Melvin Felix

Somebody call Michael Moore: there’s been a Factory closing on 14th Street.

The mysteriously-closed Meatball Factory is a goner and will become a seafood restaurant next month, its new owner said today. Miha Khondoker, who previously owned the West Village’s now-closed Mixx Lounge, said he’s busy deciding on a name and finalizing the new restaurant’s menu and decor.

“It’s going to be very different,” he said. Read more…

Frank Bardin A cane left on the front door of 510 East Sixth Street that belongs to the landlord, according to a resident.

On monday evening firefighters were called to 510 East Sixth Street after the elderly landlord, Martha Fedorko, fell asleep with a pot on the stove, a resident said.

“The firemen had to break into her apartment and luckily, no damage resulted,” wrote the resident, Frank Bardin, in a comment on last month’s article on Ms. Fedorko. “Earlier, late afternoon, she sat on a chair just inside the foyer to the building, lifting her lower leg, trying to block tenants from entering the building and in one case, yelling ‘police, police’ when one entered, gingerly slipping past her.”

A spokesman for the Fire Department confirmed that firefighters responded to a kitchen fire in the building between Avenues A and B at around 8:50 p.m. Following The Local’s story on the quandary the tenants of the building found themselves in, several others came forward with their own stories.
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The founder of Gathering Of The Tribes, Steve Cannon, says that negotiations are underway with his landlord, and that the lengthy dispute should be resolved by the end of the month. “It looks like she’s going to agree what we want,” said a confident Mr. Cannon. “I feel relieved. It’s going in my direction.” In April the founder of the art space won a legal victory when a Housing Court judge ruled that his dispute with his landlord, Lorraine Zhang, should be settled in State Supreme Court. Nevertheless, Ms. Zhang served Mr. Cannon with a 10-day notice to leave the building at 285 East Third Street in May. (The notice was ignored). Ms. Zhang would not comment on the latest developments in the saga, which has been brewing since March of last year.

Melvin Felix PS 122 at 150 First Avenue.

After months of delays, the overhaul of Performance Space 122 is moving forward.

A work order filed last week and pending approval by Department of Buildings paves the way for construction of two brand-new performance spaces in the venerable theater, which will cost an estimated $15.1 million. The plans call for more than 9,000 additional square feet to be added to the building at 150 First Avenue, all paid for by the city.

PS 122’s artistic director, Vallejo Gantner, said Wednesday that he was “delighted” that work will soon be underway. Since the city has already funded work on the building’s facade, replaced old energy-inefficient windows, and gotten rid of asbestos and lead paint, he estimated that the project’s full cost will be more than $20 million. He’s thankful for every penny.

“I think the city is kind of amazing that, in a time like this, they’re investing in cultural activities,” Mr. Gantner said. “The fact that it’s happening at all is such an amazing thing.”
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Architects tackling Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s challenge to design a livable 275-square-foot “micro-unit” apartment can take inspiration from James Hong. The East Village resident maximized the space in his 500-square-foot digs by using a sliding door, a custom tub and all kinds of other high-end renovations depicted in the video above. (Clearly, it helps to have some cash to spend.)

Of course, Mr. Hong isn’t the first to make the most of a small East Village apartment. Back in 2009 the firm Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture squeezed a home office into a small studio, thanks to stairs that doubled as drawers and an elevated bed built above a walk-in closet.

A screengrab of the fundraiser.

If you can’t donate $5,000 for a brand-new 3-D portrait, then can you spare a dollar for a hardcore legend behind bars?

After allegedly biting and slashing members of the Cro-Mags at Webster Hall last weekend, Harley Flanagan, a founding member of the band, needs help.

Friends of Mr. Flanagan’s are soliciting money for a legal defense fund on IndieGoGo, and hope to raise $50,000 in the name of “Harley’s Army.” So far supporters have donated $579.

“All of the details aren’t out, though certain stories are being bandied about in the court of public opinion,” the post reads. (The Local corrected typos). “All of the details aren’t going to get out, or get presented properly in a court of law if Harley doesn’t get top notch legal representation.”
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Something Sweet, the small bakery on the corner of 11th Street and First Avenue, is “closed for now,” according to a sign in the window. The bakery’s display cases were empty and its gate was down on Tuesday. Health Department records show that it was forced to close following an inspection on July 2 that found a missing food protection certificate, evidence of mice and flies, and food that was contaminated or not discarded properly. The shop has closed unexpectedly a few times before.

The street artist Phlegm had a busy day on Sunday. Not only did he add a character to the Know Hope mural on East Second Street, he also sprayed a surreal image on the gate of My Little Village Preschool on Avenue A. Videographer Matthew Kraus passed along this video of the process.

Sarah Darville A note from a militant preservationist?

