Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a rando shot on 7th Street)

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• Inside the new ABC No Rio (May 28) 

• 18-to-life sentence in fatal 2024 East Village stabbing (May 27) 

• Ribbon-cutting ceremony marks new chapter for affordable housing at 204 Avenue A (May 26)

• Community spirit shines through the rain at the 39th annual Loisaida Festival (May 24) 

• So long for now to Two Boots Pizza (May 30)

• The wisteria house of Stuyvesant Street is under contract (May 28) 

• A mother-daughter-owned bookstore bar is coming to Avenue A (May 26) 

• A Barnes & Noble is opening in the East Village (May 25) 

• The Paulie Gee's East Village Slice Shop debuts on 1st Avenue (May 27) 

• Pardon My French closes after 11 years on Avenue B (May 27) 

• Chippy's Fish & Chips is opening in the former Proletariat space on 7th Street (May 26) 

• As 2026 nears the halfway point, New York State eliminates restrictions on dancing in bars

 (May 29) 

• Openings: Drāvida on 1st Avenue (May 27) 

• Hello, Yam! says goodbye (May 28) 

And today's Week in Grieview is not sponsored by the USPS — "We Deliver [Smoke] for You"™ (photo by Stacie Joy)

A look at 'Loisaida Thrives' on Avenue C and 6th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The new mural on the southwest corner of Avenue C and Sixth Street was officially unveiled last Sunday during the 39th edition of the Loisaida Festival.

The project, led by Thrive Collective's Murals Art Director Marissa Molina, is described as a "celebration of the neighborhood" in the piece titled "Loisaida Thrives." 

Here's Molina and Thrive Collective Executive Director Jeremy R. Del Rio from last Sunday...

We went back a few days later for a better look at the mural...

The wall previously featured the long-running "Alphabet City" mural, which lasted nearly 11 years before falling into disrepair and being repeatedly tagged. It was painted over last summer. The building wall has been a frequent target of vandalism in recent years. 

The new mural is part of a 2026 Public Realm grant awarded by the city's Department of Small Business Services to Thrive Collective. Last November, organizers hosted a community gathering at the Lower East Side/Chinatown Family Enrichment Center to help inform the mural's design.

Thrive originated in 1996 on the Lower East Side as a youth center in NYC Public Housing serving primarily Hispanic youth. Today, Thrive Collective partners with schools and communities across the city on mural and arts education projects, connecting artists with students and local residents. 

Read more about their work here. 

Also helping with the mural — NYC-based artist OuterSource. 

Below are the various credits for making this happen...

Tree down in Tompkins

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

A tree came down earlier today near the Ninth Street and Avenue B entrance to Tompkins Square Park.

According to a Parks Department employee on the scene, the working assumption is that the tree fell due to today's high winds. 

There were no reports of injuries.

The city's Tree Services are on the scene...
 

Updated: A look at the damage to the park bench...

Farewell to Two Boots Pizza for now

Photos by Stacie Joy 

After decades at Avenue A and Third Street, Two Boots Pizza served its final slices here last night. 

The closure comes after a rent increase that owner Phil Hartman said made it impossible to stay, as we first reported.

Still, there's hope for a sequel: Hartman is searching for a new East Village home and plans to bring many of the shop's murals, mosaics and other artwork along for the next chapter. 

Meanwhile, here's a look at the final night on Avenue A...

Longtime EV-based photographer Godlis was among those in attendance...

There are still other Two Boots locations in the city if you need your Buckminster fix. 

 Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Two Boots Pizza is moving — but staying in the East Village

Saturday's opening shot

The latest ramp at the TF in Tompkins Square Park... and if you're going to be outdoors today, expect windy, cooler conditions with a mix of sun and clouds, per the weather charts we studied and then cut-and-paste from... 

Outdoor activities today include the 13th annual Spring Awakening via LUNGS ... the rain-delayed celebration of neighborhood community gardens and Earth Day. 

You could also grab your board and give Hell Ride a whirl.

'Love' saves the day

Photo of Bob Bert at Night Club 101 on Avenue A by Stacie Joy 

Veteran drummer Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Chrome Cranks, Knoxville Girls, Lydia Lunch Retrovirus, etc.) is releasing his debut solo album, Beach Bongo Bloodbath, on June 12 via Bar/None Records. 

The percussion-heavy, no-guitar release features several covers, including "Love Comes in Spurts," originally recorded by Richard Hell and the Voidoids in 1977.

In the video below, Hell, a longtime EV resident, makes an appearance... it also features Mary Hanley of Bunny X. 

There's a record release bash at the Bowery Palace on June 15.

 

The Paulie Gee's East Village Slice Shop is officially open

Photos by Stacie Joy

Paulie Gee's East Village Slice Shop opened yesterday afternoon at First Avenue and Sixth Street. 

As we've been reporting (like here), the new pizzeria is owned and operated by George Linn, a longtime Paulie Gee collaborator who helped bring the Brooklyn-based pizza brand to the neighborhood.

