Sunday, March 31, 2019

6 posts from March


[1st Avenue looking south toward 13th Street]

A mini month in review...

A visit to Peter Jarema Funeral Home on 7th Street (March 22)

The mystery of Moishe's (March 21)

New York Attorney General intervenes to stop eviction of tenants in Raphael Toledano-owned building on 13th Street (March 14)

Photos: "Best Wishes" from Harley Flanagan at the Pyramid Club (March 13)

A Repeat Performance, until July 31 (March 13)

I Am a Rent-Controlled Tenant (March 7)

Week in Grieview


[Free things on 9th Street the other day via Steven]

Posts on EVG this past week included...

Remembering Nicholas and Moises: the Figueroa family marks the 4-year anniversary of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion (Tuesday)

A visit to Lui’s Thai Food on 4th Street (Friday)

Report: Man dies from stab wounds at 9th Street shelter (Tuesday)

Your chance to discuss proposed changes coming to the M14A and M14D bus lines (Friday)

What's in your empty storefront? Capital One is closing both of its East Village branches (Tuesday)

You can vote on what neighborhood projects receive funds from Councilmember Rivera's office (Friday)

Report: Arrest made in hit-and-run death of East Village cyclist (Tuesday)

Screening of this Bowery film classic benefits the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors (Wednesday)

Neighborhood bar Local 138 moving from Ludlow to Orchard this spring (Friday)

The first sign of Japanese ramen shop Sanpoutei arrives at former Kabin space on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

After bankruptcy auction, 113 E. 2nd St. returns to market for $1.1 million more (Monday)

Plans for an East Village outpost of the Wild Son moving forward; steakhouse no go for St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

This week's NY See (Monday)

What might have been at 51 Astor Place in the early 1960s — and beyond (Wednesday)

Japanese cafe pops up on 4th Street (Monday)

Remembering the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire 108 years later (Sunday)

Timna announces April 14 closing date on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

The Asian Taste awning has arrived on 3rd and B; China Wok redux? (Monday)

There's not much left of the former St. Denis Hotel on Broadway (Monday)

97 2nd Ave. is for sale — again (Thursday)

At the start of the 3 Blind Mice alley cat for Aurilla Lawrence (Sunday)

'Heeere's Kubrick' returns to the City Cinemas Village East (Monday)

At long last, activity at 75 1st Ave. (Thursday)

As the sushi rolls on 1st Avenue (Wednesday)

Incoming: Me ❤️ Cue on St. Mark's Place; Empire Smoke Shop on 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

... and gut renovations continue inside the storefront on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street (the former Mary Ann's and, for a sec, 100% Healthy Blend)... still waiting for the official word of the new tenant... photos here this past week by Derek Berg...





---

Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter

Celebrating Hattie


[Image via Howl! Happening]

Friends of Hattie Hathaway, aka Brian Butterick, are gathering in Tompkins Square Park tomorrow evening for the start of "a giant sendoff." The downtown nightlife legend died on Jan. 30 from lung cancer at age 62.

Here are more details via the Howl! Happening website:

This public memorial of the beloved gay cultural icon will begin with a parade and continue to La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theater, 66 E. Fourth St., 2nd floor. Free and Open to All.

Drag March: Those wishing to join the parade and processional please dress for a “Second Line, or Drag March.” To find us gather in the middle of Tompkins Square Park ... Parade leaves at 6:30 p.m. Bring small walking instruments, i.e. wild womyn drums, tambourines; or pictures of Hattie.

Memorial: La MaMa.

Howl! Happening and Jackie Factory welcome everyone to this night of memories, performance, dancing, and celebration. Johnny Dynell will spin the Hattie-centric soundtrack along with remembrances, video, performances and other tributes. Video curator is Aldo Hernández.

'FEAST: A Performance Series' returns to a revamped Under St. Marks Theater



The latest production from FEAST: A Performance Series — a monthly showcase of new work from playwrights, musicians, comics, poets, choreographers, etc. — is tomorrow (Monday!) night at the Under St. Marks Theater.

