Mee Noodle Shop will stay open after all

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

It was a much different mood at Mee Noodle Shop & Grill this afternoon.

Just days after staff told us the longtime Chinese restaurant at 223 First Ave. between 13th and 14th Streets would close on July 15, there was reason to celebrate. 

Joyce Tang (below), the restaurant's de facto manager, rushed over to greet us, excitedly sharing a Chinese translation of EV Grieve's story from Wednesday about the planned closure, which she had prepared for Huang, Mee's owner.

"The boss says thanks to your story, we can keep going!" Tang said. "The landlord agreed to lower the rent by $3,000 a month, and so we continue to operate. We don't know how long, but for now, we are going forward." 

According to Tang, after discussing Mee's financial challenges, the two sides reached an agreement allowing Mee Noodle Shop to remain open. 

Huang, the owner — affectionately known as "the boss" — was on hand overseeing the lunch rush and beaming as orders streamed into the kitchen.

Earlier this week, staff told us the restaurant was being forced to close due to rising food and supply costs, steep delivery-app fees, and a decline in business. (Rent was NOT cited as a reason.)

The news comes as a welcome surprise for Mee's loyal customers. 

Since opening on the northwest corner of First Avenue and 13th Street in 1993, the restaurant has become a neighborhood institution known for its generous portions and affordable prices. The restaurant closed after a fire damaged the building in 2006, then returned to First Avenue in December 2013, just a few doors from its original location.

Tang also thanked neighbors who stopped in after reading about the restaurant's situation. 

"We were going to close, and now we can stay longer," she said. "Thank you to everyone who read the story and came to eat here. Please keep coming. We can cook for you.

"We are working things out to stay open," she added. "Your news made people help. We are grateful."

'Tompkins Trees' at Ninth Street Espresso on 10th Street

We've been enjoying the rotating art and photo exhibits at Ninth Street Espresso on 10th Street, and the next one opens tomorrow. 

"Tompkins Trees," featuring gelatin-silver prints by East Village-based photographer Alicia Fowler, will be on view from July 11 through Aug. 7 at the cafe at 341 E. 10th St., near Avenue B. 

In the series, Fowler explores her relationship with the trees in and around Tompkins Square Park. 

"Their largeness and steadfastness enchant me," she says. "At times, they menace me. One need only look at the image of a fallen branch busted through a park bench after a storm to remember trees can only be controlled so much." 

An opening reception is set for Thursday, July 23, from 7-9 p.m. 

More on Fowler's work is at her website. Ninth Street Espresso is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Rent hike will close Francis Kite Club on Avenue C

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Another independent neighborhood gathering space is preparing to close. 

Francis Kite Club, the hybrid bar, social club and arts venue at 40 Avenue C between Third and Fourth Street, announced yesterday that it will close after service on Aug. 1. 

In a message posted to Instagram, the owners cited a rent increase. 

"With immense gratitude for your collaboration, Francis Kite Club will close its doors on Loisaida Avenue, Aug. 1. ... The song remains the same: the landlord is increasing the rent, making our endeavor unsustainable." 

The owners added that they're considering relocating and hope to reopen in a new space. 

Francis Kite Club officially debuted in early 2024, founded by friends Laura Hanna, Kyp Malone, John McEnerney, Alice McGillicuddy and Laura Raicovich. 

The venue quickly earned a following for its mix of live music, performances, art events and community gatherings, with many patrons describing it as having an old-school East Village vibe. 

The storefront has been listed for rent since late June. 

The club plans to pause memberships after closing while exploring its next chapter.

For those about to rock: About a new music venue on Bleecker Street

A rendering of Bleecker Bell 

For East Village residents who venture around town for live music... 

A new music venue called Bleecker Bell is expected to open in September at 163 Bleecker St. in Greenwich Village. 

The 200-capacity club comes from the team behind Café Wha?, Groove and concert promoter Village Presents. According to the operators, it will be the first new music venue to open in Greenwich Village in nearly 20 years. 

Bleecker Bell plans to host performances by emerging and established artists spanning folk, Americana, jazz and rock. 

The venue will feature a full bar, table and banquette seating, a mezzanine overlooking the stage and a dedicated green room for performers. 

An opening date and initial lineup have not yet been announced.

ICYMI: The New Museum is offering $10 Fridays this summer

If you've been meaning to visit the expanded (as of March) New Museum, Fridays this summer offer a less-expensive excuse. 

