Tuesday, October 27, 2020

A visit to The Baroness

Text and photos by Stacie Joy 

I am a wee bit nervous as I approach the Baroness and her eponymous latex shop at 530 13th St. (between Avenues A and B). I’d never worn latex before and tend to go through life in jeans and tees, which is a definite no-no at the elegant, well-appointed and provocative showroom where the Baroness designs, creates, fits and sells her line of custom, bespoke, and ready-to-wear latex fashion.
It is always a challenge to step outside one’s comfort zone, but the Baroness’ no-nonsense yet encouraging and confident demeanor guided me through the process. And I saw myself differently in the mirror…speaking of which, the fitting room mirror at the atelier is kind and the dressing room space is set up to allow for best-case scenarios when trying on outfits.

Due to COVID-19, people are not dressing up that much, there are fewer parties and events, and although the Baroness wears latex on the regular, most people would be looking for something special, maybe for a holiday? In that light, I ask the proprietrix to show me what the store has for Halloween as we chat about her history in the neighborhood and her passion for latex.

Can you speak a bit about the history of the shop and how it came to be? What drew you to the East Village and what has kept you here? Are there any special challenges to living and working in the neighborhood? 

When I first started my business (almost 30 years ago) I ran it from my studio. Then the building required work on the front wall, which would mean a total disruption, so I set out to look for another workspace. I needed to keep it close-by as I had been spoiled and feared that if I had to travel too far I would not.

I was very fortunate to find more than an atelier, the ideal workspace came with a shop at street level. Prior to my moving in the space had been poorly used but that both allowed and necessitated renovations including knocking down walls, replacing flooring, establishing lighting and electrical outlets (all in the perfect locations). As our workspace is below-ground, I painted it in lighter tones of purples, pinks and greens and had work tables and closets built so everything was at hand. 

Upstairs I chose soft blues, pinks and purples forgoing the traditional red and black of other fetish shops. I wanted it to be a place that would welcome women and make them feel safe. The dressing room was huge and hung with fabric and fitted with flattering mirrors. 

What I hadn't realized is just how much help it would be for my fit and designs as I now saw more varied body shapes in my elegant latex fashions.

Being on a side street and in the East Village meant that although I had limited foot traffic (which didn’t matter much as The Baroness is a destination) my rent was also lower than in other parts of New York. After all the work involved in renovating and establishing myself on East 13th Street it was easiest to stay put as we have for the last 12 years (despite the steady yearly increase in rent).

Of course, now with COVID-19 and having the boutique closed for months, everyone has been affected and there are many empty storefronts throughout the neighborhood. My business has been particularly affected as many of my customers now have limited funds and the usual parties and events that they would wear latex for have been canceled or simply postponed until next year. I am fortunate that much of my business comes from elaborate custom creations commissioned by loyal longtime clients and that my landlady has been most understanding during this troubled time. 

Latex is both more complicated (in construction of the garments) and more simple (in cleaning and caring for the clothes) than I’d realized. What made you choose latex as a fabric, and what can you tell beginners about wearing it?

My background has always been in clothing, fabric and art, and my motto is "any occasion to dress is an occasion to overdress," so when I discovered latex my life was instantly transformed

Once I began to work with latex, I enjoyed learning and exploring its mysteries. The largest being how to make it! Everything is glued and when I started, I was one of only three latex designers in North America. Latex is still a niche market and now The Baroness boutique is the ONLY shop in the U.S. that makes and sells only its own latex!

What I tell latex virgins (my absolute favorite customers) is to give in, to allow their senses to take over, to inhale the vanilla milk-chocolate aroma, to savor the sensual feeling of it against your body or the touch of another latex-clad enthusiast, to marvel in the gleam, the shine, and the highlights and lowlights of this amazing material as they watch it in motion. There is no material more sensual than latex. 

On the practical side I inquire as to their budget, their intentions, and where they will wear it to help in their choice. I explain and demonstrate how to shine  and care for their latex along with assuring them of my lifetime guarantee. 

I believe wearing latex should be comfortable not only on the body. If you want discomfort, buy it super tight, our sizes range from extra-small to extra-large, along with queen size and custom for both men and women, but also to your personal style and body image. If you aren’t comfortable in what you wear you will never look the best you can and probably that garment will be relegated to the back of the drawer or closet.
You go all out for Halloween. What do you recommend for people who may be interested in wearing latex for a holiday event but have little experience?

