Samantha Balaban Carlos “Chino” GarciaYesterday The Local broke news that the buildings department rejected a plan to bring dorms to the former school building that once housed CHARAS. The community group, founded in the mid-1960s, moved into the massive building on East Ninth Street in 1979 and was evicted in 2001, but the organization lives on, as does its president Carlos “Chino” Garcia. “Now we’re working here in the East Village, Brooklyn and the Bronx,” Mr. Garcia told The Local last week. “We’re doing different projects around culture, working with artists, you know, so we’re still kicking, thank God for that.” Days before the dorm plan was rejected, we spoke to Mr. Garcia, an East Villager since 1958, about the ever-changing neighborhood.
Q.
Tell me about the former P.S. 64 building and CHARAS’ history with it.
A.
The center was really well utilized by the community. We had programs of all kinds and other organizations were using it. We had community groups of different kinds using it by the hundreds, thousands of people. We had a substance abuse program. In one week we’d have like 1,500 people coming to those meetings.
We had hundreds of theater groups working out of it (including Living Theatre, which recently closed). In all the years we were there, I think we did 600 productions. We used to throw four art exhibits a year. Each exhibit had like 400 artists. And we would present the artists that weren’t well-known. People that needed a work space could get it, depending on their income. If they were poor they’d get it for free. If they had a little of money they’d just pay a little bit of money.
It was a tremendous place. When you walked in, there was always something beautiful happening artistically. Different languages being spoken. It was truly a community center. When we lost it, the neighborhood lost a lot. Read more…
Roey AhramGood morning, East Village.
Jared Kushner is still at it: “329-335 East 9th Street and 325 East 10th Street, were sold in an off market deal to the Kushner Companies by Icon Realty Management, which bought the buildings in 2010, according to city records.” [Real Estate Weekly]
“Management of the decades-old West Third Street record store Bleecker Bob’s Golden Oldies said Monday night that a deal to keep a music counter inside the frozen yogurt shop that has leased the space is ‘almost definitely off’ as the vinyl gurus prepare to move out as soon as this weekend.” [DNAinfo]
An alternate take about the No 7-Eleven campaign: “It’s not gentrification that’s being protested. It’s gentrification — in a crystallized form — that’s being preserved!” [Quilas]
Read more…
Daniel MaurerSignage for Haile Ethiopian Cuisine went up today at 182 Avenue B, between East 11th and 12th Streets. The 32-seat bistro is named after first-time operator Menasie Haile, and promises “a distinctive menu that not only showcases the foods and flavors of the Ethiopian but also celebrates the culture,” per a business plan submitted to Community Board 3. It’ll offer lunch, dinner, and takeout to “baby boomers,” “generation Xers,” and “empty nesters,” according to the marketing plan.
Is the preliminary menu below enough to lure you away from Awash or Meskel? Read more…
Daniel MaurerA plan to convert the former P.S. 64 building into college dormitories was denied on Monday by the Department of Buildings, documents show.
The application, filed in February, sought a permit to convert the 110,000-plus-square-foot building at 605 East Ninth Street into a college dormitory and to relocate the floor area in order to add a mezzanine. The cost of construction was estimated at $16 million.
Until 2001, P.S. 64 housed the CHARAS/El Bohio community center. Since then, it has been one of the neighborhood’s largest and most conspicuous vacant properties.
The building’s owner, Gregg Singer, said the disapproval was “just part of the process.” Read more…
Pat Ivers and Emily Armstrong continue sorting through their archives of punk-era concert footage as it’s digitized for the Downtown Collection at N.Y.U.’s Fales Library.
Steve Lombardi It’s that time of year again: Spring break! While college students are streaming like lemmings to the usual spots — Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean — there’s been an uptick of revelers heading for New York this year. You can see them — earbuds in, texting and stumbling around the Lower East Side and Williamsburg, updating their absent pals. We hope they’re enjoying themselves.
