Michelle Rick

It happened several weeks ago, during a hard day’s night.

There was the usual raucous disturbance in the street below, when the bars begin closing and their liquored-up patrons spill out all drunk and disorderly. The area in question, lower First Avenue, leads uptown from that gauntlet of traffic lights that intersects Houston. Nearby, police cars almost always lay in wait, not to regulate barflies, mind you, but to collar motorists for traffic violations.

Such was the case that very night: the siren’s wail drew me up to the window. The squad-car’s bullhorn then came alive and demanded that the hapless driver shut off the motor and put his keys on top of the car. Considering how many drunken souls were out at this hour, it seemed a smart precaution.

But the driver was cogent, in fact, and had his license ready when the two officers strode up to meet him. What the policemen didn’t expect was the presence of three drunken young bravos who had just shambled out of the corner pizza joint.

They called out to the police from the crosswalk: first with whistles and catcalls, then appellations of the more insulting variety. This included one term which describes an orifice at the opposite end from our mouth, and an old-English noun which usually designates a female dog. These epithets were repeated again and again, just in case the two policemen hadn’t heard them the first time.
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Illustration by Tim Milk

Last night saw the opening of an exhibit at LaMama Galleria, curated by John Chaich for Visual AIDS, a contemporary arts organization dedicated to HIV prevention and AIDS awareness. Entitled “Mixed Messages,” the show hosts a bevy of star names, among them Yoko Ono, John Giorno, Gran Fury and General Idea. It features the seminal provocation piece by David Wojnarowicz, “Untitled” (1990), more popularly known as “One Day this Kid…”.

Much of the work recalls the typographic-heavy message art which prevailed in the 1990’s. Indeed, one could say that this exhibition is in part a retrospective of that period.

The exhibition is accompanied by associated talk and benefit events. More information can be found on the La Mama website.

Kenan Christiansen Jeff Gurwin commissioned this mural at Avenue A and Second Street as a way to propose to his girlfriend, Caitlin Fitzsimons.

In a gesture of urban romance, East Village resident Jeff Gurwin, 28, proposed to girlfriend Caitlin Fitzsimons, 27, by commissioning a mural for her on Avenue A and Second Street.

“I knew I wanted to propose this way because we’re always taking pictures of graffiti. I wanted to integrate things into the wall that were special to her,” Mr. Gurwin told The Local in a phone interview.

The wall is covered by images of Ms. Fitzsimons family dog Parkey, her favorite flowers (yellow roses) and a cherry blossom tree modeled after a tree the couple often visit in Central Park.

The question itself is spelled out in stenciled Scrabble tiles, as the game is the couple’s favorite pastime.

Painted by graffiti artists Tats Cru, the mural took five hours to finish. This process and the subsequent proposal were taped for a stop motion video that has become a viral sensation on YouTube.

Click above to view a video of the mural’s creation.

Ms. Fitzsimons discovered the mural on her way to meet Mr. Gurwin, who told her he was food shopping. Instead he was waiting for her at the corner.

“She saw it and was so surprised. It was more than I expected. We were both just floating,” he said. In response to the romantic street art, Ms. Fitzsimons happily said yes.

For those who want to swoon over the mural in person it will be on display for the next month.

Stephen Rex Brown Angel Ortiz, the street artist known as LA II, has decided to stop producing street graffiti after a recent stint on Rikers Island on vandalism charges. Below: Mr. Ortiz with a recent piece.

LA II is taking his art off of the streets.

Angel Ortiz, the iconic graffiti artist known as LA II, told The Local that he’ll now only spray his paint cans in legal settings after spending more than a month at Rikers Island for a frenzy of tagging all over the East Village.

Mr. Ortiz said that his time in jail had essentially scared him straight — though the old-school graffiti artist who collaborated extensively with Keith Haring confessed that putting down his markers and cans would be tough.

“I’m hanging up the gloves,” said Mr. Ortiz, who’s 44. “No more spray painting in the streets. I don’t know how I’m going to do it.”
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Tim Schreier

Good morning, East Village.

