Community meeting set on proposed intake relocation to East Village

City Councilmember Harvey Epstein is hosting a community meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) evening to discuss the mayor's plan to relocate Bellevue's adult men's homeless intake operation. 

As previously reported, the proposal would move intake to the men's shelter at 8 E. Third St., while converting Project Renewal's facility at 333 Bowery into an intake center for homeless families. 

The plan has raised questions among some residents about logistics and community impact. Tuesday's meeting is expected to provide more details and offer neighbors an opportunity to ask questions and share feedback. 

Epstein will be joined by Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Congressman Dan Goldman, Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and State Sen. Brian Kavanagh. 

The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Sirovich Senior Center, 331 E. 12th S. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Previously on EV Grieve: • Bellevue Shelter closing; intake shifting to East 3rd Street and the Bowery

Paulie Gee's East Village Slice Shop update: ovens arriving, May opening eyed

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Work continues at Paulie Gee's East Village Slice Shop at First Avenue and Sixth Street, with a spring opening in sight. 

George Linn, the owner and operator of the outpost, invited EVG in for an update. (Linn has worked with Paulie Gee, aka Paul Giannone, and was the one who wanted to open a location of the pizzeria here, as we first reported.)

Linn said the dual PizzaMaster ovens are expected to arrive this coming week, following completion of the hood installation. After that: the black-and-white tile floor. 

The shop will run on an all-electric kitchen setup — no gas line (or ConEd approval) required. 

On the beverage side, expect Coca-Cola products, cold orange juice, and (pending approval) beer on tap. 

"We don't want to take customers away from [the International Bar] next door, we just want to have beer for our customers with their pizza," Linn said.

The space is taking shape with a 1970s rec-room feel — think wood paneling, avocado-green chairs and orange laminate — paired with updated lighting and sound. 

Seating will include three front booths, a handful of small tables and counter spots.

Linn also said they plan to display a vintage photo of the building, possibly from the 1930s... about 80 years before the previous tenant, Dunkin', moved in...

As for timing, they're aiming for a May opening, possibly sooner. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Paulie Gee tells us more about his slice shop opening on 1st Avenue in the East Village

Xi’an Famous Foods returning to the heart of the East Village

Xi'an Famous Foods signage is up now at 129 Second Ave., between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. (T/Y to the EVG reader who shared this photo!) 

This marks the brand's return to the East Village. The EV outpost at 81 St. Mark's Place closed in early March 2020 when the lease came up for renewal. (Xi'an opened at 139 Fourth Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street in May 2024.) 

Xi'an is taking over the space that last housed Taqueria Diana. (RIP June 2025.) 

The chainlet of quick-serve hand-pulled noodle shops has multiple NYC locations... and has expanded into a few other states. 

Company CEO Jason Wang's father, David Shi, got his start in a small food stall in Flushing, a business that became popular after an Anthony Bourdain endorsement.

Openings: Thum Wellness and Spa on 14th Street

So, 325 E. 14th St. has its first retail tenant since its sale and gut renovation. 

EVG reader Olivia shares that Thum Wellness and Spa has taken over the top space...

The ground-floor space here between First and Second Avenues remains for lease. It has been home to restaurants for many years, including Il Faro and, in the 1990s, Manila Garden. Crocodile Lounge never reopened after the COVID shutdown in March 2020. 

An LLC affiliated with The Sabet Group purchased the four-story building for $3.3 million in the fall of 2024... the gutting soon commenced. 

For generations before this, a family had owned the building known as The James McCreery House. Read its history here.

Sunday's parting shot

10th Street at Avenue A late this afternoon...

A good Friday with Surfbort

Photos Friday by Stacie Joy 

Surfbort (plus a friend on the left) 

On Friday afternoon, we spotted Surfbort in Tompkins Square Park... enjoying a spring afternoon after lunch at Superiority Burger. 

The band members were in good spirits, taking it all in ahead of the weekend's shows. The LA-based band with NYC roots was in town to promote their latest record, Reality Star, their third album, and first since 2021. It's raw, a bit dreamy, and not too worried about staying tidy.

The band was playing sold-out shows at Night Club 101 on Avenue A that night... and Market Hotel in Bushwick on Saturday. 

Surfbort got its start in Brooklyn in 2014, with founding members Dani Miller on vocals...

... and drummer Sean Powell...

... the Surfbort family features Valentine on bass...

... guitarist Adam Laidlaw ...

... and guitarist Bee Wright ...

And later at Club 101, Valentine previewed her stage gear — fitting, given how warm the crowded space would get during Surfbort's set, which came in quick, loud bursts ... feedback, hooks, and not much in the way of restraint.

... and Dani with the merch...

