A visit to June First Skincare

Text and photos by Stacie Joy 

The first two months of a new year traditionally finds a focus on health resolutions and goals. 

So in early 2022, I looked at a (new to me) wellness practice of the buccal or intra-oral massage. I dropped by esthetician June Xie’s new spa, June First Skincare, at 76 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue to learn more about this practice and see it performed on Lana Rad.

After observing the unusual massage and the subsequent facial skincare routine, I talked with June about the challenges of opening a personal skincare spa during a pandemic, the intra-oral massage, and her love for the East Village, where she both lives and works. 

How did June First Skin come to be? When did you open?

First Skin was born in November 2021. I saw a cute spot open down the street from my apartment, and I knew it was time. 

But the beginning of this story goes much further back. I attended [CUNY’s] Queens College and majored in accounting because everyone advised me that finance is where the money is. I got a job as an accountant and for several years huddled myself into a cubicle, stressed out and eating bad food, doing a job I didn’t love. 

One day, I looked in the mirror, figuratively and literally, and decided this wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life. I quit my job and used my savings to attend Christine Valmy School for Esthetics. I learned skincare by day, and by night I read every dermatology book I could find, devouring as much information as possible. I graduated top of my class and got a job at the famous Christine Chin Spa, esthetician to the stars. 

While training under Christine Chin (also known as the “Mean Christine” the Extraction Queen), I worked with several celebrity figures, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Padma Lakshmi and Queen Rania Jordan. 

After that, I took a job at Glow Bar. Once I felt that my skills and product knowledge were where I wanted them to be, it was just a matter of finding the right location! 

Why choose the East Village for your spa? 

It is a dream come true to have my business in the East Village, one of my favorite neighborhoods in NYC! I live here and I love being in such a vibrant neighborhood. 

Talk about the buccal massage.

It’s a treatment that requires the technician to wear gloves and insert fingers inside the mouth to maneuver the delicate muscle from inside out. It feels like an adventure and, at the same time, is deeply releasing and relaxing. 

Many people are skeptical at first, but it can be a mind-blowing experience because the procedure works on rarely stimulated muscles. This maneuver is highly sought-after throughout most of Asia, and I learned this technique from an international master. 

What would you tell people who have never experienced an intra-oral massage before? 

I say try it at least once in your lifetime; it doesn’t hurt, and most likely, you will love it!

What has operating a personal-care spa been like during the pandemic? 

It is challenging, especially for a new spa. People are afraid of being in close proximity to their service provider, so they usually put off getting facials during this time. I am vaccinated and have the ventilation on and disinfect after every client to ensure the place is as safe as possible. 

What are your plans for the year ahead? 

Lately, I have been delving into the world of energy work and hypnosis. I am exploring those areas and I plan to create a few unique services on my menu that incorporate energy work into my facials. I think that is an exciting project for the new year.

You can keep up with the salon on Instagram.

A visit to CLLCTV.NYC

Text and photos by Stacie Joy 

I’m meeting with the CLLCTV.NYC (pronounced “collective dot NYC”) team behind the new flex space for events, art shows and pop-ups at 209 E. Third St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.

Edward Rivera, Johanna Vizueta, Amir Hoskins and Kelly J. Glusovich are preparing the space to receive visitors for the Danny Cortes show, Big Time Miniatures, a nostalgic look at quotidian old-school NYC locations and objects.

Cortes and Rivera...

Fire hydrants, ice machines, dumpsters, mailboxes, bodegas and stoops all factor heavily into the miniatures hand-crafted by the artist. Since there is a line forming outside of folks waiting to get in, I try to grab a few minutes with Edward Rivera to talk about the space, the collective and the show.

How did the idea of the collective come about? What prompted you to select the space it’s in? 

As with all of our decisions, we came upon the name as we are a collective. We aspire to weave art, education and community into our work — collectively. 

Why is staying in the East Village/Lower East Side so important to you?

Three of the partners have deep roots in the LES. It ain’t hard to tell. We all very much respect and move fluidly throughout the LES with our own individual networks that combine (of course) to be yet another collective effort. 

Was this the first show you featured? 

Our first show effort was for our partner Kelly’s brand officialhipost.com. It served as much as a dress rehearsal as a pop-up and an opportunity to touch the community with far more than a retail event. 

As with many events we develop, we do a community-based Q&A during the show about the work and the artist/designer. We enjoyed a big success and turnout even though we were only 70% operational in November 2021. 

How did your collaboration with Danny Cortes come together? 

We approached Danny to do a show because his work is super dope, which is our lane of content and that which we wish to display, develop, and help blow up. We put him on our “hit list” and forwarded him a proposal regarding our abilities and future plans. He took our meeting, and the vibe was cosmic and well communicated from start to finish. 

How was the opening weekend of the Big Time Miniatures show? 

Big Time Miniatures was nuts! Danny’s VIP reception was packed and we saw better numbers each night. Individuals in attendance are not into identification as they honor a different code, which we respect, so name dropping is nil. We credit our individual networks’ ability to cross-pollinate, as we don’t rely on formal advertising and promotions.

