[Updated] Police barricades continue sad existence on Avenue B Open Streets

Readers continue to note the sad state of the Open Street concept on Avenue B between Sixth Street and 14th Street. Since the last post on Friday, the police barricades meant to block off the Avenue to through traffic from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. aren't faring so well.

The barricade was smashed and discarded on Ninth and B. The one at Eighth Street is hanging on...



The one at Seventh Street was clipped by a fire truck this weekend...





And someone dragged one of the pieces about 50 yards to the east on Seventh Street...



And at Sixth Street...



The city announced the Open Street plan in late May to help residents safely get some fresh air while social distancing.

Updated 1 p.m.

Via the 9th Precinct...

Thanks for the calls and messages regarding the barriers on Avenue B needing to be replaced to ensure safety while the open space is being utilized. The replacement should be up today. Thanks for your patience!#EastVillage #NYC pic.twitter.com/08NKtxE3QK

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) June 21, 2020

Scooter LaForge's Love Power on the Bowery

East Village-based artist Scooter LaForge, working with Hitomi Nakamura and James Rubio, created this Love Power mural on the Bowery between Great Jones and Fourth Street earlier this week.

This was part of a larger effort organized by Bowery artist Sono Kuwayama. (Read about it here.) She received permission from store owners to paint on the plywood of the boarded-up businesses along this stretch of the Bowery. She then reached out to some local artists to have them create murals ...







And what will happen to the plywood when the businesses reopen?

Per Reuters: "When the boards eventually come down, Kuwayama’s plan is to store the art in a gallery, and later sell it, donating the proceeds to local homeless shelters."

As a P.S.

While we're on the Bowery and Fourth Street... Phebe's reopened yesterday for to-go food... they are open from 4-9 p.m. during the week and 2-9 p.m. today...

On 2nd thought

After reopening the playgrounds and the ballfield/TF in Tompkins Square Park yesterday... workers locked them up again later in the day... there was some mixed messaging, as workers said they'd be back open Monday... with signage pointing to a reopening tomorrow (Sunday!) after a cleaning...

Making their mark on St. Mark's Place

A look at the new murals that went up Thursday on the north side of St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue...


[@dos_wallnuts]


[@jillyballistic]


[@sacsix]


[@robotswillkill, @chrisrwk & @zeroproductivity]




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[@reggiewarlock]

Friday's parting shot

A moment on Eighth Street via Dave on 7th Street...

Unsilent night

Christmas 1982 with Bad Brains at CBGB. The video is for "Big Takeover."

At the Juneteenth protest on Astor Place

Peaceful protestors gathered early this Juneteenth afternoon at the Alamo on Astor Place for what was billed as a "Defund the NYPD March" ... with a final destination of City Hall Park. (This was one of more than a dozen protests today just in Manhattan.)

EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos ...

[Updated] The playgrounds and ballparks are back open in Tompkins Square Park

Updated 6/20: Now closed until 6/21!

After two-plus months, the playgrounds in Tompkins Square Park are back open today ... ditto for the ballfields/TF in the northwest corner... (thanks to Steven for the photos!)



The basketball courts are also open, but the city isn't returning the rims just yet...



P.S.

The dog run is still closed...

Curb your enthusiasm: A look at more East Village businesses with their doors back open

[Trash & Vaudeville, 7th Street]

Back on Monday, EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared a sampling of the East Village businesses that were back open for curbside sales as part of the blessed Phase 1.

In this sequel post, Stacie shares a few more of the retail operations up and running again (and yes — several businesses here had been open previously, including Sunny & Annie's and Book Club)...


[Sunny's Florist, 6th Street]


[Downtown Yarns, Avenue A]


[Limited to One, 10th Street]


[Bali Kitchen, 4th Street]


[The Juicy Lucy kiosk, 1st Street]


[East Village Acupuncture, 2nd Street]


[Sunny & Annie's, Avenue B]


[Book Club Bar, 3rd Street]


[VorteXity Books, Avenue A]


[Red Gate Bakery, 1st Street]


[Kolkata Chai Co., 3rd Street]

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village businesses reopen their doors for curbside pickup

Tomorrow is the deadline for the East Village community raffle benefitting Black Lives Matter

[Photos at East Village Postal by Stacie Joy]

As we reported last week, the folks at East Village Postal, 151 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street, have organized a community raffle to raise funds for Black Lives Matter.

The raffle ends at 11:59 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday night!). Winners will be announce on Sunday.

A reminder how it works:

100 percent of all ticket sales will be donated to Colin Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp and the Equal Justice Initiative.

Each ticket is $5. For multiple entries, please purchase in increments $5. You can purchase tickets by venmo @eastvillageraffle and leave your email or phone number so that we can contact you if you win. To purchase tickets in cash, please purchase your ticket at our shop.

Visit this link for a list of all the raffle prizes, which include gift cards to East Village Organic, Flower Power Herbs & Roots, Veselka, Takahachi, Mr. Throwback, Superiority Burger, Abraco and Azaleas, among many others.