East Village Loves NYC issues a fundraising appeal to help continue feeding New Yorkers in need

East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group that formed last spring to feed people in need during the pandemic — has put a fundraising appeal to help keep them preparing meals for New Yorkers this year.

Via a recent Instagram post:

Truth is, we haven’t been able to raise enough funds to safely continue helping the city we love until the end of 2021. At this pace, we'll have to shut our doors by the end of the summer. Times are tough, the city needs us, and we worry that we won't be able to respond to the growing ask for help.

So if you are in a position to help, and only if you are in a position to help, we ask that you please consider financially supporting us this year, and by doing so, knowing that you will be feeding tens, hundreds, thousands of New Yorkers who need it most.

You can read more about helping at this link. 

In addition, Sougwen Chung, a Chinese-Canadian artist, created a piece of virtual art that she is selling as an NFT. She will be donating 100 percent of the funds to East Village Loves NYC. (Details here.)

As Gothamist reported yesterday, the need for emergency food resources remains high in the city:

As vaccination rates rise and the city approaches a full reopening, hunger may no longer be top of mind for many New Yorkers. But those working in food banks and pantries say demand is still much higher than it was before the pandemic, especially among groups that were already more vulnerable.

East Village Loves NYC — which has attracted some 400 volunteers — celebrated its first anniversary earlier this spring ... and in those first 12 months, the group has cooked more than 100,000 meals for New Yorkers during the pandemic ... not to mention donated 325,000-plus pounds of groceries and 7,000-plus pantry bags.

As they noted on Instagram:

What started with our team of five or six friends doing a cooking session to help their neighborhood, turned into a massive family of hundreds of volunteers gathering every week to deliver thousands of meals to New York City.

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. By last June, they had outgrown the space and started assembling deliveries at the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

By the end of last summer, East Village Loves Queens expanded operations and announced its new name — East Village Loves NYC. 

Photo from May by Stacie Joy

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

• Volunteers at East Village Loves NYC prepare meal for Ramadan; celebrate 1st anniversary

Report: Christodora House board tells staff to get vaccination or risk losing jobs

The board of the Christodora House, the 16-floor, 83-unit residential building at 143 Avenue B, has reportedly asked two employees that they need to receive the COVID-19 vaccination — or risk losing their jobs. 

Per the Post:

The apartment building's board has informed a porter and doorman that they have until June 15 to receive at least one dose, or they will be let go. 

"The Board respects your decision," read the letter, which was seen by the Post. "However, we hope you will understand that your choice is not compatible with the Board's responsibility to provide the safest possible environment for all Christodora House staff members and residents."

The board was said to have offered the two employees $1,000 each to receive the vaccine.

"I never told them that I don’t want to get it — I just said 'not now,'" said Brandon of the vaccine. The 33-year-old porter, who declined to give his last name, fears the vaccine could trigger a flare-up of pre-existing health conditions, especially as he does not have health insurance.

Several residents of the landmarked building between Ninth Street and 10th Street have signed a petition in support of the two workers. 

Employers are allowed to require the COVID-19 vaccine, and can also legally provide incentives, including cash, to workers, according to guidance that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated late last month. 

EVG file photo

A look at local vaccination progress

This Gothamist headline yesterday read that "Most Of New York City Remains Undervaccinated." 

Vaccine hesitancy and barriers to access are cited as among the top reasons why more residents haven't received at least one dose of the vaccine. 

Per Gothamist:

About 44% of New York City residents have received at least one COVID-19 shot, and about 32% are fully vaccinated. But some neighborhoods are much further along than others. In wealthier and whiter zip codes, more than two-thirds of residents are at least partially vaccinated (one zip code in the Financial District is at 89%). Most neighborhoods in upper Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island are well below half their populations being fully vaccinated.

The article includes a map of vaccinations by zip code via statistics by the NYC Department of Health. 

Here's a look at zip codes in this area: 

10009 

Partially vaccinated: 58 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 42 percent 

10003 

Partially vaccinated: 62 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 45 percent 

10002 

Partially vaccinated: 60 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 43 percent

As of late April, appointments are no longer necessary at city- and state-run vaccination sites. The COVID vaccine finder is here. 