You decided to extend the show? What are the dates and hours that it’s open to the public? 

We decided to open Tuesday and Wednesday (Feb. 22 and 23, from 1-8 p.m.) as Danny and the CLLCTV saw fit to offer additional hours. Info will be posted to our Instagram. 

What’s next for the space? 

Wish we felt like discussing it, but talent and entities we work with agree with our preference to remain mum until 4 to 5 weeks from any given event date, though our planning process is an intensive 8- to 10-week journey. We turn our modest 1,100-square-foot space into the world of the artist or entity, and we do it respectively; collectively.

A visit to Via Della Scrofa

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

The warmth of the small but well-stocked alimentari fogs up my glasses, and I can still faintly smell delicious espresso and chocolate-y scents even behind my face-covering mask as I enter Via Della Scrofa at 60 E. Fourth St. 

Co-owner Giovanni Bartocci is there to greet me and show me around the recently opened shop between Second Avenue and the Bowery as locals drop by for sandwiches and morning coffee.  

On this winter morning, the usually gregarious Bartocci is stressed about a recent immigration decision that’s forcing him to temporarily leave the country for his native Italy. Regardless, he still manages a smile and presses some individually wrapped cookies into everyone’s hands before they exit the store.

I wait until there’s a break in the foot traffic to talk with Bartocci about the store, the neighborhood and his somewhat uncertain plans for the future. (We’ll have more on his status in part two of our coverage tomorrow, in which we discuss Via Della Pace, his 17-year-old restaurant on Seventh Street and Second Avenue that was destroyed by a fire in 2020. Via Della Pace is set to reopen on Fourth Street this year.)

How did Via Della Scrofa come to be? 

My business partner Marco Ventura and I always wanted to open a little Bottega — a little shop. You can find one in every town in Italy where you go to buy just some guanciale, and you get out with a bag full of different things and go back in because you bought biscotti, pasta, candy, olive oil…but you forgot the guanciale [laughs]!

Plus, we couldn’t go back because of the pandemic, so we tried to recreate a little piece of Italy here. The name Via Della Scrofa came almost naturally for many reasons. We own Via Della Pace, the restaurant. And in Rome, the two streets are very close, like we will be when we can reopen the restaurant. 

On Via Della Scrofa in Rome, there is the famous restaurant Alfredo Alla Scrofa from Alfredo of the Alfredo sauce fame. And last, the “scrofa” is the sow…and if you walk in [to the shop], you want to eat everything.

What do you recommend for first-time shoppers at the store? What are the best-selling items?

I recommend not being shy and asking for suggestions from Marco or me. We will guide you and explain what we sell —we want you to experience our traditions in the best way possible! 

The best-selling item for sure is the Chinotto Neri — so good we went out of stock in less than 40 days, but it will be back by the end of January. Also, porchetta and guanciale cioli, Galatine Milk Candy — a lot of things!

Why is it important for you to have your businesses in the East Village?

We love the East Village! We have always been here; this is our neighborhood. It is like a home away from home! We always try to be here for the people of the East Village. We stayed open during the Sandy blackout, giving away food and we did the same for the people living in the buildings of the explosion in the opposite corner [of Via Della Pace in 2015]. People needed just to show us something to prove they were living there, and we were offering spaghetti al Pomodoro and a glass of wine anytime they wanted.

What’s next for the shop? Any future plans?

Now we just want to open the restaurant — we are focusing on that. After that, we don’t know. We are happy as long as people walk out of our locations with a smile. 

And if we will make a lot of people smile, then we will consider new adventures. 

You can keep tabs on the shop here. They are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

And stay tuned for part two of our coverage tomorrow, where we talk about Via Della Pace’s reopening and the complex immigration issues that are forcing Bartocci to temporarily leave the country.

A Visit to Made Up There Farms

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

I’m carrying an EpiPen to visit beekeeper Idan Cohen on East Third Street near Second Avenue. I’m hoping the bees won’t be able to tell I’m allergic. However, it’s all worth it to see the hives, bees and honey Idan tends on the rooftop of his building. 

After some “getting to know you time” with the bees and rooftop garden, I head downstairs to watch Idan’s wife and kids sell the fall 2021 harvested honey to passersby and neighbors and learn more from the apiarist about the process of local honey-making.

How did you come to tend bees on the rooftop of your building?

I love cooking. It’s a passion that always leads me in search of local and fresh produce. That search brought me to build a rooftop farm on our building in the East Village eight years ago, producing most of the vegetables and herbs we consume in the summer. 

A natural addition to the farm was beehives. I wanted to not only produce honey but also have my daughters learn about bees and how to care for them. Nothing would make me happier than to watch them gardening and beekeeping as adults. 

What’s the beekeeping process like? How did you start, and how is this season’s harvest going? 

The season starts in the spring when temperatures rise over 60 degrees, and the bees become more active. A lot of our work as beekeepers has to do with making sure the bees are happy and thriving and free of disease. That requires opening the hive every two weeks and making sure the queen is laying eggs, the workers are producing honey, and that the bees are pest and disease-free. If you help them stay healthy, they will do the rest. 

