Meanwhile on Avenue C...

@RatedRuwan spotted a cyclist in a Trump mask on Avenue C at Eighth Street...c

Week in Grieview

[Tompkins Square Park the other morning]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

A trip to the recently expanded Lancelotti Housewares on Avenue A (Wednesday)

RIP Jim Moffett, owner of the Great Jones Cafe (Tuesday)

The city appoints 14 members to its first Nightlife Advisory Board (Monday)

East Village Thai will be staying in the family (Friday)

Downtown film classics return with 'The Spaghetti Chronicles at Pangea' (Sunday)

ICYMI: Ray in the Sunday Times (Tuesday)

9th Precinct welcomes new CO with long NYPD pedigree (Thursday)

Asbestos abatement notices arrive on the northwest corner of St. Mark's Place & 3rd Avenue (Monday)

Last call for Dorian Gray Tap & Grill on 4th Street (Sunday)

Hawklet watch on 8th Street (Sunday)

Thai Direct setting up shop on Avenue A (Tuesday)

The Molecule Project closing next month on 10th Street (Thursday)

At the Nuyorican Poets Café block party (Saturday)

This week's NY See (Thursday)

Report: Neglected puppies found in 13th Street apartment are finding new homes (Saturday)

A mosaic for McSorley's (Monday)

Healthy Green Gourmet now open on 3rd Avenue (Saturday)

Signage for VVNs Teas arrives on 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

GNC closes location in NYU's Third Avenue North retail space (Monday)

Target debuts on 14th Street (Wednesday)

Zen Yai Pho Shop leaving 6th Street for larger space; new concept TK (Monday)

City removing the Trump-related 'Business As Usual' sculpture from 10th and B (Friday) City sets record for filling pothole; removes Donald Trump mosaic on 2nd Street (Friday)

'A Fresh New Look' coming to the 14th Street McDonald's (Monday)

Report: A new owner for the retail condo space at 13 1st Ave. (Friday)

Signage arrives for The Dumpling Shop on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday)

93 1st Ave. celebrates 24th year of waiting for minor alteration (Thursday)

... and a reader shares this Urban Etiquette Note from a building on Avenue B...



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At the Nuyorican Poets Café block party

The Nuyorican Poets Café held its sixth annual block party this afternoon on Third Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... featuring poetry and music ... food and dancing ... face-painting and sumo wrestling, among other activities... EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by and shared these photos...

Healthy Green Gourmet now open on 3rd Avenue

The deli opened this past week on the northwest corner of Third Avenue and 10th Street... one reader said it was like a much smaller version of Westside Market one-plus block to the north or the same version of Heavenly Market and Deli on the northeast corner of Third Avenue and 11th Street.

This storefront was previously the Red & White Spa, which closed at the end of 2017.

Report: Neglected puppies found in 13th Street apartment are finding new homes

[Image via ASPCA]

Earlier this month, 33 malnourished Shih Tzu-Terrier mixed puppies were reportedly found in a resident's Campos Plaza apartment on 13th Street.

The Post reports today that at least half of the puppies have been adopted, and the rest are in good care.

“ASPCA Animal Hospital and Adoption Center staff have worked diligently over the last two weeks to provide each dog with the medical attention and socialization they needed,” said Howard Lawrence, vice president of ASPCA’s Human Law Enforcement, in a statement to The Post. “We’re pleased that nearly half of the dogs have already been placed in loving homes.”

The resident, named as 57-year-old Ivan Paredes, was charged with torturing, injuring and/or not feeding an animal and neglect of an impounded animal, according to the Post.

Tenants have claimed that NYCHA officials ignored their complaints about the mistreated puppies for months.

Noted

Workers are setting up for a sidewalk extravaganza outside the just-opened Target store on 14th Street and Avenue A... which includes a replica CBGB storefront — called TRGT...





A few readers have already chimed in about this via email (one with a subject line LOL) ... early, unscientific consensus is that this storefront homage is wholly unnecessary.

Updated noon:

Pinch shared this photo of the sidewalk event — complete with wrapping reminiscent of tenement buildings — on 14th Street here at EVGB — the "East Village's Greatest Building" ...



Updated 2:30 p.m.

Brooklyn Vegan paid a visit to the faux storefronts ... erected just for today as part of the Target's official grand opening.

Most notably, this includes an homage to CBGB, with “TRGT” in the old Bowery punk venue’s classic font (with “BANDS” in smaller font right below it), and display windows sporting TRGT t-shirts, “rock on” foam hands, and poster that said “The Resistance.” You couldn’t actually buy that stuff from the stand but, wink wink, they did have “bands” in the form of free boxes Band-Aids and exercise bands with the Target logo on them. Right next to the TRGT was a little stage with a “Battle of the Bands” banner and an oversized novelty Target bass guitar for selfie-ing. I did not enquire about the bathrooms.

Updated 8 p.m.

EVG reder Lola Sáenz shared these photos from the afternoon grand-opening event...





Updated 9 p.m.

Jeremiah Moss has a post on this at Vanishing New York... describing it as "the most deplorable commodification of local neighborhood culture I’ve ever witnessed."