You can also schedule an appointment for certain vaccination sites by calling 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692). Free transportation to vaccination appointments in NYC is available for city residents 65 and older and those with disabilities who have no other way to get to a vaccination site. To arrange for transportation, call 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692).

Mayor de Blasio has set a goal of vaccinating 5 million New Yorkers by July 1.

Volunteers at East Village Loves NYC prepare meal for Ramadan; celebrate 1st anniversary

East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group that formed last spring to feed people in need during the pandemic — is continuing to make meals and celebrating the multiple religious holidays of New Yorkers

For Ramadan, the volunteers collaborated on an interfaith dinner. Per the group's website: "In Islam, there is a concept called Iftar. It occurs during Ramadan, and it's a time where Muslims all over the world serve free food so that people from all walks of life can eat together."

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C the other day as the volunteers prepped the meals that went to five mosques in the Bronx and one on Long Island...

East Village Loves NYC — which has attracted some 400 volunteers — recently celebrated its first anniversary.... and in that time, has cooked more than 100,000 meals for New Yorkers during the pandemic ... not to mention donated 325,000-plus pounds of groceries and 7,000-plus pantry bags.

As they noted on Instagram:

What started with our team of five or six friends doing a cooking session to help their neighborhood, turned into a massive family of hundreds of volunteers gathering every week to deliver thousands of meals to New York City.

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. By last 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 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

You will be able to sit at a bar again on Monday; food-with-drinks rule may be suspended

Gov. Cuomo announced today that, starting on Monday, seating at bars will be allowed in New York City — for the first time in nearly 14 months.

In addition, the midnight food and beverage service curfew will be lifted for outdoor dining areas beginning May 17 and for indoor dining areas beginning May 31.

Per a Cuomo press release: "Lifting these restrictions for restaurants, bars and catering companies will allow these businesses that have been devastated by the pandemic to begin to recover as we return to a new normal in a post-pandemic world."

Per Eater:

The move follows months of pushback from restaurant and bar owners across the city, who have been calling on elected officials to lift the state's midnight curfew. Industry trade groups and local politicians have also spoken out against the curfew, calling it an unfair, "arbitrary" restriction that hampers the ability of restaurateurs to bring in revenue due to earlier cutoff times.

Meanwhile, New York lawmakers are prepping to suspend the food-with-drink rule at bars as soon as this week, per The New York Times. Cuomo enacted the directive for "substantive" meals at bars last July as a way to keep patrons seated at tables.

Some bars, already under a financial strain and working with skeleton crews, needed to create a menu (Hello bags of Funyuns!) and whip up a kitchen or be forced to close — even if they never served food before the COVID-19 PAUSE. 

Last summer, Abby Ehmann, the owner of Lucky at 168 Avenue B, launched a petition asking Cuomo to roll back his mandate. Several days later, the SLA suspended her license and issued a fine after agents saw that she was not serving food with drinks.

ICYMI: Starting tonight, you can stay out until midnight at a bar or restaurant

Last week, Gov. Cuomo announced that closing times for restaurants and bars will be extended from 11 p.m. to midnight statewide beginning today. 

Per Eater: 

It's a minor win for restaurant and bar owners who have been calling on elected officials to lift the state's pandemic curfew for months and seen only incremental change. 

"It's great news," says one south Brooklyn bar owner, who requested anonymity in order to speak freely. "No curfew would obviously be better, but we do have to watch out for 'Cinderella Covid' which only comes out at midnight."

As Thrillist pointed out: "Subways are still out of service from 2 to 4 a.m., too, which could pose a challenge for hospitality workers trying to get home once the new curfew goes into effect."

And the reaction from Andrew Rigie, the executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance:

The extra hour is good news for restaurants, bars and customers, but we need to also lift the rule that prohibits customers from being seated to eat at a bar in NYC, and revisit removing the requirement that a “food item” be served with a drink. @theNYCalliance https://t.co/z80fuV8QRA

— Andrew Rigie (@AndrewRigie) April 14, 2021

In February, Cuomo moved the closing time from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Also,  the governor said that spectators will be allowed at horse and auto races at 20 percent capacity, beginning on Thursday... which is also the opening day for the spring season at Belmont. 

