Plywood report: Ghost signage disappears again on Avenue A

Photos by Stacie Joy

Back in February, workers removed the rolldown gate on a vacant storefront on Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street (the former lottery place). In the process, the workers uncovered ghost signage for a long-ago shop that sold carriages, strollers and toys.

There was some hope/speculation/wishful thinking among some readers/residents that the signs would remain on the scene, worked into the renovated storefront façade like at 2A down the block. 

Well, as of now, someone has removed the signs ... the workers on the scene said they did not know what happened to them...

A private equity firm bought this block-long residential building last fall for a reported $64 million.  

P.S.

Yes, that fresh plywood was tagged overnight. 

There's a Summer Kick-Off Block Party on 4th Street today

Cooper Square MHA II is hosting a summer kick-off block party today from noon to 6 p.m. on Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery. 

Some bullet points of what attendees can expect, via the EVG inbox: 

• DJ Tony Bonilla
• bouncy house 
• resident flea market 
• food 
• raffle 
• vendors 
• kids' activities 
• community organizations

[Updating] 18-year-old cyclist killed in collision on 1st Avenue at 17th Street

Photos by William Klayer 

See below for updates

An 18-year-old cyclist riding a pedal assist Citi Bike was reportedly struck and killed by an Amazon box truck earlier this afternoon on First Avenue at 17th Street. 

First Avenue was closed to traffic at 14th Street around 12:40 p.m. today.

There isn't much information about the collision at the moment (we'll update when authorities release more substantial details).

The name of the cyclist has not yet been released. Media reports say that the driver stayed at the scene "and no crime was suspected." 

From reporter Liam Quigley on Twitter, who was on the scene: "An incredibly upsetting crash this afternoon. A young person came up asking if their friend was dead and started crying. The Amazon driver looked not much older than them. He too was crying, holding his head in his hands."

Updated 6/17 

NBC 4 reports that the cyclist lived nearby.

Another detail from NBC 4: While emergency responders were tending to the victim, someone rode off on the Citi Bike.

Streetsblog has more here, including that the truck, a new all-electric model, did not have any license plates, though there was an expired temp tag on the dashboard.

Updated 3 p.m.

Streetsblog has new information from the police about the collision here. 

Officials identified the cyclist as Malcolm Livesey, who lived in Stuyvesant Town and attended School of the Future of East 22nd Street.

Updated 6/18

There is a makeshift memorial to Malcolm at the site of the collision...

'Voices' carry

From the WEVG request line: Something by the Cure ahead of the band's three-night stand next week at MSG. 

This is "Other Voices" from 1981's Faith, the Cure's third studio album.

Now be sure to listen all weekend for a chance to win a Splish Splash family 4-pack!

Cafe Mogador provides a free meal to asylum seekers staying in the East Village

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Last evening, East Village mainstay Cafe Mogador, 101 St. Mark's Place, provided a free meal to the asylum seekers staying temporarily at the former St. Brigid School on Seventh Street and Avenue B.

Danny Orlin (middle above), son of Cafe Mogador founder Rivka Orlin, was there with some of the restaurant's staff member to distribute the meals — chicken tagine with rice.

The recipients were very appreciative, and everyone loved the food...

At 188 Allen St., a curbside dining demolition like no other

Photos by Steven 

Early yesterday morning (6:40!), city crews from the DOT and DSNY joined forces to remove the curbside structure outside 188 Allen St. between Houston and Stanton.

Earlier this month, the DOT issued a termination notice for the space outside the now-closed Cheese Grille. A group of artists and some art fans had hoped the structure could continue on as 188 Allen Street Gallery, an art space that has showcased a variety of artists since last summer (see here and here). It was an outgrowth of the pandemic-era space that Cheese Grille used.

NYC street artist SacSix, who has curated shows here as well as created murals on the storefront, appealed to the DOT in a recent Instagram post, inviting city officials here "to see how small business entrepreneurs can create incredible communities in unique spaces." 

However, the DOT showed its appreciation of the space with chainsaws and crowbars...  

A few pieces were salvaged by artists, some of whom spent the night here ahead of the demolition... 

The removal was accompanied by pianist Kristopher Hull, who performed "A requiem for 188 Allen Chopin nocturne in c-sharp minor"... 

... and later... the return of three parking spots... 

About the Lower East Side Book Crawl — Pride Edition — tomorrow (Saturday!)

Tomorrow (Saturday!), six downtown businesses "will celebrate the diversity and resilience of the neighborhood's indie bookshops by offering discounts, special giveaways, and curated selections of queer books."

The participating shops:

• Bluestockings Cooperative Bookstore, 116 Suffolk St. 

• Book Club Bar, 197 E 3rd St. 

• P&T Knitwear, 180 Orchard St.