DNAinfo reports that the former location of the Sin Sin Lounge, known for its rowdy atmosphere and late-night drunken brawls that culminated in a fatal shooting last summer, is planning to re-open as an upscale bakery. Yes, it will still serve drinks. But the ownership appears to be going to great lengths to demonstrate that the location wants to change its reputation. The new bakery will feature flakey pastries and swanky upstairs dine-in seating. It even had that old prison tattoo of a name blotted over and tentatively replaced with “Sweet Boutique.”

Last week, we brought you a post in which some of the founding members of P.S. 122 shared their memories of the performance space’s early years. An article by the BBC describes the space’s role in the fight against AIDS. The BBC details the history of the red ribbon, from its origin as a reaction to global indifference concerning the HIV outbreak, to its rise as a universally recognized emblem of support – much of which began at P.S. 122.

On Wednesday, we described the neighborhood-wide reflections about the 20th anniversary of the 1991 Memorial Day riot at Tompkins Square Park. The Times checks in with an assessment of how the riot was a turning point for our community.

And finally, the Howl! Festival will begin today with a reading of its namesake poem in Tompkins Square Park at 5 this evening. A number of poets will lend their voices to reading, including Miguel Algarín, who we mentioned on the blog  yesterday. It’s a small world among poets: Hettie Jones once said she could fit the entire beat generation into her living room. Ask her, she’ll be there.

Michelle Rick

You notice them everywhere in Manhattan, but perhaps particularly in a slightly out-of-the-way neighborhood such as the East Village — middle-aged or older New Yorkers who look as if they have remained in the city that doesn’t sleep way past the limits of insomnia or common sense.

They seem a little lost in this International House of Cupcakes, among i-Stoned youth, galvanized immigrants, packed bars, and cafés where the music is always played at a volume whose message might as well be posted on a notice board outside — Adults Permitted, But Youth Preferred.

Aging is a delicate, unrewarding business at best, and some people — as a result of genes, outlook, resolution, and money — manage it better than others. To judge by the relative lack of oldsters in the East Village (anyone over 40 is a rarity on the streets after 9 p.m., and most of those are either homeless, comatose, or possibly dead), it’s obvious that this is one of the more trying places in which to grow old. Those who hang on must also confront the irony of living in an era in which they are constantly scolded that it is within their power to remain “young,” while being made to feel ancient almost all the time.
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The police say that this man is a suspect in five robberies.

The authorities are looking for a man suspected of committing five robberies — including three in the East Village — over the course of four days.

The first incident occurred on May 12 at 315 East 18th Street, when the thief approached a 26-year-old woman at around 10:30 p.m., brandished a knife and demanded her wallet. He fled the scene empty-handed.

The next morning the suspect struck again, this time in our neighborhood at Second Avenue and East Houston Street. The police said he grabbed a 27-year-old woman from behind, covered her mouth and once again failed to steal his victim’s wallet.

Investigators said that on May 14, the suspect struck twice more in the East Village. At 1:20 a.m. he wrapped his arm around a woman’s neck at 202 East Sixth Street and stole her cell phone. Then, the police said that at 9:10 a.m. the man covered another woman’s mouth at Lafayette and Bleecker Streets and demanded her wallet. He again left empty-handed.

In the fifth incident, the police said that the man pushed a 24-year-old woman against a wall at 44 Wall Street at 3 a.m. and stole her cell phone.

Police said the man — who is pictured above in a pair images from surveillance cameras — is roughly 6 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds.

Hannah ThonetThe poet Miguel Algarín.

Good morning, East Village.

The founder of Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Miguel Algarín, is fighting for his legacy. According to Sonic Scoop, the 69-year-old poet and former Rutgers University professor, who spent years bringing the work of new poets into the public eye, will be the subject of a documentary. “The Miguel Algarin Story,” which is still in production, depicts the poet’s life, his early achievements, his challenges with HIV, but mainly targets the ongoing struggle he faces in trying to reclaim a leadership role at his landmark club.

While condo sales in the Village continue to log seven-figure milestones, Downtown Express offers a look back to the vacant properties along 13th Street during the early 1990’s and the street art of the squatter movement. For more artifacts of the squatter’s life visit The Times’ coverage of the 2010 exhibition, “The Perfect Crime,” at Bullet Space.

