CB3 committee backs major overhaul of Tompkins Square Park recreation area

Photos by Stacie Joy

Community Board 3's Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency Committee voted Thursday evening to support the most extensive of three proposals to renovate the recreation area in Tompkins Square Park.

The committee backed Option 1, which calls for a new in-ground pool to replace the current mini-pool, renovated basketball courts, replacement of the existing fitness equipment, and a resurfaced recreation area. 

The committee also requested that the existing half basketball court near the fitness area along Avenue B be preserved. 

The overall project has a $9.93 million budget, including $6.1 million from Gov. Kathy Hochul's NY SWIMS grant program and $3.83 million in city funding. (The new pool funding was announced in August 2024.)

Construction for Option 1 is expected to take approximately 18 months. The second option had a two-year timeline with a phased-in work approach. The third option was to leave the current fitness area as is.

The Oct. 15 vote followed Parks' presentation of three renovation options and a public discussion dominated by concerns from members of the park's calisthenics community.

Longtime users have pushed to preserve the decades-old pull-up bars, parallel bars, and other fitness equipment, questioning whether replacements would offer the same functionality and durability. (Read more about that here.) 

Parks officials said they have adjusted the plans in response to those concerns. The department plans to use a 3D scan of the existing fitness area to help recreate its layout. The revised design would also include more pull-up and parallel bars than originally proposed, along with equipment intended to meet accessibility standards. Those changes have not resolved all the objections. 

The committee's vote is a recommendation, not a final decision. The proposal now goes before the full Community Board 3 on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at P.S. 20, 166 Essex St. 

Meanwhile, opposition continues ahead of the full board vote. Flyers went up around the park this week objecting to the proposed changes ...

Flyers posted around Tompkins Square Park this week direct residents to a new website, Save Tompkins Square Park, organized by park users and neighbors.

Under the heading "Repair, don't demolish," the group argues that the existing fitness equipment and basketball courts should be repaired rather than replaced. The organizers support upgrading the pool, improving accessibility and repairing the courts and fitness-area surfaces, but oppose a lengthy closure of the entire recreation area.

The website also raises concerns about the proposed changes to a shaded courtyard used by delivery workers and questions whether the planned reconstruction is necessary.

Organizers are urging residents to contact elected officials, sign a petition that they say has more than 2,600 signatures and attend the Oct. 27 full CB3 meeting.

The group asks the board to reject all three renovation options and have Parks develop a less disruptive plan that emphasizes repairs and maintenance.

Dreaming on Ludlow: 3 nights of shoegaze and dream pop at Pianos

The Shining Hours, from left: Kang Lee, Jonathan O'Sullivan,

Joe Peters and Anya Lenee 

The I Have a Dream Pop Festival comes to Pianos on Ludlow Street for three nights of shoegaze, dream pop, and experimental music, tomorrow through Saturday. 

The traveling festival is organized by The Veldt, the pioneering alternative rock band led by twin brothers Daniel and Danny Chavis. The festival also included stops in Washington, D.C., Richmond, Va., and Raleigh, N.C. 

The New York lineup pairs longtime shoegaze and dream pop figures with newer independent bands. The Veldt performs all three nights. 

Thursday's bill includes Heaven, Your 33 Black Angels and Big Spirit. Friday features Darksoft, Diary and Day & Dream. Saturday's expanded daylong lineup includes Mahogany, Dead Leaf Echo, Cigarettes for Breakfast, Phantom Wave, Spirit Hotel, Burnt Sugar, Honeychild Coleman's DEM, Faith and The Shining Hours, among others.

EVG checked in with The Shining Hours, a Brooklyn-based band playing on Saturday, about the festival, the renewed interest in the genre and what they're listening to these days. Each band member fielded a question...

How does it feel to share the bill with bands that helped shape shoegaze and dream pop? 

Anya Lenee: It's honestly surreal and a real honor. These bands helped create the sounds and atmosphere that inspired us to start making music in the first place, so being able to share a bill with artists who shaped the genres we love is something we don't take for granted. 

Shoegaze and dream pop have always meant a lot to us, and it's exciting to be part of a new generation carrying that sound forward while adding our own perspective. 

Shoegaze and dream pop have been around for decades, but interest in both genres has renewed. What's drawing younger musicians and audiences to this music now? 

Joe Peters: We think there's something really special about music that lets you feel something without having to explain everything in words. 

Shoegaze and dream pop create these immersive worlds through layers of guitars, dreamy vocals and atmosphere, and we think that resonates with people who want to get lost in music for a while. There's also something timeless about the emotional honesty of these genres. 

Even though the sounds originated decades ago, the feelings behind them — longing, isolation, nostalgia and connection — are just as relevant today. 

