Knicks revelry on St. Mark's Place

We have one last batch of Knicks championship celebrations (see here and here) from Saturday night ... these shots by East Village native @jimmyjameo were taken are on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...

Also, as you may have heard, the Knicks’ ticker-tape parade is Thursday morning, starting near Battery Park before heading north along Broadway (aka Canyon of Hereos) to City Hall.

Remembering Steve Almaas

Photo via Instagram

Steve Almaas, a longtime East Village resident, musician and songwriter whose career stretched from the pioneering Minneapolis punk scene to New York's alt-country movement, died June 5 at his home in Beacon, N.Y., from complications related to cancer. He was 69. 

As reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Almaas was a founding member of the influential Minneapolis band the Suicide Commandos, whose late-1970s work helped inspire a generation of Twin Cities musicians, including members of Hüsker Dü, the Replacements and Soul Asylum. 

After relocating to New York in 1979, Almaas became a fixture on the downtown music scene. He played in several bands, including Beat Rodeo, the group for which he became best known. The band is widely regarded as an early pioneer of the Americana and alt-country sound that would later gain broader popularity. Beat Rodeo released two albums on I.R.S. Records in the 1980s, with the group's debut produced by Mitch Easter, who also worked on R.E.M.'s earliest recordings. 

Almaas also recorded several solo records and was a frequent collaborator with other musicians. Friends quoted by the Star Tribune remembered Almaas as a connector who brought musicians together. 

In addition to music, Almaas worked as a teacher, librarian and community advocate. In recent years, he lived in the Hudson Valley, where he worked at the Woodstock Public Library. 

He is survived by his partner, Brandy Burre; two sisters, Janet Almaas Pickford and Judy Almaas; his daughter, Solveig; son-in-law TJ; and grandchildren Sully and Loa. 

We knew Steve from our many evenings at Sophie's in the days leading up to the launch of EVG. He lived on the same block of Fifth Street and was one of the bar's memorable cast of characters. 

We would occasionally run into him in recent years. Unaware of his health challenges, we didn't realize what he had been facing when we crossed paths this spring.

When asked how he was doing, he paused for a moment and said, "Just trying to enjoy all the positive things in life."

He smiled, as upbeat as ever, said goodbye and continued down the block.

 

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Trinity Lower East Side celebrates 30 years in its Avenue B home

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Parishioners of Trinity Lower East Side Church marked the 30th anniversary of the dedication of their church building on Sunday at Avenue B and Ninth Street. 

The original dedication took place in 1996. Among those attending the celebration was Pastor Bob Wollenburg, who led the congregation through the rebuilding effort during his tenure in the late 1980s and 1990s. He is pictured here with current Pastor Will Kroeze.

As part of the anniversary program, the church screened "In Word and Deed," a 1992 film documenting Trinity's ministry and its campaign to build a new church amid challenging circumstances.

"For over 180 years, Trinity Lower East Side has been in the heart of our beloved community, worshiping, serving our neighbors, and offering a place of radical welcome for all seeking healing and wholeness," Kroeze said on Sunday. "Today we give thanks for all who have given so much of themselves to support this remarkable place, especially those whose hard work and sacrifice made possible the construction of our church home 30 years ago."

Construction watch: 57 4th Ave.

Foundation work continues on the NE corner of Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue, previously home to a one-level building that housed Chris French Cleaners. 

As we first reported, a 10-story condoplex with 10 residential units is in the works for 57 Fourth Ave., aka 101 E. Ninth St.

According to Crain's, Ilyas Abayev, founder of the real-estate firm Moonshot Development, is behind the new project. BKSK Architects LLP, whose local credits include The Jefferson on 13th Street between Second and Third Avenues, is listed as the architect of record.

Here are shots of the foundation in progress... as well as the bottleneck the project is causing on Ninth Street at Astor Place...

The plywood rendering lists a fall 2027 completion date.

The dry cleaner closed its doors for good last September, marking 65 years in business. 

In the spring of 2022, we noted that the corner property was being pitched as a development site, shortly after the family patriarch, Chris Mitrofanis, passed away. Public records show the family also owned the one-level structure. 

Shaky Eyez coming into focus on 14th Street

Photos by William Klayer 

Signage arrived Friday for Shaky Eyez at 402 E. 14th St., just east of First Avenue. 

The storefront has been home to a smoke shop in recent years, and much of that setup — including water pipes and other accessories — remains visible inside the currently closed space. 

There isn't any information yet about Shaky Eyez or what type of business is planned for the address. 

June 15

A reader shares this discard pic from Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...couldn't even wait for the Summer Solstice...

A Bambi Lake poetry collection gets an East Village launch party

A poetry collection from the late Bambi Lake will be celebrated Thursday evening at Francis Kite Club, 40 Avenue C between Third Street and Fourth Street. 

"Devour Me, Again" gathers the work of Lake, the San Francisco poet, performer and punk musician who died in 2020 at age 70. According to organizers, the anthology explores themes including love, heartbreak, transgender identity, underground nightlife, queer survival, chosen family, desire and downtown decadence. 

The launch event will feature readings by Silke Berlinn, August Bernadicou, Perry Brass, Kay Gabriel and Harron Walker.

Bernadicou, executive director and co-founder of The LGBTQ History Project, described Lake as "the San Francisco street poet and punkette who once proclaimed that her greatest talent was making people cry."

Lake was associated with the Cockettes and Angels of Light and chronicled a period of LGBTQ life and culture that helped shape generations of artists and performers. 

RSVP here.

The newish office building at 1 St. Mark's Place is no longer empty

Sephora now has some upstairs neighbors, as the building at 1 St. Mark's Place has secured its first office tenants. 

