EVG Etc.: Crowdfunding for B&H Dairy; Selling off Gem Spa

Photo by Derek Berg

 

• Two East Village businesses detail their retail struggles (ABC 7) 

• Jacqueline Lewis, senior minister at Middle Collegiate Church, which was destroyed by fire on Dec. 5, talks about celebrating Christmas in 2020 (WNYC ... previously on EVG)

• B&H Dairy on Second Avenue is in danger of closing again (GoFundMe) 

• The great Cozy Soup 'n' Burger on Broadway at Astor Place could use some business too (Official site)

• Gem Spa is auctioning off its sign, rolldown gate, etc. (Official site ... previously on EVG) 

• Investigation: NYPD used excessive force during George Floyd protests (Gothamist) 

• New York State doing its best to permanently shutter restaurants (NBC 4)

• Second-generation Chinese New Yorkers are trying to help businesses in Chinatown establish an online presence and adapt to the pandemic (Gothamist) 

• The future of independent theater (B&B)

• A food vendor on 14th Street — in 1904 (Ephemeral New York) 

• 10 punk Christmas songs (Alternative Press)

• Diversions: The Stooges and the legend of "Metallic KO" (Dangerous Minds)

• And I appreciate Alex keeping the blogging spirit alive in this era of Substack, etc. He always has interesting posts. Give him a visit. (Flaming Pablum) 

EVG Etc.: The MTA's financial crisis; the latest essays from Luc Sante

Top photo from Tompkins Square Park this morning by Derek Berg

• MTA leaders mull a COVID-19-related financial crisis that could potentially see a 40-percent cut in weekday subway service and layoffs of more than 9,000 transit workers (Daily News) ... MTA looks to borrow $3 billion from the Feds (Streetsblog) 

• East Village restauranteurs discuss what winter dining might look like (Gothamist) 

• NYC restaurants restaurants report a drop in sales with the new 10 p.m. curfew (The Post)

• Anti-nuclear pacifists, seen on Saturdays in Tompkins Square Park protesting the war in Yemen, are headed to federal prison (The Intercept) 

• Q&A with East Village artist-musician Kembra Pfahler: "Being creative and sharing is a benevolent human trajectory that's difficult to irradiate even under the most heinous conditions. It lifts the spirits." (Whitehot Magazine) 

• Thoughts on Luc Sante's new collection of essays, which includes remembrances of the East Village music scene from his youth (The New York Times) 

• Complaints increase about the sight-seeing helicopter excursions over Manhattan (The City) 

• Singer-songwriter Jill Fiore on her fire escape performances on Essex Street (NY1) 

• Yellow Rose is a taco hit on Third Avenue (Eater ... previously on EVG)

• Introducing "The Encyclopedia of New York" (New York) 

EVG Etc.: Looking for holiday volunteers; Remembering Aldo Tambellin

• The Bowery Mission and City Harvest need volunteers this holiday season (FOX 5)

• Remembering Aldo Tambellini, the pioneering filmmaker and artist who in the 1960s opened the Gate and the Black Gate in the East Village, screening films by Kenneth Anger and Yayoi Kusama, among many others (The Guardian ... ARTnews) 

• East Village restauranteurs talk about the possibility of the state suspending indoor dining (Gothamist) 

• An analysis of the ZIP codes New Yorkers exited between March 1 and Oct. 31. Topping the list: Upper West Side, 10023 — 3,368. At No. 20: East Village, 10009 — 728 (The Post)

• East Village resident Douglas Stuart discusses his acclaimed debut novel, "Shuggie Bain" (New York) 

• The Landmarks Preservation Commission is reviewing proposals to renovate and refurbish the façade of Bathhouse Studios on 11th Street (NYY ... previously on EVG) 

•  A positive review (it "wows") for Mokyo on St. Mark's Place (Forbes)

• A preview of the new Half Japanese record (Dangerous Minds) 

• "Dash & Lily," an eight-episode holiday-themed romantic comedy series, debuted on Netflix this past week to positive notices (100% on Rotten Tomatoes!).  As you may recall, the crew filmed quite a bit around the neighborhood in late 2019 (here and here for instance). In the trailer, you can see the locations include Two Boots on Avenue A and the Strand...

