Eater compiled a list of cursed restaurant spaces around town.  A few East Village spots made the cut, including the old Kiev at 117 Second Avenue [Eater]

A progress report on the status of the new Veselka outpost at Bowery and First Street [EV Grieve]

College kids have once again flooded the downtown environs.  NY Press singles them out with a “how we know you’re from out of town” roundup [NY Press]

Details magazine gets in on the faux graffiti trend [Vanishing NY]

Break out those surfboards, Earl’s on the way to a beach near you [Gothamist]

The MTA is again considering the replacement of its wooden subway benches with stainless steel. Prototypes will roll out in the coming months [amNY via Second Avenue Sagas]

Phase II of the Washington Square Park redesign seems to be mired in non-publicized problems [WSP Blog]

In case you cared, today is “90210 Day”

The interior is homey, thanks to Oriental rugs, antique furniture, and warmly-colored paints. So if zany accessories are in your wheelhouse, this joint is probably for you.  Hours of operation are Wednesday through Sunday, 1 pm – 8 pm.

And boutique shops continue to replace the old guard of Orchard Street clothiers…

Sara Samoiloff Jewelry, 160 Orchard Street

The bodega is fairly standard issue, yet feels somewhat “classier” than most.  Probably due to the sleek wood countertop and the three light fixtures that greet you upon entry.  There is a decent selection of sandwich fare and the staff is very friendly.

Have you been there yet?  What do you think?

Allen Street Deli, 203 Allen Street, (212) 475-0940

The inquisitive Beavis is on one side, the moronic scholar Butthead on the other. Are the perpetual teenagers finally old enough to drink?

Looks like music videos are returning to MTV, albeit in a backdoor type approach. What do you think of the show in general, and its probably return?

For the last three-and-a-half years, the James Fuentes Gallery was located, rather fittingly, at 35 St. James Place. This latest move to 55 Delancey, between Allen and Eldridge, provides a total of 1,200 square-feet of space for exhibitions and such.  He tells ARTINFO of his excitement about being near the New Museum and the burgeoning Orchard Street gallery scene, but is most pumped about the “iconic” status of the new Delancey location:

[Photo Credit: Village Voice]

“I love the idea of being close to the New Museum,” said Fuentes. He says he likes being near the cluster of galleries on Orchard Street, “but not being on Orchard Street. Between myself and Feature and Simon Preston, this area is like a little bridge between the north and south sides of Delancey. I’m excited because it’s such an iconic street.”

Octogenarian filmmaker Jonas Mekas will kick off the opening on September 24 with an exhibit of his archival neighborhood footage.  The show is aptly titled “To New York with Love.”

[via ARTINFO]

Summer 2010 is officially the hottest on record for New York City [NY Times]

Some cool WK Interact wheatpaste at the Downtown Tire & Auto Center [EV Grieve]

Police are seeking two individuals in connection with the murder of Devin Thompson, 37, Sin Sin/Leopard Lounge last month [Runnin' Scared]

Peels unveils its arcade-like signage on the Bowery [Eater]

Longtime East Village chronicler Bob Arihood has come out of retirement with a new photo blog called Nadie Se Canoce [Nadie Se Canoce via EV Grieve]

New York City tapwater is not kosher [Gizmodo via Grub St]

Get ready for more Big Brother in the subway system [Second Avenue Sagas]

The Stanton store is the first brick and mortar for the dessert company, which was primarily a mail order operation. Until now. The interior has that antiseptic gallery-type vibe of not being able to touch anything, and wall decoration is somewhat lacking. Nevertheless, it is the beautifully-colored, attention-grabbing macarons in the glass cases which ultimately draw gazes. So mouth watering – try exiting without trying one of each.

Bisous Ciao Macarons, 101 Stanton Street, (212) 260-3463

A pair of unsightly new plastic dumpsters were recently plopped down directly in front of the longstanding tolerance-themed mural. The artwork was designed and painted in partnership with One World Now! youth leadership program and the Henry Street School for International Studies. This is their message to the community:

We made the mural by first looking at the quote.  We decided to look at it from a women’s point of view.  This is because women had little voice in the making of this world.  We wanted a global theme so we made a picture for the local community.  We wanted to add symbols of womanhood so we added female hands holding the earth.  We did this so the harsh picture of the city would be contrasted with the soft hands of a woman.  We hope that our mural shows how women will be involved in reshaping the world.

But the two erased stencils can still be seen beneath the paint job.

When the bar first opened at 169 Bleecker back in 2008, Gothamist first speculated that this was the work of Banksy.  But it was later proved to be that of Nick Walker.  It was a good run.

[Photo Credit: Gothamist]