Bass (1928-2018) took over the family business in 1956 and, the following year, moved the Strand Bookstore from Fourth Avenue to its current location.
Read more about Bass here.
Monday, June 1, 2026
Monday's parting shot
EVG road trip: Total Bummer at the Knockdown Center
Photos by Stacie Joy
Every once in a while, EVG leaves the neighborhood. Yesterday's destination: the Knockdown Center in Maspeth, Queens.
We bought tickets for day 2 of the Total Bummer Fest, co-presented by the Knockdown Center and Saint Vitus, which brought together an array of newer and established noise and shoegaze bands in the former factory.
Saturday's lineup included Dinosaur Jr., Blonde Redhead, Flipper, the Meat Puppets and No Joy.
We opted for the Sunday edition with headliners the Jesus and Mary Chain along with emerging bands that share the same DNA, including Julie, TAGABOW and Lathe of Heaven. (As several bands said, they likely wouldn't be there if it weren't for JAMC's landmark debut album from 1985, Psychocandy.)
Now back to your regularly scheduled East Village programming.
For HAGS, bigger things are on the menu with new space on the Bowery
Photos and interview by Stacie Joy
HAGS has made a big impression in a very small space.
Since opening at 163 First Ave. at 10th Street in 2022, chef Telly Justice and sommelier Camille Lindsley have built a devoted following with their intimate, queer-owned restaurant, known for its vegan and omnivore tasting menus, wine pairings, and pay-what-you-wish brunches.
Now, they're preparing for their next chapter.
Justice and Lindsley recently signed a lease at 334 Bowery between Bond and Great Jones, where they'll have more room to expand on the vision that has made HAGS one of the East Village's most distinctive dining destinations. (They will appear before Community Board 2 for a liquor license tomorrow evening.)
We stopped by HAGS before service on Friday to talk about the move, the design plans and what comes next.
What made you realize it was time to look for a larger space?
From left: Lindsley and Justice
Chef Telly Justice: We have been looking around for another space for a couple of years now, mainly because we know that it takes a long time. New York City commercial real estate is crazy; it's very competitive, and we like to make decisions really slowly and be very patient and thoughtful about how we go through our decision-making processes.
Originally, we were considering opening a second restaurant, but we love what we've built here so much. And in the time it took to find another space, we realized that we had grown a little bit too big for this one. And the community interest and the support that we've been receiving in this space exceed what we're able to offer.
This might change in the future, but we love running one restaurant! I don't know that running two is what our passion is right now. So, with all the love we have for HAGS and the community we've built around it, we want to reinvest in it. And it felt like good timing for us. We've been in this space for almost four years. We signed the lease at least five years ago. It feels like a good, logical time to grow.
Camille Lindsley: I think it's always easier — and this is the first restaurant that we've owned and operated — to start small and grow as you're capable.
What attracted you to this particular location on the Bowery? What did you see in it?
Justice: We looked at a lot of spaces. When we found this space, it was the peak of the pandemic in 2021, and we looked at so many spaces because so many were vacant. I think that really informed what we look for in a commercial space, and we wanted to take a lot of time to see a lot of spaces when making this next decision.
We also knew we did not want to do another gut renovation like we did here. We were very excited to open our first restaurant, and we were caught up in this idea of creating something from scratch that was identifiable and uniquely ours. We wanted something with really good bones, something we could apply our vision to without having to pull a million permits with the City and do so much construction. We wanted to move into a place that felt ready to receive our concept and put our vision on it.
So, the new space is in really great shape. The folks who had it before us took good care of it. It looks nice.
Lindsley: I think that we've taken a lot of time the last few years because there is the practical reality that the real estate market post-pandemic has really changed. It's much more competitive, and it's a lot harder to find a second-generation restaurant space with the seat capacity we were looking for that's still relatively close to where we currently are.
The East Village has been incredibly good to us, and being L-train-adjacent or easy to get to and from Brooklyn is really important for many of our diners — and for many of our staff as well. Being in a larger space makes sense given the existing conditions. We are not eager, as Telly was saying, to do a ton of construction work on a space because it takes so much time.
