Inside the new ABC No Rio

Photos and story by Stacie Joy 

After years in development — and nearly eight years after the former building was demolished — the new home for ABC No Rio is inching closer to opening on the Lower East Side.

ABC No Rio executive director Gavin Marcus recently gave us a full hard-hat tour of the building, which is now targeting a mid-July completion date for Phase 1 construction, followed by final inspections, furnishing and a certificate of occupancy process, with hopes of opening to the public by the end of October.

Plans are underway for an opening block party, concerts and an art show tied to the organization’s punk roots.

The new five-floor building at 156 Rivington St. between Clinton and Suffolk will include a 150-capacity performance venue, art gallery, zine library, print shop, computer lab, darkroom, community kitchen, meeting spaces and classrooms. The new ABC No Rio will also include a second-floor kitchen designed with input from Food Not Bombs, including community kitchen space for those who need it.

The eco-conscious building will also feature a green roof, solar panels and a planted, offset vine façade being developed with Brooklyn Grange.

"ABC No Rio is more than just a building. It's a culture," Marcus said during the tour. "And the culture shapes the character of the space."

The city has contributed $21 million toward the project through the Department of Cultural Affairs. 

ABC No Rio's previous building was demolished in 2017 after years of structural concerns.

The wisteria house of Stuyvesant Street is under contract

Photos by Stacie Joy

A tipster tells us that the wisteria-adorned townhouse at 35 Stuyvesant St. is now under contract, several months after returning to the sales market.

As previously reported, the five-story home — famous for its cascading purple blooms each spring — was listed in February for $3.895 million. 

The architecturally significant townhouse, built in 1861 by James Renwick Jr., located near 10th Street, has long been one of the East Village's most photographed homes.

The property arrived on the market in 2023 for the first time since longtime owner Lee B. Anderson (RIP 2010) purchased it in 1958. (His caretaker had been living here.)

Anderson, known as "the godfather of the Gothic revival in America," received a Village Preservation Award in 2003 for "nurturing his wisteria and making the Village a more beautiful place."

We trust the next owners will know the neighborhood expects spring wisteria updates.

H/T CS on B!

Hello, Yam! says goodbye

Photo by Steven 

Hello, Yam! has closed shop at 443 E. Ninth St. at Avenue A.

The business, which debuted in October 2023, specialized in desserts made with Japanese sweet potatoes. 

Moving forward, the owners said on Instagram that they'd be focusing on selling their goods at food festivals.

Bigger signage alert: Mixue on 4th Avenue

Work continues on Mixue, the latest quick-serve concept for the SE corner of Fourth Avenue and 13th Street.  

The company, which launched in China in 1997, offers coffee, milk teas, soft serve and fruit drinks. 

They entered the U.S. market last year, including in NYC. And with 40,000 global outposts, it is considered the world's largest fast-food chain, per The Takeout. 

The storefront was previously LoveMi, which sold boba teas and yogurt... taking over a long-empty space that was once home to Liquiteria (RIP January 2020).

Wednesday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Avenue B streetscene (outside Thayer) with (from left) Adam Zhu, Arsun and Tasmin Meyer Ersahin.

Pardon My French will close after dinner service on Saturday

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Pardon My French on Avenue B is closing after a decade-plus in the neighborhood. 

Staffers at the Parisian-style bistro at 103 Avenue B, between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, told EVG that owner Antonin Brune informed them a few days ago that service would end after Saturday's dinner. No reason for an official closing was cited. 

The restaurant's Instagram account posted the news this afternoon, stating in part:

A heartfelt thanks to our team, friends, regulars, and all who walked through our doors. This community gave this restaurant its heart. Your support meant more than we can put into words.

Pardon My French opened in March 2015, taking over the longtime home of the bistro Casimir. 

The restaurant includes a front bar area, dining space, a private dining room next door and backyard seating.

18-to-life sentence in fatal 2024 East Village stabbing

Reader photo from June 23, 2024 

Alejandro Piedra was sentenced yesterday to 18 years to life in state prison for the fatal stabbing of Clemson Cockfield and the wounding of two others during a violent June 2024 attack in the East Village.

 

In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said, "Alejandro Piedra has been sentenced to a state prison term for murdering Clemson Cockfield and brutally stabbing two other New Yorkers. This horrific violence unfolded on busy East Village streets, leaving a family in mourning and significantly harming the two survivors." 

As previously reported, Piedra pleaded guilty in January to Murder in the Second Degree, Attempted Murder in the Second Degree and Assault in the Second Degree in connection with the June 23, 2024, stabbing spree near 14th Street and First Avenue ... and on 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

Authorities said the violence unfolded during two confrontations involving Piedra, who was 30 at the time, Cockfield, Cockfield's wife and another acquaintance. 