Via the EVG inbox...

FEAST3: April is Monday, April 1 at 7 p.m. (and is NOT an April Fool's Day joke!!!)

This month we're featuring brand new performances from:
• The all-female sketch comedy team Thank You For Your Cervix
• Devising director Benjamin-Ernest Abraham
• Musician Matthew O'Koren

Folks can use the discount code TSAEF online for $10 tickets, or buy them at the door for $15.

This show also marks good news about the Under St. Marks Theater, 94 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

In February, the theater had to close for emergency repair work after a broken pipe caused water damage in the space.

We're told the venue reopened for rehearsals this space week... the repair work included other enhancements, such as the addition of a second restroom.

Under St. Marks, currently run by the Horse Trade Theater Group, has operated here as an experimental theater since the 1970s.

Noted



The Hells Angels get the tabloid treatment today over at the Post... giving the bikers the wood about their move away from Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

To the article:

“We’re being harassed by the yuppies down here [who are] sitting on our bikes and pissing on the sidewalk,” griped one burly biker outside the infamous motorcycle gang’s clubhouse at 77 E. Third St., which has been sold and mostly cleaned out.

“When the neighborhood was s–t, nobody minded us because we kept the place clean,” the biker, Tony, continued. “It comes a point where it’s useless to be down here because of the harassment. [We want to] go somewhere we can live comfortably.”

Tony, who once lived in the HQ and is now homeless, turned up at the all-but-abandoned bunker last week for a meeting with the building’s buyer, Nathan Blatter of Whitestone Realty.

Blatter told the tabloid that a deal hasn't been finalized yet.

And where will the members go? Per the Post: "The gang hopes to relocate to a neighborhood where they won’t be bothered by Starbucks traffic, pushy tourists and nosy cops."

The Hells Angels have had a presence on Third Street since 1969. They eventually bought the six-floor building, which includes their clubhouse and member residences, from Birdie Ruderman in the Bronx for $1,900, according to public records.

Previously (and exclusively) on EV Grieve:
After 50 years on the block, the Hells Angels appear to be selling their 3rd Street clubhouse

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Spring break in Tompkins Square Park



Spring scenes today via Goggla...

Early afternoon sky break



Today from Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair!



The VERY FIRST street fair of 2019 — aka the Astor Place Festival — is underway now on Astor Place between Lafayette and Broadway... all your favorites are here, from mozzarella sticks to Bob Marley "One Love" silk posters ...



Thanks to Vinny & O for the photos!

See the Stiv Bators documentary tonight at Theater 80



Sorry to say that I was unaware of this screening until now (thanks to the commenter for mentioning it). So we missed the first night. But there are still tickets available for tonight.

Here's more about "Stiv, No Compromise No Regrets" and tonight ...

The New York premiere of a film by Danny Garcia. A Q&A with the director will follow the screening. Music by Frank Secich and friends will close the evening.

Stiv Bators was a punk pioneer, canonized by his exploits in life and untimely death. Now his story is being told by in "Stiv, No Compromise No Regrets," a long-awaited doc, that is both poignant and exhilarating.

The film covers Stiv’s formative years in Youngstown, Ohio, before the Dead Boys and his time with projects such as The Stiv Bators Disconnected Band, The Wanderers, Whores of Babylon feat. Johnny Thunders & Dee Dee Ramone, then onto The Lords of The New Church, through his last days in Paris.

Complete with never released 8MM footage from private collections, a killer soundtrack, and accounts from the people who were with Stiv through various phases and projects of his life and career.



Seating is at 9:30 p.m. and the show starts at 10. You can buy tickets here. Theater 80 is at 80 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Friday, March 29, 2019

These 'Eyes'



Here's a new video from Thick, a Brooklyn-based trio ... the track is for "Green Eyes" off the band's new EP.

