A new edge in Tompkins Square Park

Photos Saturday by Stacie Joy 

Skateboarders in Tompkins Square Park got a pleasant surprise Saturday morning. 

Early that day, a crew delivered a 15-inch-high granite ledge to the multipurpose courts/TF. (The ledge sits outside the main field and walking lanes, so it won’t need to be moved for field hockey leagues.) 

As Quartersnacks first noted, this arrival was a collaboration among the Parks Department, Nike SB, The Skatepark Project and California Skateparks.

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Given that this thing weighs a few thousand pounds, it will likely stick around the TF for awhile. (Quartersnacks deemed a sliver of triangular granite, nicknamed The Tombstone, as the most popular TF obstacle of the 2010s.) 

On Saturday morning, we spotted skaters lining up to test out the ledge … and start wearing down the edges.

As of yesterday, the Ledge remained the main draw here... and it was already showing a little wear...

After years of complaints, a ruling in tenants' favor on 9th Street

Top photo by EVG 

All other photos courtesy of Jeff Rae 

ICYMI: Tenants at 109 E. Ninth St. are claiming a rare win in their ongoing fight with their landlord.

 

According to city officials, landlord Michael Geylik has been found to have harassed tenants — prompting officials to revoke his Certificate of No Harassment (CONH), an unusual step typically reserved for more serious cases. 

At a March 24 press conference outside the building between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, City Council Member Harvey Epstein and Assemblymember Deborah Glick's office, as well as the Cooper Square Committee and Take Root Justice, joined tenants in calling attention to the decision and pushing for the restoration of essential services, including shared bathrooms, kitchen space and other basic building functions.

As first reported by Hell Gate, the remaining six tenants in the longtime single-room occupancy (SRO) building — some paying as little as $155 a month — have said the landlord removed communal bathrooms, showers and a kitchen after buying the property in 2021 with the promise of rebuilding them. Those amenities were never restored. 

The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development ultimately determined there was sufficient evidence of harassment to revoke the CONH, a move that could help tenants remain in their homes and compel the landlord to make repairs. 

Tenants and advocates are now calling for the return of all essential services, completion of repairs, and an end to eviction proceedings against current residents.

Signage alert: Taqueria Emilio on Avenue B

We had a rare Sunday Signage Alert at 168 Avenue B, where Taqueria Emilio will be the next tenant here between 10th Street and 11th Street. 

Last week, a tipster told us a taqueria was in the works, but we didn't have a name. Looks like this will be the fourth location for Taqueria Emilio, which started in Inwood, later expanded to a second outpost near Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, and a third in Brooklyn (now showing as "permanently closed" via Google). 

The Inwood location earns high marks in The Infatuation's "cheap eats" section. 

The taqueria takes over the space formerly occupied by Burgers on B. 

H/T EVG reader John Greally

Karma out, Conall’s in at 51 1st Ave.

In recent weeks or months, we've been observing the transformation at 51 First Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street, where versions of the bi-level Karma hookah lounge have been replaced by Conall's Public House.

Per its website: "Conall's Public House serves hearty, made-from-scratch Irish dishes, hosts lively nights of live music, and pours the finest drinks inspired by the Emerald Isle." 

Its Instagram account has this: "New Irish Cocktail Sports Pub." 

Owner Gene Lennon is behind several other local establishments, including Juke Bar on Second Avenue and 12th Street, and The Mayfly on Houston and Suffolk (not to mention Trinity Pub on the UES). 

You can register for the opening party this spring here.

Monday's parting shot

A temporary and very colorful commemorative plaque for Jean-Michel Basquiat outside 57 Great Jones St. between the Bowery and Lafayette. Art by @modomatic. 

The original bronze plaque was ripped off a few weeks back. 

P.S.

If you're on Instagram, you can follow @the_daily_basquiat for more frequent art updates here.

Outdoor dining season returns this week as curbside setups reappear

Wednesday (April 1!) marks the start of outdoor dining season in NYC. 

Under current city rules, licensed roadway cafés can operate from April 1 through Nov. 29.

In recent days, we've spotted curbside dining setups of various sizes going up around the East Village (bottom two photos by Stacie Joy)...

Meanwhile, the City Council is expected to advance legislation that would again allow year-round operation of roadway dining setups. 

