Friday, July 31, 2026
Growing Pains
Pretty Sick, an EVG fave, has a new video out for the single "City Kid" ... from the band's upcoming album Anarchy.
6 posts from July
• RIP Carlos 'Chino' Garcia, co-founder of CHARAS and longtime Lower East Side activist (July 28)
• Petition to preserve Tompkins Square Park fitness area tops 2,000 signatures (July 27)
• At the last day of REI's flagship NYC store (July 24)
• After 31 years, White Trash is closing on 5th Street (July 21)
• The Aurea: Affordable housing planned for NYPD lot on 5th Street (July 14)
• Mee Noodle Shop will stay open after all (July 10)
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Shelter intake operations begin on Aug. 1 at two East Village locations
The move comes after a delay caused by a legal challenge from neighborhood residents. Last month, State Supreme Court Justice Sabrina Kraus ruled that the city had a rational basis for relocating the intake operation from the deteriorating Bellevue facility to the Project Renewal building on Third Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery, allowing the plan to move forward.
According to DSS, the Bellevue intake center — which opened in 1931 — is in severe disrepair. The city previously stated relocating intake operations is part of a broader effort to modernize the shelter system and has already moved hundreds of assessment beds from the site to other locations.
DSS said a small staff presence will remain at the 30th Street location for at least a year to direct anyone who arrives there to the new intake center. Transportation between the two locations will also be available.
Separately, intake for adult families (families without minor children) will relocate to 333 Bowery between Second and Third Streets on Aug. 1.
The relocation has drawn sustained opposition from neighborhood residents and a few elected officials, who have argued that converting the site into a citywide intake center will have a greater impact on the neighborhood than the substance-use treatment and shelter services that Project Renewal has operated there for decades.
City officials have maintained the move is necessary because of the deteriorating conditions at Bellevue.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Haven Plaza residents rally over response to Legionella concerns
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Residents of Haven Plaza, community advocacy groups and local elected officials gathered yesterday outside the East Village housing complex on Avenue C and 12th Street to demand more transparency and action from city officials following the discovery of Legionella bacteria in the building's water system.
The rally, hosted by local City Councilmember Harvey Epstein, comes more than a month after the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene confirmed the presence of the bacteria at the five-building complex.
Epstein said residents deserve clear, consistent guidance from the Department of Health and shouldn't have to question whether the water coming from their taps or showers is safe. He also called for greater transparency about the remediation effort and a timeline for when it will be completed.
Since the bacteria was detected, residents say they've received inconsistent guidance about showering, bathing and when the building's water will be considered safe. (ABC 7 first covered this here.)
At the rally, Haven Plaza residents said they have spent weeks seeking answers from building management and city agencies about the remediation effort. Several tenants described receiving conflicting information about the risks posed by the bacteria and what precautions they should take.
Haven Plaza is owned by Catholic Homes, an affiliate of the Archdiocese of New York, and managed by Wavecrest Management. The complex provides 371 units of affordable housing for families and seniors, per its website.
Dana Cruz (below), president of the Haven Plaza Tenants Association, criticized building management for what she described as poor communication and delays in responding to residents' concerns. She said tenants had to purchase their own supplies after the discovery of Legionella bacteria and that promised resources — including portable showers and hoses — never materialized.
Cruz also said city guidance to residents changed over the course of the response, creating additional confusion.
One Haven Plaza resident who attended the rally told EV Grieve that she remains especially concerned about elderly neighbors and those with disabilities or underlying health conditions, adding that some residents do not have internet access and have struggled to keep up with changing guidance.
"We've been getting conflicting information," she said. "Wouldn't you be worried?"
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams also sharply criticized Wavecrest Management, saying residents deserved clearer communication and a more urgent response.
He assured those gathered that his office would continue monitoring the situation.
Other speakers included Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly Member Keith Powers (seen below with Harvey Epstein).
The Haven Plaza situation is separate from the recent Upper East Side outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, which health officials traced to contaminated cooling towers.
