Photo by Stacie Joy
The 34th annual tree lighting in Tompkins Square Park is scheduled for next Sunday, Dec. 14, from 4-5 p.m.
Ahead of that, Parks workers were putting lights on our delightfully askew tree this afternoon
Sunday, December 7, 2025
Week in Grieview
Never miss an EVG post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here.
First frost fallout on 1st Avenue
Photos and text courtesy of Karen Hatch, Donald Davis and Kelley Ryan
This tree (a Japanese pagoda tree, per NYC Tree Map) on First Avenue between 10th and 11th chose the first hard frost Thursday night to drop the bulk of its leaves onto the sidewalk and bike path.
The mycorrhizal fungi underground, however, are still doing their thing — transporting and communicating as they will into next spring, when the vetch bloom.
Turns out Green Line's latest 'shutdown' on Avenue B was self-inflicted: Witnesses
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
So… the Friday night scene at Green Line wasn't what it first appeared to be.
After checking in with law enforcement to confirm details — and expecting a standard Sheriff's Office follow-up — officials say they were not involved in this latest episode at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.
According to a neighboring business, the chaos was internal: a fight reportedly broke out between Green Line workers, who, after drinking, began trashing the store and tossing merchandise into the street. A former employee eventually chased them off and called the manager to say the place was being looted.
At that point, the gate was pulled off its hinges and left in front of the adjacent building.
The Green Line manager later arrived by car and, with help from the building super, packed up the remaining inventory and chained the shop shut. (They even reused the Sheriff's Department lock from a previous enforcement action — visible in the photos.)
As of yesterday, the door remains open but chained, and the dismantled gate is still sitting out on the sidewalk.
The shop had been busted at least three times this year, most recently on Nov. 18. And they always reopen.
Saturday, December 6, 2025
Saturday's parting shot
Photo by Stacie Joy
Parishioners today celebrated the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Brigid on Avenue B and Eighth Street...
Neighbors to rally Sunday to protect Most Holy Redeemer Church
As we've been reporting (see links below), advocates have been campaigning to have it designated a landmark.
Services here have been halted, and the property appears to be moving toward closure and possible sale, prompting growing concern from parishioners and preservationists alike.
Tomorrow, organizers will call on the Archdiocese to keep the church from being shuttered or sold, and on the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to move forward with landmark designation.
The rally will take place outside the church.
Village Preservation, the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative and the East Village Community Coalition have also urged the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission to protect the historic church, an architectural anchor of the neighborhood's 19th-century Kleindeutschland community.
The church is one of the East Village's oldest and most prominent religious buildings — and was once among the city's tallest and largest.
Find the petition about landmarking here. You can follow the Facebook group Save Most Holy Redeemer Historical Church here.
Previously on EV Grieve:
A Department Store Christmas at Night Club 101
Some local artisans will be selling clothing, hats, pottery, jewelry, etc., at 101 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.
Snowfall reports from the last 24 hours
Still there are a few slick spots around, so mind your steps.
Friday, December 5, 2025
A 'Star' is worn
EVG faves Pretty Sick released a new single, "Star," today.
Check out the latest from Sabrna Fuentes in the above video.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Holidays at Metrograph
There's always a lot going on here... this weekend marks the latest edition of Filmmaker magazine's "25 New Faces" series.
The two-part shorts, curated by LES-based Filmmaker editor-in-chief Scott Macaulay, play at 6 and 8:30 tomorrow night. Details here.
Filmmaker's "25 New Faces" list debuted in 1998.
Meanwhile, the annual Holiday Book Fair takes place tomorrow (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and on Dec. 13.
This year's collection features more than 1,200 individual volumes from the 1950s to the present day, with a strong focus on New Hollywood, German New Wave, French New Wave, American Avant-Garde, and broadly "international arthouse" cinema.
Details...
'A Little Bit Fat' takes flight at All Street Gallery tonight
The show centers on A Little Bit Fat, a bird-like creature that has become a recurring figure in Jiang's practice — an embodiment of awkwardness, softness and a sense of being out of place in the city, per the artist.
In recent years, A Little Bit Fat has popped up in studios, small shows and local events, becoming a familiar presence in pockets of the Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan art community.
This exhibition marks the first time the character is presented as a dedicated body of work.
The opening is tonight from 7-9.
The show is just up through Tuesday. Gallery hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 1-7 p.m.
A holiday pop-up sale returns to ILevel on 7th Street
Organizers say "you'll find local makers selling knitwear, ceramics, jewelry, and other treasures."
The sale supports local artists and rescue.org.
It takes place at ILevel, 37 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square (buzz ILevel for entry).
A sauna-and-cold-plunge pop-up returns to La Plaza Cultural this weekend
Photos by Stacie Joy
A company called CUL DE SAC has been hosting pop-ups around NYC, including in La Plaza Cultural on Ninth Street and Avenue C, "celebrating the storied traditions of sauna and sound."
