EVG Etc.: New mixed-income housing for the LES; an expanded car-free Earth Day

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Resources for immigrants at the Tompkins Square Library branch (and at other NYPL branches) 

Local stories of interest from other sources this past week include... 

• In the works for Essex and Delancey: mixed-income housing on the former site of the Essex Market plus an ADA-compliant subway stop (amNY ... press release) 

• $2 billion in federal funding for NYC schools at risk amid Trump administration's DEI threats (Chalkbeat) 

• Today's "Hands Off!" anti-Trump protest — also happening nationwide — starts at 1 p.m. in Bryant Park (The Times ... Axios) 

• Now-independent Mayor Adams bashes Democrats at mayoral forum (The City) 

• Meanwhile, law enforcement investigations of some of the mayor's closest aides continue (The City) 

• A list of all the candidates for NYC mayor (City & State) 

• Mayor Adams lets Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy talk shit about NYC subways during "a media and press clown show" at the Broadway-Lafayette Street station (Streetsblog) 

• Impact of tourists avoiding the U.S. being felt in NYC (Gothamist) 

• About the "largest-ever" car-free Earth Day in NYC (amNY ... DOT press release) 

• Two new NYC bars will feature women's sports, including Wilka's on the Bowery (Eater... previously on EVG) 

• A rundown of the food at the recently opened Bananas on First Avenue between 10th and 11th (The Infatuation ... previously on EVG) 

• At Performance Space New York's 2025 Gala on First Avenue and Ninth Street (Document Journal) 

• RIP, legend: The most-skated part of Hamilton Fish Park has been demolished (Quartersnacks) 

• Check out the early films of John Sayles (Metrograph) 

... we don't know where they are moving, but Karma Books on Third Street between Avenue A and First Avenue is having a moving sale all month...

 

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EVG Etc.: Explaining the new composting rules; crowdfunding for La Sirena

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Wrapping up Women's History Month at the Tompkins Square Library branch

Local stories of interest from other sources this past week include...  

• Compost avoiders will be fined starting on Tuesday (Gothamist) ... How the city will enforce mandatory composting (CBS 2) ... A guide to composting (The City) 

• An explainer on applying for unemployment in NYC (The City) 

• Postal workers at Cooper Station on Fourth Avenue indicted for kidnapping, attempted rape of co-worker (1010 WINS ... DA's release) 

• How can NYC's next mayor bring down homelessness? (Gothamist) 

• A feature on La Sirena Mexican Folk Art on Third Street (ABC 7... owner Dina Leor has a crowdfunding campaign here) 

• Sauerkraut fish stars at this new Third Avenue restaurant (Grub Street... previously on EVG)

• Momofuku's Kabawa, serving Caribbean cuisine, debuts in Extra Place (The Times) 

• The Post picked up our bunny-on-B story (The Post... previously on EVG) 

• Now playing: "Julie Keeps Quiet" is "a drama of startling revelations" that made a splash at Cannes last year (Metrograph) 

• Cult classic "Harold & Maude" gets a screening on April 14 (Village East by Angelika)

• Luna Park at Coney Island officially opened for the season yesterday (NY1) 

EVG Etc.: Tracking down an Elvis bust; remembering Michael Stewart

2017 photo of Elvis at Great Jones Cafe... see link below for more 

Local stories of interest from other sources this past week include... 

• LES man indicted in brutal murder of roommate (Gothamist ... DA's office)

• Three men were sentenced to prison in a murder-for-hire conspiracy among rivals on the LES (1010 WINS ... DA's office) 

• Hochul and Trump meet again to discuss congestion pricing... and maybe the once-dead Constitution Pipeline project (Gothamist) 

• NYC's nightlife mayor was hit with more than $350,000 in court judgments (The City) 

• Lawmakers and union demand NYU Langone resume offering gender-affirming care for minors (City & State) 

• The city's Open Streets program needs more funding to survive (Streetsblog) 

• A compelling read on what became of the Elvis bust at the former Great Jones Cafe (The New Yorker — you may get a freebie; otherwise, subscription required) 

• Read a passage from Elon Green's new book on Michael Stewart, "The Man Nobody Killed" (CrimeReads) ... WYNC and Hellgate have more on Green's book and the life and death of Stewart, the artist who was killed by transit cops at 14th and First in 1983. 

• The legacy of East Village artist-designer Dan Friedman 30 years after his death (artnet) 

• Photographer Bobby Grossman's Corn Flakes boxes featuring downtown luminaries are on display at the Ki Smith Gallery, 170 Forsyth St. on the LES (official site ... 

