Stephen Rex Brown The 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.
Stephen Rex Brown Jim Power works on a new mosaic for the soon-to-open Tompkins Square Bagels.The Local spent some quality time with Jim Power yesterday, and the Mosaic Man let us in on a few of his upcoming projects. Mr. Power is in the process of designing mosaics for Porchetta, the new Tompkins Square Bagels coming to Avenue A, and the soon-to-reopen Exit 9.
The neighborhood’s beloved public artist was as humble as ever.
“I’m doing the city a favor with all this stuff,” Mr. Power said while taking a break from work in his basement studio. “I’m making this neighborhood one of the biggest landmarks in the world.”
That might sound arrogant, if it wasn’t for the fact that many people agree with him — including his customers. Read more…
Mary Ellen MatthewsShe may be known for the lovably oddball characters she’s brought to life on “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock”, but in the East Village, actress Rachel Dratch has another mark of distinction. She’s a local.
As new mom to an infant, Ms. Dratch has been more of a homebody than usual of late, especially now that she is penning a collection of autobiographical (and, we trust, laugh-out-loud funny) stories on life after “S.N.L.”. Still, we found her to be an enthusiastic consumer of the local hangs, and with nine years as a resident of the East Village, she’s sampled more than a few of the best. Lucky for us, she was not at all timid about sharing her favorite spots.
Best Breakfast
“I like the pierogis at Veselka, and I like that it’s open 24 hours. Now that I have a baby, I don’t usually take advantage of the 24-hour thing like I used to, but I just like living in New York and knowing everything is open 24 hours.”
Read more…