At Haven Plaza, the investigation centers on the building's plumbing and hot-water system.
According to The City Reporter in June, the city's Health Department launched an investigation after two cases of Legionnaires' disease were linked to Haven Plaza within a year. Subsequent testing detected Legionella bacteria in more than 20 locations throughout the building's water system, prompting remediation efforts and guidance for residents while follow-up testing continues.
In a statement posted on social media last week, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said the agency has provided guidance to Haven Plaza residents and hosted several town halls since the investigation began. The spokesperson added that follow-up testing must show Legionella bacteria is under control before the Health Department concludes its evaluation.
In a story published yesterday morning, Catholic Homes and Wavecrest Management told NY1: "Management is fully committed to the health and safety of the residents and is providing regular updates to the tenant association."
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Thursday's parting shot
2 local residents appear in new documentary about Flaco
After the Flaco documentary wrapped in June 2025, locals featured include Javier Torres (seated in the middle) and Juan Rosado (far right).
Reporting and photos by Stacie Joy
"Wild Inside," a new documentary about Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who captivated New Yorkers after escaping from the Central Park Zoo in 2023, makes its theatrical debut Friday (July 31) at the IFC Center on Sixth Avenue at Third Street.
The film, directed by Penny Lane, follows Flaco's unlikely journey through the city — including the eight days he spent roaming the East Village and Lower East Side in November 2023.
Flaco first arrived in the neighborhood on Nov. 6, 2023, when he was spotted at the Kenkeleba House Garden off Avenue B and Third Street. Over the following week, he turned up at several locations on the East Side, drawing birders, photographers and curious neighbors hoping to catch a glimpse.
Among those featured in the documentary are barber Juan Rosado and photographer Javier Torres.
Rosado said Flaco's visit left a lasting impression.
"He meant a lot because he landed above my window," he recalled. "I missed him by one minute."
After racing to his rooftop and finding the owl gone, Rosado, also a noted photographer who lives in the East Village, tried to predict where Flaco might head next.
"I said to myself, 'Where would I run to if I were an owl?'" he said. "Sure enough, he went to Grand Street and Lewis."
Rosado believes Flaco lingered there after spotting the owl statues mounted on a nearby school before eventually returning to the East Village, where neighbors reported hearing his nighttime hoots as he searched for a mate.
For Torres, an LES resident, photographing Flaco was an unforgettable experience.
"It was magical," he said. "I felt like a kid seeing a magic show for the first time."
After hearing reports that Flaco was near the Hillman Co-ops, Torres grabbed his camera and joined a group of bird photographers and news crews searching for the owl.
Photo from November on the LES by Javier Torres via @vinweasel_
"We could hear his deep hoots, but visibility was poor," he said. "I managed to gain access to the rooftop where he was. I took about 15 shots, and he flew away."
Juan Rosado and Javier Torres yesterday
Flaco died in February 2024 after colliding with a building on the Upper West Side.
But for a memorable week in November 2023, the East Village and Lower East Side became an unexpected stop on his journey — one now preserved on film.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Wednesday's parting shot
Power station: A quieter generator arrives at the 9th Precinct
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
A quieter generator has replaced the one powering systems at the 9th Precinct stationhouse on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue since early summer.
The original generator was installed after an electrical problem left parts of the building without adequate power, affecting the stationhouse's internet, phones, and air conditioning.
According to a source familiar with the situation, the replacement generator — installed sometime last week — was brought in after neighbors raised concerns about the noise from the original unit.
"From day one, nobody thought it was an ideal situation — not for the cops, not for the precinct, and especially not for the neighbors who have to deal with it 24 hours a day," the source said. "We've been trying to find some type of solution."
The source said various ideas were considered, including adding noise-reduction equipment to the original generator, before the quieter replacement was installed.
"I haven't received one complaint since the day it was put in place," the source said.
As for when normal electrical service will be restored, there is still no timeline.
