Wednesday's parting shot

The holiday lights have arrived along Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... thanks to Steven for the photo...

The annual 9th Street Block Party is back, and happening tomorrow (Saturday!)

For the first time since 2019, the 9th Street A-1 Block Association Block Party — one of the best around — is back in action... happening tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 17) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Both residents and merchants along the block — Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue — will have items for sale. Expect some live music too.

Thanks to Steven for the photo!

A tradition like no other returns this holiday season on 9th Street

OK, maybe that headline is overselling it a bit. 

The Christmas holiday lights went up today on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, as Steven points out... 

As we've said, it's always festive on this block during the holidays. This year shall be no different.

And new stores joining your familiar faves on the block in 2021 include A Sustainable Village... Art+Ray ... Pillow-Cat Books... Spooksvilla ...  and a new home for Duo NYC.

And for those keeping tabs of such things, the lights are not early — they arrived on Nov. 1 last year.

Updated: 

A few evening-time photos here by Steven...

Holidays on ice

Workers this morning are removing the Christmas lights from Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, as Grant Shaffer notes. 

They arrived back on Nov. 1 ... we've seen them stay up as late as Feb. 15 (happy Valentine's Day!).

Now that Halloween is over with...

The Christmas holiday lights are going up on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue this morning, as these photos via Steven show...

A little early this year, as we've seen them arrive as late as Dec. 5 in the past...

Anyway, it's always festive on this block during the holidays... and if we've ever needed some holiday cheer, the time is now... 

Updated 7:50 p.m. 

Steven shared a few photos of how the lights look tonight...

The annual 9th Street Block Party is tomorrow (Saturday — on 9th Street)

The annual 9th Street A-1 Block Association Block Party — one of the best around — is coming up tomorrow (Sept. 14).

Both residents and merchants along the block — Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue — will have items for sale. Expect some live music too.

In addition, look for the return of Clayworks Pottery for the day. Helaine Sorgen will have items left from her Ninth Street shop, which closed after 44 years in 2017 thanks to Raphael Toledano.

Find all this — and more! — from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There isn't a rain date — so don't let it rain!

Shop and stroll on 9th Street this weekend

Today and tomorrow (Saturday and Sunday!), the merchants of Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue are celebrating the holiday weekend with a "shop and stroll" event on the block.

Per the EVG inbox: "Look for the balloons in front of the participating stores, and stop in to see what specials they are offering."

Sebastian Piras took the above photo last month of the Ninth Street merchants, who gathered on a local stoop for "A Great Day on 9th Street," a quasi recreation of the famous Art Kane photo "A Great Day in Harlem."

'A Great Day on 9th Street' this Sunday

Via the EVG inbox...

On Sunday (April 28), the merchants of East Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue are gathering on a local stoop for "A Great Day on 9th Street," a quasi recreation of the famous Art Kane photo "A Great Day In Harlem."

Afterwards, stroll down both sides of the street and check out the various specials the stores are offering.

Come celebrate our community of small businesses.

#shopthe921

A 9th Street block event this weekend

Business owners along Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue are hosting a block event this weekend (Friday through Sunday) ... per the above flyer, patrons will receive a 10-percent discount ("or a special treat") at participating shops.

As of now, the businesses taking part are:

Meg
Dinosaur Hill
Cobblestones
Headdress
Elliot Mann
DL Cerney
Cloak & Dagger
Local Clothing
an.mé
9th St. Vintage
Heights Kenchi
Still House
Huminska
Vera Meat
Ibiza
The Source
Spark Pretty
Duo
Azaleas
Vintage Grannies
East Village Postal
Tailors Atelier

Thanks to Steven!

Yet another reminder that February is nearly over

Workers removed the holiday lights today on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, as these photos by EVG Ninth Street Holiday Lights Correspondent Steven show... the lights had been up since Dec. 5 ...

The holiday lights on 9th Street

Earlier today, workers arrived on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second to hang the holiday lights... as in previous years... EVG Ninth Street Holiday Lights Correspondent Steven shared these photos...


[There's a little knot here]



... and by tonight... the block was aglow...



... you hardly noticed the recyclables on the curb...