• A review of "Bunny," Ben Jacobson's East Village-set comedy that premiered at SXSW (The Hollywood Reporter ... Deadline) 

• The 2025 New Colossus Festival helped revive NYC's music scene (American Songwriter ... previously on EVG) 

• F*Bomb Productions presents a Ramones tribute at Baker Falls on March 28 (Tickets) 

• Are the scones at Mary O's on Seventh Street worth the wait in line? (BuzzFeed ... previously on EVG) ... A feature on Mary O (NBC News)

• See "Bonnie & Clyde" on a big screen this weekend (Village East by Angelika)

EVG Etc.: A reprieve for the mayor; a weekly refuge for asylum seekers

Photo from 10th Street between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue

Local stories of interest from other sources this past week include... 

• Gov. Hochul says she won't remove Mayor Adams from office (Gothamist) ... However, there are renewed calls for the governor to do so (ABC-7) ... Judge cancels the mayor's trial and leaves corruption charges intact until mid-March (The Associated Press) 

• All the top deputies who have left the Adams administration (City & State) 

 • Mayor Cuomo? (Mother Jones) 

• ICYMI: President Trump wants to kill congestion pricing in NYC (Gothamist... amNY ... Streetsblog ... The New York Times) 

• Trump aide on anti-congestion toll push is married to Manhattan garage magnate (Streetsblog) 

• Almost all of Manhattan's notoriously pokey crosstown buses that run south of 60th Street have sped up — slightly — in the weeks since congestion pricing took effect (The City) 

• Good news! The city has cleared about 40 outdoor dining applications! The very bad news: About 3,600 applications remain, and restaurant owners are pissed (The Post)

• Speaking out against Con Ed's proposed double-digit rate hike (PIX11) 

• A weekly refuge for asylum seekers at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery (The Indypendent) 

• More about "The Jonathan Larson Project" at the Orpheum Theatre on Second Avenue (The Forward) 

• A guide to must-see museum exhibitions and art events in NYC this spring (Hyperallergic) 

• See the epic of epics "Lawrence of Arabia" on the big screen on March 9 (Village East by Angelika)

... and Buzzfeed is the latest media outlet to check in on Danny & Coop's Cheesesteaks on Avenue A. (Spoiler on the $18 cheesesteak: "While satisfying, the cheesesteak is heavy and generally underseasoned.") And with every EVG mention of Danny & Coop's, a few readers chime in with a reminder about another newish place — G's Cheesesteaks on Avenue B and Houston... and now with new signage...

EVG Etc.: Who's running for mayor this year?; Is curbside dining kaput?

Local stories of interest from other sources this past week include... 

• Trump administration claws back $80 million sent to NYC to house migrants (The City) 

• Fact-checking FEMA's payments to NYC to house migrants (The Associated Press) 

• Danielle R. Sassoon, a Republican and acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, resigned after being told to drop the corruption charges against Mayor Adams ... five high-ranking DOJ officials followed suit (CNBC ... The Associated Press) 

• Good time to mention this: Who is running for mayor this year? (City & State) 

• Park Service erases 'transgender' on Stonewall website (NPR)

• Down: Vehicular traffic. Up: pedestrian traffic (Gothamist) 

• Outdoor dining might be doomed as just 40 of 1,400-plus applicants for the new roadway dining have made it through the city's labyrinth process (Grub Street ... Streetsblog) 

• New Yorkers were more likely to be killed in traffic crashes than in shootings in 2024 (Gothamist) 

• Local landmarks and landmarks-to-be of Black History (Village Preservation) 

• A Q&A with Jamian Juliano-Villani, "the Chaos Agent of the New York Art World" (Interview ... previously on EVG) 

• About "Danger and Opportunity," a new play set to open at East Village Basement, 321 E. Ninth St. (Playbill... official play site... East Village Basement site) 

• Three nights of Paul McCartney at the Bowery Ballroom (Brooklyn Vegan)

• Inside Dirt Candy's trademark dispute (The New York Times) 

• A visit to Cuts & Slices on East Houston (ABC 7 ... previously on EVG) 

• A global coffee price spike will soon hit your wallet, or however you pay for coffee (NBC News)

... and eggs remain crazy expensive right now... so beware of these obvious traps, like on Fourth Street... sure, it's just an unattended case of eggs...

EVG Etc.: Long live St Mark's Place; this is radio Clash

Sky view from 2nd and A 

Local stories of interest from other sources this past week include... 