Justice: It is a ton of work to open a space, but it'll be intentional design work. We want it to feel like what we've built here. We want to show the community that what we grow into is equally intentional.
Will it look the same? Will the menu be the same? What will be new and what will be different?
Lindsley: There will definitely be some aesthetic similarities, but we're looking to evolve that as well. There are more things that you can do with a bigger space. And there are fun quirks of what already exists there that we want to play up. And there are some important HAGS-specific color palettes and visuals we want to implement. It will be exciting to see how we Hagsify the dining room there. We are planning to open up the kitchen in that space because it is currently closed. Here, we have an open kitchen, and we'd like to keep that as part of the concept.
Justice: Yeah, and additionally, one of the big driving desires to go to a larger space is that here, the business model — due to the size and the space — it's very restricted to doing tasting menu service. That's been essential for us to maintain the sustainability of the business. We don't necessarily feel like that's the most essential part of what HAGS is at its DNA level.
So we're really excited to expand into à la carte and more casual entry points to the menu, where people can come for some light bites, maybe a drink at the bar, or have a more upscale, experiential dinner if they like. Being able to feed more people across different dining levels will be a big part of what we do.
Will this space close before the next one opens? Will there be an overlap?
Lindsley: We're not sure.
Justice: Hard to say at this point. Ideally, the fantasy is that we can lock this door and then unlock that one, but I know with the City, sometimes it's hard for the perfect way to be the way it happens. But we're gonna try.
Lindsley: Life never really ever goes exactly as planned.
What will the new space allow that you cannot do now?
Lindsley: Definitely more flexibility in terms of options for dining, having more ways in which you can enjoy the space as a diner, and having the option for à la carte. Additionally, we're hoping for a full liquor license. So that is an exciting, hopeful development as well.
Justice: I think that we've hopefully been good neighbors here, and the community can vouch for the positive impact that we have on our block and in the East Village.
Did you ever imagine the restaurant would grow to this point when you first opened?
Lindsley: No way!
Justice: No.
I think, speaking for myself, we started this concept expecting that it would fail. We thought that maybe we had a good year or two in us. We thought it was a crazy idea from the beginning. We knew there was a lot of trust built into the model, and that people would come and support the things we thought were special, interesting, and cool about the project. We knew that was a big ask of people, of the neighborhood, of the community, but we were really, really surprised, and I'm still surprised and so humbled by how supportive people are of what we do.
It's such a privilege to get to grow. It's a dream.
After a lengthy pause, construction restarts at 1st Avenue and 2nd Street
As we noted in October, according to Department of Buildings filings, the project has changed from a seven-story, 22-unit building to an eight-story, 24-unit building. There are also plans for three retail spaces on the street level.
The DOB issued the latest work permit on Jan. 7, per public records.
There's a new rendering on the site with a completion date of fall of 2027 (previously — 2026).
However, the building's image is the same as before — no new floor spotted here at 88 E. Second St.
The site previously housed three buildings — 33, 35 and 37 First Ave. — which were demolished in early 2024.
Openings and reopenings on 3rd Avenue: Han Dynasty and Olio e Più
The new outpost of Han Dynasty is up and running at 98 Third Ave., between 12th and 13th Streets... four storefronts north of its previous home at 90 Third Ave.
The new, larger space was previously Bar None for 17 years.
Hit the Han Dynasty website for hours, menus, etc.
And on the NW corner of Third Avenue and 13th Street, Olio e Più debuted earlier in May ... (pics below by Stacie Joy).
This will be the third NYC outpost for the Italian trattoria that also has locations in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Per its website, the EV spaces will also offer a "warm and welcoming setting for private events, cocktail receptions, and group gatherings across two floors. Our private balcony looks out over one of downtown's most beloved streets..." [Ed note: ?]
The address (106 Third Ave.) last housed Thirty Love Sports & Leisure and the Memory Motel pop-up. The corner spot was also previously home to various sports bars with animal names in their titles: the Brazen Fox, Ugly Duckling and blue bird.
Openings: Cups of Pasta on 4th Street
Photos by Stacie Joy
Another brand is getting in on the East Village $10-cup-of-pasta trend.
A Cups of Pasta outpost opened this past Friday at 240 E. Fourth St., just west of Avenue B. (Hard to miss.)
