EV Grieve's East Village Week in Review

Posts this past week included (with a fall morning view from Avenue C and Houston)...

• New signs of activity at the former P.S. 64, but questions remain (Oct. 20) 

• City-funded pet food program comes to 3 East Village pantries (Oct. 22) 

• Remembering Rose Friedman, East Village resident and NPR editor (Oct. 23) 

• CB3 committee backs major overhaul of Tompkins Square Park recreation area (Oct. 21) 

• Repairs planned for Tompkins Square Park's pothole-filled paths (Oct. 23) 

• Report: Landlord of 1st Avenue building with Michael Jackson murals faces foreclosure (Oct. 24) 

• A finishing touch for the 6-story Basquiat mural on the Bowery (Oct. 21) 

• The full exterior reveal at the new ABC No Rio (Oct. 19) 

• How you can get a copy of the latest East Village Vintage Clothing Map (Oct. 24) 

• Checking in on Ichibantei and its late-night dining hours (Oct. 20) 

• Soup for a good cause on Sunday (Oct. 22) 

• Dreaming on Ludlow: 3 nights of shoegaze and dream pop at Pianos (Oct. 21) 

• "LAND BACK in Cities" exhibition continues on 6th Street (Oct. 24) 

• Manic Panic's colorful history on display at the City Reliquary (Oct. 18) 

• Halloween at Key (Oct. 22) 

And our homemade tribute to one of our favorite bands, the Damned, who were in town this past week for their 50th anniversary tour. (Pics from the "New Rose" video.) Revisit our 2024 interview with Captain Sensible on the importance of the Ramones and the legend of CBGB. 

Today in Tompkins Square Park: A meetup to support the bars and courts

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The Save Tompkins Square Park Fitness organizers (from left): 

Melody Knight-Brown, Jahmal Kirwan, Thea Rae and Rob Hollander. 

A two-day community meetup supporting the future of the bars and courts in Tompkins Square Park continues today (Sunday) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Organized by Save Tompkins Square Park, the gathering invites people of all ages and abilities to stop by, work out, play basketball, dance or simply meet others who use the recreation area.

The event comes ahead of an important vote on the park's proposed $9.93 million renovation. As we reported last week, Community Board 3's Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency Committee voted on Oct. 15 to recommend the most extensive of three renovation options presented by the Parks Department. 

The proposal calls for replacing the existing mini-pool with a new in-ground pool, renovating the basketball courts, replacing the fitness equipment and resurfacing the recreation area. Construction is expected to take approximately 18 months. 

While Parks officials say they've revised the plans to address concerns about the replacement fitness equipment, some longtime users continue to push for repairs rather than a wholesale reconstruction.

They're also concerned about losing access to the popular recreation area during construction. The committee's recommendation is not final. 

The full Community Board 3 will consider the proposal on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at P.S. 20, 166 Essex St. The meeting is open to the public, with a Zoom option available. Residents who wish to speak during the public session can register online by 3 p.m. Tuesday or sign up in person between 6 and 6:30 p.m. Speakers are limited to two minutes each, with four speakers permitted on each side of an issue, per CB3 officials.

Organizers of today's gathering encourage residents to attend and share their views.

Halloween on 7th Street

Photos by Stacie Joy 

As seen on Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... a favorite building this time of year, during Halloween...

Election 2026: Early voting begins TODAY

Find more info, including what's on the ballot, at NYCvotes. Find your polling site here.

Report: Landlord of 1st Avenue building with Michael Jackson murals faces foreclosure

An East Village landlord is facing foreclosure on his building at 180 First Ave... on the SE corner of 11th Street. (On the far left above.)

 According to Crain's New York Business, investors in a $7.1 million mortgage allege that owner Moshe Khoshkheraman has not made a loan payment since May. 

A lawsuit filed Tuesday in Manhattan Supreme Court seeks to force an auction of the five-story building with the Michael Jackson murals on the north-facing wall, which arrived here in 2018.

Khoshkheraman purchased the property in 2022; it contains 16 apartments and a ground-floor commercial space, last home for a few weeks (for real) to UZ Grill House.

The lawsuit also alleges that Khoshkheraman refused to allow an investor-appointed inspector into the building in September, another condition of default under the loan agreement. 

Crain's reports that state housing records show none of the building's apartments are rent-stabilized. A renovated one-bedroom apartment last rented for approximately $3,600 a month in June.

Khoshkheraman has acquired several properties in recent years, including 51 E. Houston St., home to Milano's, the 146-year-old bar near Mott Street. 

The foreclosure action concerns only 180 First Ave. The report indicates no indication that Milano's or its building is affected.

How you can get a copy of the latest East Village Vintage Clothing Map

The latest edition of the East Village Vintage Clothing Map is now available. 