Image by WindAwake

The artist who captured the sounds of East Village community gardens during the pandemic

Interview by Stacie Joy

Over the past year, Japanese artist Aki Onda has been visiting East Village community gardens and making field recordings for his project "Silence Prevails: East Village Community Gardens During the Pandemic." (Find the video here.)

Although now back in Japan, his project has recently gone live, and I was able to talk with him about his work, the inspiration behind the project and what’s next for him.

How did this project come about? Can you speak about its history? What made you choose the East Village for your project and what drew you to its community gardens?

I had an idea to do a project about the East Village community gardens for many years, although it took a long time, nearly two decades until I could work on it.

I started visiting NYC around the end of the 1990s and often stayed in the East Village. Back then, the area was home to artists and musicians. I had many friends and it was easy to hang out with them as well as sublet their apartment. I also loved watching avant-garde cinema at Anthology Film Archives, spent hundreds of hours there and met Jonas Mekas. 

His film "Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania," which I watched in Tokyo in 1996, had a tremendous impact on my life and art practice. So, it was a big deal for me to meet him. I would visit him at his office, and he would offer a drink to toast even if it was morning. Then, we would go to lunch at his usual Italian restaurant nearby, or Mars Bar.

Mekas organized two exhibitions of my photographs at the Courthouse Gallery in the basement. I donated a couple of large-size prints, and in return, he gave me a small print of his still image, which I still have. I met so many filmmakers while I spent my time at the AFA, and that helped me to absorb the Downtown culture. 

I found community gardens such as Albert’s Garden, Liz Christy Community Garden and 6 & B Garden around that time. Each had a very distinctive character and I sensed there was something to look into. My favorite was La Plaza Cultural, although the garden itself was rough around the edges and unpretentious, I found it a cheerful and festive space. 

Much later, I learned that the garden was founded by Carlos "Chino" Garcia and fellow local activists. Their associations with Buckminster Fuller and Gordon Matta-Clark, and the intersection between art and activism, was also inspiring.

My work, both sound- and visual-based, are often catalyzed by and structured around memories —personal, collective, historical. So, the community garden was the perfect subject, and slowly over the years, I kept visiting those gardens and learning historical backgrounds.  

Finally, I decided to embark on the project in 2019 and there was a strong twist. The original idea was to document the gardens by making field recordings, taking photos, and writing texts through the four seasons from spring 2020 to winter 2021. 

However, the pandemic swept the globe, and as of March 2020, New York was its epicenter and under full lockdown. GreenThumb made a decision to close all community gardens until further notice. Only members were allowed to enter, and my project ground to a halt. 

Nonetheless, I thought it could be interesting to document the gardens in these unprecedented times and began contacting individual gardens directly. In the end, I visited around 25 gardens in spring and summer 2020. Spending time in the gardens was somehow comforting. Those are sparsely populated outdoor spaces and there is low risk of catching the virus. 

And, if I look back to the past, those gardens started as "green oases" by local residents when the city was going through a severe financial crisis in the 1970s. This was the hardest hit area with many low-income residents, and buildings descended into ruin. In that traumatized neighborhood, there was a strong need to improve lives and find sources of hope. 

Somehow, in the midst of COVID-19 crisis, though it’s a different type of crisis, I saw a sort of cycle and thought it’s worth researching and how those garden spaces changed over the last half-century.

What was the most surprising thing that happened while you were recording?

When I was recording in Campos Community Garden, suddenly the wind blew, and the wind chimes hung from a tree, started making beautiful sounds and vibrations. It lasted until I pressed the stop button.

What were the reactions of others as you set up your equipment and recorded sound and images?

I use a handheld cassette recorder, only with a cheap attached microphone. It’s low-key and not like a high-end digital recorder with a fluffy expensive shotgun microphone attached to a long boom. The presence of my equipment is unobtrusive and people feel less uncomfortable. Taking photos is a bit different, and I usually ask them to get permission first as I don’t want them to feel uncomfortable.  

