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 180 Ludlow Street. The saga of 180 Ludlow, one of the Lower East Side’s most infamous stalled building sites, is taking another strange turn. The luxury hotel turned rental apartment building is now a hotel project again. This is, at least, the hope of developer Serge Hoyda, who has been having a very rough time winning the approval of the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA).
Last night Jessica Loeser, Hoyda’s attorney (and a public member of CB3′s land use and zoning panel) walked her colleagues on the committee through the latest strategy to close up the hulking shell of a building that has been a blight on the neighborhood since 2007. Having recused herself from voting on the issue, Loeser explained that the application for a zoning variance (needed to convert the hotel to an apartment complex) was withdrawn, after it became clear the BSA was “not warming up to the proposal.” Continue reading Back to “Square One” at 180 Ludlow and 163 Orchard
 
 Jason Robert Brown and Anika Noni Rose will perform at Abrons for three nights in April. Broadway fans are in for a treat. Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown is bringing his solo show downtown to the Abrons Arts Center for three nights in April. The concert will feature another Tony winner (and rising star), Anika Noni Rose, with an eight-piece band performing songs from Jason’s acclaimed musicals (such as Songs for a New World, Parade, The Last Five Years, and 13) as well as his solo albums and upcoming projects.
Continue reading Tony Winners Jason Robert Brown and Anika Noni Rose to Perform at Abrons
A notice from District 1′s Community Education Council:
NOTICE!!
Thursday February 17th, 2010
6:30pm
Located at Manhattan Charter School
100 Attorney Street
To hear community input on proposal to open a new charter school in lower Manhattan. The proposed charter school will serve grades K-5, have a target population similar to the population currently served by Manhattan Charter School where 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch and 18% are identified as special education. The proposed schools will have an enrollment of 72 students in a year one and 274 student’s full capacity. The proposed school will replicate the academic program on Manhattan Charter School and the mission of the proposed school will be the same.
* Comments may also be submitted via email manhattancharterschool2@gmail.com or in writing to Manhattan Charter School II (Proposed), 100 Attorney Street, New York NY 10002
 Photo by C. Merry. Cloudy this morning, giving way to sunshine this afternoon. We’re expecting a high of 46 and not quite as windy as yesterday (10-15 mph). Continue reading Good Morning!
You may have noticed an addition to 400 Grand Street in the past few days: a brand new awning. The future home of the the LES Jewish Conservancy is coming along. We’re told the organization’s Visitor Center, formerly Ruby’s Fruits, is now expected to open in the spring. Speaking of the Conservancy, you can find a listing f their upcoming events (including walking tours) on our Community Calendar.
 Photo by Pat Arnow. Valentine’s Day 2011 is already history. But we couldn’t resist posting this photo from Pat Arnow — three ladies celebrating the day in style as they cross Delancey Street (near Essex). Send your photos to us at: info@thelodownny.com.
The proprietors of Brooklyn’s Liddabit Sweets were thrilled to have a cool-weather market to sell chocolates and candies made from local ingredients.
A strange thing happened yesterday at the New Amsterdam Market. The artisan food fair that’s slowly but steadily gained momentum as a premier destination shopping spot for sustainable, seasonal, local goods near the seaport in three years of Sundays saw some unusual customers: Wall Streeters showed up in suits to peruse the wares. Continue reading New Amsterdam Market Stretches Out
 Roni-Sue's Chocolates. This morning’s Lower East Side food news:
- A few Lower East Side favorites were nominated in the “2011 Best of Metromix” readers’ survey, including: Clinton Street Baking Company, Roni-Sue’s, Xi’an Famous Foods, Babycakes, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, 88 Palace, Painkiller, Mary Queen of Scots and Ten Bells. You can vote on the winners for the next two weeks.
- Gothamist checks out the Doughnut Plant’s new outpost in the Chelsea Hotel.
- Grub Street reports: Zella Jones is “rallying the troops” to put a stop to B Bar’s plans for sidewalk seating.
- February 21st charity cocktail event at Freemans benefits bartenders in need of health insurance, Time Out says.
 A regular customer examines the produce options at the Essex Street Market. Photo by Margot Wood. Sunny and windy today with a high of 33. We’re supposed to hit 60 by the end of the week! Continue reading Good Morning!
 Parents have until March 4th to register their kids for kindergarten in the New York City schools. Here on the Lower East Side, the process is at least a little bit bewildering because there are no zoned schools — parents choose where they prefer to enroll their children. The Educational Alliance is holding a special information session Wednesday morning to help parents navigate the system. Representatives from District 1′s five public kindergartens as well as from the Community Education Council will be on hand to offer guidance. The event takes place at 930am. It will be held at the Educational Alliance’s main building, 197 East Broadway. Questions? Email: dccreg@edalliance.org
And while we’re at it, we’d like to let you know about the debut of our KIds Page. It’s being compiled by LES mom Bridget Bosworth. For starters, she’ll be posting a weekly list of free and low-cost events for families. And on Mondays we’ll be featuring her “kids pick” of the week. We’re really happy to have Bridget on the team!
 Photo credit: Hester Street Collaborative. On Friday, the Hester Street Collaborative unveiled this year’s Lantern Installation, which is becoming a Chinese Lunar New Year transition on the Lower East Side. The solar-powered lanterns, made by kids at M.S. 131, the Chinatown YMCA and Asian Americans for Equality, were hung in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. The Lantern Installation program is now in its fourth year. Continue reading Lantern Installation Celebrated in Sara D. Roosevelt Park
There was a lot of action on the Lower East Side and East Village food scene this weekend:
- Lucky Jack’s on Orchard made Zagat’s Dating & Dumping Guide as a good place to drop the ball and chain (NYT)
- A new and unnamed coffee shop opened on Allen Street (Bowery Boogie)
- Celebrating the art of Mars Bar (The Local EV)
- The health department closed Yerba Buena (EV Grieve)
- The tax collector closed Satsko (Bowery Boogie)
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