New bike lanes next for freshly paved Avenue C

The city repaved Avenue C from Houston to 18th Street in mid-July (maybe your car was towed during the milling/paving process?). 

All this was done ahead of improvements along the avenue for pedestrians and cyclists. 

DOT flyers are up now along Avenue C with details of the coming changes...

Improvements along C include: 

• Curbside bike lanes between Houston and Fourth Street 

• Parking-protected, bollard-protected and curbside bike lanes between Fourth Street and 18th Street 

• Updated parking regulations to provide truck loading zones 

• Neighborhood loading zones on select side streets 

• Painted pedestrian islands between 11th Street and 15th Street 

• New left-turn bays at 10th Street and 14th Street 

You can find many more details in the presentation that DOT officials made to CB3 back in April. (PDF here)

As reported last fall, the DOT is adding the protected north/south bike lanes on Avenue C and East Houston Street to help offset the closure of the East River Park greenway once construction starts someday.

Advocates urging City Comptroller to withhold approval for East River Park reconstruction

The low bidder's contract for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Plan (ESCR) at East River Park is waiting for approval at Comptroller Scott Stringer's office. 

And opponents of the current plan, led by East River Park Action, are urging Stringer to withhold his approval of the bid by IPC Resiliency Partners. (Read more about the bidding drama here.)

Today at noon, group members will rally outside his office at 1 Centre St.  

Here's more via an email from East River Park Action:

Once approved and a Notice to Proceed is issued, IPC can begin prep work for the demolition of East River Park — including cutting down almost 1,000 mature trees — in order to build a giant levee over the 46-acre land. The Department of Design and Construction, which oversees the project, said at prior Community Board 3 meetings that surveyors are ready to enter the park to perform necessary tests. Other work will include fencing of the park and bringing in trailers for field offices, which can begin within two months of approval.

 

At a time when the city is in a fiscal crisis, we are urging Comptroller Stringer to withhold approval on the $1,272,221,100 construction contract with IPC for the ESCR project that has already gone over-budget, until an independent review is conducted on the prior plan that would've cost the City considerably less money and the park considerably less destruction.

Opponents of the city's current plan — where workers will raze the 57.5-acre plot of land, bulldozing 1,000 mature trees and rebuilding the park atop eight feet of landfill — say there are better ways to preserve the park and provide flood protection, such as the one mapped out in the years after Sandy.

In late 2018, the city surprised community stakeholders by announcing a complete overhaul of a plan discussed over four years of local meetings.

In October 2019, the city announced that they would phase in the construction, so only portions of the park are closed to the public at any given time. 

According to various reports, the city has committed to leaving a minimum of 42 percent of East River Park open to the public. It is projected to be completed in 2025, a timetable opponents say will never be met.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• City tries again with the release of a Value Engineering Study for East River Park

• Report: Lowest bids for East River Park construction are $73 million over budget 

• Report: Now there's an East River Park construction lawsuit 

Karma's newest 2nd Street gallery is open

Karma's newest EV gallery space recently debuted at 22 E. Second St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

On view through Aug. 13: "Lee Lozano: Drawings 1959–64," a solo exhibition of 200 works on paper.

You can read an overview of the show at the Karma site here. 

The New Yorker has an item on Lozano and her work at this link. An excerpt:

As the art world has grown increasingly careerist and market-obsessed, Lozano has attained cult-hero status for her commitment to absence. Now an astonishing selection of two hundred of her early drawings, made from 1959 to 1964, arrives as a jolting reminder of her ferocious way with materials.

The gallery is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

As previously reported (here and here for starters), this is the latest EV expansion for art dealer and publisher Brendan Dugan, who debuted Karma at 188 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B in November 2016. A smaller gallery arrived later at 172 E. Second St. (Karma Books opened in April 2018 at 136 E. Third St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.)

As for 22 E. Second St., Willard Morgan started the Ideal Glass Studios, an artist-run film & TV production studio, in 2004 ... and the Second Street building was in use as a gallery and art collective. Morgan, who still owns the building, runs Ideal Glass Studios from space on West Eighth Street.  

Tony's Pizza will be Famous on 1st Avenue

Tony's Pizza opened in early June at 128 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

As we've noted, a second Tony's Pizza is coming to 231 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street. As you can see with the recently installed signage, this will be a Tony's Famous Pizza (not sure at the moment what the difference is between the two locations).

