Photos by Stacie Joy
On Sunday, NYC thrash metal band Non Residents, formed in 2019 by brothers Amarú and Roberto Fenoutt, headlined the Punk in the Park show in Tompkins...
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Scenes from 'Punk in the Park' with Non Residents
Tompkins Square Park recreation redesign heads back to committee after contentious CB3 meeting
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
The proposed $9.93 million renovation of the Tompkins Square Park recreation area is heading back to committee after a contentious Community Board 3 meeting Tuesday evening that drew dozens of residents opposed to replacing the park's longtime fitness equipment.
Rather than voting on the proposal, the full board agreed to have the Parks Department return with new presentations at the Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency Committee meeting on Nov. 12. The plan is then expected to come back before the full board on Nov. 24.
The decision followed a spirited public showing by dozens of supporters of the existing pull-up bars and basketball courts, many of whom marched from Tompkins Square Park to the meeting at P.S. 20 on Essex Street between Houston and Stanton, carrying signs and chanting.
Inside, the meeting grew tense as attendees challenged aspects of the proposed redesign.
At one point, police were called. Two officers from the 7th Precinct responded, although no apparent violations were taking place.
"No one is doing anything wrong," one officer told me. "Someone keeps calling the precinct, so we have to respond."
Community Board 3 Chair Arnette Scott repeatedly asked attendees to remain respectful and suggested that anyone unable to do so should leave. No one did.
Despite the tensions, the board allowed considerable flexibility during the public comment period, letting some people who hadn’t registered in advance speak and accommodating others who used another person's speaking slot.
Among those addressing the board was Jahmal Kirwan, one of the organizers of the recent Save Tompkins Square Park gatherings.
Kirwan and other speakers described their personal connections to the outdoor fitness area and the community that has developed around it.
The proposal, which CB3's Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency Committee endorsed on Oct. 15, calls for replacing the existing mini-pool with a new in-ground pool, renovating the basketball courts, replacing fitness equipment and resurfacing the recreation area.
Parks officials say the work is needed to improve accessibility and safety, and they have revised portions of the fitness-area design in response to community concerns.
However, longtime users continue to question the need to replace equipment they say remains functional and important to the neighborhood. They are also concerned about losing access during construction, which is currently projected to take about 18 months.
City Council Member Harvey Epstein also weighed in on the proposed redesign, calling for the city to preserve the existing fitness equipment while adding accessible equipment for people with disabilities.
Epstein said his office had heard from hundreds of Lower East Side residents about the importance of the current equipment and the need for improved accessibility.
He urged Parks to develop a modified version of its Option 3 proposal that would retain the existing equipment while expanding the fitness area to accommodate new ADA-accessible features.
Scott ultimately halted the anticipated vote amid interruptions during the Parks Department presentation.
The delay gives Parks officials and community members another opportunity to discuss the proposed changes before the full board considers the project again.
Hot dog! Crif Dogs is back open on St. Mark's Place
Crif Dogs reopened yesterday at 113 St. Mark's Place after fallen trees from the late-September nor'easter temporarily shut down the longtime hot dog shop and its speakeasy sibling, PDT. Jeff Bell, an owner of PDT and Crif Dogs, previously said that one neighbor's tree fell into another neighbor's tree, leaving both resting against the building behind the businesses between Avenue A and First Avenue.
"They're both now resting against the building behind me, and in a very precarious position that seems like they could fall," Bell said. "And if they do, they would fall in our backyard."
Crews were spotted yesterday morning mulching the remains of the fallen trees...
Signage alert: Matane on 1st Avenue
EVG reader Danimal reports that an employee leaving the space confirmed that Matane will be a Japanese restaurant, with an opening expected sometime by the end of the year. (They have a spaceholder Instagram account here.) 
The storefront previously housed two short-lived dollar pizza shops.
Matane will also have some Japanese restaurant company on this stretch of First Avenue, with Cho-Ko right next door.
345 Cantina closes on 6th Street; landlord takes possession of space
A sign outside the Mexican restaurant (and the ongoing construction mess) thanks customers for letting the business be part of the neighborhood.