The museum at 235 Bowery at Prince Street is offering $10 admission every Friday through Aug. 28 as part of its Summer Fridays promotion. The discounted admission is available all day, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and is less than half the regular $25 adult ticket. 

Meanwhile, here's a close-up view of the plaza outside of Sarah Lucas' VENUS VICTORIA (up since May 12), the inaugural public-art commission for the expanded Bowery campus. 

The sculpture is to celebrate women claiming space in public life ... (photo below by Stacie Joy)

Thursday's parting shot

An extension in the works for Hell Ride on the multipurpose courts/TF in Tompkins Square Park...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Taking on Hell Ride

A new book chronicles 10 years of JIM JOE

EVG photo from 2009 

A new exhibition opening tomorrow in Chinatown celebrates a decade of one of New York City's most recognizable graffiti tags. 

Blankmag Books, 17 Eldridge St., north of Division Street, is hosting the release of "six letters four numbers," a limited-edition photobook by Jared Orellana documenting JIM JOE's graffiti across the city from 2016 to 2026. 

The 300-page volume, published by Blankmag Books in an edition of 250, serves as a visual archive of the elusive artist's work as it appeared — and often disappeared — across New York's ever-changing streetscape.

The book release coincides with a group exhibition featuring Orellana and other photographers who have documented JIM JOE's work over the years, offering multiple perspectives on the artist's evolving presence throughout the city. 

The opening reception is Friday from 6-9 p.m. The exhibition remains on view through Sunday, July 19.

 

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UPDATED 7/10: Mee Noodle Shop, another East Village mainstay, is staying open

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

H/T EVG reader Luke

UPDATED 7/10

A happy update: Mee Noodle Shop is no longer closing. According to staff, after this post, the owner and landlord reached an agreement to lower the monthly rent, allowing the longtime restaurant to remain open. Read the update here.

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Mee Noodle Shop & Grill, the longtime Chinese restaurant at 223 First Ave. between 13th and 14th Streets, is closing. 

According to staff, Wednesday, July 15, will be Mee's last day.

The reasons, they say, are familiar ones. 

"Things cost too much. We pay more money for everything — food, supplies — but we cannot raise the cost of the food." 

They also pointed to the growing cost of delivery apps. "Uber Eats takes 30 to 35 dollars of every hundred." 

And, simply: Business is down. "The owner says we are forced to close." 

The original Mee Noodle Shop opened on the NW corner of First Avenue and 13th Street in 1993, becoming a neighborhood favorite known for generous portions and affordable prices. Among its early regulars was Allen Ginsberg, whose favorite dish was the steamed flounder with ginger sauce.

The restaurant closed after a fire damaged the building in 2006. 

Following the renovation of the residential building, which later included a Starbucks, Mee Noodle Shop made a much-celebrated return to First Avenue in December 2013, just a few doors from its original home.

Staff members — some of whom said they've worked there for more than a decade — told us they're saddened by the closure and uncertain about what comes next. They hope neighbors will stop by for one last meal before the final day. (There was a Mee Noodle on Ninth Avenue that closed a few years ago, though it was owned by different people.)

When we stopped by this week, several diners were visibly surprised to learn the restaurant was closing. One regular kept asking the waitstaff, "You're joking, right?" before finally asking, "Why?" When they explained that business had fallen off, he glanced around the nearly full dining room.

"Now it is," a waitress said. "We've been here all day."

As always, the portions were generous, and the kitchen was happy to accommodate substitutions and special requests.

The closure also comes as another chapter of First Avenue dining begins across the street, where Dim Sum Bloom is preparing to open with a kitchen that includes an automated stir-fry robot.

For many East Villagers, though, Mee Noodle Shop represented something increasingly difficult to find: a reliable, affordable neighborhood restaurant that endured through changing times.

Wednesday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Post-match view on the mini-pitch adjacent to East Side Community High School (and Lower East Side Playground) on 12th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A ...

From the East Village to Kyoto: Masae Satouchi's farewell exhibition

Photos by Stacie Joy 

A two-day pop-up exhibition at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) celebrates the work of longtime C-Squat resident Masae Satouchi, who is relocating to Kyoto, Japan, later this summer after two decades in New York. 

We stopped by the opening last night of "My Ritual of Becoming," a multimedia exhibition featuring Satouchi's photography, performance art, kimono creations, fire dancing, burlesque, and color art therapy. 

