Reader report: Car crashes into Blink Fitness on Avenue A; driver flees

Several EVG readers shared that a car crashed into Blink Fitness on Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street just before midnight last night. After smashing the window to the left of the front door, the driver backed off the sidewalk and sped off. 

The gym was closed at the time, and there weren't any reports of injuries.

We're told that several people filmed the incident. The make and model of the vehicle are unknown at the moment. 

One reader, who only saw the aftermath of the crash, assumes that the driver was making a U-turn and hit the accelerator rather than the brake, lurching onto the sidewalk and into the window.

We'll update if/when more information becomes available. 

Blink is open this morning, and as of 7, the front window has yet to be replaced. 

Updated 

EVG reader Creature noted that workers boarded up the window around 11 a.m.

Tompkins Square Park upgrades: When will the field house and restrooms reopen?

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

NYC Parks officials tell us that the nearly 20-month renovations of the Tompkins Square Park field house are expected to be completed by the end of the month or early February. 

According to the NYC Parks' Capital Project Tracker (renovation PDF here), the work started on-site in May 2023 and is 93% complete. The original timeline listed a completion date of September 2024. 

Here's background on the work via Parks officials: 

The reconstruction of the field house in Tompkins Square Park will result in the complete renovation of the building's interior and exterior, including all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Accessibility improvements include reconfiguration of interior layouts, new entryways, and ADA-compliant ramps. The first aid room, lifeguard locker room and maintenance areas also have been renovated.

The $5.6 million funding for the much-needed renovations — the field house rarely had heat or hot water — came from the mayor's office. 

Here's a look at the area on Friday...

"These upgrades are part of the overall project to bring the building up to current codes and standards, enhance accessibility, and create more effective spaces for maintenance and operations," Press Officer Kelsey Jean-Baptiste told us. 

For the past 20 months, the busy 10.5-acre park has been without the field house restrooms, which, pre-renovation, looked like sets for a low-budget horror film. For relief, there were portable toilets. Sometimes, there were three porta-potties for use; sometimes, there were none. (This post has more about the Tompkins toilet drama.) 

Here's a look behind the field house. The space, which includes the Slocum Memorial Fountain, has been closed to the public during renovations. The photos include shots of the refurbished locker rooms for the mini pool (yes, Tompkins has a mini pool!) and ADA-compliant ramps...

The Tompkins Square mini pool was also out of commission for two consecutive summers. However, the pool itself was not part of the renovation project.

Expect a new pool in the years ahead, though. Last August, Gov. Hochul announced nearly $150 million in capital grants to fund 37 projects as part of the New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative. 

Tompkins Square Park will receive $6.1 million for a new in-ground pool, which will double the current capacity of the above-ground model for children and their guardians. The project's start date has not been announced.

 

The Tompkins Square Park field house will likely return to service before an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.

What are they now? The fate of several unlicensed cannabis shops in the East Village

As 2024 unfolded, illegal smoke shops closed rapidly in the East Village and around NYC. 

The latest casualty is the unmarked place that opened in the former Good Beer space at 422 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. The legal documents on the storefront are dated Jan. 2. (Thanks to Steven for these two photos.)

Here's a look at a few other formerly unlicensed spots, like the Village Happy House at 127 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, which is now for lease. 

The ex-Goodies Shop is also for lease at 324 Bowery near Bleecker...

At 44 First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, Exotic Green House shuttered and morphed into Rainbow Spa, which offers "body work"...

At 143 First Ave., the former Smart Smokers (dumb name!), Jason Corey of The Immigrant on Ninth Street is behind a new venture called Banshee. The restaurant will serve oysters and other fresh seafood. 

Banshee is on this month's CB3-SLA committee docket for a new liquor license for the storefront between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. (Application here. And thanks to Jake for the photo.)

In August 2023, a new city law that holds commercial landlords responsible for renting storefronts to unlicensed cannabis shops went into effect.

