Results tagged “soho”

Just months after Calvin Klein pulled down a risqué billboard amidst complaints from neighbors and a Christian advocacy group, the jeans and skivvies manufacturer has installed a new ad on the same wall that has once again sparked controversy among the prudes in SoHo, according to the Daily News. Filling a space that recently depicted a denim-clad threesome (or foursome depending on your perspective), the new ad shows a sweaty Eva Mendez in lingerie tugging at a male model's briefs.

   

Click on the images for more on Bar Pleiades, pizza at Numero 28, and dining at Juliet Supper Club.

Not to be outdone by that measly $1 billion class action lawsuit filed against Greenhouse—the "eco-friendly" but allegedly black-unfriendly downtown nightclub—some other offended blacks have stepped up with their own $1.5 billion lawsuit! Greenhouse: the "big tobacco" of nightclubs. This new lawsuit is being filed today by Raqiyah Mays, a Kiss FM radio host, and three others who say that they were not let in "due to their race." Isn't it about time for Latinos, Hasidim, and Sikhs to get their piece of the Greenhouse bonanza?

A reader sent us this photo of a "Halloween-themed" window display at the Iceberg Army Navy Surplus store in SoHo. We called the shop and they claim to have received no complaints over the window, and said they don't expect to, as it's "just a Halloween display." And nothing says "Carhartts" like a pumpkin hanging.

Earlier this year Lou Reed ranted and raved over the proposed $346 million Sanitation Department facility on Spring Street. Now it's Mad Men's John Slattery (aka Roger Sterling) who is, well, mad over the city's plan, which the Daily News notes "would consolidate three sanitation districts, open up park space elsewhere, get trucks off the street into a garage and provide direct access to the West Side Highway."

              

Park(ing) Day always goes by so quickly! One minute you're swimming in a ball pit in SoHo, and the next minute the tyranny of parked cars has returned to our city's streets. Viva la Park(ing) Revolution! Here are some more photos of yesterday's whimsical fun, which transformed over 50 spaces usually occupied by motor vehicles into imaginative urban oases.

Motorino: This top-notch thin-crust pizzeria was an instant hit in East Williamsburg, but will it compete in downtown Manhattan, which is now flooded with "artisan" pizza options? Anyone who's eaten at the original knows the answer's hell yes, and chef Mathieu Palombino is confident his authentic Neapolitan pizza will make its mark. He has the added advantage of inheriting a space already known for pizza excellence; it was previously the home of Una Pizza Napoletana, which left behind its Acunto wood-burning oven, handcrafted in Naples. Palombino's filled the 36-seat space with marble-topped tables and kept the vibe comfortably casual, with shiny subway tiling and wooden bistro chairs. Motorino's Manhattan menu is slightly smaller than the original, and includes seven classic pies, plus a variety of seasonal pizzas. 349 East 12th Street; (212) 777-2644

Police are looking for a teenage trio responsible for a new mugging spree in the West Village and SoHo. The gang of two males and a female in their late teens went on a tear early one morning a couple weeks back, hitting up four victims in less than five hours. The Post reports the first robbery took place as the bar crowd spilled out onto the streets of Greenwich Village just after four in the morning on August 28th. The initial mugging occurred at Washington Place and Washington Square West and the three subsequent incidents were all within a short distance from there. The trio is then suspected of committing a fifth robbery on August 31st on West 9th Street. The gang is said to have flashed a knife at their targets, but none of the victims were injured. The two male suspects were described as 5-foot-9 and 145 pounds and the girl thief as 5-foot-4 and 115 pounds, police said. Last year the West Village was on alert after a spate of violent muggings went down in a small area.

After announcing last week that Shake Shack would be opening new outposts in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, The Union Square Hospitality Group has now brought tremendous joy to the exotic land south of Houston. According to a press release, the newest Shake Shack will be located at 47 Prince Street, on the northwest corner of Mulberry & Prince Streets—by far their furthest location downtown. Shake Shack impresario Danny Meyer exults, "We’re ecstatic to have found this one-of-a kind downtown location in the Nolita neighborhood—just steps away from the heart of SoHo. Shake Shack is thrilled to make its home in this bustling, vibrant community that attracts throngs of people—New Yorkers and tourists alike—on a daily basis." It's unclear exactly when this bad boy will be open for business, but we're told it'll be built as a stand-alone building on a long vacant lot—where lines are probably forming as you read this.

Friends and fans continue to mourn the death of Adam Goldstein, aka DJ AM, who was found dead in his SoHo apartment Friday afternoon. The Daily News and Post are both reporting that police found a half-empty bag of crack underneath his chest. Initial reports mentioned a crack pipe and prescription drugs at the scene—among them the Post now says were bottles of Xanax, painkillers Vicodin and oxycodone and antacid Prilosec.

Celebrity DJ Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM, was found dead in his Lafayette Street apartment this afternoon. He was 36. According to TMZ, "Sources tell us he was found in his apartment at around 5:20 PM. We're told drug paraphernalia was found at the scene. Our sources say DJ AM had not been seen or heard from for a few days -- one of his friends went to check on him, but got no response after knocking on his apartment door."

