Because it's never too early to talk about MulchFest

[Photo on 2nd Avenue from yesterday]

Although your holiday/Christmas tree should remain fresh until it's time to take it to the curb next December, some people may want to discard of it sooner.

Soooo ... the annual MulchFest takes place on Jan. 7 and 8 (2017!) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Tompkins Square Park. Details are here.

And if you can't drag the thing to the Park? You can leave by the curb... but with some rules. Per the NY Department of Sanitation ...

Weather permitting, DSNY will collect and compost clean Christmas trees left at the curb from Tuesday, January 3, 2017 through Saturday, January 14, 2017. The trees are chipped, mixed with leaves, and recycled into rich compost for NYC's parks, institutions, and community gardens. Remove all lights, ornaments, stands, and plastic bags from your tree; trees that still have these items attached will be collected as garbage.

Here comes Santa Claus

Right on Avenue A today... photos by Derek Berg...

Week in Grieview

[Holiday lights on East 5th Street]

David Barton Gyms abruptly shut down (Wednesday)

Report of a fire at 96 St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

Police make arrest in shooting outside the Hells Angels HQ on 3rd Street (Tuesday)

Taberna 97 is now open on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

OAAITEV 2016 recap (Wednesday)

Dahlia's Tapas Wine Bar has been dark of late (Thursday)

A reveal at 222 E. 7th St. (Wednesday)

East 12th Osteria resumes service (Monday)

An Urban Etiquette Sign about smoking indoors (Wednesday)

A line-waiting opening for Tim Ho Wan (Monday)

A ride on the MTA's vintage fleet (Sunday)

Gas-service interruption (Monday ... Tuesday)

Construction watch: 11 Avenue C (Tuesday)

Out East bringing a coastal taste of Long Island to 6th Street (Wednesday)

Verizon Wireless takes over former Verizon Wireless storefront on Second Avenue (Tuesday)

A Croman Christmas (Friday)

Remembering Joe Strummer (Thursday)

A sign of the Second Avenue subway (Wednesday)

Sen. Squadron calls for False Claims investigation against group who sold Rivington House for condos (Thursday)

... and new art went up this past week on Second Street at First Avenue courtesy of @HimBad...



...with a bonus cat between the Lotus and the Flower...

Saturday's parting shot

A view toward Midtown tonight via Goggla...

Holiday feast

Christo on Christmas Eve in Tompkins Square Park via Bobby Williams...

Free love

On the freshly paved Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... photo by Dave on 7th

A-Paving We Go!

And in other Christmas miracles noteworthy items... Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C now has a new surface... this after Con Ed had been replacing gas mains on the block the past three months.

Thank you Suzy and Jack

A holiday gift in Tompkins Square Park...



Not sure if it's still filled with caramel corn or maybe frozen embryos.

Captain's Christmas

Season's greetings from Captain Sensible.

Reports: Office building in the works for current home of P.C. Richard on 14th Street

Here's an update on 124 E. 14th St., current home of P.C. Richard (and Son!) at Irving Place.

In November 2015, the city's Economic Development Corp. (EDC) began accepting proposals to redevelop the city-owned site that P.C. Richard (and Son!) has leased the past 19 years.

And now, a short 13 months later, the de Blasio administration has selected RAL Development Services, a real-estate firm, to develop the site, as Politico first reported.

According to Politico, Civic Hall — "a tech-focused work and event space" — will anchor the space.

In a public notice, EDC described it as "an opportunity to create an iconic commercial development that drives inclusive economic growth through the diversification of the city's economy, the retooling of NYC's traditional anchor industries and/or support for both start-ups and early stage growing companies to scale up while remaining in the city."

As The Real Deal reported, RAL Development Services is "one of the companies behind a controversial residential project in Brooklyn Bridge Park."

Anyway, it's not exactly clear what else is in store for the two-level space ... and if demolition is in the future. NY Yimby reported this about the property: "The 15,450-square-foot site ... can accommodate up to 92,700 square feet of commercial space. An additional 46,350 square feet of space could be built as residential or community facility space."

There aren't any demotion permits on file yet.

As for P.C. Richard and family, its lease expired back in February. Despite media reports to the contrary, this P.C. Richard remains open, having been relegated to mattress sales. And maybe some appliances.

EV Grieve Etc.: Union Square theater panic; the holiday season at Rolf's

[Photo by Derek Berg]

The Subway Therapy Post-It walls coming in book form (Gothamist)

A look at the new Chrystie Street protected bike lane (Streetsblog)

The sad state of Lanza's on First Avenue (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Swift Hibernian Lounge tops this list of the city's best pubs (Grub Street)

Man causes panic at the Union Square theater during a screening of "La La Land" (DNAinfo)

The last bookbinder on the LES (Literary Hub)

A video interview with Ray of Ray's Candy Store (Gothamist)

Speaking of Ray, he unveiled an fish-and-chips ($9) this week...


[Photo by Peter Brownscombe]

Will anyone listen to the concerns of residents about the Two Bridges mega projects? (The Lo-Down)

Revisiting the 1898 Bowery Burlesquers (Ephemeral New York)

Pearl & Ash closes after three years on the Bowery (Eater)

Celebrating the life and legacy of Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was born on Dec. 22, 1960 (Off the Grid)

A December day with Christo (Laura Goggin Photography)

The holiday season at Rolf's (Town & Village)

Classic Misfits pics (Dangerous Minds)

...and the tree vendors are wrapping up another season in the neighborhood... here's a photo of Jonathan Papillon Blanc, who has been selling here the past six years. This time around, he was on Second Avenue at Seventh Street, away from his usual spot in front of the Rite Aid on First Avenue and Fifth Street (construction next door prompted the move)...


[Photo by Rainer Turim]

A Croman Christmas

The following is from a group of tenants who rent from Steve Croman's 9300 Realty... several of whom say they do not currently have heat or hot water in their apartments... via the EVG inbox and with apologies to Dr. Seuss...

You're a mean one, Steve Croman
You really are a heel,
You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Steve Croman,
You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel!

You're a monster, Steve Croman,
Your heart's an empty hole,
Your brain is full of spiders, you have garlic in your soul, Steve Croman,
I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!

You're a foul one, Steve Croman,
You have termites in your smile,
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Steve Croman,
Given a choice between the two of you'd take the seasick crocodile!

You're a rotter, Steve Croman,
You're the king of sinful sots,
Your heart's a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots, Steve Croman,
You're a three decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!

You nauseate me, Steve Croman,
With a nauseous super "naus!",
You're a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss, Steve Croman,
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful
assortment of rubbish imaginable mangled up in tangled up knots!

You're a foul one, Steve Croman,
You're a nasty wasty skunk,
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Steve Croman,
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote,
"Stink, stank, stunk"!

In May, Croman was arrested and charged in criminal court with multiple felonies, including grand larceny, criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is also suing Croman in civil court.

Last week, tenants at 159 Stanton St. filed a lawsuit in housing court against Croman.

Per The Lo-Down: "According to the tenant association, residents have been forced to endure collapsing ceilings, dust and debris, mold, rats and floods. The lawsuit also alleges that poor security has led to numerous burglaries."

Croman's real-estate empire includes 47 buildings with 617 units in the East Village. He owns more buildings in the East Village than any other landlord.