This weekend marks Sweat #3 here.
30 min guided sauna + cold plunge sessions. Timed entry through ticketed slots. Coffee, tea, hydration, and ambient sounds provided. Capacity is limited.
Bring a suit and a towel, etc. Hours — Saturday (1-5 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m.-6 p.m.)
Per CUL DE SAC: "To us, wellness is a right, not a luxury." (Their website shows vintage photos of public saunas and cold pools in Finland, China and Russia dating to the early 1900s.)
We stopped by on Sunday, Nov. 23, for Sweat #2 to check out the sauna and cold-plunge scene...
Find more information about the donation-based event here.
The annual Sirovich Holiday Art Sale returns today and tomorrow
You can stop by from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ... in the auditorium at the Sirovich Center for Balanced Living at 331 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
As noted in previous Sirovich posts, we've bought a few things here through the years, and the proceeds support the art programs at Sirovich.
Thursday, December 4, 2025
Thursday's parting shot
Photo by Steven
The Mudspot Family Christmas Wreath is now outside (as of yesterday) the cafe at 307 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue...
Behold the last full moon of 2025, as seen from Tompkins Square Park
The December full moon is sometimes known as the "Cold Moon" in reference to the plummeting temperatures that are common this time of year and also as the "Long Night Moon," to reflect the lengthening nights and shorter days as the northern hemisphere sinks deeper into the winter months.This month's full moon will occur as Earth's natural satellite passes within 90% of perigee, the closest point to our planet in its 27-day elliptical orbit, giving rise to a majestic "supermoon." Its close proximity to Earth can make a supermoon appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than the smallest full moon of the year — sometimes referred to as a micromoon — when viewed with the naked eye.
Harvey Epstein to be sworn in this morning as City Council District 2 representative
Photo from March by Stacie Joy
Harvey Epstein will be sworn in today as the new City Council member for District 2.
The ceremony takes place at 9 a.m. inside the City Council Chamber at City Hall.
His resignation from the New York State Assembly — where he has represented the 74th District since 2018 — officially took effect at 11:59 last night.
Epstein, an East Village resident who won the District 2 race with nearly 80% of the vote in a four-person field, has focused his legislative work on affordable and accessible housing, disability rights, and climate issues.
He joins the Council, taking over for the term-limited Carlina Rivera, along with members of the incoming class.
Meanwhile, the race is on to fill Epstein's Assembly seat in a special election in early 2026.
East Village resident Sarah Batchu, a former aide to Mayor de Blasio, was second to Epstein in the final round of ranked-choice voting for the City Council District 2 seat in June.
She will face term-limited City Council Member Keith Powers ... Democratic socialist Josh Arnon ... and Marquis Jenkins, a local district leader and director of advocacy for Housing Works.
On Monday, Epstein endorsed Powers to succeed him.
2nd man sentenced for East Village assault spree that included Ray's Candy Store
Barth previously pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted assault in the first degree.
His plea follows the earlier sentencing of his co-defendant, Luis Peroza, who received a 10-year prison term in 2024 for his part in the same string of attacks.
As EVG previously reported, Alvarez was assaulted outside Ray's Candy Store around 3 a.m. on Jan. 31, 2023, after stepping outside for some air. Prosecutors said Peroza struck Alvarez with a belt weighted by a rock, leaving him with a black eye, several broken facial bones and a dislocated jaw. The incident reportedly began after Alvarez declined to buy seltzer water from the suspects.
A short time later, prosecutors say Peroza and Barth attacked two additional victims in separate incidents — one outside a deli on Avenue C, and another on Avenue B — each sustaining serious facial injuries.
Barth, whose erratic past behavior earned him the nickname "Insanity Claus" in Tompkins Square Park after donning a discarded SantaCon suit, was initially charged with first-degree assault and two counts each of first-degree robbery and first-degree attempted robbery.
"Gerald Barth attacked three strangers over the span of hours, including an assault at Ray's Candy Store — a pillar of the East Village community," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said in a statement. "For his actions, Barth will now serve a state prison term, and I thank our prosecutors for securing accountability for the victims."
Previously on EV Grieve:
A new chapter on Avenue A: Café-bookstore proposed for the former 7-Eleven
According to the application on file at Community Board 3, the space will be modeled after European book cafés that double as gathering places for people who want to "participate in intelligent conversations about history, current events and great works of literature past and present," per a letter to local community groups and block associations. Expect author readings, book clubs and other events.
The café menu will include breakfast pastries, sandwiches, cheese and charcuterie boards, and desserts. The ground-floor space (2,684 square feet) is slated for eight tables (16 seats) and an 18-seat bar (beer and wine) ... for 34 seats in total.
Background music will play during the day, with occasional acoustic live performances.
Hours are proposed as 8 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday, and until 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. There are no outdoor areas.
The owner, Marianna Vaidman Stone, a lifelong New Yorker with a JD from NYU Law and a background in city government and nonprofit work, says she aims to create a welcoming neighborhood spot.
