Courtesy of dirtybuildings.orgA screenshot of a Web site that details the buildings in Manhattan that use No. 4 or No. 6 heating oil. Environmentalists say that the buildings produce more air pollution than all of the city’s cars and trucks combined.

Last month’s anti-smoking legislation may have irritated some Local readers, but environmentalists say that another pollutant continues to fill the air.

An interactive map of New York City’s “dirty buildings” on the Environmental Defense Fund Web site shows over 9,000 red and yellow dots spanning Manhattan, charting real locations of the city’s sludge-burning buildings.

Buildings utilizing No. 4 and 6 heating oil produce more soot pollution than any number of cigarettes could – more than all of New York City’s cars and trucks combined, according to Isabelle Silverman, attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund, a national advocacy group.

Environmentalists say that the buildings’ output of particulate matter can aggravate asthma, increase risk for heart and lung disease, and have other consequences. In two weeks, the Department of Environmental Protection will review a rule to gradually phase out the permits of such structures; so how many of them are in the East Village?

According to the map, the East Village has about 20 buildings burning No. 4 oil and about 20 burning No. 6, which Ms. Silverman said is attributable to the East Village’s relatively smaller apartment complexes and commercial structures. But while other high-density buildings north and west of the village continue to cough up dirty matter, all of Manhattan – which still fails federal health standards – remains susceptible.
Read more…

Tim Schreier

Good morning, East Village.

It’s finally Friday, but the ongoing debate over the budget for city schools may keep you talking through the weekend. According to BoogieDowner, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Education Committee Chair Robert Jackson sent out a letter Thursday protesting Chancellor Cathie Black’s new budget requirement for school principals. For the first time, school principals have been asked to give a portion of their year-end surplus back to the city, rather than “roll over” their budget to the following year. How will East Village schools be affected? Read more about the proposed education cuts here.

And DNAinfo reports that the East Village graffiti artist Angel “LA II” Ortiz missed his own gallery opening last week after his arrest for – what else? – graffiti, after the authorities said that he tagged an East Village building the night before his collection was scheduled to open at Dorian Grey Gallery on East Ninth Street. Mr. Ortiz calls the streets his canvases, but art lovers can also view his work indoors, with his exhibit on display through April 17.

Of course, the East Village mural on Houston and Bowery, otherwise known as the Dietch Wall, pictured above, is always accessible to fans of street art. But after some taggers recently took turns on the work by Kenny Scharf, gallery workers from The Hole, which curates the wall, cleaned up the mess Thursday, according to Bowery Boogie.

East Village graffiti is just one manifestation of the recurring battle between the old and the new. EV Grieve shares photos of what the blog calls “intruding buildings” collected over the past year, “lurking, menacing in the background.”

And here comes the sun, but not for long; today’s high of 70 degrees will most likely cloud over Monday, with rain in the low 50’s.

Courtesy of Al Kavadlo The author demonstrates the jungle gym workout technique.

With the cold winter weather finally winding down, more and more people are thinking about getting ready for summer. For a lot of East Villagers, this means it’s time to ramp up their exercise regimen. This neighborhood is home to some of the city’s trendiest, most high tech fitness facilities, but sometimes the best things in life are free. Tompkins Square Park has all
the equipment you need to get a great workout, and you don’t need to purchase a bank-breaking membership to use the facilities.

Tompkins has several jungle gyms that were made with children in mind, but near the Northeast corner of the park, there is a jungle gym that seems to have been designed for full-grown adults. The set up there is ideal for parkour training, as well as pull-ups and many other fun exercises. Besides, training outside in the fresh air and feeling the warmth of the sun adds to the enjoyment (though I don’t mind working out out in the snow, either).

I recently got to exercise at Tompkins Square Park with my friend Rick Seedman, another local personal trainer. We had a great time and a great work out without having to spend a penny.

Watch the video below for more:

Al Kavadlo is a personal trainer, freelance writer and author of the book, “We’re Working Out! A Zen Approach to Everyday Fitness” (Muscle-up Publications, 2010). For more information visit www.AlKavadlo.com.

