Photo by Stacie Joy
When it got really stormy for a few minutes this evening... view to the west from Houston at Avenue A...
Friday, June 12, 2026
Only U
Nautics, an NYC band who've been playing together since high school in 2015, are on the free Show Brain bill tomorrow afternoon in Tompkins Square Park.
The video here is for "U23" ... their latest single.
Pinc Louds is recording their new record live tomorrow in Tompkins Square Park
The afternoon lineup includes an album-release show by locals Telescreens (3:35-4:35) ... plus Nautics (2:40-3:10) and Abbie Roper (1:50-2:20).
There's also an after-party at 96 Tears on Avenue A near Seventh Street.
Set times are subject to change!
The wurst is over: Crif Dogs signage returns to St. Mark's Place
The oversized frankfurter was removed months ago for a facade-restoration project at No. 113...
Crif Dogs opened here in 2001.
Friday's opening reminder
Photo by Stacie Joy
The annual Drag March — one of our favorite events of the year — is two weeks from today... (Friday, June 26!) at the start of Pride Weekend.
Participants will start gathering in Tompkins Square Park around 7 p.m.-ish... before stepping off for the march over to the Stonewall Inn.
Revisit Stacie Joy's photos from last year at this link.
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Thursday's parting shot
Report: Judge clears way for men's intake shelter to open on 3rd Street
As reported by The New York Times, Justice Sabrina Kraus ruled yesterday that the city provided a rational basis for moving the intake operation from the deteriorating former Bellevue intake center on East 30th Street to the East Village facility to the Renewal on the Bowery facility.
Neighbors who sued to block the move argued that converting the site into an intake center — where people typically stay only a few days — would have a different impact on the neighborhood than the substance-abuse shelter that has operated there for decades. They contended that the change should have triggered additional public review.
In her ruling, Kraus acknowledged residents' concerns and frustration over not having an opportunity to weigh in on a decision that could affect the character of the block, but said the court could not substitute its judgment for that of the city.
Attorney Randy Mastro, who represents the residents challenging the move, told the Times that his clients are considering an appeal.
The city announced plans in March to move the intake operation to 8 E. Third St. after determining that the longtime men's intake center near Bellevue was in poor condition and needed to close immediately.
Project Renewal was founded in 1967, and the organization has used the spaces at 8 E. Third St. and 333 Bowery for decades.
A visit to Singapore Social
Photos and interview by Stacie Joy
Singapore Social is still settling into its new home at 15 Avenue A between Houston and Second Street, but the restaurant has already found an audience.
Since opening in late April in the former Foul Witch space, the restaurant has been drawing diners eager for dishes rooted in Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian cooking — cuisines that co-owner Suriane Sahari (below) believes remain underrepresented in New York.
We caught up with Sahari before her return to Singapore to talk about the early response, favorite dishes, expansion plans and why the East Village feels a little like home.
You’ve only recently opened your doors. How has it been so far?
The majority of the people who come in are Southeast Asian. We have mostly Southeast Asian guests, and it was quite a shocker for us because we just blasted on Instagram and a majority know us from Instagram/social media. They were so thankful that we're open here because here we find that the Singaporean, Indonesian, and Malaysian cuisines are underrated in New York.
That's why we want to represent it properly, with its authenticity, while still taking a fun approach to the New York crowd.
What do you think of the East Village?
Oh, it's been amazing. It's so lively, and it never stops. New York kind of reminds me a bit of Singapore. The diversity and the people, all so nice, so assertive. We are truly blessed.
So far, what is the best-selling menu item?
The best-selling item has been our satay, the chicken satay. And our chicken rice — the roasted chicken rice and the nasi lemak ayam berempah (coconut rice with chicken, fried egg, peanuts and anchovies).
Actually, all of our dishes are equally selling! It's been all good, nothing down, nothing that's not selling.
We are so proud, and it keeps us very busy because every one of our items is labor-intensive. It’s all housemade. So that's why it's a good challenge for us, labor-wise, because we need to have a lot of people.
And then bringing in the recipes, which are new to New Yorkers, is another good challenge, and we get to expand our food to all New Yorkers.
Do you see yourselves expanding?
In New York, definitely. Maybe we're looking for more of the Upper East Side, if it's possible. But we still want to get the momentum going first. Then maybe we think of expanding. We don't want to be overachieving something.
New York is a great place. This is a great location. It's the people who play a lot of the part here, and we have people from Brooklyn and even New Jersey. Most of the Southeast Asians are there, and then they travel all the way here to eat. And then we are like, oh my God, you shouldn't. But thank you for coming all the way here.
And getting the liquor license was very complicated. For me, as a first-timer here, there's a lot to do: paste this and that in the restaurant, and then they have to take pictures. There are many procedures here. It's different from Singapore, actually.
Really? How so?
Yeah, in Singapore, it's just quite straightforward. It's just everything in one. But here, you have to print certain things, then paste them on the wall, and you need a legal license and all.
So, it's different...it's definitely more complex, more steps as compared to Singapore.
If you were to eat a meal here, what would you pick?
Oh, me personally? My favorite is the nasi lemak ayam berempah. It is so well seasoned, and it's just… whoa! And it's the whole day you can last on it. You don't have to eat anything else.
Also, our coffee and tea are imported; sourcing was difficult because they were hard to find in New York. So, it’s a similar taste but different brands.
And we hope to expand the menu soon to add more noodle dishes, and maybe a famous Singaporean dish called carrot cake, made of radishes and rice flour. It has no carrots!
