A look at '50 Years of PUNK,' opening tonight at the Ki Smith Gallery

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Fifty years after a photocopied zine from downtown New York helped light the fuse for punk, the spirit of that era is crackling again on the Lower East Side — this time inside the Ki Smith Gallery, where "50 Years of PUNK" opens tonight. 

Earlier this week, I stopped by the gallery, 170 Forsyth St., between Stanton and Rivington, as East Village resident John Holmstrom, the co-founder, editor, and illustrator of PUNK Magazine, and gallery owner Ki Smith, were putting the exhibit together...

The show brings together original work from artists, photographers and contributors who shaped — and were shaped by — PUNK Magazine, which championed the Ramones before their first record, put Blondie in print, and turned fanzine culture into something louder and more visual. 

"This gallery show won't be your typical art gallery opening: It will be a celebration of PUNK Magazine, punk rock, and many of the people who contributed to this weird art and music 'thing' that took place in New York City in the 1970s, when it was bankrupt and depended on the arts community to bring it back to life," Holmstrom wrote in his Substack newsletter. "I like to think that we held up our end of the bargain."

Below (from left) photographer Nico Malvaldi, Smith, Holmstrom and Nour Shalaby, John's assistant ...

Upcoming events include: 

• Dec. 13, 2-6 p.m. — Clothing Sale/Fashion Show. A Christmas sale featuring PUNK Magazine clothing, swag and memorabilia, including some rarely seen items. 

• Jan. 7, 7-10 p.m. — Sex Pistols Tour Film Script: The Live Show. A reading of Holmstrom's account of the 1978 Sex Pistols U.S. tour, accompanied by images, on the tour's 48th anniversary. 

• Early January — The Making of PUNK #1 Date TBD. Filmmaker Mary Harron, Holmstrom and others involved with the first issue will discuss how it came together. 

• Jan. 11, 7 p.m. — Closing Party. Details to come.

Visit the gallery site for updates on programming as well as the list of the many notable contributors and photographers who made the publication a success.

"50 Years of PUNK" runs through Jan. 11. Gallery hours: Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.

The opening reception is from 6-9 tonight.

Former Bluestockings space now on the market on Suffolk Street

Photo by Stacie Joy 

The former Bluestockings Cooperative storefront at 116 Suffolk St., between Rivington and Delancey, is now for rent.

Bluestockings Cooperative announced on Sept. 22 that it would be closing as a business at the end of 2025, marking the end of a 26-year run as an independent feminist bookstore, café, and radical community space. The retail space closed in September, while the online shop remained in operation. 

In a statement, the worker-owners and staff said daily operations are no longer sustainable, citing health, financial and structural challenges. There was pushback to the narrative, as reported here. 

The listing at the Meridian Capital Group website notes that all uses will be considered for the 2,500-square-foot space, "perfect for comedy club, wine bar, gallery, vintage clothing, or fitness." Asking rent: $13,950 

There's also an "Inventory Blowout" classified on Craigslist, noting that a "Local, independent bookstore is going out of business and liquidating all appliances, furniture, and inventory assets. Photos available upon request, appointment-based shopping can be arranged, in-person pickup only." 

Items for sale include a coffee maker, a coffee grinder, and zine racks and spinning displays.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Worker-stewards push back after Bluestockings' abrupt closure

A benefit concert this evening at Mercury Lounge for ABC No Rio

This evening, the Mercury Lounge will host a fundraiser for ABC No Rio. 

The lineup features Skull Practitioners, Art Gray Noizz Quintet and Female Genius ... with Grace Bergere starting at 6:45 p.m. Info here. 

ABC No Rio, founded in 1980, is a volunteer-led nonprofit community center for arts and activism ... their new building is expected to open late next summer. 

Mercury Lounge is at 217 Houston St. between Essex and Ludlow.

Poco is now closed for good, though freebies remain

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Poco, the longtime brunch hotspot and bar on the SE corner of Avenue B and Third Street, is now permanently closed.

As we first reported on Oct. 20, owner Sara Grizzle (pictured below) told EVG that after more than 16 years in the East Village, "it's time" to move on. She plans to relocate to Cape Cod, where she owns another restaurant.

There was an auction this past Tuesday to unload many of Poco's wares... Grizzle has also been putting several other items up for grabs outside the space. 

No word just yet on what might be next for this corner spot.

Thanksgiving day view of Tompkins Square Park

Photo by Stacie Joy

Wednesday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

After an aggravating time with a broken oven, C&B Café owner Ali Sahin (right) and Z celebrate the completion of all the pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving.

How to see the world premiere of this 1989 Keith Haring documentary next month

Artwork from The Keith Haring Foundation via Eventbrite 

Keith Haring fans take note: a newly unearthed 1989 documentary about the making of "Tuttomondo" will have its world premiere on Dec. 20. 

