Effort to bring lighting to East River Park running track gains support from elected officials

The grassroots campaign to bring permanent lighting to the East River Park running track has gained the backing of five local elected officials, who are urging the city to incorporate the improvements into the ongoing East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project. 

In an Oct. 27 letter to Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Paul Ochoa and Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura, Assembly Member Keith Powers, Council Member Harvey Epstein, State Sen. Brian Kavanagh, Assembly Member Grace Lee and Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal expressed their support for the proposal.

As we first reported in March 2025, the grassroots Light the Track campaign has been pushing for lighting that would allow runners and other park users to use the facility safely after dark.

In their letter, the elected officials noted that the track lacked lighting even before the ESCR project began, limiting its use and raising safety concerns. 

"With construction underway and no plans to address the lack of lighting, we believe the city is missing an opportunity to improve the new track and make it safer for track users and parkgoers," the letter states. 

The officials also pointed out that lighting would benefit New Yorkers whose schedules leave them with only early mornings or evenings for recreation. They offered to discuss how their offices could support the project's capital funding needs. 

Jason Froimowitz, organizer of the Light the Track campaign, told EVG the letter represents an important step, though securing funding remains the next hurdle. 

"Now that we have the elected officials' support, our next step is securing dedicated funding commitments in the annual city and/or state budgets," Froimowitz said. "This letter sets a critical foundation for including lighting in that budgeting process." 

Once funding is secured, the Parks Department and Department of Design and Construction would need to issue a change request to incorporate the lighting into the ESCR project. According to Froimowitz, both agencies have previously expressed support for the proposal, provided funding becomes available. 

"We're hopeful this can all come together as a part of the ESCR project," he said. "But depending on timing, we might be looking at a separate capital improvement project." 

Work on the northern section of East River Park is expected to wrap up at the end of 2027.

The Throne report: A look inside the neighborhood's new public toilets

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The city's new public bathrooms arrived in the area this past week— on Delancey Street and Cooper Square. 

The solar-powered bathrooms, operated by a company called (heh) Throne, were installed Thursday afternoon as part of the city's effort to expand access to public restrooms. 

The two locations — at Delancey and Suffolk streets and Cooper Square — are part of a $4 million, one-year pilot program that will bring 17 public bathrooms to neighborhoods across the city. 

Here's a look at the Delancey outpost.

The bathrooms are free to use and open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

And the early reviews from the people maintaining them? So far, so good. 

I found workers stationed at both locations, ready to clean and maintain the facilities. The bathrooms themselves were immaculate.

Here's how they work: Users scan a QR code and send a text to unlock the door. Those without a phone can get an access card from local community partners.

Once inside, you have 10 minutes to take care of business. Instructions are provided in English and Spanish, with warnings at the five-minute and two-minute marks.

New free public Throne toilets have arrived at two locations in the East Village and LES of Manhattan: a video from inside, with a surprise warning announcement https://t.co/ioYqkeGYry

— Stacie Joy (@Joy_of_photos) October 30, 2026

As time runs out, flashing lights and an increasingly urgent message remind users to finish up and exit.

And we do mean URGENT (we're calling this the Throne Ultimatum) ...

New Throne toilets have arrived in Manhattan's East Village and LES. This is the "time's up, doors about to open" warning when your 10-minute time slot's due to expire https://t.co/pEdT6CFBe4

— Stacie Joy (@Joy_of_photos) October 30, 2026

There's also a warning if someone attempts to enter behind another user. 

The bathrooms feature touchless controls, free menstrual products, baby-changing stations and sharps-disposal containers. Other features include smoke detectors, accessibility ramps, anti-graffiti materials and information on where to seek medical assistance.

According to the company, staff clean the facilities after about every 11 to 15 uses. 

I also got a look inside the cleaning closet, where supplies are stored.

The workers travel between locations on scooters to service the bathrooms. 

The cleaners said they had encountered no problems at either new local location. Both also independently mentioned that the Throne bathrooms have been particularly popular with MTA bus drivers, who often have difficulty finding public restrooms along their routes. 

The workers said sharps containers at some other locations have filled up, though they do not handle their contents themselves. 

Throne co-founder and COO Jess Heinzelman explained the company's approach to public restrooms at a recent Community Board 3 meeting.

"We are toilet nerds at our core," Heinzelman told board members. 

And for anyone wondering how the new facilities are holding up after their first days, the initial report from Delancey Street and Cooper Square (below) is encouraging: clean, functioning and staffed by workers keeping a close eye on things.

The East Village's iconic Peace House is on the market for $6.95 million

Photos via Sotheby's International Realty

One of the East Village's most recognizable buildings is for sale. 

