Photo by Meri Micara
Traveler season on St. Mark's Place...
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
The Butler did it!
Photo by Stacie Joy
A curious flyer taped up outside Ben's Deli on Avenue B might look, at first glance, like a DIY attempt to identify a local thief — someone possibly swiping six-packs of White Claw or that Clarins you should of had delivered to the office.
But look closer, and it's clear this is something else entirely.
The flyer is some sort of guerilla marketing campaign for "Caught Stealing," an upcoming crime thriller from Darren Aronofsky. The film stars Austin Butler — shown in character on the flyer — alongside Bad Bunny, Zoë Kravitz, Griffin Dunne, Matt Smith and Regina King.
The film is set to hit theaters on Aug. 29 — the same date stamped on the flyer.
As we previously reported, "Caught Stealing" was filmed extensively throughout the East Village last fall.
The Brant Foundation has a free exhibition featuring the work of Glenn Ligon
The show, which runs through July 21, "features video, neon installations, and paintings by the artist, whose practice reconsiders American history through engagements with the written word."
The tickets are free. You can reserve them at this link.
Hours: Wednesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Brant Foundation is at 421 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.
Image via The Brant Foundation
About this Rainbow Spring Fair this Thursday evening at Otto's Shrunken Head
Via the EVG inbox...
If you like great songs, big drinks, and strangers drawing frogs on your face — head for the Rainbow Spring Fair this Thursday evening at Otto's Shrunken Head.The lineup:7 p.m. — Phoebe Kreutz: East Village native, lyrical sharpshooter, and queen of unexpected emotional left-hooks. Her songs are funny until they're not, then funny again.8 p.m. — Josh Taggart: What if your favorite campfire storyteller went cosmic? Taggart's set delivers heart and harmony with a side of existential shimmer.9 p.m. — Double Deuce. Toby Goodshank (Moldy Peaches) and Angela Carlucci (Little Cobweb) form this maximalist-minimalist rock duo. Expect riffs, winks, and something you can't quite name but won't forget.All night — face painting: Why wear your heart on your sleeve when you can wear Bart Simpson on your forehead? Our face paint station will get you weird and wonderful for the spring season.
Otto's Shrunken Head is at 538 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. Doors at 6:30 p.m., music from 7-10 p.m. $10 cover, but the vibe is free, per organizers.
Community gardens take center stage in mayoral forum on urban sustainability
The New York City Community Garden Coalition and Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens will host a Community Gardens' Mayoral Forum on Saturday, May 24, noon to 2 p.m., at St. Mark's Church-on-the-Bowery, 131 E 10th St. at Second Avenue.The event will highlight the role of community gardens in New York City's sustainability and environmental future ... followed by a moderated Q&A with mayoral candidates.The event will also challenge the narrative that community gardens obstruct affordable housing development, exploring solutions to balance urban growth and green space preservation.
This forum offers candidates the opportunity to share their vision for a sustainable New York City and engage with voters passionate about community gardens, environmental justice, and sustainable urban policies.
Me-Wow! FDNY rescues Nico the Cat from East Village tree
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Yesterday afternoon, Second Street's FDNY Engine 28/Ladder 11 received a call that Nico the cat had escaped and was stuck high up in a tree outside his home at the Mariana Bracetti Plaza on Third Street near Avenue C.
Lt. Gallucci and firefighters Nick D'Amato, Jake Nier, Patrick Neh, Frank Dima and Gary Falco responded to the scene to carry out the rescue.
Falco — met with cheers of "You got this, Gary!" — climbed the ladder, armed with a towel and endless patience.
After several tense minutes and a bit of feline negotiation (with loud meows), Nico was safely rescued and reunited with his relieved mom, who gave him some kitty treats and carried him home.
About 50 or 60 people stopped to watch the scene unfold. Hugs and applause followed — for both Nico and the cat-rescuing heroes of the FDNY.
Monday, May 19, 2025
A quick look at the May CB3 SLA agenda
We've covered two of the big-ticket items already: Corner Bistro exploring an outpost on Avenue A and Sixth Street ... and the Penny-Claude team looking at possibly opening a new cafe on 12th Street at Third Avenue.
Here are a few other items of possible interest...
New Liquor License Applications
• Time Out New York (Manhattan) LLC, 124 E 14th St (op)
As we reported in late March, Time Out Market, Union Square, is opening a food hall on the ground floor of Zero Irving (formerly the Union Square Tech Training Center, 14 @ Irving, and tech hub) at 124 E. 14th St. (pictured above)
Here are details from Time Out on what to expect:
The 10,000-square-foot market hall will soon house seven kitchens, a fully-stocked bar and a stage set to host talent and performances from local artists. The 300-seat space will also feature an outdoor terrace. The new destination will build upon the legacy of Time Out Markets across the world — all with the mission of featuring the city’s best and up-and-coming culinary and cultural talents.
You can look at the questionnaire here to see more details. There is a list of potential vendors (some of which are possibly aspirational) that you will recognize. The market plans to open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with an 11 p.m. weekend close.
