Adrian FussellGood morning, East Village.
Sunday’s news of Osama Bin Laden’s death left many in our community reflecting on the significance of the event; from East Village firehouses to local Muslim shops–even Twitterers shared their thoughts.
While some took to the streets to celebrate, one local community contributor worried that the jubilation could lead to more divisiveness:
“I am not Muslim but my first reaction to viewing the celebrations in Times Square, WTC and the White House was concern. I was kind of appalled at the reaction of the people. It looked to me like a sporting event celebration. I worried that the loss of life in NY, DC and PA as well as the two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq would be overshadowed. I was and remain equally concerned for the Muslim communities throughout our world. I can only hope and pray that this does not lead to more unjust treatment of Muslims and Islamic people who are very important to the very fabric of what New York is. Peace.”-Tim Schreier
As the celebrations subside, how do we move forward without forgetting what has past? We welcome your thoughts.
As for the weather, expect a mix of clouds and sun with highs in the mid 70s.
Adrian FussellGood morning, East Village
It started at 8:46 a.m. Then again at 9:02 a.m. Two buildings stood burning — one for 56 minutes, the other 102 minutes.
Each building took 12 seconds to fall.
Since that day the world has remembered the nearly 3,000 people, who were lost on September, 11, 2001 and the families that were forever altered.
In the East Village, the tragedy brought a spirit of community to areas like 14th Street and Avenue A, where people gathered under Chico Garcia’s mural and agreed to “remember that time we all grieved together.”
After time, though, the murals were covered and the people wondered if the man responsible for creating that scar in their lives would ever be caught.
Now, 3,518 days later, an answer, a moment of justice and, perhaps, a measure of peace.
Vivienne GucwaGood morning, East Village.
It’s Friday, springtime, and the East Village art scene is in bloom.
Tonight Incubator Arts Project will debut Opal, a performance project that blends voice and instruments to create archetypes of the modern, dysfunctional family. The show, created by The Nerve Tank, uses a combination of modulated voice and physical movement, attempting to make each character a distinct physical instrument. Performances will be held in Saint Mark’s Church and will run through May 7.
According to DNAinfo, a section of East Fourth Street will be renamed after an iconic member of the East Village theatre community. Last Wednesday, Community Board 3 voted to rename the length between the Bowery and Second Avenue after Ellen Stewart, the late grand dame who founded LaMaMa Experimental Theatre there in 1967.
And finally, whether you’re adventurous, a die-hard foodie, or just poorly weaned, an avant garde cheese shop on 97 Avenue C has your fix. From now until May 1, the Michael Mut Gallery will feature the artist Miriam Simun’s exhibit, “Human Cheese Shop” which is meant to highlight the critical stress current food systems are under and promote the discovery of alternatives. To convince you, the gallery has three varieties of cheese made from human breast milk, on hand for sampling.
The weekend weather forecast is sunny with a high of 68 throughout.
Phillip Kalantzis Cope Good morning, East Village.
As if dodging traffic and occasionally getting stiffed weren’t enough of a hazard, now East Village delivery workers have to also worry about getting mugged. According to NY1, police are hunting for three men suspected of robbing delivery workers in the East Village in two separate incidents. Both robberies took place on the 13th floor of 108 Avenue D and in each case the workers were caught off guard by the man who approached them, then were struck and wrestled to the ground.
Community Board 3’s May agenda is now available. The board will hear pleas from no fewer than 29 establishments seeking liquor licenses —more than a few located on Avenue B.
The board will also hear a proposal for landmark protections of two East Village study areas. According to NearSay, the Landmarks Preservation Commission recently revealed that areas on Tompkins Square North and Second Avenue have already passed preliminary considerations and have been scheduled for a public hearing before Community Board 3’s Landmark Subcommittee on May 12.
Also, be sure to check City Room, any moment now those eggs are going to hatch!
Adrian FussellGood morning, East Village.
Hope your Easter weekend was grand. In honor of the holiday, The Local posted a video of Sofika Zieylk, demonstrating the traditional Ukrainian art of “Pysanky” (egg painting) in her Seventh Street apartment. You can find the video, which was produced by NYU Journalism’s Rachel Ohm, by visiting the right column of the blog’s homepage or by clicking this link.
