Late-morning dance break

All we need is music, sweet music. Dancing around Temperance Fountain in Tompkins Square Park this morning.

Photo by Derek Berg.

Gov. Cuomo approves bill to create public liquor license database

Gov. Cuomo has approved a bill (S55/A4315) that requires the State Liquor Authority (SLA) to create and maintain a public database of information specific to on-premises liquor licenses.

Two local elected officials — Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and Sen. Brad Hoylman — sponsored the bill that will enable residents a means to look up information on a bar, including whether it has permits for live music or sidewalk seating.

The two released statements on Friday after Cuomo's signature made it all official:

Sen. Hoylman:

Community boards, block associations, and residents across my district have for years called upon the State Liquor Authority to make information on these licenses more available and accessible, so that they can better understand their impact on our neighborhoods. This is basic, good government. Yet until now, to our enormous frustration, the only option for the public to learn this information was through filing a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request.

You shouldn’t have to file a FOIL request just to find out whether a bar in your neighborhood has a liquor license that permits live music or an outside patio. What’s more, under these constraints, police precincts aren’t able to respond to neighborhood noise complaints — as they have no way to confirm whether an establishment is operating within the parameters of their license or not.

Assemblywoman Glick:

For too long, it has been nearly impossible for community members to get very basic information about State Liquor Authority licensees that operate in our neighborhood. Now that liquor license information will be easily obtainable, people can see for themselves if nearby establishments are being good neighbors and are operating within the constraints of their license.

The news release included a statement from Susan Stetzer, district manager for Community Board 3: "Having information available online would be a tremendous help. We spend a lot of time working with community groups and with our local precincts to resolve issues that require information about a licensed business, particularly method of operation and outdoor use questions."

No word on when the SLA will actually make this online resource available to the public.

St. Mark's Market is dead

St. Mark's Market has officially closed at 19-23 St. Mark's Place. An EVG reader said they wrapped up this past Thursday evening.

As made known last Monday, the grocery between Second Avenue and Third Avenue was having a buy-one, get-one-free deal to thin out its stock.

We heard a variety of reasons for the closure (nothing related to rent, however). One worker blamed the sidewalk bridge that has been out front for the past two-plus years as a cause for business to drop off. (And as one commenter noted: "The dope fiend brigade hanging out under the scaffolding didn't help matters.")

Several EVG readers mentioned that the store changed ownership several years ago, and the quality of the produce and other offerings diminished — especially in the face of newer competition such as the Westside Market on Third Avenue at 12th Street.

There were anecdotes that Daniel Craig was a semi-regular here while renting the place upstairs. One reader claimed he once cut in line and used an Amex Black Card for a small purchase.

I do recall the place seeming pretty upmarket when it opened in 2003 in the now-mall-like building that replaced layers of history at the address that included the Dom, the Exploding Plastic Inevitable (featuring the Velvet Underground as the house band) and the Electric Circus.


[Photo from Saturday]

Prediction: The landlord will chop up the former market into several smaller retail spaces to make renting possibly easier.

Ruby's Café debuts on 11th Street

Ruby's, the popular all-day café with two NYC outposts, debuted over the weekend at 198 E. 11th St. at Third Avenue.

The East Village outpost was open for dinner on Friday and Saturday. Now, moving forward, the restaurant is open daily from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The Australian-influenced bistro fare includes a variety of salads, pastas and burgers as well as breakfast items all day.

Ruby's first opened in 2003 on Mulberry Street between Prince and Spring (they expanded next door in 2014) ... with an additional cafe on Third Avenue between 30th Street and 31st Street arriving in 2016.

The space was previously Martina, which opened in August 2017 in 55 Third Ave., aka Eleventh and Third, the 12-floor residential building on the corner. The pizzeria, from Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, never caught on, closing this past March.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Ruby’s Cafe bringing its Australian vibes to the former Martina space on 11th Street

Report: Tenant leasing alleged sex-party house on 7th Street is leading a 'double or triple life'

Orthodox Jew leads double life hosting wild East Village sex parties: wife https://t.co/bav19jm27s pic.twitter.com/15oC04n585

— New York Post (@nypost) October 5, 2019

The Post continues its expose of Avraham Adler, who allegedly hosted advertised sex parties at the tony townhouse he's renting on Seventh Street.