EVG Etc.: The Strand says its cash reserves are depleted, issues plea for business

• An SOS from the Strand (Gothamist ... Deadline) The plea from owner Nancy Bass Wyden resurfaced recent articles (here and here, for instance) about her continued investment in Amazon... and growing rift with her staff.

• Manhattan's median asking rent fell below $3,000 — to $2,990 — for the first time since 2011 (Streeteasy)

• The East Village is well-represented in this listicle of the city's best Vietnamese restaurants (Eater)

• Catching up with the Mosaic Man (B&B)

• Video shows a male Karen — aka "Daren" — being aggressive on Astor Place after refusing to wear a mask (The Daily Dot)

• East Village teen arrested while live-streaming his climb of the Queensboro Bridge (Queens Daily Eagle ... Gothamist)

• Pinc Louds full-band show on Astor Place TONIGHT (Instagram)

• Penny Arcade stages her new mixed-media performance, "Notes from the Underground," on Friday, Oct. 30 at Pangea on Second Avenue. Find the livestream info here.

Random photo from yesterday at Second Avenue and Sixth Street

EVG Etc.: Kim Gordon's new book; Luc Sante's East Village tour

An inside look at Rosella, now serving sushi on Avenue A (Eater ... previously on EVG)

NYC restaurants OK'd to use outdoor heaters this winter (Gothamist)

An interview with  Chloë Sevigny outside B&H Dairy (The New Yorker)

Not sure why, but Fat Buddha is currently without a liquor license (Instagram) 

Syringe-wielding man robs the Marhsalls on East Houston (BB)

Kim Gordon on her visual memoir "No Icon" (The Cut)

A look at "Wojnarowicz: F*** You F****t F***er," which pays homage to David Wojnarowicz (IndieWire)

Looking back at the last show — Patti Smith! — at CBGB (Far Out)

Keep Cozy Soup N Burger in your diner plans on Broadway at Astor Place (Instagram)

Diversions: An interview with the people who bought the diner from "Twin Peaks" (Grub Street)

And the story many people have been talking about in recent days: author Luc Sante's historical tour of the East Village (The New York Times)

We appreciated Sante's use of the Death Star in the interview to describe 51 Astor Place. And look who we roused!

LUC, HE IS MY FATHER!

— 51 Death Star (@51deathstar) October 15, 2020

EVG Etc.: Protecting New Yorkers from evictions; reopening NYC restaurants

[Sunset over Tompkins Square Park last night via @cecilscheib]

• Upper West Siders upset with plan that relocated residents from two East Village-based shelters to the Lucerne Hotel on 79th Street (West Side Rag ... NBC 4)

• Homeless group secures city pledge to fund hotel stays (The City)

• A breakdown of protections New Yorkers currently have from eviction (Curbed)

• Café Tucano — the former Cloister Cafe — on Ninth Street Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue is said to now be a hotspot for exclusive all-night pandemic parties (Gothamist)

• Staffers at The Neighborhood School on Third Street encouraging parents to request full remote learning on Department of Education surveys (The Post)

• Red-tailed hawks survey the tree damage in Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography)

• Nearly 50 NYC restaurant owners, including Danny Meyer and David Chang, are pledging their support of a new "Safe and Just Reopening" plan for restaurants (Eater)

• Chinatown dining scene making a comeback (Eater)

• "An uncommonly good summer show" title "(Nothing but) Flowers" through Sept. 13 at Karma on Second Street (The New Yorker)

• Club Cumming on Sixth Street launching series of virtual variety shows (Instagram)

... and out on virtual platforms today... "Creem: America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine" ...