What’s next for you as an artist?

I'm preparing my solo exhibition titled "Letters from Dead Souls" at Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) in summer 2021, and as well as a few other upcoming exhibitions.  

As for the community garden project, luckily, I developed good relationships with core members of the community garden movement during my research. It's a deep subject and there is a lot more to dig into. I'm planning to continue the research for the next several years and expand the project for another opportunity. Let's see what comes with it...    

Image of the artist by Makiko Onda, all other images courtesy Aki Onda. You can keep up with the artist here.

Reopenings: Indochine, Kindred and Van Da

This is an update to a post that we first published on March 7 ... and again on March 17. Several more bars-restaurants have reopened after a winter break ... several of the places closed in December when Gov. Cuomo ended indoor dining (at 25 percent) on Dec. 13. Indoor capacity moved to 50 percent on March 19.

Recent additions to the list include Indochine, Tarallucci e Vino, Van Da and Kindred, which reopens today with a new chef and expanded selection of housemade pasta dishes, per Eater.

The recent reopenings include: 

• Ace Bar, 531 E. Fifth St.

• The Ainsworth, 64 Third Ave. 

• Amor y Amargo, 445 E. Sixth St.

• Avant Garden, 130 E. Seventh St. 

• Barcade, 6 St. Mark's Place

• Cherry Tavern,  441 E. Sixth St.

• Empellón Al Pastor, 132 St. Mark's Place at Avenue A 

• Good Night Sonny, 134 First Ave.

• Huertas, 107 First Ave.

• Indochine, 430 Lafayette 

• Josie's, 520 E. Sixth St.

• KGB Bar,  85 E. Fourth St.

• Kindred, 342 E. Sixth St. 

• Ladybird, 111 E. Seventh St.

• Lucky, 168 Avenue B

• Lucy's, 135 Avenue A (photo of Lucy below by Lola Saénz)

• Mary O's, 32 Avenue A

• Mister Paradise,  105 First Ave. 

• Mona's, 224 Avenue B 

• The Penny Farthing, 103 Third Ave.

• Phebe's, 361 Bowery at Fourth Street

• Proletariat, 102 St. Mark's Place

• Ruffian, 125 E. Seventh St.

• San Marzano, 117 Second Ave.

• Saramsam, 111 E. Seventh St. 

• Sophie's, 507 E. Fifth St.

• Superiority Burger, 430 E. Ninth St.

• Tarallucci e Vino, 163 First Ave.

• Tile Bar, 115 First Ave.

• Van Da, 234 E. Fourth St. 

• The Wayland, 700 E. Ninth St.

Van Da photo by Stacie Joy

[Updated] Reopenings: Ladybird, Lucy's, Phebe's; Josie's, Mona's and Sophie's return on Friday

This is an update to a post that we first published on March 7.

Several more bars-restaurants have reopened after a winter break ... several of the places closed in December when Gov. Cuomo ended indoor dining (at 25 percent) on Dec. 13. Indoor capacity will move to 50 percent on Friday.

The recent reopenings include: 

• The Ainsworth, 64 Third Ave. 

• Avant Garden, 130 E. Seventh St. 

• Barcade, 6 St. Mark's Place

• Cherry Tavern,  441 E. Sixth St.

• Empellón Al Pastor, 132 St. Mark's Place at Avenue A 

• Huertas, 107 First Ave.

• KGB Bar,  85 E. Fourth St.

• Ladybird, 111 E. Seventh St.

• Lucky, 168 Avenue B

• Lucy's, 135 Avenue A (photo of Lucy below by Lola Saénz)

• Mary O's, 32 Avenue A (open for a traditional St. Patrick's Day feast)

• The Penny Farthing, 103 Third Ave.

• Phebe's, 361 Bowery at Fourth Street

• Proletariat, 102 St. Mark's Place

• Ruffian, 125 E. Seventh St.

• San Marzano, 117 Second Ave.

• Saramsam, 111 E. Seventh St. 

• Superiority Burger, 430 E. Ninth St.

• Tarallucci e Vino, 163 First Ave.