The owners of East Village Vintage Collective, located at 545 E. 12th St., between Avenue A and Avenue B, started the map more than 10 years ago. 

You can pick up a free map at the shop... or online here... and support your local vintage shops!

Something wicked this way books: The LES Halloween Bookstore Crawl returns today

The 6th Annual Lower East Side Halloween Bookstore Crawl takes place today. (Saturday!) 

Organizers are promising (in no particular order): Prizes! Costume contests! Giveaways! Scary good discounts! 

• Afterword Bookshop, 216 E. Sixth St., between Second Avenue and Cooper Square 

• Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, 28 E. Second St., between First and Second Avenue

• Book Club Bar, 197 E. Third St., between Avenue A and B 

• Pillow-Cat Books, 328 E. Ninth St., between First and Second Avenue 

• Sweet Pickle Books, 47 Orchard St., between Grand and Hester 

• Village Works, 12 St. Mark's Place, between Second and Third Avenue 

• Yu & Me Books, 44 Mulberry St., between Bayard and Worth 

Check with the individual shops for hours and participating specials.

'LAND BACK in Cities' exhibition continues on 6th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The 10-day exhibition "LAND BACK in Cities" continues on Sixth Street, featuring projects focused on Indigenous sovereignty and the return of ancestral lands in urban settings. 

The exhibition brings together Indigenous and settler activists, architects, designers, artists and community organizations from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. 

Through maps, films, visual art, oral histories and community-led projects, the exhibition explores efforts to restore Indigenous self-determination and environmental stewardship.

The show continues at 238 E. Sixth St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square through Tuesday (Oct. 27). Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and noon to 7 p.m. Friday through Monday. 

Find more information and related programming at the exhibition website.

Forever now

 

Here's a great new single from Nabihah Iqbal, a musician, writer and DJ from London who also lives in the East Village. 

As she explained, "It's a song about the happiness of friendship, and it really is about all my best friends and all the good times now and forever!" 

Catch her live next Saturday night (Oct. 31!) at Night Club 101 on Avenue A.

And keep an eye out for more new music as she recently signed with a new label, Ghostly. 

The Earth School hosts its Fall Fair on Saturday (tomorrow!)

The Earth School is hosting its annual Fall Fair tomorrow (Oct. 24) from noon to 4 p.m. in the school's big yard on Fourth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

The community event will feature games, crafts, a bounce house, food, music and a rummage sale. 

"We're excited to have a fun-filled day with our community and are hoping to have lots of neighbors stop by," a parent told us. 

The fair is open to everyone in the neighborhood.

Remembering Rose Friedman, East Village resident and NPR editor

Rose Friedman, an East Village resident since 2014, died of cancer on Sept. 17. She was 38. 

Friedman, an accomplished labor historian and arts and culture editor for NPR, fought for and won a major increase in paid parental leave for her co-workers in the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. 

Rose worked on dozens of stories with an abiding interest in food, books and workers' struggles. She also covered the Harvey Weinstein trial in Lower Manhattan for the network. 

Rose is survived by her partner, Andrew, and her children, Pepi and Lotte. 

She was a partisan of the neighborhood's eclectic food and drink culture and was often found out along Avenue C, especially at ABC Beer Co., where an informal gathering will celebrate her life on Sunday (Oct. 25) at 2 p.m. 

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests tipping your bartenders double. 

ABC Beer Co. is at 96 Avenue C between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

Repairs planned for Tompkins Square Park's pothole-filled paths

Residents concerned about the deteriorating, pothole-filled walkways in Tompkins Square Park may finally see some improvements. 

During Community Board 3's Parks, Recreation, Waterfront & Resiliency Committee meeting last Thursday evening (Oct. 15), Steve Simon, chief of staff for the Manhattan borough office of the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, said funding is available for several pathway projects. 

Simon said money secured through Councilmember Harvey Epstein will support repairs to the park's paths, with work likely beginning on the west side. He also confirmed that funding is already in the budget to redo the Ninth Street transverse, the east-west pathway through the park. 

The project had been planned several years ago but was postponed while the Parks Department prioritized construction of the new field house, completed in April 2025.

Simon also mentioned plans to install synthetic turf in the park's large dog run. 

No exact timeline was provided for the pathway improvements or the dog run project.

A slide provided during the meeting shows the paths "completed by 2028"... and the dog run next year.

La Plaza Cultural celebrates 50 years on Saturday

La Plaza Cultural, the community garden at the southwest corner of Ninth Street and Avenue C, celebrates its 50th anniversary tomorrow (Oct. 24) with an afternoon of food, music, and neighborhood history.

The festivities include opening remarks from 2 to 3 p.m. by Ross Martin, the garden's landscape coordinator and former executive director, Alejandro Torres of Loisaida Inc. and Charles King of LUNGS.

