There'll be no more trespassing at the Cooper Union academic building

Back in late July, the Cooper Union academic building made headlines as part of the Post's ongoing Bill-deBlasio-is-the-worst-mayor-ever coverage. Sources told the Post that some crusties/travelers had been like urinating, defecating and masturbating right out there in public. (Side note: Cab drivers have apparently been using the space to relieve themselves dating back to 2010.)

Perhaps this attention ushered in the No Trespassing signs that are now on display around the building here between East Seventh Street and East Sixth Street…







In July 2010, Cooper Union put an end to people skateboarding on the $175-million building by placing metal spikes on the tempting bank of polished concrete out front.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cooper Union puts the brakes on its skateboarding bank

The 'urination, defecation, masturbation' vacation outside Cooper Union (66 comments)

Gleaming the Coop

Former Russian Souvenirs shop for rent on East 14th Street

The unique Russian Souvenirs shop closed last month on East 14th Street, a victim of a rent hike, according to the proprietor. The space is now for rent here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.



The ACE Moving & Storage storefront is gone as well … with a mobile phone center on the way in…



We didn't spot the listing for the Russian Souvenirs space online just yet.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Russian Souvenirs is no more on East 14th Street

Le Marécage has apparently closed on 1st Avenue

The understated restaurant, which served an interesting mix of food from Haiti and the Ivory Coast, remained dark throughout the weekend here at 137 First Ave. just north of St. Mark's Place.

There's also a notice — dated Thursday — on the front window that the landlord has taken legal possession of the space…



Le Marécage, run by a husband-wife team (he was a longtime instructor at the French Culinary Institute), opened last October.

Not sure what happened here. The Times gave the place a glowing notice in its Hungry City column in March. Perhaps it couldn't compete with the other new, buzzier restaurants that opened nearby on First Avenue like Oiji or Noreetuh, which prompted reviews by Pete Wells at the Times.

Vape shop opening; not located on St. Mark's Place

Well! The awning's up on the new business coming to East Second Street just east of Avenue A …



Grand Vape, home to premium E-juice (e-juice?).

The space was previously home to both a Nicky's and a Vicky's Vietnamese sandwich shop.

Thanks to EVG reader Dale MacDonald for the tip!

TLC Tea House coming soon to East 2nd Street

The Coming Soon Signage is up at 103 E. Second St. between Avenue A and First Avenue … where TLC Tea House is opening in the former Gaia Lounge space…

The sign shows [perhaps] what will be in store… all served with a little TLC?

RIP Shane Keogh

Shane Keogh, a familiar figure behind the bar at the Grassroots Tavern and on stage as bassist for Iconicide and Lucifer Jones, died on Aug. 14.

He collapsed on his way to the New York Sports Club on Avenue A. The cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia, said his girlfriend, Blair Hopkins. He was 38 years old.

Keogh worked as a bartender the past three years at the Grassroots Tavern on St. Mark's Place.

"He loved it there and referred to it as the Supreme Court of Bartending jobs," Hopkins told us.

He also worked as a bartender at the now-closed Bar 82 on Second Avenue and Identity Bar on East Sixth Street, Blue Ruin and Bellevue in Hell's Kitchen, and at the first Duff's Brooklyn.

Keogh was a native New Yorker and grew up in the Bronx.

There is a wake for his friends and family tomorrow night from 5-9 at Walker Funeral Home in Woodhaven, Queens. His friends will be gathering afterwards at the Grassroots Tavern, 20 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenues. (The bar has a memorial fund going to help pay for funeral-related expenses.)

"He liked to refer to himself as 'Captain Fun' behind the bar," Hopkins said. "He was the kind of person who would do absolutely anything to elicit a laugh."


[Keough, left, at the Grassroots]

There is a public "Memories of Shane Keogh" Facebook page here.

