A psychic for this block of 5th Street

As you may have sensed, a psychic adviser recently debuted on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

We perceived this arrival via planetary placements in a birth chart. Also, Eden told us that this place opened.

For a period, it seemed like any vacant storefront would become a home for psychics and/or tarot card and/or palm readers... then along came smoke shops. 

Perhaps we may be in for a reset with psychics*, who reportedly fared well during the early days of the pandemic, and bank branches.

This storefront was previously home to Tamam, a home accessories boutique, for five years.  

P.S.

* After writing the above post... we noticed that the psychic's storefront on Houston between Clinton and Attorney is now for rent...   

On 5th Street, Tamam is closing

Tamam, a home accessories boutique, is closing its small retail space at 304 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Today is the last day for Taman's physical shop, which offers handmade ceramics, hand-embroidered pillows, scarves, accessories, vintage textiles, and clothing from Turkey, Central Asia, India, and beyond. 

They'll be open (July 11) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., selling stock for special prices as well as furniture and furnishings. (Tamam might be open intermittently through July, but after today, they'll be into the packing-up mode.)

The business will continue with online sales.

"Post-COVID retail has just never been the same. Regulars have left the neighborhood. We just can't support having a retail space. It's a tough business, retail shops," Clare Louise Frost, one of Tamam's three partners, told us. "It's been a great run! We couldn't thank our friends and neighbors enough."

Tamam opened here in late 2018.

Image via @shoptamam 

Tamam is now open on 14th Street

The plant-based Tamam Falafel (first reported here) is now open on 14th Street at Third Avenue right next to Joe's Pizza. (Thanks to Pinch and Nick Solares for the tip!)

Tamam is operated by Simon Oren, whose credits include 5 Napkin Burger. 

Here's part of a review of the UES location when it opened last summer via The Beet:

The name, Tamam, which is Arabic and Hebrew slang for "thumbs up," definitely elicits that kind of response for all sampling its tasty — and affordable — fare and Oren clearly hasn't lost his edge in the falafel-verse. The short menu has several standouts. 

First, the Eggplant Sabich Plate ($11.50) is a must, with the crispy eggplant savory and crunchy, and the perfect complement to a drizzle of amba sauce, a piquant condiment made of pickled mangoes and spices. Served on a bed of quinoa with a side of Israeli salad or cabbage salad with delectable hummus—extra creamy and mild — and warm chickpeas, along with freshly baked fluffy pita, the generous portions mean you may just have late-night leftovers to anticipate.

Tamam replaced the 5 Napkin Burger Express outpost. Find their menu here.

Tamam now open on 5th Street

[Image via Instagram]

Tamam, a Turkish boutique, opened last week on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue in a storefront between White Trash and So-Hair.

The owners sent us a note about their shop.

Tamam means "ok! all right! sure!" etc. in Turkish. Our shop is a boutique with handmade ceramics, tabletop, jewelry old and new, as well as ikat and hand-embroidered pillows, Turkish rugs, handmade scarves, accessories, clothing. We also have a great selection of antique and vintage textiles from Turkey, Central Asia, India and beyond.

Tamam is three partners: Clare Louise Frost, Elizabeth Hewitt of Tulu Textiles, and Hüseyin Kaplan, a noted Turkish textile and rug dealer. Tamam is all of treasures in one place, a treasure chest of all the things we love.

We are so happy to be in the East Village — we couldn't imagine opening our shop anywhere else.

They are open most days from noon to 8 p.m. through Dec. 23. (They will then be closed until the start of the New Year.) Find more info at their Instagram account here.