EV Grieve: 2025

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Pecking order on St. Mark's Place

Photo by Karen Hatch

Text by Donald Davis

A hairy woodpecker perched above the suet cake in the tree at 97 Saint Mark's between Avenue A and First Avenue. About 10 feet off the ground. Seems focused on the tree — maybe more interested in finding insects rather than the suet which the songbirds like.

Reminders: It's Election Day

FYI: Primary Election Day is today (Nov. 4). Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

There are major races on the ballot:

Comptroller
Manhattan Borough President
Manhattan District Attorney
Mayor
Public Advocate

Additionally, local residents will vote for the City Council District 2 seat vacated by the term-limited Carlina Rivera.

On the ballot:

• Democrat: Harvey Epstein

• Republican: Jason C Murillo

• Independent: Allie Ryan

• Independent: Gail Schargel

Given that Rivera left Council early, the winner of this race will take office immediately after the official certification.

There are also ballot proposals, which you can find here.

Find all the info you need at NYC Votes.

Access the video for Arcadia's 1985 hit "Election Day" from the underrated So Red the Rose album here.

And leading up to today, there was a solid turnout in early voting... well done...

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Monday, November 3, 2025

Monday's parting shot

From Third and A this evening... when it seemed a lot later than 6:35...

A bold Merlot theft on Halloween night with notes of mischief

Yesterday, we noted that the bottle of Merlot costume, recently featured in our East Village Halloween — nighttime edition post, was spotted outside 323 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Turns out there is more to the story. The two residents who wore the wine-bottle costumes told EVG's Stacie Joy that they were at a bar on First Avenue and Third Street. They removed the costumes and left them outside. (It is so difficult to sit in a full-body cardboard wine costume.)

From outside, unknown thieves took off with the cardboard creations.

The owners really didn't mind, as they were done for the night. However, they did find it amusing to see that the Merlot made it to that block of 10th Street before being discarded.

To date, there has been no sign of the Rosé costume.

Top pic by Dianne Lake; Halloween night photo by Stacie Joy

Guilty plea announced in 2023 assault spree that included attack outside Ray’s Candy Store

Photo last week by Stacie Joy

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced that past Thursday that Gerald Barth has pleaded guilty to felony charges for his role in a string of violent assaults across the East Village — including the January 2023 attack on Ray Alvarez, the then 90-year-old owner of Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A.

"Gerald Barth now stands convicted of felony charges for his role in the violent and brutal attacks of three victims in separate incidents across the East Village," Bragg said in a statement to EVG. "The conduct displayed by Barth and Luis Peroza — who is currently serving a 10-year sentence — is completely unacceptable and resulted in significant injuries for each victim involved. Every Manhattanite deserves to be safe, and I thank our prosecutors for ensuring accountability in this case."

Barth's plea follows the sentencing of co-defendant Luis Peroza, who in 2024 received a 10-year prison term for his part in the same series of assaults.

As EVG previously reported, Alvarez and his employee Gabe Thorne were attacked outside Ray's Candy Store around 3 a.m. on Jan. 31, 2023, when they stepped outside for some air.

Prosecutors said Peroza struck Alvarez with a belt weighted by a rock, leaving him with a black eye and a gash on his temple, while Thorne was hit across the chest. The assault reportedly followed an argument after the pair declined to buy seltzer water from the suspects.

A little later, Peroza and Barth attacked two other victims in separate incidents — one outside a deli on Avenue C, and another on Avenue B — each sustaining serious facial injuries.

Barth's guilty plea brings closure to a case that rattled the neighborhood and drew widespread support for Alvarez, whose Avenue A shop has been a neighborhood fixture for more than 50 years.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• A timeline of events after the assault outside Ray's Candy Store

ABC No Rio's new building reaches the top on the Lower East Side

ABC No Rio marked a construction milestone on Friday with a topping-off ceremony as workers reached the top of its new four-story building at 156 Rivington St., between Clinton and Suffolk on the Lower East Side.

