Sunday, April 30, 2017

Sunday's parting shot



Photo in Tompkins Square Park today by Steven...

About the Moon passing through Orion, and other upcoming 2nd Avenue Star Watcher events



Here's a dispatch about last evening via East Village astronomy buff Felton Davis...

As Virgo rises in the East, Orion sets in the West, and the seasons change. (At last, after weeks and weeks of nothing but clouds and rain!) When the light from Aldebaran left the star 65 years ago,"Guys and Dolls" was playing at the Shubert Theater on Broadway. When the light from the Pleiades left the star cluster 400 years ago, Shakespeare was writing his plays. When the light from the Orion Nebula set forth 1,600 years ago, Rome was sacked by the Visigoths (later defeated by Attila the Hun). The crescent Moon tonight was passing through Orion between Taurus and Gemini, but was repeatedly blocked by passing clouds.



However, there will be more opportunities for sky gazing from Second Avenue and Third Street...

Upcoming events:

May 7 — near conjunction of waxing Moon and Jupiter in Virgo

June 3 — another near conjunction of waxing Moon and Jupiter

June 9 — near conjunction of full Moon and Saturn in Sagittarius

July 6 — near conjunction of waxing Moon and Saturn

August 21 — total eclipse of the Sun in the afternoon. (A partial in NYC.)



Find more 2nd Avenue Star Watcher pics here.

Illustrations/photos here courtesy of Felton Davis

Week in Grieview


[Photo of 2nd Avenue Friday evening by Regina Shvartsman]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Permits filed for 6-story building in long-empty lot at 89 First Ave. (Monday)

Ravi DeRossi moving Ladybird to the East Village; taking residence at former Bourgeois Pig space (Thursday)

Alphabet Scoop open for the season on 11th Street (Saturday)

Preliminary vote on increases for rent-stabilized apartments (Tuesday)

Out and About in the East Village, 2017 recap (Wednesday)

Reader report: A car drives in the First Avenue bike lane (Thursday, 40 comments)

Katrina del Mar's "Feral Women/Filmed Portraits" exhibit is up through May 18 (Thursday)

Another sign of spring: the annual Dance Parade is May 20 (Friday)

The Black Rose has closed on Avenue A; welcome Tompkins Square Park Art Bar (temporarily) (Thursday ... Friday)

Silverstone Property Group gets to work on buildings (previously) owned by Raphael Toledano (Monday)

Townhouse rich in art history for sale on 11th Street; air rights included (Wednesday)

More about Artichoke's move across 14th Street (Wednesday)

Pop-up bubble tea exhibit brings crowds to the Bowery (Monday)

Own Olympic snowboarding champ Shaun White's A Building condo (Friday)

Sandwicherie opens on Fourth Avenue (Tuesday)

A retail vacancy at 51 Astor Place (Monday)

Yuan Noodle in the works for the former Biang! space on Second Avenue (Tuesday)

Whole Foods Market® Bowery replacing beer with coffee in prime corner spot (Tuesday)

Something for future generations to discover on Second Avenue (Tuesday)

Ben Shaoul's East Houston Street condoplex makes first street-level appearance (Monday)

...and practicing for the upcoming Shirts vs. Skins ping-pong tourney...


[Photo by Derek Berg]

... and like 10 days later, no one picked up the table as they promised to do tomorrow...



---

Follow EVG on Instragram and/or Twitter

14th Street gate all dolled up



Spotted on 14th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...





These were remnants from a stoop sale yesterday.

And in case you were wondering, Art in Odd Places takes place this year along 14th Street from Avenue C to the Hudson River on Oct. 12-15.

Report: Target takes aim at Essex Crossing with a small-format store


[Rendering of 500 E. 14th St. via RKF]

As you may recall, Target is leasing 27,306 square feet in Extell's new development at 14th Street and Avenue A for a small-format store expected to open in the summer of 2018.

That store will have some competition with itself. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Target will also lease space in the second floor of the tower under construction at 145 Clinton St. in the Essex Crossing complex. This space will also house a Trader Joe’s.

Some details via the Journal:

Essex Crossing, which extends roughly between Stanton and Grand streets to the north and south and Essex and Clinton streets to the west and east, will have 1,061 rental and condominium apartments and include a movie theater, a bowling alley, a three-block-long marketplace and a medical facility.

A majority of the retailers that have signed for space at Essex Crossing are expected to open in 2018, offering services in an area that has been underserved, said Andrew Katz, a principal of Prusik.

Target “sees tremendous potential” in New York City, where there is a dense population and plenty of tourists, making the area one of the company’s priority markets, the spokeswoman said.

Target is using the stores to support its online shoppers, offering them the ability to order online and pick up purchases in the store within an hour. The company plans in June to test same-day delivery service from its Tribeca location, offering store shoppers the option of having their purchases delivered within a certain time frame to locations in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn and Queens, for a fee.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

Target offers details about its flexible-format store opening summer 2018 on 14th and A

The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

Saturday, April 29, 2017

1st free concert of the season in Tompkins Square Park is tomorrow (Sunday!)



Starts at 2 p.m. Here's the lineup:

The Brass

Future Punx

Porvenir Oscuro

Lion's Cage

Rebuschaos

H/T Steven!

When you take time to read the wet paint sign on the bench in Tompkins Square Park



Photo yesterday in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg... Volunteers from Partnerships for Parks were out with the paint getting things ready for spring/summer travelers...



...and a few more paint pics via Steven...



Noted



An EVG reader shared this photo on Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street ... a discarded Santa suit on the sidewalk is up for grabs...

And just about seven-plus months until SantaCon...

Alphabet Scoop open for the season on 11th Street



In case you are out shopping for ice cream on this 80-degree day... Alphabet Scoop, run by The Father's Heart Ministries next door, is now open for the season at 543 E. 11th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B...

And here's more about them:

Alphabet Scoop is a job and life skills program for teens. The program is designed to prepare teens with the skills needed to advance in their school and work endeavors. Teenagers receive classroom instruction and work under a shift supervisor in the retail store.

We recruit and screen mentors to work with the teens, offering friendship, guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentee. We belong to the Mentoring Partnership of New York. Every time you buy our ice cream, you are helping a teen remain in a teaching and nurturing environment and off the streets.

They are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. today.

And upcoming on May 12...

Bad hair days: Kings Hairstyling closed for renovations



Brown paper covers the windows at Kings Hairstyling on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... thought it might be another small-business casualty ...

But! They are merely closed starting today for a renovation... with a reopening on May 8...



I always liked the look of this place ... with veteran barbers in sporty shirts...


[Image via Yelp]

Friday, April 28, 2017

Friday's parting shots


[Photo by Goggla]

Thanks to Goggla and Bobby Williams for the lovely sunset-time photos...


[Photo by Bobby Williams]

'Perfect' way



Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Demme died this week. He was 73.

Aside from the film credits ("The Silence of the Lambs," Melvin and Howard," "Philadelphia," "Stop Making Sense") you likely know about, he also directed this New Order video for "The Perfect Kiss," set in the band's practice studio, from 1985.