Time Out currently has 10 similar markets worldwide, including a 24,000-foot converted warehouse that opened in 2019 in Dumbo.
The now-closed Urbanspace Union Square had its food hall here after a December 2022 debut.
• Village East by Angelika (Citadel Cinemas Inc), 181-189 2nd Ave (upgrade to op)
The theater is looking to upgrade its license from beer-wine to full liquor. (They received the OK for the beer-wine in late 2021.) The paperwork shows that there won't be any bar seating but a concession stand for someone to purchase a drink to bring into the auditorium. (There is also an expanded food menu that includes items like flatbread pizza.)
Many local theaters, including Metrograph and those operated by AMC or Regal, have alcohol sales — a standard practice now to help with revenue shortfalls at a time when people's moviegoing habits have changed coming out of the pandemic.
In January 2021, the State Liquor Authority ruled that movie theaters could now apply for beer and wine licenses, with consumption allowed in seats — not just from a lobby bar-cafe... ending a years-long debate about alcohol in theaters.
Items not heard at Committee
• Blue Dimsum NY LLC, 19 St Marks Pl (wb)
According to the paperwork on the CB3 website, the owners of Mountain House East Village are changing concepts at 19-23 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.
The new place will be Blue Dimsum. There isn't any other info about it in the paperwork.
Mountain House, which has received positive notices via The New Yorker and The Times, opened here in late 2017.
You can visit the CB3 website for the list of restaurants and bars looking to open a sidewalk or roadway cafe. These items will NOT be heard before the committee.
Tonight's meeting is at 6:30. The Zoom link is here. This is a hybrid meeting, and limited seating is available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery.
Fresh sod and DanceFest crowds come together in Tompkins Square Park
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Just days before one of the biggest events of the year in Tompkins Square Park, the Parks Department started re-sodded parts of the main lawn — only for the area to be walked on by festivalgoers and other parkgoers during Saturday's DanceFest, the celebration that follows the annual Dance Parade.
Despite signs and barriers indicating the lawn was off-limits, the area quickly started filling up with people on one of the spring's summeriest days.
"It was locked earlier today and people don't listen — they hopped the fence," Amy Taylor, the crew chief at Tompkins Square Park, said on Saturday. "The hose is still out there, equipment and the sod too."
When told the gate was open and the lawn was filling up, Amy reiterated that the area was "technically and officially closed" and said she did not know who had unlocked it.
Workers had spent three days seeding and laying sod ahead of the weekend.
As for why the work was scheduled so close to a major event: "I don't know. No one told me anything."
Now, the question lingers: Will the newly sodded lawn survive the summer — or will the Parks Department be back to square one?
And a look yesterday at the lawn, now with caution tape on the freshly sodded areas...
Signage alert: YoYo Chicken on 14th Street
Photo by Steven
YoYo Chicken is opening an outpost at 418 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.
The family-owned brand, with several locations in the greater metropolitan area, serves various fried chicken sandwiches, smash burgers, waffle fries and more. Check out a menu here.
The business takes over for Mike Deli, an alleged hot spot for drug dealing that closed earlier last summer.
Global chain Sanku Maots'ai opening first U.S. outpost on 1st Avenue
Photos by William Klayer
Sanku Maots'ai, a brand that claims 4,000 locations worldwide, is opening its first U.S. outpost at 167 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street.
Signage arrived late last week... noting its path from Chengdu, the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan, to NYC...
The restaurant specializes in Maocai, a spicy Sichuan dish. Patrons customize their meals by choosing from various ingredients, including broth.
You can find the menu and more info here. No word on an opening date. The brand has a new U.S. Instagram account here.
This is the first business for the address since Tatsu Ramen closed in the fall of 2021.
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Weekend's parting shots
Photos yesterday by Stacie Joy
Yesterday (Saturday!) saw the launch of "Candy Store," a years-in-the-making photo documentary about Ray's Candy Store.
A few copies remain at the shop, 113 Avenue A near Seventh Street. Some are also available on Whitney's website and in select bookstores.
Photographer Whitney Browne worked part-time at Ray's from 2012-2017 and documented the late-night scene there.
A percentage of each sale will go to Ray. And yesterday, the book sales generated $1,000 for Ray.
A few moments from the annual Dance Parade and DanceFest
Photos by Stacie Joy
The 19th Annual Dance Parade and Festival took place yesterday... with 150-plus dance groups taking part on the route from 17th Street and Sixth Avenue to its conclusion on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place, where EVG's Stacie Joy was stationed ...
The dance party continued afterward with DanceFest in Tompkins Square Park ... where no one looked as if they just walked and danced a few miles in mid-80s temps...