Kathryn Kattalia As the Brooklyn-based Union Market prepares to make its Manhattan debut in the East Village this fall, it’s trying to be seen as just another grocery store – despite such features as an oyster bar and an assortment of nearly 300 domestic and imported cheeses.

With its wide array of fresh olives, a sprawling oyster bar and assortment of nearly 300 domestic and imported cheeses that accompany an equally diverse selection of dried meats and charcuterie, Union Market doesn’t exactly seem like your typical neighborhood grocery store.

And yet, as the Brooklyn-based mini chain prepares to make its Manhattan debut in the East Village this fall, that’s exactly what it wants to become.

“You can stop on your way home and get everything that you need,” said Marko Lalic, one of the store’s co-owners.

It’s been more than a month since scaffolding first went up at 240 East Houston near Avenue A, announcing the arrival of the new store which plans to take over the first floor of a building currently housing another small market, Houston Deli and Grocery. Spanning 6,000 square feet and offering a range of all-natural produce, Mr. Lalic said Union Market will provide customers with the intimate shopping experience often associated with local grocers.

But in a neighborhood brimming with corner bodegas and small markets, some area grocers fear the new store is another example of outside competition swooping in on small businesses already struggling with high rents in a slow economy.
Read more…

Bruce Monroe

Good morning, East Village.

New York University finally showed us yesterday what Washington Square could look like by 2031 through what it describes as “subtle interventions.”

Having withdrawn plans for a fourth building on the landmarked Silver Towers site, the university now envisages meeting its core expansion requirements. Seven floors of dorms above a public school replacing the current Morton Williams supermarket, together with a major tower on the site of the Coles Sports Center at Mercer and Houston, are part of the new design, as well as lower rise buildings on the north side of the park. As anticipated, the university continues to leave open the possibility of further developments in the neighborhood around the core, which includes – of course – the East Village.

In other neighborhood news, today, of course, is St. Patrick’s Day, and local bars are dressing up for the occasion; according to EV Grieve, some bars on Avenue C are sporting identical signs over the battle for “official party headquarters.” And for those of us who prefer inebriation in the form of sugar, Butter Lane is offering Jameson icing and free icing shots to those clad in green.

In other news, DNAinfo reports that comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade has finally agreed to remove its “Hot Chicks Room” sign from its space near East Third Street, following angry complaints from some neighbors who felt it the sign was more fitted for the old Times Square or the Red Light District, than the East Village.

And on a more somber note, East Villagers are offering aid to Japan following the devastating earthquake and ongoing nuclear crisis that began last Friday. A donation box has been placed on the counter of Takahachi restaurant on Avenue A. Have you seen other donation stations around the East Village? Leave a comment and let us know where to find them.

Expect a gorgeous high of 62 degrees today, with another beautiful day to follow.

Margot Wood

Would-be messages from the East Village, in 140 characters or less.

Instructions from the Muse

“Tweet!” the birdie cried. “I am tweeting,” the surly poet
replied. “Tweet! Tweet!” “Look, you dumb… sparrow, I
just told you…” “Tweet!”

A Serious Mutt

Would I be caught dead showboating in that dog run
across the street? Nyet. I’m not some pansified “pet”
pawing the air for adoring looks,

I’m here on important business: Waiting for my Master
to exit the Tompkins Square Library with his usual dose
of videos and books

We ♥ Poets!

Ginsberg’s E. 10th St. apt. gutted; O’Hara’s @ 441 E. 9th
unmarked; the plaque outside Auden’s home on E. 8th
gets the dates wrong

Observer With Cataracts

He finds it hard to not be trivial. He skims, he skates, past
the same stores & faces. Epitaph: “He was not convivial,
& he left no traces”

Materialism

He’s stuck with it, a life of fabricated purpose and no
God. Mud encrusted with jewelry stores. His Western
inheritance, along with not

knowing how to dance. Temples, mosques, are alien, and
the Church does not speak. “Maybe,” he thinks, “It’s
time to speak to It”

Read more…

Grace Maalouf Soccer fans watch multiple live games on a recent Saturday morning at Nevada Smiths, an East Village institution where fans are split over the dismissal of several employees last fall.

Our recent post on how patrons have responded to recent staffing changes at Nevada Smiths generated a wide range of feedback about the landmark soccer bar.