"That's the question we keep asking every day," the source said. "No one has an update."
The source said the underlying issue remains the same: the electrical service currently reaching the building isn't sufficient to power the entire stationhouse, so the generator is necessary to run systems including the internet and air conditioning.
Here's the quieter generator in action...
Previously on EV Grieve: • Generator in use outside the 9th Precinct amid ongoing electrical issuesReplacement rental generator for the NYPD's 9th Precinct to mitigate noise complaints stemming from the previous loud external power source pic.twitter.com/aEOucgFuXW
— Stacie Joy (@Joy_of_photos) July 28, 2026
Post announces an August close
Photo by Stacie Joy
The cafe, which serves a variety of comfort food and cocktails, recently announced it will be shutting down at the end of August at 317 E. Third St., between Avenue B and Avenue C.
No official reason was cited, but in a reply on Instagram, ownership noted: "...it's time. New York has been really good to us. But sometimes you have to get out while the gettin is good."
The breakfast-and-dinner spot debuted here in July 2021 after a move from 42 Avenue B, where they opened in November 2016.
Subway snack stop: Vending machines arrive at the 1st Avenue F station
Photos by Stacie Joy
We've seen a few social media reports in recent days of cashless Coca-Cola vending machines arriving at subway stations... and lo and behold, there's now one in the First Avenue entrance of the Second Avenue F stop...
... so you have your choice of sodas and various snacks (thankfully, no option for Funyuns — no fun for enclosed train cars)...
Two years ago to the day, we read in Crain's about the MTA's desire to have "the vending machines in place of empty retail spaces" to "add a bit more liveliness to the system" ... not to mention revenue.
ICYMI: Temakase Hand Roll Bar has left 2nd Avenue
Photo by Steven
A recent closure to note... Temakase Hand Roll Bar has closed at 157 Second Ave. between Ninth and 10th Streets.
Temakase founder Liron Michaeli shared this on Instagram on July 1:
Temakase was a COVID baby. We signed our lease just two weeks before the world shut down. Every reason existed for us to fail, but this neighborhood had other plans. You showed up for us, supported us through the hardest of times, and helped turn a small idea into something far bigger than we ever imagined. For that, we'll always be grateful.
And...
Because of changes to the building, we've made the difficult decision to move our East Village home to our new flagship at 252 Greene Street.
No. 157 was one of six EV buildings that changed hands for $103 million two summers ago.
This was the first Temakase Hand Roll Bar in the city... there are now sushi locations on West 28th Street and on Kent Avenue in Williamsburg.
Temakase did well here, all things considered, with a six-year run that led to three new outposts ... as noted in previous posts on No. 157, this has been a challenging space to make work for any length of time. Previous restaurants here include Savor Por Favor ... Yuan ... Biang! ... and Wylie Dufresne's bistro Alder.
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Tuesday's parting shots
Photos by James Chambers
Up close this morning in Tompkins Square Park with one of the young red-tailed hawks... who is likely just three months old now (!!!)... and dropping hard stares...
As Goggla noted today, the three young hawks are busy exploring the immediate neighborhood... but at least one will still pay a visit...
A handmade anniversary gift, one chess piece at a time
Photos by Stacie Joy
Yesterday, two East Village residents celebrated their anniversary at the chess tables near the Seventh Street and Avenue A entrance to Tompkins Square Park.
To mark the occasion, one surprised the other with a handmade chess set, sculpting each piece from clay and giving the game a distinctly personal touch.
Pippy and Star's Revenge at Tompkins Square Park
Photos by Stacie Joy
This past Saturday afternoon's free Show Brain gathering in Tompkins Square Park featured a five-band bill, including Bonny, T!LT and Dallas Wax.
We caught Pippy and the closing set from Star's Revenge, a project featuring Olive Faber (Sunflower Bean) and Emily Green (Geese).
First up, the Brooklyn indie quartet Pippy, who recently released their excellent self-titled debut record ...
