Century Old Mulberry Street Bar Shuttered By Health Department

Mulberry Street's century old Mulberry Street Bar was shuttered by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on March 22 after receiving 47 violation points, two critical, in a recent inspection. Handwritten signs posted in the window of the establishment claim the order is due to a lapsed permit and a document taped to the window ostensibly supports that claim. But that seems open for debate.

Visiting St. Patrick's Old Cathedral School

This past June due to years of low enrollment, St. Patrick's Old Cathedral School on Prince Street at the corner of Mott Street closed its doors. Opened in 1822, it was the oldest existing Catholic grammar school in New York.

In a sale open to the public, the diocese is currently selling off many remaining items in the building to clear it our for undefined use. NYC The Blog snuck into the back courtyard to snap a few photos (seen above). See the full photo album on Facebook.

Previously:
Video: San Genarro Food Vendor Smashes Chair Over Visitors Head 
Have Squatters Come To Nolita?  
Nolita's Cupcake Wars Take Shape: Brooklyn's Little Cupcake Bakeshop And Chelsea's Billy's Bakery Announce Fall Arrival
Little Italy's Lombardi's Pizza Receives Truckload Of Coal  

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Video: San Genarro Food Vendor Smashes Chair Over Visitors Head

Summer might be over for the leisure class, but it isn't over for the other half until the Feast of San Genarro's last day on September 26. Which means the proletariat are still engaged in a timeless summer past time: street fighting!

Last Saturday on Mulberry Street, near Focolare Restaurant between Canal and Hester, a food vendor at San Genarro had it out with an out of control visitor. Naturally, the vendor smashed a chair over his head.

60 Foot Flag Hangs In Memory Of 9/11

This 60 foot by 30 foot flag was unfurled on 1 Liberty Plaza on September 22, 2001, overlooking ground zero during the World Trade Center rescue and recover efforts. It now hangs on a building at the corner of Mott and Hester street in Little Italy every year on the anniversary of 9/11.

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$1200 Crappy Apartment Next To Fish Store (Chinatown / Lit Italy)

At least they were honest, which counts for a lot. It's definitely more than you could expect from some real estate brokers, who are infamous for being misleading and disingenuous.

Pictures of the presumed crappy apartment and smelly fish store below...

Jim Joe: One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Living Room

Jim Joe on Grand Street in Little Italy.

See more Jim Joe on NYCTB's Facebook.

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More Tschotkes! Laurel Jewelry Opens On Mulberry Street

Looks like the market for clean and organized tschotke stores is heating up in Little Italy! Laurel Jewelry & Co. is now open at 184-186 Mulberry, between Kenmare and Broome (map).

It's too early to tell if they will give the Shopping Box a run for their money. Who has the cheaper ceramic ashtrays, that's the big question!

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Tomato, Spearmint And Sunflowers Take Root In Petrosino Park

Changes continue to grace Petrosino Square Park, the little park that could (and does). Having only recently received a dramatic landscaping effort which showcased multiple sunflowers (see below), the park has now provided the neighborhood with a tomato plant and a spearmint bush.

The tomato plant isn't doing to well, but it's trying so hard and is in a relatively secure spot of the park, away from pedestrians and park users. It has no trestle or support however, and is growing horizontally on the ground. The birds are going to love it.

Queen Bakery In Chinatown

A bright new bakery recently opened up at 150 Mott Street, Queen Bakery (map), serving buns, cakes, and you tiao.

Chinese bakeries down here are an interesting contrast to the legacy Italian cafe's in the area that command crowds of tourists and high prices.

You can, for example, get a coffee and cake at a Chinese bakery for $2.00, ($.75 for coffee, $1.25 for cake) or pay upwards of ten dollars for similar items at any of the Italian bakeries still hanging on, unabashedly gouging tourists like it is going out of style. $4.50 for distasteful espresso anyone?

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Rubirosa Casalinga Coming Soon To Nolita

Workers inside 235 Mulberry Street (formerly Lulu) first confirmed a new pizzeria way back in April. At the time, the fellow inside assured the pie was going to be fantastic.