We also love that younger artists are taking those influences and making them their own rather than simply recreating the past. 

What shoegaze and dream-pop records are in heavy rotation for you right now? 

Kang Lee: Right now we're really into "Swallowtail" by she's green, "Raw Blue" by Whirr, "Switchbacks" by Hannah Cole, "New Familiar" by Bee Blackwell, "Sew" by the sewing club and "If not winter" by Wisp. 

We love that shoegaze and dream pop can be nostalgic and forward-looking at the same time, and there's always something new to take inspiration from. 

What do you hope someone unfamiliar with The Shining Hours takes away from seeing you live?

Jonathan O'Sullivan: More than anything, we hope people leave feeling like they were transported somewhere for a little while. We want our live show to feel immersive — something you can get lost in, whether it's the wall of guitars, the atmosphere or the emotion behind the songs. 

Our music explores introspection, longing and the complicated parts of human connection, so if someone hears a song and connects with it in their own way, that means a lot to us. 

Even if someone walks in not knowing who we are, we hope they walk away feeling something and wanting to hear more.

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Pianos is at 158 Ludlow St., between Stanton and Rivington streets. Festival updates and additional information are available via I Have a Dream Pop's Instagram.

Tuesday's parting shot (aka today in vanity plates)

Photo by Robert Miner 

As seen on Houston just east of Second Avenue...

A drag queen time capsule from Kim's Video on Avenue A

A bit of East Village video-store history will be part of a screening of vintage drag activist videos in Coney Island on Sunday. 

"The Brenda and Glennda Show: Drag Activist Films from the '90s" includes "The Drag Queen Murder Mystery," which features Brenda and Glennda's 1990 visit to Kim's Video on Avenue A. 

The two browse the store's VHS collection, pulling movies off the shelves to discuss queer themes in film.

 

The bill also includes "On the Campaign Trail with Joan Jett Blakk," a 1990 video screened with the Off-Broadway production "Ms. Blakk for President" at the Vineyard Theatre on East 15th Street. (Glennda is also a character in the play.)

The screening offers a look back at New York's drag activism and underground video scene, including a stop at a now-defunct East Village video store. 

The event takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. at Coney Island USA, 1208 Surf Ave., with a reception starting at 3 p.m. The program also includes a Q&A with director Glenn Belverio, moderated by Ben Shields, and live drag performances by Nancy Nogood, Reina Nobuena and Oliver Herface.

Tickets are $20. More information is available here. 

"The Brenda and Glennda Show," a groundbreaking Manhattan public-access program in the 1990s, brought drag out of nightclubs and onto the streets, using humor and activism to address political and social issues.

New signs of activity at the former P.S. 64, but questions remain

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Activity has increased in recent weeks at the former P.S. 64/CHARAS-El Bohio community center on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.

As these photos show, workers have been spotted at the long-vacant landmark, where new scaffolding and construction netting have also appeared.

What's happening inside — and where plans for the building stand — remains unclear.

Nearly a year ago, representatives for the building's new owner said the property was moving toward a "serious plan."

Since then, little public information has emerged about the project, including whether any progress has been made toward lifting the long-standing vacate order.

The most recent approved work permits at the Department of Buildings show job descriptions of "exterior repair and restoration" and "general construction to make building safe for future work."

Last fall, owner Aaron Sosnick told Crain's that restoring the building could take three to seven years and cost an estimated $200 million — twice the figure discussed earlier. The project would be financed through philanthropy, government support and leasing income.

We've been seeking answers from the owner's representatives about the work underway, the status of the vacate order and what comes next.

Sosnick, who owns the property through 605 East 9th Community Holdings LLC, has now agreed to meet with EVG in December to discuss the building and its future.

We'll hope to have more to report then. We're certainly not the only ones asking questions.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center has a new project name 

• Rehabilitation of the former P.S. 64 could take 4 to 6 years, cost over $100 million

Checking in on Ichibantei and its late-night dining hours

We haven't checked in on Ichibantei lately. 

The Japanese comfort-food restaurant and izakaya relocated in 2023 after 13 years on 13th Street near First Avenue, moving a few blocks west to 100 Third Ave. at 13th Street. 

While many restaurants cut back their late-night hours during the pandemic and never restored them, Ichibantei has stuck with its after-midnight schedule.

The restaurant is open until 3 a.m. seven days a week, with the full menu available until last orders at 2:30 a.m. That includes chicken nanban, katsudon, hamburger steak (hambagu) and vegan katsu curry.

Takuya Ito, a host who also handles marketing for Ichibantei, says late-night business remains fairly busy, with couples, local students and out-of-town visitors among the customers.

"Staying open late isn't something we added recently," Ito said. "We've always run late, so serving the full menu until last orders at 2:30 a.m. is simply how we operate."