As the name implies, the shop serves various pasta cups that you order from a self-serve kiosk...
There's also ice cream here... as the owners are also behind Elios Ice Cream.
This is the third location for the Cups brand, with two in Queens (Sunnyside and Astoria).
Sunday, May 31, 2026
7 posts from May
Spring art on 3rd Street at 2nd Avenue by Jocelyn Tsaih
And a mini month in review...
• Inside the new ABC No Rio (May 28)
• A mother-daughter-owned bookstore bar is coming to Avenue A (May 26)
• A Barnes & Noble is opening in the East Village (May 25)
• After 54 years, Cozy Soup 'n' Burger is closing on Astor Place (May 22)
• RIP Albert Fabozzi, who started the holiday tree tradition in Tompkins Square Park (May 13)
• Allan Dabrio Marrero released from ICE custody, reunited with husband at Middle Church on 7th Street (May 5)
• Two Boots Pizza is moving — but staying in the East Village (May 5)
Week in Grieview
Posts this past week included (with a rando shot on 7th Street)
Never miss an EVG post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here.
• So long for now to Two Boots Pizza (May 30)
• As 2026 nears the halfway point, New York State eliminates restrictions on dancing in bars
• 18-to-life sentence in fatal 2024 East Village stabbing (May 27)
• Ribbon-cutting ceremony marks new chapter for affordable housing at 204 Avenue A (May 26)
• So long for now to Two Boots Pizza (May 30)
• As 2026 nears the halfway point, New York State eliminates restrictions on dancing in bars
(May 29)
And today's Week in Grieview is not sponsored by the USPS — "We Deliver [Smoke] for You"™ (photo by Stacie Joy)
A look at 'Loisaida Thrives' on Avenue C and 6th Street
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
The new mural on the southwest corner of Avenue C and Sixth Street was officially unveiled last Sunday during the 39th edition of the Loisaida Festival.
The project, led by Thrive Collective's Murals Art Director Marissa Molina, is described as a "celebration of the neighborhood" in the piece titled "Loisaida Thrives."
Here's Molina and Thrive Collective Executive Director Jeremy R. Del Rio from last Sunday...
We went back a few days later for a better look at the mural...
The wall previously featured the long-running "Alphabet City" mural, which lasted nearly 11 years before falling into disrepair and being repeatedly tagged. It was painted over last summer. The building wall has been a frequent target of vandalism in recent years.
The new mural is part of a 2026 Public Realm grant awarded by the city's Department of Small Business Services to Thrive Collective. Last November, organizers hosted a community gathering at the Lower East Side/Chinatown Family Enrichment Center to help inform the mural's design.
Thrive originated in 1996 on the Lower East Side as a youth center in NYC Public Housing serving primarily Hispanic youth. Today, Thrive Collective partners with schools and communities across the city on mural and arts education projects, connecting artists with students and local residents.
Read more about their work here.
Also helping with the mural — NYC-based artist OuterSource.
Below are the various credits for making this happen...
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Tree down in Tompkins
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
A tree came down earlier today near the Ninth Street and Avenue B entrance to Tompkins Square Park.
According to a Parks Department employee on the scene, the working assumption is that the tree fell due to today's high winds.
There were no reports of injuries.
The city's Tree Services are on the scene...
Updated:
A look at the damage to the park bench...
Farewell to Two Boots Pizza for now
Photos by Stacie Joy
After decades at Avenue A and Third Street, Two Boots Pizza served its final slices here last night.
The closure comes after a rent increase that owner Phil Hartman said made it impossible to stay, as we first reported.
Still, there's hope for a sequel: Hartman is searching for a new East Village home and plans to bring many of the shop's murals, mosaics and other artwork along for the next chapter.
Meanwhile, here's a look at the final night on Avenue A...
Longtime EV-based photographer Godlis was among those in attendance...
There are still other Two Boots locations in the city if you need your Buckminster fix.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Saturday's opening shot
Outdoor activities today include the 13th annual Spring Awakening via LUNGS ... the rain-delayed celebration of neighborhood community gardens and Earth Day.
You could also grab your board and give Hell Ride a whirl.
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