"It was an honor to serve you, and we hope to meet again," the handwritten message reads.
The restaurant also posted a farewell message on Instagram on Oct. 16, thanking customers for their support and expressing hope of returning soon.
Yelp currently lists 345 Cantina as temporarily closed, with a scheduled reopening date of March 2, 2027.
However, a city marshal's notice posted on the restaurant's door states that the landlord has taken legal possession of the premises following a Civil Court warrant.
The notice lists Oct. 13 as the eviction date.
It's unclear whether the restaurant's owners plan to reopen here or elsewhere.
345 Cantina opened in September 2022, taking over the space previously occupied by Tableside.
ICYMI: Hunan Slurp Shop closes on 1st Avenue
The restaurant opened here in May 2018, bringing Hunan-style rice noodles and other dishes inspired by chef-owner Chao Wang's hometown of Hengyang, China.
Wang, who spent 25 years as an oil painter, brought an artist's background to the restaurant, which later earned recognition from the Michelin Guide.
In a farewell message on Instagram, the Hunan Slurp team thanked customers for their support over the years.
"From the first bowl of Lu Fen to countless dinners, celebrations, and memories shared around our tables, Slurp has always been about more than food."
No reason was cited for the closure. The restaurant closed on Sept. 27.
The team here also runs Sofun Noodle Bar in Summit, N.J.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
No bikes seized, but questions remain over 11th Street enforcement
Reporting and photos by Stacie Joy
An anticipated enforcement action targeting improperly parked delivery bikes on 11th Street near First Avenue ended this morning without any confiscations after NYPD officials inspected the block and determined that conditions did not warrant further action.
The decision, however, prompted a tense exchange between police and community representatives over where delivery workers can legally park their bikes — and whether those rules are communicated consistently.
The NYPD planned the enforcement action. But after inspecting the block, police officials decided not to seize any bikes.
Deputy Inspector Pamela A. Jeronimo told longtime Community Board 3 District Manager Susan Stetzer that conditions had improved considerably since her previous visit.
"It was much different when I was here a few days ago doing the walkthrough," Jeronimo said. "It's not blocking a crosswalk right now. It looks very, very good."
Stetzer asked how community organizations could advise workers when enforcement decisions seemed to vary day to day.
"I think there's got to be regulations that everybody understands," she said. "Not — today it's OK to be on the sidewalk because it's not a problem, but tomorrow, we might take the ones on the sidewalk."
Jeronimo said workers could park their bikes only in designated Department of Transportation spaces and at bike racks. She said bikes left on sidewalks, in vehicle parking spaces, near scaffolding, or in crosswalks could be subject to enforcement.
Stetzer repeatedly requested the specific legal provisions in writing so community organizations could share and translate the information for workers.
"We can't even translate information because we don't know what the regulations are!" she said.
Jeronimo said she would arrange for NYPD Community Affairs to provide the information.
An ongoing challenge
The exchange highlighted an ongoing challenge for community groups working to address the concentration of delivery bikes along the block while protecting workers' ability to earn a living.
Shawn Garcia, vice chair of Community Board 3's Transportation Committee, said local organizations have spent weeks coordinating with the precinct and immigrant support groups to communicate parking rules to delivery workers.
"We're giving them one directive, and they complied with that to a large degree, which was not chaining their bikes up to city property," Garcia said.
But community representatives later learned that bikes parked in vehicle parking spaces could also be confiscated.
"The notice has not been clear, and it's mixed messaging, so the workers are trying to comply, trying to do their best," he said.
Garcia said the lack of adequate designated parking space remains a central problem. He also raised concerns about the consequences of confiscation for workers who depend on their bikes for income and may be reluctant to navigate the legal process to recover them.
"If you confiscate today, the work is still happening in the neighborhood," he said. "They're going to be somewhere else tomorrow, so we have to come up with a long-term, sustainable solution."
One possible step is to identify and remove abandoned bikes.
Diamy Bah, a community liaison and operations manager with Cafewal, estimated that more than 10 bikes on the block had been abandoned.
He said delivery workers could help identify those bikes through their weekly Wednesday community cleanups, although removing them is difficult because many remain locked.
