[Updated] The upscale hotel bar with a pool named for the late environmentalist Adam Purple

Graffiti meets avant-garde in our favorite slice of #NYC. Check out Hotel Indigo Lower East Side NY - open today!

A photo posted by Hotel Indigo (@hotelindigo) on Nov 16, 2015 at 12:50pm PST

The 293-room Hotel Indigo at 171 Ludlow St. (and 180 Orchard St.!) opened its doors on Monday between East Houston and Stanton.

The property has been in the works for about 10 years now. (You can read more at The Lo-Down and BoweryBoogie.)

And the main attraction — for guests and non-guests alike — promises to be the 15th-floor bar with an outdoor pool. Here are details via WWD:

Mr. Purple is the first venture this far downtown for Gerber Group, which operates places such as Union Square’s Irvington and The Roof at Viceroy, along Central Park. Though there will be some adjustments for the group — “we’ll see a lot more tattoos on our staff” — the move to the Lower East Side sees Gerber maintaining their high-end approach. “We’re not the Lower East Side place that has $3 beers and $1 shots,” Gerber says; Mr. Purple’s house cocktails average around $14 to $15, and beers are $7.

And where did the name originate?

The bar name comes from the Lower East Side icon David Wilkie, who became known as “Mr. Purple” for his preferred shade of clothing. The street artist Lee Quiñones was working on a mural for the hotel, and one of the images he was doing was of Mr. Purple. “That’s really what inspired us,” Gerber says. Mr. Purple’s image is discreetly painted on the ceiling of the 14th floor lobby.

Purple, the environmentalist and activist, died on Sept. 14 at age 84. Considered by some to be the godfather of the urban gardening movement, Purple created a five-lot, 15,000-square-foot garden amid the nearby ruins of the Lower East Side in the mid-1980s.

And now his memory lives on at Mr. Purple with its purple bar seats and $15 house cocktails...

Purple Reign <3 New York meet Mr Purple's Spot @HotelindigoLES #pullup #Discoverles #Nyc pic.twitter.com/Dj27enTB7M

— Hotel Indigo L.E.S. (@HotelindigoLES) November 17, 2015

Updated 4:30 p.m.

Gothamist notes that Mr. Purple's reps seem "to be backtracking on this a bit." They quote a news release about Mr. Purple with this backstory:

A mysterious man, born and raised in the Lower East Side, the city was his muse. He was an unmistakable staple of the neighborhood and an unforgettable piece of its continuing character. His art, like his personality, was ephemeral with no known relics outlasting him. It has been said that to see him work was to have a glimpse into utopia. For now, Mr. Purple, and all that he represents, is up to your imagination to interpret.

Updated 11/24

The Gerber Group sent us the following statement this morning in regard to Mr. Purple:

The name of the bar and restaurant was established when the project was first conceptualized in 2014. It was indeed inspired by Lower East Side resident David Wilkie, who became known as "Mr. Purple." A gardener and activist, he was an iconic figure who dedicated his life to beautifying and improving the neighborhood. A mural was painted in his honor and can be seen on display in the lobby area of the hotel.

Also, in honoring Wilkie's dedication to the neighborhood, the restaurant is committed to supporting the Lower East Side community through several initiatives including partnerships with the Bowery Mission and local businesses such as Russ & Daughters, il laboratorio del gelato and Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery who are all featured on the restaurant's menu. Additionally, through the Lower East Side Employment Network (LESEN), 30 percent of jobs at the hotel have been allocated to local residents.

Updated 11/25

A representative from Russ & Daughters reached out to us with a statement:

Russ & Daughters doesn’t have a partnership with Mr. Purple or Hotel Indigo. That restaurant simply purchased smoked salmon at our shop one time. We never authorized them to use our name on their menus or in their promotional materials.

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP Adam Purple

A #lovewall for St. Mark's Place

Earlier today, British-born artist James Goldcrown painted a mural of hearts on the side of Foot Gear Plus on St. Mark's Place at First Avenue...(he created a similar #lovewall earlier this year outside L'asso on Mott and Kenmare)...



