May 2011

After years of speculation, D’agostino on University Place has closed and will be replaced by some kind of higher-end gourmet market. It’s the way of the world…or at least the neighborhood.

People often complain that Whole Foods is too expensive, but did you know they offer plenty of decent coupons?

Join Union Square Wines in celebrating five years at their new location. Taste nearly one hundred wines in six hours during our Anniversary Party. Our favorite purveyors from the wine biz will be on hand to pour a wide range of varietals, regions, and styles for all attendess. Guest pourers will be showcasing their wines through two shifts, 1pm to 4pm and 4pm to 7pm – when all is said and done marathon tasters will have enjoyed a little something from almost every wine region in the world! This incredible tasting event is certain to inspire selections for the upcoming summer months. In addition to a legion of wine offerings, guest spirit Fidencio Mezcal will be serving up Joven and Classico Mezcal as well as the complex agave spirit Pechuga all day! There will be something for everyone in celebrating five years at 140 Fourth!

As of May 23, it’s illegal to smoke in Union Sq. Park. Smokers will be fined $50. Additionally, going forward only 18 art vendors per day will be allowed to set up shop. Both these rules seem utterly unenforceable, so we shall see.

You’ve surely noticed the water main repairs happening along 13th St. This will lead to water shutoffs at 830AM to perhaps 3PM on Thursday the 26th and Tuesday the 31st, and perhaps other times.

We may or may not technically live in Greenwich Village, but here are some fun stats anyway:
Though it’s known as a hotbed of diversity, Greenwich Village is really quite homogeneous according to a new New York University-commissioned study by Appleseed, an economic analysis firm. Some highlights from The Economy of Greenwich Village: A Profile:

** The population of the Village last year was 72,025, virtually unchanged since 1990.
** Children under 18 comprise only 9.2 percent of the population, compared to almost 23 percent citywide. But between 2000 and 2009, the number of children under age 5 grew by 48 percent.
** Working age people (25-64 years) account for 69 percent of the Village population.
** Almost 80 percent of Village residents are white folks, 9.3 percent Asian, 6.2 percent Latino, 3 percent mixed race and 2.2 percent black.
** Village people have a median household income of just over $100,000 a year, more than double that of the rest of the city.
** 82.4 percent of Village residents have college degrees, beating even Cambridge (71.4 percent) and Palo Alto (78.7 percent).
** Ten percent of Village peeps work in the arts, recreation and hospitality industries compared to a whopping 18 percent in finance, insurance and real estate.
** Universities and colleges employ 10,350 people in the Village and their plans to expand are expected to stimulate growth in the local economy.

This week (May 23 to May 27), Contractors will continue to excavate earth and rock, and load out material. We will complete the underpinning of the adjacent buildings. Installation of rakers, line drilling, lagging and sheeting around the perimeter will progress as well. Concrete foundation walls are scheduled to begin.

The following week (May 30 to June 3), we will continue line drilling, rock excavation, and loading out, as well as lagging and sheeting.

Concrete foundation walls will progress.

Down the way on University Place is the new iteration of Pop Burger called Pop Pub. Eater.com has all the details. .

After a New York Post story complaining about druggies in the park, The Village Voice followed up to see if it’s really true. Their conclusion: “The piece smacks of sensationalism, so we have to ask: Is Union Square any worse than any other park in the city? Or is it simply a place we’ve all heard of, and probably been, that can symbolize the outrage? Cops have reportedly made 84 drug-related arrests in and around the park this year. But that’s hardly a return to the bad old edgy days that many of us can’t stop bemoaning the loss of, even if it is worse than recent years.”