*Everyday Chatter

Awhile ago I made the not-so-astonishing prediction that the southeast corner of 14th and 3rd was about to come tumbling down (no doubt for another tower and another bank). Today, Curbed confirmed it. Damn, that was quick. In this ad, the real estate agents hype the place's marketable neighbors: Trader Joe's, Duane Reade, Kiehl's. But they fail to mention that the block's last XXX video shop will be rubbing up against the butt of their shiny tower. Maybe it's closing, too, but right now the joint is still open for business. And I do mean business--you can get much more than DVDs on the second floor:


The muffler men of Willets Point wish you all a Happy Hanukkah with this muffler menorah:


Bowery Hotel/B-Bar owner waxes nostalgic for the days when the Bowery meant Basquiat, the frontier, and wild adventure. Still, those fond memories aren't going to stop him from continuing to snuff the thing he loves so much--this is a must read. [NY Mag]

Remember El Gringo? Alex in NYC does. He rightly notes that Gringo's white-washing in the late 90s helped to herald the overall white-washing of the East Village. [FP]

The new Second Avenue Deli is almost ready for its debut--find out what's on the menu. [NY Mag]

Wasn't it a great idea to steal ownership from the city's newsstand operators and replace their personalized stands with these leaky, broken glass boxes? [Post]