Halloween is my birthday and even as a child I fantasized about watching a gathering of well-dressed people. When I moved [from the UK] to the U.S. and discovered it was a holiday where everyone dressed, my dream came true.

Halloween is (as you may imagine) one of our busiest seasons, although this year is obviously an exception. We usually do the best when it falls on a Friday or Saturday and there are many vanilla parties. The most common requests are either Catwoman or a dominatrix, although we also have made an assortment of custom creations including Britney Spears, various cosplay characters, crossdressing and regular ensembles that are so unusual for the customers life as to be considered a costume, but which I hope shall be the start of their latex addiction!

Your shop sign announces You Want Latex. As the Baroness, aside from latex, what do you want?

You missed the sign’s other side, which says "You Need Latex!" What I want currently is what everyone wants: An end and cure for the virus. That, and for a world dressed in Baroness latex!

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You can keep up with the Baroness via social media @LatexBaroness, and from now through Halloween the Baroness’ popular waist-cincher (available in both black and purple) is on sale for $100 off while supplies last.

Construction watch: 799 Broadway

Here's the latest look at the southwest corner of Broadway and 11th Street where the 12-story zig-zagging office complex is getting its glassy façade...
According to a news release about the address: "799 Broadway will feature floor-to-ceiling glass, private terraces, and 15 foot high ceilings. This combination of highly desirable location and state-of-the-art design will appeal to New York’s most progressive and creative companies."

No. 799 was the former home of the historic St. Denis building, which opened as a hotel in 1853. Normandy Real Estate Partners bought the property for somewhere in the $100 million ballpark back in 2016... and tore it all down.

James Nazz shared this time-lapse video showing the demolition of the building...


90 E. 10th St. is for rent, bringing an official end to the stand-up steakhouse phase

A for rent sign now hangs — as of this past week — in the front window at 90 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue... this marks the official end of Ikinari Steak, which debuted here to great curiosity (and hype!) in February 2017.

As previously noted, this was the first U.S. location (there are more than 100 worldwide) for the popular Tokyo-based restaurant. The concept: Diners, particularly in-a-rush office workers, stand and basically eat quickly.

However, the craze didn't quite catch on here. By early 2019, the fast-expanding company — Pepper Food Service Co. — continued to struggle to find an audience and shut down seven of the 11 Ikinari Steak outlets in NYC and converted two of them to another type of restaurant. 

The original 10th Street location remained open... until the PAUSE went into effect back in March. By the summer, financial difficulties — due mainly to rent payments — caused the chain to face closing all its NYC locations.

In 2018, the company became the first Japanese restaurant chain to go public on the Nasdaq stock market. It was delisted from Nasdaq last year.

SLA suspends Fat Buddha's liquor license

Back on Friday afternoon, Gov. Cuomo announced that 21 bars and restaurants in the state had their liquor licenses suspended for "egregious violations of coronavirus-related regulations."

On that list: Fat Buddha, 212 Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street.

Per the state's press release on the suspensions:

On October 9th, investigators with the state's multi-agency task force and officers with the NYPD observed over twenty patrons standing, congregating and drinking directly in front of the business without facial coverings well past the 11 p.m. NYC curfew for outside dining. Investigators noted the kitchen was closed and there was no evidence of food being served, in addition to numerous patrons entering and exiting the premises with open containers. NYPD officers dispersed the crowd and issued a summons for Executive Order violations. 

Fat Buddha is currently open, though just not with any alcohol sales. 

Other East Village bars-restaurants that ran afoul of the SLA back in the summer have all reopened, including the Wayland, Maiden Lane, Lucky, Hairy Lemon and St. Dymphna's

Monday, October 26, 2020

This week at the Tompkins Square Library branch

Two events to note this week happening at the Tompkins Square Library, currently open for limited Grab and Go service on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... via the EVG inbox...

• Tuesday Oct. 27 at 1 p.m.: Virtual Walking Tour: Macabre East Village 
Join library manager Corinne Neary and local photographer Michael Paul to explore some dark history of Tompkins Square Park and surrounding neighborhood. Murder, kidnapping, the living dead, rituals, cannibals, insanity, spirits and ghosts!

• Thursday Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.: Online discussion with Frederic Tuten 
Celebrated author Frederic Tuten will be discussing his memoir "My Young Life," inspirations, dreams and plans. Frederic is a long-time East Villager and will tell us how the neighborhood influenced his works. Also, we will listen about his years spent in Europe and South America, and his passion for art.