The tabloid claims that he "is leading a 'double or triple life' as an ultra-Orthodox Jew with a pregnant wife and three kids in suburban New Jersey."

“I want a divorce,” an angry Shana Adler told The Post Thursday outside the couple’s modest three-bedroom home in Clifton, New Jersey. “He is not supporting us whatsoever. He’s cut us off completely. My friends are paying our bills.”

For his part, Adler denied that he’s breaking his marriage vows or shunning his religion. "I’m going through a separation and possibly a divorce."

In a Manhattan Supreme Court filing, Wonwoo Chang, the owner of 189 E. Seventh St. between Avenue B and Avenue C, claimed that Adler, who signed a two-year lease here on April 1, has hosted "lewd" parties where "on premises sex took place."

Neighbors have also accused Adler of constantly parking his luxury cars in front of a fire hydrant on the block.

Adler admitted to the Post that he parks in front of the hydrant: If I pay the fees [fines], why is it anybody’s problem?"

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Landlord alleges tenant using 7th Street townhouse for sex parties

Vanessa's Dumpling House temporarily closed for 'modernization' on 14th Street

Cheap-eats favorite Vanessa's Dumpling House is currently closed at 220 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

A worried regular alerted us to the closure last week. At the time, the reader said there wasn't any note on the gate for customers. Meanwhile, the Vanessa's signage has been covered. Worse, this location no longer appears along the other NYC outposts on the Vanessa's website.

However, there is a sign now on the gate — possibly post-dated to Sept. 26 — noting a closure for "modernization" ...

Sweetgreen status check on the Bowery

As we first noted on Aug. 12, Sweetgreen is setting up in the retail base of the 347 Bowery condoplex.

This is the first business for this corner space at Third Street ... and as these photos from Friday via EVG regular Lola Saénz show, this outpost is a ways off from opening...



The California-based chain recently boosted its valuation to $1.6 billion.

Snapshot of the former International Center of Photography space on the Bowery

The International Center of Photography (ICP) ended its three-year tenure at 250 Bowery in late June.

An EVG reader points us to the now-vacant space, where a for lease sign recently arrived on the front window.

The rent is available upon request for the nearly 11,000 square feet of space over two floors. (The listing notes "Divisions Considered.")

As you may know, ICP will open in January on Broome Street in the Essex Crossing complex. ICP announced this move in the fall of 2017. The new venue — encompassing a full city block between Ludlow and Essex — will have space to house both the ICP Museum and the ICP School.

ICP paid $29 million for the Essex Crossing properties. In turn, the Essex Crossing developers bought ICP’s 250 Bowery space for $25 million, in a deal reported in May.

Previously on EV Grieve:
ICP now closed on the Bowery ahead of move to Essex Crossing

Sunday's parting shot

Parishioners from St. Stanislaus on Seventh Street took part today in the annual Pulaski Day Parade ... float photo by Derek Berg...

'Joker' weekend

This sign greeted moviegoers this weekend at the City Cinemas Village East on Second Avenue at 12th Street.

"Downton Abbey" fans who wanted to wear Lord Grantham or Lady Mary masks were out of luck. "Downton Abbey," which has been criticized for normalizing dinner parties, is currently playing here.

The sign arrived here ahead of screenings Thursday night for "Joker."



Theaters across the country were reported to be on high alert for the opening weekend of Todd Phillips' film starring Joaquin Phoenix as the title character. Village East had a lot more employees working the front door than usual, though I didn't see any police presence. The film is also playing at the Loews Village 7 on Third Avenue and 11th Street and the Regal Union Square.

The Associated Press reported the following: "Extra layers of security, intense on-screen action and a frightening incident inside a New York theater combined to create an unsettling experience for some moviegoers who went to see 'Joker' on its opening weekend."

Security had to remove a patron from the AMC Empire 25 on 42nd Street on Friday after he clapped and cheered for a good minute during an especially intense scene.

As for the Village East, "Joker" is playing on two screens, including in 70mm in the Jaffe Art Theatre...