• Tile Bar, 115 First Ave.

... and upcoming: 

• Indochine, 430 Lafayette — March 30

• Josie's, 520 E. Sixth St. — March 19

• Kindred, 642 E. Sixth St. — April 7

• Mister Paradise,  105 First Ave. — March 18

• Mona's, 224 Avenue B — March 19

• Sophies, 507 E. Fifth St. — March 19

• Van Da, 234 E. Fourth St. — April 1

... and San Loco just debuted new socially distant outdoor seating over at 111 Avenue C at Seventh Street...

Tonight, the city will honor the 30,000 New Yorkers who have died from COVID-19

Photo of the COVID-19 memorial on A and 10th from April 11. 

Tonight at 7:45, the city will pause to mark the one-year anniversary of the first reported COVID-19 fatality in New York City.

One year. One city.

Tonight we remember and honor the New Yorkers we lost to #COVID19.

Join us: https://t.co/nro6pm8sRc #COVIDMemorial pic.twitter.com/68skVpaqBX

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) March 14, 2021

As Gothamist reports, 30,031 people have died from COVID-19 in New York City — 25,147 deaths categorized by the city as confirmed, and 5,027 considered probable. 

The City has more on this evening's memorial event here.

Indoor dining in NYC increases to 50% on March 19; Little Poland promises reopening

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday afternoon that New York City will expand indoor dining capacity to 50 percent beginning on March 19. 

The news coincided with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announcing that his state's restaurants would also increase to 50 percent. 

NYC and New Jersey restaurants are currently operating at 35 percent capacity ... while the rest of New York State is operating at 50 percent capacity (soon to be 75 percent on March 19).

And via the news advisory...

"In New York State, our decisions are based on science and data and we are encouraged by the continued decline in infection and hospitalization rates," Cuomo said in a statement. "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 and reach the light at the end of the tunnel together."

Several East Village bars and restaurants have previously said that they'd reopen when the capacity hit 50 percent ... including Little Poland on Second Avenue. The diner teased this out yesterday on Instagram...

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Little Poland Restaurant (@littlepoland_nyc)

Top photo at Il Posto Accanto from February by Stacie Joy...

Claim: The pandemic caused more bar-restaurant closings in the East Village than in any other NYC neighborhood

The pandemic has devastated countless businesses in the city these past 12 months.

And according to one tally, there were more bar-restaurant closings in the East Village than in any other NYC neighborhood. 

Citing statistics compiled by restaurant recommendation site the Infatuation, the Post reports that 55 establishments have closed in the East Village. 

Cutting and pasting:

By comparison, 21 restaurants closed in the West Village; 19 restaurants closed on the Lower East Side; 15 closed in both Williamsburg and Staten Island; 14 closed on the Upper West Side; 13 closed in Midtown; and 11 closed in Chinatown. Neighborhoods with 10 closings or less include the Upper East Side with 10, and six each in Murray Hill, Soho and FiDi, according to the Infatuation. 

Why so many here?

The problem, sources say, is that the East Village — sometimes referred to the city's version of "Bourbon Street" — boasts a young, late-night crowd that spends more money on booze than food, which means it was hit first by the lockdowns and then by the curfews, which now end at the geriatric hour of 11 p.m. 

One named source in the Post article is Stratis Morfogen, who's opening the automated Brooklyn Dumpling Shop on First Avenue and St. Mark's Place one of these days.

"The neighborhood is filled with college students and first-time apartment owners — people in their 20s who don't sit down to eat until after midnight. Pizzerias stay open here until 7 a.m. In most neighborhoods, food is 75 percent and liquor is 25 percent. In the East Village, it's the opposite. Liquor is a vital part of the East Village's restaurant business and it has been crushed by the curfew," Morfogen said. 

A few places on the Infatuation's list of 55 aren't in the East Village, such as Oatmeals on West Third Street and Nix on University Place. In addition, while Coyote Ugly on First Avenue closed, they relocated to 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

There are also many closures that they didn't note, including B Bar & Grill on the Bowery, Lovenberg on Sixth Street, Vegan Love on 10th Street Dia, Atlas Cafe and Nostro on Second Avenue. Boilery on Third Avenue, the Dumpling House on Second Avenue, Native Bean on Avenue A, etc. 

