Almost 10 years after protests over Con Edison’s 14th Street plant led the power company to agree to dedicate $3.75 million to funding environmentally friendly endeavors, more than half of the money is still up for grabs.
Last Thursday marked the most recent deadline for the submission of grant proposals to Community Board 3’s Con Edison Task Force, which manages the funds. But as the deadline approached, Carol Kostik, the chair of the task force, said that relatively few residents knew that approximately $1,991,084 in funding was there for the taking.
“I think people have really moved on to other issues,” she said. Read more…
A man sexually assaulted a woman in her First Avenue building early this morning, according to the police.
A police spokesman said that the victim was walking up the stairwell of her building between 12th and 13th Streets at around 3:20 a.m. when the man pushed her to the ground from behind. He then pulled up the victim’s skirt, said “keep quiet,” and pretended to have a gun in his hand. Read more…
For “1,150 Days,” I’ve photographed elements of day-to-day life in New York City to create a daily record of the environment I call home. It’s interesting how many different versions of New York have surfaced: a city centered around parked bicycles, a city of colorful lights and abstract shapes, and a city where pigeons try to fit in, too. Each of these seemingly mundane perspectives reveals a sense of levity and wonder; a reminder that the background of our daily lives is comprised of many unexpected and often missed details. What draws me to shoot in the East Village is the area’s culture, its fascinating people, and the living history of each block. Like JR’s TED-prize-winning Inside Out Project in Cooper Square, featuring portraits of local citizens.Read more…
Last year, Allison Hertzberg recommended the neighborhood’s best first-date bars. But what about the second date? We asked Allison to go on one at Sauce, the new restaurant from Frank Prisinzano of Frank, Lil’ Frankie’s, and Supper.
Photos: Noah Fecks
When picking a dinner spot for that ever-so-important second date, a few things should come to mind: charm, lighting and affordability (so: the same things you look for in an apartment). Located on the other side of the tracks (across Houston Street) on the corner of Rivington and Allen Streets, Sauce serves up the same homestyle Italian food and pay-what-you-drink wine as its sister restaurants in the East Village. It also happens to be the perfect “I’m trying not to look like I’m trying” spot for a second date. Read more…
Department of Buildings inspectors slapped the site at 331 East Sixth Street with a stop work order on Wednesday — the latest setback for the controversial project that is rumored to be the future home of “Friends” star David Schwimmer.
The order cites a complaint — filed through 311 — that the construction is undermining a property next-door, causing it to shake.
Last month the site was hit with a violation for failure to post the required permits for an eight-foot-tall fence at the front of the lot.
The antebellum row house was demolished in September to pave the way for a five-story, one-family building. Since the project was revealed, rumors have swirled that David Schwimmer is the man behind the demolition. The Local has made numerous efforts to find out who will be living in the house, as well as what it will look like, all to no avail.
To some, it’s the best bar in the world. To others, it’s that spot where they can never seem to land a reservation. To Jim Meehan, it’s his place. Though PDT has built its reputation partly on exclusivity, owner and chief mixologist Meehan now shares the secret to his success in The PDT Cocktail Book, out this month.
“The book is actually in keeping with the spirit of the bar in trying to advance this culture,” he says, explaining that while some locals might find his reservation policy restrictive (reservations are taken same-day only at 3 p.m.), it’s more about making a relaxed, unique experience for the few customers who make it inside the compact space on any given evening. “Part of our concept is that it’s limited edition,” says Mr. Meehan, “What I’ve tried to do… is guarantee the rights of all the people who are in here.”
Raised in Illinois, Mr. Meehan began tending bar to support his African-American and literature studies in college. Nine years ago, he arrived in the East Village, tenuring at some of the neighborhood’s restaurants before opening PDT in 2007. The Local asked Mr. Meehan to share some of his favorite spots. Read more…
Last month The Local introduced you to Gingersnap’s Organic, the vegan café that Jamie “Gingersnap” Graber, previously of Live Live & Organic and Euphoria Loves Rawvolution (the Los Angeles location, not the East Village outpost), planned to open on East Seventh Street near Avenue A. A walk past the location reveals that it quietly opened earlier this week – it’s operating from noon till midnight daily, with delivery coming as soon as the shop acquires a bicycle this weekend.
In the open kitchen this afternoon was executive chef Scott Weingard, previously the chef at Pure Food & Wine and more recently of Angelica Kitchen and the now-shuttered Counter. Mr. Weingard also runs a Brooklyn-based vegan supper club, Nasturtium. He and his crew will be preparing the dishes on the menu below (click to see a larger version) and packaging them to-go. Or you can settle in at night, when b.y.o.b. is permitted. 130 East Seventh Street; (212)-533-9939.Read more…
Stephen Rex BrownThe future location of The Bean, in the former “crazy landlord” building.