Week in Grieview

[Photo on Astor Place yesterday by Derek Berg]

Posts this past week included...

More details on the city's new plan to keep East River park partially open during flood protection construction (Thursday)

The 29th annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is scheduled for Oct. 20 in East River Park (Tuesday)

August Laura is opening in the former Sidewalk space on Avenue A and 6th Street (Wednesday)

RIP Purushottam Goyal (Friday)

Not much left inside the once mysterious 84 2nd Ave. (Wednesday)

14th Street busway finally set to get moving (Thursday)

A petition to keep the 8-foot fence at Joseph C. Sauer Park on 12th Street (Friday)

Koko Wings spreading to 1st Avenue (Monday)

Hitchcocktober is back (Wednesday)

Report: Landlord alleges tenant using 7th Street townhouse for sex parties (Monday)

Longer hours now for Foxface on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)


[10th Street windows via riachung00]

New Herbal World has moved away from 14th Street (Monday)

Re-covering Cover Magazine at the Tompkins Square Library (Tuesday)

This week's NY See (Thursday)

Here then, the cantilevering condoplex on 4th Avenue and 10th Street (Tuesday)

After a late-summer hiatus, Tuesday Soup Night is back on at Ciao for Now (Tuesday)

At long last, the construction fence is coming down around the Tompkins Square Park playground (Friday)

Gem Spa expanding its product line (Tuesday)

Chi Snack Shop moves into the former Trash & Vaudeville space on St. Mark's Place (Friday)

Elsewhere nearby: the flagship Dean & Deluca is closed for now on Broadway and Prince (Wednesday)

The former Social Tees space on 5th Street is for rent (Monday)

...and over at the Bowery Mural Wall... the intricate new work by Tomokazu Matsuyama, which took nearly two weeks to complete, was tagged the other day...



... and a worker was on the scene yesterday trying to clean off the graffiti...



---

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Suspect charged in murders of 4 homeless men in Chinatown

Update: Suspect arrested and charged with murder after attacks that killed 4 homeless men in NYC"s Chinatown https://t.co/SuCRtxYVVX

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) October 6, 2019

Several EVG readers shared links to the various published reports about the murders of four men in what police say were random attacks in Chinatown early yesterday morning ... the readers also shared concern about the growing homeless population citywide, including in the East Village. What follows is a recap on what has transpired (the post has been updated)...

The four men and a fifth who was found injured were all believed to be homeless. The victims were brutally assaulted in three different locations around Chatham Square, where East Broadway and the Bowery intersect.



A suspect, named as Rodriguez “Randy” Santos, 24, is in police custody. Police reportedly found Santos, holding a metal pipe, on Canal and Mulberry. He has at least 14 prior arrests, per the Post, and was believed to be homeless.

He is charged with murder, attempted murder and unlawful possession of marijuana.

"The motive appears to be, right now, just random attacks," Chief of Manhattan South Detectives Michael Baldassano told reporters, adding that there was no evidence yet to suggest the victims were "targeted by race, age, anything of that nature."

The Times reported this about the streets around Chatham Square:

[T]he area has been changing rapidly in recent years, as Chinatown has expanded and young professionals, many pushed out by higher rents in the East Village, have begun to move in.

The neighborhood is a bustling traffic hub where commuter vans and long-distance buses vie for curb space. Signs for Chinese family and village associations dot the area. But at night it becomes a place where a growing number of homeless people look for a place to grab a night’s sleep on its quiet sidewalks and park benches.

The murders also highlight the city's struggle to combat the growing homeless population. According to statistics from the Bowery Mission cited by the Times, about 1 in 121 New Yorkers is homeless. The Coalition for the Homeless put the number of homeless people in the city’s shelter system in August at 61,674, and an annual count conducted in late January this year estimated that 3,588 people were living on the streets.

The Times noted Mayor de Blasio's "struggle" to address "the problem of the rising number of homeless people and the high rate of mental illness among them." The Post spoke with former Giuliani and Bloomberg administrators who said the growing, more violent homeless population in NYC "rests squarely with current City Hall policies."

