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When Alan Natkiel finally caved to pressure from his enthusiastic friends and decided to solve his unemployment problem by opening Georgia’s Eastside BBQ in 2007, he had a few very firm predictions about his potential for success.
One, that all the new buildings sprouting out of the ground near his northern Orchard Street location would create a built-in customer base—construction workers at first, and later, upscale office workers and new Lower East Side residents.
Two, that he could turn a profit without becoming a destination dining spot as long as he won over enough local diners. Continue reading Georgia’s Eastside BBQ Slow Cooks Local Success
 
 This evening, CB3′s full board is scheduled to vote on a sweeping new policy meant to streamline and standardize its tortuous liquor license review process. On Friday, we wrote about a contentious committee meeting held last week to resolve several key sticking points embedded in the proposal.
At the insistence of board member and bar owner David McWater, the panel agreed to formalize an unofficial CB3 policy of “rubber-stamping” licenses being transferred from one operator to another (it’s a bit more complicated than that – you can read last week’s story for details). Continue reading CB3 Appears Poised to Challenge NYPD’s Bar Crackdown
This month’s edition of the fascinating LES Heritage Film Series at the Seward Park Library will focus on three films about the Bowery (including the famous time capsule, On the Bowery, that screened at Film Forum a few months ago). On the first Tuesday of each month (this is the 6th installment) curator Sean Ferguson screens documentary and feature films that were shot on location in lower Manhattan on both 16mm and DVD formats.
Continue reading LES Heritage Film Series Focus: Men on The Bowery
 The Living Theatre is honoring the spirit of the Egyptian Revolution by live-streaming their final performances of KORACH – a play about “the first recorded anarchist in history.” The piece was written and directed by living legend Judith Malina, a pioneer in experimental and political theater
KORACH follows the history of anarchists who have been wiped out because they frightened the government. Inspired by the Books of Moses, the Jewish Mishnas, and also the Psalms, KORACH begins with the Israelites’ trek through the desert and eventual uprising against Moses, lead by Korach and his tribe. Continue reading Living Theatre Offers Free Live Stream of Final Performances of KORACH
We stopped by a special event this past Friday at University Neighborhood High School on Gouverneur Street. Students and teachers gathered for a little “role playing,” as part of an anti-bullying campaign, “Respect For All Week.” City Councilmembers Margaret Chin and Rosie Mendez (seated, left) were on hand for the program. By the way, we’ve been taking a look at another anti-bullying initiative the Henry Street Settlement is piloting. We’ll have a story about that next month.
 Image via elbrozzie's Flickr photostream. Partly cloudy today with a high of 34. Warming into the 40′s as the week goes on. Continue reading Good Morning!
 What do you do in a snow storm? Walk down the street in your underwear? No, probably not. But then again you’re not Lady Gaga! Twitter, Facebook and the gossip rags are lighting up with news of Gaga’s return to the Lower East Side this afternoon (Rivington Street to be exact). INF Daily reports:
It doesn’t matter if it’s snowing outside – when Lady Gaga wants to clomp down the street in her underwear and horsey shoes, she’s going to do just that. We suppose she means to shock us, but we’re beyond that. Let’s face it – Madonna hailed a cab stark naked back in the day. Her ensemble is prudish by comparison! Gag Gag is filming an HBO special about her Monsterball tour. So naturally she has to strip down in the freezing cold. Word is she would do a few takes and then run into a deli to warm up and get coffee. What surprises us more than anything is the fact that we spotted her actually smiling! She was genuinely happy to see someone. She should smile more often – she looks so much better when she shows some teeth.
 Photo by Bill Strom. …a spring tease!
The Bowery Alliance of Neighbors is planning a candlelight vigil tomorrow at 5:30pm in front of 35 Cooper Square. The endangered 1825 row house next to the hulking Cooper Square Hotel has been the focal point of the Lower East Side preservation movement for the past several weeks. Over the weekend, the Times filed a substantial piece on the controversy surrounding the building, which is the subject of a Department of Buildings “stop work order:”
Already scaffolding surrounds the building, and the black tiles of the roof are being torn away as the first step in making way for what preservationists suspect will be another hotel or high-rise condominiums. But not without a fight. In another of those classic New York struggles between the future and the past, steel and wood, high tech and quaint, forces have been lining up to protect 35 Cooper Square.
You can find more information on the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors’ web site. EV Grieve has extensive coverage of the preservation battle.
 Photo by Jennifer Strom. The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Pets sponsored an information fair in Sara D. Roosevelt Park on Saturday. Among the attendees: (Clockwise from top left) Pomeranian stroller babies Alize, Hershey, Grizzly Bear and Tinker Bell. They came down from the Bronx with their mom, Tatiana Mesias, for free vaccinations and microchipping.
 Jennifer Conley Darling, Managing Director of Operations for the League of Independent Theater, will be on hand at University Settlement’s Performance Project this evening to moderate a conversation for artists who are creating original performance work in NYC. The Performance Project’s Monday Night Salon Series has teamed up with the Incubator Arts Project to offer this free forum, “The D.I.Y. Dilemma,” for independent artists to openly discuss issues related to creating work on their own in New York City. They write: Bring a dish to pass and beverages to drink as we discuss how best we can support ourselves, other artists, and the community at large.
Continue reading The D.I.Y. Dilemma – A Monday Night Salon at the Performance Project
 Photo by Rich Caplan. Who says the snow isn’t beautiful? Thanks to Lower East Side resident and photographer Rich Caplan for this bird’s eye view of the Seward Park tree tops.
 A hawk hangs out in Sara D. Roosevelt Park on Sunday afternoon. We’re waking up to more snow. The forecasters say we’ll see around 3 inches. Look for a high of 37 today with winds gusting to 20 mph. It’s Presidents Day. That means government offices, schools and some banks will be closed. Not much official happening today, but it’s a busy week ahead. Check out our Calendar for details.
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