The show reflects on her 20 years in New York while looking ahead to what's next.

"My Ritual of Becoming is not the end of a journey," Satouchi says. "It is an invitation. If my work helps even one person remember who they were before the world told them who to become, then these twenty years have found their meaning."

Satouchi describes the exhibition as "a love letter to New York and to all the people who made it my home," while marking the beginning of a new chapter in Japan. 

If you missed last night's opening, today (Wednesday) is your final chance to see the exhibition. It's on view from 1-6 p.m. at MoRUS, 155 Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

And scenes from last evening, including host-special guest Chris Flambeaux ...

Taking on Hell Ride

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Like so many things in Tompkins Square Park, it simply appeared. 

Sometime in late spring, someone hauled in a homemade quarter pipe, painted it "Hell Ride," and left it for anyone willing to take it on. 

Since then, the ramp has become a gathering spot — and a test of skill — for skaters using the multipurpose courts. 

I recently spent some time with the skaters tackling Hell Ride...

For more skateboarding action... on Saturday, Jenkem Magazine is hosting a block party here during the afternoon...

 

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Openings: Fifth Square on 5th Street

Several EVG readers have pointed out that Fifth Square debuted last month at 304 E. Fifth St., between First and Second Avenues. 

The cafe specializes in lattes and waffles. We're told the business is owned by a husband and wife who found inspiration to open their own place after "their most recent visit to Dhaka and trying a popular waffle popsicle store over there." 

Flyers posted nearby show the menu and hours...

Noona's Ice Cream & Bakeshop closed here at the end of March after 16 months. Owner Hannah Bae plans to reboot her ice cream business.

Signage alert: Herbie's Burgers on 1st Avenue

Signage for Herbie's Burgers is up at 109 First Ave., between Sixth and Seventh Streets. 

This is the brand's first Manhattan outpost, which got its start in Albany in 2021... with more locations opening across the Capital Region. There's also a Herbie's in Williamsburg now. 

Herbie's specializes in smash burgers, shoestring fries and milkshakes. They also offer vegan burgers and a vegan version of their chicken sandwich and tenders. 

No word on an opening date. 

The address was previously the rarely open Yumsem Eats, which sold Korean street food.

Noted

As seen on Second Avenue and Seventh Street today... plug for the book?

A new chapter on 13th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

An independent bookstore devoted entirely to cookbooks debuted in the spring at 332 E. 13th St., between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Wild Sorrel Cookbooks is the new venture from Troy Chatterton, who spent the past 14 years at the beloved Three Lives & Company in the West Village before striking out on his own.

For Chatterton, opening in the East Village was also a practical choice.

"I live in StuyTown and wanted to be able to walk to work," he told us. "I'm a seven-minute walk, door to door." 

The shop features a curated selection of cookbooks for home cooks, with an emphasis on a wide range of cuisines, cultures and cooking traditions.

Expect a selection of East Village-related books as well...

On the store's website, Chatterton says he hopes Wild Sorrel becomes "a place where people love to spend time, and where they walk out feeling better than when they arrived." 

The inspiration traces back to Saturdays spent running errands and shopping with his grandmother, Gladys Lucille, who taught him the joy of visiting neighborhood businesses — and cooking together. 

Wild Sorrel is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. (closed Mondays).

A reminder for red-tailed hawk season in Tompkins Square Park

Top two photos by Daniel Root 

The three red-tailed hawk fledglings continue to be active in Tompkins Square Park... even during the HEAT DOME, as Goggla noted ...

Meanwhile, someone has posted a homemade sign near where the hawks have been at play... reminding visitors that the fledglings are exploring the park — and asking dog owners to keep their pets leashed. (Photo by Stacie Joy.)

The laminated notice cites a "New York State law" requiring dogs to be on leashes. 

While there isn't a statewide leash law, dogs are required to be leashed in New York City parks unless they're in a dog run or a designated off-leash area. In parks with off-leash hours, dogs are permitted off leash only from park opening until 9 a.m. and from 9 p.m. until closing, per NYC 311. 

The sign doesn't appear to be an official Parks Department notice — there's no agency logo or branding — but its message echoes reminders from wildlife advocates and hawk watchers during fledgling season. 

As the young hawks continue learning to fly and spend more time on or near the ground, keeping dogs leashed can help prevent potentially dangerous encounters for both wildlife and pets.