... and for the yearbook...

You can keep tabs on the band via Instagram.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo along 7th Street at Tompkins)

Never miss an EVG post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here. 

• Outdoor dining season returns as curbside setups reappear (March 30) 

• Police searching for suspects in 2nd Avenue carjacking (March 31) 

• Small Village Deli off to a loud start with neighbors (April 1) 

• Cozy Soup 'n' Burger seeks help to stay open on Astor Place (April 2) 

• D.A. Bragg details indictments over alleged gang-related shootings tied to East Village, LES (April 3) 

• After years of complaints, a ruling in tenants' favor on 9th Street (March 31) 

• A new edge in Tompkins Square Park (March 31) 

• Good Friday procession brings Stations of the Cross to East Village streets (April 4) 

• A Keith Haring-inspired Pop Shop tribute on 8th Street (April 2) 

• Openings: Lucky Cafe on Avenue A (April 1) 

• A Nite and Day business brewing on 9th Street (April 2) 

• About photographer Richard Sandler's "The Eyes of the City" pop-up at Abraço (April 4) 

• A moment inside MERV 1 (March 29) 

• Signage alert: Taqueria Emilio on Avenue B (March 31) 

• The Gray Mare has closed; new concept planned for the space (March 30) 

• Crowd lines Avenue A for secret show featuring Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE (April 2)

• 10 years later: Ninth Ward announces itself again on 2nd Avenue (March 30) 

• Reader report: Apna Pind debuts on 4th Street (March 30) 

• EVG highlights from March (March 31) 

• Introducing ChatEVG™ (April Fool's Day) 

... and EVG regular Edmund John Dunn shared this photo from Union Square on Friday... when the line formed for the grand opening of the Uniqlo on 17th and Broadway...

Report: What’s next for the office building at 1 St. Mark's Place?

There's a new player at the office project at 1 St. Mark's Place and Third Avenue. 

According to The Real Deal this past week, Manhattan-based firm GDSNY was brought on to oversee leasing and development management at the nine-story office building. 

The project, developed by Brandon Miller's Real Estate Equities Corporation, has had a complicated path — including financial challenges before and after the pandemic, as well as a lender-backed refinancing. 

Miller reportedly took his own life in the summer of 2024. 

The Morris Adjmi–designed building is now complete, though the office portion remains vacant. Sephora is taking the ground-floor retail lease, as we've noted probably too many times. (And someone has taken measures to protect the storefront from tags.)

GDSNY's role includes leasing the space, redesigning the lobby and taking over asset management — a shift from earlier efforts to market the building. 

As for REEC's current involvement, that remains unclear, per TRD.

Saturday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Dreaming about when the Flatiron Building and the Empire State Building have your One World Trade Center in checkmate... Tompkins today...

About photographer Richard Sandler's 'The Eyes of the City' pop-up at Abraço

Photos and text by Daniel Efram 

Sandler at The Bronx Documentary Center, 2023

Photographer Richard Sandler, formerly a longtime East Village resident, will be showing selected prints from his timeless book "Eyes of the City" (Powerhouse, 2016) at Abraço Espresso from 2-4 p.m. on Tuesday.

The filmmaker and photographer, who relocated to Vancouver in 2023, is back in NYC for an exclusive exhibition of his work at the prestigious Robert Capa Foundation in Yonkers, running until June 28. 

"These were the streets of my youth. [Being back] felt like diving into a river that I'm familiar with… walking my old route," Sandler said about his NYC return. "In this flow, I can pretty much take any picture I want. The skill is being invisible." 

The Capa Foundation also screened Sandler's historic "The Gods of Times Square," a documentary about the radical transformation of Midtown, in which he videotaped every day — and many nights — from 1992 to 1997. 

Completed in 1998, the film is a must-see for anyone interested in experiencing a different era of the city. 

Abraço is located at 81 E. Seventh St., between First and Second Avenues. 

Find Efram's recently launched Substack here.

Good Friday procession brings Stations of the Cross to East Village streets

Photos by Stacie Joy 

On Good Friday yesterday, parishioners from St. Brigid–St. Emeric on Avenue B took part in the (annual!) Stations of the Cross procession, which began outside the church at the southeast corner of Eighth Street.

The solemn walk — symbolizing the path Jesus took to Mount Calvary — continued north to 12th Street, east to Avenue C, then south to Seventh Street before returning to the church. 

Along the way, participants paused for the traditional stations, with reenactments marking each step of the journey.

This year's procession seemed to carry a little extra intensity — some of the reenactments didn't exactly hold back.

Friday's parting shot

The changing of the St. Marks Pl signage today at First Avenue... thanks to EVG reader David Leeds for

the photo! 