The change would eliminate the need for restaurants to dismantle and rebuild curbside setups each season. This costly and time-consuming process has contributed to a sharp drop in outdoor dining citywide, according to Crain's. 

The proposal, led by Brooklyn Council Member Lincoln Restler, reportedly has support from Council leadership, the mayor's office and hospitality groups. However, opponents have concerns about sanitation, design, and the loss of parking spaces. 

A City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on the bills was held on March 3. During roughly three hours of public testimony — with 47 speakers — some opponents of the year-round plan noted that only one committee member remained in the room for the duration. 

Supporters of the measure say a permanent program would better support small businesses and neighborhood activity. 

"Seasonal outdoor dining has shown how our streets can serve people first," Sara Lind, co-executive director of Open Plans, told EVG via email. 

Restler told Crain's that it's important the measure passes before summer so businesses have time to plan ahead for 2027. 

For now, the seasonal setups are back — and the debate continues.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• City Council weighs big roadway-dining changes; opponents claim bill burying

10 years later: Ninth Ward announces itself again on 2nd Avenue

Ninth Ward signage is now up on the new building at 180 Second Ave. (H/T Choresh Wald!)

As previously reported, the New Orleans–themed bar closed here after service on Feb. 14, 2016, with plans to return following a gut renovation of the building between 11th Street and 12th Street.

That timeline — initially expected to be about 18 months — stretched into nearly a decade amid construction delays, landlord issues and the pandemic.

In July 2024, the owners were back before Community Board 3 seeking a new liquor license for the address as part of their long-awaited return.

Now, with the signage in place, it's one of the clearest signs yet that the Ninth Ward is getting closer to reopening here.

Good news for those who've been waiting a decade for that next drink here.

The Gray Mare has closed; new concept planned for the space

Image via @thegraymarenyc

After nearly 10 years at 61 Second Ave., the Gray Mare closed after service this weekend. 

However, the owners have plans for a new concept for the equine-inspired pub between Third Street and Fourth Street. 

Here's part of their farewell message on Instagram:

We are so humbled and deeply grateful for all of the love & support we have received over the last decade. It's on occasions like this that we take a moment to look back over those years and actually marvel at how genuine and decent the vast majority of our patrons have been. We love our neighbors & our East Village home. It has been such a pleasure to serve you. As we look ahead, we are beyond excited to begin a new chapter right here with a new concept in the very near future.

The Gray Mare took over from Dempsey's, which closed in 2016 after a 24-year run. 

Reader report: Apna Pind debuts on 4th Street

EVG reader Danimal let us know that the quick-serve Indian restaurant Apna Pind opened yesteday at 128 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Signage alert here.) 

Apna Lind, which began as an outpost on Rockaway Boulevard in Jamaica, offers an array of Indian staples ... with four daily specials in the $13-$15 range from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

While it's mostly a to-go operation, there are seats for up to 16 people.

Last night, Danimal, who lives on the block, tried the chicken korma with white rice and got an order of garlic naan on the side. 

Per Danimal: "The food itself was excellent, served nice and hot, and super flavorful ... pretty large menu for such a small place — very happy with this new addition to the block!" 

Google lists its hours as 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Sunday's parting shot

Slowly spring in Tompkins Square Park...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with an early Father's Day scene on Avenue A via Derek Berg). 

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

• Remembering longtime East Village artist and activist Agosto Machado (March 25) 

• Two Boots' longtime Avenue A home listed for the first time in 30 years as lease talks continue (March 24) ... Checking in with Phil Hartman on Two Boots' future on Avenue A — and the East Village (March 26) 

• 11 years after the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion (March 26)

• DOT plans bike and pedestrian changes around Astor Place and the East Village (March 26)

 
• Commemorating the 115th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (March 25) 

• The CityBench that baffled residents on 3rd Street has been removed (March 26) 

• A timely discussion on Iran at the Francis Kite Club (March 27) 

• Inside the New Museum's reopening on the Bowery (March 23) 

• A cold Spring night with the waxing Moon (and a reminder the Earth keeps moving) (March 25) 

• Photos by Francesca Magnani: ImillaSkate at Ninth Street Espresso (March 27) 

• A surreal sendoff to winter at Parkside Lounge (March 24) 

• Signage alert: JoJu on St. Mark's Place (March 25) … Wine Art Laboratory on Avenue B (March 24) … Fire Escape on Avenue A (March 23) … Whits on St. Mark’s Place (March 23) 

• And now, your Paulie Gee's East Village Slice Shop signage (March 27) 

• $1 slices mark Emmy Squared’s East Village return (March 23) 

• Pizza Hub's run on 1st Avenue appears to be over (March 24) 

• Fresh pavement for Avenue A (March 24) 

We mentioned that Tropic Berry had quietly shuttered at 45 First Ave. ... EVG reader Taz Urnov shared this pic showing that the for-rent sign has arrived...