• 100 immigrants arrested in week 1 of ICE raids (The City) 

• At St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, rallying against the new federal directive that strips longstanding protections from immigrant New Yorkers (amNY)

• AG James says NY hospitals — including NYU Langone Health and the Mount Sinai Hospital System — must continue offering gender-affirming care to minors (The Associated Press ... City & State ... CBS News) 

• Cooper Union wins legal fight over the Chrysler Building (Gothamist) 

• NYCHA residents can apply for grants to fund resident-led community projects that promote a healthy environment (City Limits)

• Mayor Adams does not feel the need, the need for speed for NYC bike lanes (Streetsblog)

• Various folks — Lucy Sante, Tish and Snooky, Danny Orlin, Ada Calhoun, Jason Diamond, Barbara Sibley, (and EVG!) — talk about the past and present of St. Mark's Place (Punch)

• Opening Saturday at the Hole on the Bowery: tinyvices archive 20th-anniversary exhibition (Official site) 

• Thoughts on "Discrimi-NATION: Guerrilla Girls on Bias, Money, and Art," the mini-retrospective of posters by the Guerrilla Girls currently at Hannah Traore Gallery on Orchard Street (Hyperallergic) 

• Tickets remain for the David Lynch series at Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue at 12th Street (Offical site) 

• Checking out the Tex-Mex at Wayne & Sons on Second Avenue (Eater ... previously on EVG) 

• Inside Bar Kabawa, a Caribbean spot in Extra Place via team Momofuku (Robb Report ... previously on EVG)

Today (Feb. 7!) is the annual International Clash Day 2025 on KEXP. Stream it online here.

EVG Etc.: Street vendors fear deporation; Con Ed considers double-digit rate hikes

Sunrise from 3rd Street 

Local stories of interest from other sources this past week include... 

• The Trump administration's move to re-examine federal funding could have a significant impact on NYC's public housing (The City) 

• Trump threatens to kill congestion pricing (City & State) ... though he'd need to break the law to do so (Streetsblog) 

• Cart vendors worry about being a target in ICE sweeps (Eater ... CBS News) ... What mass deportations would do to NYC's economy (The New York Times) 

• Con Ed is looking to increase customers' electric bills by an average of 11.4% and gas bills by 13.3% starting on Jan. 1, 2026 (Gothamist) 

• Cops searching for suspect who smashed man's face with a glass outside Phebe's on Fourth Street and the Bowery (amNY) 

• A visit to City Lore on First Street — "A hidden New York gem curates culture that might otherwise be lost" (ABC 7) 

• Hawk season 2025 is in full swing (Laura Goggin Photography) 

• Honoring Flaco Eurasian eagle-owl with a new book and exhibit (West Side Rag ... previously on EVG)

• And a diversion from The Hollywood Reporter's cover story on "Babygirl"'s Harris Dickinson, an East London native, who stayed here during the filming: 

He lived in the East Village, right on Houston Street, and though he took constant advantage of the proximity to Katz's Deli (and its world-famous Reuben), he couldn't handle the neighborhood's frenetic energy. "People were accidentally ringing my buzzer at night, and I was in a constant state of stress," he says. "My cortisol was so high that I felt like I was going to explode." 

"Babygirl" screens locally at Village East by Angelika, Regal Union Square and Regal Essex Crossing.

EVG Etc.: Anthony Weiner eyes Council race; Ramones film with Pete Davidson looks in doubt

Second Avenue and Ninth Street the other morning 

Headlines of interest this past week include...

• After acquittal in subway chokehold trial, Daniel Penny says he was vulnerable in the encounter (The Associated Press) ... Opinion: The Penny verdict reveals how NYC failed Jordan Neely (The Washington Post) 

• Anthony Weiner, jailed for sexting child, eyes political comeback in City Council race for Carlina Rivera's term-limited seat (The Associated Press) 

• Fatal stabbings exceeded gun deaths in NYC in November (Gothamist) 

• Dozens of low-income New York City families will soon begin receiving regular cash payments through a new program funded by City Council (Gothamist) 

• Get ready for the next big fight over Airbnb's reach in NYC (Politico) 

• DOT pushes back on a Council bill to require the agency to register and issue license plates for electric bikes and e-scooters (Streetsblog) 

• Coffee prices climb to near 50-year highs (CNBC)

• The 2025 edition of the New Colossus Festival — March 4-9 at venues in the East Village and Lower East Side — just added 100 artists to the schedule (Brooklyn Vegan) 