 

Introduction 1001-B, also known as Local Law 107 of 2023, prohibits commercial space owners from knowingly leasing to unlicensed sellers of marijuana or tobacco products and imposes fines of up to $10,000 on landlords for violations. 

While the illegal shops are disappearing, leaving plenty of available storefront inventory, expect many new licensed establishments in the year ahead.

According to the Post:

The legal cannabis industry will take New Yorkers even higher in 2025, with state regulators projecting the number of new licensed pot stores will more than double — soaring from 275 to more than 625.

The Office of Cannabis Management said sales in 2025 could exceed $1.5 billion, or about double last year's haul while law enforcement will expand efforts to padlock illegal stores.

You can find a map of legal cannabis dispensaries here.

 Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The future of the unlicensed weed vendors 

Openings: Surprise Scoop on 1st Avenue

Photo by Steven

Surprise Scoop is now open at 139 First Ave., between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. (Its grand opening was over the weekend.) 

The owners of the previous business here, Stuffed Ice Cream, closed the shop in October for this new concept. 

The brand's Instagram account states that it is "The World's First Flavor Roulette Ice Cream Shop —Where Every Scoop is a Surprise!" 

You order from a touch-screen menu. And there's only one item: "Surprise Ice Cream." (FYI: Everything is nut-free.) Staff working in the back will then hand you your ice cream in a to-go container. Flavors change daily.

How it works and questions...

If this sounds stressful, you want to pay in cash, you don't like a specific flavor of ice cream, or you only want vegan ice cream, you can simply go to one of the other 25-plus ice cream shops in the area that meet your needs.

Hours: 

Monday-Thursday, 2-10 p.m. 

Friday, 2-11 p.m. 

Saturday, noon-11 p.m. 

Sunday, noon-10 p.m.

Signage alert: Alison on St. Mark's Place

Photo by Jose Garcia

Signage is up for the next tenant at 110 St. Mark's Place — Alison St. Marks.

The full-service restaurant, which will serve lunch, dinner, and brunch at this spot between Avenue A and First Avenue, is the sister restaurant to the Alison on Lexington Avenue in East Harlem. 

The UES Alison is described as a "cozy, brick-lined restaurant with a homey ambiance serving New American dishes, wine, and craft beer." Their menus are available here.

In November, the EV Alison received administrative approval from CB3 for a beer-wine license. The questionnaire (PDF here) states that Alison will serve Mexican cuisine at this outpost. 

David's Cafe closed last summer at No. 110 after nearly nine years in service. 

Alison hopes to be open in two weeks, management told us.

Sunday's parting shot

An EVG reader shared this from the SW entrance of Tompkins Square Park... where someone tossed five tiny Christmas trees... and perhapos an incriminating red Solo cup...

Week in Grieview

Posts from this holiday-shortened week include (with a Jimmy Carter tribute in Tompkins Square Park — photo by Derek Berg)... 

• When former President Jimmy Carter helped rebuild an East Village tenement building (Sunday) ... Remembering Jimmy Carter on 6th Street (Wednesday) 

• A look at the work-in-progress Night Club 101 at the former home of the Pyramid on Avenue A (Tuesday) ... A residency for Voyeur at Night Club 101 (Friday) 

• Your congestion pricing reader (Saturday) 

• Regenerative agriculture in the East Village (Wednesday) 

• Openings: Love Zakka Mini Mart on Avenue C (Thursday) 

• B Cup Café debuts today in new Avenue B home (Monday) 

• When we found out about a mysterious early-morning transport on 2nd Avenue (Friday)

• With a new 10-year lease, Nowon temporarily closes for a kitchen upgrade (Monday)

• Let's take a look at the Cinnabon/Carvel combo storefront opening soon on 14th Street (Thursday)

• Offside Tavern has closed on Avenue A (Monday) 

• Soft openings: Boongs Café on 12th Street (Thursday) 

• Lidl watch for 2025 (Monday) • Three Kings Tattoo has left 10th Street (Monday)

• The 10 most-viewed EVG posts from 2024 (Tuesday) 

... and the corner of Avenue A and Houston has become a wheatpaste ad hotspot... possibly supplanting Second Avenue and Seventh Street...

