Holiday fair season

Two wholly unique places to pick up some holiday-related items today... the annual holiday fair at d.b.a. on First Avenue...

... and the Christmas Bazaar at the Ukrainian Museum on East Sixth Street...

Speaking of low-rise stretches of businesses that will soon be extinct

On Sunday, I was walking along Delancey. I stopped to look at the incoming Holiday fucking Inn coming to the corner at Suffolk. I took a photo, and tried to imagine how noisy a room would be here given its location overlooking an insanely busy bridge and thoroughfare.

Taking in the block, I figured the one-level row of businesses to the east of the hotel had a short life span. Not exactly a visionary statement given the ongoing rush to develop parcels of land with so much potential.

In any event, BoweryBoogie had the news yesterday that the one-story strip of 156-164 Delancey Street next to the Holiday Inn is on the market. Per the listing, there are 11,990 square-feet of developable air rights. The parcel has a $3.95 million price tag.

Wonder if that Holiday Inn has triple-paned windows ...

If it's October, then it might be time to throw away last season's Christmas tree, probably

Dave on 7th spotted the above on East Sixth Street today... what was, most likely, or not, a Christmas (holiday) tree. "The branches are in the bags," Dave on 7th hopefully pointed out.

Fine. But where is the verification/authentification/random -tion word to prove that this is actually from today?


[Boosting the circulation]

OK, fine. But where is the stump and the bags with the remains of the Christmas (holiday) tree? We called him out on this, said something like FAIL, though in a jovial way that may have been misinterpreted via email.

"Actually, not a fail. Note the same car across the street."

OK. Hold all tickets. This might take awhile.

Current record for Christmas (holiday) tree discarding: June 29-30.

'Tis the season for the 3rd & B'zaar Holiday Market

Photo by Stacie Joy

The third annual holiday market is open for the season at 3rd & B'zaar, 191 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Once again, you can find vintage goods, art, holiday wear, jewelry, accessories, housewares, and more created by 30 local designers, artists and merchants through Dec. 24.

New vendors include Shorebird Vintage (@shorebird_vintage) and Case en Pointe Bags (@caseenpointebagsnyc). Meanwhile, local resident-entrepreneur Kadidja Kabore-Lamport is making a 3rd & B'zaar return with her natural beauty products.

The market will also be selling items from La Sirena on Third Street. While La Sirena owner Dina Leor is not a vendor, the 3rd & B team are big fans of her Mexican folk art and did a wholesale order with her.

Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 1-7 p.m. There's a special evening event on Dec. 17 with extended hours from 7-9.  

Holiday shopping at d.b.a.

This was forwarded to me...appreciate the communuity spirit here. It's happening at d.b.a. on First Avenue between Second Street and Third Street:

We are pleased to announce our fourth annual Urban Folk Arts & Craft Fair these next three Saturdays, 6th, 13th and 20th December, from 3 until 7:30, in our heated back-patio. "Drink good stuff" while doing some relaxed holiday gift shopping from local artists & crafters - beating the high street mania - shopping for eco-friendly, hand-crafted, fair-priced, original, one-of-a-kind holiday gifts. Buy a beer from one of the 18 draughts, including two hand-pulled ales, or choose from one of the 360 bottled beers, fine wines, or whiskeys, from Gina the lovely bartender, then come on back into the warm and welcoming patio. BYO bags for extra green points! And small bills are always welcome.

An EV Grieve editorial: Time to turn off the lights this season on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree

It was a fine-looking light job, as always. A lovely tree-lighting ceremony. The tree was still lit up as of last night. It's Jan. 14. Having it on now is just, well, depressing. (Holiday lights in a bar? Different story!) Time to move on. Anyway, we just have one month until Valentine's Day!

[Updated: I'm a jackass...the lights are kept on for a reason. See the comments. Here's more on the Ukrainian holiday from the Web site of St. George's on East Seventh Street. My apologies. But they'd better be off tomorrow! Happy New Year!]

The holiday lights on 9th Street

Earlier today, workers arrived on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second to hang the holiday lights... as in previous years... EVG Ninth Street Holiday Lights Correspondent Steven shared these photos...


[There's a little knot here]



... and by tonight... the block was aglow...



... you hardly noticed the recyclables on the curb...