Report of a fire at 505 E. 13th St.



An EVG reader shares the above photo... the FDNY is responding to a report of a fire at 505 E. 13th St. at Avenue A...



One witness says "smoke is pouring out of the top floor apartment on the back right side of the building." The retail space on this corner is currently vacant (the former Percy's Tavern).


[Photo by Christine Champagne]

The @fdnyalerts account reports that the fire was under control in less than 30 minutes...



No word on cause or extent of the damage just yet.

H/T dwg

You can vote on what neighborhood projects receive funds from Councilmember Rivera's office


[Click on image to go big]

Local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera is kicking off Council District 2’s first-ever round of Participatory Budgeting (PB) voting, which begins tomorrow (Saturday!) and continues through April 7.

Here's more via the EVG inbox...

To celebrate the start of Vote Week, Rivera is hosting a PB Vote Week Kick Off tomorrow (Saturday!) at the LES Girls Club (402 E. Eighth St. at Avenue D) from noon to 3:30 p.m. Individuals interested in attending the celebration can RSVP online by going to this link or calling her office at (212) 677-1077.

At the event, residents will get the opportunity to learn about all the Participatory Budgeting projects on the ballot and vote for their favorite projects. PB allows for residents to decide how to spend capital funds, allocated by the Council Member, for community improvements. This year, out of the 135 ideas submitted, 11 projects were placed on the final PB ballot. (Up to $1 million of projects will be funded based on the votes of residents.)

The final list of projects on the ballot:

· Fence installation at El Jardín del Paraiso Garden, 710 E. Fifth St.
Replacing old fence with a new iron fence.
Estimated cost: $225,000

· Water system construction at 6BC Botanical Garden, 630 E. Sixth St.
Designating a water source, includes new tap, piping, hydrant, and RPZ to support the 6BC Garden.
Estimated cost: $300,000

· An accessible lift at PS 40, 320 E. 20th St.
Install a lift to help disabled seniors and children entering the building.
Estimated cost: $350,000

· Gym renovations at PS 188, 442 E. Houston St.
This would include replacing walls, seating, padding around the walls, gym equipment and installing storage space.
Estimated cost: $150,000

· Science mobile carts for PS 34, 730 E. 12th St.
Two science mobile carts for students to do laboratory work.
Estimated cost: $140,000

· Countdown clocks along the M9, M14A, and M14D routes
Countdown clocks for routes along the M9, M14A and M14D in District 2.
Estimated cost: $200,000

· Street resurfacing district-wide
Many of the roads are in bad condition, and constituents are seeking road resurfacing throughout the district.
Estimated cost: $250,000 per lane mile

· Garbage compactor upgrades at Straus Houses, 243 E. 27th St.
Upgrades to two interior compactors and compactor room.
Estimated cost: $100,000

· Playground renovations at Lillian Wald Houses, Avenue D between Fourth and Fifth Streets
Upgrade to play equipment, new set of monkey bars and new slide
Estimated cost: $500,000

· Playground renovations at Jacob Riis Houses, 178 Avenue D
Renovations would include new monkey bars, a new slide and a new sprinkler system.
Estimated cost: $500,000

· Basketball court renovations at Jacob Riis Houses, 178 Avenue D
Basketball court will be re-painted, install new basketball hoops and overall upgrade to court.
Estimated cost: $500,000

Residents who live in District 2 and are older than 11 years of age can vote for up to five of the 11 ideas on the ballot.

Rivera's office will have specific sites set up throughout District 2 where residents will be able to vote (the image at top of this post has the locations). Residents can also vote online at pbnyc.org/vote (note – the link will go live at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow).

A visit to Lui’s Thai Food on 4th Street



Photos and interview by Stacie Joy

Getting Pimnapa “Lek” Sunthatkolkarn, chef/owner of Lui’s Thai Food, 128 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, to sit still for a minute for our interview is no easy task.