A wall-size screen also shows anime, Studio Ghibli films, and older movies, with subtitles on and the sound off. There's no set schedule, though major sporting events, including Knicks games and the World Cup, occasionally take over the screen.

The current hours are Monday through Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m., and Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Meanwhile, the same owners operate Studio Hundred, a separate third-floor event space in the building that accommodates private gatherings of up to 130 people until 4 a.m., with food from Ichibantei's kitchen.

Monday's parting shot

Photo by Salim 

As seen on Avenue B and Houston tonight... the Knicks begin defending their title in tomorrow evening's season opener vs. the Sixers...

District 2 housing summit set for Tuesday

City Councilmember Harvey Epstein is hosting a District 2 Housing Summit tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 20) to discuss affordable housing in the neighborhood. 

The event will feature Deputy Mayor Leila Bozorg as keynote speaker, along with HPD Commissioner Dina Levy and panel discussions with housing advocates, housing and real estate policy professionals, and elected officials.

The summit takes place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Friends Seminary, 222 E. 16th St., between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Register here.

Just hanging around for Halloween

Photos by Stacie Joy 

We've now spotted two East Village shops with Halloween decorations depicting bodies wrapped in black trash bags and hanging upside down. (At least, we hope they're decorations.) 

The effect is more macabre crime scene than traditional Halloween spookiness...

Anyway, let us know if you spot a third hanging body. We'll have a trend piece to pitch the Times!

On tonight's CB3-SLA docket: A new bar for the La Linea space; a reading room for 2nd Street

Photos by Stacie Joy

Tonight's October meeting of Community Board 3's SLA committee includes the following applicants (find the full list here)... 

• Three Cherries Hospitality LLC, 15 1st Ave (op) (tavern) 

Three Cherries Hospitality LLC seeks to take over the liquor license at La Linea's longtime home, which has operated between First Street and Second Street since 1994. (La Linea remains open.)

The proposed tavern, whose name is still to be determined, would operate daily from 3 p.m. to 4 a.m. and would have 52 seats, including 16 at the bar. Application here. 

Plans call for eight TVs and a menu of flatbread pizzas, chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, fried zucchini, etc. 

The applicants are Benjamin Aizer, Kevin Peet, Brian Vogel and Andrew Rhodes. Their hospitality backgrounds include the now-closed McKenna's Pub on West 14th Street as well as The Mayfly on Houston and Suffolk.

• Slow Dials (Hartburn LLC), 188 E 2nd St (wb) (bar/tavern) 

Slow Dials, a new reading room, is coming to the former Karma gallery space between Avenue A and Avenue B, offering a place to unplug for a while with a book, a puzzle or an embroidery project. 

Visitors can walk in or reserve a 45- or 90-minute session in the lounge, with access to a library of seasonal short stories, weekly sudoku and logic puzzles, embroidery kits and other activities, per its website. 

Reservations will also include coffee from a rotating selection of local roasters and seasonal teas.

According to its website, Slow Dials is intended as a place to "pass time, spend time, or just make time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life." 

The CB3 application outlines plans for book clubs, writing and journaling groups, craft workshops, author talks and occasional acoustic performances and movie screenings. 

The 50-seat space will also offer sandwiches, soups and other refreshments, along with books, stationery and art supplies. 

Proposed hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, with Tuesdays off.

• The Kankan House (189 Restaurant LLC), 189 E 3rd St (op) (restaurant) 

A new restaurant is in the works in a space that has been vacant for more than 10 years. 

Applicant Priya Jayanth seeks a liquor license for the Kankan House, which will serve coastal Indian cuisine. The proposed layout includes 72 seats at 10 tables, plus 12 barstools. The menu features vegetable samosas, chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, paneer dishes, biryani, among other menu items.

Hours would be 8 a.m. (breakfast?) to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to midnight Friday through Sunday. 

Jayanth's hospitality background includes management experience with Electric Lemon at the Equinox Hotel in Hudson Yards.

• The Voyage (Irish Northwest LLC), 205 E 4th St (op) 

The Voyage, an Irish pub, is proposed for the former Cabin NYC space between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Applicants Nathan Ward, Stephen Curley, and Connor Savage, operating as Irish Northwest LLC, are seeking a new liquor license for the currently vacant storefront. 

The application describes a 60-seat pub with 12 bar seats, a full kitchen serving comfort food and background music. 

The proposed hours extend to 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 2 a.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and midnight on the remaining nights. Weekend hours would begin at 11 a.m., with a 3 p.m. opening Monday through Friday. 

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CB3's SLA meeting is tonight at 6:30. The Zoom link is here. This is a hybrid meeting, and limited public seating is available. The first 15 people who arrive at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery, will be accommodated.

