A grand opening pop up at Cakes by Klein on St. Mark's Place

Photos by Steven

Cakes by Klein is hosting a grand opening pop up today (Saturday!) at 102 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., owner-baker Hanna Klein will be offering a variety of her concoctions (chocolate chip espresso cookie sammies, for instance) and coffee...

As previously noted, Klein quit her job as director of packaging design at e.l.f. Cosmetics in 2021 to launch her own custom cakes and cookies business (moving up from more of a side hustle). 

She relocated here from a previous space down on Cherry Street.

You can follow Cakes by Klein on Instagram. 

Circus Amok before the downpour

Photos by Stacie Joy

Circus Amok got about 15 minutes into their summer 2024 production of "THE DOUBLE, or, The Wisdom of the Owl" last evening in Tompkins Square Park before the rain and wind swept through the metropolitan area. 

As the saying goes, the downtown theater was fun while it lasted...

Saturday's opening shot

Thanks to EVG reader Rob D. for this photo of last last night's post-rainstorm sunset... click on the image for a bigger view.

Friday's parting shot

Two nights of The Raveonettes at the Bowery Ballroom. 

The Danish duo will release a new record of revamped covers ("Venus in Furs" and "Goo Goo Much" among them) next month.

Zero hour

 

New music (and video!) this week from local trio Hello Mary ... "0%" has a punky fury reminiscent of another trio — Babes in Toyland. 

The clips come from the band's recent road dates, where they played with Blondshell, Rocket, the Silversun Pickups, and some festivals.

Hello Mary will be on tour for the summer, with a trip to the UK in late August.

Circus Amok in Tompkins Square Park this Friday evening

Circus Amok's summer tour brings its performers to Tompkins Square Park this evening for its production of "THE DOUBLE, or, The Wisdom of the Owl." 

Hopefully, the weather holds off so the show can go on... set to start at 6 p.m. in the center of the park.

St. Mark's Place fashion watch

The well-worn sleeveless hoodie with latex-coated string knit gloves as shoulder pads. 

Thanks to Jacob Ford for the photo between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The juvenile red-tailed hawks are already huge and getting into staring contests with squirrels in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Steven 

We're now entering prime juvenile red-tailed hawk season in Tompkins Square Park. 

Amelia and Christo's three 2024 offspring are in the student-driver phase of their lives as they learn to fly, navigate trees, hunt for food, and appreciate the live hardcore and death metal bands on the occasional weekends. 

Here, one of the fledglings takes in a neighbor's "freeze/observe/assess" routine...

Goggla has a new post today (link here) with photos and observations on the young hawks.

Friday's opening shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

A moment on the Bowery yesterday... if this was, say, 2009, we might even do a caption content (where the winner receives nothing!).

Training day

A scene today at Engine Company 28, Ladder 11 on Second Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... thanks to Patty Rat for the photo...

The 2024 East Village Zine Fair is Saturday on St. Mark's Place

Flyer by Heather Benjamin 

More than 120 DIY artists and publishers are participating in the fourth annual East Village Zine Fair on Saturday. 

Printed Matter/St. Mark's and 8-Ball Community co-present the event, which celebrates "the neighborhood’s history of underground print culture past and present."

The one-day outdoor fair takes place along St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (The street is closed to through traffic.) 

The weather for Saturday looks great. Last year's Zine Fair was rained out and rescheduled to indoors at Performance Space 122, 150 First Ave. and Ninth Street. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• At the Zine Fair on St. Mark's Place

A summer movie series is returning to Tompkins Square Park

A summer film series is set for Tompkins Square Park for the first time in eight years. 

Yesterday, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein announced that he has teamed up with the Loisaida Center, the Lower East Side Film Festival, Rooftop Films and Two Boots Pizza "to bring the joy of watching summer flicks under the stars back to our neighborhood." 

Here's more about the four-film series that will take place on the multi-purpose courts/TF at Avenue A and 10th Street: 

More than simply showing movies, this crew of community leaders organized for free pizza while supplies last, along with pre-show entertainment. Each event starts at 8 p.m., and films commence at sunset. 

On June 26, "Encanto" (rated PG) will be shown along with a pre-show clown workshop by Matthew Silver and MC Bryan Fernandez. Short films "Love Letters to the Subway" (2023) and "Drumtalk" (2022) will precede the main feature. 

The family-friendly fun continues on July 28 with a screening of "Little Fugitive" (rated G). The Coney Island Circus Sideshow will provide the audience with a pre-show performance. The shorts for the night will be "Practice Space" (2024) and the Grand St. Settlement Film. 

On Aug. 29, enjoy live music and an appearance by Natasha Lyonne as we watch her in "Slums of Beverly Hills" (rated R). Director Tamara Jenkins will curate the short films. 

