Photos by Stacie Joy
Ruby/Dakota is at 155 E. Second St., just east of Avenue A.
Back to last night... artists include Monica Loya ...
... and Kiki Joyce...
And (below right) is gallery owner Hannah Studnick...
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Sole focus: At the opening night of 'Feet Pics' at Ruby/Dakota on 2nd Street
Friday, January 9, 2026
Feeling the 'Need'
The fiery Irish quartet Sprints play the Bowery Ballroom on Feb. 5 (not yet sold out).
The band's sophomore album, All That Is Over, came out back in the fall. The video here is for "Need."
The Parks Department will be mulch obliged if you bring your Christmas tree to Tompkins this weekend
Photo from Sunday
FYI: MulchFest 2026 (aka Chipping Weekend) runs tomorrow and Sunday (Jan. 10–11) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tompkins Square Park is one of the official chipping sites, which means city crews will happily turn your discarded Christmas tree into a bag of fresh mulch for you to take home — perfect for gardens, tree beds and other responsible, plant-related uses.
Vigil planned for Renee Nicole Good at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery
Good, a 37-year-old mother of three originally from Colorado, was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
Church officials are inviting neighbors to leave a prayer or flower in her memory — and in memory of others currently in ICE detention — on the 10th Street fence.
"A vigil for lament and hope" will take place on Monday at 7 p.m. at St. Mark's Church. The event is being sponsored by Middle Church, Trinity Lower East Side and Judson Memorial Church.
Trump administration officials described Good as a domestic terrorist who attempted to ram federal agents with her car. Local and state officials disputed federal authorities' narrative of events, calling the shooting unjustified. Her ex-husband said she was a devoted Christian and that he had never known her to participate in any protest.
Top photo via @stmarksbowery
Thursday, January 8, 2026
Noted
The response from neighbors ranged from annoyed to disgusted — not least because the field house only reopened last April after an 18-month revamp.
The reconstruction of the field house that serves the park included a complete renovation of the building's interior and exterior, upgrading all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Accessibility improvements feature reconfigured layouts, new entryways, ADA-compliant ramps, and renovated restrooms and maintenance areas. The mayor's office funded the $5.6 million renovations.
Parks was on the tag pretty quickly, power-washing it off the wall...
Photos via @voxvixen
Punjabi Grocery and Deli Is back, serving on 1st Street
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Good news for Punjabi faithful: Punjabi Grocery and Deli is back open.
After a multi-week closure, Punjabi reopened yesterday at 114 E. First St., just west of Avenue A.
We stopped by between customers to find Surinder at his usual perch... 
Punjabi's homemade cuisine is known for its large portions of inexpensive, delicious vegetarian dishes. (Cash only, as always.)
And that was back in view yesterday...
As previously noted, the gate had been down in recent weeks, with no signage for patrons — and no updates on the shop's Instagram — prompting some neighborhood concern.
The closure was due to a plumbing issue, and the two restrooms inside were renovated.
Punjabi's hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Bowery Electric space to reopen as the Bowery Palace; Jesse Malin up first in new theater
The space, however, will remain in the family.
Beginning on Feb. 18, the venue at 327 Bowery near Second Street will reopen as the Bowery Palace, a 100-seat theater.
The inaugural production will be a six-week Off-Broadway run of “Silver Manhattan,” Jesse Malin’s theatrical show, following a sold-out workshop residency at the Gramercy Theatre starting this past September.
"Silver Manhattan" will play five nights a week from Feb. 18 through March 29. Performances are scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. The 90-minute show will feature special guest appearances throughout the run, along with nightly pre-show gatherings.
"'Silver Manhattan' is the most personal thing I've ever done on stage," Malin said in a statement announcing the Bowery Palace. "I wanted to run it in a smaller theater and look into the eyes of everyone in the room. I have so much history on the Bowery — I played CBGB as a kid and grew up in the neighborhood. My grandfather sold liquor to the bars up and down the Bowery. It's nice to go back to the scene of the crime."
Tickets are on sale now at SilverManhattan.com.
