Again without comment: the glory that is our laundry room bulletin board. Click each picture for a better view.
Laundry Room Bulletin Board — Building 3
See Chaplin Tonight at Abrons
Tonight at sunset (app. 8:30 pm), some see classic Charlie Chaplin shorts outside at Abrons Arts Center (Grand Street between Pitt and Willett). The silent shorts will be accompanied by live original compositions by Robert Randazzo, with musicians Kamel Boutross and Alec Betterley.
And don’t miss these other Urban Drive-in films in July:
- ET at Gulick Park next Thursday, July 17 at Gulick Park
- The Mark of Zorro (1920) on Thursday, July 24 at Abrons
- Crossing Delancey on Thursday, July 31 at Gulick Park
Very Hungry Caterpillar
There are a few of these beauties right now in the garden behind building one getting fat on some fennel:
From what the internet tells me, this is a black swallowtail caterpillar, and will soon turn into one of these:
Storm Surge Barrier to Transform East River Park
It took 20 years for East River Park to get upgrades to ballfields and improvements to the waterfront promenade, but in the next 20 years the park is likely to undergo even more radical changes.
Last month, the federal government announced a huge $335 million grant to build a 10-20 foot berm from East 23rd Street to Montgomery Street — a barrier meant to protect the low-lying east side (and the 14th St. Con Ed plant) from another Sandy-sized storm surge.
The design will be much more than just a sea wall. The winning design proposes extensive landscaping for recreation, more foot bridges across the FDR, and more creative ways to interact with the East River on days when there isn’t a hurricane.
But what exactly will it look like? Well, that’s still very much undecided. On Wednesday evening, Community Board 3 will take up the topic at Manny Cantor Center (197 East Broadway) starting at 6:30 pm. It’s the first of what will certainly be many meetings to come.
If you’re able to make the meeting, please leave comments below, or email us afterwards with a report.
Arthur Approaches
Not sure what Arthur will bring, but management wants you to know that they’ve learned something since 2012:
To: All Shareholders
East River Housing CorporationFrom: Harold Jacob
Re: Approaching Weather
As the first hurricane of the season, ‘Arthur’ approaches our area, it brings to mind Hurricane Sandy. According to updated reports, we are not expecting much, but nonetheless we are reminded from experience that preparedness is the key.
In East River, should it become necessary, we have stand-by generators to keep the water running and provide emergency lights in the always and stairwells. Also, we will provide charging stations for cell phone use. Please have on-hand the usual items; flashlights, batteries, food, etc. and any necessary medicines you require prior to storm arrival.
For those with balconies or terraces, please clear any plants or loose debris from these areas, which could damage property or hurt passersby.
If you need our Maintenance department for any reason, please telephone 212-677-5744.
Thank you.
You’re Invited: Art Opening on Delancey
Essex Crossing is coming … but not for years. Until then, we still have to look at acres of parking lots between Grand Street and Delancey, crumbling chain-link fences, and, if you dare look down, broken glass and doggie deposits.
Enter the community art project LES History Fence, sponsored by the LES BID, to spruce up the pedestrian area along the south side Delancey.
An opening party is set for this Wednesday, July2 at 5:30 pm at Delancey Street between Norfolk & Clinton, with drinks and Russian tapas to follow at Moscow 57 (168-1/2 Delancey) at 7 pm.
The mural is designed by LES -based Boym Partners, whose Babel Blocks — toys representing the great diversity of NYC — have been featured at MoMA.
For this installation, Boym created a few new characters:
No Surprise: Velazquez Wins Primary
Light turnout yesterday for the Congressional primary in our district, but the result is an overwhelming win for incumbent Nydia Velazquez, 82-14.
Did either candidate even campaign? Did anyone get a phone call or mailer? I saw some window posters up on Grand Street for challenger Jeff Kurzon, but that’s all.
Election Day?
That’s right, the polling place in your lobby is not a mirage — there’s a Democratic primary today for congressional district 7. Incumbent Nydia Velazquez faces challenger Jeff Kurzon. It’s not expected to be much of a race … but then again no one had heard of Dave Brat until just a couple weeks ago, so who knows? Might as well go vote!
NYT Discovers Grand Street … Again
Doesn’t it seem like once a year there’s an article in the New York Times about our quaint little neighborhood? The story usually has something to do with bialys giving way to coffee shops — not so much rags to riches as Hassids to Hipsters.
Well, in case you missed it, check out the front page of the real estate section in your Sunday paper for a substantial version of that old story, plus a nice slideshow of the neighborhood’s changing landscape.
And on the flip side is this great old photo unearthed on Facebook this week, the corner of Grand and Madison from the 1930s:
Summer? Ice Cream! (+ Social)
The House Committee is back with another ice cream social — Thursday, June 26 at 7:00 in the courtyard between buildings 1 and 2. (That’s the south side if Grand Street.) See you there!