We've contacted police for more information on this crash from last night, but here's what we know so far. EV Grieve reports that a car crashed into the Sushi Lounge on the southwest corner of St. Mark's Place and Avenue A last night, and police on the scene told Bob Arihood that the driver began suffering from a stroke as he made a U-turn. more ›

After falling behind on his $3,700 rent and almost getting evicted by his landlord, the owner of Avenue A hole-in-the-wall institution Ray's Candy Store says things are looking up. 77-year-old Ray Alvarez, who opened the little burger, shake and fries joint in 1974, tells the Villager the landlord is no longer trying to get rid of him, and he's received $36,000 in back-pay from Social Security (until now Alavarez, a Turkish immigrant, has been unable to receive Social Security). The money is enough to keep things afloat, but now there's a new problem. more ›

Bob Arihood got some striking photos of a big brawl that went down around Avenue A and East 7th Street Sunday morning. According to Arihood, "A crowd of perhaps 50 people was noisily battling its way up avenue A... This event that we witnessed was very violent . People were not just beaten, some were stomped and kicked too. Only one car with 2 officers managed to get to Avenue A... We later found these officers attending to a male with a bloodied face in front of Sing Sing at 5th street and Avenue A...When we advised that there were still simmering minor conflicts around the corner on 6th street their response was that they were the only unit available." more ›

Around 4:30 a.m. today, a shooting broke out on Avenue A and East 13th Street—a total of three men were shot, and one was killed. According to 1010 WINS, "All three of the unidentified men were rushed to Bellevue Hospital where one of them was pronounced dead. The other two were listed in stable condition." It's unclear what caused the shooting, which occurred just south of Stuyvesant Town, and the investigation is ongoing. 1010WINS adds that East Village residents told "reporter Glenn Schuck, that they are upset the bars and clubs in the area stay open so late." Update: The Daily News reports that the shooting occurred outside the bar Forbidden City and that the bouncer was killed after throwing two men out: "The men, who continued to fight with another group as they exited the night spot, hopped into a waiting white van and one of them reemerged a moment later brandishing a handgun, horrified witnesses said." One witness elaborated that a man got out of the vehicle and "popped one guy. He then walked around another car, went straight up to [the bouncer] and capped him point blank in the forehead." more ›

We don't know whether someone was in a rush to buy some last minute flowers or was just another of nearly 40% of New York City drivers who exceed the speed limit, but someone on Avenue A today did a bang-up job parking their car just outside the Exit 9 Gift Shop between East 4th and 5th Streets in the East Village. more ›

Two female Key Food employees at the Avenue A and East 4th Street store were attacked by a knife-wielding man. The police originally said one of the woman died, but it turns out that one is "clinging to life" while the other is in critical condition. more ›

Dean’s: A third Dean’s Restaurant is now open in Tribeca. The Italian eatery has won fans with their signature thin crust brick oven pizza made with homemade mozzarella and a dozen potential toppings. But if amazing brick oven pizza isn’t your thing, Dean’s also has a full Italian menu with pasta dishes like Parpardella Toscana, a wide ribbon pasta with wild mushroom and sundried tomatoes in a light cream white wine sauce. There are also some big salads and an extensive wine list. And the new Tribeca location is inviting, with brick walls and a warmly lit bar. 349 Greenwich St., between Harrison and Jay. (212) 966-3200. more ›

124 Rabbit Club: Death & Co. co-owner Ravi De Rossi has his finger in another discreet specialty watering hole, this time with an emphasis on beer. Located in an unmarked cellar on MacDougal, here you can escape from the B&T rabble (be sure you’re not followed) and scurry down the stairs into a cozy warren of capital-A Ambience. The elegant mood is set by felt wallpaper, candlelight, exposed brick and a long brass bar where you can choose from over 30 fine international beers, dozens of old world wines, and wine cocktails. There’s a small food menu as well, which includes ham and camembert sandwiches, plus a pickle plate. (Thrillist has the beer menu for your perusal.) 124 MacDougal St (at Minetta), 212-254-0575. more ›

CRAFTY: The holiday season is upon us, which means getting that perfect gift for whoever's egg nog you'll be gathered around this year. Why not try a little D.I.Y.? Every other Monday the Church of Craft meets up and will "provide contact, craft support, advice, knowhowto, instructions, directions, tips, tricks, inspiration, and the blinding love of craft to all who seek it." 7 to 9pm // Rapture Cafe [200 Avenue A] // Free EVENT: Have... more ›