The annual 9th Street Block Party is Saturday (on 9th Street)

[Photo by Steven]

The annual 9th Street A-1 Block Association Block Party is coming up this Saturday.

Here are a few details via the EVG inbox...

Resident artists, crafts people, and photographers will be showing and selling their work, and residents will be selling a la "stoop sale" — antiques, bric-a-brac, clothing, accessories, music, jewelry, etc.

Block businesses include:
• Shops: Beetle Bug, Enchantments, Flower Power, Good Beer, Love Only NYC, Mr. Throwback, Ollie's Place, Pink Olive, Polytima, Puppy Love Kitty Kat, Reason Outpost, The Wineshop
• Restaurants/Food Establishments: Cagen, Confectionery!, Dian Kitchen, Mahalo NY Bakery, Poke n Roll, Superiority Burger, Tacos Morelos, Thursday Kitchen, Whitman's
• Hair Salons/Barbers: Classic Man Barbers, Lovemore & Do, Maria Mok Salon, Neighborhood Barber, Tsumiki Hair

Find all this from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. There isn't any rain date. At the moment, though, the weather forecast is looking pretty good.

Some reasons to shop on 9th Street Thursday

A handful of business owners on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue have joined forces to host a "shopping crawl" on the block from 4-7 p.m. this Thursday to help inspire locals to shop local. The participating stores are offering a discount on selected items... the map below has the details...


[Click on image for a full view]

9th Street lights

Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue is usually one of the more festive blocks during the holiday season... on Friday, workers started putting up the lights...



... and by last evening...





Thanks to Steven for the photos...

Previously

Blast from the past

The roadway work on Ninth Street at Avenue A uncovered some Belgian blocks from decades past... thanks to Kate Puls for the photo!

The 9th Street Bock party is tomorrow (Saturday!)

For a good time head over to Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (After that, you're on your own.)

As usual, some of the businesses along the block will have tables set up outside... as well as some residents holding stoop sales.

And here is the live music lineup via the EVG inbox...

11.45 — Batucata (Brazillian drumming) with GingaPura
12.15 — The Last Band Ever
1 — BroadBand
1.45 — EV3
2.30 — Bluesco
3.15 — Ruckus Interuptus

Brought to you by the 9th Street A-1 Block Association

Zi' Pep has closed at seemingly jinxed East Ninth Street location

Zi' Pep opened in November on East Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue... The owner based the Southern Italian eatery on the East New York restaurant, Pep's, that his grandparents ran from 1935 to 1972, as Grub Street reported.

Anyway, Zi' Pep is now closed... and the owner and chef are now focusing on their Italian sandwich shop in Tribeca. Here's the official message about Zi' Pep:

It is not without regret that we are closing Zi' Pep, but as they say, we were made an offer we couldn't refuse. This is for the best, as now we'll have the opportunity to focus on our friends & family over Pane Panelle. We thank you for your patronage, and look forward to seeing you in Tribeca.

The Zi' Pep space had been on the market for several months... per the listing, the rent is $9,000 plus $175,000 for key money.

This looks like a tough sell for a restaurant. Zi' Pep is the third eatery to close here in quick succession, following Olivia and Sintir.

We'll see what gives this space a go next...

An East Village construction job that's seemingly on schedule

Seeing the empty lots between Avenue C and Avenue D from 1987 in the photos above reminded me... Haven't checked in on the Dona Petra Santiago Apartments on East Ninth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D. Plans call for an eight-story, 57-unit facility for seniors.





And here's how things are going... At the start of construction in November 2009, officials said work would be completed by the winter of 2011...



... seems as if they're right on schedule....

Noted

Also last night on Ninth Street near Second Avenue...probably a logical explanation for this....

[Updated]: Explosion, fire on First Avenue and Ninth Street

[Photo from EV Grieve reader Jason]

From a reader:

Didja hear about the explosion at the northwest corner of 1st avenue and 9th street?

Supposedly an electrical fire underground. Con Ed hasn't shown up and the fire crews are watching the smoke billowing out. It sounded like someone dropped a fridge off a second floor, around 12:15.

A photo from another reader shows that the situation is under control...



And a description for someone at the scene...



We're hearing from a few people that power is out in a few buildings around here.... looking at the ConEd Storm Center map for outages...