We don’t remember a lot of college students at CBGBs. Everyone seemed to have either graduated, dropped out or not bothered going in the first place. Oh, but the high school students! They were one of the secret treasures of the scene. Completely illegal and utterly irresistible, kids from 13 to 17 showed up at the bar nightly, bringing with them an extra jolt of innocence, energy and reckless abandon.
Bands like the Blessed, with 16-year-old Howie Pyro and Nick Berlin, performed frequently at Max’s and CBs and nobody blinked. Chris Parker, one of the underaged regulars at CBs, starred in Jim Jarmusch’s first feature, “Permanent Vacation.” And when local favorite X-Sessive graduated at 17 from roadie to bass player for the Voidoids, well, everyone was pleased.
That’s our boy, we thought. These barely-out-of-junior-high-school hell-raisers weren’t just tolerated, they were our mascots.
One of our favorite teenage bands was the Student Teachers. They met cute, when future keyboardist Bill Arning sat next to soon-to-be vocalist David Scharff and guitarist Philip Shelly at a John Cale show at CBs. Actually, Bill had come for the opening act, Lance Loud’s band, The Mumps, in his official role as president of their fan club. They were just 16.
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Samantha Balaban construction on 130 St. Marks PlaceWhole Earth Bakery, the vegan institution that closed amid controversy last December, will be replaced by a pizzeria and ristorante, The Local has learned. Funny enough, two partners in the new endeavor recently opened restaurants on the same corner of St. Marks Place: Riccardo Pieroni co-owns Ton-Up, the motorbike-themed Italian wine bar across the street, and Huey Cheng owns Kura, the Japanese restaurant next-door.
Michele Bruni helped both of them build their restaurants before deciding to go into business with them and open Falanghina in June.
By then, of course, a reborn Nino’s Pizza will be slinging its own pies across the street. “There is going to be some competition, obviously,” Mr. Bruni acknowledged of the face-off. “But competition made this country.” Read more…
Daniel MaurerA fire was reported at 126 East Fourth Street this morning after a resident smelled smoke on the second floor of the six-story building near First Avenue, the fire department said.
The blaze was called in at 7:18 a.m. and under control at 7:37 a.m.; no injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Samantha Balaban
Because you can never have enough motorbike-themed Italian wine bars, a couple of Romans who admire Steve McQueen and Marlon Brando have opened Ton-Up at 127 St. Marks Place.
The design is modeled after the “café racers” who would streak between transport cafes in Europe, trying to reach 100 miles per hour between stops. If a racer succeeded, he made a “ton-up,” explained Riccardo Pieroni.
True to the theme, the salads and crostini are named after bike companies (Ducati, BSA, Bonneville) and the panini are named after classic rockers (Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash).
See the menu…
Scott LynchGood morning, East Village.
This Sunday, Jenifer Rajkumar is slated to announce her campaign for a seat on the City Council against District 1 Councilwoman Margaret Chin. [The Lo-down]
N.Y.U.’s admissions office recently got bombarded with calls from rejected applicants and their parents, most of which could not be answered to the callers’ satisfaction. [NY Daily News]
Ken Rockwood of Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side is starting a record label. [New York Times]
Read more…
Kelsey KudakThe rooftop tents at the Thompson LES may soon be coming down — but not because of warmer weather.
A judge has smacked a $300 fine on the hotel for working without a permit. Now it must remove three outdoor tents or apply for a proper permit to keep them.
In January, neighbors of the hotel complained to the Department of Buildings that tents erected as a storage area were being used as an outdoor nightclub. A building inspector ruled the tents on the hotel’s second-story roof were illegal, and the matter went before a judge who, on March 20, sided with the inspector.
The hotel’s rooftop lounge, Above Allen, has been a source of controversy since 2009, when a dozen or so neighbors flooded a Community 3 board meeting to voice concerns about late-night noise as well as added traffic and pedestrian congestion around the hotel. At the time, a hotel manager vowed to take the neighbors’ concerns into account.