EVG Etc.: Nuyorican Poets Cafe keeping the beat; Metrograph launching digital programming

[Summertime rolls on St. Mark's Place]

• How the Nuyorican Poets Cafe on Third Street has adapted to COVID-19 (Time Out)

• NYC's public housing rules could force many released prisoners into homelessness (The Appeal)

• Coronavirus hammered the MTA's finances worse than originally expected at the height of the pandemic; service cuts and rate hikes in the works (NY1)

• Report: The Mayor's Open Streets plan falls short of what the city needs (Streetsblog ... Gothamist ... Transportation Alternatives ... previously on EVG)

• Tenement Museum lays off 76 workers, including all part-time educators (Hyperallergic)

• Metrograph on Ludlow Street launches Digital Membership Program (IndieWire ... official site)

• John Giorno's longtime home on the Bowery will become an archive and grant-giving hub (artNet)

• Ex-New York Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver sentenced to 6 1/2 years (NBC News)

• Financial fallout from COVID-19 causes Doughnut Plant to temporarily close all locations, including the original on the LES (Eater)

• Suggestions for picnic food to bring to Tompkins Square Park (Grub Street)

• Talking head: Breaking down Chris Frantz's new book, "Remain in Love" (Vulture)

• Finding some choice pieces for apartments via all the discarded furniture on the street (The Post)

• What happens if someone steals your CitiBike? (City Limits)

• Long reads: The Citizen app faces growing pains (Wired)

• Mickey Leigh discusses his new single, "Two Sides of the Law" (American Songwriter)

... and Wu-Tang 4ever on Fourth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...

EVG Etc.: 70 people arrested in Union Square protest over George Floyd's death

• Aggressive NYPD response cited during George Floyd protest yesterday in Union Square (Gothamist) Dozens arrested (NBC New York) Another protest planned today at 4 p.m. at Foley Square (CBS New York)

• The city's indie theaters hope for some rent relief (Broadway News)

• About Alessandro Simonetti’s “D Bulletin,” which chronicles the daily activity off Avenue D (HIGHSNOBIETY)

• NYC needs some guidance for bars and restaurants to reopen (Eater) City Council introduces legislation for outdoor dining (The Post)


[The vehicle-free Avenue B]

• Why David Wojnarowicz is the most essential punk artist of the last century (BoingBoing)

• Drone footage of Manhattan from the pandemic (Time Out)

• Outrage over the plan to demolish and rebuild 70 Mulberry St. (NBC News)

• More baby hawk action in Tompkins Square Park! (Laura Goggin Photography)

• CW Pencils on Orchard Street trying to make it through the COVID-19 crisis (BoweryBoogie)

EVG Etc.: Sen. Hoylman blasts Samaritan's Purse possibly moving to Mount Sinai Beth Israel

[As seen on 13th Street]

The rent strike movement is underway, including in the East Village, where "a group of tenants wrote a letter to their landlord, NAL Management, asking to 'open a dialogue' on possible concessions for hard-up renters." (Gothamist and Curbed)

The evangelical group Samaritan's Purse is reportedly moving its operations from Central Park to Mount Sinai Beth Israel on First Avenue and 16th Street. (Patch) Reaction from local State Sen. Brad Hoylman:

The Central Park field hospital is closing soon. The bigots from Samaritan’s Purse have been invited to move their operation to First Avenue.

That’s nothing less than an insult to New York’s LGBTQ community. pic.twitter.com/3Kk1Wg9f0Z

— Senator Brad Hoylman (@bradhoylman) May 1, 2020

The struggles of Forbidden Planet during the COVID-19 PAUSE (NY1)

LES History Month is underway (Official site)

More on Downtown Bakery's reopening (Eater ... previously on EVG)

Check out Phil Kline’s "Every Night at 7," a musical tribute to the evening cheer for frontline workers (Vulture)

Podcast: The New Yorker's Peter Schjeldahl — a longtime resident of St. Mark's Place — "on his adventures in life as an accidental art critic." (ARTnet)

