the moment what caused the fire…

Liar, liar

Babes in Toyland. "Bruise Violet." 1992.

Noted

Apparently East 10th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A is flowing green at the moment, as this photo by @FashionByHe shows... not sure why at the moment.

Perhaps there was a spill at one of the two Juice Press locations on East 10th Street... the sight of this lends some credence to the theory...

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Tompkins Square Park last night via Michael Sean Edwards]

Feature obituary on the great Leee Black Childers (The New York Times)

Video: An interview with the Birdman of Rainbow Music on First Avenue (GammaBlog)

A "die-in" protest on Grand Street (The Daily News)

"The Two-Character Play" gets a two-week extended run at Bullet Space (292 Theatre)

Details on "The Real Estate Show, What Next: 2014" (BoweryBoogie)

Ai Weiwei's first museum show in the city opens next week at the Brooklyn Museum (The Wall Street Journal)

More about the future of the restaurants on East Houston and Orchard (The Villager)

There's a new NYC summer concert venue at Pier 97 (Brooklyn Vegan)

... and via the EVG inbox...

Ukrainian Easter Egg Decorating Workshop with Anna Sawaryn
Saturday April 12, noon - 2 p.m.

6th & B Garden - Avenue B between 5th & 6th Street

(Since we work with candles and hot beeswax children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.)

Ukrainians have been creating beautiful pysanky using a batik process for centuries. Eggs represent life and were given to friends, as a symbol of good fortune and protection from harm. With the acceptance of Christianity in 988 the pysanka, a symbol of rebirth, became a part of Ukrainian Easter traditions.

Eggs are dyed, starting with the lightest and ending with the darkest, usually black. A stylus and hot beeswax are used to cover, the color beneath. Whatever is covered with beeswax will remain that color and be protected from the next dye. In the end all the beeswax is removed revealing the many layers of color.

Report: Rent hike forced Gino to retire and close his Royal Tailor shop

[James and Karla Murray]

As we first reported on Tuesday, Gino DiGirolamo is retiring, and closing his Royal Tailor shop at 520 E. 14th St. on May 31.

After 50 years in the business, it seemed as if a retirement was in order for Gino.

However, that's not the case. As NY1 reported, a rent hike left him no choice but to close.

"The man, he want a thousand dollars more. I pay the $3,000, he want $4,000," DiGirolamo said.

Also from the article:

"This level of craftsmanship, this level of care, this level of pride is really disappearing," said James Murray, an East Village resident.

Gino is also known for staying open and in his store literally all night. Max Chanoch came in to drop off pants to be tailored at 11 p.m., they were ready by 7 a.m.

520 E. 14th St., which also houses Dunkin' Donuts on the ground floor, is the lone holdout between ...


[Via Google]

… the two new retail-residential buildings expected at 500 E. 14th St. and 524 E. 14th St. …


[500 E. 14th St.]

And!


[524 E. 14th St.]

Per NY1: "Many say when DiGirolamo leaves it will be another piece of the old neighborhood no longer around."

You can say that again. And again …

Previously on EV Grieve:
A pile of clothes at the Royal Tailor

After 50 years in business, Gino DiGirolamo is closing the Royal Tailor shop

East 14th Street exodus continues

The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development

Reader report: These street lights along East Houston have been out for several years

An EVG reader tells us that there are two street lights out just west of Avenue A along East Houston and East First Street ...



According to the reader, the lights have been dark "for several years."

"I have called 311 several times and even talked to the guys who have been working on [the East Houston Reconstruction Project] for the last 600 years. They never get fixed," the resident says. "It is very dark on both Houston and First Street. I have almost stepped on little dogs since I can't see them and tripped on the horribly uneven sidewalk."



This can be a rather treacherous thoroughfare here. There's a lot going on with various traffic patterns … not to mention the construction equipment, the bus stop, the pedestrians, etc. … made all the more challenging along a darkened corridor …



As for the East Houston Reconstruction Project, the city expects the work between the Bowery and the FDR to be completed by December 2105. (Find an update here, PDF) Perhaps the lights will come back on then.