Timeline for reopening northern section of East River Park pushed to end of 2027

View of East River Park from just below Houston Street 

The timeline for completing the northern section of East River Park has been pushed back by a year.

Officials from the city's Department of Design and Construction (DDC) told Community Board 3's Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency Committee this past Thursday that work is now expected to wrap up at the end of 2027, instead of the previously projected end of 2026, as part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project.

The latest in the Phase 2 construction, which began in September, required the closure of the northern section of East River Park — basically everything above Houston Street to 15th Street, including the three East Village access points over the FDR, track and field area, and the esplanade. (The 10th Street pedestrian bridge closed on May 27 and was later demolished overnight in July.) 

According to DDC officials, the delay is due to unforeseen underground conditions, including large amounts of historic construction and demolition debris, as well as extensive utility conflicts that have required mitigation and alternate engineering approaches. 

The ESCR team said its top priority remains implementing functional flood protection as soon as possible, rather than waiting for the whole project to be completed. We reached out to the DDC for further comment.

Find the DDC's Dec. 11 presentation here (PDF).

The update follows a series of recent changes and reopenings in the park: 

• The rebuilt Delancey Street pedestrian bridge reopened in September 2024, along with Ballfields 1 and 2. 

• Additional amenities near the Williamsburg Bridge returned on Memorial Day. 

• And in early September, the new Corlears Hook Pedestrian Bridge was unveiled, bringing with it several features, including six new tennis courts, an amphitheater-style space, an esplanade with seating, the flagpole area at Corlears Hook Park, and direct access to Pier 42 and the Corlears Hook ferry. 

The southern half of East River Park closed in late 2021 and has been reopening in stages. 

The city says it is maintaining access to at least 42% of East River Park. 

The "phased work operations" in East River Park started in November 2021 as part of a billion-plus-dollar project to elevate large sections of the park by 8 to 10 feet above sea level, aiming to protect the neighborhood from future storm surges.

Signage alert: Justin's Salt Bread on 2nd Avenue

The owners of Okiboru House of Udon at 124 Second Ave., between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, have a new concept in the works a few blocks to the south. 

Signage is up for Justin's Salt Bread at 58 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street. According to a job-opening ad: "We are a minimalist salt-bread café serving high-quality coffee, matcha, and our signature salt bread. Our space is simple, calm, and welcoming — centered around one specialty item and a small curated drink menu." 

The cafe-bakery will specialize in Japanese-style salt bread (shio pan), known for its crisp golden crust and soft buttery interior, per the internet. No word on an opening date. 

No. 58 has been a few restaurants in recent years, including Dia, N'eat and Cellar 58.

Monday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Here's Hannah Studnick with her pup Habibi. 

Studnick is the owner of Ruby/Dakota, the gallery at 155 E. Second St., just east of Avenue A. 

Tomorrow evening at 7, the gallery is hosting the last of the Mutt Readings of 2025. They will also be accepting winter clothing donations throughout the night, which West Village Mutual Aid will distribute...

 

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Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Ruby/Dakota opens on 2nd Street: Gallery is a tribute to family legacy and personal healing

Fallen tree blocks sidewalk along Avenue B in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Stacie Joy 

We received several reader reports of an uprooted tree yesterday in Tompkins Square Park (h/t Steven), along the Avenue B fence between Eighth Street and Ninth Street. 

There were no reports of injuries. 

As of this afternoon, the downed tree was still blocking the sidewalk along Avenue B.

SantaCon 2025 recap: A quieter crawl through the East Village?

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

If SantaCon 2025 felt a little less chaotic in the East Village, that wasn't your imagination. 

For the second year in a row, the annual pub crawl landed with a noticeably lower-key presence. Several official venues we stopped into on Saturday afternoon were either lightly attended or nearly empty, and there were fewer scenes of Santas passed out on sidewalks or stoops than in years past. 

We also heard from multiple EV Grieve regulars throughout the day, and while that doesn't mean nothing happened, we didn't receive reports of notable incidents as we have in past years.

That's not to say enforcement was absent. We witnessed multiple open-container summons being issued — $75 tickets — including along Avenue B near Eastpoint and on Second Avenue near Ninth Street. Still, we didn't personally observe any arrests. 

A spokesperson at the 9th Precinct said there were no fixed checkpoints in place. "We deploy based on conditions, crowds, jobs, etc.," the official said.

Bars we visited — including 7B, Doc Holliday's, Downtown Social, The Copper Still, Sly Fox, Brasserie Saint Marc and 10 Degrees — were generally accommodating and allowed us to take photos. One exception: Solas, which was less than welcoming about it. (We'll leave it at that.) 

Here are a few photos from the afternoon...

Interestingly, several SantaCon participants asked whether locals hate SantaCon — and whether they were "assholes" for coming down to drink and roam around the neighborhood. (Yes?)

While opinions certainly vary, this year's event felt less volatile than in the past, with fewer flashpoints and a generally calmer vibe on the streets.