Add The Bean to the list of East Village businesses that will feature Jim Power’s signature artwork. The Mosaic Man told The Local last night that he had just signed on to do his colorful tile work at the upcoming location of the cafe at Second Avenue and East Third Street. The Bean is the latest addition to the Mosaic Man’s portfolio, which also includes — in addition to numerous light-poles — Porchetta, Tompkins Square Bagels, and Exit 9. Mr. Power said that the management of The Bean had been very generous to him and his dog through the years, and he was happy to be working for them alongside several other collaborators. After a quick chat, the Mosaic Man had to get back to work. “Not bad, huh? I was homeless six months ago,” he said.
Steven Kim tells The Local that NY Tofu House, his new Korean eatery at 6 St. Marks Place (a building that was once home to the New St. Marks Baths), may open as early as tomorrow, assuming all goes well at a private preview dinner tonight. The Local attended a similar event last week and found the grills firing, pop music blaring, and waiters offering bowls of tofu stew to more than two dozen attendees. Watch our video to see the restaurant’s interior as well as some of the dishes on the menu below. Read more…
Stephen Rex BrownThe moving truck outside of Life Cafe.
Kathy Kirkpatrick, the owner of Life Cafe, was spotted moving kitchen equipment out of the beloved eatery this afternoon — the latest sign that her business remains in limbo.
Ms. Kirkpatrick, who closed down the cafe in September because of the condition of the building, told The Local she remained frustrated with her landlords.
“Significant work still needs to be done,” she said. “There is scaffolding; a pigeon coop with [crap] falling on the sidewalk; they ripped down my awning; no one can see the cafe; there are sloping floors; they ripped off frontage, exposing ugly brick.”
But one of the landlords of the building, Bob Perl, said that the repairs should only last around 45 more days. “She could have been in possession all through this time,” Mr. Perl said. “Construction to repair the building is ongoing right now.” Read more…
A performance of “Golem.”
This month, the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theater will perform “Golem,” which retells the Jewish legend about a golem created by a revered rabbi to defend the Prague ghetto from anti-Semitic attacks.
Vit Horejs, the director of the musical, which features eight performers handling puppets that are roughly four-foot tall, said that the story is a classic in the Czech Republic. He expected a big crowd for the performances, starting Nov. 17 at La MaMa theater on East Fourth Street.
“Every Czech child will know it,” said Mr. Horejs, 61. “People come from all walks of life to see it. A lot of people are interested in Golem.” Read more…
Tonight, the Williamsburg outpost of Mama’s, an East Village comfort-food fixture since 1995, officially debuts after having “soft opened” on Thursday. Last night at a private party, The Local sat down with Jeremiah Clancy, the onetime manager of Mama’s Bar who bought Mama’s Food Shop in 2007. Mr. Clancy, who grew up in Chicago and now resides in Prospect Heights, lived in South Williamsburg in the 1990s. “It reminds me of what the East Village was 15 years ago,” he said, smoking a cigarette at an outdoor table that looked onto an overpass of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, a street festooned with Dominican flags, and a playground where he said games of pick-up basketball are popular.
Inside, portraits of mothers – including those of the restaurant’s landlord and broker, as well as some belonging to local residents – hung on the walls. “I didn’t want to compete with Bedford or Berry,” said Mr. Clancy of his off-the-strip location. “I just wanted to provide good cheap food for the neighborhood.” Read more…
Cyn DarlingAriel Palitz with Darryl McDaniels from Run DMC.
The owner of the neighborhood’s hip-hop haven is looking to expand her brand and open a new business that goes beyond the club scene.
Ariel Palitz, the owner of Sutra Lounge on First Avenue, put her club on the market last week — only a few days before she celebrates its seventh anniversary.
While insisting that her business was making as much money as ever, Ms. Palitz admitted to The Local that she has been mulling over a new endeavor in the East Village.
“It’s a unique idea. It will have food, alcohol, there will be unexpected services — it’s going to be an unexpected twist on what I think the future of nightlife is,” she said, without going into further details. Read more…
John Aliseo’s photograph is stark and haunting: a woman with a lined, worried face stares past the camera, her back to the setting sun. On Wednesday, it was perhaps the most popular photograph at the opening of an exhibition at the Mark Miller Gallery on Orchard Street. “Our Eyes, Our Lives” premieres the work of residents at Barrier Free Living, a shelter on East Second Street that specializes in serving individuals with disabilities and victims of domestic abuse.
