Edi & the Wolf closes after service on Sunday

Austrian bar-restaurant Edi & the Wolf is closing Sunday after nine years at 102 Avenue C between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

The restaurant — named after its executive chefs, Eduard "Edi" Frauneder and Wolfgang "the Wolf" Ban — is closing due to "increasing operating costs," Eater reports.

The closure had been expected, as a new applicant — listed as Rosey Kalayjian — appeared before CB3's SLA committee for a new liquor license for the space back in January in what was described as a sale of assets. The CB3 materials cited the proposal as "an American restaurant" with hours of 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Kalayjian has previously managed restaurants in Westchester and NYC.

Frauneder and Ban also operate The Third Man at 116 Avenue C. No word on the status of that bar.

Wednesday's parting shots

Lola Sāenz shares this photo of Giblet out for a walk this evening on Avenue A and 12th Street...

Renovated small dog run reopens in Tompkins Square Park

After nearly two weeks, the repairs have wrapped up in the small dog run in Tompkins Square Park...



As EVG correspondent Steven notes, the small dog run returned to action this afternoon.

The renovations include improved drainage and the addition of an artificial grass designed specifically for dogs.

Here's Cashew checking out the turf...

A moment on East Houston Street this morning

Thanks to East Village-based photographer Ryan John Lee for sharing this traffic shot of an NYC power trio this morning from East Houston and Allen...

This morning's light

East Village-based photographer Daniel Root — who's usually up at this hour — shared these photos from Tompkins Square Park early this morning...



As he noted: "The light was amazing ..."



...also, for a moment — at 6:40 a.m. — there was a rainbow... Dave on 7th sent this from Avenue B and 11th Street...

What to expect (on paper) when the partial L-train shutdown begins April 26

The partial L-train shutdown begins in less than 10 days... and the MTA is finally starting to dribble out a few details for commuters who depend on the line to get around.

Per the MTA:

Service During the L Project

With the revised approach [closing one tube at a time between Manhattan and Brooklyn], the L will continue as normal during peak and midday weekday times. Service on the L will be reduced nights and weekends. We’ll be enhancing M, G, 7, and bus service to provide alternatives in addition to the L. This service plan will be in effect on nights and weekends, starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 26, through summer 2020.

And...

With the revised approach, L customers will have normal service during the highest ridership times.

Weeknights: 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. L trains run every 20 minutes between Brooklyn and Manhattan and every 10 minutes within Brooklyn. Service will ramp down starting at 8 p.m. to make room for work trains. Overnight, between 1:30 a.m. and 5 a.m., the service runs at its normal frequency, with L trains running every 20 minutes.

Weekends: 8 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday, L trains run 20 minutes between Brooklyn and Manhattan, and every 10 minutes within Brooklyn. Overnight, between 1:30 a.m and 5 a.m., service runs at its normal frequency, with L trains running every 20 minutes.

Enhanced M14A regular bus service

We’re planning additional M14A bus service to connect customers to the subway lines where we are enhancing service.

The extra M14A route service will extend to connect with Delancey/Essex St FJM Station. On weekends the M14A/D buses, combined, run every 3 to 5 minutes for the majority of the day along 14 St.

On weeknights, buses will run every 4 to 5 minutes between 8 p.m. and midnight, in both directions across 14th Street for connection to the M train at 6th Avenue, or to the 6 train at Union Square for transfer to the M train at the Broadway-Lafayette station. The M14A will connect to the Delancey-Essex J/M Station every 7 to 10 minutes (as compared to every 12 to 20 minutes currently).

Sounds like a well-oiled machine? Heh. There are important details to be worked out, as amNY reported last evening:

There still is not an official timeline for the new project. The MTA continues to hammer out the new contract with the companies doing the work: Judlau and TC Electric. Janno Lieber, the MTA’s construction chief, said that the new project will take between 15 and 18 months, and she expects it to be less expensive than the $477 million contract for the original, full 15-month closure.

Meanwhile, the MTA is playing cute with all this...


[Via Ohhleary]

For more on the latest with the L train ... Christoper Robbins filed a post at Gothamist ... and Curbed has an explainer here. And at amNY, Vincent Barone talks with some anxious L-train regulars about what might happen starting April 26.

There isn't any mention in the media reports or on the MTA site about the stations at First Avenue and Third Avenue being reconfigured to exit-only on weekends. (That idea was mentioned as a possibility back in January courtesy of some leaked MTA documents.)