Meanwhile, several East Village venues proudly displayed their anti-SantaCon signage — a tradition that continues — but overall, SantaCon 2025 came and went with comparatively minimal disruption.

Make of that what you will.

Marky Ramone visits ¡Adios Amigos! for Bowery Beat coffee launch

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Hey ho, let's espresso? Marky Ramone stopped by ¡Adios Amigos! on the Bowery at First Street Friday evening for the launch of Bowery Beat, a new coffee collaboration with Dark Matter Coffee. 

The roast is available here in bagged coffee and super-caffeinated cold brew cans ... you can also pick it up online. 

According to the organizers, a portion of proceeds from Bowery Beat will support the Bowery Beat Foundation, a recently developed nonprofit initiative focused on preserving and expanding access to music education in public schools, particularly in the face of proposed cuts to arts funding. 

Friday’s event included limited-edition Bowery Beat holiday tins and a Q&A between Ramone and New Noise Magazine (below with the Dark Matters team)...

Here's Melody Bleak with the new issue featuring Agnostic Front...

Ramone also graciously chatted with fans and posed for photos.

¡Adios Amigos! (the name from the 14th and final studio record by the Ramones) celebrated its first anniversary here earlier this month. 

Marky Ramone joined the Ramones in 1978. Over the course of his two stints with the band, he played some 1,700 shows and recorded 10 studio albums.

PureGym officially takes over Blink Fitness

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

PureGym officially launched 50-plus locations at former Blink Fitness outposts across NYC and New Jersey on Dec. 4 ... including the East Village stop at 100 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

New signage arrived here on Friday, making the transition official.

The company has been steadily upgrading and rebranding the former Blink locations to reflect PureGym's model: 24/7 access to what it calls premium equipment at an affordable price point. (The Avenue A location was 24/5, open all night on weekdays but not on weekends.) 

Per a rep: PureGym locations feature a full suite of strength-training equipment — free weights, barbells, racks and assisted machines — along with cardio offerings such as treadmills, ski ergs and rowers. 

Coming soon, however, is a new feature that's already generating some chatter elsewhere: the so-called "entry pods." 

At several locations across the city, members must step into a tube-like portal immediately after entering the building and scan their membership ID from the PureGym app. After a few seconds — once the system confirms their identity — the doors open and members are released into the gym. (Hell Gate recently explored the rollout of these portals.) 

Asked whether the East Village location will be getting the same setup, staff said yes — likely within the next month.

Whether the entry pods ultimately feel futuristic, dystopian, or just mildly annoying remains to be seen — but they're on the way.

Check the website for membership options. 

PureGym is a global operator with some 2.4 million members across more than 700 gyms worldwide. The company operates corporate-owned gyms in the U.K., Denmark, Switzerland and the U.S., along with franchise locations in the Middle East. 

Previously

Scenes from tonight’s 34th annual Tompkins Square Park tree lighting

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The 34th annual tree lighting in Tompkins Square Park took place tonight, continuing one of the East Village's enduring December traditions. 

This year's event, held from 4–5 p.m., was once again sponsored by C&B Cafe and featured the Carolers of Olde New York from Theater for the New City, who filled the park with seasonal favorites. Veselka provided refreshments, helping keep things warm as neighbors gathered around the tree. 

An enduring staple of December in the neighborhood — and a reminder that some East Village traditions are still going strong...

... And some more scenes...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo Tuesday from Tompkins Square Park) 

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• Trinity’s SAFH launches winter coat drive (Dec. 10) 

• East Village venue Drom hopes to keep its beat alive with a 2-night fundraiser (Dec. 8) 

• Residents push to save historic Most Holy Redeemer church (Dec. 9)

• Invader’s Lou Reed mosaic was stolen — an East Village resident brought it back as a wheatpaste (Dec. 10) 

• Residents say ‘do not disturb’ to Holiday Inn rooftop bar proposal on the Lower East Side (Dec. 8) 
• Afterword Bookshop debuts on Sixth Street (Dec. 13) 

• About the ‘Vape TY Deposit Box’ on 6th Street (Dec. 12) 

• At the Romy & Michele Saturday Afternoon Tea Dance at Club Cumming (Dec. 12)

• La Salle Academy unveils NBA-designed court at its newly dedicated Dan Buckley Memorial Gymnasium (Dec. 10) 

• Bluestockings Cooperative hosting final closing sale Saturdays through December (Dec. 12) 

• First frost fallout on 1st Avenue (Dec. 7) 

• Turns out Green Line’s latest ‘shutdown’ on Avenue B was self-inflicted: Witnesses (Dec. 7) 

• Lori Jayne moves out of the Time Out Market on 14th Street (Dec. 9) … Smashed Express moves into the Time Out Market (Dec. 10) 

• Soft openings: Himawari Café on 1st Ave. (Dec. 8) 

• New Korean–Italian restaurant seeking beer & wine license at former Black Seed bagels space (Dec. 8) 

• Another short-lived stint on St. Mark’s: Chocolate DIP appears to have closed (Dec. 8) 

 ... and life imitates art on Second Avenue (photo by Derek Berg)...