Bah also welcomed clearer guidance about where workers are allowed to park.
"If they say it's OK that it's here we are supposed to park, then we are going to do every day the outreach for them to park where they are supposed to park," he said.
Meanwhile, the East Village Beautification Project has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow (Thursday) at noon on the corner of 11th Street and First Avenue.
Under the theme "A Safer Corner for Everyone," the neighborhood group is calling for city action to ensure safe, clean and accessible streets.
The gathering comes as residents, delivery workers, and community representatives continue seeking a longer-term solution to congestion and bike-parking issues along the block.
At Drāvida, chef Aarthi Sampath explores the Indian diaspora — and finds a home in the East Village
Interview and photos by Stacie Joy
Chef-owner Aarthi Sampath opened Drāvida at 211 First Ave. in late May, bringing together dishes inspired by Indian and South Asian communities worldwide.
The restaurant is Sampath's first venture as an owner after some 15 years working as a chef. She's also a familiar face to Food Network viewers, having appeared on "Chopped" and "Beat Bobby Flay."
Sampath, who moved to the East Village this past year, describes Drāvida as a love letter to the South Asian diaspora — shaped by years of travel, research and encounters with people whose families have roots in India but whose food traditions developed elsewhere.
We talked with her about opening her first restaurant, finding a home in the East Village, accommodating diners with dietary restrictions and what happens when a dish unexpectedly goes viral.
How did you come to open Drāvida?
I've been a chef for the last 15-ish years, since I came to the U.S.
Living in New York City, such a melting pot, I don't think I would have met as many people from the South Asian diaspora as I did here.
You meet someone from Guyana whose grandparents were from India, or someone who's Malaysian-Indian because their ancestors left home for trade reasons.
That's what inspired me.
I kept working on the concept and traveling to different countries to explore the South Asian and Indian diaspora.
What it really means is looking at what happened when Indians and South Asians left their home countries, whether for trade or as indentured workers. The spice trade created so much diversity around the world. That's the food we explore.
Drāvida is a love letter to South Asians who live in New York. I met a South African Indian here! I don't think I would have met them anywhere else unless I visited South Africa.
I wrote a rough draft of the concept in 2018 and started pitching it to investors. Everyone seemed to say it was too unique, too different. They'd ask, "Why don't you just do something that's tested, like a normal Indian restaurant?"
But I didn't want to. Despite so many no's, I wanted to keep my motivation high.
Eventually, I became a partner with CookUnity, the meal-delivery platform, and that helped me get the restaurant. That's how I was able to do it on my own.
What made you choose the East Village?
As a young cook, I worked on 23rd Street and 29th Street, near Broadway, and the East Village was one of the only places open late at night.
We'd finish work at 11 or 11:30 p.m., and I felt like I belonged here. It reminded me of Mumbai because there's so much food, so much culture.
Now that I've been living here for the last six months, I feel like this is community. I never felt that on the Upper West Side, where I was living at the time.
I was a struggling cook, but I could always find something inspiring here, whether it was the best pizza slice, an excellent cookie or dessert, or amazing Chinese food.
It was inspiring to see something new crop up in the East Village and feel like it was accepted.
I'd walk from Second Avenue to First Avenue to Avenue A and B, sometimes late at night to get a nice cocktail. Even if I didn't have any money, I could feel alive just walking around. I felt like I was part of these parties, even if I wasn't.
How did you find this particular space?
When I started looking for restaurants, I wanted to be in the East Village.
The concept was so unique that I couldn't imagine seeing Drāvida anywhere else and people being interested in it.
I looked at several locations, but when I walked into this space and saw the wood-fired ovens, I felt a sense of calm. [Ed note: Luzzo's was in this space until 2022.]
This was the first place I walked out of and immediately asked for a quote.
Maybe it was the goodwill of the previous place. It could be a lot of factors. I believe in that.
The wood-fired ovens were important because we're living in a world with so much AI and automation. We're even talking about robotics in kitchens!
I thought it would be nice to go back in time and cook food from the start of it all, which is just fire.
How many restaurants in New York get to do that?
And I didn't know anything about how to open a restaurant.
