Welcome The Kati Roll Company

After Stage Restaurant was closed, for tampering with their gas lines, East Villagers were left wondering what new food establishment would open here, hoping that this time the food would be good!

Well the wait is over! Welcome beloved The Kati Roll Company:

The Kati Roll Company, with glarey sign.

Here is what it looks like inside:

Inside.

Look at that — there's room to enter now!

#eastvillage #katirollcompany #secondavenue #signs #stagerestaurant

Covered With Paper

Regular readers of East Village Today will surely remember the recent article I wrote about the formerly-beloved Stage Restaurant (with unobstructed view)!

What you may not have noticed is that the door is now covered with paper:

Covered with paper.

The last picture I have of the inside is from July 2:

The inside.

Take a look at how close that seat was to the door! And because the handle of the door was on the right side, people would bump into you when coming in. Can you image trying to eat your cabbage soup with people bumping your arm?!

When the paper finally comes down, the inside will look much different — you probably won't remember what it ever looked like!

Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly… so is the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #doors #inside #stagerestaurant

The Parallel Bicycle

Wow.

Yesterday, for the benefit of East Village photo bloggers everywhere, I moved the abandoned bicycle chained to the street sign in front of the formerly-beloved Stage Restaurant on Second Avenue, to allow for unobstructed pictures of the formerly-beloved restaurant.

Today, I passed by there again, only to find this:

Parallel again.

Someone returned it to its former, parallel position!

It makes sense, from an urban planning perspective: it should offer the smallest profile to the flow of foot traffic — but not everything is about traffic flow. Sometimes, unobstructed views for photographers should be considered!

Won't someone please think of the photographers… in the East Village Today?!

#eastvillage #abandoned #bicycles #parallel #secondavenue #stagerestaurant

The Perpendicular Bicycle

There is an abandoned bicycle locked to a traffic sign in front of the formerly-beloved Stage Restaurant on Second Avenue, that makes it nigh impossible to take a decent picture of the formerly-beloved restaurant without the bicycle appearing in it, in all its decomposing splendor.

Today, I repositioned that bicycle.

Behold:

Abandoned bicycle, repositioned.

Whereas before it was parallel to the street, now it is perpendicular!

So all you other lazy blog photographers, take note!

You're welcome!

#eastvillage #abandonedbicycles #bicycles #perpendicular #secondavenue #stagerestaurant

Vandalism Update

Wow! Just as I've said before: Things change quickly in the East Village!

Just this very morning, I wrote about vandalism in front of the formerly-beloved Stage Restaurant on Second Avenue. At that time, I wrote:

Stay tuned for further updates!

That time is now!

I was walking down Second Avenue this morning, when I saw this:

Vandalism removed.

It's funny how they can remove paint from the sidewalk, but not gum!

#eastvillage #stagerestaurant #secondavenue #vandalism #graffiti

Vandals Strike

East Villagers are no strangers to vandalism — it's a defining characteristic!

Sometimes the vandalism is so brazen that it deserves attention, such as what occurred this past week on Second Avenue, on the sidewalk in front of the formerly-beloved Stage Restaurant:

Brazen vandalism.

The local authorities are probably checking the videotapes from local security cameras.

Stay tuned for further updates!

* * *

UPDATED 14:22

Click here for the update!

#eastvillage #graffiti #secondavenue #sidewalks #stagerestaurant #vandalism

T-Plus-2 and Counting

I was walking down Second Avenue this past Sunday, past the formerly-beloved Stage Restaurant, when a thought occurred to me: How long will it be before some intrepid East Villager "liberates" this sign:

Stage Restaurant sign. 

I took a close look at it and it's not held in place by very much — almost anyone could probably take it down!

It won't be worth much, but it might look good in some beloved-artifact collector's living room!

Any wagers?!

#eastvillage #secondavenue #stagerestaurant #signs

Exit… Stage

Rumor has it that the beloved Stage Restaurant is closing for good, after being closed since last year, when Consolidated Edison discovered that the gas lines had been "inappropriately accessed"  and shut off their gas. This was followed by the Department of Buildings issuing a Full Stop Work order.

This was the scene outside yesterday evening:

Outside Stage Restaurant yesterday evening.

Stage was not that popular with East Villagers. First of all, there were no tables — only a line of stools at a counter! Also, the food was not very good.

Oh yes, and they didn't take debit/credit cards!

Hopefully, something will open here with better food, and a safer space!

#eastvillage #conedison #secondavenue #signs #stagerestaurant

#Gas

Ever since the explosion on Second Avenue (March 26), gas has become a trending topic!

Surviving building, last April.

The beloved Stage Restaurant, across the street from the explosion, is closed and being sued by the building owner for tampering with the gas lines:

Closed and being sued.

The beloved Nino's Pizza, on the corner of Avenue A and St. Mark's Place, is closed due to a gas leak:

We are close.

Even the recently-opened, beloved Black Seed Bagels, on First Avenue, was having gas problems last Sunday:

It gives a whole new meaning to the expression "Now you're cooking with gas!"… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #blackseedbagels #eastvillageexplosion #firstavenue #gas #gasline #ninospizza #secondavenue #signs #stagerestaurant

Stage to Partner with Pinkberry?

Rumor has it that the beloved Pinkberry, that used to be on St. Mark's Place before it closed:

St. Mark's former Pinkberry, with couch.

is partnering with the beloved Stage Restaurant, on Second Avenue:

Possible new signage.

It would be the best of both worlds… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #pinkberry #secondavenue #stagerestaurant

Stage Restaurant

I took this picture of Stage Restaurant, on Second Avenue, back in early January:

Stage Restaurant.

Stage suffers from poor feng shui, being so small and under a fire escape. These days, they suffer from being shut down by the Department of Buildings! It seems someone was tampering with the gas lines, the very situation that led to the explosion and fire across the street from them!

East Villagers love gas lines being worked on by licensed, professional plumbers only!

#eastvillage #secondavenue #stagerestaurant

Staring Out the Window

This is my last Polar Vortex picture, until the next one!

I was walking down Second Avenue, taking pictures of the Polar Vortex, when I passed the Stage Restaurant:

Praying before dinner.

Apparently, the Polar Vortex made its way inside the restaurant, since this patron chose to leave on his coat and hat and gloves!

It was a rough day, but the East Village pulled through!

#eastvillage #stagerestaurant #secondavenue #polarvortex