Per his Instagram account, the hearts are for Paris...



Photos via EVG contributor Steven

--

A photo posted by james goldcro👑n (@jgoldcrown) on Nov 17, 2015 at 1:05pm PST

To Hank

A photo posted by Lulu (@lulukayr) on Nov 17, 2015 at 11:12am PST

Someone decided to pay his or her respects to the late Hank Penza, who owned Mars Bar among many others during his life, here at the Centre-fuge-curated rotating outdoor gallery/construction trailer on East First Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue …

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP Hank Penza

RIP Steven Steinberg

Steven Steinberg, the third generation owner of New York Central Art Supply at 62 Third Ave. near East 11th Street, the oldest art supply store in the United States, died this past Sunday. He was 79. The cause of death was pneumonia, a complication of the Parkinson's disease he has battled for the last eight years, according to his son Doug.

Steinberg began working for his father Harold at New York Central in the 1950s, and gradually built a clientele of the world's leading modern artists, including Andy Warhol, Willem deKooning, Frank Stella, Cecily Brown, among many others.

The store, largely unchanged from when it was founded by Steven's grandfather Benjamin Steinberg in 1905, was reknown for its large selection of unique and hard-to-find materials, and staff of knowledgeable, quirky artists.

A true art lover, Steinberg helped the burgeoning modern arts scene in New York City by allowing artists to pay with credit when money wasn't available (which was often the case). He also helped many artists realize their visions by working with manufacturers to develop materials such as unique papers, materials, inks, brushes and paints.

For deKooning, Steinberg developed a unique fan-shaped brush. When David Hockney wanted a series of lithographs that appeared to be drawn with crayon, Steinberg worked with master lithographer Ken Tyler and Superior Ink to create a wax-saturated printing ink that simulated crayon.

Steinberg is survived by his wife Diiana Steinberg, his children Barrie and Doug, and grandchildren Alexandra, Danielle, Hudson and Gemma.

Thank you to the Steinberg family for the photo and information in this post.

Reminders: Meeting on possible improvements to the Tompkins Square Park Playground

Just a reminder… Councilmember Rosie Mendez is hosting a meeting tonight to discuss ideas for improving the Tompkins Square Park Playground near East Seventh Street and Avenue B. Mendez has allotted some $900,000 to renovate this space… this is the first step in the improvement process…





The meeting tonight is at St. Brigid's on Avenue B (enter the community center space on the East Eighth Street side) from 6:30-8.

Meanwhile, someone offered his or her opinion on the meeting on one of the flyers in the Park… even pointing out a missing word in the text…


[Photo by Steven]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Your chance to brainstorm ideas to renovate the Tompkins Square Park Playground (27 comments)

The apartment where the golden rule 'is that no one else can tell anyone else to be quiet'

[Via @TimHerrera]

An East Village apartment-for-rent listing via Craigslist has been making the rounds of late. (The ad is no longer live.)

Esquire wrote about it last week in a post titled Is This the Worst NYC Apartment Listing You've Ever Seen?

Sounds promising!

Apparently the ad is for real... here are some excerpts...

"We are all in our late 20's - early 30's here in NYC to live it up, take advantage of the sweet neighborhood, and have as much fun as possible while still managing to make it to work on time!"

"We all play in bands, love live music, and entertain guests on a regular basis along with the occasional open jam session at random hours of the night."

"If you are the type of person whose main source of entertainment is sitting at home, watching Netflix on your laptop, this apartment is definitely not for you.

"The neighborhood is loud, people in the building make a ton of noise, once in while, you may even want to pop in some ear-plugs... but we love it here!! There is a drum-kit in the common room along with guitars & amplifiers, where we jam out on a regular basis, create art, and engage in stimulating conversations with other tenants in the building. If this is something you would enjoy, please join us!"

The rent is $1,325.

And the room measures 11 x 6.