And finally, Ephemeral New York shares a serene noir view of the city via a 1928 etching by the artist Martin Lewis, which depicts a man peering over a railing on the Williamsburg Bridge.

Phillip Kalantzis Cope

Yesterday, we told you about a post by the Neither More Nor Less blog that marked the 20th anniversary of the 1991 Memorial Day riot in Tompkins Square Park.

Bob Arihood, the author of Neither More Nor Less, correctly noted that we erred in indicating that the riot was sparked because of the park’s homeless population.

“This riot was not about a homeless encampment in Tompkins Square Park . It was the result of the enforcement of the ending time of a concert . the concert goers were mostly drunk . bottles had been stashed in preparation for a riot . Cops and drunks confronted each other and nature took its course”

And longtime resident Martin Johnson offered his recollection of the evening.

“The street and sidewalks were cluttered with the debris of a riot, and police with combat gear were everywhere. When I reached 9th St, a policeman stopped me and asked me where I thought I was going. I told him “home,” and that I lived on Avenue A near 14th. He asked if I had some ID or a utility bill to prove it. My Driver’s License uses my mailing address, so I told him I didn’t have anything other than my word (which had usually been good enough). He threw me against the side of the building which now houses Cafe Pick Me Up and told me I was lying and that if I didn’t get off of *his* block, he was going to shove his nightstick down my throat.

You can read Mr. Johnson’s complete account of the night here.

Join the conversation: Do you have any memories of the riot on Memorial Day 1991? Please share them in the comments section below.

Paula CourtJody Oberfelder

Jody Oberfelder is an East Village dancer/choreographer who started out as the lead singer for the Bagdads, a punk band which played at CBGB’s. She then became a dancer and choreographer who has brought to both roles unusual athleticism, heart, humor, and in the words of Village Voice critic, Deborah Jowitt, “a zest for endearingly human dancing in an upside-down world.”

She has gone from creating works with titles such as “Wanted X Cheerleaders” and “Crash Helmet Brigade” to directing opera (“Dido and Aeneas”)  and now Igor Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale,” which she will present at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Performing Arts at Pace University (where “Inside the Actors Studio” is filmed) from June 9 to 11. Recently The Local spoke to her about her work and how living in the East Village has influenced it.

You have been part of the East Village arts scene for a long time. How has living here informed your work as a dancer and choreographer?

I’ve lived in the East Village from 1980 to the present, and I saw it change from a place where it was still full of old Ukrainian characters and really scary just to go east of Avenue A. When Life Café came into being on Avenue B, I remember kind of tip-toeing my way over there beside the park. I think I was just one of the many kinds of art-makers and filmmakers who was around at that time. Steve Buscemi and his wife Jo Andres were going to all the same events, and he’s pretty famous now! It was more of a cabaret-ish atmosphere, and you’d stay out pretty late, too. There was a great performance duo called Dancenoise, and also the “Full Moon” shows at P.S. 122. This was the more liquid East Village, more sweaty and physical. There were also people doing more esoteric work at the time.
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Michelle Rick

Good morning, East Village.

While the city agrees on the proposal to expand the boundaries intended to preserve several East Village landmarks, Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York reports that a significant part of the neighborhood’s history has just been lost. The faded lettering for The Fat Black Pussycat Theatre, which hung over Panchito’s restaurant, was painted over by the owners on Wednesday. The fresh coating of paint not only obscures the daily reminder that the Minetta Street location was once much more than a restaurant, but also takes away those little moments of discovery that help residents who were unaware engender a healthy respect for the history that surrounds them.

Forgotten New York provides a very informative digital walking tour of St. Marks Place. The tour encompasses the full personality of the street, covering everything from the architectural, to the cultural, to the personal for history that is old, new, and sometimes, in the making.

And it didn’t take the Parks Department long. Today the ping-pong table in Tompkins Square Park will receive its first bath after being tagged — also a first — last weekend.

Adrian Fussell

A sampling of reader reactions to recent posts that have appeared on The Local.

Brendan Bernhard’s recent post on his ambivalence toward bicycles prompted a range of reactions.