Here's a look around the space...
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Sahari and her partner, chef (and other co-owner/co-founder) Jonathan Lim, has already returned to Singapore. They are both senior managers for Roberta's in Singapore.
Roberta's co-founders, Brandon Hoy and chef Carlo Mirarchi, opened Foul Witch here in January 2023.
Signage alert: Kuroneko on 10th Street
The chef here, Josh Reisner, is in his early 20s and has already worked in kitchens ranging from Noreetuh to Momofuku Kāwi. At age 10, he was a finalist on "MasterChef Junior."
The menu features ramen and classic Japanese dishes "inspired by his extensive training in Japanese kitchens, his Singaporean heritage, and a love of Western European cuisines, per What Now NY. Menu here.
Kuroneko is expected to open this summer.
The 10th Street space previously housed Rai Rai Ken.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Wednesday's parting shot
His family placed the flowers and birthday decorations here at the memorial plaque outside 45 E. Seventh St.
Figueroa and Moises Locón died on March 26, 2015, during the gas explosion that also injured two dozen people, and leveled three buildings (119, 121 and 123 Second Ave.).
Figueroa, who had recently graduated from SUNY Buffalo State, was at Sushi Park, 121 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, and the site of the fatal blast, dining with a co-worker. Locón, 27, worked at Sushi Park.
Knicks fever in the East Village: A photo essay
During the first three games of the series against the San Antonio Spurs, EVG's Stacie Joy captured scenes from around the East Village as fans embraced the moment... here's a look from this past week ahead of tonight's game four...
Rabbit Books and Bar owners share an update ahead of a mid-July opening on Avenue A
Photos and interview by Stacie Joy
Signage arrived Monday for Rabbit Books and Bar, the incoming business at 170 Avenue A on the corner of 11th Street. (We first reported on this here.)
Yesterday, owners Marianna Vaidman Stone and her daughter, Emily Samara Stone, discussed the community's response to the project, addressed questions about the bookstore-bar-cafe concept, and said they remain on track for a mid-July opening.
What has the response been like in the community and from the neighborhood?
Marianna Vaidman Stone: It’s been so delightful! It really has been so delightful. We feel welcomed to the neighborhood. When we were out there [on Monday] putting up the posters, so many people stopped to say hello, to say how excited they were to meet us. And some of them had already been aware of us from social media.
It's been really nice, a wonderful welcome, and we're excited about the welcome we've gotten.
Emily Samara Stone: People are excited about the concept itself. We got quite a few "we're so happy that it's a family business that's coming in here," like a mom-and-pop or mom and daughter. [laughs] People have been super welcoming.
Has anyone reached out from Barnes & Noble [opening across Avenue A in November]?
Emily: No.
Do you think they might?
Marianna: No. I don't expect them to.
Emily: They're pretty big.
Marianna: Right. I don't know if we're on their radar, but even if we were, I imagine their view would be, ‘we're doing our thing.’ And our view is we're doing our thing, and we're going to continue to do our thing. Presumably, they're going to continue to do their thing.
Emily: Hopefully, there'll be more reaching out when they're closer to opening.
Marianna: Yeah, they're still a ways away from even their anticipated opening date.
What would you say to the people who are concerned, is this a bar or is it a bookstore?
Marianna: We would say that this concept, at its heart, is a bookstore. We have always conceived of the food and drink as a way to help people have the book experience.
I know that this neighborhood has faced, in the past, places that claim to be one thing and then turn louder and more boisterous.
My childhood dream was a bookstore. I'm pretty quiet…we're both quiet. I have always looked for a place where I can talk to my friends, and I want that to be this place.
I'm not in it to maximize the return on the people walking by this corner. I'm really in it to make a community space, a lovely space for conversation. And to some extent, other people have no reason to trust me, per se; they don't know me yet. But I think once they get to know us, they'll hopefully come around and see that we are good-faith operators and are presenting a good-faith picture of our plans that we're committed to.
Emily: I also, in that vein, want to be clear that it is really both a bookstore and a bar. And we hear concerns about the density of nightlife in this area. But the answer to that isn't "Footloose."
One of our answers to that is a slightly quieter alternative where you can hear your friends, talk about books, and have a glass of wine. We're not pretending that that's not true.
How are things with the targeted opening date?
Marianna: We're still aiming for mid-July, and so far, we're sticking to it!
Work starts on new 10th Street pedestrian bridge to East River Park
Beginning this week, crews are mobilizing equipment east of Avenue D on 10th Street in preparation for pile installation for the new bridge, which will provide a fully accessible connection into East River Park.
According to project officials, pile installation is expected to be a noisy and disruptive operation and is scheduled to continue for approximately three months.
The work will require parking restrictions and road closures, including access to the FDR Drive Service Road from 10th Street during work hours (7 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Noise, vibration and air-quality monitors are in place, according to the bulletin.
Access to the 10th Street pedestrian bridge closed in May 2025. Later, workers demolished the bridge overnight last July.
The replacement structure is one of several new elevated access points being built to connect the neighborhood to the rebuilt East River Park.
The "phased work operations" in East River Park started in November 2021 as part of a billion-plus-dollar project to elevate large sections of the park by 8 to 10 feet above sea level, aiming to protect the neighborhood from future storm surges.
The southern half of East River Park, past Houston Street, is now open again.
The timeline for completing this northern section of East River Park was pushed back by a year to the end of 2027, as we first reported here.
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