Paulie Gee and his wife, Mary Ann Giannone, were on hand, along with some superfans.

Here are a few pics by Stacie Joy right before the doors officially opened … and once they did. 

P.S. Paulie Gee mural on the Sixth Street side by DASCOOL!

Hours of operation at Paulie Gee's: Sunday to Wednesday: 11 a.m.-midnight; Thursday–Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

LUNGS Spring Awakening returns Saturday (tomorow!) with parade and garden festivities

The 13th Annual LUNGS Spring Awakening returns this Saturday (TOMORROW!) after two weather-related delays in recent weeks. Looks like we finally have some sunshine for this.

The neighborhood-wide celebration — hosted by Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens (LUNGS) — kicks off at noon with a parade starting at El Sol Brillante (522 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B). The procession heads east on 12th Street, loops down Avenue C, and makes its way through Tompkins Square Park before exiting at Ninth Street and Avenue B. 

Avenue B will be closed between Seventh Street and 10th Street with events as part of the Open Streets program. 

In addition, you can check out some live music at DeColores Community Yard (311 E. Eighth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C) from 2-6 p.m. Details here. 

As 2026 nears the halfway point, New York State eliminates restrictions on dancing in bars

From "Footloose." Rev. Moore, seen here reacting to someone saying, 

"Actually, this meeting could have been an email." 

From the SLA yesterday: 

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a new policy to eliminate outdated restrictions on dancing in bars and restaurants. Effective immediately, the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) will no longer require applicants to disclose whether dancing will be permitted by patrons or consider questions on the application about patron dancing when reviewing on-premises license applications. 

This policy change builds on Governor Hochul;s broader efforts to support live performances, arts and entertainment across New York and to modernize policies impacting the state’s nightlife and hospitality industry. 

In 1997, Mayor Giuliani resurrected and enforced a Prohibition-era statute known as the Cabaret Law as part of his "quality of life" campaign. Per the Internet, the New York City Cabaret Law, originally passed in 1926, prohibited dancing in any public space selling food or drink unless the establishment obtained a special, difficult-to-get "cabaret license."

Inside the new ABC No Rio

Photos and story by Stacie Joy 

After years in development — and nearly eight years after the former building was demolished — the new home for ABC No Rio is inching closer to opening on the Lower East Side.

ABC No Rio executive director Gavin Marcus recently gave us a full hard-hat tour of the building, which is now targeting a mid-July completion date for Phase 1 construction, followed by final inspections, furnishing and a certificate of occupancy process, with hopes of opening to the public by the end of October.

Plans are underway for an opening block party, concerts and an art show tied to the organization’s punk roots.

The new five-floor building at 156 Rivington St. between Clinton and Suffolk will include a 150-capacity performance venue, art gallery, zine library, print shop, computer lab, darkroom, community kitchen, meeting spaces and classrooms. The new ABC No Rio will also include a second-floor kitchen designed with input from Food Not Bombs, including community kitchen space for those who need it.

The eco-conscious building will also feature a green roof, solar panels and a planted, offset vine façade being developed with Brooklyn Grange.

"ABC No Rio is more than just a building. It's a culture," Marcus said during the tour. "And the culture shapes the character of the space."

The city has contributed $21 million toward the project through the Department of Cultural Affairs. 

ABC No Rio's previous building was demolished in 2017 after years of structural concerns.

The wisteria house of Stuyvesant Street is under contract

Photos by Stacie Joy

A tipster tells us that the wisteria-adorned townhouse at 35 Stuyvesant St. is now under contract, several months after returning to the sales market.

As previously reported, the five-story home — famous for its cascading purple blooms each spring — was listed in February for $3.895 million. 

The architecturally significant townhouse, built in 1861 by James Renwick Jr., located near 10th Street, has long been one of the East Village's most photographed homes.

The property arrived on the market in 2023 for the first time since longtime owner Lee B. Anderson (RIP 2010) purchased it in 1958. (His caretaker had been living here.)

Anderson, known as "the godfather of the Gothic revival in America," received a Village Preservation Award in 2003 for "nurturing his wisteria and making the Village a more beautiful place."

We trust the next owners will know the neighborhood expects spring wisteria updates.

H/T CS on B!

Hello, Yam! says goodbye

Photo by Steven 

Hello, Yam! has closed shop at 443 E. Ninth St. at Avenue A.

The business, which debuted in October 2023, specialized in desserts made with Japanese sweet potatoes. 

Moving forward, the owners said on Instagram that they'd be focusing on selling their goods at food festivals.

Bigger signage alert: Mixue on 4th Avenue

Work continues on Mixue, the latest quick-serve concept for the SE corner of Fourth Avenue and 13th Street.  

The company, which launched in China in 1997, offers coffee, milk teas, soft serve and fruit drinks. 

They entered the U.S. market last year, including in NYC. And with 40,000 global outposts, it is considered the world's largest fast-food chain, per The Takeout. 

The storefront was previously LoveMi, which sold boba teas and yogurt... taking over a long-empty space that was once home to Liquiteria (RIP January 2020).