Since then, neighborhood group LES Dwellers has taken a stake in the case, and various residents from Orchard Street, Houston Street and Stanton Street have asked the organization for help and guidance. Diem Boyd, founder of LES Dwellers, said that though the hotel has taken measures to cut down on the noise coming from the club in the past, it has continued to be a problem during weekends and summer nights, with noisy parties often continuing until 4 a.m. Read more…
Roni Jacobson A map of rodent “hot spots” at Baruch HousesThey’ve been compared in size to squirrels, gophers, chihuahuas and cats. This much can be agreed upon: rats are a big problem at Baruch Houses, and residents plan to do so something about them.
“We shouldn’t have to live like this,” said a tenant of building 105. “The rats are like small cats. I’m definitely afraid of them.”
Some say the ongoing problem has gotten worse in the wake of Sandy, just as it has at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. They’re developing a plan to contain it before it get can get worse during the summer.
“It’s obvious that N.Y.C.H.A.’s Integrated Pest Management has failed,” said Jeanette Toomer in reference to the special unit that, according to the New York City Housing Authority, has been baiting the area since January. “If you see rats, it has failed,” said Ms. Toomer, a community organizer at Good Old Lower East Side who is helping residents draw up an alternate plan.
Read more…
Samantha Balaban Nino’s Pizza on St. Marks and Avenue A is currently under constructionVillagers, rejoice: the old Nino’s Pizza is back. Or it will be in about a month and a half, according to Nino Camaj, the former and once again current owner of the pizzeria on the corner of St. Marks Place and Avenue A.
Mr. Camaj owned Nino’s Pizza for 18 years before selling it and moving to Florida, he said. Last week, he re-signed a 12-year lease to the storefront.
Nino’s was under non-Nino ownership for seven years while Mr. Camaj lived in Florida, where he opened two more restaurants. Then, five years ago, he sold his Florida restaurants and moved back to New York City “because of the hurricanes,” he said, and opened a Nino’s Restaurant in Bedford Hills, Queens.
Meanwhile, he noticed that his old pizzeria in the East Village wasn’t doing too great, and also selling Lebanese food. “He ruined everything,” Mr. Camaj said of the other owner. “He had no experience. A lot of people complained.” Read more…
Courtesy Fales Library Graduation photoLarry Rivers had a way with words. That much was obvious as friends, associates, and academics recalled the artist, poet and musician Friday at Fales Library. Here are just some of the things they remembered him saying:
1. “We want to go down on history.” (David Joel, executive director, executive director of the Larry Rivers Foundation, remembered him saying this about his collaborations with Frank O’Hara.)
2. “Picasso. He tried everything, and it worked.” (Recalled by David Levy, former head of Parsons School of Design and Rivers’ bandmate.)
3. “When you’re 20, you want to be somebody. When you’re 30, you want to do something.” (Recalled by Bill Berkson, New York School poet.)
Read more…
Here’s the latest story idea to come in via the Virtual Assignment Desk. Want to attend this play and review it? Check out the description below.
The Poor of New York is a bitingly relevant lost American classic by Dion Boucicault, dramatizing a unique and pivotal moment in New York history: the New York Panic of 1857, which is today considered the world’s first global financial crisis. Mixing riotous humor with visceral emotion and political potency, this rip-roaring production features a cast of 25, accompanied by eight live musicians, and reinvigorates the vibrant tradition of American melodrama. The Poor of New York has not been professionally produced in New York since 1931 and will be performed from April 24-27 at the Connelly Theatre in the East Village, an original Victorian building, set on the edge of the notorious 5-Points slums, where much of the action of the play is located.
This play offers a unique window into mid-19th Century American life, whilst powerfully foreshadowing the contemporary New York experience; a New York story with global resonance that speaks to the most pressing concerns of our age. The cast and creative team are actively engaged in a community outreach program that involves a partnership with The Foodbank for New York City, high schools in the East Village and several immigrant community institutions across the city. At the invitation of the Museum of American Finance, there will be a staged reading of the play at the MOAF on April 9th, 2013. www.columbiastages.org
If you’d like to attend and review “The Poor of New York,” or interview one of the cast members, look for the above pitch on our Open Assignments page and volunteer. Have another story you’d like to write or see covered? Pitch it to us via the Virtual Assignment Desk.
