Week in Grieview

Posts from the past week included (with a photo in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg) ... 

• The EVAC, an arts venue, replaces FlyeLyfe on 1st Avenue after 1 day in business — why? (Wednesday)

• At the March to Save East River Park (Monday) 

• Concern for the main lawn in Tompkins Square Park (Monday) 

• Opening day at the new Bluestockings Cooperative on the Lower East Side (Saturday) 

• Happy Hatch Day for Amelia and Christo, the red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park (Friday) 

• Spring forward with Al Diaz (Thursday) 

• Reopenings: Ukrainian East Village restaurant, Little Poland (Monday)

• A new era of small talk in this week's NY See (Thursday) 

• Live music returns to these 2 Avenue A venues (Thursday) 

• A print edition of the Village Voice is now out (Tuesday) 

• Report: Mermaid Inn plans to reopen, though the SLA isn't helping (Thursday) 

• Report of a trash fire outside Saifee Hardware (Sunday) 

• 145 2nd Ave. returns to view (Thursday) 

• A little of the old Coyote Ugly at the new Coyote Ugly on 14th Street (Tuesday)

• Signs of life at Sanshi Noodle House (Wednesday) 

• You can now stay out until midnight at a bar or restaurant (Monday) 

• On second thought, Chef Hans looks to be the new tenant for 120 1st Ave. (Wednesday) 

• Brazen Fox returning to the Brazen Fox space (Thursday)

... and another 4/20 is in the books... didn't get a chance to mention Lexi Bella's art in First Street Green Art Park...

And thank you to Spotted by Locals for naming EVG one of the 6 best blogs in NYC. Link here.

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Weekend wisteria watch

The NYC famous wisteria outside 35 Stuyvesant St. at 10th Street is in bloom ... these photos are from yesterday here just west of Second Avenue ...

If you can't experience it in person this year, then there's always the jigsaw puzzle! 

Remembering the city's biggest opera fan, and what will become of her memorabilia?

Lois Kirschenbaum, a fan fixture at the Metropolitan Opera for more than 50 years, has died at 88. https://t.co/WYkMvITA4e

— NYT Obituaries (@NYTObits) April 10, 2021

Longtime East Village resident Lois Kirschenbaum died earlier month. She was 88. 

The Times covered her passing (see tweet above), and followed up with another story on who they called "the queen of the Metropolitan Opera’s stage door since the 1950s."

Corey Kilgannon has a feature on her extensive collection of autographed photos of opera stars as well as singed programs — a number that exceeds 200,000. And they are all sitting in boxes in her spare bedroom now.

Kirschenbaum was a switchboard operator from Flatbush, Brooklyn, who became perhaps New York's biggest and longest-standing opera buff — and an obsessive autograph collector. For over half a century, she spent about 300 nights a year at the Met and other musical and dance performances. Legally blind since birth, she would usually sit in the uppermost balcony and follow the action with a pair of large binoculars, always hustling back after the curtain call — programs and headshots in hand — to gather signatures.

Her will, drafted in 1992, directed her collection to be left to the "Lincoln Center Research Library," which, as the Times notes, is likely a reference to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

Its executive director, Jennifer Schantz, said the library was "delighted and honored," adding, "We look forward to reviewing the collection and learning more."

But...

Since the library does not accept all such donations, however, Kirschenbaum’s friends still fear the material might wind up discarded.

Opening day at the new Bluestockings Cooperative on the Lower East Side

The new home for the Bluestockings Cooperative officially opened yesterday at 116 Suffolk St.

The collectively-run activist center, community space and feminist bookstore previously held a successful crowdfunding campaign, which raised more than $100,000 to help Bluestockings build out the space between Rivington and Delancey.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the space yesterday for an opening-day look...

Bluestockings opened at 172 Allen St. between Stanton and Rivington in 1999... before moving on at the end of last July. 

You can follow the Bluestockings Instagram account for updates. The hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Today is the last day for Bluestockings on Allen Street; new LES location in the works

Benny's Burritos still frozen in November 2014 time on Avenue A

Here's your periodic reminder that a) Benny's Burritos closed almost seven years ago and b) the storefront has sat vacant since November 2014. 

Anyway, every so often the gates are up here — like yesterday! — on the southwest corner of Avenue A and Sixth Street... showing the well-preserved Benny's museum (though the menus have come down from the doors since our last look).

Benny's closed here on Nov. 29, 2014, after 27 years in business.

The prime corner space has sat empty since then. At least one prospective tenant kicked the tires on the space in 2017. (The Benny's to-go spot next door, which closed in February 2015, is now the 99¢ pizza place called 99¢ Pizza.)

Anyway, no idea why the gate seems to open every few years. The original rental ask for the spot was $22,000.

Mark Merker, who launched Harry's and Benny's Burritos in 1987, attempted a revival with Benny's Burritos & Empanadas at 86 E. Seventh St. in January 2018, but it didn't last.

Hello, Whiskers!

Workers finished removing the sidewalk bridge from around the northwest corner of Ninth Street and Second Avenue late yesterday afternoon. 

And for the first time in nearly three years, you can see the Whiskers Holistic Petcare storefront...

Thanks to Steven for the photos!

Today in sweet deals on 14th Street

As seen at the Immaculate Conception on 14th Street at First Avenue... part of the usual weekend flea market at the church. (One of the regular vendors, and not the folks along the sidewalk selling canned goods and broken answering machines.)

Saturday's opening shot

A crew was out early (7 a.m.) to put up the stage for today's HC show in Tompkins Square Park.

The bill features Madball, Murphy's Law, Bloodclot, Wisdom in Chains and the Capturers (plus DJ Franky 2Far). There's a noon start time, per the flyers, though a worker said the show starts at 2.

The devil's advocate

 

NYC-based Pretty Sick released a new song yesterday, "Devil in Me" ... which is the first track from the band's forthcoming EP titled Comedown, out on June 17. Check out the video above...

Open Culture on the Open Streets of Avenue B

Tomorrow (Saturday!), several community groups and artists are coming together for Open Culture, an afternoon "to lounge, listen to music and help draw a giant street mural with tape artist Kuki." 

This is happening from 1-5 p.m. on Avenue B between Eighth Street and Ninth Street.

Happy Hatch Day for Amelia and Christo, the red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park

It appears that at least one egg belonging to Amelia and Christo, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, has hatched. (And thanks to Steven for these photos!)

Goggla has been keeping an eye on the nest and has noticed a change in behavior starting on Tuesday evening... as the two went into parenting mode. 

Per Goggla:

Christo perched on the edge of the nest while Amelia stayed inside. He appeared to be watching and/or waiting, something we've seen him do on hatch days in previous years. The hawks stayed in this position for over two hours, which is also notable. Finally, Amelia got up and the two of them fussed around with some food, Christo watching as Amelia tore it up, then went through the motions of feeding a chick deep in the nest.

What's going on up there?

We have no idea how many eggs or chicks there are in the nest, but can expect 1-3 nestlings. It may be another week or so before we catch a glimpse of any fuzzy white heads peeking over the edge of the nest, so we'll have to wait and be surprised.

Head over to Goggla's site for more details... plus check out her video of Christo riding out the hailstorm on Wednesday from atop St Nicholas of Myra on Avenue A and 10th Street. 

Openings: Looker bringing vegan bar food to Avenue B

Looker, serving vegan bar food, debuts today (1 p.m. until ... ?) at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.

This is the sister restaurant to Post, the former tenant here...  as previously reported, the four-year-old cafe moved around the corner to a larger space on Third Street. 

Not sure what else to say about Looker at the moment... they do have an Instagram account chock-full of 1980s throwbacks...

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