“There’s been an increasing tolerance for the homeless on city streets, sidewalks and subway stations during this administration,” said Mitchell Moss, professor of urban policy at NYU and a former campaign advisor to Michael Bloomberg.

“The police are disempowered to remove the homeless — and New York has become less aggressive on quality-of-life issues. You used to be penalized for urinating on the street!”

As the Times reported, advocates for the homeless said yesterday's attacks "rattled the already struggling community of homeless people who frequent Chinatown and the Bowery."

Sunday morning staff meeting at Ray's

A moment with Ray and Stella this morning at Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A as the two look over the schedule for the coming week... thanks to Peter Brownscombe for the photo!

Saturday's parting shots

Saturday evening with the Abracadabra Field Trip Mobile on St. Mark's Place and Avenue A...



Thanks to Vinny & O for the photos...

Welcoming the new playground equipment to Tompkins Square Park

Less than 24 hours since workers opened up the renovated playgrounds in Tompkins Square Park... someone has already doodled on (defaced if you'd like) the equipment, as EVG regular Salim notes in these two photos...



Work started Oct. 1, 2018, on the southeast portion of the Park, which saw the closure of the entrances on Seventh Street at Avenue B and Eighth Street at Avenue B. The upgrades include the reconstruction of two playgrounds with new equipment and seating.

Reap the Harvest at the 6th Street and Avenue B Community Garden

Time for the annual Harvest Festival at the 6th Street and Avenue B Community Garden tomorrow (Oct. 5).

Per the Facebook invite:

Once again we have our annual neighborhood harvest festival with our legendary free to the public, delicious chicken and corn bar-b-cue and great entertainment on our stage. Plus our famous neighborhood rafffle with dozens of great prizes from local businesses. Drop by, have some food, listen to the entertainment, buy a raffle ticket or two or three or more. All proceeds go to the upkeep of the garden.

The festivities take place from 2 to 7 p.m.

'Domino' effect

Corridor, the Montreal-based Francophone band, has a new record (their third overall) coming out on Sub Pop on Oct. 18. The track above is "Domino." The band is at Union Pool on Oct. 24.

At long last, the construction fence is coming down around the Tompkins Square Park playground

[Photo by Katherine Gleason]

In breaking-ish news today, workers are taking down the construction fences around the recently renovated Avenue B playground in Tompkins Square Park. Word is the playground will be open for use this afternoon.

The work started Oct. 1, 2018, on the southeast portion of the Park, which saw the closure of the entrances on Seventh Street at Avenue B and Eighth Street at Avenue B. The space was expected to reopen some time last month.

The upgrades have included the reconstruction of two playgrounds with new safety surfacing, spray showers, seating and fencing. A schematic from the Parks website offers more detail...



The Parks Department is supplementing the project's funding with its Parks Without Borders initiative that will lower the fences from its present height of 7 feet to 4 feet, a move that stirred plenty of concern in early 2017.

Parks officials believe the shorter fences make the play areas safer — "lowering barriers that block sight lines discourages negative behavior while at the same time making the green space more open and aesthetically pleasing," as DNAinfo reported at the time.

Meanwhile, various residents and EVG commenters have noted that if it took one year for the city to upgrade a small section of Tompkins Square Park, then how long will it realistically take to stormproof the 45-acre East River Park?

Updated 1:45

Another reader photo via Tullah on 7th...



Updated 4 p.m.

The entrances and playgrounds are now open ... Dave on 7th checks in...



... and there are new benches ... and room for parking!

EVG Etc.: 14th Street survives day 1 of the busway; Timothée Chalamet gifts Tompkins Square Bagels on the red carpet

[Sax and the city on Broadway via Derek Berg]

• Plumber who helped rig gas line before deadly Second Avenue explosion testifies against landlord, others (Daily News)

• Day 1 of the 14th Street busway (amNY ... Gothamist ... Streetsblog ... previously on EVG)

• A cement truck tipped over at the Baruch Houses (The Post)

• Rep. Nydia Velasquez wants $32 billion from HUD to fix NYCHA (PIX 11)

• Italian-American history in the East Village (6sqft)

• An ad for the Ukrainian East Village restaurant on Second Avenue circa 1976 (Ephemeral New York)

• L+M Development lands $53 million refinance for the Niko East Village on Avenue D and Sixth Street (Commercial Observer ... previously on EVG)

• Timothée Chalamet hands out Tompkins Square Bagels on the red carpet (The Cut)

• Time to ban cars in Manhattan? (Curbed)

• The NYC '81 film series starts today with a lineup that includes "Downtown 81," "Escape From New York" and "Prince of the City" (Metrograph)

This weekend in pet blessings

You have two opportunities this weekend to have your pets blessed ...