Workers renovating the closed — and illegal — hostel at 27 East Seventh Street today didn’t seem too interested in a note scribbled over work permits on the building. “Yet another historic bldg demolished to make way for ugly, overpriced yuppie studios!!” the note read. Read more…

Stephen Rex Brown Ten months after it first appeared, the “private” bike rack is still in place.

The city’s administrative code doesn’t allow it, but that hasn’t stopped someone from continuing to claim that the bike rack on East Fourth Street between Avenues A and B is private.

The stolen bike.

Now, one cyclist who dared to goad the person leaving menacing messages taped to bikes on the rack paid the ultimate price — his ride was stolen.

The cyclist, Kyle, who asked to be identified by only his first name for fear of a confrontation with the person writing the nasty notes, lives in a building facing the rack. He said he’d been flouting the “owner” of the rack’s demands for months.

In fact, the bicycle featured in The Local’s first story on the rack belonged to Kyle’s girlfriend. A note left on it in October read, “This is a private rack. Remove your bike or it will be done for you!!”

“We’ve been ignoring them. I’m not going to listen to that because it’s not legal,” Kyle said. “It’s crazy that this person thinks he can do that.”

It all came to a head last week. Read more…

Noah Fecks The artist M. Henry Jones in his former studio. He is soliciting donations for a new project.

An artist who had to move to new digs because of rising rent is asking for a few bucks through Kickstarter — and offering some unique incentives.

M. Henry Jones, the longtime East Village resident who moved his studio to East 10th Street after a new tenant offered to pay nearly four times his rent on Avenue A, is soliciting donations for his new project: a series of portraits and animations covered in lens screens that make them look three-dimensional. The portraits are done using Mr. Jones’ own “Fly’s Eye 3-D technique,” a method that allows viewers to see depth in the images without the need for 3-D glasses.

So far, he has $2,000 towards his goal of $11,000 by July 29. The prizes for those who pledge money include lenticular mirrors, 3-D postcards, a signed coffee table book and — for a cool $5,000 — a “Giant Prototype SnakeMonkey Fly’s Eye 3D Lightbox.” The money will go toward buying materials to make the lens screens, frames and the panels that light up the portraits, according to the project’s description.
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Sarah Darville The vacant building at 222 East 13th Street.

A long-vacant and dilapidated building will become a safe haven for homeless gay, lesbian and transgender young people thanks to $3.3 million in grants from city officials and a crucial city approval.

The Cooper Square Committee and the Ali Forney Center plan to transform 222 East 13th Street, a three-story building owned by the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, into the Bea Arthur Residence For L.G.B.T. Youth. Last week, the organizations found out that the City Council had allocated $3 million and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer had allocated an additional $300,000 to the project — money that will allow them to move ahead with renovations.

“Homeless L.G.B.T. youth, most of whom have been cast out of their homes, have faced the worst kind of cruelty and rejection,” said Carl Siciliano, executive director of the Ali Forney Center, in a statement. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude that they are now being shown kindness by this community and its leaders.” Read more…

Daniel Maurer Zaragoza.

Zaragoza’s nearly year-long quest for a beer and wine license is entering the final stretch.

Ruben Martinez, one of the deli’s owners, confirmed that the family-owned business will soon go before the State Liquor Authority after filing missing paperwork with Community Board 3.

“It was my fault. I had other things on my mind and I didn’t sign it off,” Mr. Martinez said of the documents that agreed to a series of community board stipulations. “It was just dropped off a week later and it wasn’t on time.”

For Zaragoza, the dry spell began last July when its alcohol license expired. The family failed to renew it and, a month later, they were charged for selling beer with an expired license. (It didn’t help that they sold the alcohol to a minor, either).
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Udom Surangsophon Here’s the mural, “Stampeded,” which was painted by Know Hope in March at Ideal Glass on East Second Street.

Click to see what the artist Phlegm added to the piece yesterday.

Pat Merino Another day of drinking at McSorley’s.

One of the neighborhood’s most famous landmarks has joined the chorus for an historic district in the neighborhood.

In the past, the owner of McSorley’s Old Ale House was wary of any regulation of renovations to their building at 15 East Seventh Street. But now they would rather be included in the 330 buildings that comprise the proposed East Village-Lower East Side Historic District.

“We’ve surrendered to it, it’s time,” said Bill Wander, an unofficial historian of the bar who is close to its owner. “Now that the rest of the neighborhood is going to be protected, let’s not be left out.”

McSorley’s embraces its history as much as any business in the East Village. In February, for example, the McSorley’s Militia celebrated its 158th anniversary with a five-gun salute in Revolutionary War garb. Still, bar owner Matthew Maher had been skeptical of the designation for the typical reasons — the approval process involved in replacing things like windows and air conditioning units.
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Melvin Felix Big Ang on the Bowery today.

Who is that buxom bombshell strutting into Patricia Field’s new store on the Bowery?

It’s Angela Raiola, AKA Big Ang of “Mob Wives,” who we just spotted shooting a scene for her new reality show, which premiered yesterday.