Remember The Frenchmen on First Avenue

EVG reader Baby Dave recently told us the sad news that The Frenchmen recently closed on First Avenue. The air conditioning shop near East 19th Street had been in business for as long as anyone can remember.

The Town & Village Blog reported on Sept. 6 that the owner, Bill Koniuk, had to close the store due to some health issues.

Reporter Sabina Mollot noted how the shop was well-known to residents of Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village for its annual Christmas party for neighborhood kids.

"The party, a decades-long tradition, included free horse carriage rides, live music, toys and a holiday window display that rivaled midtown’s department stores."

Brown paper now covers the shop's windows, but signs of the holiday remain near the Frenchmen's fantastic sign...

Jeremiah had a post about the Frenchmen's sign back in 2010, and the old-time telephone exchange.

Baby Dave shared this about The Frenchmen:

Mr. Koniuk was a very nice guy. His annual Christmas party was a real throwback, and his holiday window display was a treat.

I once went in on a sweltering Saturday needing help. I asked if the shop made air-conditioning house calls on a Saturday. My mother's machine was sort of revving, but not much else. "No, no house calls today, but what kind of machine is it?" "Does it have an electronic keypad on front?" "OK, just press 'filter alert' and 'Energy saver' [or something like that] at the same time. Hold them for about 15-20 seconds." 

And darned if it didn't work. I was practically about to write him a check on the spot, or scurry to the cash machine, and he fixed the problem for free.

In the last few years, it was unclear just how much business the place was doing. I suppose much of the air-conditioning work was done off the premises, but the display of audeo equipment was like a museum: used boom boxes from 1982, maybe a Discman.

And so a little precious bit of a community disappears.

Indeed. No idea what will come here next. But you get an idea of the new local landscape with the recent arrival of this next door ...

EV Grieve Etc.: de Blasio introduces new gas safety rules; Taberna 97 opens on St. Mark's Place

[On Bond headed for the Bowery]

At 24 Avenue A, Wendigo's 4th Annual Holiday Group Show is happening now through Dec. 29 (Official site)

Mayor’s introduces new gas safety rules (Curbed)

Taberna 97 now open on St. Mark's Place (B+B)

About the collaboration between the International Center for Photography and the Bowery Mission (DNAinfo)

A new editor for The Village Voice (The New York Times)

A cinematic tribute to the work of Peter Hutton (Anthology Film Archives)

That deflating feeling on First Avenue outside Saifee Hardware...



[Photos by Derek Berg]

New exhibit on Sixth Street: Contemporary works by seven first-generation Ukrainian-American artists (The Ukrainian Museum)

Public meetings in the works for new residential towers slated for along the East River (The Lo-Down)

Metrograph screening some yuletide classics, including "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" and "Die Hard" (Official site)

Mission Cantina closes on Orchard Street (Eater)

Inside Icon Realty's 50 Clinton St. condos (Curbed)

Photos: TriBeCa in the 1990s (Flaming Pablum)

How about a $2,700 Lou Reed sweater (Dangerous Minds)

And how about some Christmas Ray... details here.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Via Whitney Browne (@canigetawhitney) of @WhitneyBrownePhotography: @RaysCandyStore Holiday Print Sale Going On NOW! 100% OF THE PROCEEDS IS GOING DIRECTLY TO RAY! Set of 4 prints is $100 or $25 each (+ shipping). Let's give Ray a break this holiday season. One print purchase = 2 hours Ray can pay someone to work in the store while he gets some rest! See a gallery of available shots on Whitney's site here: whitneybrowne.com/blog TO ORDER, EMAIL Whitney at: wb@whitneybrowne.com 120 film scanned and then beautifully ink jet printed on matte paper. All images are 8" x 8" --- AND SIGNED BY RAY, TOO!!! MAKES A GREAT GIFT!!! THANK YOU, IN ADVANCE!!! #rayscandystore #ourmanray #hoorays #avenuea #alphabetcity #eastvillage #nyc #candyman

A photo posted by Ray's Candy Store (@rayscandystore) on Dec 7, 2016 at 1:00pm PST

The Community Holiday Feast fed more than 600 people in Tompkins Square Park yesterday

Photos by Stacie Joy

Here's a quick recap of the Community Holiday Feast in Tompkins Square Park yesterday afternoon. 