You, your wife and your kids sell the honey on Third Street near Second Avenue from time to time. Aside from that, where can neighbors go to purchase the honey? 

My daughters, Ellie (age 7) and Eve (4), wanted to share the honey with our neighborhood, so they decided to open a farmstand on sunny days and call it Made Up There Farms. 

For those who missed us, you can reach out through my Instagram account or through my wine and cider project at wipwines.com, and we can set up a pickup. 

Any expansion plans? 

We plan to add a third hive next spring and make natural mead — honey wine. I like the idea of drinking a hyperlocal wine made in the East Village from East Village flowers.

Another holiday visit with Frankie Christmas

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

We last checked in with the undisputed king of East Village Christmas, Frank “Frankie Christmas” Bianco, at this time last year. 

This year Bianco, a Brooklyn native who has lived here since 1980, welcomed us back to his winter wonderland apartment on Avenue D with an update on the lighting schedule...   

“This year, I shattered my previous record and was able to put up a total of 11,875 lights, about 1,500 more than last year. To finish by Dec. 1, I usually start decorating as soon as the Labor Day weekend finishes. For the last couple of months, it took me about 200 hours to complete each room in my apartment. I usually spend an hour or two each night of the week decorating and get the bulk of it done on the weekends, where I may spend up to eight hours decorating.”

What else is new?

“It’s a tradition to get at least a half dozen Christmas tattoos every year since moving down to the LES. I have 11 new snowflake tattoos and the Grinch’s hand holding an ornament. Similar to my Christmas tattoos, I always make sure to add a few new decorations to my apartment as well. I purchased a Christmas Tree from Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, the largest Christmas store in the world located in Frankenmuth, Mich., and my favorite new addition, a Swarovski 2021 snowflake ornament.” 

...and now take a tour...

 

What can we look forward to next year? 

“In 2022, I’m somehow putting up more lights than I did this year! It’ll be tough, but I’m confident I’ll be able to [string more than] 12,000 lights. I’ll also be returning to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland to find new additions to my collection, and most important spread the Christmas Spirit!”

Read our Q&A with Frankie from last year at this link. 

A visit to the new East Side Ink on the Lower East Side

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

We last checked in with East Side Ink’s attitude-free tattoo, laser and microblading shop on Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street during the pandemic’s third-stage PAUSE order from then-Gov. Cuomo. 

The shop recently moved to a spacious yet cozy second-floor loft at 88 Rivington St. between Orchard and Ludlow. 

I dropped by to talk with owners Jen Terban-Hertell and Josh Lord (the third partner, “shop mom” Yadira Mendez-Firvida, was off at the time of my visit) about the move, their new location and the shop’s history in the neighborhood. Josh was busy inking, so Jen answered my questions.

Why did you leave Avenue B for Rivington Street?

Everybody knows the pandemic year was a struggle for most businesses. We were sad to see so many closed.

However, because of our amazing artists and clients, we survived. We learned a lot about what our clients and artists want for the future of tattooing. So, we created a space that was private and warm yet open and inviting. We were all separated for so long that we just wanted to be together again. Safely. We wanted a studio that worked better for the artists and their needs. A studio that supports the artistic growth and privacy of our clients. We wanted a studio that was for us, our little artist family.

You mentioned this is your fifth location (since inception) in the neighborhood. Why is the East Village/Lower East Side area vital to you?

Well, besides being respectful of our original name…the East Village/Lower East Side has nurtured art, diversity and culture. Growing up in NYC, I remember being genuinely inspired by the scene in the East Village and Lower East Side. The art, music and fashion you could find on most blocks in the East Village were like nowhere else in the world. East Side Ink has been a part of that culture since the 1990s. 

Even if the rents get high and the landlords don’t respect the neighborhood’s culture, it will always be our home, and we will prevail.

Were all your artists able to make the move with you to the Rivington Street shop?

Yes! And both the artists and clients have expressed how happy they are in the new studio, and they even say they like it better. It was difficult to physically and mentally move, so we couldn’t be happier with everyone’s reaction and support. It was important that the artists feel at home at the shop. We considered every detail to make a space our artists would be inspired to create in. We want to support them as best we can to give each client and tattoo the attention it deserves.

How is the new space different from previous ones, and has the clientele changed?

Our clientele has always been diverse, from Oscar-winning celebrities to locals on the block. Unlike our previous locations, our new studio provides a sense of inclusion and warmth. A professional coziness. I could describe the artwork and the wood floors and the lighting, but really, it’s a vibe. 

What can we expect from East Side Ink going forward?

You can expect us to grow old! We are not going anywhere. We have always been ahead of our time in the tattoo industry, leading the way with how a shop looks and feels. We are a close-knit little artist family. We’ve been through 9/11, hurricanes, flooding, blackouts and pandemic. We prevailed! 

Over the last few years, we’ve grown, we’ve gotten married, we had babies, we’ve broken up, moved on, and moved up! You can expect to see us for a long time. Come visit: bring your dogs and your kids. We have made it this far because we have always had the support of our artists, clients and neighbors.  

You can keep tabs on the shop on Instagram here.