For the grand finale on Sept. 25, moviegoers will enjoy "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (rated R). Nuyorican Poets Cafe will present poetry, and Eden Martinez and the Loisaida Center will curate shorts. 

"Movies in the Park is about more than just movies, it's a chance to showcase local talent through our short film features and to bring people together for a positive community experience," Epstein said in a statement. "I am proud to bring this tradition back to our neighborhood."

In recent years, Tompkins Square Park has occasionally hosted family-friendly films in the Under the Stars series via NYC Parks and Films on the Green by Villa Albertine, the French Embassy, and the FACE Foundation (though not this summer). 

The last summer-long series came in 2016 via Howl! Arts and several local restaurants. Unfortunately, many of the Thursday evening screenings were rained out and rescheduled or canceled.

Two Boots was a previous sponsor for several years.

Extra Place may not be such a quiet place too much longer

Over the years, Momofuku Ko has been the only restaurant to have any success in Extra Place, the pedestrian walkway off First Street between the Bowery and Second Avenue. 

Momofuku Ko closed last November, though the company kept the space as a ghost kitchen (and one of two ghost kitchens back here). The other tenant is the Japanese housewares boutique Nalata Nalata in the corner space at First Street. 

So, ICYMI: Last week, the Times reported that Paul Carmichael, Momofuku's Australia-based chef, will open a new restaurant in the former Ko space focusing on Caribbean cuisine

Ko, which started on First Avenue in 2008, relocated to Extra Place in November 2014 (it increased its EP footprint in 2017).

Over the years, Extra Place, the former alley behind CBGB, has seen a handful of restaurants and businesses come and go, such as Red Hook Lobster Pound, Heidi and the cleverly named Extra Place. (Some music history: Danny Fields photographed the Ramones for their third album, Rocket to Russia, along here in 1977.) 

In January 2007, reps for Avalon Bowery Place unveiled plans to make Extra Place a unique destination, "a slice of the Left Bank, a pedestrian mall lined with interesting boutiques and cafes."

Lately, it has been a pretty quiet place, with just a few local residents using the walkway to exercise their dogs in the evenings.

Dinner with Christo

Photos by Steven 

Christo, one of the resident red-tailed hawks in Tompkins Square Park, poses pauses with dinner this evening shortly after 7...

Court proceedings: Checking in on the new mural for Tompkins Square Park hoopsters

We've heard a few grumbles about the temporary closure of the Tompkins Square basketball courts as the summer gets underway. 

As noted, last Wednesday, workers fenced off the courts ahead of a mural installation titled "Gaze" by Na Chainkua Reindorf.

EVG reader Liz provided these next two photos ... and another perspective on the work that needs to be done before the mural can be painted.

"To all the naysayers, and I do understand their skepticism, the creation of the basketball court mural moves apace. I overlook the court, and I've watched the workers at it 9-5, Monday-Friday, a short break for lunch. In fact, I find watching them work very meditative. They've done a really careful and beautiful job of patching and resurfacing prior to the painting. I hope it can be admired in its glory before being tagged." 

This evening, workers were still there at 5:45...

Take a look at the all-new Delancey Street Pedestrian Bridge

From a distance, the only thing seemingly happening with East River Park's ongoing demolition and reconstruction is just more scorched earth and downed trees.

However, in a noticeable sign of progress, crews installed the new Delancey Street Pedestrian Bridge, one of the new access points for East River Park. (The previous bridge was removed in early 2022.) 

Work took place late this past Saturday night. (Both sides of the FDR were closed overnight from Exit 2, the Brooklyn Bridge, to Exit 5, Houston Street and the Williamsburg Bridge.)

According to a City Department of Design and Construction spokesperson, the $32-million bridge weighs 125 tons (much larger than the previous one) and is fully ADA-accessible. 

The 215-foot-long bridge was manufactured in Italy, assembled at the project site, and then installed by crane. It is expected to open for use by Sept. 1. 

Here's a look at the bridge installation action from late Saturday (pics courtesy of the DDC)...

A second bridge will be installed at Corlears Hook later this summer. 

The "phased work operations" began in November 2021 in Project Area 1 between Montgomery Street and 15th Street. As part of the billion-dollar-plus East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project, workers have been burying the 57.5-acre park under fill and cutting down trees. They are elevating the land 8 to 10 feet above sea level to protect the area from future storm surges. 

The city has said it will maintain public access to a minimum of 42% of the park throughout construction, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

A taco test run at Carnitas Ramirez, opening June 21 in the East Village

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

This past Saturday, Carnitas Ramirez held another test run ahead of its grand opening on June 21 at 210 E. Third St., just east of Avenue B. 

Co-owner Giovanni Cervantes (left) and chef Yvon de Tassigny were working in tandem behind the counter, quickly and carefully plating up the tacos.