For starters, given the weather on Saturday, organizers, including Jeremiah Moss and EVG contributor Stacie Joy, had to move the event to the rain date of yesterday.

From 2-4 p.m., volunteers served 600-plus free hot meals in the Park... providing some good food and vibes in the process... 

The following businesses and residents donated to the event:

Scooter LaForge, Stacie Joy, C&B Cafe, S'MAC, Food for Life, Marjorie Ingall and Jonathan Steuer, Chris Flash, Mary O's, San Loco, Rossy's Bakery, Molly Crabapple, EVLovesNYC, Gavin Downie, Jon Thornton, Tiffeani James, Jeremiah Moss and Rebecca Levi, Derrick the Abolitionist, Leslie Feinberg, Hank Chmielinski and Holli Porreca, Rosie Kahn and Dan Grimes.

Stacie and Jeremiah also thank all the community members who donated their time yesterday volunteering for the Community Feast. And to all a happy and healthy holiday season... 

On the February CB3/SLA agenda: the former 6th Street Kitchen and (gulp) the Holiday

Time again. Time and time again.

February's funfair (aka, the SLA & DCA Licensing Committee) is Monday the 13 at 6:30 pm — JASA/Green Residence, 200 East 5th Street at Bowery.

As always, we take a look a few of the items on the agenda... You can find the whole slate here at the CB3 site.

Corporate Change

• Ugly Kitchen, 103 1st Ave (op)

Didn't they just open in August?

• La Vie (Le Cave LLC), 64 E 1st St (op)

Applications within Resolution Areas

• To be Determined, 6 St Marks Pl (wb)

• JB Sushi (Marco's 88 Inc), 15 St Marks Pl (up/op)

• Lebrini's Pizzeria (Lebrini's Pizzeria Corp), 31 Ave C (wb)

When did Moon Pie close here at East Third St.?

• Zaragoza Mexican Deli & Grocery Inc, 215 Ave A (b)

They used to sell beer, but apparently they didn't have the proper licensing. Long live Zaragoza!

• San Matteo Panuozzeria E Birra (San Matteo Panuozzeria Inc), 121 St Marks Pl (b)

That new panuozzo place opening in the old crepe place near Avenue A.

• Nublu, 151 Ave C (op)

• To be Determined, 116 Ave C (op)

Hmm, this is Kafana, the fine Serbian spot near Seventh Street.

• BK's, 115 Ave C (op)

The former Porch, which has been a scratch on previous agendas.

• Yuca Bar & Restaurant Inc, 111 Ave A (up/op)

• Yong Fa Restaurant Inc, 507 E 6th St (wb)

This is the former 6th Street Kitchen space, which never reopened after that awful fire in Janaury 2011. The space had been for rent. One neighborhood told us they heard it would be "an Asian fusion" restaurant.

[EV Grieve reader Jamie]

Alterations

• Fat Buddha (Lo Eng Inc), 212 Ave A (op)

New Liquor License Applications
• Holiday Lounge, 75 St Marks Pl (op)

Gulp. Been nervous about the beloved Holiday since Stefan died in 2009 ... As I noted last fall, the building housing the bar is for sale. Not sure at this second why they would be going for a new license as opposed to a renewal...

According to the State Liquor Authority, the bar's license is active through February 2013.

We hate that funny feeling...

• To be Determined, 197 1st Ave aka 351 E 12th St (wb)

This is the address of Resto Leon ...

• Izagara Gourmet Inc, 128 1st Ave (wb)

This is the former Kebab Grill that turned into the Mediterranean Grill last month.

• Porsena (Service Bar LLC), 21 E 7th St (up/op)

• Sahara Citi, 137 E 13th St (wb)

Currently a vacant storefront near Tom Cruise's house.

• Nevada Smiths (92 Nuns Walk Inc), 100 3rd Ave (op)

• Sao Mai Vietnamese Cuisine Inc, 203 1st Ave (wb)

• Porcellino (Rar Royal New York Corp), 308 E 6th St (op)

b=beer only | wb=wine & beer only | op=liquor, wine, & beer | alt=alterations |up=upgrades

The ghost stand of Christmas past: Holiday confusion as trees return to 2nd Avenue

The EVG inbox lit up this afternoon like a Christmas tree after multiple readers shared photos of the tree stand returning to Second Avenue outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery.