The full exterior reveal at the new ABC No Rio

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

A notable milestone on Rivington Street: the construction netting has come down, revealing the full exterior of the new ABC No Rio. 

The four-story, roughly 8,800-square-foot building, designed by local architect Paul Castrucci, replaces the former tenement home of the longtime arts and community center. 

One distinctive feature is the planting screen and green facade, which will eventually support vegetation. According to ABC No Rio, the design serves as both a sunshade and a nod to the neighborhood's history of community gardens and environmental activism. 

The building also meets rigorous Passive House energy-efficiency standards, with high-performance insulation and other features designed to reduce energy use.

In an Instagram post last week, ABC No Rio said it would announce an opening date soon, though the new space isn't expected to open until early 2027.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Inside the new ABC No Rio

EV Grieve's Week in Review

Posts this past week included (with a bewitching scene from St. Mark's Place) 

• DOT marks completion of Avenue B redesign (Oct. 15) 

• From bands to books, an East Village resident starts a new chapter (Oct. 15) 

• Parks to present 3 options for Tompkins Square recreation area (Oct. 14) 

• Todos Contentos y Yo También bringing Spanish-language books to 3rd Street (Oct. 12) 

• Benefit brings art and community together for families affected by ICE (Oct. 16) 

• Development team for 324 E. 5th St. affordable housing project to appear before CB3 (Oct. 13) 

• Report: Archdiocese says repairs are underway at Most Holy Redeemer (Oct. 16) 

• At the East Village Meat Market for Pierogi Day (Oct. 13) 

• At the Lower East Side Hispanic Heritage Festival (Oct. 11) 

• Kotobuki is back to full-service dining in the East Village (Oct. 15) 

• Justine Kurland's first retrospective continues at OSMOS on 1st Street (Oct. 17) 

• Scenes from the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade (Oct. 17) 

• The PEACE house loses a tree (Oct. 14) 

• 9-story hotel proposed for Allen Street (Oct. 13) 

• Openings: Table Mercato on 10th Street (Oct. 13) 

• Closings: Bake Culture on St. Mark's Place (Oct. 15) … Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart on 2nd Avenue (Oct. 12) … Fat Boys Burgers on 1st Avenue (Oct. 12) 

• A Sunday afternoon at Sushi-Con (Oct. 14) 

• ICYMI: E-bike battery sparks apartment fire on Avenue A (Oct. 10) 

Manic Panic's colorful history on display at the City Reliquary

A new exhibit at the City Reliquary on Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg opened last night and celebrates fifty years of Manic Panic. 

"Still Manic After All These Years: 50 Years of Manic Panic!" traces the history of the hair dye brand founded by Bronx sisters Tish and Snooky Bellomo, from their punk rock beginnings in the East Village to international success. 

The sisters opened the original Manic Panic boutique at 33 St. Mark's Place in the 1970s, selling punk clothing and accessories before their brightly colored hair dyes became the brand's signature product. 

Curated by Lee Berman, the exhibit features photographs, artifacts and other memorabilia from the sisters' early days performing at CBGB alongside bands such as Blondie, as well as the growth of their business.

The City Reliquary, a museum devoted to New York City artifacts, memorabilia, and ephemera, will display the exhibit through the end of March.

Hours: Thursday through Sunday, 12-6. Museum admission: $10 ... $8 for NYC residents. 

Thanks to EVG reader Jacob Ford for the photos and tip. Disclosure: He is an emeritus board member of the City Reliquary Museum.

Barking news: Scenes from the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Top pic: At the start of the parade 

The 36th annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade brought another assortment of costumed canines and their humans to the East Village today. 

The parade, which drew another large crowd, started at 13th Street and headed south on Avenue B to Seventh Street. (The finalists were judged on a runway in the park.)

The NBA champ Knicks were a popular costume choice this year, along with characters from the movies and TV. Among the pop-culture outfits: a duo dressed as the couple who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building broadcast antenna and a pair inspired by the HBO series "Heated Rivalry." 

There were fewer political costumes than in previous years, though John Legend made one notable appearance, dressed as former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, and attended with his wife, Chrissy Teigen. (Below.) The couple's pet food brand, Kismet, helped sponsor this year's event.

The costume competition featured a few familiar neighborhood faces among the judges, including Carol Krakowski, owner of Boris & Horton, and Assembly Member Keith Powers.

And Dan Schachner, familiar to many as the Puppy Bowl referee, returned as emcee.

Here's a look at some of the day's costumes and scenes along the parade route...

Also today, someone launched a new Instagram account — @tompkinssquaredogrun — that questions why the dog parade no longer supports the Tompkins Square Dog Run and posts archival photos from when the event was "for locals by locals."