In May 2023, Malin suffered a rare spinal stroke that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Malin, a partner in several local establishments, including Niagara, 96 Tears, and the Bowery Electric, returned to the stage for the first time since early 2023 in December 2024 at the Beacon Theater, billed as "the largest hometown show of his career."
Malin, a Queens native, launched his music career at age 12 while fronting the hardcore band Heart Attack. He later served as the lead vocalist of D Generation in the 1990s.
He has become a prolific singer-songwriter with nine studio albums and a variety of collaborations, including Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and Billie Joe Armstrong.
Photo below of Malin (left) and photographer Bob Gruen from last May on the Bowery by Stacie Joy
After raids, fines and silence, is Green Line finally done on Avenue B?
Photos by Stacie Joy
Green Line, the unlicensed cannabis joint at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street, has been closed since early December.
At that time, according to witnesses, Green Line employees got into a row, and basically trashed the place in the process.
Now, a demand-for-rent notice from the landlord, Steve Croman, has arrived. Building employees say Green Line has not responded to any messages.
Despite repeated raids and fines, the shop kept pulling a Michael Myers–Jason Voorhees comeback, rising from the dead again and again.
Could this really be the end of the (Green) line?
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Punjabi Deli and Grocery reopens TODAY
Photo yesterday by Stacie Joy
After a multi-week closure, Punjabi Grocery and Deli reopens TODAY (Jan. 7) at 114 E. First St.
The gate has been down in recent weeks, and there hasn't been any sign for patrons here... or on the shop's Instagram account... causing a bit of a freakout among Punjabi faithful.
Jashon Singh, whose father, Kulwinder Singh, started running the store just west of Avenue A in 1994, told us last night via an Instagram message: "My father had to close due to an emergency, but he's reopening [Jan. 7]."
He also apologized for not mentioning the closure on Instagram and promised to be more active there.
In recent weeks, we heard from several fans of Punjabi's inexpensive, delicious vegetarian Indian food who wondered what's going on at the longtime neighborhood favorite. (Several tipsters told us about a plumbing issue in the building, though we didn't have confirmation on that.)
Punjabi's hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Activity at a historic 2nd Avenue address
Photo Monday by Steven
Nearly 19 months after changing hands, there's now some activity at 110 Second Ave., between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.
In May 2024, the landmarked Isaac T. Hopper House had a new owner for the first time in 150 years.
At the time, Self Reliance New York Federal Credit, which owns the building next door, announced that it was expanding by purchasing No. 110 for $7.4 million.
The credit union, which provides financial services to the Ukrainian American community, plans to renovate and adapt the building for administrative and community needs.
The Women's Prison Association (WPA) had owned the property since 1874. The Hopper House most recently served as a 38-bed transitional shelter dedicated to formerly incarcerated and at-risk women and their children.
In December 2020, the townhouse sustained significant physical damage from a six-alarm fire on the SE corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street. The fire destroyed the neighboring Middle Collegiate Church and displaced the shelter's residents and staff.
Following a review of the damaged property, "WPA determined that a sale of the property would be most conducive to the building's restoration and the organization's programmatic continuity." No. 110 arrived on the market in February 2023 with a $7.1 million ask.
The property is also on the National Register of Historic Places. You can find more history of the address at Village Preservation.
Meanwhile, with 70 employees and 50 volunteers, WPA continues to operate from its other community sites in New York City, as well as from jail-based offices on Rikers Island and the Taconic and Bedford Hills State Correctional Facilities.
Ahead of its opening, Lazy Bulldog brings Turkish coffee to this 6th Street stoop
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Before the doors even open, Dmitrii Zhurbenko is already introducing the East Village to his coffee.
In recent weeks, Zhurbenko has been setting up a portable station outside 206 E. Sixth St., near Cooper Square, serving Turkish/Arabic/Greek-style coffee brewed the traditional way — slowly, over heated sand.
It's a preview of what's coming soon inside the space, where Lazy Bulldog Coffeeshop is expected to open in the next couple of weeks.
Here, the finely milled coffee is prepared to order and can be customized with add-ins like cardamom, black pepper, ginger, chili, or lavender, served sweet, black, or with milk.
