Checking in with Phil Hartman on Two Boots’ future on Avenue A — and the East Village

Photos and interview by Stacie Joy 

As we reported on Tuesday, the longtime home of East Village mainstay Two Boots Pizza — at 42 Avenue A on the NE corner of Third Street — has been listed for lease for the first time in 30 years. 

At the time, owner Phil Hartman said they were hoping to negotiate a new lease with the landlord while remaining in the neighborhood. 

With the listing now public and questions swirling about what's next for the Cajun-Italian slice spot (and its corner, which once housed the Two Boots video store and Pioneer Theater), we checked back in with Hartman yesterday afternoon for an update — and what the future might look like.

How do things stand with the landlord right now?

Talks are ongoing. I got a counteroffer yesterday, which I appreciated. At the same time, we're looking at other spaces in the neighborhood just to get a sense of comparison. I'm very emotionally tied to this spot, so we're cautiously optimistic. 

Did the listing change the tone or urgency of negotiations? 

A little. It was somewhat unexpected, and it affects the staff — you want to reassure them that things are going to be OK. But I've been doing this for 43 years. I've opened 34 businesses. Nothing really shocks me anymore.

Were you expecting the listing? 

There had been some talk, but the timing was a surprise. 

The asking rent is listed at around $22,500. Is that realistic? 

 

I'd call that aspirational. Landlords tend to be aspirational. I have a sense of what a business can do here to survive — and that number is high. 

Do you have a timeline for a decision? 

No hard deadline, but it's pressing. I'd say we'll know more in the next few weeks. 

How likely is it that you will stay at this location? 

As I said, cautiously optimistic.

If not here, would you stay in the neighborhood? 

Absolutely. Two Boots is staying in the East Village. It might be a few blocks away or right here. 

You've mentioned your ties to the neighborhood — how much does that factor in? 

A lot. I raised my kids around the corner, and now my daughter is raising her daughter here. My grandparents lived on Henry Street — we're five generations in the neighborhood. And we work with so many community groups. The Lower Eastside Girls Club alone is reason enough to stay. 

If you do stay in this space, would anything change? 

Yeah — I'd love to lean into the history. Turn this into the birthplace of Two Boots. Maybe a little museum feel, a self-guided tour, a kids' pizza-making station. Make it more fun. 

And if you have to leave? 

It would be emotional. There's a lot of art in here that's part of the space — mosaics, paintings, the floor. Some of it we can take, some we can't. You start thinking about all that.

How do you see this situation in the broader context of running a business right now? 

Third-party delivery apps are a huge problem — they take a big cut and add very little. And this stretch of Avenue A has a lot of vacancies, which makes things tougher. But we've been through 9/11, Sandy, everything. Pizza is perennial. 

What would you want people in the neighborhood to know right now? 

Two Boots will be here. Whether it's this spot or another nearby, we're not leaving the East Village.

The CityBench that baffled residents on 3rd Street has been removed

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Ding-dong, the bench is gone. 

That was the word on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B yesterday after the much-debated CityBench was removed from outside a residential building mid-block. 

Lorna Lentini, who lives directly in front of where the CityBench had been installed, was surprised when it first appeared last June — and just as puzzled to see it quietly removed this week. 

She and her neighbors had previously questioned the placement, noting it wasn't near a bus stop or park. Unlike other CityBench installations in the area — such as the leaning bar by the M9 stop on Avenue C and Sixth Street or the backless benches on 10th Street near Avenue C — this one had full back support and was positioned close to a residential entrance, facing directly toward her front door. 

Lentini said the bench was taken out Tuesday night.

"I heard nothing, nor did my upstairs neighbor," she said, noting that it appeared workers simply unbolted it.

As previously reported, Community Board 3 and several elected officials had supported its removal following complaints from nearby residents. 

According to CB3 District Manager Susan Stetzer, the bench is slated to be relocated down the block to the Ryan Nena Community Health Center on Third Street between Avenue C and Avenue D.

Lentini, who helped organize a petition that drew nearly 200 signatures, said she was relieved to see it go.

