Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo outside Cooper Union by Derek Berg...) 

• RIP Julian Baczynsky (Friday) 

• Appreciating the pinhole photography of late East Village resident Veronica Saddler (Wednesday) 

• Frank Prisinzano planning grocery concept near Lil' Frankie's on 1st Avenue (Tuesday) 

• Claim: The pandemic caused more bar-restaurant closings in the East Village than in any other NYC neighborhood (Wednesday) 

• At the Black History Bowl (Sunday) 

• On the Bowery: Stop Asian Hate (Saturday) 

• City removes tree said to have been tangled up with a sanitation truck on 1st Avenue (Thursday) 

• Sidewalk bridge fakeout at the beleaguered Mariana Bracetti Plaza (Wednesday) 

• PSA 4 providing increased security at Mariana Bracetti Plaza (Monday) 

• Concern for the barking dogs at 58 St. Mark's Place (Friday) 

• Pod dining in this week's NY See (Wednesday) 

• Gallery Watch heads to Public Access on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• Indoor dining in NYC increases to 50% on March 19; Little Poland promises to reopen (Thursday) 

• "Russian Doll" films on 3rd Street (Wednesday) 

• Anthology Film Archives will remain closed for the time being (Thursday) 

• New owners for Thirsty Scholar Pub on 2nd Avenue (Friday) 

• Phony Express returns with an "Odessa" special (Friday)

• O Ramen Dim Sum M has closed on 9th Street (Monday) 

• Changes: Looking for a Coinstar replacement after the Food Emporium closes this spring? (Tuesday) 

• Full reveal for Spike's on Avenue A (Monday) 

• San Francisco's Beloved Cafe ready to adore the LES (Thursday) 

• Incoming pizzeria check, 14th Street/Avenue A edition (Monday)

... and, to keep with a bike theme in the photos, a moment along St. Mark's Place Friday via Derek Berg...

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Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

Tonight, the city will honor the 30,000 New Yorkers who have died from COVID-19

Photo of the COVID-19 memorial on A and 10th from April 11. 

Tonight at 7:45, the city will pause to mark the one-year anniversary of the first reported COVID-19 fatality in New York City.

One year. One city.

Tonight we remember and honor the New Yorkers we lost to #COVID19.

Join us: https://t.co/nro6pm8sRc #COVIDMemorial pic.twitter.com/68skVpaqBX

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) March 14, 2021

As Gothamist reports, 30,031 people have died from COVID-19 in New York City — 25,147 deaths categorized by the city as confirmed, and 5,027 considered probable. 

The City has more on this evening's memorial event here.

Report: Kavasutra ownership blasts educators who teach remotely, 'pussy leftists' for wearing masks

As the New York Post reports, Kavasutra Kava Bar, the Florida-based chain, "is taking heat" for posts this past week from its main Instagram account that called out educators who still teach remotely and "pussy leftists" who wear masks. 

According to their Instagram posts, those educators who aren't teaching in-person are banned from all Kavasutra locations, including the two in the East Village (10th Street and First Street). 

After a barrage of criticism and one-star reviews on Yelp for the post on March 9, Kavasutra followed up with another on Instagram:

"It has come to our attention that we may have upset some people with our last post. We've been reading your comments and we understand how we may have effected [sic] some of you, so we want to be very clear: masks are for leftist losers. Teachers unions are trash. Women are born with ovaries. And we are doing slams at midnight tonight."

As The Miami Herald noted in its headline Friday: "This South Florida bar just managed to insult almost everyone in two Instagram posts." On Friday, the editorial board at The Denver Post suggested to its readers that they "steer clear" of the two Kavasutra outposts in that city.

Various news outlets have reported that this isn't the chain's first go-around with inflammatory social media posts. In sexist and anti-transgender posts in 2018, they stated that participants in ladies night must be women from birth. In a follow-up, they tried to clarify their position: "The point of ladies night is to get ladies in the door so the men can bang them. If there's no vagina then they don't qualify because they don't benefit the business and the plan."

Initially, management reportedly blamed an employee who they said was fired. However, as the Sun-Sentinel later reported, owner Dylan Harrison admitted to police that he wrote the posts. The admission came after a confrontation at a South Florida location led to several arrests.

The 10th Street Kavasutra location opened in July 2015; the First Street outpost in December 2019.