The Peace House at 166 Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street, the longtime home and studio of artist and activist Anton van Dalen, has hit the market for $6.95 million, The New York Times first reported on Friday. 

The four-story townhouse has been a neighborhood fixture for decades, thanks in part to the word "PEACE" painted across its facade. Van Dalen, who died in June 2024 at age 85, lived and worked in the building for more than 50 years. 

He and his wife, Rebecca Mays Owen, purchased the property in 1972 with the Schneider family, who were also tenants at the time. The two families turned the building into a gathering place for artists, writers and other creative neighbors. 

Van Dalen's top-floor studio became the setting for much of his work documenting the changing East Village, including his "Avenue A Cut-Out Theater," a miniature recreation of the neighborhood and its characters. 

The familiar PEACE inscription appeared in the early 1990s in response to the Persian Gulf War. The van Dalen children and the Schneider family now list the property through Sotheby's International Realty. 

According to the listing, the building includes three residential spaces, among them a garden-level duplex, a full-floor loft once occupied by glass artist Bill Schneider and an upper duplex that includes van Dalen's former studio. 

The property also has a rear terrace and rooftop space where van Dalen once kept his flock of pigeons. Much of the upper floors remains as van Dalen left them, with artwork and personal belongings still in place.

In the Times article, van Dalen's daughter, Marinda, described the sale as bittersweet but said it was in the financial interests of the families involved. She hopes the next owners will preserve the PEACE inscription, though she acknowledged that a buyer might want to modernize the property. 

Another detail in the Times report caught the attention of at least one Avenue A resident: The property reportedly comes with approximately 4,258 square feet of unused development rights, according to PropertyShark. 

"The air rights note at the bottom gives me pause," the resident told us. "Does someone buy it and enjoy it or a developer knock it down for condos?"

No indication suggests demolition or redevelopment is planned, and unused development rights do not necessarily mean the existing building will be replaced. Still, the detail raises questions about what a future owner might envision for the property. 

For now, the Peace House remains one of the more distinctive reminders of an East Village shaped by artists, activists and longtime residents.

Sunday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Post-marathon glow on Seventh Street and Avenue B. One of today's NYC Marathon finishers, medal and flowers in hand.

Tonight's Midtown view

Photo by Cecil Scheib 

A view north from the East Village ... where the animated top of the Chase building on Park Avenue paid tribute to the NYC Marathon...

Scenes from Halloween 2026 in the East Village

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Halloween scenes from yesterday... afternoon into evening...

EV Grieve's East Village Week in Review

Posts this past week included (with a Halloween night scene via Stacie Joy)...

• On 11th Street, residents and businesses say e-bike congestion needs a lasting solution (Oct. 30) … No bikes seized, but questions remain over 11th Street enforcement (Oct. 28) 

• Tompkins Square Park recreation redesign heads back to committee after contentious CB3 meeting (Oct. 29) 

• Report: Developer in contract to buy former St. Brigid School for $35 million (Oct. 28) 

• Bigger plans for 3rd Avenue: 2 buildings, 17 stories and 184 apartments (Oct. 26) 

• Village View parking lot sale moves forward as shareholders raise financial questions (Oct. 27) 

• Barnes & Noble's build-out continues on Avenue A (Oct. 26) 

• Scenes from "Punk in the Park" with Non Resident (Oct. 29) 

• A very East Village Saturday, in photos (Oct. 27) 

• Hot dog! Crif Dogs is back open on St. Mark’s Place (Oct. 29) 

• At Drāvida, chef Aarthi Sampath explores the Indian diaspora — and finds a home in the East Village (Oct. 28) 

• Topping out at 9th Street and 4th Avenue (Oct. 26) 

• Signage alert: Matane on 1st Avenue (Oct. 29) 

• A visitor one October evening (Oct. 26) 

• It's close to midnight somewhere: A ‘Thriller’ rehearsal in Tompkins Square Park (Oct. 27) 

• 345 Cantina closes on 6th Street; landlord takes possession of space (Oct. 29)… Hunan Slurp Shop closes on 1st Avenue (Oct. 29) 

• Incoming: (More) bubble tea and froyo for this block of St. Mark's Place (Oct. 28) 

And a store window view from Broadway and 11th Street by Derek Berg...

Another chance to see 'Tabby the Great and the Highly Unfortunate Closing of Two Boots Avenue A'

The documentary about the closing of the longtime Two Boots Pizza outpost on Avenue A will screen again tomorrow (Monday) evening at Book Club Bar.

"Tabby the Great and the Highly Unfortunate Closing of Two Boots Avenue A," directed by Tabitha Haugen and Billy Waldman, starts at 7:30 p.m. at the bookstore at 197 Third St., between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Haugen, who worked at Two Boots for two years, said on Instagram that the documentary started as a joke after word came that the pizzeria would be closing. 

