2010 December | The Lo-Down : News from the Lower East Side

A new operator wants to serve alcohol at the home of the old White Slab Palace, which was shuttered by authorities last year.

Liquor License Applications: A Preview of February’s List

Back to School: Bureaucrats Fix Spelling Error!

Scenes From Chinese New Year Celebrations

Digging Out

Photo by: The Lo-Down.

Yesterday afternoon, those guys in the orange vests descended on the bus stop at Grand and Pitt Streets. In a matter of moments, those piles of snow were cleared from the sidewalk!

Silver on Snow Clearing, Bike Lane Bias, Kenny Scharf Touch-up

Sheldon Silver says he does not believe reports that some Sanitation workers deliberately ignored certain snow routes to make a point (Capital Tonight).

Bike-hating tabloid sees conspiracy to plow bike lanes before city streets (Post).

Silver opposes a stock transfer tax to bail the state out of its budget crisis (WSJ).

Kenny Scharf’s mural has been fixed (EV Grieve).

Feast your eyes on the second to last sunset of 2010. Today’s forecast looks good — 41 degrees and partly cloudy. It’ll be mostly cloudy with a high in the low 40′s tomorrow – New Year’s Day. No matter how you plan to ring in the new year, we hope you have a safe and satisfying celebration. Happy New Year from The Lo-Down!

WD-50 Evacuated Tonight

Looks like there was some excitement on Clinton Street this evening. A short time ago, WD-50 pastry chef Aex Stupak tweeted:

State Liquor Authority: No New Year’s Eve Party at Le Souk

In the past few days, EV Grieve and Eater have been keeping tabs on Le Souk, the infamous Avenue B bar threatening to throw a big New Year’s Eve party. We just got off the phone with Mike Jones, deputy CEO of the State Liquor Authority. He tells us Le Souk’s planned soiree at its previously shuttered East Village location, 47 Avenue B, is not happening. Grieve noticed the invitation (see image) for the big shindig, which predictably sent EV’ers into orbit. Residents fought a long battle that ended when Le Souk lost its liquor license last year. Jones said the one-night permit had initially been approved because the address on the application was incorrect. He confirmed that permit has now been rescinded and there is no active liquor license at 47 Avenue B. The 9th Precinct has been advised of the situation, he said. Le Souk’s other location, 510 LaGuardia Place, is being allowed to go ahead with its New Year’s Eve party.

Our Most Memorable Photos of 2010

Photo courtesy: Asian Americans for Equality.

Before 2010 slips away, we wanted to take a look back at some of the most memorable photos featured on The Lo-Down in the past year. We begin with the startling images captured of 285 Grand Street shortly after it was ravaged by fire in April (the building and its neighbor, 283 Grand) were later demolished). Continue reading Our Most Memorable Photos of 2010

New Year’s Eve Music Picks

Here are musician Ken Beasley’s top music picks for a New Year’s Eve on the Lower East Side.

Patti Smith

PATTI SMITH AND HER BAND – 8PM at Bowery Ballroom

If you’re planning to ring in the new year on the Lower East Side, what better way to do it than with a downtown legend. Poet, award winning author, and American punk pioneer, Patti Smith, welcomes 2011 at the Bowery Ballroom. On the 31^st, the artist that gave us such essential albums as “Horses” and “Easter,” will deliver an experience that will undoubtedly bring on feelings of delivering a death-blow to one year and celebrating the noisy, messy birth of another. $55 // 6 Delancey Street.

Continue reading New Year’s Eve Music Picks

Paul Taylor Dance Celebrates New Home With Open House

Paul Taylor Dance Company in Promethean Fire - Photo by Lois Greenfield

The Paul Taylor Dance Company is ready to show off their new home in the former Lippman Auditorium at 551 Grand Street. They have invited the Lower East Side community to celebrate with them in the new studios next Sunday, Jan. 9th, from noon – 4pm. There will be free performances by the Paul Taylor Dance Company and Taylor 2 during the “Holiday Open House.” Refreshments will be served and guests will have a chance to win merchandise and tickets to the 2011 Season at City Center.

Snow Job, Fire on Chrystie Street, SPURA Speculation

“Inaction and delay” marked New York City storm prep (NYT).

A small fire breaks out on Chrystie Street (DNA Info).

An inactive grenade is found in a Norfolk Street apartment (DNA Info).

Checking in with Grand Street residents on the future of SPURA (Villager).

Good Morning!

39 degrees and sunny today and, not much in the way of wind! Hope you enjoy the second to the last day of 2010!

CB3′s SLA Agenda: New Restaurant at East Broadway & Clinton

A bodega once occupied the corner commercial space at 221 East Broadway.

Community Board 3 is out with its January agenda. Looking over the January 10th SLA Committee docket, we see a few interesting items. First off, a restaurant seems to be in the works on the corner of East Broadway and Clinton streets. The info on CB3′s agenda is sketchy. A place called “Pigeon Cafe” wants a full bar in this location, which until a few months ago, was a bodega. The former Mayflower Hotel building has been undergoing a major face lift. The coffee shop, Dora, opened in the adjacent ground floor space last month. Continue reading CB3′s SLA Agenda: New Restaurant at East Broadway & Clinton

Clinton Street Killer Loses Appeal, Guy on Tracks Stops J Train, Chin’s First Year

Rudy Fleming, convicted of the 2005 murder of actress Nicole Dufresne on Clinton Street, loses an appeal (Daily News).

Police say they have security video showing a suspect swiping a cash register from an Avenue B restaurant (Post).

The J train, headed into Manhattan from Williamsburg, was shut down after a guy wandered on to the tracks (Daily News).

Assessing Margaret Chin’s first year in office (DNA Info).

New clues about the restaurant coming to 146 Orchard (Bowery Boogie).

Good Morning!

Photo by Jennifer Strom.

Partly cloudy skies today with a high of 35 and windy once again. Gusts blowing up to 20mph. Continue reading Good Morning!

Our Most Viewed Stories of 2010

April 2010 - Huge crowds flock to the debut of the Hester Street Fair.

We still can’t believe the year is almost over, but it must be true: there are 2010 retrospectives wherever you look! We couldn’t resist getting in on the act. Here are The Lo-Down’s most viewed stories of the past 12 months:

1. More than 10,000 people visit the Hester Street Fair on its opening weekend.

2. A pedestrian is killed in a fatal accident on Delancey Street.

3. Dramatic photos show the devastation caused by Grand Street fire.

4. East Broadway bodega moves – coffee shop planned at 221 East Broadway.

5. Community activist Harry Wieder killed in traffic accident.

6. Community Board 3 debates Max Fish’s predicament.

7. Aces & Eights’ new owner pleads his case.

8. TLD Interview: author Gary Shteyngart.

9. High-end rental building planned for East Houston (and Avenue D).

10. Grand Street to be under construction for five years.

Continue reading Our Most Viewed Stories of 2010