With the construction netting and scaffolding, it's hard to tell from the street, but work has been progressing inside. A few residents had the chance to see the progress firsthand during Open House New York Weekend on Oct. 18 — all three tour sessions filled up quickly.

The eco-friendly new structure, designed by architect Paul Castrucci, will feature a computer lab, print shop, and a zine library, among other amenities. The building will also include expanded spaces for art, music, performance, educational, and community programs — along with meeting and office areas for ABC No Rio and other organizations.

The city is contributing $21 million to the project through the Department of Cultural Affairs.

ABC No Rio's previous four-story building on the lot, which was reportedly in disrepair, was demolished in the spring of 2017, forcing the organization to move its programming to other arts organizations around the city.

According to the ABC No Rio website, they hope to complete our new home in July 2026 and begin programming at 156 Rivington again in the fall.

Sunday, November 2, 2025

Sunday's parting shot

Another NYC Marathon is in the books... photo from St. Mark's Place by Derek Berg...

Scenes from the final Show Brain concert of 2025 in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Stacie Joy

Halloween afternoon brought the last Show Brain concert of the season to Tompkins Square Park, wrapping up another year of live music here. (There's a Show Brain show coming Saturday in Washington Square Park.)

A big thanks to Ozzie, the tireless promoter behind these events, for another season of community and music — all free...

The lineup featured Bec Lauder & the Noise, a band with East Village roots, which recently released their debut record...

We also enjoyed the energetic set from Brooklyn's TVOD...(their debut album came out in May)...

EVG faves Skorts were also on the bill ... and lead singer Alli Walls and bassist Emma Welch showed off their debut record that came out on Friday...

And headlining — punk-trash scenesters Balaclava ...

Thanks, too, to Chris Flash of The Shadow and all the other promoters who bring live music to Tompkins.

To 2026...

Noted

The bottle of Merlot costume, recently featured in our East Village Halloween — nighttime edition post, is now up for grabs outside 323 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B... EVG reader Dianne Lake shares this photo, noting "if anyone is looking to get ready for next year."

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a late-afternoon view from Tompkins Square Park)

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• Splints, Scotch tape, and a very determined sunflower on 1st Avenue (Wednesday, Oct. 29)

• A look at the new housing for Barrier Free Living on 2nd Street (Monday, Oct. 27)

• Man indicted for random slashing last October on Astor Place (Monday, Oct. 27)

• About Thursday night’s collision on 4th Street and Avenue A (Friday, Oct. 31)

• Search & Destroy is still Search & Destroy on St. Mark’s Place; plus, free babies (Tuesday, Oct. 28)

• About the cardboard graveyard outside Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday, Oct. 28)

• Tis the season at Trash & Vaudeville (Wednesday, Oct. 29)

• Halloween in the East Village (Daytime) … (Nighttime)

• The horror! The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black in Tompkins Square Park (Sunday, Oct. 26)

• Nai to close on Nov. 8 after 15 years in the East Village (Thursday, Oct. 30)

• Closings: Paradis To Go on 4th Avenue (Monday, Oct. 27)

• Spider-Man takes a wall on Avenue A (Monday, Oct. 27)

• Farewell to NYC Convenience Gifts (and the hot nuts) (Wednesday, Oct. 29)

• Saba Candy & Grocery opens on Avenue B (Thursday, Oct. 30)

• Signage alert: UZ Grill House on 1st Avenue (Thursday, Oct. 30) … Top Secret on Avenue A (Monday, Oct. 27)

• Today in ads for Chanel on Astor Place (Tuesday, Oct. 28)

• ‘Ginger Twinsies’ ends its run at the Orpheum Theatre (Tuesday, Oct. 28)

And a look at the infamously mucky tree well on Avenue A near Sixth Street after Thursday's downpour. No additional activity was observed here this past week following Monday's soil testing. Pic by Stacie Joy.

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Sunday's opening shot

Photo by Stacie Joy

Here's a view of the Dia De Los Muertos altar at Campos Community Garden.

The garden, located at 644 E. 12th St., between Avenue B and C, is hosting its 14th annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration this weekend. Details here.