       

There's a new outdoor exhibition sitting pretty atop the Gawker HQ rooftop called MOM & POPism that you can go check out today. (In fact, it's only open today through 4 p.m., but if you miss out on this public viewing you can make an appointment throughout the month.) We headed to 210 Elizabeth Street yesterday to see the installation for ourselves; it's like a colorful old New York up there! The show was curated by Billi Kid and reinterprets James and Karla Murray's latest book, Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York ("a breathtaking visual guide to New York City’s cultural heritage, with special emphasis on the historic streets and ethnic shops that have defined its many neighborhoods").

Many diehard dumpster divers would delightedly devote a down day to digging for a diamond in the disposable rough. But for 39-year-old Queens rubbish remover Nick DiMola, he was actually hired for a task that led him to discovering "treasure in another man's trash," treasure worth over $16,000 and all his to keep. DiMola was brought in almost five years ago to clean out the apartment of the late abstract artist Clinton Hill, who despite his name had lived in SoHo. After keeping one barrel of Hill's Mexican artifacts stored in a warehouse for years, DiMola recently decided to have it appraised and learned of the their high price tag. The Ridgewood man thinks that he'll sell the pricey art, telling the News, "I don't see the beauty in this, to be honest with you. I like things about history, but this pottery doesn't grab me." More surprising than the cleaner's good fortune is that the foundation formed by Hill's friends and family are not fighting him for possession of the goods. A lawyer for the group said, "If he is given a contract by the owner of property to remove and dispose of certain things, if the owner makes the mistake, that's the way it is. I'm not happy for him."

The raccoon look was back in SoHo today. No, that' doesn't mean Gossip Girl was filming a Little J scene at Uniqlo—we mean there literally was a raccoon inside the John Varvatos store on Spring and Greene. Gawker reports: "According to the nice lady I talked to when I called, animal control sadly took him away before they had time to name him, after a significant crowd had gathered outside. No idea how he got in, and she had no idea where they took him to." The website got tipped off by Cheryl Tan, who spotted the raccoon and did what any responsible citizen journalist does these days—Twitpicked it up ASAP. Along with the shot, she tweeted, "A raccoon just snuck into John Varvatos in SoHo-they swear it's not being kept for future fur collar." Does anyone else get the feeling PETA could be involved with this?

That rumor that Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick were leaving Greenwich Village for Park Slope? Totally a rumor. The NY Times finds out that the person who forked $8.45 million over for the mansion at 17 Prospect Park West is "a wealthy Google engineer and his wife who want to raise their young family away from the hustle and bustle and celebrity of SoHo, where the family now lives." Oh. The engineer, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "I hear people complain about the strollers in Park Slope. But try taking a stroller out in SoHo. SoHo is not exactly family-friendly." As for SJP, her spokeswoman "said that none of the scores of entertainment and real estate Web sites that picked up the story bothered to call to ask about Ms. Parker’s real estate plans." Snap!

A piece of Soho advertising that had become a familiar and even beloved sight is gone from its Houston at Broadway spot: Bowery Boogie reports, "As of this morning, the DKNY mural at the corner of Houston and Broadway is gone. Painted a shade of brown. Although, the former lettering is still somewhat visible."

   

A group of residents, businesses, lawmakers and others rallied outside the Prince Street Post Office (located on Greene Street) in Soho. The U.S. Postal Service has been considering closing the branch when its lease expires in July, but the group points out, "The Worst Post Office is Better Than No Post Office!" As 66 Square Feet said, "It is not unusual to wait in line for forty minutes. The mutters of dissent in the queue regularly approach the level of mutiny, strangers bonding in intense frustration."

Have you ever actually seen a Google Earth car roaming around and capturing souls with its sophisticated camera technology? Nylon has a photo of one that was seen on Mercer and Houston streets in SoHo yesterday. They note, "The wild contraptions above the car record the latitute, longitute, and elevation of every place the car goes, while the camera snaps… well, you know, you’ve stalked your friends’ houses on Google Earth a million times before." Currently you can't go down Mercer on Google Maps, so we're guessing that's all about to change, and finally the world can glance upon yet another SoHo street.

Here's the latest installment in our ongoing quest to find a good, cheap meal that won't kill us or our budget.

The British are coming! Surely you've heard of Topshop (and Topman) by now, it's like H&M but with 100% more Kate Moss (in fact, she'll be helping to officially open their flagship U.S. store tomorrow at 11 a.m.). We stopped by their 25,000 square foot Broadway outpost for a press peek earlier today, but it seems the store is a bit camera shy. We did manage to grab a shot when the door cracked open however, and as you can see, the shop is heavily adorned in sunflowers. Interesting.