SATURDAY



The annual Blessing of Animals will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. in front of Immaculate Conception Church, 414 E. 14th St. near First Avenue.

Per the flyer, none of the involved parties needs to be Catholic to be blessed.

SUNDAY



On Sunday, the pet blessings take place in the east yard at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, 10th Street and Second Avenue.

Longtime churchgoers say that someone once brought a camel. Per a church rep: "We don't think that's likely this time but we're hoping for a pig or so!" Do you hear that Giblet?

The weekend is also a celebration of St. Francis — he loved animals you know. As we first reported in 1223, Francis arranged for the first Christmas live nativity scene.

RIP Purushottam Goyal

[Photo by Steven]

Purushottam Goyal, who along with his wife Saroj have owned and operated Dress Shoppe II on Second Avenue these past 18 years, died on Sept. 12. He was in his early 70s.

A tribute to him is on the front door of the shop that opened here in 2001 between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

EVG reader Marty recently shared this: "I stopped by the Dress Shoppe ... and was very sad to hear that Purushottam Goyal, its wonderful shopkeeper, died. His wife Saroj Goyal and her son are running the store, but with heavy hearts."

The Goyals, who had been married for nearly 50 years, were the subject of this feature in The New York Times in August 2016...

The owner, Purushottam Goyal, has a weakness for the past, and for nearly four decades he has filled the store with intriguing relics. Amid the tunics, scarves and batik blankets, you can find 100-year-old saris made with silver thread, wooden cowbells, old kerosene lamps and vintage radios. (At home, he has a yellow taxicab from 1929.)

Mr. Goyal was born in Delhi, India, the youngest of 18 children. Before he came to New York, he worked in his parents’ textile shop and, briefly, as a customs official. In 1978, he opened a shop on Broadway. He did not have the money for a sign, he said, so he painted over part of the old one: Smart Dress Shoppe became Dress Shoppe.

In 2001, that building was sold, and the store moved to its present location. Dress Shoppe became Dress Shoppe II.

He also shared his business philosophy: "Just relax, and if you feel something, buy it. We want only happy money."

A petition to keep the 8-foot fence at Joseph C. Sauer Park on 12th Street

[Image via]

As part of the Community Parks Initiative, Joseph C. Sauer Park is scheduled to undergo a redesign on 12th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

However welcome most of the changes are, there is one sticking point: the new (shorter) fence the Parks Department plans to install.

So park organizers have launched a petition to save their fence...



Per the petition:

Dear neighbors, friends and everyone who loves Joseph C. Sauer Park. As many of you may already know the Parks Department will close our park for renovations which should last a full year. Once complete the park will feature a new design with many requested features.

Part of the plan however is to remove the current 8 foot high fence and replace it with a 4 foot fence, which will make the park less secure and an unsafe place for children to use.

We are asking for your help to stop the Parks Department from removing the only proven means of securing our park at night. We have the backing of Assemblyman Harvey Epstein, Councilwoman Carlina Rivera and our Community Board.

Some history: "Sauer Park is one of nine playgrounds that were built by the Parks Department through the War Memorial Fund, and were opened simultaneously on July 15, 1934." There were subsequent additions here in 1965, 1989 and 1992.

Find the petition at this link.

Chi Snack Shop moves into the former Trash & Vaudeville space on St. Mark's Place

[Photos by Steven]

After three years at 22 St. Mark's Place, Chi Snack Shop has moved to a larger retail space on the block here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



The shop, which carries an array of Japanese and Korean snacks as well as beauty products and random lingerie, has moved into the parlor level of 4 St. Mark's Place...





