The heat will be back tomorrow, with temps reaching 36.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Tuesday's parting shot
Paulie Gee tells us more about his slice shop opening on 1st Avenue in the East Village
Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy
News broke last week that a Paulie Gee's slice shop was in the works at the former Dunkin' space on the NE corner of First Avenue and Sixth Street.
On Friday, I stopped by the storefront and met Paulie Gee (aka, Paul Giannone, though he said to call him Paulie), who showed me the under-renovation space and answered a few questions about what we can expect here.
For starters, this space will be owned and operated by George Lin (below right).
"This [slice shop] is a franchise, a licensed shop, and it's run by George," Paulie said. "He's worked with me for years. He's the one who found this location and wanted to open the Paulie Gee's slice spot. It's a very visible location, a great block! We're excited."
For his part, Lin said, "I wanted to open a good pizzeria, and Paulie Gee's is good. After working for him for a while, I told him I wanted to open a shop one day."
"I like hiring people who want to open their own business," Paulie said. "I like the entrepreneurs."
There is a second foray into the East Village for Paulie Gee's. In December 2023, they were approved for a liquor license for the former Huertas space, a block to the south. But those plans didn't move forward.
"We were working with someone else, a real estate guy," Paulie said. "You know, I want to help people open their own spots, but it didn't work out, and he walked away from the project."
So the big question — when will Paulie Gee's East Village Slice Shop be ready to serve?
"Only God knows when the space will open," Paulie said. "We have a spot that's waiting to open in Gowanus. We're just waiting on the gas."
Luckily, this space's kitchen is all electric, no gas, so the buildout should go much quicker. David Dean, the contractor and president of Precision Innovations, speculates it might even be open in March.
Paulie explained the kitchen will have two PizzaMaster ovens, one for baking and one for warming/reheating.
Paulie and company are modeling the shop after their original Greenpoint space, which opened in 2010 and became an instant hit.
"So if you've eaten there, it's a similar motif," Paulie said. "The space will have a retro feel, with black-and-white checkerboard tile floors, wood paneling, and a classic pizza focus. Nothing fancy."
Expect the usual slices (plus Sicilian) and vegan options. (The vegan Vidalia is a favorite.) Coca-Cola products for now. They will eventually apply for a beer-wine license for anyone to anyone (21+) to enjoy while sitting at one of the four four-tops or the window counter.
You can keep tabs on this location @pauliegeeseastvillagesliceshop.
The 2nd Avenue/2nd Street lot saga may have a new chapter
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Questions continue to surround the long-vacant lot at the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Second Street. This site has been the subject of years of litigation, neighborhood concern, and stalled development plans.
Now there's a new wrinkle.
According to Robert Proto, an adjacent property owner, the developer Gemini Rosemont is once again preparing to put the property on the market — and may be winding down its New York City operations altogether.
Proto, who successfully challenged earlier permits for the proposed development and remains in litigation with Gemini (see below for more background), says he has not been contacted directly by the company.
Instead, he's hearing from brokers and others in the real estate world as word circulates about a potential sale.
We reached out to Proto to ask what he's hearing — and what might come next for the still-empty site. (We also contacted Gemini Rosemont, and did not get a response.)
You mentioned that Gemini may be wrapping up operations here and putting the site up for sale. What are you hearing, and from whom?
I have not had contact with Gemini. I'm still in litigation with them. I've received several phone calls asking if I'm aware that the site is being put up for sale and whether I've given an access agreement. The answer was no and no.
These people also told me that Gemini is closing up its New York operations. I can't confirm that this is true.
Have they formally listed the property yet?
They have not listed it yet, but they've approached all the top brokers. I've already been contacted by three firms.
They did get the plans approved last year despite my protest with the DOB. I still don't believe those plans are code-compliant, and I'm confident I can prove that on appeal.
I've also been told — by someone friendly with a top person at Gemini — that they are liquidating their holdings and closing up shop, at least in New York. Again, that's what I know right now. Interestingly, several of their New York employees are looking for work on LinkedIn.