Food and music will continue throughout the afternoon. 

Admission is free, with donations welcome.

At 8:30 p.m., the garden will screen a documentary currently in production about La Plaza Cultural's evolution over the decades. The film covers the garden's recovery from Hurricane Sandy, the construction of its solar pavilion and pond, and other chapters in its history. 

Find more details on the La Plaza Cultural website.

Thursday's parting shot

Moon view from along Second Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street...

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black takes over Tompkins Square Park Saturday

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, the glam-punk performance legends led by East Village-based artist Kembra Pfahler, headlines a six-band bill in Tompkins Square Park on Saturday. 

The show runs from 2-6 p.m. 

On Sunday afternoon, there's a Punk in the Park extravaganza...

Halloween at Key

Photos by Stacie Joy 

If you've ventured into Key Food on Avenue A and Fourth Street lately, you’ve likely noticed management has gone full throttle this Halloween season. 

Skeletons, ghastly specters (our fave!), and assorted plastic horrors are currently dangling above the checkout lanes and aisles.

The decorations are so extensive that the self-checkout area has somehow become less terrifying... (we kid, because we love)...

... and a view from the office...

Here’s hoping the store soundtrack keeps pace with the decor. Leading up to Oct. 31, we're hoping for a rotation of "Thriller," "Ghostbusters," and Rockwell’s "(I Always Feel Like) Somebody's Watching Me," with a little Ministry or Siouxsie and the Banshees tossed in... maybe even Mötley Crüe's "Shout at the Devil"? 

City-funded pet food program comes to 3 East Village pantries

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The Father's Heart Ministries on 11th Street between Avenues A and B has added something new to its food pantry: free food for dogs and cats. 

We recently visited the longtime organization at 543-545 E. 11th St., between Avenue A and Avenue B, where executive director Marian Hutchins showed us around the pantry and explained how their pantry program works. 

Instead of handing out prepacked bags of groceries, the pantry lets visitors choose the food they want and take what they need. Information is available in English, Spanish and Chinese.

The organization also prepares breakfast on-site, with a space for visitors to sit and eat.

The new pet food offering includes dry food for dogs and cats, but no wet food ... available every Saturday from 8:30 to 11 a.m.

The pet food is part of a new citywide initiative that began on Monday, making free dog and cat food available at 22 city-funded food pantries across the five boroughs. The city has allocated $500,000 for the program to help New Yorkers struggling to feed their pets. 

Three participating pantries are in the East Village:

 

• The Father's Heart Ministries: 543-545 E. 11th St.

• The Lower Eastside Girls Club: 402 E. Eighth St., between Avenues C and D 

• Trinity's Services and Food for the Homeless (SAFH): 602 E. Ninth St. at Avenue B 

While the Father's Heart has already begun distributing pet food, Trinity is still awaiting its first delivery.

"I just talked with our executive director Alex Lawrence, and he said that our delivery is coming later in the month," Pastor Will told EVG. "It's an exciting program and we're happy to be a part of it, especially with our proximity to the dog run and the dog community." 

The initiative is part of the city's broader expansion of food assistance. The Mamdani administration and City Council have allocated $78 million for food distribution in fiscal year 2027 through the Community Food Connection program, which supports more than 700 food pantries citywide. 

The additional $500,000 for pet food is intended to help residents care for their animals without having to give them up because of financial hardship.

Soup for a good cause on Sunday

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Hearth and Brodo are hosting "Soup for Good," a walk-around soup tasting event on Sunday, with proceeds benefiting Trinity's Services and Food for the Homeless (SAFH). 

The event will feature soups from chefs and restaurants across downtown Manhattan, allowing attendees to sample a variety of offerings while supporting a neighborhood organization. 

SAFH operates a soup kitchen and food pantry at 602 E. Ninth St. at Avenue B. Tickets are $55 per person, with entry times at noon and 2 p.m. All proceeds will benefit SAFH. 

Find more information and tickets via Hearth's website (noon ... and 2 p.m.) 

Hearth is at 403 E. 12th St. and First Avenue.

Wednesday's parting shot

A reflecting pool on 10th and B (thanks to some roadway work)...

A finishing touch for the 6-story Basquiat mural on the Bowery

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The six-story Jean-Michel Basquiat mural at the Bowery and Great Jones Street is now complete. 

Artist Owen Dippie signed the work yesterday, marking the end of a project that began in mid-September.

The mural pays tribute to Basquiat, who lived and worked nearby at 57 Great Jones St. 

Both Dippie and his wife, Erin, who helped bring the project together, described the day as an emotional one, marking the culmination of years of work. The two paid for the project out of their own pocket.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Up high with artist Owen Dippie and his 6-story Basquiat mural on the Bowery