The film follows Haring as he explores Pisa, paints the now-iconic mural, and gives an extended interview — including the moment he lands on the title Tuttomondo. The screening also includes a first look at his previously unseen Polaroids, digital paintings and animations created in Italy. 

A Q&A will follow with producer Andrea De Gioia, photographer Adrian Wilson (who's bringing a working Quantel Paintbox to demo Haring's digital process), and painter and Club 57 co-founder Frank Holliday. Filmmaker Brian ("Make Me Famous") Vincent moderates the discussion.

The afternoon (1-3) event, held at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center on West 13th Street near Seventh Avenue (where Haring "famously painted a mural in the bathroom a month before heading to Pisa"), is free but ticketed, with no walk-ins. Only 100 spots are available. 

Tickets become available tomorrow at noon here.

Fresh paint at First Street Green Art Park

Photos by Stacie Joy 

A large new mural is in progress at First Street Green Art Park ... where we spotted FSG regular Lexi Bella at work on Monday...

... and joined by FSG curator Jonathan Neville...

No word on a completion date for the mural — weather- and holiday-dependent. 

Enter the park either on First Street near Second Avenue or along Houston Street.

Harvey Epstein, Loisaida Center team up for 2,600-meal Thanksgiving giveaway

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Assembly Member Harvey Epstein and the Loisaida Center hosted their annual Turkey Drive on Monday for families in the 74th Assembly District. 

Working with Rep. Dan Goldman, State Sen. Brian Kavanagh, Borough President Mark Levine and dozens of community groups, they distributed more than 2,600 Thanksgiving meals — including turkeys, chickens, pernils, and vegan roasts — to residents ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday from the Loisaida Center on Ninth Street near Avenue C.

The drive, now in its seventh year, has provided roughly 10,000 meals since launching in 2018.

Epstein said food insecurity remains a significant issue in the district, which includes portions of the Lower East Side, East Village and Midtown East, and that this year's effort marked their most extensive distribution to date.

Evil Katsu announces Dec. 14 closure

Photos and reporting by Steven 

Evil Katsu, the quick-serve spot at 435 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, will close after service on Dec. 14.

East Village resident and hospitality veteran Asher Sendyk launched Evil Katsu in December 2020 as a pop-up ghost kitchen on Rivington Street after being laid off during the pandemic. 

He and partners Chris Wagenlander and Hai Oliveira moved the operation into this Ninth Street storefront in July 2021 — their first permanent home after the takeout-only concept quickly caught on. They specialize in various katsu sets, sandos (aka Japanese sandwiches) and sides. 

Sendyk cited flat sales and rising costs that made it unsustainable to continue. He reflected on starting the business during COVID, building something "unique to us and to the neighborhood," and doing it on a shoestring budget. 

Evil Katsu's East Village location "meant a lot," he told us in an email. "We've lived in the East Village for essentially our entire professional lives. It meant a lot to leave a positive mark in the place we call home — not just passing through, but contributing to the neighborhood we're part of." 

He thanked the regulars who kept the small shop going: "Mom-and-pop shops like ours truly depend on their regulars. You kept us going."

Above, Chris Wagenlander (left) and Evil Katsu staffer Dustin Elsler

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋 𝐊𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐔 (@evilkatsu)

Pig & Butter is moving from Avenue B to Montclair, N.J.

Photos by Stacie Joy

After two-plus years in the East Village, Pig & Butter is relocating to Montclair, N.J.

The last day in service here at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street is Sunday, Dec. 7.

Per the P&B Instagram account and chef-owner Sherry Grimes: "We were offered a great opportunity we couldn't pass up. Thank you to everyone who supported us during the past almost 5 years. We opened during COVID and survived."

This is a sibling to the now-closed P&B that served breakfast-inspired dishes all day at 134 Ludlow St.

Sources say a new restaurant is already in line for the Avenue B space.

Under-renovation former Rite Aid on 1st Avenue now with plywood

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The retail conversion of the former Rite Aid continues on First Avenue at Fifth Street. 

Plywood now covers half of the storefront. 

Here's a look inside as of yesterday...

Several workers said they are preparing the space for a grocery store, though they didn't know which brand. Hopefully, we will have a signage alert soon enough. 

The East Village Rite Aid closed on Aug. 24 after five weeks of going-out-of-business sales. The 63-year-old pharmacy chain filed for bankruptcy twice in two years before shutting down entirely last month.

The EV lease for the 8,500-square-foot space was auctioned off this past summer. (The auction was just for the lease, set to expire in January 2032, not the building.)

City Council weighs big roadway-dining changes; opponents cry bill-burying

Seasonal roadway dining is scheduled to end on Saturday, but by this afternoon, the entire system could be on a path to change. 

