Celebrating Diwali

Yesterday marked the third day of Diwali, the five-day Hindu festival of lights ... EVG Grieve contributor Stacie Joy shared this photo of Pria Chouhan, who was celebrating at her restaurant Desi Galli on Avenue B yesterday...

Previously on EV Grieve:

• A visit to Desi Galli on Avenue B

EVG Etc.: Looking for holiday volunteers; Remembering Aldo Tambellin

• The Bowery Mission and City Harvest need volunteers this holiday season (FOX 5)

• Remembering Aldo Tambellini, the pioneering filmmaker and artist who in the 1960s opened the Gate and the Black Gate in the East Village, screening films by Kenneth Anger and Yayoi Kusama, among many others (The Guardian ... ARTnews) 

• East Village restauranteurs talk about the possibility of the state suspending indoor dining (Gothamist) 

• An analysis of the ZIP codes New Yorkers exited between March 1 and Oct. 31. Topping the list: Upper West Side, 10023 — 3,368. At No. 20: East Village, 10009 — 728 (The Post)

• East Village resident Douglas Stuart discusses his acclaimed debut novel, "Shuggie Bain" (New York) 

• The Landmarks Preservation Commission is reviewing proposals to renovate and refurbish the façade of Bathhouse Studios on 11th Street (NYY ... previously on EVG) 

•  A positive review (it "wows") for Mokyo on St. Mark's Place (Forbes)

• A preview of the new Half Japanese record (Dangerous Minds) 

• "Dash & Lily," an eight-episode holiday-themed romantic comedy series, debuted on Netflix this past week to positive notices (100% on Rotten Tomatoes!).  As you may recall, the crew filmed quite a bit around the neighborhood in late 2019 (here and here for instance). In the trailer, you can see the locations include Two Boots on Avenue A and the Strand...

RBG mural work resumes

After a few days of rain, @ellestreetart is back at work on the RBG mural on the southwest corner of First Avenue and 11th Street (first reported here) ... she started on Monday...

Earlier this month, workers removed Shepard Fairey's "Rise Above" mural that had been on this space for the past four years.

Fall ensemble

Goggla shared these photos on Tuesday... showing the spectacular fall foliage in Tompkins Square Park... (the recent rains and winds have removed some of these leaves from the trees ... but many are still holding on...) 

Report of a maintenance hole explosion on 1st Avenue

Here's an early reader report... this happened on First Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street:

Last night aprox 3 a.m. there was a HUGE series of explosions rocking the entire block. What sounded like extremely loud electrical crackling was booming as a sustained series of explosions that lasted 10-15 minutes as giant clouds of acrid smoke rose from a vent in the street near the bike lane directly in front of 87-89 First Ave. 

The bizarre crackling/buzzing/explosion sound had me thinking we were under attack again (9/11 flashback). Either that or some kind of "Cloverfield" situation... Multiple firehouses and emergency agencies arrived. 

Con Ed and other emergency crews are on the scene this morning... no official word on what happened. According to the Citizen app, the FDNY described this as a maintenance hole explosion.

It's a heartache

 

Something a little different ... this is "Something on Your Mind," a song from 1971 by Karen Dalton from the folk blues singer's second and final studio album. 

Although Bob Dylan once called her his favorite singer from the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1960s, she was mostly forgotten until some years after her death in 1993 at 55. 

She is the subject of a new documentary (produced by Wim Wenders) titled "In My Own Time: A Portrait of Karen Dalton" that's featured at DOC NYC this month.

New music from SUSU, the Compulsions

Today, local band SUSU, led by Liza Colby and Kia Warren, released "Slow Death," a Flamin' Groovies cover from their new debut EP, Panther City.

They'll be at the East Village Vintage Collective today from 4-8 p.m. selling music and merchandise. The shop is at 545 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Find more info on SUSU here. 

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Also today, East Village-based guitarist and vocalist Rob Carlyle and his band, the Compulsions, are releasing their third full-length studio album, Ferocious.

The record includes the contributions of guitarists Earl Slick and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal.

Look for more about the Compulsions here.

Workers removing the sidewalk bridge from around the explosion site condoplex

Workers this morning are removing the sidewalk bridge from around 45 E. Seventh St., the 7-story, 21-unit condoplex on the northwest corner of Second Avenue...

In recent years, this corner has been a gathering spot in the summer-fall for travelers/crusties. In October 2018 (pre-sidewalk bridge), for instance, the NYPD set up a light tower here to deter anyone from congregating and camping out.

People have been living under here in recent months as well, capturing the ire of the Post.

As noted previously, this condoplex is on two of the three lots destroyed during the deadly gas explosion here on March 26, 2015. 

Thanks to Steven for the photos... and thanks to Alex R. for the tip!

Updated 5:30 p.m.

Tompkins Square Bagels on Avenue A continues on without gas — or help from the city

By all accounts, it looked like business as usual yesterday at Tompkins Square Bagels at 165 Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street. Customers and delivery people were coming and going through the open doors. The smell of fresh-baked bagels was drifting from inside. 

However, behind the scenes, patrons may not know what owner Christopher Pugliese and his team needed to do to open.

On Wednesday, a carbon monoxide sensor went off related to the storefront's hot water heater.

"We discovered a hole in the flue that brings in replacement air. Because of the hole, replacement air wasn’t getting into the basement, thus the high carbon monoxide reading," Pugliese said. 

However, despite identifying the problem and quickly having it repaired, ConEd shut off the gas to the business. And Pugliese is angry.

"They could've disconnected the water heater. I get why they turned off the gas. It's easier ... I get that life was at risk," said Pugliese, stressing that safety is always a top concern. "But once it's determined that it wasn't a gas issue and the flue had been fixed, I shouldn't have to file permits and jump through hoops, pay fees, and be put on a ConEd waitlist. That is absolute bullshit."

For now, he's estimating a four- to eight-week period to get gas service to the bagel shop restored, a process that includes hiring a plumber, filing permits with the Department of Buildings, waiting for the city to inspect the space — all before ConEd even steps in, all for an issue that has already been addressed.

On Wednesday, Pugliese figured he'd need to close for the interim. "If we didn’t have the Second Avenue store this could've been a death blow," he said.

By yesterday morning, however, Tompkins Square Bagels, which first opened in December 2011, was up and running on Avenue A.

"Over the past 24 hours I bought three electric grills and had three 220-volt power lines installed so I could cook," he said. "They tried their best to shut me down but I am smarter and work harder than they could ever imagine." 

Total cost of the interim cooking system: $7,000

"I am open in spite of the city," said Pugliese, who noted that his shops helped feed the homeless and essential front-line workers during the pandemic's worst days in the spring. "I still did my part to help this city ... and we are all in this together? I just don't see the support on the other end."

A break in at China Town on East Houston

There was a break in this week at China Town, the reliable quick-serve restaurant at 250 E. Houston between Avenue A and Avenue B...

EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos and spoke with the proprietor, who said that their cash box and other various items were stolen in the process... the proprietor encouraged patrons to order delivery or come pick up food to go ... noting that "things are difficult now."

Autumn leaves

Tompkins Square Park today...

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 NYC ... as well as political observations on current events...