Williamsburg has its Thai food, and now it seems that Alphabet City has its Cuban. Bodeguita Cubana, a Serbian-run Cuban joint that opened in May on 10th Street (between 1st & Avenue A), is the third in a trifecta of ropa vieja-offering restaurants that's enveloped the neighborhood east of 1st Avenue (the other two are Cafecito & Cafe Cortadito). Arguably the most appealing of them all (though we do love Cafecito), the French doors on the facade of Bodeguita Cubana swing open, inviting a cool breeze on these warm fall nights, and the narrow space feels bigger than its 20-seat capacity. Lighting is dim, coming from the street or a few hanging straw lanterns, creating an air of coziness and welcome. Servings are consistent and generous, especially for a menu entirely under the the $10 price range. Pressed sandwiches, notably the pulled pork with homemade bbq, are scrumptious and big enough to share (depending on your hunger level), and come with either roasted potatoes or a salad with fresh steamed fava beans. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: An unstable building in Murray Hill; a "serious trauma" not far from Shea Stadium in Queens; a bank robbery at Avenue A and 4th Street; and at 777 6th Ave there was a barricaded EDP (emotionally disturbed person).
• Remember those chemicals found at the United Nations? It turns out that they were probably just cleaning supplies. Hopefully these aren't the same tests the organization uses for biological weapons.
• If you're shopping for your prostitutes on Craigslist, be careful. The fuzz might be setting you up for a sting as they're busting more and more people (John's and pros) who use the service.
• A tipster tells Streetsblog that Bill Clinton agrees that "cycling is good citizenship," but we're betting that Bubba was getting into his towncar/SUV as he was agreeing.
• There are at least 5 nostalgic ConEd customers who are angry with the utility today. ConEd won permission from the state yesterday to stop delivering direct current (DC) power. Looks like Nikola Tesla wins this one.
• Queens residents who were affected by storms on August 8th are getting their own FEMA flood relief center today. Hopefully the Flushing location will do a better job than some of FEMA's other work.
• What's going to happen with Brooke Astor's Briarcliff Manor retreat. The bucolic property called Holly Hill is 65 acres and has a 9,000 square foot house. Her son Anthony D. Marshall will likely inherit the house, but people are unsure what he'll do with it.
• If Mike Bloomberg became President, could he still be a majority owner of Bloomberg LP? Some experts say no due to the conflicts that Bloomberg News would cause. Mayor Bloomberg currently owns 68% of Bloomberg LP and has denied his interest in the White House several times.

Thank goodness for good neighbors! There's a fascinating story behind the arrest of Asuncion DeJesus-Garcia, who is suspected of at least three sexual assaults in the Lower East Side and East Village. It turns out that the two people who noticed him on Wednesday actually recognized him because they helped stop the July 13 attack on East 12th Street! more ›

The police have arrested a suspect in the series of sexual attacks in the East Village and Lower East Side. Twenty-year-old Harlem resident Asuncion DeJesus-Garcia was charged with sex abuse, burglary, robbery, assault and criminal possession of stolen property. more ›

“this is GOTHAMist. can't you cite a good NYC brew to spotlight?... how dare you, gothamist!!!” more ›

The cafe’s owner, Nick Bodor, 38, said that for years he was able to clear enough money from Alt to live on. But times have changed on Avenue A, where new boutiques now face a cleaned-up version of Tompkins Square Park that includes several playgrounds. more ›

EVENT: Bluestockings is a great little place on Allen St, if you haven't already checked it out. Tonight the UnCoolKids tell us this bookstore (and more) is having an event called "Where Have You Been? Conversations on Travel": more ›

Just shy of a month old, the new Alphabet City branch of West Village Gothamist favorite, Westville, keeps farm fresh veggies flowing to hip, young clientele seven days a week. Seating forty, Westville East offers the same American comfort food as the original joint, but with twice the space to dine and serve in. Of course, this doesn't mean the lines are shorter--during brunch on a recent Sunday the line ran longer than twenty minutes, and during dinner, seats were filled just after the clock hit seven. more ›

The cocktails at Death and Co., a new watering hole in the East Village, are as serious as a heart attack. Here they are not just pushed out in sweatshop fashion to the herds of thirsty folks that crowd the bar. At Death and Co., the cocktail is treated with respect. From the two inch double-freeze ice cubes to the highest quality spirits and ingredients, it's carefully crafted with that perfect balance of skill and whimsy that leaves you patiently, or not so patiently, waiting for your first sip. more ›

Gothamist was excited to see fast-moving construction today at the new site of Westville East on the southwest corner of Avenue A & 11th Street. Formerly Italian eatery Angelo Della Pasta, the new branch is a sister restaurant to the cozy cross-town spot of the same name. Westville East opened once before in 2004, at the site of the current Curly's Lunch on 14th Street, but folded after a short stint in the space. Daily sides featuring market specials like roasted beets with walnuts, grilled asparagus with parmesan, and roasted cauliflower, are perfect compliment to comforting favorites like beer battered fish n' chips, lemon roasted chicken, and grilled salmon. Westville East is scheduled to open in February. more ›