Today, the City Council's Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection is holding its only hearing on several outdoor-dining bills that, taken together, could significantly expand where and how restaurants, bars, and even grocery stores use public space. 

Under the current rules — adopted in 2023 and launched this spring — roadway dining is seasonal, allowed only April 1 to Nov. 29, while sidewalk setups may operate year-round. 

Roadway structures must be open-air, portable and simple to assemble and dismantle.

Earlier this year, DOT estimated roughly 600 roadway dining applicants and 2,000 sidewalk applicants would operate under the new program. 

Back on Oct. 9, Council Member Lincoln Restler, whose district includes Greenpoint, Northside Williamsburg, South Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights and Downtown Brooklyn, introduced Intro. 1421, sweeping legislation that would restore year-round outdoor dining, undoing the seasonal limit now approaching its first shutdown. 

The bill would also: 

• Eliminate seasonal restrictions on roadway cafés 

• Allow grocery stores to apply for sidewalk café licenses 

• Permit certain restaurants to extend café frontage with adjacent-owner approval

• Scale back several provisions of Dining Out NYC 

Co-sponsors include Council Members Julie Menin, Chi Ossé, Shahana Hanif, Shekar Krishnan, Keith Powers, Crystal Hudson, and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. 

Resident groups raise alarms over sidewalk space and timing 

A neighborhood block association (BA) tells EVG via email that the outdoor dining bills — placed on a crowded pre-Thanksgiving agenda — were scheduled with minimal notice, reducing the window for public input. 

"This is called 'burying a bill,'" said the BA, noting that each bill receives only one hearing, making today the sole opportunity to testify. 

Among the items on today's agenda (the meeting starts at 10 a.m. at 250 Broadway, 8th floor): 

• Intro 1441-2025 — would make roadway dining year-round, allow restaurants to occupy more than their frontage on either the roadway or the sidewalk and allow grocery stores to occupy sidewalk space in front of their business

• Intro 1444-2025 — would cap the pedestrian clear path at eight feet, regardless of sidewalk width 

• Intro 1446-2025 — would establish a DOT walk-in office to help restaurants with outdoor dining applications 

The group argues that on wider sidewalks, an eight-foot clear path could leave more than 17 feet for café seating, raising concerns about pedestrian flow, accessibility and emergency access. 

One concerned EV resident told us, "So much for the existing compromise plan that hasn't even been happening for a year, and clearly a push to get this through before a new mayor and new City Council gets seated."

Anyone wishing to testify in person or via Zoom can register at council.nyc.gov/testify (choose Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection). Written testimony may be submitted up to 72 hours after adjournment. 

Open Plans supports expansion 

The new plans have a supporter in Sara Lind, co-executive director of Open Plans, who supports greater flexibility for businesses. 

In response to CM Restler's Oct. 9 introduction of the draft legislation on New York's outdoor dining program, Lind released the following statement: 

"Over the last five years, New Yorkers have demonstrated that their appetite for outdoor dining is too large to be satisfied by existing regulations. So going forward, improving, strengthening, and lengthening the program is one of the best ways to make our streets welcoming to people, not just cars. The legislation introduced today is a major, much-needed step toward restoring both the scale and year-round schedule of the original program, while preserving key reforms that have helped address prior issues that arose. By restoring year-round outdoor dining and simplifying the process for restaurants, the City Council is making it possible for more businesses to succeed and creating more time and more ways for New Yorkers to enjoy public spaces."

Meanwhile, on Saturday, we saw one local business removing its curbside space... here at Bibi Wine Bar on Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...

A standing-ovation moment: The wild project now owns its longtime East Village home

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Excellent news for the local theater community: the wild project — the long-running indie performance venue on Third Street — has purchased the building it has called home since 2007, here between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this past Friday that the state is providing an additional $600,000 to help fund the acquisition, bringing New York's total support for the purchase to $1.2 million. 

The funding is intended to secure the long-term stability of the 89-seat theater and to preserve affordable cultural space for emerging, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and local artists. 

Artistic director Ana Mari de Quesada shared the news on Instagram, calling the purchase "a dream made possible by our incredible community," and thanking donors "who believed in our vision for a permanent home for independent art in NYC." 

Here's operations manager Chris Moseley shortly after the news broke on Friday...

As he told us during a tour last December, after the fundraising effort began: "The downtown theatre ecosystem cannot afford to lose another space; there simply aren't enough left." 

The nonprofit venue at 195 E. Third St. includes an ADA-compliant theater and gallery, plus eco-friendly upgrades such as solar panels, a rooftop garden and energy-efficient systems. The sale also includes the building's air rights, creating the possibility of a future expansion. 

