Tuesday, October 04, 2005

News & Notes 05.10.04

Who knew about the Irish Center in LIC?

Katrina survivors right here in Astoria. I wish we could do something for them directly. It says they need winter clothes! Read NYT Article

Local Green, Robyn Sklar, qualifies for matching funds. Read Green News Release. That's hot. I just wish her community garden plot didn't look like crap. (PS. I'd probably vote for her anyway.)

They're going to fix the Steinway bridge. In 2007. Read Article.


Scuttlebutt Section

Garden of George is actually not closing. It's reopening as a restaurant. I was talking with some of the construction guys last night and they put up a really fun installation on the awning. I just hope it's weatherproof. I'll post a pic tonight.

Anyone who thinks they're putting a Whole Foods in where Tupelo was is on crack. I have no idea who circulated this rumor, but it makes me laugh. I heard it's going to be a Cow-Town.

There's a new thrift store on 34th Av. I haven't been there yet, but it looks cool. There's also like ten new Euro-cafes on 30th and a couple new yogalaties places up by Ditmars.

Why is the Euro-mart carrying produce outside the store? It's going to get rained on by the subway dirt and that's just groaty-mcfroaty.

Viva El Mar
appears to have closed. That was a record. I wanted to make a joke about how the letters on its sign are continually getting smaller, but I kinda feel bad for them.

The defunct Big Apple Discount and the discount place on 35th & Broadway appear to both be under renovations.

PS. I actually like Janeane Garofalo on the West Wing. Too bad Al Frankin won't be their next president.

12 comments:

aimee said...

I saw all the furniture, etc. on the awning. I was a little scared it would fall on me. But then again, Ritmo has the car hanging out of the building.

mia said...

please don't tell me you just said viva el mariachi closed. please don't. oh god... changing into black clothes, lighting candles.. oh I can't bear to go look...


whole foods? yeah, that is funny... but they are taking over the world, so stranger things have happened (like starbucks on 35th ave, for instance).

Unknown said...

wow. I never noticed how similar those names are. Well, first off, no it's Viva El Mar, exactly, like "The Sea Lives!". It (was) on Broadway between 36th & 35th. But Dude, Viva El Mariachi is nasty. You really like it? What would you recommend? I've given it a few tries, but it's always just inedible. We stick to Tacos Mexico.

Unknown said...

a - I'm with you there. It's cute, but troubleing. I give it a month.

mia said...

oh good. it did occur to me shortly after that there was that place... which is good. bad for them. you know.
I get, almost exclusively, Enchiladas de mole poblano. chicken. it feeds 2. I've had the cheese variety of enchilades verdes as well which is pretty good, albeit mostly (ok, all) cheese. I've had a chicken tostada or 2 which are fine, burritos boring. and, yeah... that's all... but I shall check out this place you speak of...

Anonymous said...

What, pray tell, is a "Cow-Town?"

Unknown said...

oh, its what I call C-Town.

Anonymous said...

hate to tell you that the new "thrift store" on 34th ave isn't all that. it's just a bunch of crappy stuff that fell off the back of a truck. bummer.

Anonymous said...

34th Ave. and where? Maybe I'll brave out into this weekend's constant rain and check it out this Sunday. But, considering the weather, I want to know beforehand exactly where I'd be heading.

Unknown said...

i hear ya. I think it's around 32nd or 33rd Street.

Anonymous said...

Thank you! :)

Anonymous said...

I went to the thrift store on Sunday. While it's nothing to get bowled over about, it's not bad either. It's almost all clothing, which is something I was a bit disappointed with. But on the plus side, it was well organized, clean, and the garments looked very lightly used (unlike some of the stuff I've come across at the Salvation Army on Steinway).

What really got my attention, though, was what I encountered on the way there. There's some new construction going on on 34th Ave. A building on the corner of 35th Street (across from "S'gapo") with a fairly large amount of square footage has been leveled, and another corner building at 33rd Street, which I recall having formerly been a bodega, is undergoing construction.
Anyone have any info about what's going up in either of these locations?