• Printed Matter, 38 St. Mark's Place (at Second Avenue)

• Sweet Pickle Books, 47 Orchard St.

• Yu & Me Books, 44 Mulberry St.

Hours for the book crawl: noon to 7 p.m.

Thursday's parting shot (aka June 15)

A reader shared this photo from Cooper Square today... a mere six months from Christmas... or to next the Christmas season.

Birthday wishes for Rossy on 3rd Street

Photos and text by Stacie Joy 

If you passed by Rossy's Bakery today on Third Street between Avenue B and Avenue C, you may have noticed that owner Rossy Caba, recently diagnosed with cancer, isn't wearing her signature red chef's coat. Today, for her birthday, she's wearing pink. Specifically, breast cancer-awareness pink. 

Happy birthday Rossy, and here's to kicking cancer's ass.

About the In-N-Out Burger ads for 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

An EVG reader shared the above photo from today on the NE corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place for In-N-Out Burger NYC 2023. 

The plywood surrounds 132 Second Ave., where Dallas BBQ closed last December after decades in business here. Legal notices via the State Liquor Authority here mention that hospitality vet Curt Huegel is opening a new bar-restaurant in the space. 

Anyway, as far as anyone knows, In-N-Out Burger doesn't have any plans for an NYC outpost ... with the furthest eastern outpost arriving in Tennessee sometime in 2026.

Fake In-N-Out Burger ads have made the rounds in NYC through the years (like here and here), much to the chagrin of the chain's many fans. So this is likely a gag... (and so far away from April 1). Updated: The company told Eater the ads are FAKE!

In-N-Out Burger opened up in 1948 as California's first "drive-thru" hamburger stand.

Goodbye for now to HaveAHeart Studio, the rehearsal space below New Double Dragon

Photos and interview by Stacie Joy 

It was a bittersweet message and offer from musician Cheri Leone in the EVG inbox that had us replying with an immediate “yes!” Did we want to tour one of the last of the underground East Village music studio spaces before it was closed for “renovations?” 

I met up with Cheri and bandmate Matty Karas (together they are the Trouble Dolls) and we venture downstairs, under New Double Dragon at 37 First Ave. between Second Street and Third Street, into the subterranean area that houses their rehearsal space. 

As I get busy snapping photos in the basement, we talk about the space, who else shares the studio (various two- and four-legged friends) and the possible plans for the building.

How did you get the rehearsal space? Where will you go next? 

We found out about the space from a friend of a former bandmate who lived nearby on Third Street. We’ve been rehearsing there, with the Trouble Dolls and various other bands and/or projects, for about 23 years. 

I have no idea where we’ll end up, but we’re actively looking for a new home. I’ve been canvassing the East Village, talking to landlords, brokers — really, talking to any strangers on nearby streets who look like they live in the area — and asking if they know of any available basement spaces for rent. Affordable urban caves are hard to come by! 

Does the space have a name? 

At some point I named the space HaveAHeart Studio, both as a tribute to our (small, furry) part-time cohabitants in the basement, and because I happened to be dealing with some larger, more callous rats at the time, and thought it might act as a word-charm against assholes. 

Who else used the space? 

Pre-COVID there were a few more musicians in there; now it’s Matty, Chris (Trouble Dolls drummer) and I, Rob (East Ghost West Ghost), and Jason (Afroskull, Dark Streets).

Any information about the building? Any chance you can come back once they renovate the space? Or do you think it will be sold and that question will be moot? 

We’re not sure what will happen to the building... Word is that major renovations are planned. [Background here.] BTW shout out to Shawn [Lin] and his family at New Double Dragon! People of the East Village: order big and order often from New Double Dragon, while you still can.

We have been invited back to the future, fabulously renovated 37 First Ave.; hope that offer is good. Decades of EV-infused music have been made at this location. The landlords shouldn’t kill that ancient mojo.

Sauce returns to service on 12th Street

After a months-long closure, the Sauce Pizzeria outpost at 345 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue is back in service. (Thanks to the reader for the tip!)

A sign for patrons, dated Dec. 16, stated that they "have made the tough decision to close our doors for the next few months." And: "We are planning to relaunch this location with great enthusiasm, and we look forward to serving you again soon!" 

The reopening coincides with a fresh colorfully painted storefront...

Sauce arrived here in 2018. 

The pizzeria also has outposts on the Lower East Side (Allen at Rivington) ... plus Brookfield Place and Moynihan Train Hall.

Wednesday's parting shot

A post-downpour view of the Christodora House early this evening...

Report: East Village musician Jesse Malin paralyzed from the waist down after spinal stroke

Photo by Katrina del Mar via Sweet Relief 

East Village-based singer-songwriter Jesse Malin was left paralyzed from the waist down after suffering an extremely rare spinal stroke in early May, according to published reports. 