Photos courtesy of Blair Hopkins

Week in Grieview

[Yesterday on Avenue A at East 5th Street via William Klayer]

Development site available on East Third Street at the Bowery (Monday)

Two East Village Chase Bank branches are closing for good on Nov. 12 (Wednesday)

At the Village East Cinema (Friday)

Work starts on the two Caffe Bene spaces (Monday)

More about Sustainable NYC's closure (Thursday)

There have been three dog attacks in the neighborhood this month (Tuesday, 60 comments)

10 Degrees Bistro now "renegotiating terms with the landlord" on Avenue A (Thursday)

Zibalee closes on East 13th Street (Wednesday)

Medical marijuana dispensary opening on East 14th Street (Monday)

The former Le Jardin space is for rent on Avenue C (Thursday)

Is a Beer Factory in store for the former Spice space on Second Avenue? (Wednesday)

10-story building now in the works for 255 E. Houston St. (Wednesday)

Cantonese-style restaurant coming to Avenue B (Monday)

Is 26 Avenue B ready for its new building now? (Monday)

The Málà Project coming soon to First Avenue (Thursday)

D-Lish Pita has closed on Avenue A (Monday)

Report: CB3 denies the Cock's move up Second Avenue (Tuesday)

Glasgow Vintage Co. has apparently closed on East Ninth Street (Wednesday)

The new lights on the Con Ed substation (Friday)

The Organic Grill is closed for the rest of the month on First Avenue (Tuesday)

New Petco ready to be Unleashed on Aug. 31 (Monday)

A found collection of photos from the 1980s East Village (Tuesday)

Your dreams of living in a penthouse cottage above Kiehl's are dashed for now (Thursday)

First sign of two new floors to come on Third Avenue and 10th Street (Tuesday)


[B&H Dairy art by Martin Russocki]

First U.S. hemp bar is now open on St. Mark's Place

The Brooklyn Dark Hemp Bar — who bill themselves the first Hemp Bar in the United States — is now open at 9 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. (They officially opened last Saturday, and have been handing out samples this past week.)

As the sign shows, they sell pastries, coffee, tea, etc. … using hemp seeds as an ingredient.



They also sell their signature chocolate bars, which you may have seen at various stores and food fairs.

The Hemp Bar's hours are 8 a.m. to midnight Monday-Friday; 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday-Sunday. You can read more about Brooklyn Dark at their website.

The address was previously home to I Am Coffee, which seemed to be open one day a week.

You can dispose of some of that crap that you weren't exactly sure what to do with today

Passing this info along…

Union Square North Plaza, south of 17th St between Park Avenue and Broadway.

The NYC Department of Sanitation is holding a series of SAFE Disposal Events (Solvents, Automotive, Flammable, Electronics) to provide NYC residents with a one-stop method to get rid of harmful household products.

Materials accepted include common household products such as auto fluids, batteries, electronics, strong cleaners, medications, paint, month-old acai bowls and more.

Until 4 p.m. today. (And sorry for the short notice — just heard myself.)

A look at Ori Carino's Best Housekeeping murals

[Click on images for more detail]

A few weeks back we noted that Ori Carino was working on a new installation on the roll-down gates at Best Housekeeping on Avenue A at East Second Street… EVG contributor Stacie Joy recently caught up with Carino, who lives nearby on A, for a look at the final product…



Carino said that the panels took approximately three days apiece to do…





You can read more about Carino, an LES native, on his website here.

Caracas Arepa Bar remains closed due to gas issues

Caracas Arepa Bar has been closed of late … DNAinfo has the story about what's going on here at 93 1/2 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The Venezuelan restaurant closed on Aug. 8 after workers smelled gas. Employees promptly called the FDNY and Con Ed.

As for the extended closure, Vanessa Maldonado, operations manager for the Caracas chainlet, blamed the plumbing company that they hired to fix the problem, per DNAinfo.

To the article:

[A]fter spending two days fixing a gas pipe, the company waited a week to file the necessary paperwork for a Con Ed inspection, all the while assuring the restaurant it was submitted, Maldonado said. Roto-Rooter also avoided her questions, she said.

“All the time they were lying to us, telling us that the papers were in, the papers are here, the person who has the papers is not here,” she said.

And…

“It has been all this unclarity,” she said. “It has been very, very vague and confusing.”

Con Ed is due to inspect the restaurant this Wednesday.

And there is a sign up for Con Ed's arrival…



There isn't any mention of the temporary closure on the Caracas website or social media properties. There is a sign up for patrons…



As the sign says, Caracas To Go is open two doors away…

Taking the pile driver out for a spin on this gorgeous Saturday summer

A reader shared this photo today from East 12th Street and Avenue A… Not sure which construction site it's going to or from… or if surge pricing is in effect.