"I'm grateful to the neighbors, friends and supporters who signed the petition to move this bench to a more appropriate public space," she said. "I am just over the moon that I am not facing another summer season with that chronic audience!" 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Residents baffled by new CityBench outside their door on 3rd Street

DOT plans bike and pedestrian changes around Astor Place and the East Village

St. Mark's Place between A and First Avenue

The city is planning a series of street changes around Astor Place and the East Village this spring, aimed at adding bike connections and creating more pedestrian space. 

According to the Department of Transportation, the work includes a new two-way, parking-protected bike lane along Lafayette Street and Fourth Avenue, creating a continuous north-south route from SoHo up to Union Square. (For those interested in more details, here's a PDF with a deep dive into the plans, part of a presentation this week to Community Board 2.)

Closer to the neighborhood, DOT also plans a short two-way bike lane on Astor Place (between Broadway and Lafayette) to better connect existing routes. Riders heading east would then be directed along East Eighth Street — and over to St. Mark's Place — providing a clearer connection toward Tompkins Square Park. (St. Mark's Place currently does not have marked bike lanes.)

On Lafayette between Eighth Street and Ninth Street, a Citi Bike station currently on the sidewalk is expected to be moved into the roadway, which should open up some pedestrian space on what can be a crowded stretch. 

The changes are tied in part to street repaving schedules and are also being framed as preparation for increased foot traffic this summer, tied to the World Cup. 

Work is expected to begin this spring.

Wednesday's parting shots

Photos by Steven 

Today marked 115 years since the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. 

As part of the annual remembrance, volunteers again took part in the Street Pictures chalking project, writing the names and ages of the victims — most of them young women — outside the Lower East Side buildings where they once lived...

A cold Spring night with the waxing Moon (and a reminder the Earth keeps moving)

Felton Davis, the having-trouble-staying-retired founder of the Second Avenue Star Watchers, shared these photos and dispatch from last evening on Second Avenue and Third Street: 

Six-day-old waxing Moon between Auriga and Taurus, with Jupiter in the constellation Gemini about 12 degrees over. It took three people to help spot the Moon, while the old man sat in a chair and twisted the knobs on the aging Orion reflector. Why is it so hard to get a good cellphone photo through the lens? Because all the time you're trying, the Earth is rotating, and that causes the Moon to move out of view. (It seems that very few people actually have a sense that our planet is rotating.) A beautiful, clear night, but my fingers were freezing up, so I had to pack it in.

RIP Agosto Machado

Photo from Tompkins Square Park in 2018 by Stacie Joy 

East Village-based artist and activist Agosto Machado, a longtime figure in the Downtown art scene, died Saturday following a brief illness. His age was not disclosed. As ARTnews reported: "Speaking of his decision never to publicly share his birth year last year, Machado said, 'A lady never tells.'" 

Machado was known for his shrine-like sculptures honoring friends, collaborators and members of the queer community — many of whom were lost during the AIDS crisis — helping preserve stories and histories often left undocumented. 

An active participant in the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the Gay Liberation Movement, Machado described himself as a "pre-Stonewall street queen" and remained closely tied to the city's creative and activist communities for decades. 

There are many tributes to Machado on Instagram, including...

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Peter Hujar Archive (@peterhujararchive)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TheDustyRebel (@dustyrebel)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pablo Maine (@maine_zine)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Howl! Arts (@_howlarts)

Machado has a piece in the Whitney Biennial 2026, up through Aug. 23.

Commemorating the 115th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire

EVG file photo 

A commemoration marking the 115th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire will take place today at the site of the tragedy. 

The annual ceremony honors the 146 garment workers — mostly young immigrant women who lived on the Lower East Side — who died in the 1911 fire, an event that led to major reforms in labor and fire safety laws.

During the program, attendees — including family members, labor leaders and elected officials — will read the names of the victims as a bell tolls. Flowers will be placed at the site, and a fire truck ladder will be raised to the sixth floor, the highest point firefighters could reach at the time. The fire engulfed the 8th, 9th and 10th floors. 

