Saturday's parting shot

A sliver of sky from Astor Place... and, sorry to report, Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 8,  at 2 a.m. You'll need to move the clocks forward one hour.

Friday night with the New Colossus Festival

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Top shot at the Francis Kite Club on Avenue C 

OK! Back at it for night 4 (!!!) of the New Colossus Festival, the 190-band indie-rock extravaganza playing out in a dozen East Village-LES venues through tomorrow (Sunday). 

First stop — The Parkside Lounge for the Ernest Jenning Record Co. day party ... where we caught the New England mod-punk trio Perennial in matching stripes...

We stayed for a set by the Brooklyn-based Upper Wilds and their take on spacerock/noiserock...

Then it was off to Sour Mouse on Delancey for the Latin Lense Showcase featuring, among others, local fave Pinc Louds...

We moved on to the main room at Pianos for the US debut of the UK-based Lip Filler, a stylistically diverse quintet blending a little indie, dance pop, and hip-hop...

To end the night, we had to see another high-energy set from EVG faves Pop Music Fever Dream at Francis Kite Club on Avenue C...

The stage is on the small side, but PMFD made some room...

Anyway, see you at a show later...

Friday's parting shot

The line tonight for old-timer Panna II, the last restaurant standing at 93 First Ave. near Sixth Street ... a surge in business thanks to a fictional John John and Carolyn B visit in the FX series "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette." (Filmed here too.)

A band playing New Colossus Festival: Welcome Strawberry

 

The 2026 edition of the New Colossus Festival is entering the weekend stretch at local music venues. Details here. 

In recent weeks, our Fridays at 5 video clip features a band playing at the festival. (And there are more than 190 in total!) 

Here are the Oakland, Calif.-based dream popsters Welcome Strawberry with "Desperate Flower."

Catch them at 2:15 p.m. tomorrow at Arlene's Grocery or Francis Kite Club at 7 p.m. 

HBD Flower Power

Photos by William Klayer 

A happy 32nd birthday to Flower Power, 406 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue ...

EV Grieve among 3 finalists for ‘Outstanding NYC Website’

Thank you to the Guides Association of New York City (GANYC), an association of independent, professional tour guides based in New York City. 

The GANYC has nominated EVG for a 2026 GANYC Apple Award in the "Outstanding NYC Website." We're honored to be included in the mix. 

The other nominees are Little Kid Big City ... and the awesome OLDNYC. (WARNING: Only click on the OLDNYC link if you want to spend the entire weekend looking at historical photos of NYC by street. So addictive!) 

The awards ceremony is on Monday evening.

Scenes from night 3 of the New Colossus Festival

Photos by Stacie Joy

Above: Suburban Speed at Ki Smith Gallery 

The New Colossus Festival, the six-day celebration of independent music from around the world, is now underway across 10-plus venues in the East Village and Lower East Side. 

We fanned out last night to catch a handful of bands, including ... the '90s alt-punk of the Brooklyn-based Dutch Kills at Niagara...

...the Jump Cuts from West Palm Beach, Fla., at Berlin Under A...

Then it was off to see EVG faves Suburban Speed on the small stage at Ki Smith Gallery...

Yes, the idea is to discover new music among the festival's 190 bands. However, we're still partial to the cinematic atmospherics of Suburban Speed, who have added a cornet, kazoo and empty Smirnoff bottle to their instrumental lineup. (They're playing Pianos at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow. Yes, p.m.)

... and we ended the evening at the Parkside Lounge ... first with Chicago weirdos Heet Deth...

... and also from Chicago, Bussy Kween Power Trip...

Back at it today/tonight. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The New Colossus Festival returns this week for its biggest year yet

Friday's opening shot

Seventh Street along Tompkins Square Park. Still think there's a (small) car under there! 

Or something else (behold the fake photo wonders of Gemini AI... with apologies to the cast of "The Thing")...

LPC OKs church-to-residential conversion on 7th Street

The Landmarks Preservation Commission has approved plans to convert and enlarge the historic church building at 121 E. Seventh St., between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

As previously reported here, the proposal called for converting the existing structure into a mixed-use building with eight residential units (presumably condos), along with a two-story vertical enlargement above the current roofline and nearly 2,400 square feet of community facility space.

According to New York YIMBY, who first reported on the LPC decision, the redesign includes modifications to the entrance and windows, stepped gables along the roofline, and restoration work on the masonry façade, including the bell tower. 

The property is within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District and requires LPC approval. 

The building has a long history, per Daytonian in Manhattan. No. 121 began as a house in 1843. In 1902, the Hungarian Reformed Church purchased the property and hired architect Frederick Ebeling to convert it into a church, adding a central bell tower characteristic of a Hungarian country church. The building was consecrated in 1903. 

