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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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

Remembering Jimmy Carter on 6th Street

Photo yesterday by Stacie Joy

On Sixth Street, Habitat for Humanity is paying tribute to former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday afternoon at the age of 100. 

His post-presidency work included lending his building skills to Habitat for Humanity. Carter and his wife Rosalynn were among the volunteers who helped rebuild the six-story residential building at 742 E. Sixth St., between Avenue C and Avenue D. In the early 1980s, the property, called Mascot Flats, was a burned-out shell missing a roof. 

The two helped build, renovate and repair more than 4,000 homes ... and Carter's advocacy played a pivotal role in elevating Habitat for Humanity's visibility. 

"I think New Yorkers and global citizens alike really, truly have lost one of the most ardent champions of affordable housing and humanitarian efforts in our history," Sabrina Lippman of Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County, said in a statement to the press. 

In addition, the Carter's work running the Carter Center, established in 1982, helped promote human rights, reduce illnesses and support democracy worldwide. 

Per Axios:

Don Levy, director of the Siena College Research Institute, which ranks U.S. presidents in numerous categories, tells Axios that Carter ranked 13th for integrity in 1982, but by 2022 had risen to No. 2. That's behind only Abraham Lincoln.

Read more here.

Regenerative agriculture in the East Village

Photos and text by Donald Davis 

Earth-friendly growing techniques can be applied to any size land plot. 

At Asher Levy School on First Avenue (between 11th and 12th), the DOE gardeners have left the remnants of the 2024 garden to cover the soil for the winter. The ground will be planted in the spring but not tilled (the soil will not be turned over). This allows the below-ground ecosystem, including the mycorrhizal fungi around the plant roots, to continue functioning. 

As with organic farming techniques, commercial fertilizers are not used. Pictured just inside the fence are the stems of the two sunflowers that bloomed in 2024. The famous sparrow community tree is directly behind.

 
The tree plot in front of 97 St. Mark's Place is an even smaller example of regenerative agriculture. It shows the winter rye planted in late October to cover the soil. The growth of this food grass will stop for the winter and resume in the spring. 

With regenerative acreage in farm country, the farmers often allow cattle to graze the cover crop during the winter. The land is then replanted for the spring, usually with a different cereal or other commodity crop. 97 St. Mark's will be planted with sunflowers, lettuce, bulbs, and perhaps a warm-season grass of sorts.

The asterisk here is that the street was torn up in 2024 for gas line replacement. The rats burrowed among the tree plots and destroyed the surrounding seedlings. 

As a preventative measure, this plot was covered with chicken wire, and winter rye was planted in the hexagonal lattice holes of the mesh. 

The tree sign is a poem, "Ode To the Winter Grass," by Johnny H., the East Village Books poetry window poet. The poem is dedicated to Gabe Brown, a North Dakota farmer who has toured the country over the last decade and a half, speaking to large groups about regenerative agriculture, which makes the world a better place. 

Wednesday's opening shot

Seventh and A about eight hours into 2025...