Remembering longtime East Village resident Mary Buchen

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Mary Buchen, a 45-year East Village resident, artist, horticulturist and world traveler, died on Jan. 9. She was 77.

Known as the "Queen of the Horts," Buchen was a co-designer of the iconic "hands" fence at the 6th Street and Avenue B Community Garden and a beloved friend and neighbor. 

We spoke with her husband of 54 years, Bill Buchen, who shared the following remembrance: 

Before her passing, Mary was surrounded at home by loving friends and left this world in a respectful, caring, holistic and peaceful environment. She was deeply moved by the outpouring of support and knew how loved she was. 

Mary was a uniquely kind and caring person who loved her friends, her dog and, most of all, gardening. She was a wonderful co-partner in Sonic Architecture, working in 74 locations around the world, including helping design the world's first sound parks and sound playgrounds. 

In addition, she explored the globe on more than 50 trips, traveling to India 20 times, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia and Thailand, doing things most people wouldn't dare to do and only dream of. Hiking at 15,500 in Nepal in tennis shoes and blue jeans? Tubing in Laos among water buffalo, reptiles and snakes? Traveling through Brazil, Bolivia and Peru on $1.50 a day on the worst busses possible? Check! 

She lived a vibrant full life of risk and adventure with no regrets. Gardening was her lifeforce and passion. She was a Sufi, in love with the wonder of plants and flowers.

A temporary memorial has been set up on the stage at the 6th Street and Avenue B Community Garden, where neighbors may sign a book and leave flowers or notes. A larger day of remembrance is planned for later this summer.

The neighborhood feels a little less bright without Mary.

Crowdfunding effort moves to guard a tree around Tompkins Square Park

Here's an item about a small but meaningful win for Tompkins Square Park.

 A crowdfunding effort to protect one of the vulnerable trees along the perimeter of Tompkins Square Park is (as of last night) just a few dollars shy of its $2,000 goal. 

The campaign was organized by Zachary Thomas and Tal Roded, who serve together on Community Board 3's Parks, Recreation, Waterfront & Resiliency Committee. Their goal: to install a durable metal tree guard around a Ginkgo tree on Seventh Street near Avenue B, which is currently exposed to the daily grind. 

Enter tree guards, which help protect against dog waste, vehicle and delivery damage, and soil compaction from foot traffic, all of which can slowly kill a tree. 

Last year, according to the GoFundMe, while walking the park's perimeter, Thomas noticed a troubling imbalance: of the 58 trees lining Tompkins Square Park, only seven had guards. That leaves nearly 90% exposed to damage every day. 

NYC Parks is prepared to install a guard, but with limited funding and street tree maintenance low on the priority list, the cost has fallen to the community. The quoted price for the fabrication and professional installation of a standard metal tree guard is $1,950 — a one-time investment that is meant to last for years. 

The campaign's success shows just how much neighbors care about the small details that keep the East Village green. It may only be one tree, but it's a step toward protecting the edges of Tompkins Square Park — one guard at a time. 

You can read more about this campaign in a Substack post by Thomas and Roded.

Construction watch: 231 Bowery

Photo from Jan. 23 

ICYMI: The New Museum, including its 60,000-square-foot building expansion next door, will reopen on March 21... featuring twice the exhibition space and several major new commissions that will be on long-term view in and around the building. 

And there's free admission during their opening weekend on March 21-22. (You have to register for the free tickets starting next month. Details.)

Demolition wrapped up at 231 Bowery, the former 6-floor building that stood next to the New Museum here at Prince Street, in the fall of 2022. 

No. 231 was home to Daroma Restaurant Equipment until the spring of 2011, when they moved down the Bowery (and the owner pleaded guilty to tax fraud). The New Museum bought the building for $16.6 million in September 2008. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The New Museum unveils plans for expanded facility on the Bowery 

• Demolition complete on the Bowery for the New Museum annex 

• CB3 to hear more about plans for the new restaurant coming to the New Museum

Openings: Mag New York City on Avenue A

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Mag New York City debuted late last week at 66 Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street... the shop specializes in vintage and streetwear brands (new and used)...

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Closed on Mondays.) 

You can keep tabs on merch via Instagram.

Previously

Did you know? There’s a Pizza Hut on the Lower East Side now

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

We somehow missed this one entirely, but the chain opened an outpost in mid-December at 134 Delancey St. between Norfolk and Suffolk. And yes ... it's that Pizza Hut. 