Anyway, Esquire spoke with the person who takes out the for rent ad. His name is Haffro.

And here's part of the Q-and-A between Esquire and Haffro:

How big is that place? It seems pretty small from the description.

It's a four-bedroom. Actually, a three-bedroom apartment, but I moved into the utility closet. It's a pretty big closet, 6 x 5. I live in there, and I just rent out the rooms. The biggest bedroom is 12 x 11, the middle is 12 x 10, the smallest is 11 x 6. They're all fully furnished, so when people come in, I don't have them bring their own shit. The ideal roommate would be someone moving in, coming to NYC with a suitcase and a backpack. The entire place costs $3800.

What reactions have you gotten to the Craigslist ad?

We don't really get that many responses. I probably get five or six each time I repost it. You can repost it every 48 hours. When I do get a response, I have another response I cut and paste in there, and the main thing is, I'm like, "All right, I just want you to know, in our apartment I think of it like a living, breathing art space. We have one golden rule, and the one rule is that no one else can tell anyone else to be quiet."

After being told that some people think it sounds like the worst living situation ever, Haffro responds:

If you don't like live music, what do you like? What're you gonna watch, Netflix? It pisses me off. We're trying to create a creative environment; people can bring their guitars, smoke weed. It's a very progressive building. Some people will walk by and say, "I saw the door open, I heard some music, I thought I'd stop in." I mean, you know the East Village, you know the idea. It used to be very punk rock. It's not like that now, kind of boutique a little bit, fancy cocktail bars. For me, I just live at dive bars, just mop bucket, disgusting-smelling bars. Those are the places I like...

H/T @FashionByHe

East 8th Street and Avenue C, home to 5 restaurants in recent years, is now on the market

Back on Friday, EVG reader Peter from 8th St. noted some activity at the former restaurant at 127 Avenue C at East Eighth Street… where workers were clearing out the space…



There was also a new notice (dated Nov. 12) from the Marshal noting that the landlord (in this case, Croman/9300 Realty) had taken legal possession of the space…



The for rent signs arrived a little later… (the listing hasn't appeared online just yet)…



The space has been vacant now for a year. Lumé, the "Epicurean drinkery," was the last concept to try this corner… which took over for the short-lived Life - Kitchen and Bar … which had taken over for Verso, perhaps best known for a topless diner encounter.

Other restaurants here in recent years include Caffe Pepe Rosso and Caffe Cotto.

And, as previously noted, the storefront once housed a bakery … which apparently Iggy Pop frequented for cake and strong coffee in the early 1990s…



Previously on EV Grieve:
[NSFW] About the topless diner at Verso Sunday night

This Thanksgiving, you can have a Thanksgiving arepa

Via the EVG inbox…

The newly opened Arepa Factory (147 Avenue A near East 9th Street) puts a Venezuelan twist on Thanksgiving with a Turkey Day feast you can hold in the palm of your hand. A sweet potato-corn flour Thanksgiving Arepa filled with turkey, gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce will be available from Tuesday, Nov. 17 through Monday, Nov. 30 for $12.95 (note: Arepa Factory is closed Thanksgiving Day).

Arepa Factory, which opened in October, puts a modern, healthy spin on this traditional Venezuelan dish. Owner Monica Muzzo, a native of Venezuela, designed Arepa Factory to be an authentic Arepera, a casual spot for takeout and dine-in where arepas are filled to order in front of you – with a twist. Chef Rafael I. De Garate oversees a menu that marries Venezuelan tradition with new creative ingredient combinations inspired by the diversity of cultures in New York.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Arepa Factory has opened on Avenue A

Did you lose a cat?