Dave, who described himself as a “committed cyclist,” wrote:

“I don’t get the NYC vibe (which is not limited to pizza deliveryemen and bike messengers, by the way) that all bad behavior on a bike is excusable because ‘hey man, I’m riding a bike’. When car and bike meet, car almost always wins. When bike and pedestrian meet, bike can win but at a cost to the rider. Better that we should all be more mindful of the other. And the police should enforce the rules of the road, regardless of the means of conveyance.”

Jody Oberfelder said:

“Everybody should look out for everybody. Share the road!”

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Michelle Rick

Cities are unforgiving places, and New York perhaps the least forgiving of all.

One of its less attractive traits has always been its self-mythologizing triumphalism and I ♥ NY campaigns, a localized form of the nationalism it derides in the rest of the country. “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere,” Frank Sinatra sang in what has become Manhattan’s unofficial national anthem and New Year’s rallying cry. It’s a sentiment to which countless scrambling citizens still subscribe. If they can just work hard enough, be ingenious and ruthless enough, they too will be “king of the hill / Top of the heap,” because this is the place. Or so we like to think.

Is it, though? Just over a century ago, C.P. Cavafy (1863-1933), an enduringly popular Greek poet who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, wrote a 16-line poem called “The City” which immortalizes a peculiarly urban dilemma whose outlines disenchanted New Yorkers will readily recognize. Those who have just moved here should read the poem, memorize it, print it out, and stick it on the fridge door.
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Mario Ramirez

Good morning, East Village.

Hope your Memorial Weekend was something to remember.

As we start the week, Neither More Nor Less reminds readers that not every Memorial Day in the East Village passed as peacefully and offers a recollection of the 1991 Memorial Day riot in Tompkins Square Park.

The park closed for a year, following the incident, in order to undergo a $2.3 million renovation project. For a full account of the story, visit The Times’ archives.

In other news, the Bowery has been credited as the birthplace of the ice-cream sandwich. In a recent Q&A, The Times referred to the book “Of Sugar and Snow: A History of Ice Cream Making” by Jeri Quinzio, which maintains that the popular summer treat was first made available through pushcart vendors peddling along the Bowery. The sandwiches were first sold for 3 cents apiece, a price that was subsequently driven down to one penny by New Yorkers.  Go to the article for one paper’s intriguing description of how the sandwiches were made.

And finally, Neighborhoodr! captured mosaic artist Jim Powers making progress on his “Japanese tribute pole” on Second Avenue & St. Mark’s Place last Friday.  With Japan’s economy already suffering massive blows from Fukushima and TEPCO officials recently  admitting they see no end in sight for the reactor crisis, the country will continue to depend on international support.

This post has been changed to correct an error; an earlier version misstated the sequence of events leading up to the 1991 Memorial Day riot.

Rachel Citron

Good morning, East Village.

And Happy Memorial Day.

Who needs to travel when so many cheap and interesting things are happening in your own backyard? This weekend the Theatre for New City hosted the Lower East Side Festival of the Arts for its 16th annual celebration. More than 100 artists participated in the event, offering live music, poetry, dance, and other performances — many for  free — for what has turned out to be the latest contribution to a colorful tapestry.

For another look at art in the village check out Celine Danhier’s documentary “Blank City.” It offers retrospective on the birth of the East Village’s  “No-budget” filmmaking industry — which should also be in quotes, seeing as all that was required to start out in those days was a camera and a willingness to shoot. The film revisits the work of those who were successful at it, and provides a look at the cultural dynamic of “No Wave” film; both in its heyday and as it evolved.

Also, it appears that the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s recent expansion of the study area for a proposed East Village Historic District could make the birthplace of drag a local landmark. DNAinfo reports that the site of the 1979 performance bar the Pyramid Club, where RuPaul was said to hone her craft, falls smack within the range of the broadened prevention effort.

Finally, two very different acts involving spray paint: while upcoming nuptials are celebrated on a mural on Avenue A and Second Street, the honeymoon is over for the ping pong table at Tompkins Square Park — someone has finally tagged it with graffiti.

Michael Sean Edwards on East Village life in the 1970’s and 80’s.

“One of the things that most struck me about the East Village when I moved here in 1978, and what made me love it so much is that it really was a village; an enclave in NYC that felt like old Europe rubbing up against the new wave.”
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