Week in Grieview
• First look at the Whole Foods Market Daily Shop on 14th Street (Wednesday)
• Day-long CBGB Festival in Brooklyn this September to feature Iggy Pop, Jack White (Monday)
• Bands we like: Pop Music Fever Dream (PMFD) (Tuesday)
• Local artists: Friends and 'Neighbors' (Monday)
• The 2025 edition of the Ukrainian Festival is this weekend on 7th Street (Thursday)
• New photo book captures life inside Ray’s Candy Store (Thursday)
• Kijitora, a Williamsburg-based coffee shop, is opening an outpost on 14th Street (Monday)
• Matcha House next for the former ChikaLicious space on 10th Street (Monday)
• That's all for the Dunkin' at 100 1st Ave. (Saturday)
• Signage alert: Lil Sweet Treat on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday)
• Nosh Up (officially) closes down on St. Mark's Place (Monday)
• The retail spaces for rent in the Untitled building on Avenue A (Tuesday)
• Owners of Penny and Claud looking at 12th Street space for a possible new project (Monday)
As we noted on Tuesday, the Village Alliance BID celebrated the unveiling of a new public artwork by Juliana Woods, a first-year student at The Cooper Union. People responded very favorably to her work ... sharing a few more shots here.
Photos courtesy of Village Alliance (Ryan Muir).
Time (today!) for the Village View spring tag sale
As always, you can find the resident vendors — selling various items, including clothes, books, houseware, jewelry, bric-a-brac, and more — on the Fifth Street basketball court between Avenue A and First Avenue.
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Saturday's parting shot
Photo on St. Mark's Place by Stacie Joy
Just one of the 10,000 (or so!) dancers who took part in the 19th Annual Dance Parade and Festival today.
We'll have more of Stacie's pics from the parade and DanceFest in Tompkins Square in another post...
Checking in on the St. George Ukrainian Festival
Edmund John Dunn shared this photo from earlier today. Not raining after all!
This neighborhood event, celebrating Ukrainian culture, music, and food with various performances and vendors selling traditional arts and crafts, wraps up tomorrow evening.
This Instagram post has a rundown of events.
Reminder: A book launch for 'Candy Store' at Ray's today
Image via @canigetawhitney
ICYMI (EVG post here): There is a launch event TODAY (May 17!) from 5-8 p.m. for "Candy Store," a years-in-the-making photo documentary centered entirely on Ray's Candy Store.
Photographer Whitney Browne worked part-time at Ray's from 2012-2017 and documented the late-night scene at 113 Avenue A.
If you can't make it by today, the books are available for purchase on Whitney's website and in select bookstores.
A percentage of each sale will go to Ray.
That's all for the Dunkin' at 100 1st Ave.
Photo by Salim
The Dunkin'-Baskin-Robbins combo on the NE corner of First Avenue and Sixth Street has closed.
Yesterday was the last day in business. The closure notice on the door directs patrons to other local Dunkin' outposts.
The closure isn't a surprise, as the storefront appeared in a for-rent listing in April 2024. A tipster initially told us the Dunkin' was closing this past Dec. 31.
Friday, May 16, 2025
'Fun' was the plan
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Featured today on Wikipedia: The Merchant’s House Museum
The family home built in 1832 is at 29 E. Fourth St. between the Bowery and Lafayette. As we've been reporting in recent years, there are concerns about the Merchant's House Museum's future with a new development being greenlit next door.
H/T Stockholm Turtle
The 2025 edition of the Ukrainian Festival is this weekend on 7th Street
The festivities start at 5 p.m. Friday and last through Sunday afternoon, as the organizers said in a statement: "until all 30,000-plus pierogies have sold out."
The three-day festival — one of the best neighborhood events — celebrates Ukrainian culture, music, and food with various performances and vendors selling traditional arts and crafts.
We haven't seen the scheduled times for the outdoor performances just yet — they're usually on Saturday afternoon and evening and again on Sunday. There is a Facebook page for the event here.
Back to the organizers: "Come out and support our talented artists who dedicate every week to keeping Ukrainian traditions alive."
New photo book captures life inside Ray’s Candy Store
Browne, who first wandered into Ray's during late-night walks nearly two decades ago, spent years behind the counter, helping out and snapping photos. She became part of the place — trading stories with regulars, giving Ray breaks, and quietly documenting the rhythms of this East Village institution. All of it shot on film.
Between 2012 and 2017, she kept her camera close, capturing what she describes as a "refuge" during her early years in New York — a place that offered both comfort and community during bouts of insomnia and uncertainty.
The resulting book, "Candy Store," is less a glossy tribute and more a lived-in portrait — full of grain, charm, and quiet moments that feel like Ray's itself.
To mark the release, there's a launch event at Ray's this Saturday (May 17!) from 5-8 p.m. Expect copies of the book, a DJ set by Lower East Sider Record Club, and the usual Ray's menu. Ray will be there, of course.
The books are available for purchase on her website and in select bookstores.
And Ray's is at 113 Avenue A, just north of Seventh Street.
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
A soggy day for new sod
Photos by Steven
If you were in Tompkins Square Park earlier today, you likely noticed the stacks of sod near the field house. (Thanks to everyone who emailed about this.)
Apparently, some of the sod didn't grow in behind the renovated building, so the reinforcements have arrived...
Updated: Looks like Park workers will be putting sod on the main lawn too (though maybe they should wait until after DanceFest on Saturday).
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