Along with sand-brewed coffee, Lazy Bulldog plans to offer chai, brewed tea ("real tea, no stuff from tea bags!"), matcha and pastries.
While finishing the Sixth Street space, he decided to bring the coffee outside his entrance as a way to introduce himself and the concept to the neighborhood.
The portable setup is $5 per cup, with hours that depend on when he's out front. (Updates are often posted on Instagram at @lazybulldog_coffee.)
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
'50 Years of PUNK' this January
Photos by Stacie Joy
You now have an extra week to take in "50 Years of PUNK."
East Village resident John Holmstrom, the co-founder, editor, and illustrator of PUNK Magazine, and gallery owner Ki Smith, have announced that the exhibit has been extended by another week to Jan. 18, the night of the closing party.
The show, which opened in November, brings together original work from artists, photographers and contributors who shaped — and were shaped by — PUNK Magazine, which championed the Ramones before their first record, put Blondie in print, and turned fanzine culture into something louder and more visual.
The Ki Smith Gallery is at 170 Forsyth St., between Stanton and Rivington. Gallery hours: Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.
See below for upcoming events... also, on Sunday: live sets by Labretta Suede and the Motel 6 and Vamanos! Ticket info here.
Veselka looks to add full liquor license at longtime East Village home
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
East Village institution Veselka is seeking a full liquor license for its longtime Second Avenue and Ninth Street location.
Jason Birchard, the third-generation owner of the East Village institution, told us the decision follows the success of Veselka's full liquor program at its Williamsburg outpost.
Birchard will appear before Community Board 3's SLA Licensing & Outdoor Dining Committee on Jan. 12 to make the request.
Birchard said the plan is for a small, food-complementary liquor program — not a full bar.
"Nothing large," he said. "Just a complement to the beer and wine we have now. Maybe a Bloody Mary, a seasonal cocktail, some cordials, and special Ukrainian vodka that's hard to find here."
Veselka has operated with a beer and wine license at the East Village location for more than 30 years, Birchard noted, and is in good standing with the SLA.
He said the move is partly about staying competitive in the neighborhood as costs continue to rise.
Birchard also said the restaurant is exploring a return to late-night hours — potentially 2 a.m., 4 a.m., or even overnight service on weekends — though staffing challenges remain a factor.
As for drinks, Birchard said Veselka has experimented with cocktails before, including a Bloody Mary collaboration at the former Bowery location and a beet martini, and he's open to bringing those ideas back.
The Williamsburg menu offers a preview of what could come to the East Village, including cocktails made with Ukrainian horilka, beet juice and sour cherry syrup.
There are no plans for a separate bar or dedicated bartender at the Second Avenue location. Any cocktails would be prepared through the existing service bar and added directly to the menu.
Birchard also emphasized there would be no "boozy brunch," though a simple cocktail option with brunch could be available.
What will be the 12th establishment in 12 years for 334 Bowery?
This past September, the Marshal took legal possession of the space after Casa Bond had 22 months
here serving upscale Mexican cuisine.
There was an applicant for the address at Community Board 2 last month. Given the arrival of a for-rent sign late last
week, those plans likely didn't materialize.
Otherwise, the new operators could have
been
the 12th establishment
to give the address a whirl since 2014 (the storefront was divided into two
storefronts for a time during this period):
• Forcella
• Espoleta
• Gia Trattoria
(first iteration)
• Slice of Naples
• PYT
• SRO
• Bowery Pizza
• Gia Trattoria (second
iteration, different operators)
• Gino Sorbillo
• Xeo Cantina
• Casa Bond
Previously
on EV Grieve:
First signs of retail (Sephora) life at 1 St. Mark’s Place
EVG reader Jacob Ford spotted workers installing flooring inside the 7,800-square-foot ground-floor space here on the NE corner of Third Avenue...
As previously reported, the mall-friendly Sephora signed a lease here at the base of the 9-story office building this past September. (TRD had the news first.)
Meanwhile, there haven't been any updates about any tenants leasing the office space, which was reportedly built on spec.
Crews and equipment were assembled here in the summer of 2020 to start on the foundation — a process that ultimately didn't get underway until 2022.
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