What did this experience teach you about how developers — and the city — actually operate?
I think there are good and bad developers. These are bad developers.
I've learned that the city and the DOB put the needs of adjacent owners and tenants behind those of developers — especially under the Adams administration. I've found the DOB to be incompetent and corrupt, sadly.
Given the property's potential transition, who is responsible for maintaining and monitoring the lot?
The lot is still owned by Gemini, so it would be their responsibility.
What's the current state of the property when you look out your window?
Nothing has changed at the site. I don't believe anything will happen for a while.
Even if it changes hands, I still have not given an access agreement.
I also contend the plans aren't code-compliant, and I have avenues to appeal any issuance of a permit. It could take several years of appeals and litigation.
Looking ahead, what would you like to see happen here?
I've always maintained that my only goal was to protect my building and tenants — not to stop development of the site.
If it changes hands, my hope is that the new owner will have learned from Gemini's mistakes and will come forward with plans that ensure neighboring properties aren't damaged.
This whole saga occurred because Gemini thought they could steamroll anyone in their way. I believe that when you enter into an agreement with someone, you honor it. Gemini didn't.
Second Avenue and Second Street sagas
In 2020, Gemini Rosemont spent more than $50 million to assemble the development ... buying the former La Salle annex at 38 Second Ave. and Second Street. The $14.5 million purchase of the four-story building was the third of three contiguous plots they acquired. The commercial real estate investment company closed on 42-44 Second Ave. and 46-48 Second Ave. (the former Church of the Nativity) in March 2020 for $40 million.
However, as The Real Deal first reported in August 2023, the city revoked the building permits after Proto, who owns 50 Second Ave. at Third Street, raised concerns about the development.
Per TRD: "Proto made unceasing calls to officials for weeks, triggering an audit by the Department of Buildings that found code and zoning issues that had initially slipped past the agency."
Previously on EV Grieve:
Reaching the top of the parking-garage-replacing condoplex on 9th Street
An 18-unit luxury condoplex is in the works here at the former Little Man Parking garage (aka LaSalle Parking) between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.
As previously noted, the homes at 220e9th range from one to four bedrooms, and seven of the residences will have terraces. There will also be three penthouses. Amenities include a 24-hour attended lobby, a sauna, fitness center with Pilates studio, a pet grooming station, and a Japanese-style garden.
The garage closed in April 2023 after the Department of Buildings issued a vacate order on the property following the deadly collapse at the Little Man garage on Ann Street in the Financial District.
The address was offered as a "redevelopment project" in August 2023.
Budget Car Rental and Tori-Bien, a restaurant that specialized in Japanese fried chicken, were also forced to leave their retail spaces at this address.
Signage alert: SKWR on 1st Avenue
Photo by Steven
Signage arrived last week for SKWR at 139 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.
This is a new skewer concept... which we don't know anything about.
There's a placeholder Instagram account for the quick-serve establishment here.
No. 139 was previously Surprise Scoop, billed as "the world's first flavor roulette ice cream shop." In announcing their closure last month, the Scoop team announced that they "decided to give the space to friends who are interested in opening a skewer concept in the East Village."
Monday, January 19, 2026
Noted
Drake Maye, of course, being the New England Patriots quarterback, who beat the Houston Texans yesterday in the playoffs (helped along by four first-half picks from C.J. Stroud).
Based on careful analysis, our snowglyphic experts believe the "ass" was added later — turning a straightforward show of QB appreciation into something a bit more awkward.
Most Holy Redeemer hit with DOB 'failure to maintain' violation
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Back on Tuesday, a rep from the Department of Buildings arrived at Most Holy Redeemer and posted a notice on one of the currently-closed church's front doors... sparking curiosity from neighbors who can see the posted sign but can't access the locked gate...
The DOB category is 73 — FAILURE TO MAINTAIN.
Per the complaint:
OBSERVED A SECTION OF DETACHED PLASTER CEILING WITHIN THE SANCTUARY. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VIOLATION WARRANTED.
Services here stopped on Sept. 1 (with one exception), and the property appears to be moving toward closure and possible sale, prompting growing concern from parishioners and preservationists alike.