History of Slugger Ann bar and cocktail lounge at 301 E. 12th St./192 Second Ave. (Off the Grid)

The New Yorker's 24 hours of NYC in the time of COVID-19 includes the 7 p.m. cheer from Seventh Street (Official site)

"Betty," the "Skate Kitchen" spinoff on HBO, is really good (Los Angeles Times)

EVG Etc.: Recovering from COVID-19; taking aim at third-party delivery fees

[St. Mark's Place at 3rd Avenue]

• East Village resident Majorie Ingall on the recovery from COVID-19 (Tablet)

• Remembering downtown star — and East Village resident — Nashom Wooden (Popular Publicity ... previously on EVG)

• Jimmy Webb's love for NYC and tight pants (The New Yorker ... previously on EVG)

• The fruit cart returns to First Avenue just north of 14th Street (Town & Village)



• The Department of Transportation and the NYPD not into converting roadways into public space for coronavirus-crammed New Yorkers (Streetsblog)

• Thoughts on the shuttered Starbucks on First Avenue and Third Street and what the neighborhood might look like post pandemic (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

• Amelia and Christo, the red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, are well — AND PLEASE DON'T USE A DRONE TO TAKE PHOTOS OF THEIR NEST (Laura Goggin Photography)

• NYC rents remain high — for now (Curbed)

• New York state is facing a $13.3 billion budget shortfall (Gothamist)

• City Council is taking up a series of bills on April 29 that could introduce a stricter fee cap on third-party delivery services (Eater)

• Via the EVG inbox: Citywide music performance of "For Our Courageous Workers" planned April 29 at the 7 p.m. cheer for front-line workers (Tenth Intervention)

• Take a look around the 98 Bowery archives (Official site)

• The Hester Street Fair goes virtual (Vogue)

... and East Village-based artist-actor Robert Galinsky recently launched a 30-minute talk-variety show that streams live Monday through Friday at 10 p.m. on Facebook.com/RobertGalinsky. Upcoming guests include Tony winner Maryann Plunkett and documentarian Clayton Patterson.

EVG Etc.: tracking COVID-19 cases by zip code; remembering Little Italy butcher Moe Albanese

[At Sake Bar Satsko via Andrew Adam Newman]

• New data shows that Hispanic and black New Yorkers are dying from COVID-19 at higher rates than other racial groups (Gothamist ... the City)

• ProPublica, the nonprofit newsroom, has a coronavirus tracker that compares positive cases in the city by zip code. As of April 10, 348 of the 782 people tested in the 10009 zip code have had a positive result, which is 44 percent less than the NYC average. Find the tracker here.

• City Hall's COVID-19 budget adjustments (NY Post ... Streetsblog)

• RIP legendary Little Italy butcher Moe Albanese (Eater)

• Elizabeth Blackwell, NYC's first female medical doctor — not to mention the first woman to practice medicine in the entire country — opened her clinic in this neighborhood (Ephemeral New York)

• Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis, senior minister at Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue, talks about the meaning of Easter this year (WNYC)

• A tour of what's still open in Chinatown (Eater)

• How Christo and Amelia are faring this week (Laura Goggin Photography)

• 12 classic books about the East Village and Greenwich Village (Off the Grid) Looking for a book? You can still order online at Third Street's Book Club (Official site)

• Classic Stage Company on 13th Street has moved its Classic Conversations Series online (Official site)

• "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," which some critics are calling the best film of the year, had an abbreviated run at the Angelika. It's now available to stream. (Reviews: Artforum... AV Club)

• About East Village-based musician and bar owner Jesse Malin's new live YouTube show (B&B)

• Actress Julia Fox, an East Village resident, on what movies she's rewatching from home (Vulture)

• Diversions: "Twin Peaks" turned 30 this week (SYFY Wire... Newsweek ... The New York Times)

... and via the 9th Precinct...

