1. Payphone crash update: taxi plowed straight into it

    W 55th St & 9th Ave

    We saw the payphones outside the Citibank at 55th & 9th were damaged during the rain earlier this week, but missed the actual accident. Reader Chris was there just after it happened however, and got took some great photos. The damage after the taxi was cleared made it seem like it was just a relatively minor incident, but turns out it was much more intense:

    A taxi crashed into payphones on 9th Ave
    A taxi crashed into payphones on 9th Ave

    That’s much more of a crash than I was expecting. Very lucky nobody got hurt.

    Thanks Chris for the photos!

  2. Have your say on the Far West Side bus route

    The planned Far West Side bus route covering 11th & 12th Aves is getting closer to becoming a reality. As part of the process, a survey has been released for feedback on where the actual stops should be along the route.

    The route will head up 12th Ave, along W 57th St to Columbus Circle, then back down 11th Ave to Chelsea, connecting with the subway at Columbus Circle, 14th St/​8th Ave, and the future 34th St/​Hudson Yards stop, running every 30 minutes.

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    Source: Community Board 4

    Throughout the process of planning this new route community feedback has been heavily involved. Already the MTA has agreed to change the route to the plan you see now – before it stayed entirely on 11th & 12th Aves, without the Columbus Circle connection – but they haven’t yet given in to requests for more frequent service. Every half an hour is what’s probably going to be a dealbreaker for many people, but maybe it’ll catch on.

    Anyway, head over to the survey to leave your suggestions on the stops.

Wednesday, Mar 12th

  1. Rain claims another payphone

    W 55th St & 9th Ave

    You’d think after months of endless snow, this evening’s rain wouldn’t phase drivers, but apparently you’d be wrong. At some point tonight, it looks like a car lost control on 9th Ave and hit a phone booth. It doesn’t look like it was a major accident, or that there were any injuries, so the only victims were the payphones:

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    The police and huge roped-​off area drew a small crowd:

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    Just last month another phone booth two streets down from this one met a similar fate (we only cover the important news, clearly). Conspiracy? That one was surprisingly reinstalled though, so there’s hope for this latest one still.

Tuesday, Mar 11th

  1. Tehuitzingo modernizing old location

    Tehuitzingo

    Tehuitzingo recently opened a 9th Ave location, and while the new location was opening, they closed their long-​time 10th Ave location (opposite the park). It looked like they’d just relocated the store, but it turns out they’re still keeping the old one around, and are bringing the same “modern” signage and décor to it:

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    Still not fully sold on the logo, but at least they’re consistent:

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    For reference, here’s what it looked up until the start of the year:

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    Jan 2014

    Busy few months for the Tehuitzingo team.

  2. Spring

    It’s finally here. Lovely afternoon out along Pier 84:

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    Remember what warmth felt like?

Monday, Mar 10th

  1. Tehuitzingo shuttered after only one month by health department

    Tehuitzingo

    Just one month ago Tehuitzingo opened their new store on 9th Ave, and already they’ve been hit by the health department.

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    They’ve put a letter up with the closure notice giving their side of the story:

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    They say they were closed “for reasons that cannot be shared”, but “were not closed down for a ‘dirty’ or unsanitary reason”. The health inspection violations are available online though, and list things like hot food not held at the correct temperature, evidence of mice, and food not protected from potential sources of contamination. So not sure what’s going on.

    This is the second place this week the DOH has hit – they also got Stecchino further up 9th Ave, with a whole lot more “violation points” than here. Strict week at the health department it sounds like.

  3. Report: Stabbing outside Vynl last night (updated)

    Vynl

    We’ve heard reports that some time last night around 7am there was a stabbing outside Vynl, right on 9th Ave. Not too much information is available at the moment, other than what local resident Mark reported on Twitter:

    Someone was stabbed on 9th Avenue at 51st Street in #HellsKitchen #NYC last night (in front of vynl).

    And a followup:

    My roommate said there was blood in front of Boxers HK too.

    Police were outside Vynl this morning investigating, so hopefully we’ll hear more soon. If you have any more info on this “unfortunate incident”, please let us know!

    Almost two months ago there was another late-​night stabbing, but that was all the way over on 11th Ave, which that late at night feels a bit “sketchy”. If it happens in the middle of 9th Ave, during the day, that’s something else entirely.

    Crazy.

    Thanks Chris for the heads up!

    Update: DNAinfo have uncovered some more information about the incident. Turns out it was earlier this morning, not last night as we originally thought, which makes it that much worse.

    The man was stabbed outside the eatery at 754 Ninth Ave. near West 51st Street just after 7 a.m., officials said.