The gathering begins at 11:30 a.m. with music, followed by the program at noon, on the northwest corner of Greene Street and Washington Place, just east of Washington Square Park.

As in the past 20-plus years, volunteers today will participate in a chalking project (organized by Street Pictures), writing the names and ages of the victims where they lived. 

For more details on the fire and its lasting impact, visit the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition website.

Signage alert: JoJu on St. Mark's Place

An outpost of JoJu is coming to the eastern storefront at 33 St. Mark's Place, just west of Second Avenue.

This is the latest location for the quick-serve biz serving Vietnamese sandwiches and salad/rice bowls .... with "options available for carb-conscious diners." 

This will be the fifth branch for the brand that launched in 2011 in Elmhurst. 

Eater has named JoJu one of NYC's best Vietnamese restaurants, noting: "JoJu extends the frontiers of the classic banh mi sandwich, constructing some newfangled ones out of things like Korean bulgogi and Japanese pork belly, while retaining the usual Vietnamese varieties." 

P.S. 

The building and storefront have undergone significant changes since Manic Panic was here from 1977 to 1989.

A surreal sendoff to winter at Parkside Lounge

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

There was still a bit of winter left in the air Friday night — and some of it drifted into the Parkside Lounge. 

The Houston Street venue hosted a Surrealist Winter Ball, an evening of costumes, tarot readings, live painting and DJ sets timed to the eve of the spring equinox. 

Organizers — presented by Midnight Flaneur in collaboration with The Committee — billed it as an immersive night of "light, sound, costume, and transformation." (Below left is the event producer, Simone McAlonen.)

There were also performances, including Mandy Mayhem, but we couldn't stay long enough to catch everything on the lineup. 

The crowd mostly consisted of enthusiastic, creatively dressed attendees who appeared completely in tune with the theme.

Fresh pavement for Avenue A

All signs point to DOT crews finishing up paving Avenue A this evening.

Last week, workers milled the roadway from 14th Street to Fourth Street. 

As of last night, the DOT is down to the middle of A between St. Mark's and Seventh Street...

Machinery is parked nearby too ... including this Lovecraftian model... a complicated ride for something that hits 2 mph...

On a series note, M14A buses will be traveling on Avenue C from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the paving...

Two Boots’ longtime Avenue A home listed for first time in 30 years as lease talks continue

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy

The longtime home of East Village mainstay Two Boots Pizza — at 42 Avenue A on the SE corner of Third Street — is now on the rental market. 

Last week, we spotted an apparent off-market listing for the space. When asked at the time, owner Phil Hartman said they were hoping to negotiate a new lease with the landlord.

"We've been in that spot for 30 years, and began across the street 39 years ago, and hope to stay," he told us. 

Last night, a listing via Meridian Capital Group surfaced on Instagram, describing the space as an "East Village staple" and a "rare opportunity."

The online listing states the monthly rent as $22,500.

Despite the listing going live, Hartman said last night that they are still in talks with the landlord.

"Right now, we're trying to decide if we want to stay where we are or relocate, depending on negotiations with our landlord — a very nice guy, as a matter of fact, who I've known for over 30 years! In any case, the East Village is deep in the bones of Two Boots — and in me, of course — and we will always be in the neighborhood. We need to stay close to the Lower Eastside Girls Club, Loisaida Inc., Anthology Film Archives, the Keswell School, Hetrick- Martin Institute, and the dozens of other community partners that we treasure."

Two Boots — named for the shapes of Italy and Louisiana — began in the East Village in 1987, when Hartman, a filmmaker, and Doris Kornish teamed up with developer John Touhey to open the original restaurant at 37 Avenue A. 

A slice shop opened across A before moving to its current location. In the ensuing years, other outposts opened up around NYC and in cities such as Baltimore and Nashville. 

Known for its Cajun-Italian mashups (and quirky slice names), the brand has long been a staple in the neighborhood's pizza scene.

