Scott Lynch

Good morning, East Village.

A neighborhood legend has passed: “Butch Morris, who created a distinctive form of large-ensemble music built on collective improvisation that he single-handedly directed and shaped, died on Tuesday in Brooklyn. He was 65.”

On East Sixth Street, “The Congregation Adas Le Israel Anshei Meseritz has signed over the rights to its second floor to East River Partners LLC, as part of a 99-year lease worth approximately $1,225,000, according to documents filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.” [DNA Info]

Following a New York Times article about an American Girl doll that was being lent out to patrons, the Ottendorfer library has received an outpouring of support, including a $1,000 check and five new dolls. [NY Times]

“Non profit organization, The Bowery Mission, purchased 315 East 115th Street for $5.3 million. The 21,390-square-foot building was sold by Palladia Inc., a non-profit which serves families and individuals struggling with substance abuse, homelessness, mental illness, trauma, domestic violence, behavioral health issues, and assists those transitioning from the criminal justice system.” [Commercial Observer]

At St. Mark’s Bookshop, Jerry Stahl, Lydia Lunch, and Eric Bogosian read excerpts from “The Heroin Chronicles.” [Slum Goddess]

Joaquin Simo of Pouring Ribbons believes his religious studies helped his career as a mixologist. “That was all exegetical work and all the parsing of diction and all of the stuff that got drilled into me when you’re reading 1,000-1,200 pages a week and condensing that,” he says. “That really paid off professionally and allowed me to get better at taking large amounts of complex information and rendering it accessible.” [Food GPS via Grub Street]

“The cool thing is, Avenue C is still kind of a ‘secret’ area of New York City, just starting to be discovered,” says Wolfgang Ban, co-owner of The Third Man. [Fork in the Road]