Boulton & Watt closed here last July, and the owners plan to open something new in the year ahead.

Some history of a now-vanished 3rd Avenue block

As we've reported in recent months, workers have been demolishing the six buildings at 50-64 along the west side of Third Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street. 

The block is now building-free, except for 48 Third Ave., on the northwest corner of 10th Street, which has Healthy Greens Gourmet in the retail space. 

No. 48, which features an outline of its former neighbor, is the jumping-off point for a post this past week at the always-interesting Ephemeral New York. 

The post chronicles the 1937 photo "Pawn Shop, 48 Third Avenue" by Berenice Abbott. At the time, the businesses — including the Stuyvesant Curiosity Shop and, next door, Sigmund Klein’s Fat Men’s Shop — faced the Third Avenue El. Check it out here.

As for what's next, a mixed-used residential building is planned for the lot. The site allows for 160,000 square feet of new construction.

Saturday's parting shots

Views today of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place from the rooftop of The Swiss Institute...

Tomorrow (Sunday) is the last day for the months-long East Village-wide exhibit "Energies." (Last mentioned here.) 

Hours tomorrow: noon to 5 p.m. There is no admission fee.

Your congestion pricing reader

A federal judge's decision has paved the way for congestion pricing to take effect tomorrow (Sunday!), following the rejection of a last-minute challenge from the state of New Jersey. 

New Jersey's legal reps reportedly vowed to appeal. 

Per Gothamist: U.S. Senior Judge Leo Gordon issued the ruling last night, allowing the MTA to proceed with its plan to implement the toll as scheduled. The program has been in development for years and aims to reduce traffic congestion in Midtown and Lower Manhattan while generating billions of dollars in revenue for the MTA. 

Gov. Hochul resurrected the plan in November after a summer postponement. Under the revised pricing, most passenger car drivers must pay a $9 toll when they enter Manhattan south of 60th Street (down from $15 in the previous plan). This is the first of its kind in the United States.

Background from CBS 2: 

Manhattan's Congestion Relief Zone starts at 60th Street and heads south to include the Lincoln, Holland and Hugh L. Carey tunnels on the Hudson River side, and the Queensboro Bridge, Queens Midtown Tunnel, Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge on the East Side. 

Drivers will be charged when they enter the Congestion Relief Zone using the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queensboro or Williamsburg Bridges, or the Holland, Hugh L. Carey, Lincoln or Queens-Midtown tunnels. 

There are many variables. From the MTA: "The toll amount will depend on the type of vehicle, time of day, whether any crossing credits apply, and the method of payment. There are also discounts and exemptions that will apply to certain drivers or vehicles entering the Congestion Relief Zone using an E-ZPass NY account." 

Visit this MTA link (PDF!) for a breakdown of toll prices. 

The story has been well-covered. Here's a selection of headlines to get you up to speed. 

• Judge denies New Jersey request; congestion pricing will begin on Sunday (ABC7) 

• Welcome to the Congestion Zone: New York Toll Program Is Set to Begin (The New York Times) 

• Congestion Pricing Is Happening: Cue the Irrational Drama from the Placard Elite and the Suburbs (Streetsblog) 

• Congestion pricing map NYC: See where tolls apply (PIX 11)

• Uber, Lyft spent millions pushing for NYC congestion pricing — and stand to make a killing (The Post)

Saturday's opening shot

Pigeon Lady up for January outside the Second Avenue F stop... art by Caryn Cast...

'Whisper' to a scream

 

Voyeur was one of the local bands on the bill this past New Year's Eve at Night Club 101, the new venue opening in the former Pyramid Club and Baker Falls. (More background here.) 

