Photo by Stacie Joy
A 30-second dance party on First Avenue and Houston... unfortunately, our attention span is about only 12 seconds at the moment...
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Crowd lines Avenue A for secret show featuring Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE
Photos by Stacie Joy
Drom hosted a surprise show last night featuring Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE — which helps explain the line along Avenue A near Sixth Street.
The two rappers have a collaborative release, the double LP Pompeii // Utility, out tomorrow, created alongside Surf Gang, the NYC-based label and producer collective.
Some fans waited for hours to get inside — and not everyone made it.
They'll be playing much larger venues this summer, including including July 8 at the Brooklyn Paramount.
Cozy Soup 'n' Burger seeks help to stay open
Third-generation owner John Strats recently launched a GoFundMe campaign amid ongoing financial challenges stemming from the pandemic.
"For over five decades, Cozy Soup 'n' Burger has been a staple in our community," he writes. "It's become more than just a place to eat — it's a gathering spot where memories are made and traditions are kept alive."
But like many longtime businesses, the diner has struggled to fully recover in recent years and is now facing mounting expenses.
Funds raised will go toward payroll, inventory and rent, to keep the doors open for years to come.
If you're inclined, you can support the effort here.
Or, as always, consider stopping in for a meal — or maybe a T-shirt — to help keep a neighborhood institution going.
A Keith Haring-inspired 'Pop Shop' tribute on 8th Street
Timed to coincide with the Haring exhibition at the Brant Foundation on Sixth Street, the installation runs through April 17 and nods to the artist's Pop Shop, which debuted in 1986 on Lafayette Street.
The space features donated posters from Sur Rodney (Sur) and ephemera from Mark Harada, all available for purchase. Proceeds support Allied's mission and public projects, including Le Petit Versailles Garden on Second Street.
Visits are by appointment only (212-529-8815); additional details are available via Allied's online shop.
A Nite and Day business brewing on 9th Street
The space will operate as a daytime coffee shop (Dayglow) and a nighttime taproom (Niteglow).
This will be the second NYC location for the combo shop ... Niteglow also has an outpost on Wilson Avenue in Bushwick, which includes a brewery, along with sibling Dayglow.
More on this operation as more info becomes available.
La Fleur Café & Market was the previous tenant in the storefront.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Good Friday Blues at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery
St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery is marking the 25th anniversary of its Good Friday Blues service this week.
The annual Good Friday program blends blues music, drama and dance to recount the Passion story. The service is directed by Jeannine Otis and includes guest sermons from the Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings, the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas and Nell Gibson. The St. Mark's Choir will also take part.
The service runs from noon to 3 p.m. on Friday at the church, 131 E. 10th St. at Second Avenue.
Admission is free.
Small Village Deli off to a loud start with neighbors
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Residents who live near the new Small Village Deli — which opened last weekend on the NW corner of Avenue B and Fifth Street — say they're already dealing with quality-of-life issues tied to the 24/7 operation.
For starters, issues existed even before the market opened. Neighbors questioned the ultra-bright signage. According to a Department of Buildings summons posted to the door last month: "Observed illuminated sign approx 80 sq feet above premises, no permit on file, creating a safety hazard."
The violation carries a $2,500 penalty.
Several neighbors have cited a new and loud exhaust system — described by one resident as sounding "like a jet engine" — along with persistent cooking odors entering nearby apartments.
"I was lying in bed, awake before 6 a.m., enjoying the wonderful silence. And then the fan went on at 5:59 a.m.," said Kim-Nora, who lives across the street. "The exhaust system noise seems well above ambient street-level noise at this time of day. This should be the quietest time of day right now … but that thing just sounds like a big truck idling at high RPMs. Difficult to hear the birds now."
The space at 76 Avenue B has housed several businesses in the past 15 years — including restaurants (Oda House and Caffe Buon Gusto) and a deli (Zips) — though neighbors say the current setup is creating new issues.
Loyan Beausoleil, vice president of the 6 & B Garden next door, said she stopped in to raise concerns about the noise ahead of the garden's public reopening in April.
"I told them how the fan was very loud in the garden, explaining that we are their neighbors and are hopeful they would make sure it was quiet before we open," she said. "[The owner] was very rude to me and yelled that we were just going to have to get used to it, adding that he was not going to change it."
Beausoleil said she left without arguing, but noted that several nearby delis have built better relationships with the community. (The owner asked EVG to leave on a recent visit.)
"Once the garden is open, I will encourage visitors to avoid Small Village and choose the other delis that act like good neighbors," Beausoleil said.
Another longtime tenant in the building, who asked not to be named, said the fan ran overnight and was audible even with windows closed.
"Sounds like a big Mack truck idling right outside your window. And that's with all the windows closed — and the weather is about to warm up, and we want our windows open — and I want to hear the birdsong starting at 4 a.m.," the resident said. "It's literally a nightmare."
The tenant (and others) said they have contacted the landlord, spoken with the super and deli staff, and filed a 311 complaint, with plans to reach out to Community Board 3 and other local officials if the issue continues.
"Like I have time for this?" the resident added. "If it's killing my sleep, I guess so."
Openings: Lucky Cafe on Avenue A
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
There's a new coffee-and-matcha option on Avenue A.
Lucky Cafe opened on Sunday at 64 Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.
The cafe serves coffee, matcha and a selection of baked goods from Brooklyn's Colson Patisserie.
Owner James Phillips (above) and "master barista" Max Vitkus — both East Village residents — are behind the venture.
The space itself has a thoughtfully designed interior, with a warm color palette and a few welcoming extras for now, including chocolate and caramel sauces to top drinks, plus games, books and cozy seating nooks.
For now, hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, though that could shift a bit as the team settles in.
Introducing ChatEVG™
After 18 years of covering the East Village, it was probably inevitable: EVG is entering the AI space.
Introducing ChatEVG™ — a Large Language Model (LLM) trained on nearly two decades of posts, reader tips, comments, rumors, CB3 agendas and menus from long-closed neighborhood restaurants.
ChatEVG™ can understand, summarize, generate and predict human-like responses based on user prompts.
Early testing suggests it performs especially well when asked to:
• Decode "closed for renovations" signs
• Translate broker-speak on storefront listings ("turnkey," "motivated seller," etc.)
• Add just enough reassuring language to make you uneasy ("bring your architect," "no plans for a full liquor license at this time")
• Translate broker-speak on storefront listings ("turnkey," "motivated seller," etc.)
• Add just enough reassuring language to make you uneasy ("bring your architect," "no plans for a full liquor license at this time")
There are still a few bugs to fix. For example, ChatEVG™ will sometimes suggest that readers who disagree simply move back to Ohio (or Iowa) or the suburbs, and remind you that "New York has always been about _____."
It also tends to assume that any new business will close within six months.
In any event, built for peak neighborhood performance, ChatEVG™ also offers:
• A proprietary Nostalgia Engine™ calibrated to 18 months after you moved here
• Predictive modeling on whether a "coming soon" sign means two weeks or two years
• Automated detection of smoke shops or markets posing as something else
• Predictive modeling on whether a "coming soon" sign means two weeks or two years
• Automated detection of smoke shops or markets posing as something else
For now, on this April 1, ChatEVG™ is open.
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