What does an Easter Sunday look like at Mars Bar? Well pretty much like any other day, but see if you can spot the one Easter-related item in the pics. The hunt’s on, at Nadie Se Conoce.
Last week, The Times reported on the budding crop of Evangelicals taking root in the East Village. Trinity Grace Church opened its fifth New York branch at 59 Cooper Square, in the First Ukrainian Assembly of God, earlier this month. The new addition points to the rising expansion of evangelical churches across Manhattan, but also to a change in strategy. In the article, Pastor Guy Wasko emphasized the importance of finding acceptance in the East Village through acknowledging former pain caused by Christian leaders during the AIDS epidemic, and by opening his doors to a congregation that he hopes will be “multigenerational and multiethnic.”
And finally, a new detail has emerged about the red-tailed couple nesting on the 12th floor ledge of Bobst Library. Evidently, the pair enjoys waking up to the morning paper. The Time’s City Room Blog reported that Bobby, the male hawk, was spotted early Friday morning carrying a crumpled page of newspaper back to Violet in the nest. Potential subscribers? Doesn’t look like it, the paper the hawk scooped is suspected to have been amNew York.
Michelle Rick Good morning, East Village.
It’s Good Friday. CBS New York has word of an Easter egg walking tour – walking tour meaning ‘hunt’ but less frenzied and with a knowledgeable guide rather than cryptic clues. The jaunt will include chocolate pizza at Max Brenner and a stop in at Black Hound.
It’s also Earth Day. In the spirit of things, EV Grieve published the announcement that the St. Mark’s Church Greenmarket at East 10th Street and Second Avenue will return for the summer May 3.
NYU Local has an interview with a dope dealer at the school. According to the post business is good, despite the highly publicized bust of a Columbia University drug ring and its East Village supplier late last year.
Blockshopper reports that political consultant John Del Cecato has bought a condo in the neighborhood. Mr. Del Cecato, an associate of former presidential advisor David Axelrod, was obviously not put off by Chico’s Barack Obama mural becoming instead a plain blue wall covered in tags. Perhaps most interestingly, the Blockshopper post adds that 71 East Village condos have been sold in the last 12 months at an average price of $750,000.
Among a flurry of preservation news, DNAinfo reports that the Landmarks Preservation Commission is considering a new historic district in the neighborhood. It could include up to 300 buildings in an area bounded by East Second Street, Bowery, East 10th Street and Second Avenue. The commission will hold a meeting for property owners on April 26.
As for the weekend’s weather forecast: Today a high of 55 degrees with some clouds, Saturday 62 degrees and wet with more of the same on Sunday. Not the nicest, but try to enjoy yourselves.
This post has been changed to correct an error; an earlier version misidentified the greenmarket that is opening next month.
Mario Ramirez Good morning, East Village.
Neighborhoodr spotted a Seventh Street and Second Avenue subway stop in the new Atlas Shrugged movie. The adaptation of Ayn Rand’s famous novel is set in 2016, by which time the Second Avenue subway should be completed, but in real life it will stop at 14th Street and Houston, bypassing the East Village entirely.
Until then, the most rapid form of transport might be the bicycle. But watch out, one EV Grieve reader sent the blog a copy of a $270 ticket he was given for running a red light on his bike.
Grieve also brings word that an apartment has been rented out in 120 St. Marks Place. The address is the former site of the Cave artist’s commune and was home to the Mosaic Man. A developer eventually removed the squatting artists in 2006.
DNAinfo has mapped out bedbug complaints for the first three months of the year. The Community Board 3 area, which includes the East Village and the Lower East Side, got off relatively lightly with only 4 violations and 27 complaints. Compare that with Community Board 9 on the far Upper West Side, which had 30 violations. Bowery Boogie notes that Discovery Channel show Human Planet will take a look at Lower East Side rats this weekend. According to the show, rat-related complaints are up 9 percent so far this year.
There’s more from The Lo Down on the 7th Precinct’s crackdown on troublesome Lower East Side revelers. But 102-year-old Lillian Sarno probably isn’t among their number, though. According to the Post, Ms. Sarno was at Back Room last weekend for a birthday tipple. The faux-speakeasy stands on the site of a real speakeasy she visited 78 years ago to celebrate passing the New York bar exam.
The weather? A high of 57 degrees and mostly sunny, so a fine day indeed.
Phillip Kalantzis Cope Good morning, East Village.
