NYC movie theaters to reopen at 25% capacity on March 5

New York City movie theaters are the latest businesses that Gov. Cuomo is allowing to reopen with limited capacity.

Cuomo announced yesterday that theaters can reopen — capped at 25 percent — starting on March 5.

Stipulations for reopening include:

• Venues are restricted to 25 percent capacity, with no more than 50 people per screen at a time.
• Masks will be required at all times except when seated and eating or drinking.
• Assigned seating will be required in all theaters.
• Social distancing between parties will be required at all times.
• Additional staffing will be required to control occupancy, traffic and seating to ensure compliance.
• Enhanced air filtration, ventilation and purification standards must be met by theaters.
• This action brings New York City movie theaters in line with movie theaters throughout the rest of the state.

NYC theaters have been shuttered since last March. Local independent venues such as the Anthology Film Archives on Second Avenue and Metrograph on Ludlow Street have been offering an array of online screenings and virtual events. 

As of this writing, local theaters had not made public their reopening plans.

Cuomo also said yesterday that pool halls can reopen on March 5 at 35-percent capacity. Locally, Amsterdam Billiards on Fourth Avenue at 11th Street was back in service on Jan. 20 thanks to a lawsuit against the state.

Photo of the AMC Village 7 on Third Avenue and 11th Street from the fall. 

Free COVID-19 testing coming to Haven Plaza next week

Local elected officials are helping bring free COVID-19 testing to Haven Plaza on 13th Street this coming week. 

No appointments are necessary on Wednesday (Feb. 24) or Thursday (Feb. 25) from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

Find Haven Plaza at 726 E. 13th St. at Avenue C. The testing will take place in the Community Room.

City releases COVID-19 vaccine data by ZIP code; where do local neighborhoods rank?

For the first time, the city has released data broken down by ZIP code to show who is receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. 

The stats released yesterday by the Health Department show that 10464 (City Island in the Bronx) has the highest vaccination rate, with 25 percent of residents having received both shots ... followed by 11004, which covers the Bellerose, Douglaston and Little Neck neighborhoods in Queens, with 20 percent of the population having been vaccinated. 

At the other end: 11208, 11212 and 11368, covering Cypress Hills, East New York, Ocean Hill, Brownsville and Corona, where only about 2 percent of people in those areas have received both shots. 

(A note: The data does not include information on how many adults in each ZIP code are eligible for the vaccine under current New York state guidelines.) 

Per the Times:

Officials in New York City released new data by ZIP codes ... that they said underscored troubling disparities in the city's vaccination effort, with the share of residents who are fully vaccinated in some wealthier Upper West and East Side ZIP codes, which have high proportions of white residents, reaching up to eight times the rate in parts of predominantly Black neighborhoods like East New York.

Said the DOH's First Deputy Commissioner Torian Easterling during a press conference: "The figures published ... show the scale of the challenge in front of us. Just as we've seen, there's a much smaller proportion of vaccines going to Black and Brown New Yorkers. We see these geographic disparities bearing out as well."

As Gothamist noted, Mayor De Blasio "insisted the vaccine program was designed with NYC's historic health disparities in mind, and with enough vaccine doses — he says about a half-million a week — the disparities would be alleviated. But he also faulted vaccine hesitancy and distrust for exacerbating the gaps in who is getting vaccinated." 

Meanwhile, how do East Village and Lower East Side ZIP codes stack up? 

Here's a look at the data... 4 percent of adults in 10002 have been fully vaccinated... followed by 5 percent in 10003 ... and 5 percent in 10009...

You can find the full city map here...

 

The return (again) of indoor dining

Indoor dining resumed on Friday in NYC at 25-percent capacity. 

Gov. Cuomo originally ended indoor dining in the city in December after two-plus months ahead of an expected holiday-related spike in COVID-19 positivity rates. 

Now, with a decline in the positivity rate and with hospitalizations, Cuomo eased restrictions, including pushing back the curfew by one hour from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

A take on all this via Eater: 

Not surprisingly, differing opinions abound on how to handle the latest return to indoor dining. Some owners are grateful for any loosening of operating restrictions and look forward to offering a handful of seats for customers, others are opting to take a wait-and-see approach before reopening their own establishments, and still others are planning not to reopen until COVID-19 vaccinations have been more widely distributed.

This past holiday weekend, EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by a handful of East Village establishments that were welcoming back diners inside ... starting with Il Posto Accanto on Second Street (above).

What follows are some snapshots of the first weekend of indoor dining in 2021 ...

... Book Club on Third Street...

... Subject on Suffolk Street near Houston...

... Remedy Diner on East Houston...