    He was taken to Bellevue Hospital for non-​life-​threatening injuries, the FDNY said.

    At least the victim will be ok. Still no news on why this happened, so we’ll keep an eye out.

    Update 2: DNAinfo reports that the attack was part of an attempted robbery.

Sunday, Mar 9th

  1. Nippori Japanese now open

    Nippori

    The new Japanese restaurant Nippori on W 51st St has been having its “pre opening” over the past few days. After a long time watching, the signage went up just over a month ago, and now it’s here:

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    The place is run by the same people behind the two Tabata Ramen stores on 8th & 9th Aves around 40th St which are usually doing pretty well, so if the food here is anything like the ramen there, it should be a big hit. (Probably a smart move on their behalf not jumping into the the ongoing Totto/​Ippudo Ramen Wars around that area, too.)

    The menu is still being finalized, so if you get in soon you might be able to try some dishes that won’t be around for long. Exclusive!

    Nippori

    245 W 51st St

    Groups

  2. Bricco seized for failure to pay taxes

    Bricco

    Bricco, the italian restaurant just west of 8th Ave on W 56th St, has been hit by “tax season” hard, with their store seized for nonpayment of taxes, as noticed by local resident Derek.

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    Meanwhile, their website has a big message saying they’re “temporarily closed for emergency weather-​related renovations”, which is one way of framing it.

    It’ll be interesting to see if they can come back from this one…

    Thanks Derek for letting us know!

Saturday, Mar 8th

  1. Stecchino gets DOH’d

    Stecchino

    The health department has struck again, this time shuttering Stecchino, the Italian/​American restaurant on 9th Ave just north of 51st St.

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    They racked up 94 violation points in their inspection this week, more than two and a half times their previous worst score. Not a good week I guess. They managed to get both the “live roaches” and “live/​evidence of mice” ones, as well as a number of food handling and employee based violations, so that’s comforting.

    Not wanting focus to go towards the health department closure notice, they’ve put their own giant sign up explaining the closure as a result of “mechanical problems”:

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    So distracting I even missed the DOH notice at first

    Hopefully they can sort out their “mechanical problems” and reopen cleaner than ever!

    Thanks to HK regular George for the heads up!

  2. Simpler times

    W 53rd St & 9th Ave

    Not sure what’s more surprising: that they reinstalled the smashed payphone here, or that it’s actually getting used still.

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    Cell phones haven’t won yet!

  3. Armory

    W 52nd St & 12th Ave

    Big day at the art shows today, although the crowds didn’t stick around that late though:

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    If you noticed what seemed like a wall of people appear coming east this evening, mystery solved. Big turnouts for the two shows earlier in the day it looked like at least.

Friday, Mar 7th

  1. This weekend’s art shows

    Art aficionados rejoice: not one but two art shows in the area this weekend. First up, the big one which you might’ve already heard about is The Armory Show, being held at Piers 92 & 94.

    The Armory Show, a leading international contemporary and modern art fair and one of the most important annual art events in New York, takes place every March on Piers 92 & 94 in central Manhattan.

    The Armory Show is devoted to showcasing the most important artworks of the 20th and 21st centuries. In its fifteen years the fair has become an international institution, combining a selection of the world’s leading galleries with an exceptional program of arts events and exhibitions throughout New York during the celebrated Armory Arts Week.

    DNAinfo have some information to get you up to speed on navigating the fair, because it’s so huge.

    Meanwhile, not far from there along W 52nd St just west of 10th Ave The (UN)FAIR is running, aiming to be more-​or-​less the opposite of the Armory:

    For the first (and last) time, almost 100 artworks, artists, and performers gather in a 19th century Hell’s Kitchen building for a guerilla-​style art show during Armory Arts Week, brought together by a New York City curator/​artist team.

    Called THE(UN)FAIR, the free, multi-​faceted art event includes paintings, installations, performance art, music, and…elevator comedians. gether by a New York City curator/​artist team.

    One of the last vestiges of the manufacturing past of Hell’s Kitchen, the historic venue, a building managed by the non-​profit Clinton Housing Development Corporation, is slated for conversion to affordable housing. THE(UN)FAIR is a farewell gift from the artists who currently occupy the building, and their friends.

    Unlike the Armory Show […] THE(UN)FAIR is a break from the frenzy and rigidity of cookie-​cutter art fair booths. It celebrates amazing art by a hand-​picked group of prestigious artists, but will also have ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and gourmet treats from Popcorn Indiana, which really speaks to the fun of the event.

    Apparently there’s going to be free stretch limousines taking visitors between the two shows, so if you’re up for it you can probably hit both in one day. If you’ve only got the energy for one though, it’s hard not to suggest the one with Ben & Jerry’s…