I stopped by the small restaurant during a break in service, which happens every day from 4 to 5 p.m. Although she confesses to being tired, she’s in almost constant motion, a 62-year-old one-woman powerhouse.



She first addresses a common misconception with me — that she must be the eponymous Lui.

But no, lui in Thailand means, roughly, “go for it!” Still, enough people call her Lui that she good-naturedly answers to it along with Lek, her actual nickname.

Lek used to own Holy Basil, a much-loved, now-shuttered Thai spot on Second Avenue near Ninth Street. She opened Lui's in late 2013.

An East Village resident (she’s lived on 11th Street for more than 30 years), Lek says having a restaurant here is hard work and wonders aloud if the East Village has changed, speculates how it might have changed, and worries about keeping the restaurant busy enough going forward.

She mentions how many people, her long-term customers, are leaving NYC now. When I ask her if she’ll be staying, she tells me she has five years left on her 10-year lease.






[Kris the waiter]

When she first opened Lui’s Thai, she had only nine items on the menu. And she didn't offer pad thai.

She laughs and tells me that “you must have pad thai or you die.”

She’s changed the menu since opening day. Today, she not only has the mandatory noodle dish but also traditional curries and some locally sourced small-batch specials. Some of those plates get playful names like Ooh la la Salmon Belly or Grilled Squid with Spicy Sexy Sauce.

If something doesn't sell, then she takes it off the menu. Current best-selling dishes are the crispy duck and the garlic chicken.

Lek would like customers to try new things and expand their palate but doesn’t want to tell them what (or what not) to eat. She wishes she could instruct them “don’t eat only pad thai, try the drunken salmon noodles.” Her favorite item on the menu is the Thai eggplant with soft tofu, a recipe from her grandmother.


[Crispy duck with garlic chives and basil]


[Tofu and vegetables soup with ho choy, watercress, tomatoes and spicy broth]


[Crispy calamari and shrimp w/garlic chives and green beans in spicy sauce]


[Beef drunken noodles with chilis, Chinese broccoli and basil]

There’s no alcohol at Lui's, though you can bring in your own bottle of wine (without a corkage fee). When I ask her why she doesn’t want a beer/wine license, she laughs again and tells me that people linger too long at a place serving alcohol. You need high turnover in a space this small or a business can’t survive.

Despite her worries about the business, Lek has a cheerful disposition and laughs a lot. As I am leaving she tells me, “Eat, then dance. Have fun!”





---

Lek is old-fashioned and doesn’t do social media. Restaurant hours include a lunch service from noon until 4 p.m., then dinner from 5 to 10:30 p.m. No reservations.

H/T to Kathleen McMillan for helping facilitate this interview.

Your chance to discuss proposed changes coming to the M14A and M14D bus lines



There's a town hall with MTA officials this coming Tuesday night from 6-8 (details below) to discuss proposed changes to the M14A and M14D bus routes on Avenue A and Avenue D.

As previously reported, with the the new planned SBS route, the MTA may eliminate M14A and M14D stops throughout the East Village and Lower East Side.

The proposal would turn the M14A and M14D into an SBS route, lowering the number of stops on Avenue A and Avenue D and along Grand Street.

Last Friday, local elected officials spoke out against these proposed moves during a rally on Avenue A and Fourth Street. (You can read coverage of this at Curbed and Patch.)

Here's a statement released following the rally:

With the partial shutdown of the L train fast approaching, this compromise SBS route would eliminate a number of local stops near senior centers and NYCHA developments, while not removing enough stops to provide significantly improved speeds.

A real M14 SBS with supplemental, local service, would service vulnerable populations while improving on the proposed SBS plan and providing real “express” travel times that other routes have. In fact, there is already a successful model for this kind of plan just a few avenues away, where the M15 SBS runs parallel to an M15 local route. The MTA must pursue a similar strategy for the M14 route.