Cervantes, who hails from Mexico City, has said that his recipes come from Michoacán, aka the "carnitas capital of the world." 

While the slow-cooked pulled pork will be a big draw here, Carnitas Ramirez will offer a vegetarian option: tacos con papas y rajas (a poblano pepper and potato dish).

Co-owner Tania Apolinar was behind the counter. (Apolinar and Cervantes, who are also life partners, opened Taqueria Ramírez to great fanfare in Greenpoint in September 2021.)

There are a few stools in front of the taco-making station, several seating options in the back room, and a counter facing the street.

There will likely be another test run or two before noon on June 21, when Carnitas Ramirez officially opens — something the staff seems fired up about.

Carnitas Ramirez will just be open on weekends in the beginning. 

Here are the times starting June 21: 

• Friday: noon-10 p.m. 

• Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

• Sunday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

The Marshal takes legal possession of Ace's on 2nd Avenue

That's apparently all for Ace's (sometimes Aces) at 197 Second Ave. 

The cocktail lounge-restaurant went dark, per an EVG reader, in mid-May. 

There's a Marshal's notice on the storefront, noting that the landlord is now in legal possession of the space just north of 12th Street... Google also lists Ace's as permanently closed.

Restaurateur Mike Dollaway, whose résumé includes management/ownership at several now-closed upscale spots, including Provocateur in the Meatpacking District and Lily Pond in East Hampton, was behind this neighborhood-ish bar concept that opened in the fall of 2022. 

No. 197 was previously Black Emperor, which shut down in August 2020. Shoolbred's closed here in June 2017 after nearly 10 years in business. This address was also Jade Mountain, home of the great Chow Mein sign, until 2007.

Reports of a passenger struck by a downtown 6 at Astor Place

Photos by Vinny & O 

There were a lot of questions about a significant emergency response this afternoon on Astor Place... (for a few people, seeing the multiple FDNY and NYPD personnel here sparked flashbacks to the random slashing near the Cube last Thursday)...

According to witnesses and social media accounts, a passenger was pinned between the subway platform and the downtown 6 around 3:30 p.m.

Southbound 6 trains are delayed while emergency teams respond to someone who was struck by a train at Astor Pl.

— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) June 11, 2024

John Stratidis, manager of the nearby Cozy Soup 'n' Burger, told @ScooterCasterNY that a man tripped and fell onto the tracks. 

Fellow straphangers tried to help the man, but witnesses said there wasn't enough time before the train entered the station. 

The Citizen app reported that "The victim has been removed from between the train and the platform and is being aided by medics." There's no word on the man's condition.

Community Board 3 adds a special meeting on congestion pricing to June's agenda

3rd Avenue photo by deberarr 

Community Board 3 has added a special meeting this month to address Gov. Hochul's decision to indefinitely pause congestion pricing, which was set to go into effect at the end of June. 

Here's more via an email from CB3 Chair Andrea Gordillo: 

Community Boards 1-6 have discussed signing on to a letter to all parties involved with the MTA's Congestion Pricing Plan, asking to reverse course on the Governor's decision. Given the unprecedented nature of the abrupt policy shift, its potential cost to the MTA, and public trust in government, Community Board 3 will convene this special meeting after the public session of its June Full Board meeting to discuss and vote on the contents of the letter which would ask the Governor to proceed with congestion pricing. 

We encourage members of the public to attend the meeting and sign up to give public comment, and we ask for your support in reaching out to our communities to inform them of the opportunity to comment on this important decision. 

The full CB3 meeting is Tuesday, June 25, at P.S. 20, 166 Essex St., between Houston and Stanton. 

The item was also added to tonight's (June 11) meeting of CB3's Transportation, Public Safety, Sanitation, and Environment Committee. 

Per Gordillo's email: "This decision to add this to the agenda after the agenda was posted, while also unprecedented, was made to ensure the broadest base of public comment, and exceptions like this are not to be granted again." 

Tonight's hybrid committee meeting starts at 6:30 at the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. Limited seating is available to the first 15 people. Members of the public can also attend by Zoom here. 

In a statement last Wednesday, Hochul expressed concerns about the timing and state of the city's post-pandemic recovery. 

Under the congestion-pricing plan, most people driving passenger vehicles into Manhattan below 60th Street would need to pay a minimum of $15, with larger vehicles incurring higher charges. 

The MTA has already spent tens of millions of dollars to install cameras, sensors, license plate readers, and other equipment on city roadways in preparation for the plan's launch. The anticipated fee was projected to generate around $1 billion annually, benefiting subway and bus systems that serve approximately 4 million daily riders. 

The move also represents a dramatic reversal for public transit advocates, who had supported congestion pricing to raise money for NYC's struggling subway and commuter rail systems and reduce traffic on city streets.