Updated 7/25:

Target issues an apology.

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

Happy National Moon Day

In honor of National Moon Day today... a photo of the moon the other night via EVG contributor Grant Shaffer...

The age of the Internet

The Internet's new album, Hive Mind, is out today... here's the audio track for a summery song called "La Di Da."

EVG Etc.: City Council approves Airbnb bill; baby hawks meet the tailless mockingbird

[Tompkins Square Park the other morning]

Police release video of suspect who took 81-year-old woman's purse in an apartment robbery on 13th Street and Second Avenue (CBS 2)

NYCHA failed to report more than half of the cases of elevated blood lead levels in its buildings over a yearlong period, as required by the feds (The Post)

City Council unanimously approves Airbnb bill sponsored by City Council member Carlina Rivera (The Lo-Down)

The MTA needs $9 billion to replace and update subway fleet (Curbed)

Keeping up with the red-tailed fledglings in Tompkins Square Park ... and they've already been dive-bombed by the dastardly tailless mockingbird (Laura Goggin Photography)

A Henri Cartier-Bresson film retrospect starts tonight ahead of the International Center of Photography’s upcoming exhibition, "Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Decisive Moment" (Anthology Film Archives)

Check out the GVSHP's expanding historic image archive, featuring plentiful photos of the East Village (Off the Grid)

The record stores of NYC in the 1970s and 80s (Flaming Pablum)

The last Peter Stuyvesant descendant (Ephemeral New York)

... and as a reminder tonight — there's a free screening of "The Jungle Book" on the Dry Dock Playground, 10th Street at Avenue D...

City removing the Trump-related 'Business As Usual' sculpture from 10th and B

A city worker this morning was attempting to remove the sculpture that arrived on 10th Street at Avenue B back on July 3.

EVG reader Alexa shared these photos...





The sculpture figure, titled "Business As Usual," is carrying a presidential briefcase...


[Photo by Vinny & O from July 4]

This (coincidentally?) marks the second piece of Trump-related art that the city has removed in the past 24 hours from East Village streets/sidewalks.

Last call Sunday for Dorian Gray Tap & Grill on 4th Street

After eight-plus years on Fourth Street, Dorian Gray Tap & Grill is closing this weekend here between Avenue A and Avenue B. Last call is Sunday night.

Owner Peter Cavanagh, said to be the the great-grandnephew of Oscar Wilde, shared the news last night on Facebook, noting: "Well my trusted band of savage warriors! It is with sad heart I have to close the doors of Dorian Gray."

However, the bar, which served Irish pub fare and offered viewings of soccer and rugby matches, won't be empty for long.

Applicants for a venture called the Cabin were on a recent CB3 docket for a new liquor license here. According to their questionnaire (PDF here) on the CB3 website, the Cabin will serve "American tapas" with hours of 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday-Thursday; until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

EVG regular Pinch, who shared this closure news, said the Dorian Gray "served a proper sized pint — not one of these short pints most bars go with these days."

City sets record for filling pothole; removes Donald Trump mosaic on 2nd Street

Chicago-based artist Jim Bachor filled several NYC potholes with mosaic art this past week... including one of President Trump on Second Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, as we noted Wednesday.

When asked about the work, DOT officials weren't amused, and vowed to pave over the mosaics, the Post reported on Wednesday.

And yesterday, the city made good on that promise, removing the work on Second Street...



The speed at which the city responded took Bachor by surprised. He posted on Twitter: "Damn that was fast."

One Twitter user noted that this pothole, adjacent to a fire hydrant, likely never would have been filled by the city otherwise.

And...

Really, @NYC_DOT? You have nothing better to do?

Bureaucratic spitefulness at its finest.https://t.co/48ss3kLKFz

— Lloyd Bergenson (@dieterknickbock) July 20, 2018

East Village Thai will be staying in the family

East Village Thai, a local favorite these past 20 years over on Seventh Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square, closed after service on Sunday.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy spotted the family in the restaurant yesterday and stopped in to thank them for their years of service in the neighborhood.

Turns out that the daughter of the owners is taking over the lease, and opening her own Thai noodle shop here in the months ahead.

Report: A new owner for the retail condo space at 13 1st Ave.

The Real Deal reports that Queens-based investor Athena Vrettos is the new owner of the retail condominiums at 13 First Ave. at First Street.

Premier Equities reportedly sold this retail property along with one in Tribeca (271 Church St.) for $20.1 million.

No word on how this might impact the three current retail tenants in this space — Boilermaker, Juicy Lucy and the Lazy Llama coffee shop.

This deal was only for the retail space... the condos in this building include the penthouse unit with the Cape Cod-style cottage on its rooftop. That was sold last fall for $3.5 million.


[Image via Streeteasy]

Noted

ConEd is beginning work on gas upgrades on Seventh Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... as this photo via EVG reader Paul W. shows, someone added commentary in the section under What to Expect...



"Occassional [sic] explosions."

Grant Shaffer's NY See

[Click on image for more detail]

Here's this week's NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood.