Jon criticized the atmosphere at the bar:

“Nevada Smiths, a dump from day one. A big souless barn of a place with poor ale to boot. got away with it for years, when the choice of bars was limited.”

Mozza wrote in defense of Nevadas:

“Nevada’s could be criticised for a number of things but being soulless wasn’t one of them. In fact the first thing that struck you when you walked in the door was that, if nothing else, the place had character and atmosphere.”

Chinatownbranch agreed:

“Quality ale and a big fry up, the two crucial ingredients that go miles towards creating atmosphere in a pub before 10am in the morning. The whole point of Nevada’s Jon was that it had a banging atmosphere.”

Chinatownbranch continued:

“If you havent been for years and you spent all your time in another pub what would you know, and why would you bother commenting?”

Join the conversation: Soccer fans, what’s your take on the changes at Nevadas?

Tim Milk

Since 2002, architectural historian Kerri Culhane has worked with Two Bridges Neighborhood Council to document the history of the neighborhoods of the Lower East Side. In December 2010 she and Two Bridges received the New York State Preservation Award for Outstanding National Register nomination for the Chinatown and Little Italy Historic District. She is currently writing the forthcoming Bowery Historic District nomination, sponsored by Two Bridges Neighborhood Council and Bowery Alliance of Neighbors.

Formerly 391 Bowery, 35 Cooper Square was built between 1825-27, as one of four houses developed on the land of Nicholas William Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant was a direct descendant of the Dutch West India Company’s last director-general, Petrus Stuyvesant.

The development pattern north of Houston (then called North Street) remained very rural until the early 19th century. In 1811, a plan to establish a street grid north of the haphazard jumble of streets below Houston was mapped by surveyor John Randel. Third Avenue, branching off of the Bowery, was not built until the early 1820s. Stuyvesant’s four buildings were among the first ever built on this new road — the Bowery spur of Third Avenue. The 35 Cooper Square site is, therefore, an artifact of the most significant urbanization effort of New York, which left us with the grid system that now blankets the island.

The modest brick house at 35 Cooper Square would have been typical of its period, two-and-one-half stories, with a generous attic under a “peaked” roof lit by a pair of dormers. The defining architectural characteristics of the urban Federal era rowhouse include the form, most commonly two-and-one-half to three-and-one-half stories; gambrel or side-gable roofs featuring single or paired dormers; Flemish bond brickwork; and simple stone lintels. My recent research has identified at least 26 buildings dating to the Federal period still standing on the Bowery, of which only 12, thanks to minimal alterations, still clearly represent the era. Read more…

The State Liquor Authority Committee of Community Board 3 Monday night refused to endorse a liquor license for a proposed music and restaurant space on Avenue A. With the 4-3 vote, the committee turned aside a proposal to open a new Mexican restaurant and lounge at 34 Avenue A. The proposal had been submitted by several owners, including Phil Hartman, who owns Two Boots Pizza and a former venue, Mo Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction, and the music promoter Todd Patrick; the fate of the project is unclear. —Hadas Goshen

Claire Glass Scaffolding began to rise around 35 Cooper Square last month.

Comments have continued to stream into The Local about an opinion piece by NYU Journalism’s Greg Howard that questioned the value of preserving 35 Cooper Square.

A sampling of reactions from the weekend.

One reader, “archietexture,” wrote:

“Residents recognize that new development of dorms, luxury hotels and condos does not benefit them. But being made a symbol doesn’t mean that 35 Cooper is not historically significant. Its loss will be a tragedy, and a travesty of the Landmarks process.”

Defending the preservation of the building, “Eastvillagearts” said:

“I’m certainly not arguing for places to be frozen in time – that would be counter to the compelling power of NYC’s continuing relevance. But there are places that have been particularly important to communities that need to be preserved. There are people and organizations and businesses that helped make neighborhoods what they are today who should be helped to stay. And the truth is that continued diversity and eclecticism is part of what continues to attract new residents, visitors and investment. The irony is that the market is attracted to precisely what it tends to destroy – authenticity.”