Organizers have called on the Archdiocese to keep the church from being shuttered or sold, and urged the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to move ahead with landmark designation.
Church leadership cited the shortage of priests as a key reason for the shift away from Most Holy Redeemer to St. Brigid on Avenue B.
Officials also raised concerns about the building's structural condition. As noted last summer, there is a small patch of plaster falling from the ceiling to the left of the altar (and not over any of the pews). Church leaders said that engineers would evaluate whether it remains safe.
Parishioners — and even a church employee — expressed skepticism that a small section of falling plaster was reason enough to shut the building, as well as questions about the timing of the engineering review. (Photo below from Aug. 31.)
This same analysis could lead to the end of the church that opened in 1851.
The Archdiocese has yet to respond to any of the ongoing concerns or even share any potential future plans.
Find the petition about landmarking here. You can follow the Facebook group Save Most Holy Redeemer Historical Church here.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Sunday's parting shots
Week in Grieview
Never miss an EVG post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here.
• D.A.'s office announces indictment in fatal hit-and-run last month on Clinton and Stanton (Jan. 14)
• Petition seeks to rename Tompkins Square Park skate area for Harold Hunter (Jan. 14)
• Signage alert: Drāvida Indian Diaspora by Chef Aarthi Sampath (Jan. 15) … Mag New York City on Avenue A (Jan. 15) … Visit Sicily NYC on 7th Street (Jan. 12)
... and workers removed the plywood from the former Rite Aid on First Avenue and Fifth Street — soon to be home to a Metro Acres Market, as we reported here. (Photo by Stacie Joy)...
• A look inside the sidewalk stations that test the East Village's drinking water (Jan. 14)
• D.A.'s office announces indictment in fatal hit-and-run last month on Clinton and Stanton (Jan. 14)
• Petition seeks to rename Tompkins Square Park skate area for Harold Hunter (Jan. 14)
• Most Holy Redeemer briefly reopens for Mass honoring longtime parishioner (Jan. 18)
• Signage alert: Drāvida Indian Diaspora by Chef Aarthi Sampath (Jan. 15) … Mag New York City on Avenue A (Jan. 15) … Visit Sicily NYC on 7th Street (Jan. 12)
... and a few things... this is not actually a warning about tagging the gate at 2 St. Mark's Place, but rather an ad for the new A$AP Rocky record, Don't Be Dumg, that was released on Friday (H/T Justin) ...
Passengers now have leaning rails at these East Village bus stops
However, the MTA says these booty bars cost about $450, compared to over $4,000 for a traditional wooden bench.
This past November, City Hall committed $40 million to putting seating or rear rails at every eligible bus stop in NYC — some 8,750 without a place to sit or lean.
The rollout will reportedly take up to 10 years, with 875 stops updated annually.
Let us know if you have seen more of the new "I'm not sitting" bars around... some stops have had them for years.
Most Holy Redeemer briefly reopens for Mass honoring longtime parishioner
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Most Holy Redeemer — closed since Sept. 1 — briefly reopened yesterday afternoon for a Mass honoring Robert Keck, a longtime parishioner and sacristan.
Keck died on Jan. 5, about a month after his 90th birthday.
The reopening came as a surprise to some parishioners, given the limited access to the building since the closure.
Still, parishioners were happy to be back inside the church and to pay their respects to Robert Keck.
"When the closure was announced, Msgr. Nelan [of Immaculate Conception on 14th Street] did say exceptions would be made for a wedding or funeral of a longtime parishioner — but then declined to hold a Mass on the anniversary of the consecration, citing safety concerns — so this was a complete surprise," said Laura Sewell, executive director at the East Village Community Coalition, one of the groups urging landmark status for Most Holy Redeemer.
A church custodian echoed the sentiment, simply noting: "Good to see the church open and with people in it."
Previously on EV Grieve:
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Saturday's parting shot
Photo by Stacie Joy
Snow view today from Avenue A and Fifth Street... all gone now (the snow, not 5th and A).