If you grew up in the era of the classic dine-in Hut, you already know the vibe we're talking about: the giant red nubby cups, the checkered tablecloths, and those fake stained-glass chandeliers that made every booth feel like you were having a special occasion dinner... even if it was just a personal pan pizza and a stack of quarters for Ms. Pacman.

This is not that. This is a very 2025-era, order-at-the-window version ... complete with bullet-proof glass between you and your nostalgia.

Still, it's kind of wild (and weirdly comforting?) to see that familiar name back in the neighborhood mix. 

Anyway, if you've been craving a little throwback… or just want to see what Pizza Hut looks like in its modern, no-frills form… now you know.

Of course, you might recall the Pizza Hut-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's combo that closed on the NW corner of Second Avenue and 14th Street in 2010.

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Jacob Ford

St. Mark's Place snowbank beautification project...

Noted

Photo by Edmund John Dunn 

New to market on 14th Street near Avenue A... Charming ground-level unit with open-air ventilation and a thoughtfully carved private entrance. Features original snowpack walls, an artisanal ice alcove (perfect for cold plunges or storing beverages), and a minimalist cardboard sign for added security. Steps from Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Marketplace, the L train and M14 buses, and existential dread...

The East River shows off a rare winter look

EVG reader Roger Bultot shared this photo from between the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, capturing a rare sight on the East River: chunks of ice. 

The East River rarely freezes solid thanks to its saltwater mix and strong tidal currents — but it's not unheard of. 

As Ephemeral New York has documented, the river fully froze a handful of times in the 1800s, when hardy New Yorkers could actually walk between Manhattan and Brooklyn — no bridge tolls, ferries or $38 Lyft required.

Virtual meeting set for Tompkins mini-pool and basketball courts redesign

Top photo by Stacie Joy 

NYC Parks is kicking off the design process for a reconstruction project involving the Tompkins Square Park mini-pool and basketball courts — and there’s a virtual community meeting scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. 

According to Parks, the project will include a major change to the mini-pool: the current above-ground pool will be redesigned as an in-ground pool. Parks is also inviting neighbors to weigh in on what they'd like to see as part of the improvements, with a focus on how this section of Tompkins can better serve the community. 

Sign up for the meeting at this link. 

Here's an aerial view of the area that will eventually be under-construction along 10th Street and Avenue B...

... and how it looked the other day before the snow...

In August 2024, Gov. Hochul announced nearly $150 million in capital grants through the New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative. As part of that, Tompkins Square Park was awarded $6.1 million for a new in-ground pool, which will double the capacity of the current above-ground trailer park model. 

Other areas of the park have undergone renovations... last April, the field house and restrooms reopened after more than 18 months of rehab work. In 2023, reconstruction of the multipurpose courts took place.

Sunday's parting shot

EVG reader Olivia shared this photo with us of her dog Fern (named after the late EV restaurant) ... and yes, it was taken today during Winter Storm Fern.

An early close for Key Food

Photos by Stacie Joy 

To some surprise, the 24/7 Key Food closed early today (3 p.m. per a reader) here on Avenue A and Fourth Street...

We can't recall the last time we've seen it close like this for weather-related purposes. 

In any event, we were here around 10 this morning and nearly had the place to ourselves, so it makes sense to let the workers head out early for the trip home.

Good lord willin' they'll be back open in the morning.

Sunday, snow day

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Top pic from Corner Bisro on Avenue A and Sixth Street

A few scenes from today as the snow, and now sleet, continues to fall... from 11 a.m. to noon...

From 1 to 2 p.m. ...

A winter storm warning is in effect until 1 p.m. tomorrow... with snow totals reaching eight to 12 inches in parts of the metropolitan area.

Week in Grieview

Posts this week included (with a photo from St. Mark's and 3rd Avenue) 

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

• D.A. Bragg announces guilty plea in fatal East Village stabbing spree on 14th Street (Jan. 23) 

• Most Holy Redeemer hit with DOB ‘failure to maintain’ violation (Jan. 19) … Most Holy Redeemer briefly reopens for Mass honoring longtime parishioner (Jan. 18) 

• A visit to Afterword Bookshop on 6th Street (Jan. 21) 

• Paulie Gee tells us more about his slice shop opening on 1st Avenue in the East Village (Jan. 20) 

• Report of a fire at 325 E. 12th St. (Jan. 24)

• The 2nd Avenue/2nd Street lot saga may have a new chapter (Jan. 20) 

• ‘The Big Johnson’ brings an East Village legend to the Quad Cinema (Jan. 22) 

• Today in gushers on 1st Avenue at 14th Street (Jan. 23) 

• The Village East marquee goes full Oscar mode (plus some $5 seats) (Jan. 23) 