... Bin 141 on Avenue A at Third Street...

... Takahachi on Avenue A...

... Upstate Craft Beer & Oyster Bar on First Avenue ...

... Panna II on First Avenue (which is also open in the former Milon space) ...

... Royal Bangladesh on First Avenue...

... Nón Lá Vietnamese Kitchen on Fourth Street...

... Popeyes on First Avenue ...

... Divya’s Kitchen on First Avenue ...

... Bibi Wine Bar on Fourth Street...

... 5C Cultural Center & Cafe on Avenue C at Fifth Street ...

... San Loco on Avenue C...

... and Lavagna on Fifth Street near Avenue B...

Gov. Cuomo extends closing time for bars and restaurants by 1 hour

On Friday, Gov. Cuomo announced that closing times for restaurants and bars will be extended from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. statewide beginning today. 

Cuomo set the 10 p.m. curfew in mid-November as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise in New York. 

The rollback of the curfew was due, he said, to the decline in hospitalization and infection rates throughout the city and state. 

Per his announcemnt:

"Our decisions are based on science and data and we adjust as the virus adjusts. The infection rate and hospitalizations have continued to significantly decline. Accordingly, we have adjusted with arena and catering hall openings with rigorous testing and limited capacity indoor dining openings in New York City. We will also move the restaurant and bar closing hour from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. statewide on Sunday. We will continue to follow the science and react accordingly. If we keep the infections down and vaccinations up, we will continue to stay ahead in the footrace against this invisible enemy."

On Friday, Cuomo said that the NYC daily positivity rate was 3.91 percent — the lowest percent since Dec. 19. 

As Eater noted, some in the restaurant industy were hoping for a midnight curfew. (Some are also hoping for a return of overnight subway service — especially for restaurant workers.)

News of the curfew rollback came on the same day as indoor dining — at 25 percent — returned to the city.

Image by WindAwake

Gov. Cuomo to allow the return of indoor dining – at 25 percent — on Friday

After a two-month shutdown, Gov. Cuomo today stated that NYC restaurants can reopen for indoor dining (at 25-percent capacity) starting on Friday... two days earlier than his previous announcement of Feb. 14.

Per NBC 4:

In New York City, new case and rolling hospitalization averages are both down by double-digit percentage points over the last seven days compared with the weekly average for the prior four weeks. Deaths are down, too, though by a lesser degree.

"We respond to the data, we respond to the facts that we face today. The facts may change tomorrow and then we will change with the facts," Cuomo said Monday. "The enemy changes tactics, we adjust with the enemy. But the numbers are down now."

Statewide, data shows daily positivity rates have declined for a full month, while the number of people hospitalized (7,716) is the lowest total since Dec. 28. The state's rolling seven-day positivity rate is the lowest since Dec. 2 (4.42 percent).

Cuomo originally ended indoor dining in the city after two-plus months ahead of an expected holiday-related spike in COVID-19 positivity rates. As Eater and other outlets have noted, the state's own data reported that 1.4 percent of COVID-19 cases came from restaurants and bars compared to nearly 74 percent for private indoor gatherings during the fall.

Meanwhile, according to published reports, 74 NYC restaurants have filed a motion to reopen at 50-percent capacity.

Photo from this past fall of Lavagna by Stacie Joy

Gov. Cuomo to allow indoor dining — at 25% — again starting on Valentine's Day

After a two-month shutdown, Gov. Cuomo today stated that NYC restaurants can reopen for indoor dining (at 25-percent capacity) starting on Valentine's Day. 

Cuomo originally ended indoor dining in the city after two-plus months ahead of an expected holiday-related spike in COVID-19 positivity rates.

Update on indoor dining in NYC:

If positivity rates hold we will reopen indoor dining at 25% capacity on Valentine's Day - February 14.

In addition to reduced capacity, mandatory safety guidelines will be in place.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 29, 2021

Perhaps some of the East Village restaurants who went on hiatus back in December will decide to return to service — indoors and out — starting on Feb. 14. 

As Eater and other outlets have noted, the state's own data reported that 1.4 percent of COVID-19 cases came from restaurants and bars compared to nearly 74 percent for private indoor gatherings during the fall.

And per Gothamist:

[R]estaurant owners and industry advocates have argued that indoor dining should resume in the name of regional fairness. In Westchester, Long Island and New Jersey, restaurants have been allowed to operate indoors at up to 50-percent capacity, despite those areas sometimes having higher COVID-19 infection rates than the five boroughs.

Top photo of Pangea on Second Avenue from October by Stacie Joy 

Tuesday's parting shot

Today, the United States reached 400,000 deaths from COVID-19, which nearly equals the number of Americans killed in World War II, numbers multiple media outlets cited. 