(Click on the pic for a bigger view!)

TV party tonight

Photo this week in Tompkins by Stacie Joy

 The Acute, the East Village-based duo of Viveca Butler and Stephen Cacouris, have a new video out for their track "As Scene on TV." 

Check it out below (and follow the band on Instagram for show updates).

 

Patti Rothberg marking 30 years of debut album at Parkside Lounge

East Village-based singer-songwriter Patti Rothberg is marking the 30th anniversary of her debut album, Between the 1 and the 9, with a show Saturday night at the Parkside Lounge. 

Rothberg and her current band, the Patti Rothberg Coincidence, will perform the album in full. The group has also released a new live album, Live at the Parkside Lounge. 

Originally released in 1996 on EMI, Between the 1 and the 9 landed on the Billboard and UK charts. The single "Inside" reached No. 32 on the Billboard Pop chart. Rothberg wrote and performed nearly all the material on the album, which took its name from her subway busking days before being signed. 

Here's Rothberg on Letterman in 1996...

   

The Parkside Lounge show is from 7 to midnight with these NYC bands: 

• 7 p.m. Queenpins 

• 7:30 p.m. Sue Lashley 

• 8 p.m. AIH 

• 9 p.m. The Patti Rothberg Coincidence 

• 10 p.m. The Val Kinzler Band (It is Val's birthday) 

• 11 p.m. Bedpan Fight

The Parkside Lounge is at 317 E. Houston St. at Attorney.

D.A. Bragg details indictments over alleged gang-related shootings tied to East Village, LES

The Manhattan District Attorney's office yesterday announced an indictment involving seven people allegedly tied to the Lower East Side-based "Up the Hill" crew, accused of a series of gang-related shootings between mid-2024 and late 2025. 

According to the D.A.'s office, several of the incidents took place in and around the East Village, including near East Sixth Street and the FDR Drive, as well as Avenue D and East 10th Street. 

Authorities allege the group targeted rivals in multiple locations, at times firing into residential areas and posting about the incidents on social media. Six individuals are charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with conspiracy in the second degree related to the alleged murder plot. All seven defendants face conspiracy in the fourth degree tied to weapons possession. In total, prosecutors filed 33 counts, including attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon. 

"This indictment alleges a coordinated pattern of violence spanning several months, during which the defendants repeatedly armed themselves and targeted rivals in residential areas, putting countless New Yorkers at risk," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. said in a statement.

Friday's opening shot

A Good Friday, April 3, to you... Avenue A near Seventh Street. 

FWIW: A ChatEVG™ scan said this is legit, and not performative

Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

A 30-second dance party on First Avenue and Houston... unfortunately, our attention span is about only 12 seconds at the moment...

Crowd lines Avenue A for secret show featuring Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Drom hosted a surprise show last night featuring Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE — which helps explain the line along Avenue A near Sixth Street. 

The two rappers have a collaborative release, the double LP Pompeii // Utility, out tomorrow, created alongside Surf Gang, the NYC-based label and producer collective. 

Some fans waited for hours to get inside — and not everyone made it.

They'll be playing much larger venues this summer, including including July 8 at the Brooklyn Paramount.

Cozy Soup 'n' Burger seeks help to stay open

The longtime diner Cozy Soup 'n' Burger — serving the neighborhood at Broadway and Astor Place since 1972 — is looking for a little help to stay open.

Third-generation owner John Strats recently launched a GoFundMe campaign amid ongoing financial challenges stemming from the pandemic.

"For over five decades, Cozy Soup 'n' Burger has been a staple in our community," he writes. "It's become more than just a place to eat — it's a gathering spot where memories are made and traditions are kept alive."

But like many longtime businesses, the diner has struggled to fully recover in recent years and is now facing mounting expenses.

Funds raised will go toward payroll, inventory and rent, to keep the doors open for years to come.

If you're inclined, you can support the effort here.

Or, as always, consider stopping in for a meal — or maybe a T-shirt — to help keep a neighborhood institution going.

A Keith Haring-inspired 'Pop Shop' tribute on 8th Street

A small tribute to Keith Haring's original Pop Shop has popped up at Allied Productions' studio at 368 E. Eighth St., between Avenue C and Avenue D. 

Timed to coincide with the Haring exhibition at the Brant Foundation on Sixth Street, the installation runs through April 17 and nods to the artist's Pop Shop, which debuted in 1986 on Lafayette Street. 

The space features donated posters from Sur Rodney (Sur) and ephemera from Mark Harada, all available for purchase. Proceeds support Allied's mission and public projects, including Le Petit Versailles Garden on Second Street. 

Visits are by appointment only (212-529-8815); additional details are available via Allied's online shop.