"The film was Billy's idea," she wrote. "Billy came in and jokingly said we should make a movie about the closing ... I took it as a joke for 3 seconds, then realized ... that could actually be really fun and challenging!" 

They shot the film over three weeks, collecting interviews and B-roll, with Two Boots customers contributing music and posters. 

The filmmakers screened the doc on the handball courts this past summer.

Two Boots closed its Avenue A and Third Street location on May 29 after nearly 40 years in business. Owner Phil Hartman has said he plans to reopen Two Boots elsewhere in the East Village. 

6 posts from October

A mini EVG month in review...

• On 11th Street, residents and businesses say e-bike congestion needs a lasting solution (Oct. 30) 

• New signs of activity at the former P.S. 64, but questions remain (Oct. 20)

• Barking news: Scenes from the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade (Oct. 17) 

• DOT marks completion of Avenue B redesign (Oct. 15) 

• Up high with artist Owen Dippie and his 6-story Basquiat mural on the Bowery (Oct. 6) 

• Signs of opposition to the Meltzer Tower replacement plan (Oct. 6)

A Trick-or-Streets FYI

ICYMI: Two neighborhood blocks are getting into the Halloween spirit today with Trick or Streets celebrations. 

On Avenue B between Third and Seventh Streets, festivities run from 2:30 to 6 p.m., featuring a photo booth by Kuki Go, musical performances by Guachinangos and Batingua Drum & Dance, games and more. 

Meanwhile, Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B hosts its fifth annual Trick or Streets celebration from 3 to 6 p.m., with car-free trick-or-treating, harvest and Halloween-themed activities for all ages and abilities.

Both events are part of the city's Open Streets program. More details are available at nyc.gov/trickorstreets.

A Halloween night with Edgar Allan Poe at the New York City Marble Cemetery

The New York City Marble Cemetery on Second Street is opening its gates for a late-night Halloween gathering devoted to Edgar Allan Poe. 

Part of the People's Poetry Gathering, "A Night of Nightmares, Ghost Tales and Poems!" takes place TONIGHT from 10:30 to midnight. 

 The evening features Toni Blackman as "The Raven," poet Bob Holman reading "Brain Fever," which organizers describe as a newly discovered Poe poem, and Haitian poet Denizé Lauture offering a Creole-inflected interpretation of "Annabel Lee." 

Organizers invite attendees to "huddle with us as we raise Poe and his kindred spirits from their mysterious resting places." 

The New York City Marble Cemetery is at 60 E. Second St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Not to be confused with the New York Marble Cemetery a few blocks away.) 

More details and ticket information can be found here.

A Visit from St. Frightolas

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Poem by EVG, with obvious inspiration 

from Clement Clarke Moore

’Twas the night before Halloween, when all through the store

Not a creature was stirring — except for the giant body bag hanging from the ceiling.

P.S. 

We now have our fifth sighting... at this rate, we've got a trends cover story on our hands!

At a crossroads

 

Radio Free Alice headlines the free Show Brain Halloween show tomorrow afternoon in Tompkins Square Park. What's In Between, the Australian band's debut album, came out today.

The above video is for "The Intersection," which gives you a good idea of their '80s-inspired jangle-pop sensibilities.

Show Brain has 1 last treat for the season with a Halloween show in Tompkins Square Park

Halloween marks the last of the free Show Brain shows in Tompkins Square Park this year... and it's another stacked lineup, featuring headliners Radio Free Alice, the Australian popsters who released their debut record today. 

• Radio Free Alice 

• Nabihah Iqbal (she's playing a sold-out show later tomorrow night at Night Club 101 on A)

• First President of Japan 

• Trophy Wife 

• The Dracu-las 

2-6 p.m. ... with an after-party at Niagara on Seventh and A...

Campos Community Garden hosts its 15th annual Día de los Muertos celebration on Sunday

Campos Community Garden is hosting its 15th annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration this Sunday (Nov. 1) from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. at 644 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

The free community event includes arts and crafts, Mexican hot chocolate and sweet bread, with a ceremonial dance by Cetiliztl Nauhcampa at 4 p.m. 

As in previous years, the garden's gazebo will house an ofrenda (altar), where neighbors are invited to leave photos, flowers, food and other mementos honoring loved ones, including people, pets, and places. Children can also make items to add to the altar. 

The ofrenda will be assembled today (Friday) from noon to 4 p.m. and will be open for viewing tomorrow (Saturday) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The annual celebration is made possible through the support of garden members, local businesses and neighbors. 

Volunteers are welcome throughout the weekend. Contact camposcommunitygarden@gmail.com for details.