She previously tried for space on Bleecker Street near the Bowery, but those plans didn't move forward.
Community Board 3's Licensing & Outdoor Dining Committee will hear this and other applications Monday evening at 6:30.
The 7-Eleven closed last November after 11 years. The owner told EVG's Stacie Joy that rampant theft was the cause of the closure.
Before its transformation into a suburban convenience store, the SE corner of Avenue A and 11th Street was home to Bar on A, which closed in August 2012.
Surprise Scoop closing on 1st Avenue; skewer concept next?
The shop at 139 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street recently reopened after a DOH-related visit on Sept. 13.
The owners of the previous business here, Stuffed Ice Cream, closed in October 2024 to make way for this new concept. You order from a touch-screen menu. And there's only one item: "Surprise Ice Cream."
Here's more from a Surprise Scoop Instagram post on Tuesday:
It's been a short but very memorable journey. Testing a new bold concept in NYC is a dream come true, but due to a lot of circumstances, we've decided to give the space to friends who are interested in opening a skewer concept in the East Village.Thank you for all the love and support throughout the year, including the person who wrote us a review but never tried, and the person named Skibidi Toilet.Although our time is coming to an end, we're opening our doors for two more weeks. Thursday - Sunday 12/4-12/7 and 12/11-12/14.
Surprise Scoop's social-media-friendly gimmick garnered media coverage locally from Fox 5 and NBC 4 to the Post.
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Supermoon prep
Cookie Walk returns — with a centennial twist
Photos by Stacie Joy
Signage is up for the 2025 edition of The Cookie Walk, the annual neighborhood tradition that brings dozens of varieties of homemade cookies and desserts to St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on Avenue A and 10th Street.
This year's event takes place in the church basement on Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Dec. 14 from noon to 3 p.m. (or until everything's gone).
As always, the setup is simple: grab one of the provided boxes (or two) and make your way around the cookie-lined tables, choosing your favorites as you go.
This year's Walk has added significance. St. Nicholas recently celebrated its 100th Anniversary Jubilee, and the parish is marking the milestone with 100 varieties of cookies, keeping the tradition's familiar format intact.
They've also created a children's storybook about the Cookie Walk that begins and ends in the East Village, with a few stops in Manhattan along the way.
More details to come as we get closer to the big weekend.
Openings: Godunk on the Bowery
The restaurant is led by chef Nate Limwong, who previously earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand at Chalong in Hell's Kitchen. Godunk's menu draws from street food traditions across Thailand, from Isaan in the north to Limwong's hometown of Surat Thani in the south ... plus with "movie-themed cocktails" by Ryan Saputra, who previously worked at Angel's Share.
Godunk's Instagram account describes itself as "born from a love of bold flavour, big energy, analog soul."
Since 2013, the storefront has been home to various retail shops, including Burkleman and Intermix. Before that, it was the deli-grocery Steve's on the Bowery.
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Tuesday's parting shot
Bill Rice’s East Village on view uptown
Bill Rice, Untitled (detail), 1980. Photo: Kunning Huang. Courtesy of Donald Ryan Gallery
Donald Ryan Gallery is presenting a new exhibition of work by East Village painter Bill Rice (1932-2006), whose loft on Third Street was a gathering spot for artists, writers and filmmakers for decades.
Rice, active in downtown theater and experimental film, spent nearly half a century chronicling the neighborhood's quieter corners, everyday figures and solitary moments.
The show, running through Dec. 13, features paintings that capture Rice's intimate view of the East Village and includes archival images, such as a 1983 rooftop photo of Rice and Peter Hujar.
The gallery is at 15 E. 71st St., between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue (road trip!).
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Brant Foundation to host major Keith Haring exhibition next spring on 6th Street
The Brant Foundation started its exhibits here in the spring of 2019, with a show featuring art by Jean-Michel Basquiat — some 70 works collectively valued at $1 billion.
Peter Brant bought the building — a former Con Edison substation and Walter de Maria studio — for $27 million in August 2014.
Tuesday's opening shot
OK, they were just power-washing some graffiti off the outside of the men's room.
Meanwhile, there's a lousy weather forecast for today (Dec. 2). Per Accuweather: "Drenching rain; some snow can mix in early; heavy rain can cause localized flooding and slow travel."
The sun returns tomorrow...
Monday, December 1, 2025
Noted
When is the tree lighting in Tompkins Square Park this year?
The event this year is once again sponsored by C&B Cafe and features the Carolers of Olde New York from Theater for the New City, along with refreshments from Veselka ... an enduring staple of December in the neighborhood.
Why neighborhood staple Casa Adela will be closed this week
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
If you had plans for any meals at Casa Adela this week, the lively Puerto Rican restaurant will be closed today through Friday for "structural chimney repairs," per signage for patrons.
The decades-spanning business will reopen on Saturday at 66 Avenue C, between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)