Sunday, October 11, 2026
Saturday at the Lower East Side Hispanic Heritage Festival
Photos by Stacie Joy
The fifth annual Lower East Side Hispanic Heritage Festival took place yesterday at Dry Dock Park on 10th Street and Avenue D.
The afternoon featured live music, food, arts and crafts, dominoes and activities for kids. The free community event also included the Loisaida Youth Basketball Tournament, with neighborhood boys' and girls' teams taking part.
A few scenes from the afternoon...
EV Grieve's East Village Week in Grieview
• Signs of opposition to the Meltzer Tower replacement plan (Oct. 6)
• Demolition begins for 25-story development at the Bowery and Great Jones (Oct. 5)
• Up high with artist Owen Dippie and his 6-story Basquiat mural on the Bowery (Oct. 8)
• Vacant 2nd Avenue lot from fatal 2015 explosion hits the market again (Oct. 8)
• After years in the works, "Loisaida Walls" takes shape on Avenue A (Oct. 6)
• Have you seen Ruco? (Oct. 7)
• Barryville General now in soft-open mode with its new market and cafe on Avenue A (Oct. 5)
• Macario is moving its Guadalajara-style sandwiches to Avenue B (Oct. 5)
• Blessing the animals on 9th Street (Oct. 4)
• Some shut-eye for Shaky Eyez after multi-agency bust on 14th Street (Oct. 7)
• Japanese grocery Yamadaya coming to Avenue A (Oct. 9)
• Cowabunga, dude: Teenage Mutant Turtles are (temporarily) moving into this EV space (Oct. 7) … About a Pee-wee Herman pop-up on the Bowery (Oct. 5)
• What's next for this prime 3rd Avenue corner? (Oct. 6)
• "Post More Bills" digs into 5 decades of downtown ephemera (Oct. 9)
• Say cheese? The photo booth boom continues on 10th Street (Oct. 7)
• Reiwatakiya has closed on St. Mark's Place (Oct. 6)
• Openings: Thone, a Georgian cafe on 6th Street (Oct. 7)
• Coming attractions: A Thai tea shop for 10th Street (Oct. 7)
• ICYMI: Hitchcocktober returns to the Village East (Oct. 4)
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Saturday, October 10, 2026
Sources: E-bike battery sparks apartment fire on Avenue A
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
The FDNY responded after 8 p.m. to a fire at 172 E. Fourth St., a 12-story residential building on the southwest corner of Avenue A.
Sources at the scene said a lithium-ion battery overheated and the pack exploded inside a 10th-floor apartment.
There was an initial report that a resident of the apartment suffered burns. We don't have further information at the moment on the person's condition.
The response brought a large FDNY presence to the intersection, with Avenue A shut down to traffic. Onlookers packed the sidewalk across the street in front of Key Food.
As firefighters checked adjacent apartments on the building's east side, the sound of breaking glass could be heard from the street.
It was not immediately clear how much damage the apartment or neighboring units sustained.
Saturday's opening shots
Also today, the Lower East Side Ecology Center is giving away free mulch... until 1 p.m. ...
And there's a pleasant fall day ahead (before tomorrow's rain)... FREE neighborhood events today include the East Village Music Festival at La Plaza Cultural .... and the Fall Garden Party from "noon to moon" at El Sol Brillante, 522 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B...
Friday, October 9, 2026
A heart in winter
Brooklyn’s Pippy released one of my favorite records of the year with their self-titled album.
They're on the bill tomorrow (Oct. 10) for the free Seaport Music Festival at Fulton and Water streets. The music runs from 3-10 p.m. (Pippy's set time is 4:40, though subject to change.)
The above video is for "Angelina."
(And see Pippy in Tompkins from July here.)
‘Post More Bills’ digs into 5 decades of downtown ephemera
The exhibition features rare posters, zines and other ephemera from the Jane Friedman Collection at the Howl Arts Archive, representing more than 100 artists and graphic designers. The show also includes concert videos.
The collection spans five decades, offering a look back at the posters and handbills that once advertised shows, exhibitions, and other happenings across the downtown scene.
"Post More Bills: Five Decades of Rare Posters from Howl's Archive" continues through Nov. 8 at Howl! Happening, 6 E. First St. between the Bowery and Second Avenue.
Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free.