While you were stay(ing)-at-home, these nearly 900 glassines packed with heroin were bound for our #EastVillage streets. Luckily they never made it!—thanks to the sharp eyes 👀 of our Field Intelligence Sergeant and Anti-Crime Team. #NYPDProtecting pic.twitter.com/xbUu25ipfW

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) April 10, 2020

EVG Etc.: The story behind the Hard Swallow on 1st Avenue; the return of Citi Bike's e-bikes

[A St. Mark's Place classic]

Coronavirus fears in Chinatown (The Guardian)

The story of how Sasha and Lee Lloyd "overcame abuse, homelessness, depression, and betrayal" to open The Hard Swallow on First Avenue (Vice ... previously on EVG)

Citi Bike's e-bikes gradually return to the fleet (Streetsblog NYC)

Amelia and Christo are keeping busy in Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography)

The emerging designers at pop-up Café Forgot on Sixth Street (i-D)

In case you hadn’t noticed: With the rise in streaming services, more TV shows are filming now in NYC (CNN)

About "Our Friend, Jean," an exhibit featuring a sampling of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s early works from a group of collectors who knew him intimately (hyperallergic)

The Lowline, the proposed subterranean green space on the LES, remains dormant for now (The Lo-Down)

The history of the LES through music (The New York Times)

Norman’s Sound & Vision, which left the East Village in 2012, has closed its shop in Williamsburg (Brownstoner)

Blinded by Extell's One Manhattan Square (Gothamist)

A retrospective of the groundbreaking artist Ed Emshwiller (Anthology Film Archives)

And happening this evening... via the EVG inbox...

Winter's low visibility conditions make for a difficult time to bike, commute or walk your dog in traffic.

Join Transportation Alternatives for a #DoggyDaylighting Awareness event at Boris and Horton to support life-saving street redesigns that can increase safety for our most vulnerable road users.

FREE! #DoggyDaylighting Awareness Event for the Bike Avenue B campaign
Friday, Feb. 21 @ 5:30-7 p.m.
Boris & Horton, 195 Avenue A (at 12th Street)
**Dogs are not required for the event, but their participation is welcome indoors at this dog-friendly venue.

EVG etc.: Mokyo debuts on St. Mark's Place; The Strand expands to the UWS

[Seeing double on 7th via Derek Berg]

• Concerns mount over the hotel special permit plan below Union Square (amNewYork)

• Some of Steve Croman's tenants still have chronic issues with their apartments (Gothamist)

• Details on chef Kyungmin Kay Hyun’s new restaurant Mokyo on St. Mark's Place (Eater and Grub Street ... previously on EVG)

• The Strand is opening an outpost on the UWS (Westside Rag)

• Affordable housing lottery underway for this Essex Crossing building (The Lo-Down)

• More cities and states are saying no to cashless shops (NPR ... previously on EVG)

• NYCHA's 'RAD' plan (The City)

• Look ‘n Lick, a site-specific collaborative installation, continues at mh Project NYC, 140-142 Second Ave. — open Saturday and Sunday 2-6 p.m. (Official site)

• See "Casablanca" on Valentine's Day in the big auditorium at City Cinemas on Second Avenue and 12th Street Street (Official site)

• RIP Ivan Kral (Dangerous Minds) ... and Andy Gill (NPR)

• Patti Smith helps vandalized Portland, Ore. book shop (The Oregonian — h/t Daniel!)

EVG Etc.: Amelia and Christo are building their 2020 nests; New ICP home debuting next week

[Parking fun on 7th Street via Derek Berg]

• In NYC, 404 people considered homeless died between July 2018 and June 2019, which is 39 percent more than the previous time period (Gothamist)

• A suspect slashed his wrists in a Seventh Street apartment yesterday morning before police executed a warrant for his arrest (The Post)

• Approximately half of the luxury-condo units that have come onto the market in Manhattan in the past five years are still unsold (The Atlantic)

• Nest-building time in Tompkins Square Park for red-tailed hawks Amelia and Christo (Laura Goggin Photography)

• The International Center of Photography will officially open its new 40,000-square-foot museum and educational center on the Lower East Side next Saturday, Jan. 25 (The Lo-Down)

• RIP John “Butch” Purcell, known to many in the community as the mayor of Stuyvesant Town (Town & Village)

• How did Gov. Cuomo come up with the L-train repairs coming in $76 million below expected costs? (WNYC)

• "The Naked Fog," a long-lost sexploitation film by Joe Sarno from 1966, screens tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30 at the Anthology Film Archives (I saw it last night!) Read more about it here. It's part of the Anthology's "Beyond Cassavetes" series.



