Jim Joe Reaches Higher

Ubiquitous graffiti artist and self promotion expert Jim Joe reaches for new heights atop this building on the Kenmare and Elizabeth Streets, his tag visible on the mobile telephone antennas high above the street.

Previously:
Keeping Up With The Jim Joeses
Jim Joe: One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Living Room
Jim Joe Is The Wurst
Jim Joe Likes His Dope

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The Nolitan Undresses

Little Chitaly's new, wildly non-conformist hotel The Nolitan, on the corner of Kenmare and Elizabeth has shed its construction netting and is proudly displaying her dual structures that tower over neighboring buildings. The 55–room boutique hotel looks to provide the "perfect home in Nolita" (but not like an actual, real tenement home many in the neighborhood live in) and an "impeccable, attentive, stylish," place that is of course, "all about you."

Below, see just how well the hotel deviated from the architectural style and current old world charm of Little Chitaly, in the haphazard street scape display put together for your viewing pleasure.

Village Tart Seeks Permit For Sidewalk Cafe

A public hearing will be held tonight at the NYU Silver Building at 32 Waverly Place, Room 206 (map) to address a request by Village Tart, opened earlier this year on the corner of Kenmare and Mulberry, seeking a permit for an unenclosed sidewalk cafe for ten tables and 20 seats.

The outdoor seating, if approved, will be a stones throw away from neighboring La Esquina's popular sidewalk tables and will further Kenmare Street's new reincarnation as a Restaurant Row, as Bowery Boogie labeled it recently. 

» Follow NYC The Blog on Facebook and Twitter. Photo credit: Paolo Mastrangelo/NYC The Blog

MIRF "Elaborate" On New Work And Jon Lennon

Last Friday, NYC The Blog posted a photo of relatively new work on Broome St. by the graffiti duo Mint and Serf (MIRF).

The work was tagged "Jon Lennon," who happens to work across the street at GoldBar.

Asked via email the reason for a special greeting to Lennon, Mint and Serf explained: "he is part of our extended family." So there you have it, a graffiti duo with an extended family. 

Quizzed about relatively new pieces popping up elsewhere around the neighborhood, they declined to respond. See photos of those below.

Putting Words In Denzel's Mouth

Seen on Kenmare between Elizabeth and Bowery, street artist BilliKid rudely puts words in Denzel's mouth.

UPDATE: Sidewalk Shed Stays Free Of Graffiti For 43 Days And Counting

When NYC The Blog last checked in with the sidewalk shed on the corner of Elizabeth and Kenmare, it had been free of graffiti for 23 days. This is made all the more notable in light of the clean white surface beckoning fellow art majors, seen at right. Well...a spot check done last night confirms the spot has not yet been embellished, and is now free of graffiti or street art for an astonishing 43 days. Not even one sticker!

If a large print of my face shows up there this week, I just want to take this opportunity to deny any responsibility.

Sidewalk Shed Stays Free Of Graffiti For 23 Straight Days And Counting

As you can see in the photo above, this sidewalk shed on the corner of Elizabeth and Kenmare has been free of any embellishment for at least an astonishing 23 days. First spied on Nov 24, it consists of a clean, white slate for anyone to work with; unbelievably it has remained untouched since then. Have the prolific wheat pasters who used to roam these streets moved on to new neighborhoods beyond the Williamsburg Bridge? When will some derring-do artist with a woodcut of a bird come hang his handiwork? Or maybe this blank slate of white is the art?? NYCTB will keep you posted.

This space joins another blank white wall on Mulberry and Prince, which until recently displayed a hand-painted ad for the Intermix boutique. If you know any "street artists," who would love to "get up," spread the word.

Related: Restless has recently posted a handful of photos showing blank billboards on varying buildings around Manhattan.

Sneak Peek at Newly Opened Petrosino Square Park

What are these two smiling about? By happenstance, Dan Barasch (in glasses) and his friend Willie were the first two citizens to experience the renovated Petrosino Square Park last night after workers began to remove the fence. These two are not the only ones pleased to see the new park though.  When the park reconstruction was announced in June, Streetsblog reported:

Interestingly, the loudest round of applause from the crowd of local residents, many elderly Italian citizens, appeared to come during [Council Member] Alan Gerson's remarks regarding freeing up useless road space on Lafayette St. for community use.

It was 9pm last night when people were busy watering the greenery, sweeping the borders, and putting the finishing touches on the park while the fence came down, in preparation for it's ribbon cutting ceremony this morning at 11am.  Eight bike racks were installed along the NE corner of the park on Cleveland Pl. 

A life long resident of the neighborhood who was born on the NW corner of Spring and Cleveland PL tells me that Petrosino Sq used to be a Milk House, (like this one at Tompkins Sq) "a little house where my mother would send me to buy milk for two cents."

More photos on the Flick, and info on Petrosino Square at NYC.Gov