The landmarked 4 St. Mark's Place — aka the Hamilton-Holly House, circa 1831 — recently underwent a two-year gut renovation. As previously noted, the renovation included an expansion in the back of the building, doubling the number of residential units from three to six.

Chi Snack Shop marks the first retail tenant for the all-new No. 4. Wanyoo, a Shanghai-based cyber cafe chain, reportedly signed a lease for the garden space early last year. No sign of them just yet.

Until February 2016, 4 St. Mark's Place housed Trash & Vaudeville for 41 years. The store relocated to 96 E. Seventh St., where it remains today.

The Hamilton-Holly House was once owned by Alexander Hamilton’s son. The Federal-style townhouse changed hands for $10 million in the spring of 2016.

In June, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) approved developer Real Estate Equities Corporation's (REEC) plan to transfer air rights from the 4 St. Mark's Place to add square footage to their office building coming to the northeast corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place. Under terms of the air-rights transfer, 5 percent of the $4 million sale will go into a dedicated account for the landmark to maintain its upkeep.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: After 40 years, punk rock mainstay Trash and Vaudeville is leaving St. Mark's Place

4 St. Mark's Place is for sale

More residential units and a 5th-floor addition in the works for landmarked 4 St. Mark's Place

You'll be back: Look at the renovated Hamilton-Holly House on St. Mark's Place

FULL full reveal at the historic Hamilton-Holly House on St. Mark's Place

Thursday's parting shot

11th Street and First Avenue this evening via Vinny & O...

The Hep Cat T-shirt line debuts Friday night at Metropolis Vintage

Metropolis Vintage is playing host tomorrow night (Friday, Oct. 4) to friends John Holmstrom and Aid MacSpade as they launch their new Hep Cat T-shirt line.

Per the invite: Holmstrom and MacSpade "brainstormed their Hep Cat character back in the 1980s, a beatnik-style creature who loved to get high within the pages of High Times. Hep Cat seemed to have a life of his own, and his enduring popularity has now led them to produce three unique T-Shirt designs, which will be debuting at the party."

The two East Village residents will be doing a signing and hanging out for the unveiling of the ... John Holmstrom dressing room.

Holmstrom, the co-founder, editor and illustrator of Punk Magazine (and creator of the Metropolis logo), adorned the dressing room with a variety of illustrations encompassing his work with the Ramones as well as other publications...




[Sales associate Skeleton Boy checks out the new dressing room]

The event is from 6-9 p.m., where there's free beer and pizza and the punk-garage sounds of DJ Drew Redmond.

Metropolis is at 803 Broadway between 11th Street and 12th Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Q-and-A with John Holmstrom, founding editor of Punk Magazine

John Holmstrom on the CBGB movie and the East Village of 2013

A visit to Metropolis Vintage on Broadway

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's the latest NY See panel, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood.

More details on the city's new plan to keep East River park partially open during flood protection construction

Yesterday came news that the de Blasio administration was announcing more changes to the city's stormproofing plans for East River Park.

As you know, the entire Park was set to be shuttered for three-plus years starting in March. Now, early East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR) work will commence in the spring, with all of East River Park remaining open until next fall. The flood protection construction will be done in phases.

Here's more via a city press release issued yesterday:

“The community spoke and we listened,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Nearly half of East River Park will remain open throughout construction – without compromising essential flood protections for 110,000 New Yorkers. We are building a more resilient city to meet the challenge of global warming head-on.”

The phasing plan will allow nearly half of East River Park to stay open at all times and will still deliver flood protection by hurricane season 2023, one full hurricane season earlier than under the previous project approach.

In order to enable the new park phasing plan, the schedule for completion of the overall project will be extended to the end of 2025, without any delay in delivering critical flood protection to the 110,000 local residents vulnerable to severe climate impacts in the future. Construction is scheduled to begin in March 2020.

First Phase of Construction (Fall 2020 to Spring 2023): The vast majority of the park areas from Delancey to Houston Streets will remain open as well as the amphitheater area in the south and the portion from approximately East 10th to East 12th Street in the north.

Second Phase of Construction (Spring 2023 to Late 2025): Newly rebuilt portions of East River Park will be open from Houston Street to approximately East 10th Street, as well as the vast majority of the park areas from Corlears Hook Bridge to Delancey Street.