• The Village East on Second Avenue and 12th Street is playing several Oscar-nominated films, including additional screenings of Best Picture nominee "JoJo Rabbit" ... they're also showing the Oscar-snubbed "Uncut Gems" (Official site) ... You could also support Cinema Village on 12th Street between University and Fifth, which is screening "Joker" and "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" (Official site)

• Here's the lineup for the second-annual New Colossus Festival happening in March at several EV and LES venues (Official site)

• Alex recalls a night out with Rush, and RIP Neil Peart (Flaming Pablum)

• If you need help ordering a bagel (Grub Street)

• Opening next week at the Museum of the City of New York: "Collecting New York's Stories: Stuyvesant to Sid Vicious" (Official site)

... and a look at the new high-tech equipment for the EVG HQ, which is not a tree ... photo by Derek Berg...

EVG Etc.: Anthrax scare at Nowhere; dessert watch at Red Gate Bakery

[Neon goodness at the Lower East Side Coffee Shop, 14th and A]

• Man accused of sending fake anthrax to Nowhere bar on 14th Street (NY1)

• The "perfect versions of classic American desserts" at the new Red Gate Bakery on First Street (Grub Street ... previously on EVG)

• The intriguing history of the Village East Cinema on Second Avenue and 12th Street (B+B)

• Evictions in NYC Continue to fall in wake of Rent Reforms (Gothamist)

• MULCHFEST HIGHLIGHTS FROM TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK (Laura Goggin Photography ... previously on EVG)

• A visit to the William Barnacle Tavern on St. Mark's Place (Untapped New York)

• Celebrating the 1980s East Village photography of Tim Greathouse (Another Man)

• The 50,000-square-foot building in the works for Delancey and Attorney (NYY)

• Ugh: The building housing Forlini's in Little Italy is for sale, and the restaurant will eventually close (Eater)

EVG Etc.: City pledges to end street homelessness; MTA board approves plan for more subway cops

[At the great Russo's on 11th Street]

• Remembering the cyclists who were killed on city streets this year, including Chaim Joseph of the East Village (Gothamist... previously on EVG)

• The city's pledge to end street homelessness (Curbed)

• The NYCHA is the city's worst landlord (ABC-7)

• MTA board approves hiring 500 additional cops (The Post)

• What to eat at the new Essex Market and the Market Line (Eater)

• More stats and praise for the 14th Street busway (Newsday)

• City Councilmember Carlina Rivera wants to see pols gives up their SUVs for bikes (Daily News)

• Local blogger spots the "In the Air Tonight" car in action (Gothamist)

• Catch a screening of "My Mars Bar Movie" by the late Jonas Mekas this Saturday night (Anthology Film Archives... previously on EVG)

• The "Holidays at Metrograph" series continues with screenings of "The Thin Man," "Carol" and "The Apartment," among others (Official site)

• Diversions: Slayer fans lose their shit outside of Studio 54 in 1985 (CVLT Nation)

... and following the snow squall yesterday... the arrival of an R2-D2 on this windshield — obviously a promo for "The Rise of Skywalker" ...



... thanks to EVG reader Melissa for this photo from 3rd and A...