Cockfield was fatally stabbed during the second altercation on 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A. His wife suffered critical injuries and required emergency surgery. 

The attack, which unfolded on a Sunday afternoon along one of the neighborhood's busiest corridors, reignited longtime concerns about safety conditions around 14th Street and First Avenue, with residents and local officials once again calling for more resources and attention for the area.

The Paulie Gee's East Village Slice Shop opens TOMORROW

Photos and story by Stacie Joy

After months of renovations and permit wrangling, the first East Village Paulie Gee's Slice Shop is ready to open its doors.

The new outpost at 100 First Ave. at Sixth Street (former Dunkin') officially debuts tomorrow afternoon (with 30% off slices all day, according to the shop's Instagram account).

As previously reported, the East Village location is owned and operated by George Lin, a longtime employee of Paulie Gee's. 

Paulie and company said the shop is modeled after the Greenpoint slice location that opened in 2018, featuring a retro-style interior with checkerboard tile floors, wood paneling and a straightforward pizza focus.

Expect the usual whole pies and classic NYC slices, along with vegan options, plus a small seating area with four tables and a window counter. Sodas for now, with a beer-wine license on the way.

Updated hours of operation at Paulie Gee's: Sunday to Wednesday: 11 a.m.-midnight; Thursday–Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

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

Openings: Drāvida on 1st Avenue

Photo by Juan Carlos Dominguez

Drāvida debuted last Thursday at 211 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. 

The restaurant by chef Aarthi Sampath draws from South Asian cuisines and diaspora cooking, with influences from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Trinidad, Guyana and elsewhere. 

Menu items include Trinidadian doubles, oxtail bunny chow, idlis with shrimp, and nasi kandar. Find the menu here. 

The two-floor establishment includes a 20-seat downstairs bar called Jam and Jaggery. 

Sampath moved to New York from Mumbai in 2013 and previously worked at restaurants including Junoon, The Breslin and the Rainbow Room. (You may also recognize her from some reality TV shows, like when she won on "Chopped" and "Beat Bobby Flay.") 

No. 211 has been vacant since Luzzo's left here in 2022.

Tuesday's parting shots

On Avenue A, just another savvy New York pigeon (thanks Bettina)... and below, cake left out overnight in Tompkins Square Park. Happy birthday! (thanks James Chambers)...

A mother-daughter-owned bookstore bar is coming to Avenue A

Photos and story by Stacie Joy

The owners behind the incoming Rabbit Books and Bar on Avenue A are introducing themselves to the neighborhood ahead of a targeted mid-July opening.

As previously reported, the bookstore-bar is taking over the former 7-Eleven space at 170 Avenue A on the SE corner of 11th Street. 

Over the weekend, owners Marianna Vaidman Stone and her daughter, Emily Samara Stone, shared more about the project in an Instagram video detailing their backgrounds and how the idea for the business came together.

Marianna, who emigrated from the Soviet Union as a child, said owning a bookstore had been a longtime dream. Emily, meanwhile, worked in kitchens, bakeries and bars before teaming up with her mother on the concept. 

They gave EVG a tour of the under-construction space yesterday.

"My daughter and I are super excited about opening our place soon," Marianna told EVG. "It's going to be a personal experience for customers. We're going to be in there all the time."

The two said they were drawn to the former 7-Eleven space because of its layout, large windows and corner location.

"When you know, you know," Emily said. "It felt good here. We could envision it. We're offering a third space."

Rabbit Books and Bar will include a small bar and space for book clubs and community gatherings centered around reading and conversation. 

Marianna said the shop will also have a focus on international fiction and global stories.

The space is expected to open at 8 a.m. daily with coffee, tea, matcha and pastries, then transition into evening service with beer, wine, soju cocktails, and vermouth. 

Hours are expected to run until midnight on weekends and 11 p.m. on weeknights. 

And as for the news that Barnes & Noble is also opening across Avenue A later this year? 

They were gracious in their responses.

 

"I’m glad that bookstores are having a resurgence," Marianna said. "More bookstores are good."

Emily added, "I think people want to consume in ways that are good for them, and we will welcome Barnes & Noble shoppers with open arms."

Ribbon-cutting ceremony marks new chapter for affordable housing at 204 Avenue A

After decades of organizing, delays, rebuilding plans and post-Sandy setbacks, residents of 204 Avenue A officially celebrated the reopening of their building last Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a homecoming of sorts. 

The new building at Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street now includes 10 permanently affordable cooperative apartments and ground-floor retail space (currently a spa). Seven longtime families returned to the rebuilt property, while three new families joined the co-op. 