We begin the day with talk of bicycles. A community meeting was held Thursday night at St. Mark’s Church In the Bowery to discuss bike lanes. And in other two-wheeled news, DNAinfo reports only 0.6 percent of New Yorkers ride bikes to work, according to census figures. The post notes that Department of Transportation figures show that cyclists in New York City increased by 66 percent between 2007 and 2009.
Second Avenue Saga checks in this morning with an update on the construction of the Second Avenue Subway. Work has been underway for four years on the line, which runs from 125th Street to the Financial District, but the MTA is currently facing a budget shortfall of $10 billion, which could potentially affect its completion.
Help find Harry! EV Grieve reports that a Chihuahua by the name of Harry is missing in the East Village and needs his medication. There’s a $2,500 reward if found.
Today’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 53 degrees. Happy Friday, East Village!
Vivienne Gucwa Good morning, East Village.
We begin the day with a bit of good news that you might not have seen Wednesday: Alexander Vorlicky, a 14-year-old who had gone missing from his East 10th Street apartment Sunday, was found unharmed. News that Alexander, who attends the Friends Seminary on East 16th Street, was found and safe, was announced via Twitter by a friend of the Vorlicky family.
More news on 35 Cooper Square: EV Grieve reports that a notice of Violation and Hearing was taped onto the building, citing the exposed roof and noting that a hearing is scheduled for June 1.
Dry Dock Park at 10th Street and Avenue D has long been the object of complaints, with those who live nearby noting how the park — with its cracked pavement, peeling paint, and broken basketball hoops — has fallen into disrepair, according to DNAinfo. The local tenant advocacy group Good Old Lower East Side has been working to raise money to improve the state of the park, and the Parks Department plans to unveil a reconstruction proposal this week. City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and local residents have worked toward securing $1.2 million toward the project.
German boutique Personal Affairs on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Avenue A is going out of business. The shop’s owner announced that the store could close as early as Sunday. Guerilla Shopper says the store will be holding a sale before it shutters for good.
As for the weather, today’s forecast promises sunshine and a high of 65 degrees.
C. Ceres MerryGood morning, East Village.
The meeting to discuss the fate of 35 Cooper Square was held yesterday at the National Preservation Center, and DNAinfo reports preservation activists are optimistic about keeping the landmark building intact.
Despite the onset of spring, police are already taking precautions for potential complications caused by weather next winter. Gothamist reports the NYPD is training a dozen officers to use tow trucks in case drivers are snowed in during future snow storms, after Bloomberg admitted the city’s response to this year’s blizzard was unacceptable. As part of the plan, police will be able to get into locked cars, prepare vehicles for towing, and operate trucks, according to the Associated Press.
While a dozen police are being trained for potential snow storms, however, budget cuts are driving Bloomberg to delay the hiring of hundreds of New York City Police Department recruits for several months. NY1 reports the class of 540 recruits scheduled to begin training in April will now begin training in July. Concern has been expressed that with the lowering of police recruits, crime rates will rise.
In more safety news, the Village Voice reports police are searching for missing teen Alexander Vorlicky, 14. Mr. Vorlicky was last seen in his East 10th Street apartment last Sunday wearing black jeans, white sneakers, and a black jacket, and is roughly 115 pounds, and 5 feet, 5 inches tall. Tipsters may contact Tipsters can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) with information.
As for the weather, 55 degrees with a chance of showers. Stay dry, EV.
Tim SchreierGood morning, East Village.
We begin this morning with the grim news coming from just south of our neighborhood that a woman was stabbed to death inside her apartment during the weekend. Sarah Coit, 23, was found dead in her Lower East Side apartment after a series of screams were heard coming from her home on 63 Clinton Street around 2 a.m. Sunday morning. The authorities say Ms. Coit’s boyfriend Raul Barrera, 33, stabbed Ms. Coit during a domestic dispute. The police said that Mr. Barrera turned himself into the Ninth Precinct station house less an hour later.
In other neighborhood news, McSorley’s Old Ale House on Seventh Street between Second and Third Avenues, recently made headlines about overlooking sanitation responsibilities despite being granted an A by the New York City Health Department. The Times reports that a city health inspector urged owner Matthew Maher, 70, to remove or at least dust a series of wishbones that hung from an old gas lamp. The wishbones were left by soldiers at the drinking establishment, which celebrated its 157th anniversary last February, on their way to war. Mr. Maher cleaned the wishbones just in time, with the opening of a new East Village Irish bar in the works.