EV Grieve Etc.: 'Rent burdened' New Yorkers; Sheldon Silver trial week 3

[Photo in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg]

At the Union Square vigil for Paris (Gothamist) ... and Washington Square Park (DNAinfo)

"Rent burdened" New Yorkers (DNAinfo)

Facebook donates 20 MacBook Pros to the East Village-based Hetrick-Martin Institute (The New York Observer)

A trip to the Museum of the American Gangster at 80 St. Mark's Place (The New York Times)

Bronx man arrested for sexual assaults on the LES (CBS New York)

A preview of the third week in the Sheldon Silver trial (The New York Times)

The return of "The Party's Over" (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Chloe Sevigny sells her former East 10th Street co-op for $2.2 million (New York Post)

Sushi Dojo reopens on First Avenue without its chef (Eater)

Looking for Invader’s Lower East Side mosaics (BoweryBoogie)

Buy this dress that GG Allin wore to his brother's wedding (Dangerous Minds)

... and based on the flyers in circulation for tonight's CB3-SLA meeting, resistance continues for either the Cock moving to the Lit Lounge space on Second Avenue ... or Lit Lounge reopening with a new principal owner... (some background here)

Autre Kyo Ya coming soon to the former Barrel space on Stuyvesant Street

The Barrel, the tapas bar at 10 Stuyvesant Street, closed earlier this month. And owner Tony Yoshida, who operates a number of restaurants, including Panya next door, has quickly turned over the space… the restaurant will soon be home to Autre Kyo Ya, as this photo via EVG reader Christopher Pelham shows.

Autre Kyo Ya is the sister restaurant of Kyo Ya, the Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant at 94 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

A help-wanted ad for servers and managers describes Autre Kyo Ya as serving "French cuisine utilizing Japanese ingredients."

No word about an opening date just yet for Autre Kyo Ya here off of East Ninth Street and Third Avenue.

Report: New Stuy Town owner pledges to keep a grocery story on East 14th Street, but it may not be Associated

During a meeting with the Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association last Thursday evening, representatives of the soon-to-be owner Blackstone said that they are committed to keeping a grocery store on East 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, DNAinfo reports.

As previously noted, owners of the Associated here would like to have their supermarket's lease renewed so that they can revamp their space. However, the current Stuy Town management has refused to commit to a renewal and then tried to buy out the lease. (Find more background at the Town & Village blog, who was the first to report on this.)

At Thursday night's meeting, a Blackstone rep told residents that they "are absolutely committed to keeping a supermarket in that space with a similar price point to the Associated."

As DNAInfo points out: "There is no guarantee, however, that the space will stay in the hands of the Associated, which has two more years on the lease."

City Councilmember Daniel Garodnick's office also shared the news about a grocery store remaining at this location.



As one resident told us: "The community wants Associated, not just a different grocery store … and are we really supposed to trust the word of an NYC landlord?"

Meanwhile, there's a petition drive underway to keep the Associated in the space. You can access the petition here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Associated owners not having any luck shopping for a lease renewal on East 14th Street (34 comments)

Petition drive underway to help save the Stuy Town Associated on East 14th Street

Part of the former Alphabets storefront will serve as sales office for Ben Shaoul's 100 Avenue A

Workers have been renovating the storefront at 115 Avenue A near East Seventh Street.

According to a tipster (and confirmed with the contractor), the space will house the sales office for developer Ben Shaoul's condos going up nearby at 100 Avenue A.

The residences at the new 6-story 8-story building will start at $1.3 million.

The previous tenant at No. 115, the gift shop Alphabets, closed here in in February 2014, merging with their newly opened location at 64 Avenue A between East Fifth Street and East Fourth Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The retail space at Ben Shaoul's 100 Avenue A is available for $24.5 million; plus, naked model marketing clarification!

Trying to figure out what is going on at 98-100 Avenue A

Report: Live music ends for now at Elvis Underground

Elvis Guesthouse, which has hosted some pretty good shows since opening back in February, is temporarily suspending its live music program, The Village Voice reports.

The bar, located in a subterranean space at 85 Avenue A between East Fifth Street and East Sixth Street, has reportedly been drawing complaints from residents who live in the building.