A 'cleanup only' operation on 11th Street and 1st Avenue
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
What's happening at 11th Street and First Avenue? "Cleanup" is the word of the day.
Unlike the last cleanup — held at noon on one of the hottest days of the year — this one took place yesterday morning (Jan. 16) at 9 on one of the frostiest. It was 24 degrees, with a real-feel in the teens.
The new Mayor has been vocal about a shift at City Hall away from "sweeps." And unlike previous actions in the area, Friday's operation was being described as a cleanup at 11th Street and First Avenue — with no enforcement behind it, according to the NYPD.
Vincent Gragnani, press secretary for the NYC Department of Sanitation's Bureau of Public Affairs, described it as routine street and sidewalk cleaning.
"This was a standard street and sidewalk cleaning operation, at the request of NYPD, not a more involved joint operation," he said. "We were asked to clean litter in the area, as we routinely do at the request of agencies, elected officials, community complaints, etc, and that is exactly what we did."
As we've been reporting, the actions here follow a surge in community complaints about noise, congestion and food waste tied to the block's unofficial use as a waiting and staging area for e-bike delivery workers (aka deliveristas). The quality-of-life concerns have also come up regularly at recent 9th Precinct Community Council meetings.
"This is a cleanup on 11th Street based upon community complaints," a police source said. "We're not doing enforcement at this time."
The source said the plan was for deliveristas to move their bicycles to allow for the cleanup.
The NYPD said they would not be taking any bikes or bags, unlike previous actions in this area.
"The goal is not to take anything. We're using outreach to spread the word." 
Will summonses be issued?
Will summonses be issued?"Not unless we observe someone breaking the law," the source said.
On-site Sanitation
Sanitation workers on site said they were told the NYPD likely wouldn't be part of the morning's cleanup, citing "a change in plans."
A supervisor said the department was there to clean the area in response to complaints, using mechanical brooms, a motorized truck, and backpack blowers. Sanitation can typically reach the curbline, but the bike corral makes the area difficult to access.
"It's up to the NYPD if we take anything," the supervisor said. "We don't even have the tools to remove bike locks and chains. But if there's abandoned property that no one claims, we remove it."
Community Board 3
CB3 District Manager Susan Stetzer said she made the cleanup signs and had them translated into multiple languages.
She was on site Friday morning, along with Tyler Hefferon, executive director of EV Loves NYC, several community members, and a representative from Councilmember Harvey Epstein's office.
"I was told this was a Department of Sanitation-led cleanup and that there would be no bike seizures like last time, but I encouraged people to treat this like alternate-side street parking, Hefferon said. "It did not seem as urgent as the last time, but local mutual aid groups plus Los Deliveristas Unidos helped me get the word out."
Meanwhile, Stetzer struck a mix of optimism and frustration. She said the cleanup effort was discussed at the Community Board's monthly District Service Cabinet meeting, which she noted is required under the City Charter and brings together multiple city agencies focused on service delivery issues in the district.
When the proposed cleanup came up, she said Sanitation, the NYPD, the City Council, and DOT were in attendance and "participated in plans," adding, "This is why these meetings are so valuable and productive." She also noted that community construction liaisons for ongoing projects attend and provide status reports.
Stetzer said the Board is "very excited to work with the new mayor's office," but has "very frustratingly… not been able to do so at this time." She added that the city's Community Assistance Unit (CAU) "appears to have been disbanded but not replaced."
She said she hopes the Mayor's office reaches out to community boards soon, "so that as city agencies we can work with them and request information and support."
As for the operation itself, Stetzer said she felt "the cleanup went well," emphasizing that "it was a cleanup, not a punitive action." She said the larger issue remains unresolved: "Parking a hundred bikes on this block is not sustainable," and simply adding more bike corrals — which she said can take a year to install — "is not a solution."
She called it "a failure of government to plan and provide infrastructure," and said the community is hopeful the new administration will help resolve the situation.
Stetzer pointed to the role of delivery app companies, saying they are "making money on the work of the delivery workers without providing accommodation or benefits." She said the City needs both an infrastructure plan and legislation "that will hold companies responsible for bike storage and necessary accommodation for the workers."