Rolling Stone was first to report about this: 

Gathered with friends to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Howie Pyro, Malin's former D Generation bandmate and best friend, he felt a burning pain in his lumbar region that slowly migrated down his hips, through his thighs, and into his heels. 

He collapsed onto the floor of the restaurant, unable to walk. "Everybody was standing above me like in 'Rosemary's Baby,' saying all these different things, and I was there not knowing what was going on with my body," Malin says during a phone call from his room at an NYU rehab facility. 

The stroke occurred on May 4. He described what his life has been like since then:

"This is the hardest six weeks that I've ever had," he says. "I'm told that they don’t really understand it, and they're not sure of the chances. The reports from the doctors have been tough, and there's moments in the day where you want to cry, and where you're scared. But I keep saying to myself that I can make this happen. I can recover my body." 

After a two-week stint at Mount Sinai, Malin was transferred to an NYU facility. 

His days consist of three rounds of physical therapy and rehabilitation, with the short-term goal of teaching him how to move his body without the use of his legs and do daily tasks. When he's discharged later this month, he'll be in a wheelchair and have to relocate from his current walk-up apartment to a new ADA-compliant one with an elevator. It won't be cheap. 

David Bason, Malin's manager, and a group of friends launched a campaign via the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund to raise money for the singer's care and recovery. Find more details here. 

Malin, a Queens native and longtime East Village resident, is a partner in several local establishments, including Niagara, 96 Tears and the Bowery Electric.

Celebrating downtown nightlife legend Brian Butterick, aka Hattie Hathaway

Howl! Arts/Howl! Archive is celebrating the life of downtown nightlife legend Brian Butterick, aka Hattie Hathaway, in a new exhibit that opens tomorrow. 

Here's more via the EVG inbox: 

Howl! Arts/Howl! Archive is is pleased to present "Brian Butterick {Hattie Hathaway} and all they loved" — the first exhibition celebrating the life of Brian Butterick, also popularly known as Hattie Hathaway, his performance drag persona. 

Drawn from Butterick's personal archives in Howl's collection, on view will be documents, images, and writings by Brian as well as artists and performers in his orbit, including many never seen before objects. 

A publication with additional content will be published later in the year alongside a Brian Butterick/Hattie Hathaway portal on www.howlarts.org. 

The opening reception is tomorrow (Thursday) evening from 6-9 at Howl! Arts/Howl! Archive, 250 Bowery between Houston and Stanton. 

"Brian Butterick {Hattie Hathaway} and all they loved" will be on display through July 30. Hours: Wednesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Butterick died in January 2019 from lung cancer at age 62. 

Image via Howl! Arts/Howl! Archive 

Sunny has retired, but her popular flower shop remains in the family

Top two photos by Stacie Joy 

After 30-plus years on the SE corner of Second Avenue and Sixth Street, Sun "Sunny" Ja Hwang has retired from her eponymous shop, provider of arguably the best flowers in the city. 

However, fear not, fans of Sunny's Florist: the business remains in the family and the new owners will carry on Sunny's tradition of attentive customer service and high-quality fresh-cut flowers and bouquets.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy met the new owner, Alice Pi, Sunny's niece who bought the shop from her aunt. She'll be assisted by her parents, Peter and Okhyun Pi.

Alice reports that all is well with Sunny. Expect to see her back here helping out during busy holidays and special occasions. (Sunny's son Eddie, also a regular presence here through the years, decided last year to pursue a new career.)

Alice says that she has enjoyed hearing how much people liked Sunny and how she'd often serve as a therapist to regulars while getting their flowers wrapped to go. 

Sunny's Florist is open Wednesday through Sunday from 1-8 p.m. 

While "beloved" is an often overused word when describing a business or business owner, in the case of Sunny, it really does apply...

Photo of Sunny from February by Lola Sáenz, who initially tipped us off to her retirement.

Taking a look inside the incoming Target on Union Square

Work continues over at 10 Union Square East in the base of the Zeckendorf Towers ... where a Target is slated to open later this year. 

Plywood now covers some of the windows... and with handy blogger portals that offer views of the under-construction interior...

To recap!

In February 2020, news broke (via the Post) that Target had signed a lease for a 33,000-square-foot store here. The current tenant, Food Emporium, had a lease until April 2023. Ultimately, the grocer shut down early — in May 2021. 

As previously noted, the space that was once pub-crawl hotspot SideBar on the SW corner of 15th Street and Irving Place is now part of the Target. 

The company's "Future store openings" page doesn't mention a specific opening date. Or even a year. Previous media accounts put the debut at later 2023.

Meanwhile, the Target on 14th Street and Avenue A is coming up on its fifth anniversary. We're looking forward to seeing who might be playing at TRGT on this occasion!