[Updated] Japanese grocery Yamadaya coming to Avenue A
Updated: This is NOT the Budget Mart storefront, as previously reported. We apologize for the error.
Signage for Yamadaya, a Japanese grocery store with several Manhattan locations, has arrived at the long-vacant storefront.
Yamadaya sells Japanese groceries, snacks, sweets, household goods and beauty products. (The Yamadaya website lists a fall opening here.)
No word on an opening date.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Up high with artist Owen Dippie and his 6-story Basquiat mural on the Bowery
Photos and interview by Stacie Joy
It's hard to concentrate on taking photos while rising several stories above the Bowery in a construction lift.
A swooping, rocking sensation comes as we climb; the wind picks up, and the people and traffic below get smaller and smaller. I have a mild fear of heights, so whenever an EVG assignment puts me in a lift, hanging from a harness or climbing ladders and parapets, there’s inevitably a little clenching involved.
This time, though, the view is worth it.
We’re alongside artist Owen Dippie as he works on his six-story portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat at the corner of Great Jones Street and the Bowery — just steps from 57 Great Jones St., where Basquiat lived and worked during the final years of his life. (Dippie started the painting several weeks ago, as we first reported.)
The New Zealand-based artist conceived the mural as a self-funded tribute to Basquiat, whose work has influenced him since long before his first visit to New York in 2006. Dippie says that trip included a pilgrimage to 57 Great Jones St. — something he has repeated on every visit to the city since.
As Dippie works with spray paint high above the street, people stop below to watch. "Looks amazing!" gets shouted up more than once.Up in the lift with New Zealand-based street artist Owen Dippie, working on his 6-story Basquiat mural at the corner of Bowery and Great Jones https://t.co/d2lz6E8Zw1
— Stacie Joy (@Joy_of_photos) October 7, 2026
Back on solid ground, we talked with Dippie about how the project came together, choosing the image that now towers over the Bowery, Basquiat’s legacy, and the people who have stopped to share their memories of him.
We also asked whether Angelina Jolie, whose Atelier Jolie occupies Basquiat’s former home and studio, has weighed in — and why this mural may mark a turning point for Dippie himself.
How did this project come together and how did you secure the location (and the supplies) for this mural?
Since my first visit to New York in 2006, one of the first places I went to was 57 Great Jones St. I have since painted this city for two decades, and every visit starts the same way — with a quiet pilgrimage to Great Jones Street to pay my respects to an artist who unknowingly shaped my path.
In late 2024, I found myself outside number 57 again. I began to imagine something incredible: painting Jean-Michel larger than life on the 6-story wall at the corner of Great Jones and Bowery, right next to his former residence.
Two days later, I was in discussion with the building's occupants, Par Excellence. They believed in my vision but understood the scale and significance of what I was proposing. What followed was a long journey, countless emails, proposals, permits and navigating the complexities of city approvals and building preservation.
What image of Basquiat did you work from, and why did you choose that particular one?
I chose a photograph by Gianfranco Gorgoni taken in 1982, when Jean-Michel was 22. I grew up with a book with a similar image on the cover, which Gorgoni shot, that holds a sentimental place in my heart.
I reached out to his estate, now run by his daughter Maya and her partner Christopher; they were in full support of the project. It was very special to explore Gorgoni's archives and have their trust.
How do you translate a face onto a wall this large and still make it feel human rather than monumental?
I try to look beyond just translating an image; I take it very personally. I try to create something you really feel on an emotional level. All the details in the world cannot hide a piece that has no soul.
What has been the most difficult part of painting this particular mural?
Every piece has its difficulties both technically and artistically, but I'd say artistically [for this one] because Jean-Michel means so much to me; I have to do him justice.
I have enjoyed listening to many stories from people who knew Jean-Michel personally. Friends, art dealers, ex-girlfriends, people who still live in the neighborhood. He impacted so many people in his brief time on this earth.
Basquiat and the downtown art scene have been commercialized and mythologized extensively since his death. Did that affect your work?
I have always romanticized the New York 1980s, such a free time of pure energy and creativity. The many artists and movements that came from that period are a testament to that.
Have you heard from Angelina Jolie or anyone on her team?
I have seen her pull up a few times at number 57 while here, but I didn't want to be "that guy." I’m sure she gets harassed enough — lol!
I would like to have a conversation with her, though, as I respect that she has kept Jean-Michel's former studio a place of creativity.