Wondering what the line of people on 12th Street have been waiting for? Village East Cinema on 12th Street and Second Avenue is hosting a screening of Doctor Who, followed by a Q & A, Nearsay reports.
As for the weather, today’s forecast reveals fog and wind, but a high of 72 degrees, enjoy a hint of spring, East Village!
Vivienne GucwaGood morning, East Village.
We begin the day with the news that has taken the city by storm: Cathie Black, chancellor of education, has stepped down at the mayor’s request and will be resigning effective immediately. The news comes after Ms. Black’s brief and tumultuous tenure and a 17 percent approval rating, according to a recent NY1-Marist poll.
In neighborhood news, EV Grieve reports that another corner market, the Fuji Apple Market, on 12th Street and First Avenue is going out of business, continuing a trend that has seen a wave of small markets and bodegas close across the city.
An East Village artist has come under scrutiny from the MTA for creating a series of oil paintings on discarded subway cards. Maybe partnering with the artist could help the MTA with its financial woes? Sounds better than raising subway fares.
The performance space known as Under St. Mark’s was featured on NY1. The building, which has been owned by a theater development group since 1999, is for sale and some fans of the venue are concerned that the new owner might close the theater. Watch the NY1 video here.
As for the weekend weather, the forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and highs in the upper 50’s.
Phillip Kalantzis CopeGood morning, East Village.
We begin today with a pair of in-case-you-missed-it items.
Two red-tailed hawks have taken to a nest on a ledge of NYU’s Bobst Library, just outside the 12th floor office of University president John Sexton. The Times has set up a live stream video where you can watch Violet, the mother named for the school’s official color and mascot, care for her eggs. Occasionally Bobby, the father named for Bobst library, stops by to check in. We put up a short post about the camera Wednesday afternoon.
We also learned Wednesday that the police are on the hunt for a suspect in a series of seven subway robberies, the latest of which occurred last week outside the Broadway-Lafayette subway station in the East Village.
In other neighborhood news, a new antique shop has opened on Second Street at Avenue A, Kabinett & Kramer. The one-room shop is the Manhattan outpost of an upstate store that has attracted celebrities such as Amy Sedaris and Anderson Cooper, the latter having liked the store so much he hired its owner to decorate his apartment across town.
Even as the number of applications for liquor licenses in the East Village continues to grow, a group of residents on East Fifth Street upset about noise are planning to fight proposals for a new pub on the block.
Bruce MonroeGood morning, East Village.
Today DNAinfo reports that the East Village Community School is seeking to expand as a solution to overcrowding that administrators expect to worsen as the school, located on East 12th Street, between Avenues B and C, prepares to undergo renovations. The plans for renovation should be finalized by June while the school works with the Community Education Council of District 1 to explore the possibility of leasing community space for EVCS.
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation links a dramatic population increase in the East Village, shown by changes in census records for 2010, to the construction of three “enormous dorms” — Palladium Hall and University Hall on East 14th Street and Founder’s Hall on East 12th.
In the Manhattan Supreme Court a trial continues for the alleged rape of an East Village woman by two N.Y.P.D. officers outside her apartment in 2008. Friends of the woman testified Tuesday, saying she was highly intoxicated and had to be taken home in a cab. The cab driver also testified, saying he had to call the police to escort the alleged victim to her apartment, as Taxi and Limousine Commission rules prohibit drivers from assisting passengers on their own.
And finally, on a lighter, foodie note, the East Village is destined for a new donut shop featuring pastries made from mashed potatoes, as well as a new breakfast-all-day joint, B.A.D. Burgers, which will open a second location on Avenue A looking to match the success of their Williamsburg joint.
Tim Schreier Good morning, East Village.
We hope you enjoyed the sunshine over the weekend as today’s forecast calls mostly for rain, although temperatures will be warming up to the 60’s.
NearSay has compiled a list of the best springtime bars in the East Village and Lower East Side and also reports on the closing of the East Village’s beloved Southern food mainstay, Mara’s Homemade.
The list however, might be useful, as The Post reported during the weekend that the East Village contains the city’s most alcohol-soaked zip code, topping the list of most liquor licenses with 474 and making it the “cocktail capital” of New York.