The Lower East Side, which encompasses most of the future M14 SBS route, is home to one of the 10 largest senior populations in New York City who rely on the current M14A/D to get to medical appointments, supermarkets, and social activities. The current proposal also ignores the challenges that stop removal will pose for residents living in NYCHA developments and the 28 percent of residents of the Lower East Side and Chinatown who live below the Federal Poverty Level.

"Our M14 bus is the second-busiest bus route in Manhattan and sadly also the second slowest: I believe we must and can do better in serving our East Side residents," said City Councilmember Carlina Rivera. "We need solutions for both those who need faster transit options and those will be forced to walk over half a mile between the proposed new bus stops and their homes, with no other affordable options. The current M14 SBS plan not only fails seniors and low-income New Yorkers – it also diminishes how transformative an SBS route could be for the area."

Tuesday night's meeting is at the 7th Precinct, 19 Pitt St., which is just south of the Williamsburg Bridge and Delancey Street.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Local elected officials urging the MTA/DOT to keep local service in M14 SBS plan

Neighborhood bar Local 138 moving from Ludlow to Orchard this spring



Local 138 is on the move on the Lower East Side.

Bar reps last night announced that Local 138 will leave its home since 1996 at 138 Ludlow St. between Stanton and Rivington next month for a new space at 181 Orchard St. between Houston and Stanton...



The last call at Local 138 on Ludlow is April 27. No word yet on when they will open on Orchard Street.

A bar rep said — long story short — that the lease was up at 138 Ludlow St., and the owners couldn't come to terms on a new lease.

No surprise, really. Michael Shah's Delshah Capital bought the building for $19 million in January 2018.

Earlier this year, lead levels in the building were found to be as high as 36 times the federal government’s acceptable health standard, according to a report commissioned by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Alphabet 99-Cent Fresh Pizza now in Grand Opening mode on Avenue A



The cheap-slice shop made its debut a few days back here at 20 Avenue A between Second Street and Houston.

Aside from slices, 99-Cent Fresh Pizza offers fried chicken, wings and a variety of sandwiches. And we're not sure if this establishment is connected with the other 99-Cent Fresh Pizza joints around.

This marks the second business — of four expected — to open in the big space that was last home to a Chase branch until November 2015.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Essential Cinema at the Anthology Film Archives



I'm browsing through the Anthology Film Archive's new spring catalog (featuring a sketch of the late Jonas Mekas on the cover) ...

There are, as always, a lot of interesting offerings... most immediately, there are several films this weekend from the Anthology's Essential Cinema collection. "Citizen Kane" plays tomorrow and Saturday night at 8 in 35mm. On Sunday, you can catch Warhol's "Eat" and "Harlot." Find more details at this link.

Essential Cinema screenings are $9 (no entry fee for Anthology members). The theater is on Second Street at Second Avenue.

The web series 'Zhe Zhe' returns — see it Saturday night at the 6th Street Community Center



The next episode of the web series "Zhe Zhe" — "a comic fantasy about the glamorous misadventures of two fame starved wannabes" — premieres Saturday night (at 8!) at the Sixth Street Community Center.

So what has happened since the last installment? Via the EVG inbox:

The fifth episode of the second season, "Take Me To Your Leader" functions as a standalone short film, while simultaneously providing answers to many of the arcane puzzles which have captivated "Zhe Zhe" fans for years.

Directed by "Zhe Zhe" writer Leah Hennessey, the episode follows a day in the life of "supervillain?" Chewie Swindleburne (Emily Allan), as she succumbs to the paranoia that has plagued her since last season’s denouement.

Both satire and celebration of the films of Antonioni, Jim Jarmusch, Nick Zedd, Agnes Varda and Gus Van Sant, "Take Me To Your Leader" is a ridiculous exploration of psychic terror and cinephilia.

... this latest "Zhe Zhe" is the New York-est, strangest episode yet.



Allan, who was born and raised in the East Village, previously told me this about the series: "It's definitely inspired in part by my childhood memories of ye olde East Village aesthetics, while also poking fun at our present culture of hyperbolized downtown mythos and manufactured nostalgia."