Someone marked this grim milestone with a candle this evening on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Photo by Steven

Cafe Himalaya reopens, thanks community for support after family member dies from COVID-19

After nearly two months, Cafe Himalaya reopened yesterday on First Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

Originally Con Ed work forced the temporary closing of the 19-year-old family restaurant in late October, which stretched into November. 

Sadly, it turns out they also lost a family member to COVID-19. They addressed the loss in an Instagram post yesterday:

On a personal note, thank you to everyone who reached out to us in the last few weeks. We deeply appreciate your kind words during what has been an unimaginably difficult time. In early Dec, we found ourselves as part of the now 353,000+ American families who have lost an immediate family member to covid. The pain and suffering on our personal front has been immense and we pray that no individual or family has to undergo a similar situation.

As we try to reopen our space in the midst of our loss, we thank you for being part of our community. Let’s all do our part in exercising responsibility and taking care of each other.

Cafe Himalaya is open Tuesday-Sunday from noon-9 p.m. Find their website here. Or call: 212.358.0160

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Checking in on Cafe Himalaya

Nowon will close temporarily starting New Year's Day

Citing potential health concerns for its staff and patrons, Nowon will close temporarily starting tomorrow, New Year's Day.

Chef Jae Lee's hit Korean restaurant opened late last year at 507 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. They ended up having only four months in business before the PAUSE took effect in March.

Nowon re-opened for takeout and delivery in April ...  they also teamed up with Frontline Foods to provide meals for health-care workers.

Below is the Instagram post about the short-term closure. (And Nowon will be serving a New Year's Eve special featuring Korean dumplings and rice cake soup.)

 

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East Village Loves NYC prepares 1st holiday feast; tops more than 70,000 meals made for hungry New Yorkers in 2020

This past Sunday, East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group that formed in the spring to feed people in need during the pandemic — prepared its first holiday meal. 

At the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C, the East Village residents cooked and delivered 3,000 high-quality Mexican Halal meals to 17 organizations around the city.

The group is currently working with the crowdfunding platform ioby (an acronym for In Our Backyard) to raise money to feed low-income Black communities in Harlem and Queens that have been hit hard by the pandemic. (This project is eligible for up to $8,000 in match funding through ioby's NYC COVID-19 Just Recovery Match Fund. Find the crowdfunding page here.)

On Sunday, EVG contributor Stacie Joy documented the group's holiday food preparation ... as East Village Loves NYC has assembled more than 70,000 meals on the year...

This team of East Village volunteers formed in April (as Stacie documented in the links below). Early on, Ali Sahin, the owner of C&B Cafe on Seventh Street near Avenue B, donated his space on Mondays for the group to cook its meals ... while there, they were able to prepare up to 800 meals and 100 family-size pantry packs.

By June, they had outgrown the space, and started assembling deliveries at the Sixth Street Community Center. By the end of the summer, East Village Loves Queens expanded its operations and announced its new name — East Village Loves NYC. 

Find out more about the group and how to donate at this link. Follow them on Instagram here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• These East Village residents are helping feed families in Queens during the COVID-19 crisis

• East Village volunteers expand their outreach to feed more neighbors in need

• East Village Loves Queens expands: Meet East Village Loves NYC

MiGarba shuts down on 4th Avenue: 'We close due to New York restrictions and unsustainable rent'

After five-plus years in business, MiGarba has closed at 127 Fourth Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. (Thanks to Doug for the tip!)

A note on the door for patrons provides the reasons: "We close due to New York restrictions and unsustainable rent."

The pleasant wine bar/cafe, the first U.S. outpost of a Tuscany-based outfit, was a nice departure from the more fratty choices in the immediate area. 

Speaking of which, right in the same building... while there hasn't been any official confirmation, BarBacon remains shuttered... we haven't seen any activity here in months... and the interior looks to have been cleaned out...

The swine-dining bar opened in September 2018.

Updating: East Village bars and restaurants temporarily close down again

Yesterday marked the beginning of Gov. Cuomo's second ban on indoor dining in the city because of the recent surge in the coronavirus pandemic. 

While outdoor dining, as well as takeout and delivery, can remain, several neighborhood bars and restaurants decided to temporarily close down anyway ...  including those places that have ample space for outdoor seating, such as Esperanto on Avenue C at Ninth Street (thanks to Eden for the photo!)...

Bars such as Josie's, Mona's and Sophie's, which reopened on Sept. 30, had been operating at the limited 25-percent indoor capacity ... and needed to close as they're without any outdoor space for patrons. 