Manny’s Barber Shop isn’t the only newcomer offering facials; just around the corner, Tips & Toes has opened at 91 First Avenue, offering manicures, pedicures, waxing, facials, threading and massages.
The space above Dual Specialty Store was briefly vacant, but if you thought yet more Christmas lights were coming to this festive corner, you thought wrong: the nail salon opened last week and is offering 15 percent discounts.
Tips & Toes, 91 First Avenue (between East Fifth and East Sixth Streets); (212) 460-5940
Joann Jovinelly CAPTIONGood morning, East Village.
Eight new members have been appointed to Community Board 3. [The Lo-Down]
“Coming up this weekend at the Sunshine Cinema, there will be a screening of the “NIMBY Experience,” in which the Lower East Side’s Luis Guzman goes homeless on the streets of New York City to “shed light” on a cause he’s passionate about.” [The Lo-Down]
The owner of Bella Tile is upset that taxis visiting the Madina mosque continue to block his driveway. [The Villager]
Read more…
Joanna MarshallSpeaking of Bowery Poetry Club, its space at 308 Bowery (now also the home of Duane Park) went from white to blue today. Next up: Signage! In lower-case letters, we’re assuming.
Manny of Manny’s BarbershopAnother esthetician is grooming solo. Just like Beyonce’s manicurist, Manny Irbragimov has left his former employer to start his own shop.
Imanuel Ibragimov will open Manny’s Barber Shop next Sunday at 125 East Fourth Street, in the space that formerly held SB Design. A barber since he graduated high school over 10 years ago, the 27-year-old Russian immigrant had been at Igor’s Clean Cuts for the past two-plus years. “This will be an old-school-style shop,” he said of his new place. “Cuts will be $14, which is reasonable compared to other places around here.”
So why did he leave Igor’s and start Manny’s? “I would not badmouth anybody,” said Mr. Ibragimov. “It was time for me to leave, and I just wanted to open my own shop, but why does anyone leave their jobs? Now I have my own barbershop on Fourth. That’s what I want everyone to know.” Read more…
Ray LemoineAfter enduring two years of pain, Red Sox Nation’s diaspora returned to their East Village sanctuary, Professor Thom’s on Second Avenue, today. Opening Day was versus the hated Yankees, but Sox fans aren’t expecting the season to end in a rematch of the epic ALCS series of last decade. On Saturday The Times noted that due to spate of injuries, the team could end last in its division as easily as it could finish first.
In case you hate Boston and/or don’t pay attention to baseball, in September 2011 the Sox had one of the worst collapses in Major League history, losing 20 games in a month. Last year, after retooling and signing manager Bobby Valentine, they were predicted to win the American League. Instead they came in last place. “I just hope I don’t waste another year rooting for this team and then they lose at the end of the season like chumps,” said a beer-drinking, hooky-playing banker, who didn’t want his job to know he was not in fact out sick with the flu.
So far, so good: the Sox won in an 8-2 victory that saw much of Yankee Stadium leaving early.
It was also Opening Day at the MLB Fan Cave, over on Broadway and East Fourth Street. Here’s a shot of this year’s lucky “cave dwellers.”
Joanna MarshallIf you’ve noticed the herds of white trailers hogging parking spaces around the East Village, that’s NBC filming the pilot of “Ironside,” a remake of the 1970s show about a snappy, wheelchair-bound detective, played by Blair Underwood of “L.A. Law.” Co-stars include Spencer Grammer of long-running sorority show “Greek” and Neal Bledsoe, who recently featured in the musical series “Smash.”
At noon, assistants in headsets were grumpily swishing people away from the north side of Bleecker Street, between Bowery and Lafayette, as what appeared to be a mugging was filmed. As a crowd of lunch-breakers watched, an actor came sprinting out of a basement and down the street, trampling two other characters.
The neighborhood will have a reprieve tomorrow when the crew films under the Manhattan Bridge. But Sam Bruton, a parking PA for NBC studios, said that the fleet of campers would probably be back in the East Village on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