You can watch this episode on Saturday night at the Sixth Street Community Center, 638 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. The show starts at 8 p.m.

The first sign of Japanese ramen shop Sanpoutei arrives at former Kabin space on 2nd Avenue



Renovations continue over at 92 Second Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street ... where a small sign on the exterior reveals the new tenant — Sanpoutei Ramen...


[Photos by Steven]

Last fall, CB3 OK'd a beer-wine license (they were originally seeking full liquor) for the Sanpou Group, which operates 30 restaurants worldwide, including Sanpoutei Ramen, which started in Niigata, Japan, in 1967.

Reviews of the restaurant note that "Sanpoutei is defined by its authentic Niigata-style ramen, a shoyu-ramen in a clear fish stock-based broth."

Sanpoutei joins a crowded ramen market in the East Village... other recent arrivals include Tatsu Ramen on First Avenue ... and TabeTomo on Avenue A.

Kabin Bar & Lounge closed in March 2015 at this address. While there were a few potential suitors, the storefront has sat empty for four years.

97 2nd Ave. is for sale — again


[Photo via LoopNet]

The 6-story building between Fifth Street and Sixth Street has returned to the sales market.

First, here's more from the pitch:

The 10,948 square foot building (approx.) contains 10 residential units and one retail unit. Currently, of the 10 apartments, eight are free market and two are rent stabilized.

69% of the property’s income is derived from the residential component and 31 percent from the ground floor retail. The 10 residential apartments comprise 9,123 SF of the building’s gross square footage and are made up of two, three, and four bedroom units. The retail tenant on the ground floor is a restaurant currently paying $249,142 annually.

Asking price: $14.5 million.

This building is notable for being the source of a legal tussle between Raphael "I will bury you" Toledano and developer Michael Shah.

During a hearing in November 2017, a federal judge tossed a bankruptcy case filed by Toledano, ending his bid to stop the sale of 97 Second Ave. to Shah’s Delshah Capital, The Real Deal reported at the time.

Both landlords were claiming ownership of the building. It's a little complicated. Read the Real Deal piece here for the full blow by blow.

According to the documents filed by Shah, Toledano allegedly told him, "I will bury you, literally. I will bury this building and make sure of it."

However, it was never buried, and now awaits another owner. Toledano reportedly lost control of the property when he defaulted on a $2-million loan.

No. 97 was one of the first East Village properties purchased by Toledano. Public records show that Toledano paid $4.95 million for it in April 2014.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Landlord of 444 E. 13th St. threatened 'to drop dynamite on the building'

Report: Threats made in ongoing battle over 97 2nd Ave.

Demolition watch: 238 E. 3rd St.



EVG reader Bobby G. shares these photos from Tuesday, when workers started erecting the scaffolding to envelope 238 E. Third St. ahead of the building's demolition...



As previously reported, a 7-floor, 20-unit residential building is slated for this property between Avenue B and Avenue C. (New-building permits are still pending with the city.)

The current building, which the Blue Man Group owned at one point for use as a practice facility, also served as a movie theater. Public records from July 2017 list two of the founders of the Blue Man Group — Chris Wink and Philip Stanton — as the previous owners, who received $18.6 million for this and another LES property.

Vinbaytel Property Development is the new owner of No. 238. Vinbaytel has developed several East Village condos in recent years, including at 227 E. Seventh St., 67 Avenue C and 26 Avenue B.

Previously on EV Grieve:
7-story residential building planned for former Blue Man Group facilities on 3rd Street

A visit to Rossy's Bakery & Café on 3rd Street

At long last, activity at 75 1st Ave.



An EVG reader who lives near 75 First Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street has reported activity again on the property.

A few workers were spotted at the stalled site with a delivery.

