Photos by Stacie Joy
People of all ages gathered in Tompkins Square Park on Sunday afternoon as the annual Tompkins Square Riot Reunion unfolded. Here's a look at some faces in the crowd...
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Buyer found for long-vacant Second Avenue development site
Photo from March by Stacie Joy
The long-vacant development site on the east side of Second Avenue between Second Street and Third Street appears to have found a buyer.
The listing from brokerage BKREA is now marked SOLD, though the transaction has not yet appeared in public property records.
As previously reported, the 14,019-square-foot parcel, which hit the market in March, offers more than 100,000 buildable square feet and has been at the center of years of stalled development plans, litigation and neighborhood concern. (See this post.)
The site was assembled by Gemini Rosemont in 2020 through the purchase of several properties, including the former Church of the Nativity.
Plans for an 11-story mixed-use development were later derailed after the Department of Buildings revoked permits following an audit prompted by complaints from neighboring property owner Robert Proto.
Gemini ultimately decided to market the assemblage for sale.
New innovation hub opens at Jacob Riis Houses
Photos by Stacie Joy
A new innovation hub officially opened this past Saturday at the Jacob Riis Houses, featuring computer and podcast labs designed to provide residents with educational and career opportunities.
The space includes desktop computers, Chromebooks, printers, podcast recording equipment, desks, chairs and conference tables.
The project was funded through a donation from Amazon to the Public Housing Community Fund. According to organizers, the Jacob Riis Houses hub is part of a $500,000 initiative to create up to 50 learning labs at NYCHA developments across the five boroughs.
Representatives from the Public Housing Community Fund, Thrive Collective, Amazon, NYCHA and the Jacob Riis Houses Resident Association joined residents for Saturday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The 13-building Jacob Riis Houses complex spans from Sixth Street to 13th Street between Avenue D and the FDR Drive.
Signage alert: RedWhite Boneless Ramen on Allen Street
Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy
A new vegan ramen spot is preparing to open on Allen Street just south of Houston.
RedWhite Boneless Ramen specializes in vegan ramen and sushi rolls, with an all-electric kitchen (though it also has a functioning gas line).
The concept started in Japan before expanding to Boston, where it has built a following, and now makes its New York debut. (VegNews has more about the biz here.)
Chef Kei (above left) and restaurant manager Ikuma said they're aiming for a soft opening as early as Friday, with a grand opening planned for Aug. 20.
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Update: Repairs continue after water main break at 14th Street and 1st Avenue
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Work continued today at the site of yesterday afternoon's water main break at First Avenue and 14th Street, where crews have expanded the excavation area as repairs move forward.
Traffic remains restricted in the surrounding area, and the Department of Environmental Protection has set up a mobile "Water on the Go" station on 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A for residents and businesses affected by the water shutdown.
According to a DEP spokesperson:
DEP crews remain on the scene and are working with Con Edison to assess the infrastructure to make way for repairs. At this time the water is shut off for some consumers in the area, so DEP crews have set up a mobile water fountain on 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A.
DEP officials said the break prompted a temporary shutdown of water service to some buildings on the east side of First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street.
The cause of the break remains under investigation.
12 injured in early-morning subway work train fire at Astor Place station
The following info comes via the @FDNY X account...At approximately 2:15 a.m. Tuesday, the FDNY responded to reports of a fire involving a four-car MTA work train at the Astor Place subway station in Manhattan.
— FDNY (@FDNY) August 4, 2026
Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy smoke at both street and station level from the fully involved vacuum… pic.twitter.com/NxxG3I0KOG
Twelve people were injured early this morning after a fire involving a four-car MTA work train at the Astor Place station, according to the FDNY.
The FDNY said firefighters responded to the station at about 2:15 a.m., where they encountered heavy smoke from a fully involved vacuum train operating below ground.
A northbound passenger train entered the station during the fire... and was evacuated as crews battled what the FDNY described as a stubborn fire inside one of the vacuum train's filter compartments.
Officials said, 12 people were injured, including five firefighters and seven civilians.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The 4, 5 and 6 trains are now running without delays, per the MTA.
Salumeria Rosi eyes Labor Day reopening following building-related damage
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
"We had some damage from the building and we're fixing it," he said. "In fact, we're doing some nice updates to the space."
Loscalzo said the restaurant is targeting a reopening around Labor Day.
"We're not going anywhere," he said. "Everything's great with the business."
He added that Salumeria Rosi is working with the building's ownership and its insurance carrier to complete the repairs.
"We just want to be open," Loscalzo said. "We didn't want to close."
He also expressed gratitude for the neighborhood's response since the restaurant opened here in January.
"We've had such a good reception," he said. "We're really just so happy with how the project has been going so far with everybody in the neighborhood coming in for their coffee or lunch or dinner. I want people to remember us, and I want people to be excited for when we reopen."
This is the second Salumeria Rosi outpost, joining the one that opened on the UWS in 2008.
Across the Pond bringing European bakery and market to 7th Street
Photos by Derek Berg
Signage recently arrived for Across the Pond, a "European grocery store and bakery," in a lower retail space at 59 E. Seventh St. between First and Second Avenues...
The shop will serve, per its website: "Sausage rolls. Proper teas. British meal deals. Real imported European groceries."
No word on an opening date.
An Instagram post from June 22 noted:
Still a few weeks away from the full renovation, but we're working hard behind the scenes to bring the front entrance and shop to life. Every shelf, sign, and small detail is getting us one step closer. Can't wait to welcome everyone to a little taste of Europe right here in the East Village.
Monday, August 3, 2026
Monday's parting shot
Photo by Jason Newton
Sunset on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, capping off what turned out to be one fine day after the rain moved through.
Water main break floods section of 14th Street and 1st Avenue
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
A water main erupted late this afternoon at First Avenue and 14th Street, flooding the intersection and sending water into nearby basements as DEP crews worked to isolate the break.
The break prompted a temporary shutdown of water service to properties on the east side of First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street. (And not the first time there's been a water break here.)
EVG spoke on the scene earlier with Marty Fatooh, Manhattan Borough Commissioner for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.
"We were able to halt the leak," Fatooh said. "As of now, we have a shutdown to the city water main in order to address the leak, which is going to affect consumers on First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street."
Fatooh said DEP expects water service to be restored within the next few hours.
The cause of the break remains under investigation.
"We've got old pipes. Some of these water mains go back over 100 years," he said. "We're dealing with age-old infrastructure, but we get it fixed."
Despite the dramatic scene, Fatooh said there weren't any major impacts to subway service, though some buses were redirected.
"There was no water that came in on the tracks," he said. "The L train is running normally."
Crews will remain on-site to repair the broken water main and the roadway after service is restored.
We'll update this post as more information becomes available. (Update: The city activated its "Water on the Go" fountains on the southeast side of 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A.)
Here's an aerial view via NBC 4...
ABC No Rio returns to Tompkins Square Park with a free afternoon of music
Photos by Stacie Joy
ABC No Rio hosted a free afternoon of music in Tompkins Square Park on Saturday as a fundraiser for its long-awaited new home on Rivington Street... part of a weekend that included the annual Riot Reunion show.
Five bands performed during the event. We caught sets by headliners, indie vets Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, and Crush Fund.
Organizers also passed the bucket to help fund a new PA system for the new ABC No Rio building, expected to open later this year.
From the day...starting with NYC's Crush Fund, who released a debut record on Friday...
... and Ted Leo, who played in the OG ABC No Rio space in the early 1990s...
Previously on EV Grieve:
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