• Panna II keeps the spirit of Little India alive (The New York Times ... previously on EVG)

• Ramones Netflix film with Pete Davidson is in doubt as Johnny Ramone's estate wins latest legal round (Variety) 

• "A Christmas Carol" this December at the Merchant's House on Fourth Street (Official site) 

• Moody Tongue Pizza, serving Tokyo-Neapolitan-style pizza, debuts at 123 St. Mark's Place (Time Out ... previously on EVG) 

• Bar Miller on Sixth Street receives its first Michelin star (Eater ... previously on EVG) 

• A centennial celebration of the work of photographer, filmmaker and artist Robert Frank (Anthology Film Archives)

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EVG Etc.: Modified 'City of Yes' receives Council approval; a grateful Jesse Malin takes the stage again

Morning view of Tompkins Square Park from along Avenue A

• Manslaughter charge against Daniel Penny dismissed; jury will continue deliberating lesser charge on Monday (Gothamist) 

• City Council approves the Mayor's "City of Yes" housing plan by 3a 1-20 vote (NY1) ... "City of Yes" sets the stage for "bigger, taller luxury condos in our neighborhoods" (Village Preservation) ... How each NYC councilmember voted on City of Yes (City Limits) ... Christopher Marte, who represents the Lower East Side and downtown, was the only Manhattan City Council member to vote no. "He's argued for months that the 'City of Yes' will end up being a developer boondoggle that won't adequately mandate affordable construction. After the bill passed, he said that it would 'cast a long shadow over the city.'" (The Spirit) 

• Report: Unsheltered homeless youth population doubled in NYC (The City) 

• Jesse Malin makes "smash comeback" at Beacon Theatre (NY1 ... Variety) ... His comeback shows were a "testament to the human spirit" (Rolling Stone) ... previously on EVG 

• Heat issues at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery (PIX11) 

• City Council seeks universal parking ban at intersections (Streetsblog) 

• CNN names "Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World" as one of the year's "unmissable" documentaries (CNN ... previously on EVG)

• "Citizen Kane" in 35mm at the Village East by Angelika on Monday (Official site) 

• A touristy Christmas bar listicle if you're not feeling too hum-buggy (Delish) 

... and the latest in look-alike contests... this one today for Frank Iero in Tompkins...

EVG Etc.: Reaching a compromise on 'City of Yes;' looking at Paul Morrissey's archives

Opening for the day at Globe Slicers on the Bowery 

• Four people injured in a mini-van collision on Third Avenue at Sixth Street; driver arrested (ABC 7 ... 1010 WINS ... CBS 2) 

• The Mayor's "City of Yes" — with a few concessions — gets approvals from key City Council committees. News and reactions to the plan that will accelerate housing construction: (The City ... Streetsblog ... Gothamist ... City & State ... The New York Times ... The Post) 

"The approved plan included almost no changes to address objections raised about its impact in neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo" (Village Preservation) 

• City Hall plans to transfer all shelter operations, including those for asylum seekers, back to the Department of Homeless Services by June 2026 (The City) 

• Daniel Penny will not testify in subway chokehold trial as defense rests (Gothamist) 

• Police just released info about a 60-year-old man hit with a pipe for not giving stranger money on First Avenue and 13th Street last month (1010 WINS)

• Another new bakery, this one on Cooper Square at the former Dunkin' (Eater) 

• At 95, Shaindel Schreiber still dispenses babka and advice at Moishe's Bakery on Grand Street (The Forward) 

• A look at the archives of Paul Morrissey, a longtime East Village resident, a fixture of the NYC underground cinema scene, and a collaborator of Andy Warhol. He died last month at age 86. (Air Mail — you need to provide an email address to access the article)

• "3 Weeks of Christmas" films at the Village East by Angelika (Official site) 

• Two chances to see David Lynch's "Wild at Heart" on the big screen (Metrograph) 

• An archival interview from 1989, in the East Village, with My Bloody Valentine after the release of their mesmerizing debut full-length record, Isn't Anything (Hot Press) 

... and always a lot of interesting programming from the storefront studio on First Avenue on East Village Radio... for example...