... and Star's Revenge...
... and the full band with Show Brain founder Ozzie (in the shades) ...
... and in the crowd...
Emily Green
Olive Faber
RIP Carlos 'Chino' Garcia, co-founder of CHARAS and longtime Lower East Side activist
Photo from 2021 by Stacie Joy
Carlos "Chino" Garcia, a pioneering Lower East Side community organizer whose decades of activism helped shape the neighborhood through housing advocacy, community gardens, environmental initiatives and the arts, died last week.
Garcia, who had been in declining health in recent years, was among the co-founders of CHARAS, the influential cultural and community organization that transformed the former P.S. 64 on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C into the El Bohio Community Center. (CHARAS came from the initials of its co-founders — Chino Garcia, Humberto Crespo, Angelo Gonzáles, Roy Battiste, Moses Figueroa and Sal Becker.)
From the city-owned building, CHARAS became a hub for neighborhood life, hosting community meetings, children's programs, art exhibitions, concerts, theater, job training and political organizing in the late 1970s before the group was evicted in 2001 after the Giuliani administration sold the property.
In subsequent years, Garcia and other activists continued to fight for the space, which a developer unsuccessfully tried to convert into dorms and other uses before finally selling the property in early January 2024.
Born in RÃo Piedras, Puerto Rico, Garcia moved to New York as a child in 1951 and eventually settled on the Lower East Side in 1958.
In a 2015 oral history with Village Preservation, Garcia reflected on how his activism grew out of his youth.
"We became leaders because we said, 'We're getting screwed by the society, not just a couple of thugs,'" he said, describing how he and others came to see housing, education and jobs as part of the same struggle.
Beyond CHARAS, Garcia played a key role in tenant organizing, sweat-equity housing rehabilitation, the creation of community gardens — including La Plaza Cultural — and efforts to preserve neighborhood institutions.
Despite losing El Bohio, Garcia remained committed to community work.
"We're still around. We're still doing projects," he said.
We'll update this post with memorial service information when it becomes available.
Tributes to Garcia on social media include...
Monday, July 27, 2026
Noted
Petition to preserve Tompkins Square Park fitness area tops 2,000 signatures
Photos by Stacie Joy
Reporting by EVG and SJ
The proposal returned to the spotlight this past week after Gothamist reported on the petition opposing plans to rebuild the park's fitness area.
The petition (find it here), which has now collected more than 2,000 signatures since it launched on May 9, asks the Parks Department to remove the fitness area from the scope of work.
Specifically, the petition asks Parks to "remove the fitness area from the scope of work so the space remains accessible during the pool reconstruction, and direct the money where it will do good instead of doing harm."
Supporters say the fitness area serves a broad cross-section of the community — people of every gender, age, income level, race and fitness ability — who use it year-round, in all weather and throughout the day and night. They also note that the equipment is well known among calisthenics practitioners, with many traveling to Tompkins Square Park specifically to train there.
Last Thursday, I stopped by and spoke with some of the gym regulars. They described the workout area as much more than a place to train — it's also a gathering spot and community built around the equipment that's been there for years. Several said they want the bars preserved as they are, expressing little confidence that the Parks Department would adequately replace them.
Two people pointed to the reconstruction of East River Park, saying the changes to the fitness equipment there left them skeptical of promises that new facilities would meet the needs of the calisthenics community.
They also said they hope any future plans for Tompkins Square Park include meaningful input from the people who use the space every day.
According to the Parks Department's Capital Project Tracker, the project is about 5% through the design phase, which began in January and is projected to be completed by March 2027.
Procurement and construction timelines have not yet been established, though Parks notes that procurement typically takes nine to 12 months and construction 12 to 18 months after those phases begin.
As previously reported, the project calls for a new in-ground swimming pool, which will double the capacity of the current above-ground trailer park model.
According to city officials, key water lines for the pool run beneath the courts and fitness area, so they'll need to find a workaround to avoid disrupting them.
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