So, unfortunately, the number is higher than 55. And I don't want to count myself ... to avoid turning this into some kind of sporting event. 

Reopenings: Ladybird, Lucy's, Phebe's — and more

Several more bars-restaurants have reopened after a winter break ... several of the places closed in December when Gov. Cuomo ended indoor dining (at 25 percent) on Dec. 13. Indoor capacity is now at 35 percent. 

The recent reopenings include: 

• The Ainsworth, 64 Third Ave. 

• Avant Garden, 130 E. Seventh St. 

• Cherry Tavern,  441 E. Sixth St.

• Empellón Al Pastor, 132 St. Mark's Place at Avenue A 

• Huertas, 107 First Ave.

• KGB Bar,  85 E. Fourth St.

• Ladybird, 111 E. Seventh St.

• Lucy's, 135 Avenue A (photo of Lucy below by Lola Saénz)

• The Penny Farthing, 103 Third Ave.

• Phebe's, 361 Bowery at Fourth Street

• Tile Bar, 115 First Ave.

... and upcoming: 

• Proletariat, 102 St. Mark's Place — March 17 

• Saramsam, 111 E. Seventh St. — March 17 

• Superiority Burger, 430 E. Ninth St. — March 12

ICYMI: Arts and entertainment venues can reopen starting on April 2

ICYMI: On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that arts and entertainment venues can reopen at 33 percent capacity, with a maximum of up to 100 people indoors and 200 outdoors starting on April 2. 

And those numbers can go higher — up to 150 people indoors — if the venue offers a rapid COVID-19 test on entry. 

Either way, all attendees must wear masks and be socially distanced.

Despite the positive step forward after a year-long closure, some venues said they would not be reopening just yet.  

From Gothamist:

"Obviously any news about a path forward, even a limited capacity one, is great considering where we were just over a month ago," said Dennis Dennehy, spokesperson for AEG Presents and Bowery Presents, which manages bookings at Forest Hills Stadium, Terminal 5, Webster Hall, Brooklyn Steel, Music Hall of Williamsburg and more. "That said, we remain focused as of right now on fully reopening when we can do shows at 100% capacity. It just doesn’t make sense for us to do anything with limited capacity."

While he left open the possibility that some individual artists might decide to eat their losses to do a couple of one-off shows at big venues, he said it ultimately wasn't efficient for them to be back until they can play to full houses.

From the Times:

Michael Swier, the owner of the Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge, two of New York's best-known rock clubs, said that the state's order that venues require social distancing and mask-wearing means that the true capacity at many spaces may be much lower. 

"Given that social distancing is still part of the metric, it brings us back down to an approximate 20 percent capacity, which is untenable," Mr. Swier said.

Community groups and small businesses rally for commercial rent relief

Photos by Stacie Joy

Local community groups gathered yesterday morning to call on state legislators to support commercial rent relief for small businesses. 

The event took place outside Michelle Dry Cleaners & Laundry, 169 Avenue C between 10th Street and 11th Street...  

Organizers, which included the Cooper Square Committee, East Village Community Coalition, Village Preservation and the East Village Independent Merchants Association, said that they have been hearing from many business owners who continue to struggle to pay rent during the pandemic ... all in the face of drastic declines in their revenues.

In addition, according to the organizers, immigrant and business owners of color say they have been disappointed by the lack of outreach and assistance in securing working capital to stay afloat.

In turn, several of the small businesses were placing "Permanently Closed" signs on their storefronts to visualize their struggle and what is at stake if the state does not take action. They are asking state legislators to support Senate Bill 3349/Assembly Bill 3190, which would help cover the cost of rent for businesses and nonprofits who lost income due to COVID-19. 

Under the bill, the commercial tenant, property owner and state government would share the burden of the rent shortfall. Certified COVID-19-affected commercial tenants would have to pay the lesser of 20 percent of their actual income or one-third of their rent, property owners would have to forgive 20 percent of the rent, and the state would pay the remainder. 

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...