Two quick nostalgia notes: NearSay recalls the history of La Salle Academy on Second Avenue. Later this week a new documentary, “Blank City”, depicting life in the East Village in the 70’s and 80’s will debut at the IFC Film Center.
Finally, Land Use and Zoning Committee of Community Board 3 will meet tonight. On the agenda are affordable housing plans and NYU’s 2031 expansion plans.
C. Ceres MerryGood morning, East Village.
It seems the rain is going to stop, the clouds are going to vanish, the sun will come out…well, not today. But this weekend is slated for decent weather, and Sunday might be rather pleasant.
In a few weeks, your Bowery will host a street fair-slash-art workshop, as the New Museum throws a four-day “Festival of Ideas for the New City.” The event, which will run May 4-8, will feature speeches and interactive art displays, as well as panels and classes given by local community groups.
In artsy news via BoweryBoogie, one neighborhood photographer has turned her shots of the Village into a quilt, with daylight pictures on one side, and night-time pics on the reverse.
And from the Captain Obvious Institute for Totally Necessary Studies, we receive word that the East Village has lots and lots of happy hours — more than any other Manhattan neighborhood, in fact. But it’s Friday, so you, dear readers, will probably need to do a little further research.
Gloria ChungGood morning, East Village.
And welcome to the final week of what might be the maddest of Marches.
Your bracket is shot to shreds, your governor and Legislature agreed on a budget early, your parks are becoming recreation battle-zones.
And in a turn of events for 35 Cooper Square, are the developers now willing to talk preservation? It’s possible, says Bowery Boogie, which brings news that City Council members might meet with the building’s owners to consider its future.
On a related note, tonight a Community Board 2 meeting will discuss the latest push by neighborhood groups to get a National Register of Historic Places designation for the Bowery. The public meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at the Church of Our Lady Pompei.
If you didn’t get a chance to check out the great community-contributed photos of Friday’s Triangle Shirtwaist Fire anniversary commemorations, never fear — the Internet is forever. Browse them (and other East Village snapshots) on The Local’s Flickr group, and don’t forget to hitch your techno wagon to our Twitter star.
Finally, speaking of March: out like a lamb? Weather soothsayers say unlikely. Cold, clear skies for now, but enjoy them while they last.
Happy Monday.
Gloria ChungGood morning, East Village.
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, which claimed the lives of 146 victims. The Times offers comprehensive coverage of events commemorating the anniversary of the disaster.
In other neighborhood news, we hope you’re thirsty because according to DNAinfo, nine East Village eateries plan to go before Community Board 3 to apply for liquor licenses. If we thought the Village was already alcohol drenched, perhaps we’ve haven’t seen anything yet.
Gothamist offers a glimpse at city history, noting that Thursday was the 111th anniversary of the construction of New York’s first subway tunnel. The day was once known as Tunnel Day. Such a celebration naturally brings to mind the Second Avenue Subway, which will finally bring the East Village into New York City’s world of underground transport.
Just-released census data indicates the city’s population has risen by 3 percent; for Lower Manhattan, the population has increased more than 97 percent.
The weekend’s weather? The forecast calls for it to be sunny and cold with highs in the 40’s.
C. Ceres MerryGood morning, East Village.
Spring is missing in action again today, but there are clear skies in sight for the weekend.
Girls Prep, the all-girls charter school long in search of a home and enmeshed in disputes over school space, will be moving into permanent digs soon enough. According to DNAinfo, the city recently approved the school’s move into the vacant East Side Community High School on 12th Street, located between First Avenue and Avenue A.
Recent confusion over Central Park signage, and outrage on the part of Borough President Scott Stringer who recognized misleading East-West confusion, has led to further questions about the identity of Fifth Avenue. Does it belong to our east side?
If you’re curious about a couple of new murals popping up in the neighborhood in recent weeks, namely the ones on Eighth Street between Avenues B and C, and on East Third Street between the Bowery and Second Avenue, EV Grieve explains the development.
With the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire just a day away, David W. Dunlap at The Times City Room blog ponders why the disaster is engrained in our memories so vividly. He looks to news coverage at the time for answers here.
If you have any striking photos of last night’s thunderous hailstorm, or results of its fury, please share them with us by submitting them to the blog’s Flickr group.