Elliott Hurwitt considered the legacy of unchecked development:

“But the developers will leave behind an immeasurably impoverished urban environment, one with no cultural resonance whatever, regardless of what you say about the East Village harboring the next di Prima, Hendrix or Madonna. The first of these 3 could never find a haven there now, affordable urban space in NYC is OVER, so there will be no further undergrounds, no beatniks, etc., that ended a long time ago.”

“Carol from East 5th Street” said the restaurant that occupied site in recent years transcended being just a watering hole for students:

“It was much, much more to me, my family, friends and neighbors. For most Sundays since the restaurant reopened as Cooper 35 Asian Pub and for the years before when it was Dolphins, it was where we had Sunday dinner. It was where we had gatherings of family and friends for just about every important event such as birthdays, graduations, milestones in our lives.”

Another reader, J.T., offered support for Mr. Howard:

“I think this is a good editorial piece. You spoke your opinion and caused great hype, mostly negative. But I believe that is just an older generation who is not ready for change. They are mad at Generation Y who are experiencing this vast change in lifestyle from the previous generations, where history in not of great importance. Generation Y likes and has experienced much change, which the older generations just aren’t as apt about. Everyone has an opinion.”

Another reader, “Mose,” recalled the building’s history:

“these buildings are cultural treasures literally, physical manifestations of 350 years of stories set in the most remarkable place humans have ever co-existed. men and women walked through the door of 35 cooper who were on the bowery only a generation earlier and watched as washington rode by. i feel fortunate to live in a place where i get to walk past these time capsules daily, history becomes tactile and experiential. ”

Photo illustration by Mark Riffee Six buildings with apartments for sale in the East Village.

It’s fun to gawk at the $3 million lofts and $4 million townhouses in Curbed’s Marketplacelistings for the East Village. Most of us can’t do much more than gawk at these palatial 3,500-square-footers unless we’re feeling very ambitious and chance a pipe dream while lying in our beds — which are conveniently five steps from the kitchen, bath, and front door in our 450-square-foot studios — wondering if today is a hot-water day or no-hot-water day.

But maybe someday we will be able to afford a less garish apartment with a more reasonable price tag. In fact, if you have the money now or in the next few years, you may want to think about making a move sooner than later. According to Tara-Nicholle Nelson, consumer educator for Trulia.com, a real estate search engine company and research group, prices and interest rates are extremely low right now and qualifying for loans will become more difficult in coming years.

We at The Local asked Ms. Nelson for a status update on the East Village market and some expert advice on buying and selling.

How has the East Village market evolved recently?

In terms of price, we’ve seen value increase over this past year. On a price per square footage basis, there’s been a 26.5 percent year-over-year increase to $1,087 per square foot from $798 per square foot.
Read more…

This post was reported by NYU Journalism’s Rachel Slaff, Todd Olmstead and Nasry Esmat. It was written by Ms. Slaff.

Illustration by Nasry Esmat An image of 20 St. Marks Place, past and present.

Yoga studios. Frozen yogurt stores. Tattoo parlors. Knock-off Ray-Bans, colorful socks and bubble tea – all for sale. Tourists swarm by pizza shops; college students flick cigarette butts onto the street. It’s loud, it’s crowded. It’s every possible cliche of the East Village, packed onto a block. This is St. Marks Place.

But fast food and neon lights haven’t always epitomized this street. Building No. 20, between Second and Third Avenues, has seen St. Marks Place change drastically over more than two centuries. This rowhouse traces its lineage back to wealthy descendants of the Stuyvesants, yet it also watched Warhol cavort through the Village. It witnessed the aftershock of a horrific peacetime maritime disaster. It has been home to soldiers and storeowners and has housed a dress shop, a carpentry workshop and a record store. No. 20 is a historical hold-out, an architectural remnant of times long forgotten in the East Village.

The metal plaque from the New York Community Trust that is affixed to No. 20’s facade notes that the address has landmark status for its late-Federal style architecture. But the ornament is not large or flashy enough to draw much attention – it is as if the building wants to be left alone. The plain signs of the businesses on its first two floors are a muted counterpoint to the sensory overload that the rest of the block exudes. The building’s iron railing is decrepit, its brick facade unremarkable, and yet, the limestone molding on the door hints at a meaningful history.
Read more…

Clint McMahon

Good morning, East Village.