During the ceremony, resident leader Juan Roberto Santiago reflected on the long road to reopening, tracing the building's history back to the early 1990s, when tenants entered the city's Tenant Interim Lease program with support from GOLES. (Organizers also kept the plans moving forward through four mayoral administrations.) 

Over the years, the project passed through multiple city administrations and eventually required a full reconstruction following severe structural deterioration and damage from Superstorm Sandy. 

"This was never just about one building," Santiago said. "It was about community, dignity, perseverance, and the belief that ordinary people working together can achieve extraordinary things." 

The project was redeveloped through the city's Affordable Neighborhood Cooperative Program. Construction on the new building began in January 2020, with residents moving back in last spring.

Chippy's Fish & Chips is opening in the former Proletariat space on 7th Street

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy

The former home of Proletariat on Seventh Street will become Chippy's Fish & Chips later this summer. 

While the concept had previously been reported on the Outpost Substack, the location had remained a bit of a mystery, with the restaurant's Instagram account only dropping clues about being "across from a church," etc. 

Multiple sources confirmed to EVG that Chippy's is taking over the space at 21 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square. The restaurant comes from Ed Szymanski and Patricia Howard of Lord's, Dame and Crevette, along with Szymanski's brother-in-law Evan Baldwin. 

According to Chippy's Instagram account, the menu will feature fried fish, triple-cooked chips and mushy peas. 

The team also plans to apply for a beer license. 

As previously reported, Proletariat — the longtime craft beer bar from Overthrow Hospitality — closed last month after a 14-year run in the neighborhood.

Monday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy

Turning to sports, Game 4 between the Knicks and the Cavaliers is tonight. And this fan on 11th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B was getting ready for tipoff.

Memorial Day Weekend

Spotted last evening on Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day Weekend! 

Thanks to riachung00 for the pic.

A Barnes & Noble is opening in the East Village

Photos Saturday by Stacie Joy

H/T EVG reader Russell K

News of a Barnes & Noble coming to 181 Avenue A between 11th Street and 12th Street sparked plenty of discussion over the weekend on an East Village Reddit thread. 

A Reddit user found a notice for the new store, set to open in November, on the Barnes & Noble website.

We reached out to Barnes & Noble for comments, though didn't hear back yet over the holiday weekend.

News of this arrival coincides with crews removing layers of wheatpaste posters from the vacant Avenue A retail space on Saturday...

There are also approved work permits dated May 13 for "retail space electrical service and AC wiring."

The 11,000-square-foot retail space at the base of Steiner East Village has been vacant since residents began moving into the condoplex eight years ago. 

Meanwhile, despite years of store closures and hand-wringing about the future of bookstores, Barnes & Noble is in expansion mode. 

As reported by USA Today this past December, the chain plans to open 60 new stores in 2026 following what company officials described as strong sales at existing locations. The expansion marks a turnaround after nearly two decades of declining store numbers, with the company already opening dozens of locations in 2025.

The EV outpost will not replace the Union Square B&N, though it will likely alleviate some of its congestion. 

A rent increase forced B&N to close at 4 Astor Place in December 2007 after 13 years in operation.

Not everyone's on the same page

Reaction to the news of a Barnes & Noble opening on Avenue A has been mostly positive so far — though not without some concern about what it could mean for independent bookstores nearby. 

In the lively Reddit thread, several commenters said they were excited to have a large bookstore in the neighborhood again, especially given the recent resurgence of Barnes & Noble locations across the city. Others pointed out that the East Village already has a strong network of indie bookstores and worried about bringing another national chain into the neighborhood. 

A few people also expressed cautious optimism, saying they hoped a bookstore, chain or not, would be preferable to another bank, smoke shop, fast-casual salad spot, or continued vacant storefront. 

We'll see what November will bring, though it seems like an ambitious timeline for a completely raw space...

Community spirit shines through the rain at the 39th annual Loisaida Festival

Photos and story by Stacie Joy 

Despite the rain, today still turned out to be a really nice celebration for the 39th edition of the Loisaida Festival along Avenue C. 

Throughout the afternoon, we kept hearing people talk about how important it is to preserve this longtime neighborhood cultural institution — one that continues to bring together music, food, performances and community across generations. 

This year's festival, themed "Our AmeRícan Thing" in honor of the late poet Jesús "Tato" Laviera, once again filled Avenue C with live music, dancing, vendors and plenty of neighborhood spirit, rain and all.

The annual event is presented by Loisaida Inc., the longtime Puerto Rican-led arts and community organization based at the Loisaida Center on Ninth Street.