Elvis Guesthouse co-owners Zachary Mexico and Billy Jones, who operate Baby's All Right in Williamsburg, were also behind the previous occupant here, Arrow Bar, which closed in January.

Per Mexico in the Voice:

"There was a bar there that wasn’t very busy, but then it became a bar that was pretty busy, and people were not used to having people out there and they got upset – that’s it. Anywhere where the real estate value – both of commercial rent and apartment rent – is this high, it’s always going to be difficult. Neighbors complain. And when neighbors complain all kind of other stuff starts happening."

He hopes to come to some resolution with neighbors and the live music by the end of the year.

Back to the Voice:

"Our landlords are not bad people. They’re just trying to protect their tenants. And the tenants aren’t bad people, they just live in a building on a crowded street and don’t like people hanging around smoking and being loud. Everything can be worked out. Everything can always be worked out."

Tonight's concert featuring Wild Moth and Perfect Pussy is still on… and it will be the last for now.

This is a busy stretch of Avenue A, with people waiting for tables at Thai hotspot Somtum Der above Elvis Guesthouse as well as next door at sushi restaurant Takahachi and the live music venue Drom below that.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Comeback special: Arrow Bar owners opening Elvis Guesthouse on Avenue A

Elvis Guesthouse officially ready for occupancy tonight

The former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office is pretty much gone

[East 13th Street side of the former PO]

Just a quick check-in to see what's left of the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office at 438 E. 14th St. just west of Avenue A...

Well, not much...







As you probably know, there are approved permits for an 8-story retail-residential building — featuring 114 units — on the lot, which includes the former Stuyvesant Stationery shop.

Still waiting to see a rendering from SLCE Architects, whose LES portfolio includes the Blue Tower on Norfolk Street and Avalon Bowery Place.

Week in Grieview

[Tompkins Square Park yesterday morning]

RIP Milton 'Husko' Velez, Jr. (Saturday)

Let's take a look at 347 Bowery, now and in the future (Monday)

Q-and-A with filmmaker Tom DiCillo (Tuesday)

Two East Village Chase branches close (Friday)

Report: 311 calls about homeless people are on the rise in the East Village/Lower East Side (Wednesday)

Your chance to brainstorm ideas to renovate the Tompkins Square Park Playground (Thursday)

B&H Dairy will now bring the borscht and challah right to your door (Friday)

Out and About with Willie Correa (Wednesday)

The Dunkin' Donuts on First Avenue and East Sixth Street is closed for renovations (Saturday)

Lion Beerstore has opened on Second Avenue (Tuesday)

Ciao for Now extending their hours now into the evenings (Friday)

Now at Ray's Candy Store — popcorn shrimp (Monday)

Petition drive underway to help save the Stuy Town Associated on East 14th Street (Tuesday)

Celebrating 20 years at Exit9 on Avenue A (Saturday)

More details on the deal that saw the northeast corner of Avenue A and 12th Street change hands (Friday)

What it will cost to live above the ruins of La Vie in the Bowery District (Wednesday)

253 E. Seventh St. is now just a pile of bricks (Thursday)

Former Organic Avenue space for rent on Third Avenue (Thursday)

Are you in the market for bulletproof plastic? (Tuesday)

The Marshal seizes the former Red & Gold Boil on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

First sign of the Chop't coming to 51 Astor Place (Thursday) … and the CVS (Friday)

34 1/2 St. Mark's Place is for sale (Monday)

Construction watch: 327 E. Ninth St. (Tuesday)

… and ping-pong is becoming more competitive in Tompkins Square Park…


[Photo yesterday by Bobby Williams]

… AND photo-opp photo of the week … from Thursday on the L train station…

Strategically placed trash bags raise suspicion of hijinks on Avenue A

Photo yesterday by Derek Berg

Supreme Laundromat now open on Avenue B

The laundromat is open for business here at 96 Avenue B between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street, per Dave on 7th…



We're told that the owner, Jenny Yang, also runs the Ten St. Laundromat at 286 E. 10th St. just west of Avenue A.