Our pizza sources say that these pizzerias are affiliated with Antonio's Pizza Cafe on Court Street in Brooklyn. (Their description of a Fugheddaboudit Pizza matches exactly with the one at the Court Street location.) Antonio's owner (and Brooklyn native) Sal Casaccio also operated Tony's Famous Pizzeria.

Tony's is taking over the storefront from Vinny Vincenz, which quietly closed in April.

July 26

Earlier today, EVG regular Salim spotted this instant Christmas, a table-sized tree, complete with lights, on Avenue A near Ninth Street ... ready to enjoy for the next five months...

Noted

Dave on 7th spotted this straightforward urban etiquette note on Seventh Street: "Please do not defecate here!"

Tompkins Square Library hosting mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic this week

This week, the Tompkins Square Library hosts a mobile vaccination clinic outside the branch at 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

The City's Test + Trace Corps will be here today through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

According to the flyer, anyone age 18 and over is eligible. No appointments are necessary. And a form of ID is required.

Data from the NYC Department of Health shows that 65 percent of adult residents in all five boroughs have been fully vaccinated.

Here's a look at zip codes in this area for adults age 18 and older via the DOH's map of vaccinations...

10009 

Partially vaccinated: 76.04 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 71.72 percent 

10003 

Partially vaccinated: 74.58 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 70.3 percent 

10002 

Partially vaccinated: 86.01 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 80.56 percent

In other developments... with the delta variant driving up infection rates, Mayor de Blasio called on private employers to consider mandating employees get vaccinated.

As The Hill reported:

"I'm calling upon all New York City employers, including our private hospitals, to move immediately to some form of mandate," the mayor said Friday while appearing on "The Brian Lehrer Show." "Whatever the maximum you feel you can do."

The Democratic mayor said the vaccination system that was in place for over half a year has been effective enough to restore some sense of normalcy, but that New York City has "reached the limits of a purely voluntary system." Mandates, he argued, are the next step.

It was reported last week that just 43 percent of the NYPD's workforce has been vaccinated against COVID-19. (The FDNY said that about 55 percent of its employees have been vaccinated.) An NYPD spokesperson told the Post that the department is working to educate workers and combat misinformation about the vaccine.

Meanwhile, with the increase in positive COVID-19 cases among the unvaccinated population, some elected officials, like City Council member Mark Levine, are making a case for the return of indoor mask requirements — even for the fully vaccinated. 

Updated noon: 

• NYC Will Require Vaccination Or Weekly Testing For All City Workers (Gothamist)

Brooklyn Bean Roastery closes on Avenue A

The Brooklyn Bean Roastery Cafe cleared out of 23 Avenue A late last week just south of Second Street.

There was some talk, several months back, that the cafe was relocating to another neighborhood (maybe Brooklyn?!). No word about a new outpost — or anything about this closure via the Roastery's social media.

The cafe debuted on Feb. 21, 2020 — and roughly had one month of business before New York went on PAUSE.

However, owner Khaled Abdelhaleem decided to keep the shop open for takeout. And during the spring of 2020, Abdelhaleem provided free meals to first responders from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily and free coffee for first responders and law enforcement at any time. 

The previous tenant at 23 Avenue A, Yerba Buena, closed at the end of 2017.

Mochinut bringing mochi doughnuts and Korean-style hot dogs to 2nd Avenue

There was action at the former Dumpling Shop this past week (top photo by Steven) ... as workers were prepping the space for something.

And just like that, the signage for the new business arrived on Saturday here on the east side of Second Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place... (thanks to Alexander Romanovich for the pics!).

Mochinut, the quickly expanding California-born chain known for its mochi doughnuts and Korean-style hot dogs, will be making its EV debut in the weeks ahead...

Here's info on the business, including their specialties ... 

Mochi Donuts are made with rice flour. The rice flour makes Mochi Donuts stretchy and chewy. There is a sticky addictiveness to each bite, a textural element that is completely different from yeast or cake donuts. Mochinut is receiving attention from people for its unique shape which is made of a connected circle of 8 dough balls. 

Mochinut, which has 20 locations in the United States with 90 (!!!) more on the way, also serves Korean rice flour hotdogs... photo below via the Mochinut website... 

Find their menu here. 

The owners of Dumpling Shop, citing the challenges of running a small business during the pandemic, closed here at the end of 2020 after two-plus years. 

Jiang Diner is on a break

We've fielded questions about the status of Jiang Diner at 309 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The business has been closed this past week... and there isn't any notice on the premises to patrons at the well-regarded restaurant (try the Big Plate Chicken) about what's happening here. 

However, there is a post, dated July 18, on Instagram: "Jiang Diner has been in constant operation throughout this pandemic ... It is time for us to take a break. We will be back."

Jiang Diner debuted in the spring of 2019 "with a mission to introduce authentic Xinjiang-styled Northwestern Chinese food and culture to New York City."

You can follow them on Instagram for reopening info.

Photo by Steven

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included (with a nighttime look at the former Jules Bistro on St. Mark's Place)...

• A farewell visit to The Baroness (Thursday) 

• Happy returns: New location of Gaia Italian Café — REVEALED! (Wednesday) 

• RIP Joe the tailor (Tuesday) 

• The Lazy Llama Coffee Bar opens cafe in the First Park kiosk (Monday) 

• Humans of New York inspires an outpouring of support for Dress Shoppe II on 2nd Avenue (Friday) 

• Police seeking possible witness to last week's homicide on 1st Avenue (Thursday) 

• Author Q&A: About the dystopian East Village future of 'Drained' (Friday) 

• Illustrations from the pandemic (Wednesday)

• The Anthology Film Archives returns with in-person screenings on Aug. 5 (Tuesday) 

• Italian favorite Via Della Pace announces itself in new 4th Street home (Monday) 

• Coming soon: Cutlets Sandwich Co. opening an outpost on 3rd Avenue (Monday)

• More details on 2 new fast-casual Indian restaurants from the owners of the Masalawala (Tuesday) 

• Openings: Gia Trattoria on the Bowery; Marufuku Ramen on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) 

• Openings: Yubu on 7th Street, Evil Katsu on 9th Street (Wednesday) 

• Sushi by M debuts in new space on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Snack Bowery sets up shop on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Who's NOT on tonight's CB3-SLA docket: Roberta's Pizza, Spiegel (Monday) 

• A smoky late-afternoon view of Midtown (Tuesday) 

• Former Banco Popular space for rent on Houston and B (Tuesday) 

• Former bubble tea shop space for rent on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday) 

• Aces Fine Food and Spirits in the works for 197 2nd Ave. (Monday)

... and someone left his/her thoughts on the new Tiffany's ad campaign on the Bowery...

---

Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

XOXO 2nd Avenue

Last Sunday, we marked the 10th anniversary of the closing of Mars Bar on Second Avenue's southwest corner at First Street. 

On this occasion, Julius Klein shared the two photos below of what the northwest corner of Second Avenue and First Street looked like for a time in the 1990s ... when he ran XOXO, a performance space and gallery.

This first shot is from 1997, three months before workers demolished the building to make way for part of the Avalon Bowery Place luxury complex...

And this next photo — circa 1992 — is looking to the northwest from Houston and Second Avenue... Roy, a handyman at Mars Bar, attends to owner Hank Penza's car...

Here's a current-day view of the NW corner of Second Avenue and First Street (thanks to Steven for the pic)...

Free COVID-19 vaccines in Tompkins Square Park this weekend

The city has set up a free COVID-19 vaccination center for this weekend in Tompkins Square Park right by Temperance Fountain ... no appointments are needed today or tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Vaccines offered at this location: 

• Pfizer (12+) 

• Johnson & Johnson (18+) 

 This is the second time this summer that the city has offered free vaccines in Tompkins Square Park.

Thanks to @joshuawatermannyc for the photo!

Meredith Blake is missing [Updated: found safe!]

Somehow Meredith Blake, aka Mary, got out of the apartment on 11th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... so if you happen so see her — info on the flyer above.

Summer in the City at 3rd & B’Zaar

Photos by Stacie Joy

It's time for Summer in the City at 3rd & B’Zaar.

The mixed-vendor market and event space at 191 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B is hosting several day-long pop-up markets late this summer... starting tomorrow (Saturday!) where more than 20 local artists, designers and vintage sellers will be featuring their wares in the space from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sara Ann Rutherford, Delia Anne Parker and Maegan Hayworth (seen below) are among the merchants...

The folks at 3rd & B’Zaar also adopted the latest cardboard installation from East Village-based artist Tom Manco. He whipped up a picnic scene that was in Tompkins Square Park... the burger is now in the front window for Summer in the City.

After tomorrow, they'll be another Summer in the City market on Aug. 14. (And look for Drag Bingo here on Aug. 6 and Aug. 19.)

3rd & B’Zaar debuted late last year with a month-long Holiday Market ... followed by Sex, Love & Vintage in February and Spring Into Pride in May and June...  with several art shows for good measure. 

Oh yeah

L.A.-based teens The Linda Lindas released a new single this week... the above video is for "Oh!" 

And why you might have read about them.

Author Q&A: About the dystopian East Village future of 'Drained'

Marc Daniel Acriche, a native New Yorker and longtime East Village resident, recently self-published his first book (this does not include the one he wrote about dinosaurs in the first grade). 

"Drained" is a young-adult dystopian thriller taking place in the near future (2048!) NYC.

"A good deal of it was inspired by Hurricane Sandy," Acriche told me. "Tompkins Square Park, and the neighborhood generally, are characters in their own right. There's brainwashing, there's spycraft, and, of course, some thrills."

Acriche (aka the EVG commenter who goes by creature) answered a few questions about the book...

Why was this genre appealing to you?

While "Drained" was always meant to be a thriller, taking place in a near-future, dystopian NYC — my first significant read as a kid was Stephen King's "The Stand," so dystopia is in my blood — it was never intended to be a young adult book. 

"Drained" started as a three points-of-view story with Casey Parker, our eventual 17-year-old protagonist, being one of the three. Then, after about 20,000 words, Casey started taking over the story — she would not be denied — and I went back and started over with her as the single point-of-view character and the book really took off from there. 

The last thing I expected was to write a book with a teen protagonist, but here we are. She took over and we never looked back. 

What role does the East Village play in the book?

What role doesn't it play?! As a longtime resident, it was a natural choice for me to place most of the story down here. That said, the story's setting did not fall into place until after Hurricane Sandy. The images from those days stayed with me: the brightly lit food trucks, the communal phone charging and, most of all, how the lights stayed out below 14th Street. 

I remember taking a cab home from work a few days after Sandy, passing from the lit streets to the dark, looking out the back window and seeing how 14th Street appeared to be an actual border of light. It was striking. I ended up calling 14th Street the "Light Border" and it came to define so much of the story.

Tompkins Square Park also plays a large role. In the book, it's become a refuge for a good number of the displaced residents from the flooded and condemned streets surrounding it, and, as the park has always been a refuge of sorts, it seemed right having it play that same role in the book.   

Talk about the Spotify soundtrack that you created to accompany "Drained." (Ed note: Amyl and the Sniffers!)

I love the soundtrack, I loved putting together the soundtrack, and appreciate you asking about it. First, the Cure aside, most of the songs are from the last few years and were part of my background while writing and editing, but, really, I tried to match up the songs — with the help of my best friend BAGeL Radio's DJ Ted who hosts the list — to the mood of the chapters they represent. 

Whether it's the title, the words, or the beat, the songs on the list spoke to me, and, I would hope, the reader as they take the book's journey. That said, on another level, our protagonist is a big music fan, who goes to shows and has band posters on her wall, and it was just natural to have a soundtrack that represented her love for music as well.

-----

Find more book and author info at this link.

Humans of New York inspires an outpouring of support for Dress Shoppe II on 2nd Avenue

Photos from 2019 by Stacie Joy 

Dress Shoppe II, the Indian boutique on Second Avenue between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, has had its share of heartbreak and struggle in the past two years. 

Purushottam Goyal, the family's patriarch, died in September 2019. His wife of 50 years, Saroj Goyal, has been doing her best to keep the shop going... now she is undergoing treatment for breast cancer...

Brandon Stanton, the creator of the popular Humans of New York storyteller series, featured Saroj on his @HumansofNY Instagram account yesterday. He also got involved in helping her business, launching a crowdfunding campaign in the process.

He writes:

Saroj is in a tough spot. She's still grieving her husband. She is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. And the stress is really destroying her mental health. I've spent the last several weeks digging into her situation, and it hasn't been easy to unwind. But I think we've figured out a path.

There's a lot of background on her financial situation. The following is from the GoFundMe page:

By the books — she is behind 24 months of rent. This is due to the disruption of her husband's death, her own health crisis, and the pandemic. Her store is located on 2nd Avenue, which is a prime location. And with tax and utilities, the full arrears would be $200,000. But there is certainly cause for major concessions from her landlord.

But Saroj's "landlord" is not a landlord at all. Her storefront is owned by the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association II. The MHA II is a collective that subsidizes low-income residents on the Lower East Side. This means that the rental income from Saroj's storefront goes directly toward subsidizing the rent for low-income New Yorkers. MHA II is a lifeline to many people. And unfortunately the organization's finances have also been badly hurt by the pandemic.

