Vanishing New York Backup

2/9: Coney Island's historic Shore Theater goes on the calendar for possible landmarking. [ ATZ ] 2/10: Check out the latest Vanishing City event at Dixon Place. [ CR ] Take a look at what the Bowery's Phebe's used to be. [ EVG ] An Irish wake at Jackson Heights' Cavalier restaurant. [ LC ] Old phone exchange hangs on at 19th and 1st Ave: my flickr Ray's Candy now has delivery--complete with menus! [ NMNL ] A report from The Gentrification of Brooklyn show. [ OTBKB ] Check out Rivington Street circa 1986 when it was something between a pile of burnt-out trash and a work of art. [ Blah ] Fantastic before-and-after photos of 2nd Ave. [ TLB ] via [ Curbed ]

In the words of Patti Smith from her book Just Kids : "I needed to get another job. My friend Janet Hamill had been hired at Scribner's Bookstore, and she found a way of giving me a helping hand by sharing her good fortune. She spoke to her superiors, and they offered me a position. It seemed like a dream job, working in the retail store of the prestigious publisher , home to writers like Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and their editor, the great Maxwell Perkins. Where the Rothschilds bought their books, where paintings by Maxfield Parrish hung in the stairwell." via Princeton Library "Scribner's was housed in a beautiful landmark building at 597 Fifth Avenue. The glass-fronted Beaux Arts-style exterior had been designed by Ernest Flagg in 1913 . There was a two-and-a-half-story space behind a lavish expanse of glass and iron, under a vaulted ceiling lined with clerestory windows. Each day I rose, dutifully dressed and made the three subway changes to Rockefe...

"...the 10003 zip code has the second most bars of any neighborhood in the entire country "--and other details from last night's Bar Noise Town Hall. [ TLD ] Check out Mars Bar back in the (relatively quiet) 1990s. [ EVG ] Jackson Heights loses 50-year-old Cavalier restaurant , "throwback to an era when men and women donned hats and gloves." [ NYT ] The Harmony on Christopher St. makes a bold, but possibly true, claim--"the only place like this in NY": Totonno's to reopen next week. [ Eater ] The I's (of Manhattan) have it. [ FNY ] Bald eagle spotted on icy Hudson River. [ Gothamist ] Coyote tiptoes across the ice in Central Park. [ CR ]

Now and then, it's necessary to check in with poor old Chumley's . Back in September, Eater reported they were applying for a liquor license . Before that, in March of 2009, a reader sent in this photo of the dormers being raised on the roof: Things really seemed to be on track since the collapse in 2007 and the wreckage revealed in 2008: photo by kikimonkey So recently I made the mistake of sticking my lens in between the construction fencing. Here's the awful truth:

Nightlife Town Hall Tonight : The new chairman of the State Liquor Authority is meeting with EV residents about bar noise in the neighborhood. Says the flyer, "Chairman Rosen already has the reputation for wanting to expedite licenses." Attend the meeting and let the State know-- no more noisy bars : Arthur Miller's room at the Chelsea Hotel is on the chopping block--demolition has begun. [ LWL ] Saying goodbye to the city's nut roasters . (Note: The nut place on Hester St. was Kadouri & Sons , and it was wonderful.) [ NYT ] Big-box, mega-mall, or jumbo-dorm for Red Hook ? [ Curbed ] Check out this vintage TV commercial for a Christopher St. gay bookstore . [ EVG ] Above the abandoned porn shops of far west Christopher St. , advertising diamonds to the new, well-heeled neighbors:

Here's a look at the aftermath of what happens when a landlord (in the words of The Villager ) seeks "the kind of higher rents and glitz that are killing what’s left of the small, independent stores and variety in the Village." The above photo shows the inside of what was Left Bank Books , a warm, dark space recently packed with books and shelves. They just vacated this past weekend , moving to 8th Avenue . Next door, shown below, are the hollowed-out remains of Lee's Laundry , a space formerly filled with red Chinese posters and calendars, and laundry. Lee said he was not offered a new lease after 30 years . The wall between Lee's and Left Bank has been completely knocked down and the two spaces have been joined into one large space . Formerly: photos: mine & omoo 's

If Andre Breton quotes can't defeat the Stupid campaign , maybe strategically positioned (if scantily spread) black paint will do the trick: RuPaul tells it like it is: "NYC used to be this kind of place where you’d get this incredible gumbo of different cultures, ideas and aesthetics. But now..." [ BB ] Ray has paid the rent. For now. [ NMNL ] The 2/6 Day of Ray will be packed with local performers, including Slum Goddess ' East River String Band. " [ EVG ] Amazing funeral flowers for someone at Marco Polo Ristorante. [ LC ] When you bite into a little chocolate heart this Valentine's Day, it may have come from grieving Haitian women in Rockaway . [ CR ] 2/20: Metropolis Vintage in the EV celebrates its 20th anniversary with food and a party: