A mother-daughter-owned bookstore bar is coming to Avenue A

Photos and story by Stacie Joy

The owners behind the incoming Rabbit Books and Bar on Avenue A are introducing themselves to the neighborhood ahead of a targeted mid-July opening.

As previously reported, the bookstore-bar is taking over the former 7-Eleven space at 170 Avenue A on the SE corner of 11th Street. 

Over the weekend, owners Marianna Vaidman Stone and her daughter, Emily Samara Stone, shared more about the project in an Instagram video detailing their backgrounds and how the idea for the business came together.

Marianna, who emigrated from the Soviet Union as a child, said owning a bookstore had been a longtime dream. Emily, meanwhile, worked in kitchens, bakeries and bars before teaming up with her mother on the concept. 

They gave EVG a tour of the under-construction space yesterday.

"My daughter and I are super excited about opening our place soon," Marianna told EVG. "It's going to be a personal experience for customers. We're going to be in there all the time."

The two said they were drawn to the former 7-Eleven space because of its layout, large windows and corner location.

"When you know, you know," Emily said. "It felt good here. We could envision it. We're offering a third space."

Rabbit Books and Bar will include a small bar and space for book clubs and community gatherings centered around reading and conversation. 

Marianna said the shop will also have a focus on international fiction and global stories.

The space is expected to open at 8 a.m. daily with coffee, tea, matcha and pastries, then transition into evening service with beer, wine, soju cocktails, and vermouth. 

Hours are expected to run until midnight on weekends and 11 p.m. on weeknights. 

And as for the news that Barnes & Noble is also opening across Avenue A later this year? 

They were gracious in their responses.

 

"I’m glad that bookstores are having a resurgence," Marianna said. "More bookstores are good."

Emily added, "I think people want to consume in ways that are good for them, and we will welcome Barnes & Noble shoppers with open arms."

Ribbon-cutting ceremony marks new chapter for affordable housing at 204 Avenue A

After decades of organizing, delays, rebuilding plans and post-Sandy setbacks, residents of 204 Avenue A officially celebrated the reopening of their building last Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a homecoming of sorts. 

The new building at Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street now includes 10 permanently affordable cooperative apartments and ground-floor retail space (currently a spa). Seven longtime families returned to the rebuilt property, while three new families joined the co-op. 

During the ceremony, resident leader Juan Roberto Santiago reflected on the long road to reopening, tracing the building's history back to the early 1990s, when tenants entered the city's Tenant Interim Lease program with support from GOLES. (Organizers also kept the plans moving forward through four mayoral administrations.) 

Over the years, the project passed through multiple city administrations and eventually required a full reconstruction following severe structural deterioration and damage from Superstorm Sandy. 

"This was never just about one building," Santiago said. "It was about community, dignity, perseverance, and the belief that ordinary people working together can achieve extraordinary things." 

The project was redeveloped through the city's Affordable Neighborhood Cooperative Program. Construction on the new building began in January 2020, with residents moving back in last spring.

Chippy's Fish & Chips is opening in the former Proletariat space on 7th Street

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy

The former home of Proletariat on Seventh Street will become Chippy's Fish & Chips later this summer. 

While the concept had previously been reported on the Outpost Substack, the location had remained a bit of a mystery, with the restaurant's Instagram account only dropping clues about being "across from a church," etc. 

Multiple sources confirmed to EVG that Chippy's is taking over the space at 21 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square. The restaurant comes from Ed Szymanski and Patricia Howard of Lord's, Dame and Crevette, along with Szymanski's brother-in-law Evan Baldwin. 

According to Chippy's Instagram account, the menu will feature fried fish, triple-cooked chips and mushy peas. 

The team also plans to apply for a beer license. 

As previously reported, Proletariat — the longtime craft beer bar from Overthrow Hospitality — closed last month after a 14-year run in the neighborhood.

Monday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy

Turning to sports, Game 4 between the Knicks and the Cavaliers is tonight. And this fan on 11th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B was getting ready for tipoff.

Memorial Day Weekend

Spotted last evening on Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day Weekend! 

Thanks to riachung00 for the pic.

A Barnes & Noble is opening in the East Village

Photos Saturday by Stacie Joy

H/T EVG reader Russell K

News of a Barnes & Noble coming to 181 Avenue A between 11th Street and 12th Street sparked plenty of discussion over the weekend on an East Village Reddit thread. 

A Reddit user found a notice for the new store, set to open in November, on the Barnes & Noble website.

We reached out to Barnes & Noble for comments, though didn't hear back yet over the holiday weekend.

News of this arrival coincides with crews removing layers of wheatpaste posters from the vacant Avenue A retail space on Saturday...

There are also approved work permits dated May 13 for "retail space electrical service and AC wiring."

The 11,000-square-foot retail space at the base of Steiner East Village has been vacant since residents began moving into the condoplex eight years ago. 

Meanwhile, despite years of store closures and hand-wringing about the future of bookstores, Barnes & Noble is in expansion mode. 

As reported by USA Today this past December, the chain plans to open 60 new stores in 2026 following what company officials described as strong sales at existing locations. The expansion marks a turnaround after nearly two decades of declining store numbers, with the company already opening dozens of locations in 2025.

The EV outpost will not replace the Union Square B&N, though it will likely alleviate some of its congestion. 

A rent increase forced B&N to close at 4 Astor Place in December 2007 after 13 years in operation.

Not everyone's on the same page

Reaction to the news of a Barnes & Noble opening on Avenue A has been mostly positive so far — though not without some concern about what it could mean for independent bookstores nearby. 

In the lively Reddit thread, several commenters said they were excited to have a large bookstore in the neighborhood again, especially given the recent resurgence of Barnes & Noble locations across the city. Others pointed out that the East Village already has a strong network of indie bookstores and worried about bringing another national chain into the neighborhood. 

A few people also expressed cautious optimism, saying they hoped a bookstore, chain or not, would be preferable to another bank, smoke shop, fast-casual salad spot, or continued vacant storefront. 

We'll see what November will bring, though it seems like an ambitious timeline for a completely raw space...

Community spirit shines through the rain at the 39th annual Loisaida Festival

Photos and story by Stacie Joy 

Despite the rain, today still turned out to be a really nice celebration for the 39th edition of the Loisaida Festival along Avenue C. 

Throughout the afternoon, we kept hearing people talk about how important it is to preserve this longtime neighborhood cultural institution — one that continues to bring together music, food, performances and community across generations. 

This year's festival, themed "Our AmeRícan Thing" in honor of the late poet Jesús "Tato" Laviera, once again filled Avenue C with live music, dancing, vendors and plenty of neighborhood spirit, rain and all.

The annual event is presented by Loisaida Inc., the longtime Puerto Rican-led arts and community organization based at the Loisaida Center on Ninth Street.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with some cloud scenes from 2nd and C)...

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• The growth of the sunflowers (May 19) 

• 3 tiny hawklets, 1 busy nest in Tompkins Square Park (May 19) 

• Rosa Deli & Grocery has closed on Avenue D (May 20) 

• Somtum Der to close on Avenue A on May 31 (May 18) 

• After 54 years, Cozy Soup 'n' Burger is closing on Astor Place (May 22) 

• The 3rd Avenue outpost of the Bean has closed (May 18) 

• A long-hidden room at Katz's is now open to the public again (May 21) 

• A celebration of life for Albert Fabozzi in Tompkins Square Park (May 17) 

• Loisaida Festival returns to Avenue C on Sunday (today!) with its 39th edition (May 22) 

• A few scenes from the annual Ukrainian Festival (May 17) 

• Spring and summer in bloom at Albert's Garden (May 22) 

• Arturo Vega exhibit extended at Howl! (May 21) 

• You have a few more weeks to see the Keith Haring exhibit at the Brant Foundation (May 19) 

• Custom-fit t-shirts and coffee are coming to 316 Bowery (May 20) 

• News from other sources: Can apartment renovations count as "demolition"? (May 19) 

• Official signage alert: Tacos Domingo on 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place (May 22) 

• Openings: Sanwits on 1st Avenue (May 21) … Sono on 1st Avenue (May 21) 

• Saturday flashback: Dancing through the East Village (May 22)

And earlier this month, Arete Studios opened at 116 Suffolk St., between Rivington and Delancey... which highlights "emerging" clothing brands (photos by Stacie Joy)...

The Studio takes over the space from Bluestockings Cooperative, which closed late last year after a 26-year run as an independent feminist bookstore, café, and radical community space.

Sunday's opening shot

Photo of C&B Cafe by Stacie Joy 

The drizzle-rain-showers combo is expected to continue today... with the temps in the 50s. 

AccuWeather alleges that it will be "warmer with clouds followed by a brightening sky" tomorrow afternoon. 

Meanwhile, the 39th Annual Loisaida Festival on Avenue C today is rain or shine... so the show goes on. 

Elsewhere indoors, the annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts continues today at Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. at 10th Street. The Poetry Jam starts at 4 p.m., followed by a variety of performances at 6 p.m. All free. List here (PDF).

Mephiskapheles shares project update after Tompkins postponement

Given the rainy forecast this afternoon, today's free show in Tompkins Square Park has been postponed.

Longtime locals Mephiskapheles were calling this their 35th-anniversary show, since the band started in the East Village in 1991. 

Meanwhile, the ska band's Greg Robinson gave us an update... 

We are putting the finishing touches on our latest album, which we recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama, in 2023. Mephiskapheles at Muscle Shoals was as magical and perfect a pairing as it sounds. Came out great. The reason for the delay in finishing it is essentially financial. We haven't resorted to crowdfunding yet but that could be in the cards... 

It's a great album featuring 14 brand-new Mephiskapheles songs (many of which we are playing live), plus we have a full-length documentary on the band and the sessions, also directed by Anthony Q. Artis, to be released simultaneously with the album when the time comes. 

Other than that, we've been doing our thing, touring around the country and working on new music. However, our touring has been scaled back for 2026 due to skyrocketing overhead costs and to devote our efforts to finishing our big projects. 

The band's next show in the area is July 16 at the Wood Shop in Bushwick.

Saturday flashback: Dancing through the East Village

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Given today’s cool, rainy weather, we're flashing back to last Saturday — about as perfect a spring day as you can get (OK, maybe a little too warm for May) — and a few scenes from the annual Dance Parade along St. Mark's Place and the DanceFest in Tompkins Square Park. 

The 20th annual event featured hundreds of dancers, DJs and live bands representing a wide range of dance styles and organizations from across the city.

Caturday's opening shots

Photos by Stacie Joy 

New guard cat on duty at Love Story (the convenience store FKA S&S Bliss) on Third Street near Avenue B.

Meet Sky, a Scottish Fold...