Also in L-train news: Overnight L-train service has been suspended weeknights starting this past Monday.

Per media reports, there aren't any trains from Manhattan to Lorimer Street in Brooklyn operating from 10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. This will take place every weeknight until April 26.

And in case you've been away this year... back on Jan. 3, Gov. Cuomo made a surprise announcement with news that the L-train wouldn't be completely shut down between Brooklyn and Manhattan for Sandy-related repairs after all.

Previously on EV Grieve:
To L and back: Reactions and questions over Gov. Cuomo's surprise subway announcement

Report: MTA commits to a shorter work day for the 14th Street L-train rehab

Details about this East Village Sample Co-Op Sale tomorrow through Saturday

Over the next few days, several local shops/brands are joining forces for an East Village Co-Op Sample Sale in the ballroom of the Ukrainian National Home on Second Avenue.

Cindy Hahn, who owns the lingerie, swimwear and clothing boutique Azaleas at 140 Second Ave., came up with the idea.

"We honestly needed to just do some spring cleaning [and] have been speaking with some other local brands and shop owners who are in a similar situation," she told me in an email.

So Hahn secured the second-floor ballroom (where New Order played in 1981!) from her landlord, the Ukrainian National Home, for the event.

The vendors include Azaleas, Meg, Hengst, H. Fredriksson and Toasty Time.

"There will be children's clothes, women's clothes, lingerie, swimwear and some accessories," Hahn said. "Many of the items are brand new items sold below wholesale pricing."

The sale is tomorrow (Thursday), Friday and Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. on the second floor of 140 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. (You can follow @ev.coop for updates and more details.)

"If this event turns out successful, we definitely hope to make this an annual thing and may grow it into a bigger community," Hahn said.

The Moxy East Village opens this fall

The Moxy East Village, the 13-story, 285-room hotel from the Marriott brand, is expected to open this October.

This info comes via the Marriott website...



The hotel here on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue — across the street from the all-new Webster Hall — doesn't appear to be accepting reservations just yet.

The Marriott offers this info:

The bright and open lobby layout is paired with contemporary furniture. The "Plug and Meet" gathering areas provide modern ergonomic seating, large writing walls and 56-inch televisions for presentation projection. The lobby also boasts a state-of-the art video wall and 24/7 Food & Beverage offering a wide selection of snacks and drinks. Other hotel amenities include healthy continental breakfast, an evening bar featuring wines by the glass and local brews. All bedrooms are equipped with 42-inch flat-screen televisions, build in USB ports and free Wifi.

As previously reported, Tao Group is the food and beverage operator and the Lightstone Group's partner at the Moxy East Village. Plans include a 2,600-square-foot rooftop bar and a restaurant-lounge in the sub-cellar called MEV, short (apparently!) for Moxy East Village.

The foundation work got underway here in August 2017. Workers demolished the five residential buildings that stood here in the fall of 2016.

The photos on this post show the hotel as of this past Sunday...



Previously on EV Grieve:
At the rally outside 112-120 E. 11th St.

6-building complex on East 10th Street and East 11th Street sells for $127 million

Preservationists say city ignored pitch to designate part of 11th Street as a historic district

Permits filed to demolish 5 buildings on 11th Street to make way for new hotel (58 comments)

New building permits filed for 13-story Moxy Hotel on East 11th Street across from Webster Hall

Tuesday's parting shot

A spring scene on 7th and A via riachung00 ...

Spring comes alive on Avenue C

On Sunday afternoon, Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens (LUNGS) hosted its sixth Spring Awakening in honor of the neighborhood's community gardens.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy took these photos along Avenue C, where there were activities for kids (pony rides!) as well as live music, puppet shows and other garden-related events...

Q&A with Dan Efram, photographer behind this book of 'Curiosities'

[All photos by Dan Efram]

"Curiosities" is a new book of photos by local photographer Dan Efram. (His work has appeared on EVG, such as here ... here ... and here.) There's a book launch tomorrow night at Howl! Happening (details below). Ahead of that, I asked Efram a few questions about his work...

How did your passion for photography come about?

Succinctly, it helped me get through the illnesses and eventual deaths of my parents.

Growing up my dad was always documenting via snapshot, so a camera was constantly nearby. Though I was interested early, I was a fan of the camera as a gadget. In fact, I still own my dad’s Praktica camera with its manual winding — it had lots of cool buttons and a really loud shutter, which I was fascinated with.