In 1961, when St. Mary's American Orthodox Greek Catholic Church purchased the property, the congregation modernized the structure by encasing the original stone façade in "Naturestone," an artificial material — a change that preservationists have long lamented.

Here's what it looked like in 1910, nine years after people first declared the neighborhood "dead."

The church was most recently used by CityLight Church. 

The Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Diocese sold the building for $2.8 million last June to an LLC, per city records. 

Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices officially reopening for the season tomorrow (Friday!) on Avenue A

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Ralph's Famous Italian Ices and Ice Cream on Avenue A at Ninth Street will open for the season tomorrow (March 6). 

Yesterday, we spotted Rich, the franchise owner, stocking the shop and getting the space ready for opening day.

Two passersby stopped, hoping for an early taste — and Rich obliged, handing out a few raspberry scoops on the house.

"When Ralph's opens, it's a sign spring is around the corner," Rich said. 

Yes, please. Team EVG is more than ready to move on from the snow and cold.

Comings and goings on this block of 1st Avenue (and wither Tropic Berry)

Let's take a look at a few storefronts over on First Avenue between Second Street and Third Street — all part of 45 First Ave.

The gate has been down at Tropic Berry, the cafe serving smoothies, acai bowls and coffee, for the past few weeks (H/T Nat!).

There's no word of a closure, temporary or otherwise, on the cafe's website or social media. Google still lists them as open during hours in which the gate remains down. 

However, there was a "short-notice" online auction here last month, where much of the shop's appliances and supplies were sold. 

A few storefronts away, New Mott Cleaners is now open (first mentioned here) ...

And finally, there's paper on the windows of that long-closed convenience store.

There were various legal notices on the front door last fall... and someone apparently did a number on the interior, which was visible from the sidewalk for several months... (photos by Steven)...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• City Fun expands into new 2-story space on 1st Avenue

Signage alert: Molly's Coffee House on St. Mark's Place

Signage is up for Molly's Coffee House at 22 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

We mentioned this pending arrival in December after Chocolate DIP shuttered. 

Anyway, we still haven't found out any more info on the space, which looks quite nice TBH. 

This will be the latest coffee option along the SMP corridor... Square Coffee just debuted a block to the east at 81 St. Mark's Place. And you know all the other shops around.

Another UPS Store for the neighborhood

ICYMI: Signage is up for a UPS Store in a vacant storefront at 524 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

This will be the third one in the immediate area, joining 108 First Ave. (b/t Sixth and Seventh) and 32 Third Ave. (b/t Ninth and 10th). 

No word on an opening, though the location is now on the UPS site...

Good news for anyone who lives nearby with a growing pile of return labels. 

H/T Vinny & O

Wednesday's parting shot

A path through the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts today...

Paying tribute to the founder of Tokio7 on 7th Street

Makoto Watanabe, who founded the long-running consignment shop Tokio7 on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, died on Feb. 27. He was 70. 

In a message posted on Tokio7's Instagram account, staff reflected on Watanabe's decades-long presence in the store he opened in 1996 on the south side of the block. (They moved to this side of Seventh in 2010.)

"From that day on, he rarely stepped away," the post reads. "Year after year, he was here, unlocking the door, straightening the racks, watching over the floor, speaking quietly with customers. He didn't just run this store. He carried it." 

The shop became a fixture of the East Village fashion scene and a workplace for many people starting out in New York. 

"For many of us, as immigrants trying to find our place in New York, this store became our home," the post continues. "It was where we found stability when everything else felt uncertain. Where we learned how to stand on our own." 

Staff said they plan to carry on Watanabe's legacy at the shop. 

"Makoto created more than a business. He created a place where people could begin again." 

Read the full post below...

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tokio7 (@tokio7ny)

[Updated] Comings and goings on this block of 2nd Avenue

Fujisan Japanese Mart opened last week at 159 Second Ave. on the SW corner of 10th Street.

As we noted, this will be the first Manhattan outpost from the market, which has two outposts in Brooklyn and one in Astoria. They offer a variety of Japanese snacks, as well as in-house-made sushi. 

Posted hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (All sushi is 50% off after 8 p.m.)

Meanwhile, a few storefronts to the south, the 16 Handlies location has closed. We mentioned this on Jan. 12. The froyo brand is expected to open a few blocks to the south. 

And in the other storefront in the 6-floor residential building, the Cooper Still closed after service on Saturday... black trash bags now adorn the front windows... (photo by Steven)...

There's no mention of a closure, temporary or otherwise, on the door... or the tavern's website. Google still shows them as being open — even when they are not. 

According to a sign on the front door of 16 Handles, ownership was unable to reach a renewal agreement with the newish landlord here. 

Updated 5 p.m.

Thanks to Gar and others... Cooper Still today posted an Instagram Story today about a temporary closure for some painting and upgrades...