You recently opened a downstairs speakeasy, Jam & Jaggery. Tell us about it.
We've been open for several weeks, on Fridays and Saturdays for now. We'll eventually extend to other days.
I met a mixologist from Brooklyn who's a partner in a bar called Mr. Mellow. I asked if he could help us.
We only do low-ABV drinks, so I wanted really nice cocktails using lower-alcohol spirits and liqueurs.
He's done a wonderful job, and the response has been great.
Is the drink menu different from upstairs?
Yes, it's separate.
The upstairs drinks are more chef-inspired and seasonal. We just changed the menu for fall. We have a persimmon colada and a nice fall chai. We use chilies and make a spicy lemonade.
Downstairs is quieter, more of a speakeasy atmosphere, with spirit-forward drinks.
But everything ties into the diaspora. We use spices, herbs and teas from different parts of the world.
How do you accommodate diners who are vegan, vegetarian or have food allergies or other dietary restrictions?
We had someone come in who couldn't eat dairy, ginger or garlic because of religious dietary restrictions.
We said, "Don't worry, just give us a little time." And we made her ramen without those ingredients, from scratch.
I come from a hotel background. I've always thought we just have to make it happen. Even if we can give someone only one or two options, we should.
She was almost in tears. She said that every restaurant she goes to in New York tells her they don't have anything for her, but we'd just made something.
I don't have allergies, but I can't imagine what it would be like to live with one and not be able to eat so many things.
We train our team to be considerate and come to the kitchen. We always try to make something.
We have one dish with nuts, and we avoid peanuts and seed oils. I try to eliminate a lot of allergens myself so it's easier for us to work around restrictions.
If there's a gluten allergy, maybe gluten is just one element of a dish. We can take it off and substitute something else.
What's been the best-selling dish so far?
It's the blue crab curry ramen.
Someone came in, ate it and posted about it online. It went viral.
We realized we didn't want to make more than a certain number because the quality would start declining. The noodles are made from scratch.
We also really like the crab we use and don't want to substitute another kind. There's a limited supply of jumbo lump crabmeat.
So that's definitely the most popular dish.
My personal favorites are the lobster and the lamb chops. Those are probably my top two of all time.
But it's hard to choose because I love the crab ramen, too, and the chicken tikka masala. We put so much thought and time into testing every dish. I love them all!
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Report: Developer in contract to buy former St. Brigid School for $35 million
Photos from April by Stacie Joy
A developer is in contract to purchase the former St. Brigid School at 185 E. Seventh St., along Tompkins Square Park, for $35 million, according to Crain's New York Business.
Quinlan Development Group signed the contract on Sept. 22. The deal includes the 19,600-square-foot school property, 26,000 square feet of air rights from nearby church properties and a triangular parking lot, according to court filings cited by Crain's.
The Archdiocese of New York submitted the documents to the Manhattan Supreme Court for approval, as required to sell church-owned property.
The proposed sale comes days after the archdiocese announced an $800 million settlement involving approximately 1,300 people who accused clergy members of sexual abuse. The settlement, covering parishes in Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, and seven surrounding counties, is expected to finalize in early November.
The archdiocese has been selling properties to help fund the settlement, although the court filings do not specifically identify the St. Brigid proceeds as settlement funding.
Marketing materials via the Avison Young listing for the school site, which went live in April, show the potential for an 11-story residential building overlooking Tompkins Square Park. The property could accommodate approximately 71,100 square feet of market-rate housing or 94,300 square feet with an affordable housing component.
No official word on what a future project here might look like, though the listing makes clear what could rise on this corner via this rendering:
An aerial view from Avison Young shows the corner and surrounding parts of the East Village and Tompkins Square Park...
The historic St. Brigid Church on Avenue B at Eighth Street, along with its adjacent rectory, is not part of the sale.
The building most recently served as the city's Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center and Reticketing Center, which quietly closed in June 2025. For more than two years, the building had assisted asylum seekers.
Before that, the site housed the St. Brigid School, founded in 1856, for generations.
As previously reported, the Archdiocese of New York announced in early 2019 that the school would close at the end of the academic year — a move that blindsided students, parents and faculty.
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