This was the very spot that the Tree Riders had this past holiday season before they packed it up on Dec. 24.

Salim, who shared this photo below, notes that the trees appeared this afternoon, seemingly ready for sale, though no one was around to actually sell them. A ghost stand!



Meanwhile, Derek Berg spotted these workers delivering trees to a nearly locale in the Abe Lebewohl Triangle at 10th/Stuyvesant this afternoon ...





Apparently all this is prep work for holiday-related scenes tomorrow for "The Village," a new NBC series that has been filming around here in recent months.

Updated

I asked the Tree Riders via Facebook what was happening: "NBC liked our set up so much they asked us to come back after the holidays for a shoot!"


[Photo from last night]

A holiday shopping event to support Dress Shoppe II on 2nd Avenue

Purushottam Goyal, who along with his wife Saroj have owned and operated Dress Shoppe II on Second Avenue these past 18 years, died on Sept. 12.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 11) night from 6-8, there's a holiday sale at the shop, 82 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, that specializes in new and vintage clothes from India. The flyer states "Let's support [Saroj] by shopping for gifts at her beautiful store this holiday season."

The Goyals, who had been married for nearly 50 years, were the subject of this feature in The New York Times in August 2016...

The owner, Purushottam Goyal, has a weakness for the past, and for nearly four decades he has filled the store with intriguing relics. Amid the tunics, scarves and batik blankets, you can find 100-year-old saris made with silver thread, wooden cowbells, old kerosene lamps and vintage radios. (At home, he has a yellow taxicab from 1929.)

Mr. Goyal was born in Delhi, India, the youngest of 18 children. Before he came to New York, he worked in his parents’ textile shop and, briefly, as a customs official. In 1978, he opened a shop on Broadway. He did not have the money for a sign, he said, so he painted over part of the old one: Smart Dress Shoppe became Dress Shoppe.

In 2001, that building was sold, and the store moved to its present location. Dress Shoppe became Dress Shoppe II.

[Photo from October by Steven]

The Neighborhood School’s Holiday Fair is back

From the EV Grieve inbox...

[From a Holiday Fair a few years back...]

The Neighborhood School’s beloved Holiday Fair is back! On Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm, come on out to support a public school and have a blast. There’ll be carnival games, arts & crafts, face-painting, print-making, henna and temporary tattooing, a huge kid-built maze (made of deconstructed cardboard boxes — the urban equivalent of a corn maze), a raffle, our famous silent auction and great food from your favorite neighborhood vendors.

Auction items up for bids this year include an autographed, limited-edition Handsome Dick Manitoba bobblehead, classes in trapeze, parkour and trampoline at STREB; gift certificates to fabulous East Village and Lower East Side shops like The Bean, Exit 9, Alphabet City Acupuncture, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, East Yoga, Saxelby Cheesemongers, Grace Heaven Organic Salon, il laboratorio del gelato and more; fabulous Trina Turk jewelry; memberships at MOMA and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and many more. Bid online until Friday at 5 pm; live auction at the school on Sunday at 2:30 pm.

Admission to the fair is free and open to the public. Wondering what a progressive public school in the East Village is like? Come check us out! It’s a great (and cheap) way to have fun indoors with your kids on a cold winter’s day; you get to shop and nosh and your kids get to run around with their friends.

Proceeds from the fair support the Neighborhood School PTA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.

Last call at the Holiday Cocktail Lounge tonight

As we first reported Thursday, the iconic Holiday Cocktail Lounge is closing tonight. The building at 75 St. Mark's Place has been sold, and the people who have been running the bar since Stefan died in February 2009 are out.

And while the place had started creeping into sports bar territory (featuring the Jagerettes!) at times, we'll still really miss the Holiday.

There are all sorts of silly/absurd/funny rumors making the rounds. We'll hold off on those for now.

If you happen to go tonight, then please let us know how it was... (You have photos too?) Perhaps they'll even be another bar brawl out front, as Eater noted Thursday night.

The Community Holiday Feast in Tompkins Square Park is now taking place on Sunday

Here's an update to our previous post on the Community Holiday Feast in Tompkins Square Park. Given the threat of rain tomorrow, the Feast will take place on Sunday, Dec. 19.