Without that, she said, complaints from residents can lead to enforcement actions where "punitive actions fall on the workers who have no means to comply."
She also noted that many delivery workers are "new Americans" and said that past bike confiscations required court appearances to retrieve the bikes — something that can put some workers at risk. Stetzer said the goal is a plan that supports delivery, improves working conditions, holds app companies accountable, and gives workers a realistic way to comply.
Saturday's opening shot
Photo by Cecil Scheib
Click on the pic for more detail
A slice of sun on Midtown to start the day... before the — uh-oh! — wintry mix settles in over the area. (NYC, not just Midtown.)
How AccuWeather is calling it for NYC: "Rain and snow showers this morning followed by a bit of snow and rain at times this afternoon; streets mainly wet."
Friday, January 16, 2026
Start me up
Local band Gogol Bordello has a new album, titled We Mean It, Man!, due out on Feb. 13.
Ahead of that is "Ignition" (with a video featuring Liev Schreiber), which adds some electronic layers to the band's usual gypsy punk sound.
Friday's opening shots
A wintry mix of rain-sleet-snow is expected overnight into your Saturday. High alert for slippery spots on the street and sidewalks.
Thursday, January 15, 2026
ICYMI: Tom Verlaine’s Downtown legacy enters the New York Public Library
Image via NYPL
On Jan. 9, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts announced that it has acquired the archive of Tom Verlaine, the musician, poet and longtime New York presence best known as the frontman of Television.
The collection spans roughly six decades of Verlaine's working life and fills about 40 linear feet. It includes lyric drafts, short stories, abandoned songs, correspondence, photographs, ephemera, and hundreds of hours of released and unreleased recordings — demos, rehearsals, and live material from the Neon Boys, Television, and Verlaine's solo years.
Among the highlights: early 1970s handwritten lyric drafts for Marquee Moon and 145 personal notebooks and journals.
Verlaine, a longtime East Villager who died in 2023 at age 73, emerged in the early 1970s as a central figure in the downtown scene orbiting CBGB. Television's 1977 debut, Marquee Moon, is widely regarded as one of the most influential rock albums ever released. Though commercial success largely eluded him, Verlaine's angular guitar style and literary sensibility left a deep mark on generations of artists.
In a letter to the library, Patti Smith reflected on Verlaine's lifelong love of books and their shared hours in used bookstores, calling the New York Public Library "a more fitting place" for his papers. Library officials say the archive will help spark long-overdue scholarship on Verlaine's work and legacy.
The collection now joins holdings connected to figures such as Lou Reed, John Cage and Arthur Russell at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which is located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza ... within the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex.
Signage alert: Drāvida Indian Diaspora by Chef Aarthi Sampath
Photo by Choresh Wald
There's a lot of activity these days at 211 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street.
Signage is up for Drāvida Indian Diaspora, a new concept from Aarthi Sampath, a consultant and chef known for her multiple TV appearances on "Guy's Grocery Games," "Chopped" and "Beat Bobby Flay."
We don't know too much about the new project... the restaurant received CB3 approval for a liquor license last September. (Questionnaire here.)
It's a smallish dining room with four tables that seat 20 people. (We're assuming there will be a to-go component as well, as Sampath is involved with CookUnity, which delivers prepared meals weekly.) Proposed hours on the CB3 application were daily from 3 p.m. to midnight.
The space has been vacant since Luzzo's closed here in 2022.
Saba Candy & Groceries comes and goes on Avenue B
Photos by Stacie Joy
After an Oct. 31 debut, Saba Candy & Groceries has apparently closed at 106 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.
The shop hasn't been open lately, and as our correspondent put it, Saba is looking "mighty closed," with empty shelves and no signs of activity.
Turns out there wasn't much of a market for a midblock candy-and-grocery stop selling Haribo Mini Rainbow Frogs, Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookies and Wish-Bone Creamy French Dressing.
This is one of the two recently renovated storefronts in this building at No. 106.
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