EVG Etc.: More bus passengers on 14th Street; another food hall downtown

[Ageloff Towers on 3rd and A on Wednesday afternoon]

• At the NYCHA town hall in the East Village (Fox 5) ... Thanksgiving without gas for cooking for some residents in LES NYCHA properties (Patch)

• Speeds and ridership increasing on the 14th Street Busway; camera enforcement arriving (amNY)

• The Market Line food hall opens today in Essex Crossing (Crain's)

• Local developer-landlord Michael Shah, who has been arrested twice over alleged domestic incidents with his girlfriend, claims that "the DA’s office has shown gender bias that only women and not men can be victims of domestic violence, even in the face of copious evidence." (The Real Deal)

• More about Giovanni Destefano, who died after a mugging on Fifth Street (Daily News ... previously on EVG)

• A stabbing at the East Broadway F stop (The Lo-Down)

• A chilly morning in Tompkins Square Park with red-tailed hawks Amelia and Christo (Laura Goggin Photography)

• Sietsema likes that Japanese omelet rice at the just-opened Aoi Kitchen on Sixth Street (Eater ... first on EVG)

• The French classics at Brasserie Saint Marc on Second Avenue (Frenchly ... previously on EVG)

• That Noah Baumbach residency continues (Metrograph)

• A retrospective featuring the work of French composer Luc Ferrari (Anthology Film Archives)

• Study: Starbucks’ open bathroom policy may be hurting foot traffic (Yahoo! Finance)

• Details on the long-awaited SoHo and NoHo planning study (Gothamist)

• The footwear of the Ramones (Flaming Pablum)

🙄 Poll: Bloomberg most popular of last three New York City mayors (The Post)

... and EVG reader Sylvia G. spotted these giveaways last night on Sixth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D...



... it was not immediately clear if the "it works" sign referred to the microwave or penis-shaped Trump bottle opener...

EVG Etc.: More debate over stormproofing East River Park; coming-of-age series at the Anthology

[Heads up in Tompkins Square Park via Derek Berg]

• Recaps of the City Planning Commission's heated hearing on the East River Park flood protection plan (Curbed ... Patch ... previously on EVG)

• Two programs to help small businesses are coming to the East Village (Patch)

• Good samaritans swarm man who shoved commuter onto the tracks at Broadway-Lafayette (The Post)

• Resident of the Lillian Wald Houses on Avenue D robbed by two men in NYCHA uniforms (ABC 7)

• Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer and professor/author Caroline Weber are the new owners of the 10th Street townhouse once owned by Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy (The Post ... previously on EVG)

• 72-year-old man mugged for his plastic bottles outside the Associated on 14th Street (Town & Village)

• Judge rules that the towers for the Two Bridges development must go through city land use review process (amNY)

• A showcase of films that present young women entering adulthood (Anthology Film Archives)

• Remembering Jim Carroll on what would have been his 70th birthday yesterday (Off the Grid)

• The history of a fabled farm-like homestead on 14th Street (Ephemeral New York)

• Birds you'll find around NYC (Laura Goggin Photography)

• The next Musical Monday selection at the Village East is... "The Bodyguard" (Official site)

• A look at Essex Crossing’s rooftop farm (B&B)

• You can find Katz's this month at the Met (6sqft)

... and EVG reader Michelle shared this photo from yesterday on 22nd Street at First Avenue...



At first glance we thought this bear migrated north from Fifth Street, though it's likely just a relative...


[Photo by Jonathan Michael Fung from July 3]

EVG Etc.: 'Mom-and-Pop Storefronts' in focus; LGBTQ icons in Stuy Town; Jim Jarmusch at Metrograph

[Photo on St. Mark's Place by Derek Berg]

• Study: The number of affordable apartments spurred by a partial rezoning of the East Village and Lower East Side in 2008 fell short of the city’s projections, creating only 55 percent of the below-market-rate apartments estimated (Curbed)

• Democratic lawmakers are racing to renew the state’s rent laws before they expire on June 15 (City & State)

• A feature on the latest project from EV residents James and Karla Murray — “Capturing the Faces and Voices of Mom-and-Pop Storefronts” (amNY)

• Preview of the Lower East Side Film Festival (B+B)