As a reminder of what this is about: A group of East Village residents, including author Jeremiah Moss and EVG contributor Stacie Joy, is hosting a Community Holiday Feast in Tompkins Square Park. 

From 2-4 p.m., volunteers will be serving free hot meals provided by East Village businesses and residents. 

The following businesses have volunteered food and other products for the event: the Bean, C&B Cafe, East Village Vintage Collective, Food for Life, Mary O's, Rossy's Bakery & Café, San Loco, S'MAC and Subject NYC. The local volunteer group East Village Loves NYC will also donate. 

Organizers could still use some volunteers to help out during the event. Interested residents can use this email to contact the group.

July CB3/SLA highlights: Holiday Lounge, Brick Lane Curry and more tacos

[99 Second Ave. from August 2012]

The July CB3/SLA docket is now out... We'll look at the whole thing later... but a few quick highlights... (The meeting is July 15.)

Applications within Saturated Areas
• 117 Ave A Food & Drink LLC, 117 Ave A (op)

The mystery applicant looking to take over the Odessa Cafe and Bar on Avenue A is back on the agenda.

Sidewalk Cafe Application (unenclosed)
• Mighty Quinn's Barbeque (CMH BBQ Holdings LLC), 103 2nd Ave

• Brazen Fox Kitchen and Bar (106 3rd Ave NYC Inc), 106 3rd Ave

The folks from the White Plains-based bar The Brazen Fox are opening a bar-restaurant in the former Friend House space at East 13th Street ... the space is still under construction and they are already seeking a license for a sidewalk cafe. Very Brazen!

• Boulton & Watt (Downtown Dining LLC), 5 Ave A

New Liquor License Applications
• Holiday Lounge (75 St Marks Place LLC), 75 St Marks Pl (op)

Barbara Sibley, the owner of La Palapa next door here on St. Mark's Place, will be opening a bar-restaurant in the former Holiday Cocktail Lounge space... we're looking forward to the end results of the work... She told Grub Street last year that "We're going to try to preserve as much of the history as possible."

• Otto's Taco LLC, 141 2nd Ave (b)

Ah! Last week, contractors told EVG regular William Klayer that a "taco place" was opening at the former Good Guys, the burger-fries-salad-wraps-waffles-smoothie eatery that replaced a Subway on Second Avenue. Good Guys closed a few weeks ago.

• Bricklane Curry House (BLCH I LLC), 99 2nd Ave (op)

Looks as if there's finally activity here ... most recently home to Sea Salt, the upscale fish eatery that closed in early 2008 after a seven-month stint... Brick Lane announced in April 2011 that they'd be taking over the space ...

Oh, Christmas trees!

As you can see here, Christmas holiday trees and other holiday stuff are now for sale on East Houston at Essex...

In another month, the tree you select will be an excellent fire hazard... Enjoy the holiday season!

Meanwhile... no sign of trees yet outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery...

Holiday wishes for the former Charas/El Bohio Community Center

Two community events are taking place this weekend at the former P.S. 64 at 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. (The above photo was taken from the 10th Street side a few weeks ago.)

Tomorrow (Saturday) at noon, local elected officials, residents and supporters are coming together for a rally to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the eviction of the Charas/El Bohio Community & Cultural Center here. 

The assembled speakers will be asking "the mayor to make our holiday wish come true and return our community center."

This evening starting at 5:30, the activist group Loisaida Guardians is hosting a holiday dinner on the Ninth Street side of the property "to share gifts and food in the spirit of the holidays and work together to reopen Charas for the community of the people of New York City." 

We're told that Two Boots will be providing some pizzas. Find more details on the Facebook event page.

The long-vacant building, owned by Gregg Singer since 1998, fell into foreclosure earlier this year and is reportedly in the hands of lender Madison Realty Capital. 

The five-floor building is being offered for use as medical space or educational-related purposes. Meanwhile, some residents want to see the space used as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. 

Meanwhile, don't expect to see this guy at the Holiday then

This is from a post I did last July 8. Seemed like a good time for a rerun:

We were talking about the Holiday Cocktail Lounge on St. Mark's yesterday. I later spotted this user review of the Holiday at Zagat.

Understandable...he probably wants to buy a place at the Theatre Condominiums...