ART: Yesterday we mentioned a few friends who spend their time making hamster nests, art and apparently making people very upset by merely existing. Anyway, one of them, Ryan McGinley, had an opening last night for his new show Irregular Regulars. His photographs of Morrissey were taken at shows from the past two years, and seem to depict Moz as God. more ›

When Fish Tail Restaurant replaced the now defunct Tab Tos in October, the East Village mourned the loss of a tiny-if-not-charming ten seat sushi joint with notoriously brusk service, but reputably fresh fish--some of the best in the city. Fish Tail, changing little about Tab Tos' sparse decor (and even now failing to replace the old health inspection sign) does little to salvage the locale as a sushi hotspot. more ›

Heckling (followed by civility) was alive and well at last night's Community Board 3 meeting at Cooper Union. Wearing "Please IMPROVE the Plan!" stickers, East Village and Lower East Side residents interrupted Department of City Planning Commissioner representatives as they presented a plan for the area's first rezoning since 1961 ("Define affordable," shouted one audience member - $56,000 for a family of four, in case you're wondering, and, no, they didn't have numbers for individuals). more ›

We love this time of year, when the Straphangers Campaign hands out the Pokey Awards for the city's slowest buses. Usurping last year's winner M34 from the slowest spot this year was the M14A, which goes between 11th Avenue and Avenue A, and then down to Grand Street, and travels at an average of 3.9 MPH, which is what a healthy New Yorker speedwalking can do easily (average pedestrian walking speed is 3 MPH). Ah, the combination of traffic and pedestrians around 14th Street, especially near Union Square . The M34's sped up from 3.4 MPH to a blazing 4.2 MPH - check out the the 2005 and 2006 speeds here (PDF). And the other borough's slow poke buses are: more ›

THEATER: Joe's Pub hosts SpeakEasy, a theatrical "event" written by Neil LaBute, Edwin Sanchez, Theresa Rebeck and many others. The performance will happen throughout the Joe's Pub space, "surrounding the spectator with the bizarre, the comic, the seductive, and the sublime. Neo-Vaudeville meets social satire in this giant play with environmental staging, original music, and compelling new writing." It's the launch of The Fire Dept. a new theater company; this show features Janeane Garafalo and Kathleen Chalfant, among others. - John Del Signore more ›

Close your eyes for a moment (Crap, I guess this doesn’t work as well in print – maybe have a friend/co-worker with a soothing yet textured voice read the first paragraph to you). Ok, now imagine a magical land where each place you went, greeted you with a frosty beverage. Turn right and there’s a fine crafted, small production stout, straight ahead a zesty, refreshing Hefeweizen and perhaps a nutty, spicy ale and behind you, well most likely a line of people waiting for you to make a decision (people get antsy when beer is involved). As you walk through this magical land of beer salty snacks are scattered like clovers, refreshing your palate and prepping it for its next destination. Just over the hill are clusters of IPA’s so good you’re almost hesitant to move on but the glistening lights reflected off of Lager lake beckon you for a quick dip. Ok, now open your eyes. We bet you’re pretty thirsty, aye? Yeah, us too. Good thing Brewtopia is only a few weeks away. more ›

In suburbia’s conquest of New York, Subway and Quizno’s lead the culinary front, spreading almost as rapidly as Starbucks. But a quiet band of outsiders is fighting the good food fight, on the fringes. These are the shops that specialize in bánh mì, the French-accented Vietnamese sandwich that inspires cultish devotion among its fans (see The Porkchop Express). The latest reinforcements have risen up in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Boerum Hill. First there was Hanco’s last spring, and now, just around the corner, there’s Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches. more ›

EVENT: Rev Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir have been unleashing their rowdy anti-corporate exorcisms at the Spiegeltent, “a wondrous 1920’s venue of billowing velvet, stained glass, teak, and a thousand mirrors.” But righteous consumers beware: The Spiegeltent is part of the South Street Seaport Mall, which is made unclean by wicked corporations like Victoria’s Secret – all the better for the Rev’s antics. He chastises the company for clear-cutting Canadian boreal forests to produce one million catalogs per day. (A Village Voice blog reports on Victoria’s Secret’s struggle to silence the Rev) On this day he rests from damning their unmentionables to observe the fifth anniversary of 9/11. - John Del Signore more ›

They just called me. The first screening of it took place in Paris on Dec. 1st, 2004, so it’s almost 2 years ago, but nobody was interested to see it or show it here. I am more known in Europe than here. Here they only talk about me like, Oh when he was there, Warhol, the ‘60s and they don’t know that life continues. I make new things and I have shows. And most of my new work is seen in Europe, not here. more ›