You mentioned this being a self-funded project. How can people help support your work, and this piece in particular?
Yes, this project is entirely self-funded; that does seem pretty wild… but nobody has commissioned this. I just really wanted to do it... the fact that commercialism is not attached to this project makes it feel pure, something just for him.
To honor his memory, say thank you, and continue spreading his spirit.
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Vacant 2nd Avenue lot from fatal 2015 explosion hits the market again
Image via BKREA
The vacant lot at 123 Second Ave., the site of one of the buildings destroyed in the deadly March 2015 gas explosion, is on the sales market.
BKREA announced yesterday that it is marketing the 25-by-100-foot property, which has remained undeveloped for more than a decade. The listing notes that the 2,500-square-foot lot could accommodate up to 12,525 square feet of development under current zoning.
According to the listing ...
Because the property sits in a former Inclusionary Housing Designated Area, a developer may purchase off-site certificates within the community board or a half-mile radius, allowing for a fully market-rate project (subject to architect review). With demolition already complete, a buyer can move directly into design and approvals, saving both time and cost.
This lot's history is important.
The building that stood at 123 Second Ave., which housed Pommes Frites, Sam's Deli and residential units, was one of three buildings destroyed in the deadly gas explosion on March 26, 2015. Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón were killed in the blast, which originated next door at 121 Second Ave. The explosion also injured over 20 others.
The owner of No. 123, George Pasternak, had no role in the explosion. He listed the vacant property for $9.7 million in March 2016. Later that year, Ezra Wibowo reportedly bought the lot for $6 million.
That property was separate from the adjoining lots at 119 and 121 Second Ave., which Maria Hrynenko owned. Those two parcels were sold in 2017 for $9.15 million to Nexus Building Development Group, which eventually developed the condo building now on the corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street.
Wibowo held onto No. 123. In 2017, a source told the Post that he viewed the property as a long-term investment and had declined an offer to sell it as part of a potential assemblage of all three former explosion sites.
Nearly 10 years after Wibowo bought it, the lot is now being offered for sale again.
The current marketing materials do not list an asking price. The materials also do not mention the lot's deadly history.
Pierogi Day returns to the East Village Meat Market
Photo by Stacie Joy
The East Village Meat Market is bringing back its annual Pierogi Day on Saturday (Oct. 10).
From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the longtime Ukrainian market at 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark’s Place and Ninth Street will offer five varieties of pierogi for $1 each.
The shop, which has been in this location since 1970, holds the annual event as a thank-you to customers and a chance for newcomers to stop by.
And as we've seen, this event draws a crowd, so plan accordingly...
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Cowabunga, dude: Teenage Mutant Turtles are (temporarily) moving into this EV space
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
The former Swiss Institute space on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place is getting a temporary tenant this weekend — with some mutant turtles moving in.
Paramount is bringing its "World of TMNT" promotion to 130 Second Ave. as part of New York Comic Con weekend.
The Splinter and Sons Bodega pop-up runs Friday through Sunday, starting at noon each day.
Visitors can play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video games, take part in photo ops and pick up exclusive merch, etc.
As previously reported, the nonprofit contemporary art institution closed its East Village space on July 5 after eight years, ahead of a move to a new home on the Bowery.
In August, leasing materials for the two-level, 7,200-square-foot space advertised "all uses considered."
Maybe that includes becoming a perpetual pop-up space.
Some shut-eye for Shaky Eyez after multi-agency bust on 14th Street
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
A multi-agency enforcement action took place yesterday at Shaky Eyez, the smoke shop at 402 E. 14th St., just east of First Avenue.
According to legal documents on the door, authorities seized cannabis flower, flavored vapes, cigarettes, and other tobacco products, as well as unlabeled cannabis.
The shop was also cited for unlicensed cannabis processing and its proximity to a house of worship. We're told that one person was arrested.
For now, the shop is padlocked...
... and rather empty...
Shaky Eyez opened over the summer in a storefront that has housed smoke shops in recent years. Signage for the business first appeared in June.
The enforcement action apparently didn’t end sales on this stretch of 14th Street.
When we stopped by around 8 last night, people outside the storefront were offering items for sale from a bag and jacket pockets.
Readers have continued to report similar activity outside the shop and along this section of 14th Street. This corridor has seen ongoing complaints about open-air drug sales and quality-of-life issues through the years.
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