We begin the week with some sad news. The East Village suffered a loss this weekend when Ricardo León Peña Villa, the Colombian-born poet known as El Poe, died Friday at Beth Israel Hospital after being in the intensive care unit for the last few weeks. According to EV Grieve, there’s a small memorial set up for El Poe, honoring his memory, outside the Umbrella House on Avenue C where he had not only lived but also helped manage the building with other tenants.

In other neighborhood news, Tompkins Square Park will welcome a new permanent fixture this weekend – a ping-pong table. DNAInfo reports that the table will arrive on March 19, and be placed between the park’s flagpole and center lawn. And if you’re worried about a little rain and wind getting in the way of your table tennis match, the table will reportedly be made of polished concrete and will include a steel net, so players can compete no matter the conditions.

Amid the continuing debate about preserving historical buildings in the neighborhood such as 35 Cooper Square, The Local today will begin a new occasional feature that describes the histories of neighborhood buildings, both well-known and anonymous.

As for the weather, expect a partly cloudy day with a high of 48 degrees.

Tim Schreier on finding his visual muse in New York City.

“New York City has to be one of the greatest ‘canvases’ to practice photography; the neighborhoods, art, architecture, events and, of course, the people make this city and its neighborhoods a dream come true for a photographer. The ‘East Village’ and Lower East Side are truly unique places. The diversity of cultures in such a close proximity is my favorite element to this part of the city.”
Read more…

Suzanne Rozdeba A January photograph of 35 Cooper Square.

Few posts that have been published on The Local have generated as much strong reader response as NYU Journalism’s Greg Howard’s opinion piece questioning the value of preserving the historic site at 35 Cooper Square.

Readers offered a range of opinions that touched on questions of the neighborhood’s authenticity, who is qualified to comment on community issues, and the frequent tensions that occur between the university and the community.

Commenters wondered if Mr. Howard’s age – he’s 22 – and relative short time in the neighborhood – he has been here all of eight months – diminished the credibility of his perspective. “You should have stopped at the part about being young, ignorant, and new to town,” Bryan wrote. “Just because NYU students don’t notice the unique elements of their surroundings doesn’t mean others are being insincere in their outrage.”

“East villager” wrote: “I hope for both society’s and your own sake as an individual that you will one day mature into the type of man who will be ashamed to have written and published such a thing as a callous and arrogant youth.”

Another reader, “your worst nightmare intellectually speaking,” offered an even more unvarnished appraisal:

“You disgust us. Get it?? You epitomize so much that is wrong with the fabric of NYC. You are another bloggong spokesman for a generation of unoriginal posers in every way. You make me want to vomit you arrogant out of town, know nothing, know it all- kid.”

Other readers argued for the importance of preserving historical sites. Someone “who actually likes New York” wrote:

“The city should protect its history, and 35 Cooper Street is a much more compelling example of it than the modernist towers the city has in droves. Quality of life, attractiveness of the city to workers and tourists, and diversity of retail all depend on small, historic buildings like this existing. It would be one thing if today’s architecture were half-decent. But, Thom Mayne blockbuster buildings aside, it’s primarily cheap and hideous.”

Lisa noted that:

“…when something like the African burial ground is re-discovered, for instance, that “newfound” history adds something back to the richness and diversity and curious experiment that is New York. The City immediately becomes a more interesting place. Wouldn’t it be nice to keep some of that intact, not only for ourselves, but for the New Yorkers of the future?”

“Snapped” added:

“Nothing worth having comes easy. And that goes the same twice over for boutique hotels and shreiking girls throwing up outside my building. Just because they can be here doesn’t mean it’s ok, or they should.”

“Calm down everyone” offered a defense of Mr. Howard:

“Is the juxtaposition that happens here now not fascinating? And my main question is, do the old time East Villagers really believe all the younger people who’ve moved here are bad? HELLO, culture moves in waves, there’s a new one happening… that’s not stopping, that shouldn’t be stopped. Embrace it, I think I’m finding out new things about myself daily. Keep writing Greg.”

Join the conversation: Do the ever-replenishing supply of newcomers and transient residents in the East Village have a right to speak on neighborhood issues ?