A chance to see some 'Downtown Art Ephemera'

Marc H. Miller is curating a short, two-week exhibit titled "Downtown Art Ephemera, 1970s-1990s," which runs through July 25 at the James Fuentes Gallery, 55 Delancey St. between Allen and Eldridge.

There's a reception today from 5-7 p.m., which provides a good opportunity to see some of the 150 cards and posters from Miller's online Gallery 98 collection.

Per a release on the exhibit:

All the downtown New York art stars of that time are represented ... : Basquiat, Goldin, Haring, Holzer, Hujar, Koons, Mapplethorpe, Piper, Prince, Schnabel, Smith, Sherman, Warhol, Wojnarowicz etc. Sections on Collaborative Projects Inc. (COLAB), Fashion Moda, the Rivington School, Fun Gallery, International with Monument, and Mary Boone Gallery will chronicle a lively and contradictory period when art, commerce, branding, populist politics and issues of identity were all part of the mix.

Miller discusses the exhibit in an article at Vice.



Images via online Gallery 98

Previously on EV Grieve:
Life at 98 Bowery: 1969-1989

Revisiting Punk Art

Marking the 20th anniversary of P.S. 64's auction

[Click on image to go big]

Developer Gregg Singer bought the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center property from the city during an auction in 1998.

And tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of the sale of the building at 605 E. Ninth St. Avenue B and Avenue C.

And as these flyers posted around the neighborhood show, a group of unspecified community leaders, elected officials and residents will mark the occasion outside the Ninth Street entrance tomorrow evening at 6.

Per the flyer: "Join us to mark the 20th anniversary of the auction and ask the Mayor to take the next steps to return CHARAS to the community."

Singer wants to turn the landmarked property into a dorm called University Square, which continues in a holding pattern while the DOB maintains a Stop Work Order on the building.

You can read the previous post for more background on the ongoing P.S. 64 drama.

East Village Thai has closed

East Village Thai fans were saddened to learn that the small restaurant on Seventh Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square closed after service on Sunday.

The restaurant's owners first made the announcement on Facebook on Saturday before their last day...



EVG reader Mackenzie, who first brought this to my attention, ate there last Wednesday. The owners made no mention of the impending closure.



Back in 2012, the Daily News said that EVT served some of the best Pad Thai in the city.

9th Precinct welcomes new CO with long NYPD pedigree

Late last week, Deputy Inspector Vincent Greany turned over the CO's pin at the 9th Precinct to Capt. John L. O’Connell.

Greany, who joined the 9th Precinct in June 2016, is now assigned to the 32nd Precinct in Harlem.

O’Connell introduced himself on Twitter yesterday (pictured, right)...

Greetings #EastVillage
I am Captain John L. O’Connell & I am honored to be named Commanding Officer of the 9TH.
I thoroughly look forward to being part of this community, engaging & working with you. #NYPD @NYPDPBMS pic.twitter.com/3Srv6kB68i

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) July 18, 2018

O’Connell is a third-generation police officer and a fourth-generation public servant.

The Daily News featured O'Connell in an article back in November 2016:

His great-grandfather began the family's legacy in city public service by becoming a firefighter. O'Connell's late grandfather Michael Lonergan joined the NYPD in 1946 and rose to the rank of chief of operations — the highest-ranking uniformed member of the department — in 1974.

O'Connell's mom, Virginia O'Connell, 72, joined the NYPD in 1966 and was one of the first women to enter the Police Academy when the Police Women's Bureau merged with the NYPD. His father John O'Connell, 76, is a retired NYPD detective.

And O'Connell's wife, Jennifer, 37, also is an NYPD detective — not to mention scores of uncles and cousins among the Finest.

"It's an honor being a part of a family of legacy," he said. "It's a privilege."

No word just yet when he might meet with community members or what he considers the neighbor's most-pressing crime-related issues.

The Molecule Project closing next month on 10th Street

After five years at 259 E. 10th St., the Molecule Project, which offers a variety of clean drinking water alternatives, has announced that the shop is closing next month here between Avenue A and First Avenue...



Their aim, per the shop's website:

Our goal at The Molecule Project is to support good health for people and planet by promoting minimal carbon footprint, clean drinking water alternatives.

The Molecule Project offers a new model for drinking water for all, rooted in the use of the industry’s highest-grade residential and commercial water treatment, filtration and purification systems.

H/T Steven!

93 1st Ave. celebrates 24th year of waiting for minor alteration

[EVG file photo]

The Real Deal explores the world of "ALT2"s at the Department of Buildings. As they note, these are "alterations which do not affect the 'use, egress, or occupancy' of a building and are therefore considered relatively minor."

While the majority of such jobs can be completed within a year, before the first permit expires, altering buildings can often become a complicated task due a variety of complicating factors – as an analysis by The Real Deal discovered, hundreds of ALT2 permits throughout the city have had to be renewed more than 10 times.

According TRD's research, the oldest active permit on record was first filed in June 1994 — for a "temporary canopy structure in yard" at the Royal Bangladesh Indian Restaurant at 93 First Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.

The work has been approved, though that temp canopy still awaits: City records show that the permit was renewed in May — for the 23rd time.

Wednesday's parting shot

Second Avenue this morning via Peter Brownscombe...