Esplanade areas will follow a separate construction schedule and will be made available as construction permits. To meet the needs of area residents, in addition to phasing, new and improved open space resources will be made available in the surrounding neighborhoods, including a new park adjacent to Pier 42 to be completed in spring 2022.

Details of the plan will be presented at a City Council public hearing this afternoon at 1 p.m. (Oct. 3) in what marks the final stages of the land use review process. (Want to attend? Details here.)

Advocates at the community group East River Park Action, who organized the Sept. 21 rally, were not pleased by yesterday's news. Here's part of their reaction:

This is not good. Our park will still be completely destroyed — just over a longer period of time — five years instead of the original three and a half years.

The city is ignoring the neighborhood’s demands: 1) preserve as much of the park as possible. 2) Construct a resilient coastline — not a massive wall along the river. 3) Construct flood protection along the FDR. 4) Provide interim flood protection during years of construction.

It looks like the whole promenade will be closed while the city builds an 8-10 foot solid flood wall along the river.

The city will say it’s the neighborhood’s fault the timeline is longer because we asked for phased construction. In fact, it’s because they were never going to be able to get it all done in three and a half years, and they knew it.

The project was also undergoing a third-party review by a Dutch consultant hired by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera. No word on this review's status.

Yesterday's changes marked the second time that a significant alteration was announced for the stormproofing project. Last fall, the city surprised community stakeholders by announcing a complete overhaul of a plan that had been discussed over four years of local meetings.

14th Street busway finally set to get moving today

After two litigation-related delays, the 14th Street Busway finally makes its debut today.

Last Friday, a panel of judges from New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division overturned an Aug. 9 (Lawsuit No. 2) ruling to block the busway, as Streetsblog first reported.

Here's a quickie overview via the DOT:

6 a.m. to 10 p.m.: Buses and trucks only between Ninth Avenue and Third Avenue. All other vehicles may make local trips, but must turn at the next available right.

10 p.m. to 6 a.m.: All vehicles may make through trips along the corridor.

This DOT link has more information about the busway, which is expected to be an 18-month pilot program.

The city will install onboard bus-lane-enforcement cameras along the M14 routes this fall. However, DOT officials said that they won’t start issuing tickets for another 60 days.

Streetsblog had more on the enforcement yesterday:

Stationary enforcement cameras on every block to catch drivers blocking bus lanes and for failing to exit 14th Street at the first available right turn after their pickup or drop-off. Those $50 tickets — rising by $50 to a maximum of $250 for every infraction in the same 12-month period — also won’t be issued for 60 days.

As for more backstory: In late June, right before the new busway was to launch on July 1, a coalition of block associations filed a last-minute lawsuit to block the project, arguing that the city failed to complete the proper environmental review for the work. (Lawsuit No. 1!)

The busway was originally to coincide with the arrival of the new M14 Select Bus Service, which debuted on July 1 featuring off-board fare payments and all-door boarding... all in an effort to speed up the notoriously sluggish M14 line during the L-train slowdown.

DOT officials said they hope to improve M14 travel time by up to 30 percent on a corridor that’s one of the slowest in the city.

Wednesday's parting shot

In the rain in Tompkins Square Park this evening... photo via Vinny & O...

NYC premiere of 'The Bitch Movie' takes place at Theatre 80 on Friday night

"The Bitch Movie," a 60-minute documentary that takes a retrospective look at the "Bitch: A Ladies Tribute To Metal" monthly party at the late Don Hill's, makes its NYC debut Friday night (Oct. 4) at Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place.

Here's more about the film:

"The Bitch Movie" explores the origins, philosophy, sociology and technical execution of the event, painting a portrait of the vibrant scene around Don Hill's in downtown New York in the early 2000s.

Through firsthand interviews and exclusive footage of the live performances, the film explores the motivations of the women who were passionate about singing heavy metal ... "The Bitch Movie" is both a tribute to pioneering women who smash traditional stereotypes and heavy metal fans the world over.

The screening starts at 10 p.m. There's a Q&A with filmmaker Damian Kolodiy and several of the performers afterwards.

Find advance tickets at this link.