The corner space on A and Third also once housed the Two Boots video store, Den of Cin and the Pioneer Theater, featuring eclectic indie programming. 

Whether at 42 Avenue A or elsewhere in the neighborhood, it sounds like Two Boots will remain in the East Village.

Taqueria coming to former Burgers on B space

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The former Burgers on B  (both of them!) space at 168 Avenue B appears to have a new tenant. 

Tipsters tell us that a taqueria is planning to open here later this spring if all goes to plan. We're told the operators own two similar ventures uptown.

The address is between 10th Street and 11th Street.

Mailbox signage alert: Wine Art Laboratory on Avenue B

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

We have a partial signage reveal at 40 Avenue B.

The mailbox now lists the new business name, Wine Art Laboratory, between Third and Fourth Streets, which recently signed a lease for the storefront.

 

The space is expected to become a wine-and-art bar, focusing on vino from around the world. 

That would mark a reset for No. 40, which has had a rocky run of tenants in recent years — from the good, like Fonda (RIP 2020), to the more problematic. El Carnaval, a notoriously loud Panamanian restaurant and bar, was accused of serving liquor without a license in the summer of 2021 (and caught on video). 

Dora's Restaurant followed with similar allegations, plus DJs playing to largely empty rooms. In October 2024, Community Board 3 reported 24 commercial 311 complaints tied to Dora's, with seven requiring NYPD response. 

Anyway! Welcome, Wine Art Laboratory!

Pizza Hub’s run on 1st Avenue appears to be over

We're cautiously speculating that Pizza Hub is no longer with us at 59 First Ave. 

The $1-slice outpost arrived in early January between Third Street and Fourth Street and appears to have quietly exited about six weeks later. We haven't seen it open since the blizzard of Feb. 22-23. 

Perhaps not a total surprise: the Pizza Hub signage never quite committed, loosely layered over the previous tenant, Basilico Pizzeria, which itself followed Halal Bites Pizza. 

For the sake of local journalism, we sampled a slice on Jan. 10. For what it's worth, the slice was… perfectly serviceable in the $1 category.

Monday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Eastbound and down on Fourth Street today...

March 22

From last night along Avenue A... thanks to Louise & Danny for this St. Patrick's Day discard pic...

Inside the New Museum’s reopening on the Bowery

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The New Museum reopened on the Bowery this past Friday, following a major expansion that added about 60,000 square feet to the existing SANAA-designed building.

Attendees gathered ahead of the reopening for a ribbon-cutting for the new structure, designed by OMA/Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas in collaboration with Cooper Robertson. The $130 million project expands exhibition space, education programming, and initiatives such as NEW INC, the museum's art, design, and technology incubator.

Local elected officials present included City Council Member Christopher Marte, New York State Assemblymember Grace Lee, and Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, whom we had a chance to talk with...

Among those who spoke to the gathered group were Lisa Phillips, director of the New Museum...

... and New York City Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij...

And the ribbon-cutting...

A preview visit offered a first look inside the reconfigured space. The seven-floor expansion is light-filled, with each level offering a distinct layout and feel. 

At the same time, navigating the space can be disorienting — the stairways in particular are visually striking but somewhat difficult to follow.

Several floors were open with exhibition space, including one level dedicated to NEW INC, featuring fabrication areas and coworking spaces. Some areas, including terraces and the roof deck near the Sky Room, were not accessible at the time.

The current exhibition, "New Humans: Memories of the Future," leans heavily into immersive and multimedia work, including robotics, sculpture, and multiple video installations. It can be an intense experience, and difficult to take in fully in one visit.

There was still some visible construction activity in parts of the building...

The New Museum, 235 Bowery at Prince Street, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 9 p.m. close on Thursdays.

Demolition wrapped up at 231 Bowery, the former 6-floor building that stood next to the New Museum, in the fall of 2022. No. 231 was home to Daroma Restaurant Equipment until the spring of 2011, when they moved down the Bowery (and the owner pleaded guilty to tax fraud). The New Museum bought the building for $16.6 million in September 2008.