Here's an in-progress look at who has shut down for now (several of these had been noted previously) ... several other restaurateurs were still mulling over their decisions... 

• Boulton & Watt, Avenue A 

• The Copper Still, Second Avenue

• Esperanto, Avenue C 

• The Gray Mare, Second Avenue

• The Jones, Great Jones

• Josie's, Sixth Street 

• Lucien, First Avenue 

• Mona's, Avenue B 

• Otto's Shrunken Head, 14th Street

• Penny Farthing, Third Avenue

• Phebe's, the Bowery 

• Sophie's, Fifth Street (pictured at top yesterday) 

• Sláinte Bar and Lounge, the Bowery

• Van Da, Fourth Street 

• Virginia's, 11th Street

Data that Gov. Cuomo released on Friday showed that restaurants and bars in the state accounted for just 1.4 percent of cases over the last three months while 73.84 percent of exposures were blamed on indoor household gatherings.

As multiple articles have pointed out, many restaurants were already struggling to rebuild their operations after losses sustained from the shutdown of dining during the PAUSE this past March.

--Updated 9:30 a.m.--

The Department of Sanitation has issued a Snow Alert for tomorrow starting at 2 p.m., which cancels all outdoor dining for the duration of the snow alert.

--

The restaurant industry expects more permanent closures if Gov. Cuomo decides to put into place a full shutdown again, which would also ban outdoor dining. (This after restaurant owners had to spend thousands to make their curbside setups compliant with ever-changing city guidelines.) 

Still, despite the end of indoor dining for now, many local bars and restaurants vowed to carry on ...

 

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Rapid COVID-19 testing center opening on the Bowery

A COVID-19 rapid-test site is opening in the former Sage Kitchen space at 356 Bowery between Fourth Street and Great Jones ... 

Not many details on the signage, other than "rapid test results in 15 minutes" and "PCR test results in 24-28 hours." For the sake of comparison, CityMD's website lists a 5-7 day wait now the results from a PCR (nasal swab) test.

The Rapid Test Space (proper name?) is "powered by Vaheala," which "combines coronavirus testing, symptom and risk tracking, and contact tracing technologies to drive custom protocols so that employees and employers know who is safe to work onsite and who should stay home."

A business called Rapid Test NYC opened in Little Italy this fall. BoweryBoogie reported that the test costs between $250-$300 there (and potentially offset by certain health-care plans or flex-spending programs).

For anyone interested in more info, here's what the CDC currently says about antigen tests ... and antibody tests.

Boulton & Watt and Mister Paradise decide to temporarily close for now

Boulton & Watt closed after service this past Sunday over on Avenue A at East Houston. 

The message on the door (and Instagram) for patrons reads in part: 

Restrictive government rules and rising cases has forced our hand. We close now so that we can do our part in helping stop the spread of this virus, and so we have the opportunity to re-open again as soon as is safely possible.

Several readers have noted that B&W has a spacious outdoor layout, with nicely distanced tables and propane heaters. 

Meanwhile, another property in the Paradise Hospitality family, Mister Paradise, has also decided to close temporarily. However, the bar on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street will be offering a Paradise Holiday Market delivery service.

Two other Paradise Hospitalty establishments, Drexler's on Avenue A and Paper Daisy on St. Mark's Place, have yet to reopen after the PAUSE.

With the threat of indoor dining shutting down in the near future, several bars-restaurants have decided to proactively close, a list that include's Phebe's on the Bowery.

Phebe's has decided to close for now

Management at Phebe's Tavern & Grill announced yesterday that the corner spot on the Bowery and Fourth Street is temporarily closing.

Here's part of their message on Instagram:

Due to the restrictions in New York City regarding hospitality and with the growing number of positive Covid-19 cases Phebe’s has made the tough decision to temporarily close our doors. We will miss you all, and keep you posted about reopening dates.

Have a happy and safe holiday! We will see you soon.

Given the holiday wishes, it's likely that Phebe's won't be open again until some time after the New Year.

Phebe's reopened in June for outdoor dining, with ample space on both the Fourth Street and Bowery sides of the business (though of late there has been some underground work going on right out front) ... and then the 25-percent indoor seating once that was OK'd in late September. 

A Phebe's has been here since 1968. The bar-restaurant is now owned by the same group behind Linen Hall and the Penny Farthing on Third Avenue.

Several other restaurants have decided to preemptively suspend service before any possible new PAUSE order coming from Gov. Cuomo. A few weeks back, some of the restaurants in Danny Meyer Union Square Hospitality Group closed for indoor and outdoor dining.

Photo from May via Instagram.