According to Wild Project, the space has welcomed more than 55,000 patrons and supported over 12,000 artists since opening in 2007. They say they'll continue fundraising to support the mortgage and ongoing operations. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The wild project is fundraising to purchase its home on 3rd Street

Signage alert: Tipsy Village on Allen Street

Been meaning to note this signage... Tipsy Village is opening soon at 201 Allen St., just south of Houston.

The cafe will offer matcha, coffee drinks, and baked goods during the day, with wine and beer service in the evening. 

You can follow them on Instagram for updates.

Openings: S&S Bliss on 3rd Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

S&S Bliss opened this past Thursday at 199 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, in the space that previously housed an unlicensed smoke shop. 

The sisters who own the new business — a grocery and snack store with a small health-care section — prefer to stay off-camera, but told us they're aiming to keep things simple and secure. 

Shoppers are buzzed in and out of the space.

"We're a women-owned shop, and we take security very seriously," one of the owners said when asked about the setup. 

There are no cigarettes for sale, though they're considering applying for a lottery and beer license down the line. 

A banner is currently up out front; permanent signage should arrive in a couple of weeks.

Hours:

Sunday–Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Thursday–Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Thanksgiving at Remedy Diner

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

If you're still hunting for reasonably priced Thanksgiving fare — and yes, we still miss Odessa for this — Remedy Diner has you covered.

The 24/7, family-owned spot on East Houston Street, which opened back in 2007, is offering whole pies for $30, baked in-house (not to mention complete holiday meals).

In a season when we've seen pies go for $50, $65… even pushing $85 depending on the ingredient list, this feels like a good deal. They have cakes, too.

Anyway, we heart diners. And we especially heart diners that remember not everyone wants to take out a loan for Thanksgiving dessert.

Remedy Diner is at 245 E. Houston St. at Norfolk Street.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a Friday night photo on Avenue A by Stacie Joy) 

Never miss an EVG post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here. 

• Opening the Edge: A new green space for residents along Avenue D (Monday, Nov. 17) 

• Long-delayed Canal Street redesign up for discussion Monday night (Friday, Nov. 21)

• At the grand opening of Banshee (Tuesday, Nov. 18) 

• Green Line busted again on Avenue B — third time since April (Tuesday, Nov. 18) 

• What's next for the Soda Club space on Avenue B (Thursday, Nov. 20) 

• Simon Raymonde of the Cocteau Twins was the guest on Monday for the Reading at the Parkside Lounge series. (Monday, Nov. 17)

• Ground-floor retail now leasing at The Houston (on Houston) (Monday, Nov. 17) 

• Retail condo at former Streit's site hits the auction block (Tuesday, Nov. 18) 

• New menu alert outside Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen on 7th Street (Saturday, Nov. 21) 

• Cancel This Show!': Artists take aim at repression in new exhibit at the Clemente (Wednesday, Nov. 13) 

• The openings, reopenings and temp closures on one stretch of 1st Avenue (Tuesday, Nov. 18) 

• A bar proposal emerges for the former Petco Unleashed space on 2nd Avenue (Thursday, Nov. 20) 

• Signage alert: Slik, a Copenhagen-inspired candy and soft-serve shop on 12th Street (Monday, Nov. 17) 

• Yubu hasn't been opening lately (Thursday, Nov. 20) 

• Openings: Boongs Grab & Go on 3rd Avenue (Thursday, Nov. 20) … Oddball on Avenue B (Thursday, Nov. 20) 

• Thirty Love Sports & Leisure calls game over (Thursday, Nov. 20) 

... and on Wednesday night, East Village resident Sarah Batchu kicked off her bid for New York Assembly in District 74 at the Phoenix on 13th Street (photo by Stacie Joy) ...

Batchu, a former aide to Mayor de Blasio, was second to Harvey Epstein in the final round of ranked-choice voting for the City Council District 2 seat in June. Now she has a chance to take Epstein's slot in the Assembly representing the 74th District.

Also running in the special election: term-limited City Council Member Keith Powers ... Democratic socialist Josh Arnon ... and community leader Kevin O'Keefe. 

According to City & State, the special election will take place in early 2026, though the date has not yet been set.

Poetic justice: 6th Street building calls out a 'package-stealing fuck'

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Some Urban Etiquette Signage on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... with one of the best-ever descriptions for the package thief: 

we know who you are

you ol package stealing fuck. 

you were caught & chased 

out the building the other day

there's cameras everywhere now 

please show your face here 

again. 

Truly, an all-timer in the package-theft genre.

Sunday's opening shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

We spotted Nate Ramm (left) and Jesus Villalobos, co-owners of Titi's, the family-owned restaurant specializing in empanadas.

They were prepping for an afternoon of capicúa! at Titi's... featuring dominoes and cold Medalla "with a backyard–hang vibe." 

From 2-6 p.m. today at 130 E. Seventh St., just west of Avenue A