You'll be finding out soon. Old world lettering befitting the neighborhood history has been applied to the windows, accompanied by a complimentary metal sign above. An opening seems imminent. A photo of the eateries beautiful public face is below.

TrustoCorp vs. Mr. Brainwash: Manufactured Drama

Trustocorp tags Mr. Brainwash on the wall of Lasso Pizza at Kenmare Street.

In what is shaping up to be the street art world's very own Andy Kaufman vs. Jerry Lawler, TrustoCorp, the street sign embellisher, has begun a campaign against Mr. Brainwash's work. They "...took out Mr Brainwash in Manhattan," TrustCorp bragged, adding, "It had to be done."

Sloane NYC Closes; Designer Opens Eponymous Boutique On Greene Street

Sloane NYC closed their doors on the corner of Mott and Broome streets, but not all is lost for those who loved owner and designer Brian Stanziale's one of a kind pieces. Stanziale has opened an eponymous outlet at 112 Greene Street, inside The Garment Room. Sloane NYC was on Mott St since October of last year at a favorable rate but without a lease. Now the landlord has a leased tenant and Brian found a new space.

Note a new awning has already been installed above a small part of the space advertising "The Hole." Sounds so dirty and degenerate, like The Cock (the original Cock on Avenue A). A walk by the blackened windows of The Hole one night last week showed a woman feverishly and, with great success, hip-hop dancing in front of a mirror.

Petrosino Park Undergoing Large Scale Improvements

Little Italy's Petrosino Park appears to be falling into disrepair, going to pot even.

After much fanfare when it  re-opened in October—the triangular shaped park doubled its previous space and was a welcome addition to the neighborhood—the little park that could has been beset by constant closures and repairs on one side or another. Or as is the case now, on all three sides!

I've heard from a reliable source the work happening now is necessary to correct problems with the original contractor. I have not confirmed this. 

With so much repair taking place at the park now, NYC The Blog phoned Council Member Margaret Chin's office yesterday and spoke with staff member Patricia Owen to get the 411.

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.

Light Poles On Elizabeth And Broome Get A Fresh Coat Of Paint

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Community Association Forms In Northern Little Italy

The determined sounding Northern Little Italy Community Association is a new neighborhood group formed to keep the 'hood "safe, quiet, clean and green." Next meeting is Tuesday, 6:30 pm at 263 Mulberry, the Parish House of Old St. Patrick's  (map). 

Will Hotel Toshi and 168 Elizabeth be on the agenda, and/or Village Tart's request for sidewalk tables? An email to NLICA inquiring about their meeting and organization was not returned.

NYCTB is also curious if Northern Little Italy shares the same geography as NoLiTa, and if not, what streets does NLICA encompass?

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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. 

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From Street Trash To Street Art

One enterprising artist took the opportunity to use a number of doors and other wood panels laying about Little Italy on trash day for canvas, painting at least four in one evening. Two were still there the next day. I wonder if any enterprising residents continued the cycle of opportunity by taking one and giving it a new home inside their apartment? See a photo of another piece that didn't quite make it through the night below.

Felix Morelo: I Hope You Die

Felix Morelo's normally cheerful work takes a sinister turn in Soho where he writes: "I hope you die."

The drawings became progressively more friendly the farther east he traveled. Does Morelo prefer Little Italy to Soho? It appears so. See the progression of his recent work below, where you can click through for a larger version.

From left to right, after hoping you die in Soho, Morelo implored you to "go fuck yourself." He became more pleasant when he reached Nolita, leaving a "bad good luck spot" and then finally in Little Italy, a community "PDA Spot." 

Fiat Cafe On Mott St Opens For Business

Fiat Cafe is open at 203 Mott Street as of last night (map), one building south of Lombardi's. The cafe takes the place of a juice bar that spent as much time renovating the space as they did open for business—unfortunately, only a few weeks.

A quick glance inside last night showed a light menu of sandwiches and beverages, decorated with toy scooters on one wall.

It's unclear at this time if Fiat Cafe is a contrived Italian bar or the real deal, endearing as an outpost in rural Italy. Stay tuned...

UPDATE: They seem always to have a crowd of people enjoying their space at all times of day. 

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