The humongus fungus among us (aka, What the hell is that?)

Goggla shares these photos (and that was her headline!) from Tompkins Square Park... showing some kind of blooming fungus exploding from the tree closest to the recycling bins across from the men's room.

And for scale, here is the thing next to a squirrel...



Perhaps it's a chicken of the woods? Where's a mycologist when you need one?

Meanwhile on 2nd Street...

Photo from yesterday between Avenue A and Avenue B by @mcinthenyc

Wayland team opening Drift Inn at former Evelyn Drinkery space on Avenue C

As we first reported last Monday, Evelyn Drinkery has closed after four years at 171 Avenue C between 10th Street and 11th Street.

Now Robert Ceraso, who along with Jason Mendenhall, owns The Wayland on Avenue C and Ninth Street, has confirmed that they will be taking over the Evelyn space for their Drift Inn concept they've been planning the past year.

This marks their third attempt at opening another bar along Avenue C. Plans for both the former Duke's space and current Royale fell through.

This is how Ceraso explained the concept in October 2015:

"We envision The Drift as a laid-back bar that takes some slight inspiration from small seaside bars that we’ve been in over the years. The little places that have a mix of locals, surfers, backpackers and expats. My partner Jason and I have had a lot of experience in those bars over the years and the feel of those places has a special place in our hearts."

And today: "Concept is still the same. Laid-back neighborhood bar. No cocktail list, no TVs. Just a good jukebox, couple of tacos, reasonably priced drinks and maybe a shuffleboard table if we can fit one."

CB3 approved the liquor license for Drift Inn for 171 Avenue C last month.

"Honestly, the space is really great and screaming to be a slightly divey, dark and warm neighborhood bar," said Ceraso, who also owns Good Night Sonny on First Avenue and St. Mark's Place. "We don’t have a lot to do. We hope to be up and running before the New Year."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Wayland owners catching a Drift on Avenue C

Virgola is no more on 7th Street

The landlord has taken legal possession of the space that housed Virgola at 111 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue...



This was pretty quick (compared to how long the situation has dragged on over at 198 Avenue A with Empire Biscuit). The wine-oyster bar just opened last December.

As previously noted, there was ample oyster competition here, as the well-established Desnuda is across the street. And the wine bar Ruffian, with a broader menu, opened at 125 E. Seventh St., around the same time as Virgola.

Meanwhile, the proposed location for a Virgola outpost on Avenue B isn't happening.


[221 Avenue B]

The original Virgola opened three years ago on Greenwich Avenue. And Virgola has expanded nationwide with locations in Florida, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, according to the Virgola USA website.

So far Virgola has not responded to our query about the closure.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Oysters coming to the former Bourgeois Pig space on East 7th Street

Another broker for former Chase branch on Avenue A; where the asking rent is nearly $50k a month

There are new for rent banners up at 20 Avenue A at Second Street... by our count, this marks the fourth broker to list the corner storefront since Chase closed here in November 2015.

According to the listing we spotted, the asking rent is $49,947 a month (or $139 a square foot).

Back in February, the listing via Town featured renderings showing two wine bars in this location.

The 62-unit apartment building was sold in the summer of 2014 for $26.2 million.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The retail-wine bar possibilities for the former Chase space on Avenue A and East 2nd Street

[Updated] Sigmund Pretzel Shop hasn't been open lately on Avenue B

Residents who live near Sigmund Pretzel Shop at 29 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street note that the restaurant has been closed for the past week.

The Sigmund's Instagram account only mentions their Urbanspace Vanderbilt location in Midtown. The popular pretzels are on the menu of several restaurants in the city and sold via carts at various locations and events.

In the summer of 2013, Sigmund closed to renovate the Avenue B space, from what they called a place for a "neighborhood snack" to more of a "neighborhood restaurant" featuring items such as sandwiches on pretzel buns as well as a beer and wine license. They opened here in the fall of 2009.

H/T Salim!

Updated 10/25

The closing is official.

Week in Grieview,

[Friday in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg]

The New York City Rescue Mission is in urgent need of clothing donations (Wednesday)

RIP Adrian Gilboe (Friday)

Brooklyn-based Bakeri now serving bread, croissants and coffee on Sixth Street (Tuesday)

A name change suggested for Church of the Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street (Wednesday)

At the Moxy hotel protest on 11th Street (Thursday)

122 2nd Ave., home of the Ukrainian Sports Club, being pitched for retail or a restaurant (Tuesday)

An application filed for a second newsstand on Astor Place (Thursday)

The storefront at 332 Bowery, current home of Intermix, is for lease (Tuesday)

Reader report: Tracking the source of "a mid-range whining or humming noise" on Eighth Street (Thursday)

A $19,500 rental on Avenue A (Friday)

GET YOUR FLU SHOT OR ELSE (Thursday)

The nail salon One Plus One has closed on First Avenue (Wednesday)

Fall (the season) on 10th Street (Tuesday)

New roll-down gate for the old Chase branch (Wednesday)

Benjamin Restaurant & Bar closes on Second Avenue in Kips Bay (Wednesday)

Timbuk2 now open on Lafayette (Tuesday)

...and after three-plus months, the Citi Bike docking station returned Friday to Second Avenue at Fourth Street...


[Photo by ‏@cecilscheib]

...and also, the Fresno II Gourmet Deli opened Friday on Avenue C at Third Street...

@evgrieve open! pic.twitter.com/e2d4KLJyp6

— Jason Chatfield (@Jason_Chatfield) October 21, 2016

Your chance to capture some LES history

[Via the NYPL collection]

On Tuesday evening at 6, several NYPL volunteers will be conducting a oral history training session at the Tompkins Square Library branch for the Lower East Side Oral History Project.

A little bit about the project via the EVG inbox:

This is a neighborhood oral history project that works to both preserve document, and celebrate Lower East Side neighborhood history through the stories of people who have experienced it.

This project will collect oral histories of people who have lived or worked in the Lower East Side neighborhood. Community volunteers will be trained to conduct these interviews. Interviews will be preserved at The Milstein Division of US History, Local History and Genealogy and accessible at the New York Public Library website.

A link to RSVP to the event can be found here.

The session is from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday. The Tompkins Library branch is at 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

At the 26th annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade

Here's a sampling of the costumes from this afternoon via EVG contributor Stacie Joy… there were the usual pop-culture influenced outfits... and only one Trump (and one Ken Bone)...































-------

And a few more images via Derek Berg...







...and wait a minute...

[Updated] Claribel is missing

East Village resident Ravi DeRossi was out of town for several days... and the person taking care of his pets accidentally let out one of his cats.

"Her name is Claribel. She's not the friendliest cat in the world, she scratches a bit but she means the world to me."

There is a $1,000 reward for her return. She was last seen on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Here's a number to use for any info about Claribel: (917) 597-2692.

Updated 6:25 p.m
She has been found and is back home...