*Everyday Chatter

Not to be a grabby blogger, but I have to say, I started the whole "East Village Wines is now taking Euros" thing. I just saw it today on Yahoo/Reuters. It no doubt traveled there by way of City Room 1/14, who admittedly got it from The Villager 1/9, who probably (though not definitively) got it from my post on 1/4. And such is the way small bits of news travel through the world wide webbernets.

On a warm day, the ledge of condo 300 18th is all aflutter with high-school kids, dogwalkers, disabled people--and I can't wait til spring. I wonder when the old crime-scene-tape fence will make its delightful reappearance...


How do those condo builders really think and feel? What goes on inside their heads? For insight, read this eye-opening interview with wonderboy builder Ben Shaoul as he discusses his important role in the decimation of the East Village. [Observer via Curbed]

Moishe's celebrates 35 years on 2nd Avenue and shows no sign of stopping (good news!) as Mr. Perl remembers a time when "You were able to get any sized store for $75 a month — landlords were begging you.” Can you even imagine such a thing? [Villager]

Meatpacking original Florent fights the fight against an insane rent increase of, like, 9 bazillion percent. [Eater]

A nice 90-year-old stationery store that brings to mind Paul Auster's blue notebook. [Brooklynometry]

A million cartoon shoppers are heading for the "gateway to Williamsburg"! [Gowanus L]

There's a disturbance in the Force: Bed-Stuy gets some Darth Vader architecture. [NY Shitty]

Stop the construction of Karl Fischer's 13th Street monstrosity! These flyers just popped up around the neighborhood. No mention of an organized protest, but a plea to contact Landmarks: