cityrag

Moving Images
pics out the car window...

crotan reservoir

west river

Johnny Depp + ? = bar fight
in the early 90's alphabet city was in it's final days as a subversive haven for the sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle. back then we bartended at NoTell Motel and Babyland, 2 of the best east village bars that ever were. after hours parties, drug abuse, naked dancing and bar fights were a nightly occurrence. the bars were packed every night with local artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers, punks and celebrities out for a taste of east village anarchy. some crazy stuff went down. like the Johnny Depp Babyland fight...

here's what was written in People, 10/3/94 (without any real info, no one was talking) ... "The night after his release from jail, Depp, flanked by leather-clad, heavily tattooed bikers, was at Babyland, a Lower East Side bar filled with cribs and nursery paraphernalia. Price, a Manhattan pipe fitter, claims that Depp bumped into him at the club's bar, after which Price says he was pummeled by the biker bodyguards and hit with a rocking horse."

here's what we recall...
Depp was in the bar with Jonathan Shaw (a well known tattoo artist who's done many of Depp's tattoos.) near them were a bunch of hard core bikers (they weren't body guards.) Depp was hanging out having a good time, everyone was being cool and leaving him alone (that the creed back then). this big mouth who's shitfaced drunk starts getting loud about Depp being there. he goes up to where Depp is sitting - PULLS IT OUT and says "hey Johnny Depp - SUCK MY COCK"! - BAM -everyone is out of their seat and fists are flying left and right at the guy. he was beat down with all kinds of baby stuff - cribs, toys. Depp got out. cops came, shit went down. it was an f'ing madhouse. a classic EV bar fight.

lesson: don't tell bikers to suck your dick (or someone close by them)

Respect

a 24 year young man died last week on the lower east side. candles were lit, bottles poured out and other tokens left in tribute and memorial.

Popping our cherry bomb
growing up in NYC our fireworks experience went like this... sparklers bought at convenience store at the jersey shore, small fireworks scored at local Italian sandwich shop, start to get fireworks regularly in Chinatown, find bigger stuff over in Little Italy, stops at South of the Boarder and other roadside stands on trips down south.

last week we discovered fireworks nirvana - a back woods hidden warehouse! (2 hours from NYC) Fireworks Express right over the NJ boarder in Maryland. lots of BIG aerial items, like we've never had access to. and cheap prices. JACKPOT BABY! for $230 bucks ($190 online + $40 there) we got TONS of stuff. 3-4 big shows, and lots of smaller novelty stuff for the nephews. the packaging is so fantastic and fabulous. it was like Christmas...

18 inch mortars with 6 inch shells that explode into 4 bursts/breaks like - "gold bees, blue/red star, silver dragon, crackle shower". 3 different boxes for $65. all kinds of roman candles $5 a pack, many different 100+ shot aerial shows - all around $3 each.

cute mini fountains .25 cents for a box of 5 (novelty ground items, tanks, cars and stuff - were between .25 cents and $2 and were buy 1 get 1 free!)

orders can be placed online (lots of freebies and discounts online) -or buy there. $200 minimum and you have to have an out of state drivers license (they can't sell to MD residents.) directions are: 123 Peninsula Drive - From : I-95 Take Exit #100A(Go 1 mile South on Route 272 to Peninsula Dr, turn West at Holiday Inn Express

direction lead to a run down industrial park in MD. go down a dirt road (barbwire on all around) and see a run down warehouse with lots of abandoned trucks that say "explosives". it's a bit weird, but inside the warehouse is PACKED with all kinds of amazing fireworks. they're open year-round, everyday until July 4th with extended hours - phone number 918-491-6262.

Buddy likes baths...

but Buddy don't like wet ears...

so Buddy gets the blower, and is clean and happy...

the end (thanks Sarah for Buddy's first email :-)

The V Lounge
on sweltering days you step down to the 2nd Ave F train and there it - the uptown V train waiting to start it’s run across the platform. icy cold air conditioning and plenty of seats. come on in and sit down while you wait for the F train (or better yet – it might just pull and and take you to your stop.) it’s the V Lounge!

Invincible Spirit

Govener GovNor
graf on abandoned building next to the Loreley on Rivington off Chrystie -

The Schnitzel Fo' Shizzle
we've been a fan since the Loreley opened last fall. in honor of the recent buzz, here's the #1 reason to go the Loreley - the Wiener Schnitzel...

lots of other good stuff on the menu. great beer, freshly made hot pretzels, the spaetzle with cheese and bacon is insanely good.

The bigger the job, the bigger the trucks, the better.
love NYC construction. there's nothing like peeping inside the city's shell. below are photos from Monday of the giant hole being dug on Chrystie and Houston. does it get any better than this? (click pics to blow up)

and while we're at it... also from this Mon - Avalon Christie Place is going up FAST. a month ago it was a giant hole in the ground. now it's a giant hole filled with cement and rebar.

The Dumpling House
The Dumpling House is small store front on Eldridge between Broome and Grand serving the BEST fried pork dumplings in NYC. made by hand from an old family recipe. sold hot out of the pan, nicely browned and crispy. ONLY $1 for 5. the owner, a beautiful and smart woman named Vanessa, opened the shop 5 years ago. Vanessa is in the shop everyday assuring the dumplings are top quality and things are running smoothly.

the sesame pancakes are excellent. .50 cents for a thick and fluffy triangle covered in toasted sesame seeds with bits of scallion inside. steamed vegetable dumplings are out of this world good, lots of different chopped vegetables and tofu. they make their own version of "kimchee", that has apple slices. a special item they're known for is the Sesame Pancake with Beef. sesame pancake sliced open and layered with grated carrot, fresh cilantro, thinly sliced beef and sauce - $1.50

you can put together a great meal for about $3.50. this is the kind of place that makes NY rule the food world. (open until 10 pm daily and there's a cool Chinese dollar store across the street.)

this is the first in a series profiling delicious food in NYC. Coming up: 'inoteca, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, The Loreley beer hall, more cheap eats, the ultimate delivery series, and more.

Fights Happen...
we're not advocating hateration, but fights happen. they sometimes make good stories. and sometimes there's lessons in those stories. so without any further rationalization - here's the Fights Happen series - with some pics of 2 street fights snapped last month within one 24 hour period...

#1 - a kid was being chased up Ludlow by a restaurant worker. when the guy snagged him, the kid grabbed a bike parked on the corner. when the chick who's bike it was jumped up to protect her bike, the kid made a break and ran (first pick the kid is hiding behind the girl with the rolled up pants protecting her bike. second pic is the kid breaking away). lesson: people might not protect you but they'll protect their property - so grab onto something if you're being chased.

#2 - the next day on the corner of 42nd St and 7th Ave at around 11:00 am with tons of people around - this man pops this woman in the nose. she did not hit him first and was a foot shorter and 70 lbs lighter. many people asked if she was ok and yelled "fucking asshole" after the guy. lesson: it's a good thing most NY'ers don't carry guns, the guy would have been dead.

coming up:
- Sharon Osbourne Kicked My Boss in the Balls
- infamous East Village bar fights

Billionaire casting call (an early warning sign?...)
you'd think the Billionaire open casting call at the Virgin Mega Store in the heart Times Square NYC would have a great turn out... you'd think. listed as an 11am-6pm call (on a Thursday, 5/20), there were lots of police and barricades, even a Times Square traffic alert was issued to local buildings.

but at 12:00 noon there was under 20 people in line. lots of space, take all the time you need.

at around 1pm the line had dwindled down to about 12 people. the barricades extended to the end of the block but the line never extended past the edge of the store. many people looked, er, a little old to be "young would-be billionaires".

even the cops walking by were joking with the cops hired for "mob control" at what an easy job they had. make you're own predictions...

Meet Buddy...
Buddy is a tough little mutt. rescued off of death row on his last day. half corgi and half chihuahua. 16 lbs and will take on a rottweiler for no reason. and a people whore. known throughout the EV and LES for his badass style and massive personality. this is the start of the Buddy series -

In the coming weeks:
- Buddy pees on Interpreter film set
- finding Buddy on petfinder.org
- Tompkins Square small dog run posse
- pics pics pics