According to a report in The Real Deal, two firms have signed 10-year leases totaling more than 16,000 square feet in the nine-story office property developed by Real Estate Equities Corporation (REEC). 

An investment firm leased 9,500 square feet across the sixth and seventh floors, while a technology-focused investment firm took 6,800 square feet on the eighth and ninth floors. The tenants were not identified. 

The leasing activity marks a milestone for the roughly 60,000-square-foot building on the NE corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place. The project, developed by Brandon Miller's REEC, 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. 

Sephora, the first (and only?) retail tenant, opened a 7,800-square-foot store on the ground floor last month

A final look at Somtum Der

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

We stopped by the former Somtum Der space at 85 Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street on Friday, where auction crews were arriving soon to remove the restaurant's remaining fixtures and equipment.

As we first reported, the Michelin-recognized Isan-style Thai restaurant served its final meals on May 31, ending a nearly 13-year run in the East Village. 

On Friday, owner Supanee Kitmahawong said there are no plans to reopen elsewhere in the neighborhood. She said her daughter has graduated from school and that she has been working for a long time. "I'm tired and want to rest," she said. 

Kitmahawong said she was grateful for the many customers who supported Somtum Der over the years, whether they were regulars from around the block or diners who traveled across the city for the restaurant's signature northeastern Thai dishes. 

She is a partner in the Brooklyn location. In 2024, the team rebranded its Red Hook outpost as Goog Thai Cook Shop, shifting the focus from spicy Isan cuisine to Thai comfort food inspired by neighborhood cook shops in Bangkok.

Meanwhile, the chapter that began on Avenue A in 2013 has come to a close.

Another inexpensive slice shop bites the dust at 20 Avenue A

Photo by Stacie Joy 

It appears the latest cheap-o pizza concept is kaput at 20 Avenue A. 

Paper now covers the windows at the Italian Slice, which took over for Alphabet 99 Cent Pizza ... and NYC Pizza and Fried Chicken. 

Given there are seven establishments serving liquor on this block between Second Street and Houston, you'd think this might be the SpaceX of late-night dollar-slice joints.

Signage alert: FKA on 2nd Avenue

Signage recently arrived at 221 Second Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street for a new bar called FKA — short for "Formerly Known As." 

The venture is taking over the ground-floor space that previously housed Wayne & Sons, the taqueria that relocated to Williamsburg last year in search of a larger home. 

According to a Yelp listing for FKA, the concept is built around a "high-low" approach, pairing cold beer, martinis and classic cocktails with a menu featuring raw seafood, smoked meats and burgers. 

The description also promises pinball machines, gumball machines, vinyl records and the slogan: "Good, clean filth." 

There's no word yet on an opening date. They have an Instagram account here.

The rear of the property is no longer home to a speakeasy, as both The Spirits' Speakeasy and Sincerely, Ophelia have gone dark. The front of the address has seen several concepts come and go, including Dear Rufio and Chicken & the Egg. 

Finnerty's, the Bay Area sports bar, closed here in December 2020 after 11 years in business. 

At Sophie's and beyond: More Knicks championship photos

Photos by Kyle de Vre 

We have more Knicks celebratory pics, starting at Sophie's on Fifth Street near Avenue A ... and on the surrounding streets...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week include (with a photo from Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg)

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

• NY Copy Print & Ship Center preparing to close after 34 years on 7th Street (June 8)

• Report: Judge clears way for men's intake shelter to open on 3rd Street (June 11) 

• Village View board exploring development options for one of its parking lots (June 9)

• Rabbit Books and Bar owners share an update ahead of a mid-July opening on Avenue A (June 10) 

• The incoming Barnes & Noble gets the plywood treatment on Avenue A (June 8) 

• Early voting underway (June 13) 

• Work starts on new 10th Street pedestrian bridge to East River Park (June 10) 

• Knicks fever in the East Village: A photo essay (June 10) ... Saturday night on Avenue C, Knicks NBA championship edition (June 14)

• Scenes from the 3rd annual Lower East Side Puerto Rican Parade & Festival (June 7) 

• These are the free movies screening in Tompkins Square Park this summer (June 9) 

• Former Karma gallery for lease on 2nd Street — for use as a gallery (June 10) 

• The wurst is over: Crif Dogs signage returns to St. Mark's Place (June 12) 

• A visit to Singapore Social (June 11) 

• Openings: Alma Mexicana Restaurante on 3rd Street (June 9) … Tacos Domingo on 1st Avenue (June 8) 

• Closures: Gooey On the Inside Cookies (June 8) 

• Signage alert: Kuroneko on 10th Street (June 10) 

Thanks to Allan Yashin for this spectacular sunrise pic from the past week...

And discarded couch questions on Avenue B: Why are the privileged faces so sullen... photo by Stacie Joy

Saturday night on Avenue C, Knicks NBA championship edition

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

As you may have heard, the Knicks won the NBA championship last night in a tense game 5 versus the San Antonio Spurs, setting off celebrations across the city, including in the East Village. 

These photos were taken along Avenue C between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, where ABC Beer Co. and HiLot were streaming the game outside.

The two broadcasts were slightly out of sync, creating a ripple effect as cheers erupted up and down the block after big shots, blocks and fouls.

After the final buzzer, hundreds of fans poured into the street. 

There was plenty of hugging, dancing, singing and the occasional shower of beer. Some people climbed onto cars, scaffolding and light poles for a better view of the scene.

Police arrived but largely kept to the sidelines as the celebration unfolded. Fireworks went off overhead, and smoke from flares and fireworks hung in the air as fans lingered well into the night.

Now, when Journey sounds really good ...

Avenue C celebrates the Knicks championship win pic.twitter.com/Mqmzd1yjAo

— Stacie Joy (@Joy_of_photos) June 14, 2026