The larger-than-life Ms. Raiola was doing some shopping in preparation for a shoot tomorrow, while a handful of fans looked on.

“I’m doing a drag show at my bar, The Drunken Monkey on Staten Island,” she said. “I’m going to be dressed up as a drag queen.”

If participating in reality TV is your idea of a good time, the drag show is Tuesday night at Big Ang’s bar, and it’s free.

Stephen Rex Brown Work permits in the window of the new wing of Porsena.

Sara Jenkins’ restaurant on East Seventh Street is in for an upgrade “alla sinistra.”

The new wing in a storefront to the left of the dining room and bar will be dubbed Porsena Sinistra (which means, appropriately, “left” in Italian) and feature a lunch counter during the day and a wine bar at night. The space was previously occupied by Fragrance Shop New York, which reopened on East Fourth Street.

Ms. Jenkins said the lunch menu would include sandwiches, soups and salads. The bar will have a selection of Mediterranean wines, not just strictly Italian fare. She expected it would open around the end of August. (Check back later for some of the plates Ms. Jenkins has in mind for lunch). Update | 4:16 p.m. (Ms. Jenkins changed her mind and decided the menu items weren’t ready for public consumption.)
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Roey Ahram

Former Cro-Mags bassist Harley Flanagan was arrested after reportedly stabbing and biting current members of the band before their show at Webster Hall last night, law enforcement sources told The Post.

Bowery Boogie witnessed the incident and reported that “Harley Flannegan [sic], founding member of the Cro-Mags stumbled into the VIP lounge with a knife.” According to the site, security quickly mobilized and “it took no less than six beefy dudes to control the madness. Blood was everywhere, and bone protruded from his shin.” The site followed up its initial report with photos from the scene.

Sources told WABC that “a former member of the band” was taken into custody after “one of the victims had been slashed, and the other had been bitten. Sources say that the two injured men were members of the band that was performing on Friday night. Both victims are expected to be okay.”

Mr. Flanagan is a longtime East Villager who at one point lived in Allen Ginsberg’s building at 437 East 12th Street (the poet was a family friend and introduced a book that Mr. Flanagan wrote at the age of nine). He co-founded the Cro-Mags but is at odds with the current iteration of the band. He discussed his semi-professional dedication to mixed martial arts and his issues with former bandmates in Fight! magazine in 2009. “There were years during our beef where we said a lot of shit and I offered to fight it out and put it on video,” he said. In March of this year, he once again called out John “Bloodclot” Joseph McGowan, current Cro-Mags frontman and East Village tour guide.

“The dude is a fraud. He was back in the day and he still is,” Mr. Flanagan told Vista Fanzine, going on to say, “All I know is this, from here to eternity I will always be willing to EITHER one, gig together with all of those guys just strictly out of the love for the music & the Cro-Mags or if John EVER actually has the balls to back up all the shit he talks, to step up and I’ll beat his ass. Again…That is if he EVER has the balls to actually step up to the 100’s of times I’ve called him out, emailed him, called him, etc.”

It’s unknown whether Mr. McGowan was involved in the incident, and according to The Times, law enforcement officials have not yet identified the attacker in last night’s incident. The victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital and were in stable condition. “One was treated for a bite mark and a cut to the face and the other had cuts to his arm and stomach,” police sources told The Daily News.

Update | 9:03 a.m. The Post has now printed the names of the victims and reports that Mr. Flanagan was hit with two counts of second-degree assault and weapons charges. “William Berario, 45, was slashed above the eye and bitten on his cheek. Michael Couls, 33, — the band’s current bassist, who is known in the hardcore world as ‘The Gook’ — was cut on his arm and stomach.”

Just a handful of blocks from where “Safety Not Guaranteed” is playing at AMC Loews Village 7 are the offices of Big Beach, the company that produced the endearing indie comedy about a wannabe time-traveler, played by Mark Duplass, and his adoring sidekick, played by Aubrey Plaza of “Parks and Recreation.” Since Big Beach was founded in 2004 by Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf, it has produced “Sunshine Cleaning,” starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt, as well as the Sam Mendes film “Away We Go,” written by Dave Eggers and his wife Vendela Vida and starring Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski. Both followed the runaway success, in 2006, of “Little Miss Sunshine.”

The Local recently spoke to Mr. Saraf, who got his start working with director Jonathan Demme on Broadway and Bond Street, under the skylight of his office on Great Jones Street. As clouds shifted above, he spoke about his past, present, and upcoming projects and, of course, his chosen neighborhood. “It’s gone through a lot of changes over the eight years we’ve been here and over the 25 years I’ve lived in New York,” the producer said of the East Village, “but it remains still a very vibrant and exciting place where there’s a real history of great experimentation and great artistry going on. And yet it’s not all in the past. That present energy is still here.”