• Reaching the top of the parking-garage-replacing condoplex on 9th Street (Jan. 20) 

• New construction remains paused at 88 E. 2nd St. (Jan. 22) 

• Passengers now have leaning rails at these East Village bus stops (Jan. 18) 

• We’re still wondering about the brief, mysterious reopening of Burgers on B (Jan. 21) 

• ICYMI: Wayne & Sons has left the East Village for Williamsburg (Jan. 22) 

• Kissaki has closed on the Bowery (Jan. 22) 

• Signage alert: NYC Convenience on Avenue A (Jan. 22) … Baba Doner on Avenue A (Jan. 21) … SKWR on 1st Avenue (Jan. 20) 

Sunday's opening shot

Multiple tipsters have told us that it is snowing, though we have yet to independently confirm this. 

OK, we did actually walk up to Key Food on Avenue A. (It is open, relatively empty, and well-stocked... the sidewalk outside is shoveled and we heard Johnny Hates Jazz and Missing Persons on the PA.)

The Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 1 p.m. tomorrow. Per AccuWeather: "Heavy snow mixing with sleet, 4-8 in; very cold; rapidly deteriorating road conditions can lead to slow and slippery travel."

There could be up to a foot of snow if less sleet mixes in, per AccuWeather.

Tompkins Square Greenmarket CANCELLED for tomorrow

Here's the word from GrowNYC: 

Sunday, January 25: Due to an expected winter storm, the Tompkins Square Greenmarket will be closed. Clothing/textile collection is cancelled. 

H/T Steven

Report of a fire last night at 325 E. 12th St.

Reader-submitted photo

Two people were treated for minor burns last night during a fire on the fifth floor at 325 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, according to the Citizen app. 

The fire was reported at 9 p.m., as passersby reported a significant FDNY presence.

Just before midnight, a Citizen user posted that residents were back inside the building. 

Citizen quoted FDNY officials as saying the two people were treated for burns from scalding water. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Saturday's opening shot

The big questions looming over all of us as we head further into the weekend: the pending release of "Wuthering Heights," starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, seen here gazing into each other's eyes from the side of Seventh and B.

Specifically: Why does Catherine marry Edgar if she loves Heathcliff? Is Heathcliff a villain or a victim? How does his upbringing influence his actions? 

Also this weekend: A winter storm warning. 

Don't be alarmed by the all caps via the National Weather Service: WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM SUNDAY TO 6 PM EST MONDAY. 

Specifically in the NYC area: 

Heavy snow expected. The snow may mix with or change to sleet Sunday evening. Total snow and sleet accumulations between 10 and 14 inches. A brief changeover to light freezing rain along with a light glaze of ice may occur Sunday night. The precipitation may go back to light snow late Sunday night. Isolated wind gusts around 35 mph possible Sunday afternoon and evening. 

Perhaps it's time to invest in this Winter Auto (or bike?) Kit at Key, conveniently located by the bleach...

Friday's parting line shots

Photos by Brian Carroll 

Ahead of the reported winter storm warning for late Saturday night... a look at the lines outside the Trader Joe's on 14th Street at Avenue A... and the back of the line across 14th at the Whole Foods Market Daily Shop...

[Updated] Today in gushers on 1st Avenue at 14th Street

Photos by Olivia 

Just before 5 p.m. today, the road work on First Avenue at 14th Street sprung a leak...

@evgrieve pic.twitter.com/HS9Y2fOdb1

— Jennifer Fiorini (@fior_jennifer) January 23, 2026

And the gusher kept on gushing...

Thanks to everyone who shared photos and videos! 

Updated... Here are more photos as the gusher gushed on via Dan Efram...

Update from Council Member Epstein's office...

Our team was in touch with @NYCWater yesterday and has since confirmed that water was restored to those affected last night at 10:30pm and repairs were made.

Thank you to the crews who worked in the freezing cold to quickly address this condition. https://t.co/jcfZViTX67

— Harvey Epstein (@HarveyforNY) January 24, 2026

Line 'Item'

 

Local singer, songwriter and artist Clara Joy released her debut LP last year, What We Have Now (produced by Kramer on his Shimmy-Disc label). 

The video here, shot at a familiar Canal Street storefront, is for "You Just Liked My Item," a meditative ballad about life in the age of algorithms. 

She's on a bill tomorrow evening at Night Club 101 on Avenue A with Avishag Cohen Rodrigues (Cumgirl8), Matthew J. Hutchinson and TDA (Total Display of Affection with Bob Bert on drums).