 

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EVG Etc.: The end of mandatory broker fees; the return of congestion pricing

An evening stroll on 2nd Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue 

• City Council passes bill that shifts broker fees to landlords (ABC 7 ... The Associated Press) 

• Congestion pricing plan returns with new reduced tolls for Manhattan (ABC News ... Politico) 

• RIP Cowboy Ray Kelly, sculptor, leader of the Rivington School, and co-founder of the performance space NoSeNo (Legacy.com) 

• The latest from the Daniel Penny trial (Gothamist) 

• City announces 'Drone as First Responder' program (NYC.gov ... Daily News) 

• Brush fires reach historic levels across NYC (The City) 

• Recently arrived immigrants from Africa are turning to Instacart outside places like Wegmans on Astor Place with few other options for work (Streetsblog) 

• Knickerbocker Village on the LES was the only district in Manhattan where Trump received the majority of votes (The Post) 

• Post-election therapy in the form of Post-it notes in an underpass at the 14th Street subway complex (Hyperallergic)

• A look at four co-named streets in the neighborhood (Village Preservation) 

• At the Swiss Institute Benefit Gala (Cultured) 

• What to eat at YongChuan, a 2-month-old restaurant that opened at 90 Clinton St., above Delancey, that is the lone restaurant in Manhattan focusing on the cuisine of Ningbo, a port city in the Zhejiang province, south of Shanghai (Eater) 

• Almost time for "A Christmas Carol at the Merchant's House: Charles Dickens in New York, 1867" (Merchant's House Museum)

• Two chances to see "Downtown 81" on a big screen (Metrograph)

• About a local resident's AI wingman (Observer) 

... and if you're a Bluesky person, we set up on that platform this week...

EVG Etc.: Election Day the day after

Sunrise from 3rd and A today

• Where Donald Trump's policies are likely to affect New Yorkers (Gothamist)

• How Trump's mass deportations and tariffs would impact NYC's economy (The City) 

• Mayor Adams vows to fight for rights of New Yorkers after Trump election victory (ABC 7) 

• Adams was way off the political radar last night (Politico) 

• How your NYC neighbors voted in the election (The City) 

• NYC voters approve most local ballot measures (CBS News) ... Voters approved four of the mayor's five ballot proposals in a blow to City Council (Politico) 

• NYCHA tenants, including at the Riis Houses on Avenue D, sue the city, saying the agency does not disclose hazards such as lead and rats (Gothamist) 

• Village Preservation study finds high housing growth policies like "City of Yes" tend to make neighborhoods more white (PDF here)

• ICYMI: SNL spoofs EV resident and Assembly Member Harvey Epstein (City & State ... NBC)

• A curbside dining farewell tour (The New Yorker) 

• Book Club Bar turns 5 on Saturday (Official site... previously on EVG) 

• How Frank Kabatas, the owner of East Village Pizza, spends his Sundays (The New York Times)

• East Village well-represented in the best-coffee-in-NYC listicle (Eater) 

• A listicle of the East Village's best restaurants (The Infatuation) 

• Elbow Bread now open on Canal and Division (The Infatuation)

• The Berlin-founded Cabin Gallery debuts on Henry Street (artnet) 

• An Insomnia film series includes "Taxi Driver" and "Fight Club" (Metrograph)

EVG Etc.: Potential jurors in Daniel Penny trial face further questioning; election races to watch

Photo from Houston and the Bowery

• Jury selection continues in the manslaughter trial of Daniel Penny (Courthouse News ... Remembering Jordan Neely (ABC News) 

• The nonprofits that operate NYC's homeless shelters are engaged in widespread corruption, officials say (The New York Times... UPI) 

• The mayor's defense team is arguing that law enforcement agencies deliberately tried to tarnish his reputation (Gothamist) 

• Races to watch in NYC this election season (THE CITY) 

• Panhandler attacked a customer at Mee Noodle on First Avenue (PIX 11) 

• A look at the fourth annual FranCon gathering at the Holiday Cocktail Lounge on St. Mark's Place (Vogue) 

• New gallery exhibit on Second Street near Avenue A: Survivor-Girl, "women-identifying artists exploring the spectrum of womanhood and the survivor-body" (Ruby/Dakota ... previously on EVG)

• In praise of "Energies," a new exhibition at the Swiss Institute on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Cultured) 

• The man fighting to save the Elizabeth Street Garden (Interview)

• A fall-time look at Christo and Amelia, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography)

• A Taiwanese food crawl in the East Village (Gothamist) 

• A Sixth Street co-op "embodies East Village cool, all grown up" (6sqft) 

• Dirt Candy, which got its start on Ninth Street, turns 16 (Forbes) 

• The NYC restaurants going old-school with the return of the reservation book (Eater) 

• Two chances to see "All the President's Men" on the big screen, today and Wednesday (Metrograph) 

 ... and on Avenue B between Eighth Street and Ninth Street this afternoon...

 

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