A moment inside MERV 1

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

On Wednesday afternoon, there was a sizable FDNY response to a report of a fire on the SW corner of Avenue A and Fourth Street. 

Multiple fire trucks and emergency vehicles lined Avenue A and Fourth Street during the response, drawing a crowd of onlookers on a sunny spring afternoon. 

According to FDNY sources, facade work sparked a small fire involving a resident's AC unit. The blaze was quickly extinguished, with no injuries. There were reports of broken windows and water damage in several apartments. 

Among the responding units was MERV-1 (Major Emergency Response Vehicle), a large-scale ambulance typically deployed for mass-casualty incidents, building collapses or major fires. 

Per the FDNY, it serves as a mobile treatment unit capable of handling multiple patients on-site. 

Given the initial report of a high-alarm fire, MERV-1 was dispatched as a precaution. 

Once it was clear the situation was under control, I asked for a look inside — and a crew member was kind enough to give a quick tour.

As always, we appreciate the FDNY response — and it was much better to see MERV-1 parked than in use.

Sunday's opening shot

Photo by Jason Newton 

From last night outside Search & Destroy on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...

Saturday's parting shot

Brooklyn's quietly intense Nara's Room tonight at Night Club 101 on Avenue A ... the band's next record is out on May 15.

A Tompkins Square Park sendoff for the No Kings march

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Local residents assembled in Tompkins Square Park early this afternoon, setting off for Columbus Circle and the No Kings march, part of coordinated protests across the U.S. and overseas.

Attendees included local City Council Member Harvey Epstein and Council Speaker Julie Menin...

... Assemblymember Grace Lee...

...former District 2 City Council member Margarita López...

... and Matthew Marrero, whose husband Allen Dabrio Marrero is still being held in ICE detention despite an order for his release... seen here with Rev. Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft of Middle Church...

Saturday's opening shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Alley Cat at the excellent Village Works, 12 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

And NOT for #Caturday!

Friday's parting shot(s)

Photos by Cecil Scheib 

The March 27 sunset as seen from the East Village ...

... and earlier...

Mad world

Surfbort is back with their first record in five years, the delightfully absurd Reality Star. 

The video here, which includes a dancing chicken, is for "Jessica's Changed." 

Surfbort has a few local shows — next Friday at Night Club 101 on Avenue A, which is SOLD OUT, and Market Hotel in Brooklyn on Saturday.

Photos by Francesca Magnani: ImillaSkate at Ninth Street Espresso

Photos courtesy of Francesca Magnani 

A series of portraits taken on the Lower East Side — featuring members of the Bolivian skate collective ImillaSkate — remains on view at Ninth Street Espresso, on 10th Street near Avenue B, through April 10.

The exhibition, titled "The Blue Bridge," includes 10 images by local photographer Francesca Magnani, shot beneath the Manhattan Bridge. 

The subjects — Huara, Tefi, Belen, Elinor, Brenda, Zusan, Fabi and Deysi — are seen skateboarding in polleras, the traditional layered skirts worn by Indigenous Bolivian women.

The group has built an international following for skating in traditional dress ... once a source of discrimination but now embraced as a symbol of cultural identity and pride. Magnani's project explores themes of migration, exclusion and resistance, connecting stories across the city. 

The series has previously been shown at the EMOP Biennale in Berlin and Sydney's Head On Photo Festival.

ImillaSkate's work extends beyond performance — the collective is currently raising funds to build a skate park and cultural center in Cochabamba to support young people in their community.

The exhibition is on view daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Ninth Street Espresso, 341 E. 10th St.

And now, your Paulie Gee's East Village Slice Shop signage

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The old-school signage arrived yesterday for the incoming Paulie Gee's East Village Slice Shop on the NE corner of First Avenue and Sixth Street...

The pizzeria will be opening later this spring at this former Dunkin' outpost. 

Read more below...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

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