• Neighbors are coming together to help pay for emergency oral surgery on Oreo, the cat who hangs out in the 6th & B Community Garden (Official site)

• East Village merchants among those interviewed in a piece on how small businesses are surviving today (WWD)

• "Wig," the documentary on the rise of Wigstock, which started in the East Village, premieres on HBO on June 18 (Official site)

• The recently opened Black Emperor on 2nd Avenue near 12th Street has good bar food (Gothamist... previously on EVG)

• Portraits of LGBTQ icons arrive in Stuy Town (Town & Village)

Jim Jarmusch retrospect underway down on Ludlow Street (Metrograph)

• The White Horse Tavern's transformation into a "first-class gastro pub" (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

• The U.S.'s first poster museum opens this month in Chelsea (Hyperallergic)

• Catching up with CJ Ramone (LA Weekly)

And last night, an EVG reader who lives on Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue found an abandoned Sirrus men’s bicycle. Here are details via a Craigslist ad:

Found this bike laying on street next to a parked car on 3rd Street...

Unlocked but with a u-lock hanging on handle bar. There are some rather distinctive features that probably only the owner would be aware of, so shoot me a message to identify. I’m not looking for a reward — just want to get it to its rightful owner and it seems fancy (I’m bike ignorant).

So, if you’re missing a bike and can tell me a couple things that would narrow it to being yours (or you have a pic of it!), I’m more than happy to give it to you as my apartment is tiny and it’s now taking up my entire living room!!

You may contact the bike good samaritan via the Craigslist ad.

EVG Etc.: Construction zone protections for cyclists; 'Punk Lust' at the Anthology

[The Miracle Garden on 3rd Street]

• LES/East Village takeaways from the NYU Furman Center's annual report, The State of New York City’s Housing and Neighborhoods (The Lo-Down)

• AG's office announces the second round of restitution funds for current and former tenants of landlord and convicted felon Steve Croman (Patch ... previously on EVG)

• Thanks to a bill via local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera, construction firms must now create a safe, alternative route for cyclists if they block a bike lane — or have their permit revoked (amNY ... Streetsblog)

• Pride Guide for June (Grub Street)

• The city will create a permanent Greenwich Village monument to honor LGBTQ activists and Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries (STAR) founders Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera (Curbed)

• The casting director for "Russian Doll" explains how she put together the ensemble for the Netflix series set in the East Village (Backstage)

• Some history of 4 St. Mark's Place (Flaming Pablum ... previously on EVG)

• Starting today at noon, the MTA says OMNY readers will go live at 16 stations along the 4, 5 and 6 lines, starting the long goodbye of the MetroCard (Gothamist ... previously on EVG)

• Remembering the Eighth Street Bookshop (Ephemeral New York)

• The 1954 version of "A Star Is Born" with Judy Garland plays Monday (June 3) at the City Cinemas Village East on Second Avenue and 12th Street (Official site)

• This series starts tonight ... cutting and pasting: "In conjunction with the Museum of Sex’s exhibition “Punk Lust: Raw Provocation, 1971-1985,” the Anthology hosts a related film program that expands on the exhibition by surveying how Punk culture used the language of sexuality – both visually and lyrically – to transgress and defy, whether in the service of political provocation, raw desire, or simply to break through the stifling gender norms and social expectations of its time." (Anthology Film Archives)

• Beach Boy/noted asshole Mike Love releases a cover of "Rockaway Beach" (Billboard)

And via the EVG inbox...



Neville Dance Theatre in the premiere of "53 Movements"
Saturday, June 1 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie St.
Tickets: $30; $18 for students
Reservations here.

Neville Dance Theatre will premiere director/choreographer Brenda Neville's 53 Movements, set to composer Terry Riley's musical masterpiece "In C," June 1. Often referred to as the founding composer of music minimalism, Terry Riley's pioneering 1963 work "In C," consists of 53 short, set musical phrases played by the musicians with improvisational choices.