At the 30th annual (and 1st virtual) Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade

Another year, another challenge to overcome for the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. 

In 2018, there was the issue with paying for the insurance and liability policy that the Parks Department suddenly required. In the end there was a sponsor and new location at the East River Park amphitheater.

With the pandemic this year, the city wasn't going to allow such a large gathering like this. So organizer Jennifer-Jo Moyer (top left) brought it online for the 30th annual (and 1st virtual) Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade on Saturday afternoon. 

The livestream event included photo and video entries from participants around the country as well as a Zoom portion for people to show off their dogs' costumes. 

Moyer, along with NY1 reporter Stephanie Simon (top right) serving as emcee, were live from a previously undisclosed location, which turned out the be the backyard at Lucky at 168 Avenue B. Several people brought their dogs here for a mini on-location portion of the event.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos from Avenue B ... which include local winners Ziggy as Falkor from "The NeverEnding Story" ...
... and Breezy and Starlet as the Rainbow and Stars...
Moyer hopes to do the event live next fall with the 31st annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. There's an archived video of the virtual dog parade on Facebook.

A Visit to the East Village Community Fridge and Food Pantry

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

I arrive at S’MAC just in time to catch East Village Neighbors volunteer-group organizer Diane Hatz and S’MAC owner Sarita Ekya stock up the community fridge and food pantry, located outside S’MAC restaurant at the corner of 12th Street and First Avenue.
The fridge is a group effort, and began when Sarita and her husband Caesar Ekya (co-owners of S’MAC), saw a post in East Village Neighbors Facebook group about setting up a fresh-foods community fridge. 

Their first attempt was knocked over and KO’d after only three days, but Sarita and Caesar bought and donated a previously owned model (along with the cabinets that now hold the dry goods) on Craigslist, and hired a local contractor to bolt them down to prevent further shenanigans.
In additional to lots of fruits and veggies, Diane brought healthy food options (dairy products, grains, heat-and-eat meals) from Trader Joes, and Sarita restocks the freezer with both four-cheese and cheeseburger premade S’MAC mac-n-cheese casseroles. You can heat them up at home, but if you have no access to an oven, the S’MAC team will bake your meal for you on-site. (Each casserole feeds one to two people.)
East Village Neighbors is looking for reliable volunteers to help manage, stock and clean the fridge, and purveyors, supermarkets, and local restaurants that may be able to help with weekly food and goods drop-offs. If you can help, please contact the group via email, here: EastVillageNeighbors@gmail.com

The fridge is also in need of cash donations, which can be made here.

The group is also hoping to help spread the word to people in need, the fridge and food pantry for dry goods is open 24 hours a day and is restocked as needed. 

When I asked how fast the food goes, Sarita tells me it’s gone in less than 24 hours, and sometimes she needs to restock multiple times a day. The demand for healthy food for those in need in the community is high.
The community fridge motto is “take what you need, leave what you can,” and is made possible by S’MAC, Change Food, East Village Neighbors, and Local Roots NYC. If you’d like to donate homemade food, they ask that it be clearly labeled, dated, and individually wrapped. Diane reminds me with a smile, “No half-eaten cookies.”

Report: 15 year old charged in October shooting death on Avenue A

A 15-year-old boy was reportedly charged with murder in the late-night shooting death of Tyrell Williams on Avenue A on Oct. 11. 

According to the Daily News, the teen, accompanied by his father [updated: story changed to sister], turned himself in at the 9th Precinct on Fifth Street.

Police say that the teen, who was with two friends, walked up to Williams and allegedly shot him four times in the chest on A between 12th Street and 13th Street. Williams, a 26-year-old father of two, died later at Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

Police have not released a motive in the shooting, though sources have said it was likely gang-related.

Photo from Oct. 11 by Michael Paul 

Nón Lá bringing Vietnamese cuisine to 4th Street

Nón Lá Vietnamese Kitchen is coming soon to 128 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue...
This new venture is from Ronny Nguyen, who runs the very solid Sao Mai on First Avenue. As we understand it, his son will be operating Nón Lá. 

The space was home to Lui's Thai Food. As previously reported, chef-owner Pimnapa "Lek" Sunthatkolkarn had to retire her business after being hospitalized late in the summer.