My first career was as an artist manager in the music business, and luckily was constantly around creative types and photographers specifically. Often, I feel like some of the photo smarts of my crew rubbed off on me. In essence, I’ve been searching for the perfect album cover my whole life, now I’m just actually making the pictures as well.

What does it take to catch your eye? What do you look for on the street?

I love weird, dark and emotive. Arbus, Weegee, Brassaï, Winnogrand and Frank are staples for a lot of street photographers and these are definitely some of my faves as well.

Recently, I’ve been fascinated by Richard Sandler’s amazing book “The Eyes of the City,” to which I highly recommend. His work is mind-blowingly great! But, I digress. First off and this may seem obvious, but if I’m not in the correct frame of mind, nothing happens. But I’m generally looking for something that either is completely unusual that’s happening or something completely normal that allows me to focus in on a personality.





Your book features characters from Spain, Portugal, France, Cuba and the United States. Closer to home, what kind of canvas does the East Village provide for your photography?

There are a number of photos from the East Village in my book that I love for their grittiness. It’s my home and where I feel most comfortable, so walking these streets in my neighborhood allows me to shoot without trepidation.

It's also inspiring, because once you’ve been somewhere this long, in my case 25 years, my history is implanted in the miles I’ve walked in these neighborhoods. But comfort isn’t always the best thing for art and I very much enjoy getting out the comfort zone as often as possible. A challenge is exciting! And I’m looking to do a lot more of this in the future.


[A self-portrait]

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An Evening with Daniel Efram’s "Curiosities"
Wednesday, April 17, 7 p.m.
Howl! Happening, 6 E. First St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Per the invite:

Efram’s "Curiosities" are augmented by neo-noir experimental soundscapes from Jim Coleman (This Wilderness, Gain Control, Cop Shoot Cop) and Sarah Register (War Bubble, Talk Normal). Reading from her own work and a collection of other sources, Nicole Blackman (Golden Palominos, Recoil, KMFDM) and actor/screenwriter Tony Drazan (director of "Hurlyburly" and "Zebrahead") give voice to the anonymous pedestrians, street vendors, nightcrawlers, and characters ... Jubilant drum corps Nossos Tambores opens the evening.

Plywood treatment for the former Foot Gear Plus on 1st Avenue as storefront renovation looms

Last Wednesday, workers surrounded 131 First Ave. with plywood...


[Top photos by Steven]

We received several queries about what was happening to this single-level storefront at St. Mark's Place that was home to Foot Gear Plus for 40-plus years until July 2018.

According to the work permit on file with the city, in the DOB's ALL-CAP STYLE: "THIS JOB IS IN HUB SELF-SERVICE AND CANNOT BE VIEWED UNTIL ACCEPTED." (Boo!)


[Reader-submitted photo from last Wednesday]

The property had been on the sales market, with a pitch mentioning 4,150 square feet of air rights.

According to a filing that hit public records in November, the property changed hands for $3.85 million. The new owner is an LLC that shares an address with HUBB NYC Properties LLC, a real-estate operating company.

Late last November, the retail-for-rent signage went up on the corner space.

The listing with Meridian Capital shows that the storefront can be divided up into three smaller spaces ... with a "brand new build out."





Presumably the plywood represents the start of this new build out for retail use... and not a demolition for use as a residential spot.

Meanwhile, as EVG reader Elissa notes, the plywood has been tagged and wheatpasted...



Previously on EV Grieve:
After nearly 40 years, Foot Gear Plus is closing on 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place

What's next for 131 1st Ave., the former Foot Gear Plus space?

Jebon Sushi & Noodle has closed on St. Mark's Place

That's all for Jebon Sushi & Noodle at 15 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... the restaurant wrapped up 10 years in business at the beginning of the month, as these photos via EVG correspondent Steven show.



Workers have (mostly) emptied the space...



This closing doesn't come as a complete surprise. Owner Wayne Yip recently opened Wara, a Japanese izakaya restaurant, at 67 First Ave. and Fourth Street. The Batsu theater, a Japanese-style variety show, moved there from Jebron in early February.

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And 15 St. Mark's Place was previously home to Coney Island High, the live music venue that closed back in 1999... the building was demolished to make way for the current condoplex now minus a retail tenant.