EVG Etc.: Gov. Cuomo's rise and fall; Eisenberg's possible revival

Photo on 4th and the Bowery last night by Stacie Joy

• The rise of fall of Gov. Cuomo (The New York Times)

• The great Eisenberg's sandwich shop on 5th Avenue has closed; the building's manager and owner want someone to save it (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York) 

• Inside the city's SoHo/NoHo rezoning plan (Off the Grid) 

• Egg watch for Amelia and Christo in Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography) 

• Survey says half of NYC's office workers won't return until September (Gothamist) 

• The importance of the midsize NYC chain grocer (Grub Street) 

• On 3rd Street, Book Club extends hours from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends (Instagram) 

• Details on a Joey Ramone tribute live stream in the U.K. (NME) 

• Rough Trade in Willismburgh closes on March 21 ahead of a move to a new, undisclosed location. Anyway, sales! (Instagram) 

Saturday's parting thank you note

A note as seen on First Avenue and Fifth Street (thanks Karen!)... 

To the guy who 

found & returned 

my wallet today 

(Saturday), thank 

you so much!!! 

Sorry I was frazzled 

& didn't thank you

enough. I am so

grateful. — Emily

Noted

As seen on Second Avenue and Second Street... no sign of the headboard... photo via Stacie Joy...

On the Bowery: Stop Asian Hate

As seen at 246 Bowery at Stanton — #StopAsianHate, a mural by @plannedalism in collaboration with @lisaprojectnyc.

This CNBC article from Wednesday has more on the rise in anti-Asian violence and its impact on the restaurant industry. 

A group of restaurateurs, including many in the East Village (886, Málà Project and Nowon), have joined forces to raise awareness via a #EnoughIsEnough campaign. Read more about it at Eater. 

Welcome to Chinatown is also a good resource for how to support businesses in that neighborhood.

Another chance to Zumba on the open streets of Avenue B this afternoon

The Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition is hosting two Zumba sessions this afternoon on Avenue B between Ninth Street and 10th Street... there's a low-impact version at 1 p.m. followed by an all-level session at 2 p.m. 

Your Rite Aid on 1st Avenue signage update

As a follow-up to Wednesday's post on the disappearing signage at the Rite Aid on First Avenue and Fifth Street...

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was at the store yesterday: "Crew reports new lettering and signage (to reflect new colors, font, etc.) should be up next week. They told me they have no plans to close, that all Rite Aids are being rebranded."

Workers smoothed over the marquee to make way for the new brandage/signage... which will look like this...

And there's a sneak preview up now (thanks Goggla!)...

Friday's parting shot

A moment on Rivington Street today... thanks to Colin Clark for permission to repost this photo... (find more of his work on Instagram).

March 12, part II

When the temps get above 60, it must become a good time to toss the ol' Chrsitmas tree ... Wheezy tracked this one down on 11th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue today... way to go Wheezy!

Friday I'm in love

Was flipping through magazines at Ink on A (66 Avenue A) the other day... came across the March issue of Mojo, essentially a tribute to the Cure... including the band's 30 greatest songs... No. 1 on the magazine's list? "A Forest" from 1980 ...

 

Good pick, though not my No. 1. This is all really subjective ... I'd put "The Catepillar" atop the list ... (No.  10 at Mojo)...

  

 "Six Different Ways" would be in there (didn't even rate a mention in Mojo)...

   

... and "Primary" (No. 16 in Mojo)...

  .

.. and "In-Between Days" ... (No. 2 in Mojo)...

 

... and one that didn't make the list..."Cut Here"...

 

March 12

As seen on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... photo by Steven... 

And don't forget to spring forward this weekend.

Concern for the barking dogs at 58 St. Mark's Place

Back in October, an EVG reader wrote in about a seemingly unattended dog (or dogs) coming from somewhere in the shared courtyard toward the west side of the block between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place ... and First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Since then, thanks to some sleuthing, the reader has tracked down the location ... but is stymied by the lack of progress to free the dogs.

I posted on Next Door, where I was able to find a man across the courtyard who had already posted about the dogs, and could identify the building and posted a video of the dogs barking and scratching at the back entrance, as well as someone who had seen the dogs moved into the same building at the time when the barking started. 