On Avenue B, the hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday (last wash at 7:30 p.m.!); 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday (last wash at 6:30 p.m.!)

The previous tenant, the Hare Krishnas, moved out back in July 2011

Previously on EV Grieve:
From cleansing souls to cleansing clothes at 96 Avenue B

RIP Milton 'Husko' Velez, Jr.

[Husko, left, with his father. Courtesy of the Velez family]

Photos and text by Stacie Joy

Milton "Husko" Velez, Jr. died this past week of an apparent heart attack. He was 34.

His loved ones created a memorial for Husko outside the building where he resided on East Fourth Street and Avenue C.







Husko had just completed barber school. His dream was to open and run a mobile barber shop for the neighborhood.

He is survived by his wife, Melody Lasalle, and his three children, Zendaya Velez, Saniaa Rentas and Dwight Ely Rentas, his father, Milton Velez, Sr., and his brother, Luis Velez.

His friends say that he would have done anything for anyone ... and he loved kids — his and everyone else's.

At the Exit9 20th anniversary celebration

As previously mentioned/posted, Exit9, the gift shop at 51 Avenue A between East Third Street and East Fourth Street, celebrated its 20th anniversary yesterday.



Among the activities: a prize wheel.



EVG Prize Wheel Contributor Stacie Joy stopped by to see what people were winning…









And there were temporary tattoos…





All photos by Stacie Joy

In case someone approaches you selling diapers today

Not mentioning this for any reason, really.

Photo on East 10th Street near Avenue A yesterday by Michael Sean Edwards.

A new tree to keep the Samuel S. Cox statue company in Tompkins Square Park

[EVG photo from September 2014]

On Sept. 14, 2014, workers removed — for whatever reasons — a red oak adjacent to the Samuel S. Cox statue by the entrance to Tompkins Square Park at East Seventh Street and Avenue A.

Fast forward to this past week… when workers removed a section of the fence… to dig up the stump…

And now, to bring some closure to this fine story… yesterday, workers planted a new tree in the space…


[Photo yesterday by Bobby Williams]

And because people asked who Samuel S. Cox was… and about the statue…

Samuel Sullivan “Sunset” Cox (1824–1889) was born in Zanesville, Ohio, and served his home state as a Democratic Congressional representative from 1857 to 1865 before being unseated. After moving to New York in 1866, Cox served again in Congress for several terms from 1869 until 1889.

Although Cox once publicly declared that his most satisfying contribution to public service was championing the Life Saving Service—founded in the 1840s to patrol the coasts and save imperiled boaters during bad weather, the group was absorbed into the Coast Guard in 1915—this statue is sponsored by U.S. Postal Service workers because of Cox’s support for their quality-of-life issues. Known as the “letter-carriers’ friend,” Cox spearheaded legislation that led to paid benefits and a 40-hour workweek for postal employees. Mail carriers from the 188 cities named on the monument contributed $10,000 for the statue in a campaign that began soon after Cox’s death.

Sculptor Louise Lawson’s statue of Cox, unveiled in 1891, depicts him orating before Congress. Lawson (186?–1899) came from a prominent Ohio family. She and her brother, U.S. Representative W. D. Lawson, both attended Cox’s 1889 funeral at which President Grover Cleveland and General William Sherman served as honorary pallbearers. One might interpret the statue’s somewhat stiff quality as representative of Cox’s steadfast stance on issues for which he advocated.

The statue serves as a backdrop in this photo that Allen Ginsberg took during the fall of 1953…


The caption reads:

Jack Kerouac wandering along East 7th street after visiting Burroughs at our pad, passing statue of Congressman Samuel "Sunset" Cox, "The Letter – Carrier's Friend" in Tompkins Square toward corner of Avenue A, Lower East Side; he's making a Dostoyevsky mad-face or Russian basso be-bop Om, first walking around the neighborhood, then involved with The Subterraneans, pencils & notebook in wool shirt-pockets, Fall 1953, Manhattan.