The board of MHA II is composed entirely of low-income tenants themselves. They have agreed to accept $130,000 to settle Saroj's debts. In addition to this — they have agreed to allow Saroj to stay in the store rent free for another six months as she attempts to sell as much inventory as possible. After this time hopefully Saroj will be in a position to relocate to a more manageable location.

The $130,000 from this fundraiser will not only eliminate Saroj's debt, but it will also subsidize the rent of low-income New Yorkers. Any additional funds will go directly to Saroj, who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer and has to pay 20 percent of the expenses out of her own pocket. She is worried about losing her house.

I know it's a lot of context to absorb. But beneath all the numbers and accounting, the goal of this fundraiser is to get Saroj out of crisis so that she can focus on healing. The waters are rising all around her, and we want to get her to some dry ground. The one thing she has is a lot of inventory. So we are hopeful that with some breathing room, she will be able to reposition herself for the long term.

If you are in New York City, and would like some vintage handmade Indian clothing and fabric, please visit The Dress Shoppe at 83 2nd Avenue.

As of 8 a.m., the campaign — amplified by Nicolas Heller, aka @NewYorkNico — has raised more than $412,000 after 17 hours. 

And here's Saroj's story on Humans of New York...

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Humans of New York (@humansofny)

Police seeking possible witness to last week's homicide on 1st Avenue

Have you see this individual? We would like to speak to her in regards to a homicide that occurred on 07/14/21 in front of 130 1 avenue . pic.twitter.com/sVIltqI8IZ

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) July 22, 2021

The 9th Precinct has released the photo of a woman they'd like to question regarding the homicide investigation of Marvin Bellamy last week on First Avenue. 

It's not immediately clear if the woman, seen wearing a navy Champion T-shirt and carrying a multicolored bag, was with Bellamy or may have witnessed the attack...

The 37-year-old Bellamy, who lived on the Upper West Side, was found with a puncture wound to his chest in the early morning hours on July 14. (Some reports say he was found between Sixth Street and Seventh Street ... while the latest tweet from the 9th Precinct lists the address as 130 First Ave. — near St. Mark's Place.) He reportedly died later at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. 

The NYPD has distributed photos of a possible suspect...

--- 

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. All calls are strictly confidential. 

If this chair could talk

As seen discarded today on Avenue B between 12th Street and 13th Street...

"I found this chair at Tompkins Square Park NYC May 2021." 

Thanks to Vinny & O for the pics...

A farewell visit to The Baroness

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

After 28-plus years in the East Village, longtime resident and shop owner The Baroness is shutting her eponymous latex atelier and boutique and moving to France. 

Pursuing a move that’s been in the works for a while now, a dream of hers, The Baroness smiles as she greets me at the door in much the same way she did when I interviewed her for my A Visit to column — regally, with grace and sharp wit, and fully decked out in latex and heels. 

Today she is accompanied by her assistant, Persephone, who will be handling some of the garment work after the boutique closes. 

Like the last time I was in the provocative and well-appointed shop, I’m most definitely not wearing latex, although listening to the Baroness wax rhapsodic about its vanilla/milk chocolate scent, its sounds and feels, the way it hugs and holds one’s body, I am quite tempted to try something on. The designer is confident she can dress “almost anyone” and I briefly wonder if that includes me.

In between customers and looky-loo shoppers, the Baroness and Persephone talk with me about their love of latex, the future of the Baroness’ impressive body of work, and what largescale rubber artwork plans (among other things like podcasts and parties) the Baroness has mapped out for her new life.

This is an exciting development, what prompted this change?

It certainly is exciting and rather bittersweet. Moving to France has been a lifelong dream that just kept being put off. During the forced closure of the pandemic, I worked to review, catalog, and preserve the history of The Domain of The Baroness and the fetish world that I have been such a large part of. 

I feel very strongly that this piece of history must be preserved and I’ve dispersed the information to The Fashion Institute of Technology, The Leather Archives & Museum in Chicago, the Texas Fashion Collective, and the UK Leather and Fetish Archive. As a result, I saw that this was the perfect time to change my life and move on to my next phase.

When I began my business almost 30 years ago, I was one of only three latex designers in North America. Now, as latex has become more popular, there’s been a minor explosion of young designers with Etsy shops, advances in technology, including laser cutting and latex printing, and, more important, there’s been a shift in the perception of latex — going from fetish and fantasy into fashion, often used as an accessory to make an outfit “edgy.” 

Whilst I have certainly sold to customers and fashionistas with that mindset, my latex interests are more…complex. 

You mentioned that this decision to close the store wasn’t COVID-related, at least not directly. How long have you been planning the move and what are your plans in your new home?

The boutique closes its doors on Aug. 26, with my bon voyage and final lubricated shopping cocktail party. That leaves a month to organize and pack the balance of my New York life.

I’ve rented a temporary house in southern Beaujolais while I look for my next dream house and studio. I imagine that it could take up to two years to get settled, establish my new studio, and start working. During that period, I plan to finish writing my book on clothing and power. 

Can you walk us through the timeline for shuttering the shop? Are you still accepting custom orders? 

At this point, we are no longer accepting custom orders. We will fulfill all stock orders — in store and online — until the end of July. We will be closed on Saturday, July 31 to take inventory so that our website will properly reflect all available stock. 

Then the month of August will be one big sale as everything must go, including jewelry, feathers, and other costume pieces used as accessories for fashion shows, along with racks, and other fixtures. 

What’s to become of your shop and will you be opening a new shop abroad?

Many people have asked if I would pass along my business to another and I will not. The Baroness domain was built as a reflection of myself, and while others could produce the basic garments, no one can faithfully reproduce my vision. 

Although The Baroness NY boutique will be gone, my chief executioner, Persephone, will be available to fulfill my lifetime guarantee of our work. And once my French atelier is established, I will return to designing, creating, and realizing the vision of my more interesting and creative clients, both in the US and Europe.

You’ve spoken about some ideas regarding large-scale art installations, will you be creating latex-based artwork? What's next for The Baroness?

The art of latex! I am really looking forward to having the time to create bizarre, rubber wearable art, such as The Maw, where imagination is the only limit with the goal of exhibiting them at museums and galleries worldwide. 

I’ll continue to document the fetish world through a series of podcasts, host intimate fetish gatherings, and plan to attend the major European events. I don’t think I’ll run out of projects to keep me entertained!

Interested in snagging a latex outfit or accessory and bidding the Baroness farewell? The store is at 530 E. 13th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, and is open Monday through Saturday from 1-7 p.m., Thursday 1-9 p.m. You can also follow along on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Openings: Gia Trattoria on the Bowery; Marufuku Ramen on 2nd Avenue

Gia Trattoria opened this week (Tuesday!) at 334 Bowery between Great Jones and Bond. (First reported here.)

Here's more about the restaurant via their website:

Gia ... brings craveable Italian food, handcrafted drinks and much more. In addition to an array of mouthwatering wood-fired pizzas, Gia's menu includes flavorful pastas, appetizers, shareables, snacks and entrees. 

Menu highlights include: the Pesto Rossa Pizza, Calamarata pasta with squid, san marzano, capers, pine nuts and fennel seeds, "Fairytale Eggplant" with gorgonzola, sun-dried tomatoes and pickled scape and Branzino with fennel confit and herbs. 

You can find the menu at this link. 

And the posted hours:

Tuesday-Thursday: 5-10 p.m.

Friday: 5-11 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-11 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Most recently this space was Gino Sorbillo, the first U.S. pizzeria from "the Neapolitan celebrity super-chef" of the same name. The "temporarily closed for renovation" sign arrived here in early January ... after a November 2017 opening. 

-----

Marufuku Ramen opened Monday at 92 Second Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. (First reported here.) 

This is the first NYC location for the growing brand that has five outposts in California and one in Texas. 

About their food, via the Marufuku website:

Marufuku proudly serves the authentic Hakata-style Tonkotsu ramen — featuring milky and umami rich broth made from boiling pork bones for long hours, an ultra-thin artisanal noodles that match perfectly with the broth, and Cha-shu made from specially selected pork. 

Steven took these photos as they opened on Monday...

Hours:

Sunday-Thursday: 5-10 p.m., until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The previous tenant, Sanpoutei Gyoza & Ramen debuted in January 2020 and never reopened after the PAUSE went into effect in March 2020. Some EVG readers may recall that Kabin Bar & Lounge was here until March 2015.

A warm and fuzzy shoot for NY Lottery in Tompkins Square Park

Crews were out this morning setting up for a New York Lottery commercial in Tompkins Square Park... Derek Berg got a look at the fuzzy numbers...

... we also heard they had an pre-Cemusa newsstand up on Avenue B at 10th Street...