The exhibition was the brainchild of photojournalist Emily Anne Epstein, 26, a staff photographer at Metro newspaper whose grandparents hail from the Lower East Side. She first visited Barrier Free Living last year as part of a work assignment documenting the affects of budget cuts on shelters across the city. After she photographed the shelter’s residents, they asked her so many questions about her camera, she decided to return in May to teach them. Read more…
Who’s this walking south on First Avenue, just one face among thousands enjoying the East Village on a crisp fall evening? Here’s a hint: The native New Yorker (recently seen at Café Orlin) got her start as an actress at La MaMa before going on to achieve global fame alongside Matt Damon in the Bourne trilogy. Global fame or not, Julia Stiles went largely unnoticed as she waited at a traffic light on 12th Street and First Avenue at about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night.
Paul DefigliaA box that used to be loaded with rat poison.
Paul DefigliaAnother broken box.
Someone broke open a handful of bait boxes loaded with rat poison along Houston Street last night, leaving the deadly pellets scattered on the sidewalk, a reader tells The Local.
Our tipster said that she noticed the turquoise poison on the sidewalk on Houston Street between Second Avenue and Avenue A (once “the most ratted place around”) this morning. A visit to the site later in the day revealed that the boxes had indeed been broken open — including ones on First Street — but no poison was anywhere to be found. The tipster had pressed officials from the Fire Department and the Department of Environmental Protection to clean up the mess.
Still, be alert when walking your pets in the area.
“As someone whose history with photography consists of shooting street, photojournalism, and fashion, I’ve always looked at photography as a way to see reality. Some people think that all photography is art. I feel that art is only one aspect of photography. A sub-genre if you will.” Read more…
Earlier this week, The Local took you inside Adria Petty’s East Ninth Street home, now on the market for $1.995 million. As we mentioned then, Ms. Petty – a photographer and a director of music video, commercials, and documentaries, as well as the daughter of rock star Tom – moved to the East Village around 2000, and believes it’s still a happening place – starting with her own block. As proof: some of her favorite destinations.
Best antique shops Archangel across the street from me is run by two beautiful antique dealers. The woman on the right has her store, and the husband on the left has his store. She specializes in buttons and all this cool stuff. My favorite store in the East Village is Repeat Performance on First Avenue. It’s owned by a really lovely woman who runs an orphanage overseas. She has some of the most awesome stuff — vintage typewriters, lamps, light fixtures, paintings. She just has the best taste. Read more…
Having finally recovered from our hangover, we can now report that on Monday night, L’asso opened the doors of its construction site for a Halloween party that ended in a cracked bathroom sink and a kicked-in front door. In a corner of the unfinished back dining room, co-owner Greg Barris, dressed as the Alchemist from Alejandro Jodorowsky’s film “The Holy Mountain,” was seen chatting with fellow comedian Reggie Watts, who had earlier made an appearance on the “Conan” show. Yesterday, Mr. Barris said that the Nolita pizzeria’s East Village outpost, at 107 First Avenue near East Sixth Street, will open within three weeks, bringing with it an assortment of new entrees and a focus on healthy cuisine. Read more…
Hamid Rashidzada tells us that he and his partner in Summit Bar, Greg Seider, opened Prima, their first restaurant together, on East First Street yesterday. This will be a neighborhood affair: Not only did the duo enlist Mathieu Palombino (of Motorino and the forthcoming Bowery Diner) as well as David Malbequi (formerly of BLT Fish, now of Bowery Diner) to design a seafood-centric dinner menu, but they’re also teaming with Ken Nye, the owner of Ninth Street Espresso.
Once coffee service (from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m.) starts in a couple of weeks, Prima will be the only restaurant carrying Ninth Street’s full array of espresso drinks, according to Mr. Rashidzada. In the meantime, it’s open for dinner from Sunday through Wednesday from 5 p.m. till midnight and till 1 a.m. from Thursday through Saturday (the bar, manned by Mr. Seider, will stay open for cocktails an hour later). Read more…
The Local was a journalistic collaboration designed to reflect the richness of the East Village, report on its issues and concerns, give voice to its people and create a space for our neighbors to tell stories about themselves. It was operated by the students and faculty of the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, in collaboration with The New York Times, which provides supervision to ensure that the blog remains impartial, reporting-based, thorough and rooted in Times standards. Read more »
Joel Raskin