Thanks to Stacie Joy for the photos and tip!

The restaurant portion of Sage Kitchen has closed

The Sage Kitchen restaurant space has been dark since late in the summer... and now a for rent sign hangs in the window here at 356 Bowery between Fourth Street and Great Jones. 

While the restaurant is closed, Sage is still operating its commissary business from a different location for catering and delivery. The owners discussed the situation in an Instagram post from this past Thursday:
It breaks our heart to tell you that our restaurant on Bowery is closed and will not be reopening. The restaurant was the dream of four friends for a long time and when it came to life last spring so many of you became a part of it.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 and the incompetence of our politicians has made operating a restaurant in New York City completely impossible so we’re going start searching for a new location for our restaurant for when the time is right to reopen. 
With that said, we are very fortunate to have our incredible team working hard in our commissary kitchen and Sage Kitchen will continue to be available for delivery and catering — just like we have done since our inception.
The 6-year-old catering company opened the restaurant space in April 2019.

Sunday, October 25, 2020

A return to the Avenue B flea

Yesterday afternoon saw another Avenue B Flea between 10th Street and 13th Street (revisit the one from Oct. 10 here) ... the stoop sale was organized to support the neighborhood, independent vendors and local artists. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was again documented the shoppers and sellers along the Avenue...

Report: Astor Place Hairstylists will close next month after 73 years in business

Astor Place Hairstylists is the latest NYC institution to fall victim to the economic hardships brought on by COVID-19.

The subterranean shop, founded in 1947, will close before Thanksgiving, according to manager Michael "Big Mike" Saviello, who told the Post their that business is down by 90 percent.

They reopened in June, but the customers didn't return. 

Said Saviello: "Maybe we’ll come back when the city comes back, but right now it's not feasible." 

In 2018, Nicolas Heller, a filmmaker (aka New York Nico),  released "Big Mike Takes Lunch,” a documentary that captures a day in the life of the longtime manager. (Read my interview with Heller here. The link also includes an embed of the 12-minute film.)

Heller addressed the pending closure on his Instagram account ... urging his 466,000 followers to pay a visit...
Maybe I was being naive, but I never saw such an iconic NYC institution ever closing. I figured it was too loved by the community to ever shut down. But because of the pandemic, there are no customers and they can’t afford the astronomical rent. 

I’ve been told they definitely plan on closing for good UNLESS there is a “miracle.” I’m not sure what that means, but for your sake, I couldn’t encourage you more to stop by and get your haircut, and find your new barber. @astorplacehairstylists is so much more than just a barbershop, it’s a museum, it’s the epitome of NYC...

 And Astor Place Hairstylists addressed the outpouring of support in this Instagram post...

Photo from 2011 by Karen Gehres, who directed the film "Astor Barber All Stars."

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week include...  (and photo from St. Mark's Place yesterday is by Derek Berg)

• Another mission to feed those in need in the neighborhood (Tuesday

• A farewell parade through the East Village for Jack Finelli (Monday)

• Documenting 166 Avenue A through the years (Thursday

• Delphine le Goff on her East Village storefront art and love of the neighborhood (Friday

• This is the new building slated for the corner of 6th Street and Avenue C (Monday

• Lucy's is back open on Avenue A (Wednesday

• Los Tacos NYC debuts on 7th Street (Friday

• About the Mask-Querade event on 7th Street Halloween afternoon (Wednesday

• This week's NY See (Thursday

• Post-PAUSE status check (Thursday)

• Report: Locals fear the 'crumbling' former P.S. 64 (Tuesday

• Openings: All The King's Horses Cafe on 12th Street (Thursday

• Popeyes now open on 1st Avenue (Monday

• The UPS Store delivers a grand opening on 1st Avenue (Friday

• Teso Life signage arrives on St. Mark's Place; T-swirl Crêpe makes an EV return (Wednesday

• 2 new floors for 21-23 Avenue B (Wednesday

• Former Hotel Tortuga space now slinging 99-cent slices on 14th Street (Tuesday

• Glaze Teriyaki Grill closes on 4th Avenue (Monday

• A full reveal at 202 Avenue A (Monday)

... and after a year up on the northwest corner of Avenue A and Third Street, workers have removed the sidewalk bridge, bringing back into view the retail tenants along here: Exit 9 Gift Emporium, Essex Card Shop, Downtown Yarns, Galleria J. Antonio and Bin 141...
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