Vanishing New York Backup

On W Magazine's cover , a sad, rich, beautiful lady (Linda Evangelista) poses near NYU with a cardboard sign: "It must be somebody's fault." What do you think she's referring to? Wall Streeters (any left?) will be reading about Slum Goddess and Crumb today as they commute. [ WSJ ] Brooklynites demand vacant condos to be turned into affordable housing. [ BE ] Bloomberg just made clove cigarettes illegal in NYC. [ Gothamist ] Looking back at Burger Klein . [ BBB ] Find answers about NY's uniqueness. Says one reader, " The city has been one large shopping mall with a false edifice of culture to trick those moving here into thinking they are part of the old New York City aura that is actually long long gone." [ CR ] Now you can own next summer's obnoxious party destination. [ EVG ] Celeb-obsessed teens used Internet to rob the celebs they loved...Hilton, Lohan, et al. [ yahoo ]

With summer thoroughly over and the clocks falling back, as the loudmouth weather goes south, we return for a look back at the Backside of the Cooper Square Hotel. The douchebags are gone from the fire escapes, the shit-stained panties have been unhoisted, and the orgasm sound effects have been silenced. The Backsiders enjoy their quiet. But they leave up a few subtle reminders, final notes to what had been a symphony of resentment. In the windows facing the hotel's patio, signs remain taped to the glass, a tone of weary resignation, to anyone who might bother to read. You can find the complete Notes from the Backside here : Note 1 Note 2 Note 3 Note 4 Note 5 Note 6

The floor-to-ceiling window debate continues. [ Curbed ] Washington Square Park tombstone revealed [ Gothamist ] ...and it comes with a press release. [ WSP ] Is that the trace of a New York accent in a corner market's flower display? East Village eulogy : RIP Valentina. [ BBB ] Talking about gentrification & homelessness at the laundromat. [ LM ]

After taking a quick look yesterday at what's been lost from Carmine Street, I am happy to say there are still a few worthy survivors that have yet to vanish. The House of Oldies survives--since 1968. As the sign in the window says: "No CD's, No Tapes, Just Records." You will also find the Unoppressive, Non-Imperialist Bargain Books store , where you can dig into an amazing cache of comic book reprint collections, as well as many books about The Beatles and Jack Kerouac. There's also a little shoe and watch repair shop with a fascinating window display, along with various other survivors. In some ways, even with the many boutiques and new cafes opened, Carmine Street feels surprisingly overlooked by the waves of change that have swept much of the city. I should walk there more often.

And the dream of a glass city crumbles evermore, as thousands of new condos show their shoddiness : "the wave of development in New York City that started in 2004 and crested in mid-2007 has resulted in a wave of accusations about defective construction and building design." [ NYT ] Good news--films are returning to Theater 80 . [ EVG ] Slum Goddess plays a gig with R. Crumb . [ SG ] This week, Chris Ware offers one of the best New Yorker covers ever--exposing the ghoulishness of iPhone addiction : On Orchard : "Welcome home nouveau riche." [ BB ] Remembering Miss Rheingold . [ ENY ] Urban Archives in the Bronx. [ Gothamist ] Is the Ekonomakis private mansion , formerly a multi-unit tenement, already being flipped? [ EVG ]

Back to my collection of 1990s non-digital photos , I found two scenes lost from Carmine Street. One was the Village Flute and Sax repair shop. Run by Rick Rajca since 1977 and closed in 2001, the shop now exists online only. In its place today stands a Thai restaurant. One of thousands of other Thai restaurants in the city. I also found this photo of Joe's Pizza, on the corner of Carmine and Bleecker. One of my favorite things about these two old photos are the people in them--the brass repairman in his apron, the old Villager in his trench coat and red necktie, possibly wearing a wig. Joe's Pizza initially gave way--along with its Vegetable Garden neighbor--to Abatino's pizza and pasta. Today, Joe's lives on further along the block, but the Vegetable Garden wasn't so lucky. photo: West Village Bob Where Joe's and Vegetable Garden once were, there is now Grom --one in a chain of many from an Italian gelato company.

Artists vs. advertisers. [ NYT ] & [ Gothamist ] As New York's uniqueness evaporates, ask an expert about what still makes the city extraordinary. [ CR ] Enjoy a new Walker in the City : "Yeah, he’s lookin’ at ME! This whole train fulla sex perverts and homosexuals and he’s gonna look at ME? Yeah, he’s the one. Are you a sex pervert, sir?" [ WIC ] Will the Empire Diner be the city's next exported diner? [ Eater ] Has a tombstone been uncovered in Washington Square? [ WSP ] Sometimes it's fun to play "count the cell phones" coming out of a movie at Union Square. Bonus: As the credits roll, how many seconds before every iPhone in the joint springs to life? Visit the "Far East Williamsburg" industrial zone. [ FNY ] Union and Confederate soldiers invade Tompkins Square. [ EVG ] Halloween shenanigans in TSP. [ NMNL ] StuyTowners react to last week's verdict. [ NYT ]