Unfortunately, what we learned is that the dogs are being kept in the abandoned unit that formerly was home to Clay Pot at 58 St. Mark's Place. It's empty. So every time I report it to 311, they send a police officer who knocks on the door, no one answers, and they shut the animal neglect ticket. 

The Office of Health and Mental Hygiene isn't answering their phones or returning messages. The barking is near-constant day and night, and obviously very distressed and suffering. I have been posting flyers outside the door, which get ripped off, and I found a ConEd notice this week saying that there was no tenant in the unit but it was still receiving gas, which would be shut off. 

I (and the others on NextDoor) am now worried that if it gets cold again, or if electricity is cut off, those dogs will freeze to death, or die of sheer neglect in the dark.

Is there anything else EV Grieve readers can think of? I have tried 311 and the 92nd St ASPCA (both of which send the complaint to the local NYPD precinct, which knocks and leaves), flyers, Next Door. I'm at wit's end and feel as though I am just waiting for the dogs to die tragically. 

58 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second is one of the many East Village buildings scooped up by now-disgraced landlord Raphael (Rafi) Toledano. The building appears to still be in his name, per public records.

In 2017, a subsidiary of lender Madison Realty Capital took over the portfolio while Toledano was mired in bankruptcy proceedings. It's not immediately clear who is managing the building today... or who is keeping the dogs behind an empty restaurant space.

RIP Julian Baczynsky

Julian Baczynsky, who opened the East Village Meat Market in 1970 at 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, died on Wednesday. He was 98. 

The shop's Instagram account posted this tribute:

It is with great sadness that we write to inform you of the passing of our beloved founder/owner, Julian Baczynsky. His work and dedication to the Ukrainian community and the East Village will always be remembered.

According to Village Preservation, Baczynsky emigrated here from Ukraine in 1949.

In 1955 he opened his first store on Avenue B and 10th Street, and later he and a partner opened a store on First Avenue. In 1970 he and his partner parted ways and he started his own store at 139 Second Avenue with the goal to have a store that would preserve Eastern European culture.

Per the East Village Meat Market website: "It was his life-long dream to own a business and have a slice of the American Dream."

We asked Tom Birchard, the longtime owner of Veselka on Second Avenue at Ninth Street, for his thoughts about the passing of his friend and neighbor.

Mr. Baczynsky opened his shop on Second Avenue shortly after I came to Veselka in 1966 and we’ve been friends and neighbors ever since. He has supplied us with his excellent home-smoked kielbasa for over 50 years. We have at times struggled to survive and at times flourished together. We couldn't have asked for a better neighbor and collaborator. We are very thankful for his long and very productive life. He will be sorely missed.

Although Baczynsky lived outside the city of late, he was a resident of this neighborhood for many years. The shop will continue under the leadership of manager Andrew Ilnicki.

Image via @eastvillagemeatmarket

New owners in line for former Thirsty Scholar Pub on 2nd Avenue

Thirsty Scholar Pub has not been open since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 on Second Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

New owners are now in line to open a like-minded establishment here. David Harris (above left) and Cris Nastasi (right) will appear before CB3's SLA Committee on Monday for a liquor license for a bar called the Long Pour.

The two, who collected signatures of support outside the space this week, have ties to the neighborhood — and this block. Harris is currently the manager of Bull McCabe's on St. Mark's Place and previously served as a bartender at now-closed block-mates the Telephone Bar & Grill and Ryan's Irish Pub. Nastasi was born and raised in the neighborhood and spent 15 years as the technical director of "Stomp" at the Orpheum Theatre on Second Avenue.

You can find the Long Pour questionnaire on the CB3 website here. 

The virtual committee meeting starts Monday evening at 6:30. The Zoom link is here.

The Thirsty Scholar opened in 1999, first going as the Jolly Rodger. 

Photo by Steven 

Phony Express serving up an 'Odessa' special

The pandemic-era local band Phony Express (read the backstory here) is back with a new single in honor of a longtime friend on Avenue A ... here's "Odessa" ...

Thursday's parting shot

A moment from the "FBI" shoot (the CBS series!) today around Cooper Union... photo by Derek Berg...

Spring break

66 degrees at 5 p.m. on this March 11... photo in Tompkins Square Park late this afternoon by Lola Saénz ...

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's the latest NY See panel, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood and NYC ...