“Where are you, de Blasio?” That was the question of the afternoon when rain-soaked protesters braved the weather at City Hall to protest rezoning that they claim has led to racism and displacement within their community. According to the organizers of the rally, The Coalition to Protect Chinatown & The Lower East Side, Mayor Bill de Blasio told them earlier in the day Wednesday that a representative from his office would come out to address them, but no one showed up. It could have been the rain that kept the nameless flack away, but try telling that to 75 wet, angry people struggling to keep their umbrellas from turning inside out. The next stop, they say, will be Gracie Mansion.
About Jaime Cone
Posts by Jaime Cone:
This Map Breaks Down NYC’s Quality of Life, Block By Block
Want to know which parts of Williamsburg have the most 311 complaints for rat infestations before you decide on a new apartment? Or which of NYC’s school districts has the highest test scores among third graders? Or maybe you’d like to see a graph showing the correlation between the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables and obesity citywide, divided into 50 city districts, complete with the data for each area? Well now, there’s an – er, website– for all of that. You can find it at data2go.nyc, which just launched today.
Talks + Readings: Drew Barrymore, Luc Sante, and Some Warhol Snaps
TUESDAY
Drew Barrymore
October 27, at 7 p.m. Barnes & Noble, 33 East 17th Street (Union Square).
The Shirley Temple of the ‘80s will read the funny, insightful and profound stories of her past and present at the signing of her new book, Wildflower. It includes tales of her living on her own at 14 years old, getting stuck in a gas station overhang on a cross-country trip, and saying goodbye to her father in a way only he could have understood. It’s the first book that Barrymore has written about her early days since she recounted her childhood drug and alcohol use in Little Lost Girl in 1991. Reviews describe it as sweet, cheerful and heartwarming, which means it’s probably safe to judge the book by its cover this time.
David’s Cafe Opens With Croissant Hot Dogs and Foie-Gras Croque Monsieurs
(Photo: Jaime Cone)
At age 16, after working for a summer at a farm-to-table restaurant in France (a literal one, located on an actual farm) David Malbequi fell in love with cooking and decided to forgo college for culinary school. Decades later, after working in kitchens across France, Switzerland and most recently New York City, the French native has staked out a little place of his own. Located in the space that was formerly Northern Italian restaurant Paprika, David’s Café was cozy and inviting this past Friday evening during its soft opening. David’s will be serving its regular dinner menu of American-influenced French classics like “The Burger Queen Deluxe” starting tomorrow night.
Feeling Awful? Grab a Falafel at the New East Village Outpost of Mimi’s Hummus
Between the recent opening of a Middle Eastern food counter inside of House of Yes and, today, the opening of a new outpost of Mimi’s Hummus, there’s a lot of hummus among us. This third location of Mimi’s is a quicker, more on-the-go version of the Brooklyn original, with an abbreviated menu and the addition of falafel, but you can still find the traditional Israeli breakfast dish shakshuka, a tomato stew with lamb sausage, pita and a sunny side up egg on top. And of course there’s shawarma.
A Dose of The Deuce On East 2nd Street
(Photo: Jaime Cone)
If you walked down East 2nd Street today you may have noticed retro cops wandering around for the filming of the HBO show Deuce, but unfortunately no sign of James Franco and his porn ‘stache. As with last week’s shoot, there were some pretty sweet vintage rides, though.
Looks Like the End of the Road For Williamsburg’s Passenger Bar
(Copyright: Photos by Jenn)
Well, it’s been a sad week of goodbyes for two unique Brooklyn bars. First Tandem announced that it’s calling it quits on November 1, and now Passenger Bar, the site of so many concerts, Halloween parties and David Cross DJ sets, is closing its doors (hopefully temporarily) later this month after three years on Roebling Street in Williamsburg.
Talks + Readings: The Dogist, Sarah Vowell, and Chip Kidd Meets Charlie Brown
TUESDAY
The Dogist
Tuesday, October 20 at 7 p.m. Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway (NoLIta).
The Dogist himself, Elias Weiss Friedman, will be talking with Stacie Grissom of the BarkPost newsletter about the release of The Dogist: Photographic Encounters with 1,000 Dogs. The event is being held in celebration of the book’s release and in recognition of October being Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, so the ASPCA will be there, too, with a few furry friends in need of a home. Strand asks that you please keep your own pooch at home, but BarkBox will be on hand with all the materials you need to make a pup-friendly doggie bag to take home, so you don’t have to feel too bad about Fido missing out. Brews will be on hand from Radiant Pig Craft Beers, so buy a copy of The Dogist or a $15 gift card for admission and stop by Strand for a doggone good time.
Neighbors Want to See Fat Baby to Lose Its Booze
(Photo by Gavin Thomas, NYMag.com)
LES lounge Fat Baby is in danger of losing its liquor license after Community Board 3’s SLA Committee recommended against its renewal last night.
New LES Cinema, Metrograph, Unveils Menu: Beef Tongue and Popcorn Flights!
The Lower East Side is one step closer to getting a new art-house movie theater. Locals hailing from all walks of life, from the director of the social services organization Henry Street Settlement to the director of Winter’s Bone, spoke up in support of the Metrograph at a Community Board 3 meeting last night. Fashion designer Alexander Olch and his partners shared new details about the two-theater cinema and restaurant, and persuaded CB 3’s SLA Committee to unanimously support an application for a liquor license.