On NYE, Amiture opened, followed by Voyeur, then a surprise set by MJ Lenderman before headliner Water From Your Eyes.

Voyeur will be back at the Avenue A space for shows on Jan. 18, Feb. 15 and March 21. 

The video above is for "Whisper," from the NYC band's recently released EP, Something Becomes You.

When we found out about a mysterious early-morning transport on 2nd Avenue

A few weeks ago, this flatbed truck passed us while walking on Second Avenue near First Street. 

We were curious about what (or who!) this was and where it was going early on a Saturday morning...

We figured we would never learn more about this mysterious cargo.

So, we noted it on Instagram ... and quickly found an answer: It is part of an exhibit opening on Jan. 10 with new work by American sculptor and performance artist Nick Cave titled "Amalgams and Graphts" at the Jack Shainman Gallery Tribeca (46 Lafayette St.). 

Thank you, Instagram!

 

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A post shared by Jack Shainman Gallery (@jackshainman)

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A post shared by Nick Cave (@nickcaveart)

Friday's opening shot

Photo by Steven 

As we continue into 2025, we will only be posting positive news. 

So, as seen along Avenue A: 

Buzzer is not broken anymore :)

Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Steven 

MulchFest is now in week No. 2... stocking up ahead of Chipping Weekend in Tompkins Square Park on Jan. 11-12.

Openings: Love Zakka Mini Mart on Avenue C

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Love Zakka Mini Mart debuted at 55 Avenue C between Fourth Street and Fifth Street earlier this month.

The work-in-progress shop inside CJ Tattoo Studio features jewelry, toys, art, home goods, crafts, and "a touch of whimsy for your everyday life."

The staff told me, "The mart is inspired by Japanese zakka shops with floor-to-ceiling merchandise for sale, something that is not common in the States." 

Here's a look...

Love Zakka also features the work of Nancy Lee, an artist and tattoo artist at CJ...

Hours are daily from 1 to 7 p.m. The shop is closed on Wednesdays.

For your pleasure: 'Eno' at the Village East by Angelika

Musician and artist Brian Eno — known for producing David Bowie, Talking Heads, Devo and Laurie Anderson, among many others — gets the documentary treatment in a film playing for a week (starting tomorrow) at the Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue at 12th Street. 

In "Eno," the founding member of Roxy Music "reveals his creative processes." 

Here's more: 

In the first career-spanning documentary of the legendary and prolific artist and the world's first generative feature film, director Gary Hustwit set out to decode Eno's creative strategies and examine his lifelong search for the meaning of music. Defying the hagiographic impulses of the music doc genre, Eno draws from original interviews and the artist's own staggering archive of never-before-seen footage and unreleased music, as well as Hustwit's original interviews.

A different version of the film screens daily from Friday through Jan. 9. Find ticket info here.

There's a Q&A with Hustwit in conversation following the 7:40 p.m. screening on Saturday.

 

Soft openings: Boongs Café on 12th Street

Boongs Café is in soft-opening mode at 327 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The family-run business offers a variety of egg waffles, bubble tea and handmade Korean dumplings. 

Daily hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

If you're on Instagram, you can find the Boongs Cafe account here.

Let's take a look at the Cinnabon/Carvel combo storefront opening soon on 14th Street

Photos by Stacie Joy

As noted a few weeks back, a Cinnabon/Carvel combo shop is coming to 430 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

We looked inside yesterday (yes, this is how we spend our New Year's Day!)...

There isn't a form opening date yet, but a worker said it would be "very soon." So get ready to order one of Carvel's famous Fudgie the Whale or Cookie Puss cakes. 

Tom Carvel started the business in New York from an ice cream truck in 1929 ... and he famously narrated the brand's commercials in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Of the 347 Carvel outposts in the United States, 200 are in New York State, and several Cinnabon/Carvel combos are in the five boroughs. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Cookie Puss alert! The Cinnabon/Carvel carb-heaven combo coming to 14th Street