As previously reported, the future home to an 8-floor, 22-unit condoplex has been quiet for the past 14 months... ever since the DOB issued a Stop Work Order here on Jan. 11, 2018. (That Stop Work Order — "no protection for pedestrians" — was fully rescinded on Feb. 7.)

The previous post has more history about the project, which broke ground in September 2016.


[The future No. 75]

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Wednesday's parting shot



View of Tompkins Square Park on Avenue B at 10th Street via EVG reader riachung00...

What might have been at 51 Astor Place in the early 1960s — and beyond



Today, the Cooper Union Library Instagram account shared the above image... Per their post: "51 Astor Place Engineering Building Initial Proposal — Harrison and Abramovitz, NY, Associate Architect Prof. Esmond Shaw of Cooper Union ... "

Instead, the Cooper Union Engineering School was housed in this building below off of Third Avenue between Astor Place and Ninth Street for years ...



That building was demolished in the summer of 2011 to make way for...



Whoops! Sorry! This!

Screening of this Bowery film classic benefits the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors



The Bowery Alliance of Neighbors is presenting a special benefit screening of Lionel Rogosin's 1956 documentary "On the Bowery" in a restored 35mm print on April 7.

The 65-minute film chronicles three days in the life of Ray, a railroad worker who drifts onto the Bowery. He enters the Confidence Bar & Grill and begins a weekend of drinking ...

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1957.



Per the invite:

We're especially excited to have it introduced by the filmmaker's son Michael Rogosin, who will be presenting a slideshow peak at a rare trove of his father's Bowery photographs from the 1950s. He'll also share an excerpt of an interview of Martin Scorsese discussing the film's impact.

This benefit screening for the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors takes place Sunday, April 7 at 7 p.m. at the Anthology Film Archives on Second Street at Second Avenue.

Plans for an East Village outpost of the Wild Son moving forward; steakhouse no go for St. Mark's Place


[Photo of 132 1st Ave. yesterday by Steven]

As we reported back on March 19, Robert Ceraso and Jason Mendenhall are planning to open an outpost of their Chelsea cafe the Wild Son at 132 First Ave. at St. Mark's Place.

CB3's SLA committee gave their approval for a new liquor license on March 19.

The current tenant in this corner space, the Rolling Stones-themed Waiting on a Friend, which opened back in the fall (taking over the space from Colibri and VBar before that), is expected to close after Thursday.

The EV Wild Son will be open all day for breakfast and lunch, with dinner-drinks in the evening.

Meanwhile, Ceraso and Mendenhall, whose East Village credits include the Wayland on Avenue C and Good Night Sonny on First Avenue at St Mark's Place, had planned for a steakhouse at the former Mr. White space at 123 St. Mark's Place.

However, as Eater reported yesterday, CB3's SLA committee nixed a full-liquor request for that spot between Avenue A and First Avenue.

So, per Eater:

They felt the steakhouse concept would only work with a full liquor license and are now pivoting to something that could work with just wine and beer, Ceraso says. That idea is still in development and moving forward with the location is not a definite yet according to Ceraso. He also says plans for a steakhouse are on hold since it would require finding a new space.

So for now No. 123 will remain empty...


[The former Mr. White on St. Mark's Place]

Previously on Ev Grieve:
Team behind the Wayland and the Wild Son eye St. Mark's Place for 2 restaurants

As the sushi rolls on 1st Avenue


[Photo yesterday by Steven]

As we noted last month, Kikoo Sushi, the all-you-can-eat specialist currently at 141 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, was moving up the Avenue ... to the former Papa John's outpost at No. 210 between 12th Street and 13th Street.

Now it looks as if Kikoo will have some company. EVG regular Laura shared this photo from yesterday... Kumo Sushi on the corner of First Avenue at 13th Street is merging with Kikoo at No. 210... this via the signage up at the Kumo space...



So two Sushi restaurants combined in one former chain pizza shop.

As we understand it, Kumo's lease was up ... and for now, we're told that Kikoo will continue on at 141 First Ave.

H/T Steven