Brouwerij Lane: This first one isn't a restaurant, it's better: a source for growlers of tap beer and bottled beer in Greenpoint, where we've been spending many weekends savoring the laid-back Franklin Street scene. (Though the occasional spray of gunfire has somewhat harshed the vibe.) Brouwerij Lane owner Ed Raven, who imports Gaffel Kolsch and other German and Belgian beer through his importing company, opened the place last weekend. There is a rotating ensemble of ten beers on tap, which currently include local Polish favorite Zywiec, unbeatable Red Hook microbrew Sixpoint, and Jever Dark, a rarity in New York. A one-time deposit of $5 gets you a glass growler (the equivalent of roughly four American pints), and $10 gets it refilled. This coming Saturday at 1 p.m., Raven's holding an opening party with free beer tasting and Viennese goulash from Fort Greene's Thomas Beisl. 78 Greenpoint Avenue.

SoHo restaurant Lola, located on Watts Street and forever plagued with problems, has shuttered. The Observer reports that owners Tom and Gayle Patrick-Odeen have lost after a "longstanding struggle, which took on racial overtones, spurred multiple lawsuits and mounting legal bills [and] ultimately resulting in the business filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy." SoHo Alliance director Sean Sweeney was on the opposing side of the establishment, and represented the part of the community that, according to Lola's owners, feared it would be "a tipping point to turn Soho into another Harlem," and mislabeled it "a black, hip-hop club." This all came out in a sprawling piece on the restaurant in December's Black Enterprise magazine. Meanwhile, while talking to the Observer, Sweeney "liked to joke that he was secretly prejudiced against Swedes," saying, "They're so blond and beautiful."

As a number of area apartment doors have made abundantly clear, Cupid is baaaack, and he's not fluttering away until we're all broke, frustrated or reduced to tears. (Or, we suppose, in loooove.) So we've taken a shovel to an avalanche of V-Day dining promotions piling up in our inbox, and have come out the other side with a number of recommendations, none of which beat observing Corporate Love Day by cooking your own dinner at home. Unless, like many New Yorkers, you have annoying roommates or absurdist kitchens or wholly unromantic dining areas!

A picture of chef David Waltuck’s restaurant was on the cover of New York Magazine the week of December 31, 1979 with the headline ‘The Daring Young Man on Grand Street.’ Gael Greene wrote a review of the warmly lit restaurant Waltuck was frenetically running with his wife Karen, two waiters, and a lone potwasher inside a former bodega in SoHo. Chanterelle was two weeks-old. Waltuck was 24.

Residents and business owners who have been complaining about the new Grand Street bike lane now have a video that they say demonstrates the traffic mess caused by the lane, which provides a dedicated space for cyclists separated from traffic by a row of parked cars. Sent to us by the Soho Alliance, the video depicts a truck driver turning from West Broadway onto Grand Street and mistaking the parked cars for idling traffic.

Argh, must everything that makes life worth tolerating in New York City be systematically eradicated? According to Alexis Soloski at the Village Voice, the Ohio Theatre on Wooster Street will soon be extinct. The building that houses the illustrious avant-garde theater is being sold by its owners because "maintenance expenses and preservation of the façade required by the city created an untenable financial burden," and artistic director Robert Lyons has no illusions about affordable rent under the new owner. Which sucks because the 24-year-old Ohio—currently occupied by Les Freres Corbusier's Dance Dance Revolution—plays host to some of the most exciting theater on earth. As Claudia La Rocco at WNYC put it, "That’s just great: protect the façade but not the beating heart underneath...As a friend put it yesterday, 'it’ll be a real shame if the legacy of the Bloomberg administration and the boom years is a handful of bland generic populist cultural centers.'" [Photo cred]

Since opening over the summer, Delicatessen, that trendy restaurant-bar-lounge-tool magnet has been pissed on, robbed, and threatened by neighbors furious about the hotspot's cacophony. Now the Observer has piled on too, declaring it "undeniably the city’s most loathed new restaurant in 2008." Even if you know you hate the place already, it's a fun read, detailing how owner Mark Thomas Amadei, 35, installed Delicatessen in the space formerly occupied by the humble Buffa’s Coffee Shop, which he frequented during his N.Y.U. days. Amadei swears he's unfazed by all the hate because he went through the same thing with his Chelsea diner Cafeteria, where "everyone" said he wouldn't last: "Fast-forward, ten and a half years later, every celebrity in the world comes there all the time." So piss off, no-name haters!

The new bike lane on Grand Street that a local shop owner recently called the possible "demise of Little Italy" continues to draw attention with complaints that fire trucks are struggling to maneuver around the new setup of the block. Ernest Lepore, owner of Ferrara Cafe who originally talked to Villager, appears to have taken his case against the lane to the Post, telling the paper, "I saw one truck back up four or five times before being able to squeeze into the lane. The firefighter was visibly frustrated."

             

This is Greenhouse, a new 6,000 square foot, bi-level club that opened last week in Soho in the former Club Shelter space. As the name suggests, they're working the eco-friendly angle here with (deep breath) high-efficiency heating, an LED lighting system, fabrics made from recycled materials, bamboo floor and wall coverings, and furniture made with FSC wood. Owner Jon Bakhshi, who is applying for