A last look at the now-closed East Village institution Sunrise Mart

Photos by Stacie Joy

After news broke last month that the four longtime businesses along Stuyvesant Street would shutter in the weeks ahead, EVG contributor Stacie Joy visited Sunrise Mart. This Japanese specialty store opened here on the second level at Third Avenue in 1995.

At the time, employees said they were closing but didn't have an exact date. Sunrise Mart closed after the business day on Sunday. Village Yokocho and Angel's Share shut down on March 31. (Panya remains open for now.) 

The other three NYC locations of Sunrise Mart are still in business. 

A co-worker told me about Sunrise Mart right after it opened in 1995 at 4 Stuyvesant St. I recall walking into the lobby and facing an unmarked elevator. I thought I had stumbled into an employee entrance. Or maybe the Cooper Union dorm. The entry definitely had dorm vibes.

No, this was how you got up to Sunrise Mart. 

Then the doors opened up into a sprawling retail space with a tastefully cluttered vibe with shelves stocked with unique items ... let's take a last look...

After being hit by a car, Noor the cat is doing well at home with his new East Village family

On March 20, Noor darted out of the storefront he stayed in and was clipped by a passing car on 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

Noor suffered extensive injuries, including pulmonary contusions, traumatic brain injury, a left humeral fracture, abrasions and bruising. The fracture on his front limb was severe enough that amputation was a distinct possibility. 

East Village residents Rachael Brungard and Matt Lipson, who witnessed the collision, took responsibility for Noor's care and launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover his medical expenses. 

Rachael shared an update — and it's all mostly positive. For starters, based on new x-rays, Noor will be able to keep the injured leg. Noor is now at home with Rachael and Matt, where — on the vet's orders — he is on cage rest for four to six weeks so his leg will heal. 

"Poor baby is bandaged up like crazy. Honestly, it looks very uncomfortable, and it is difficult for him to move around in his cage," Rachael said via email. "But he's doing well, despite that. More than anything, I think he's just bored, so we are doing our best to keep him entertained!" 

So he has been enjoying a tiny teddy bear named Barry and some YouTube videos for cats...

And here are some other shots of Noor in his new home...

There has been a lot of kindness surrounding Noor's care. For instance: Dr. Moskovich at the Village Veterinarian on East 11th Street waived the fees for Noor's care during his recovery time there.

So the lone medical bill for Rachael and Matt is for Noor's ER visit, roughly $5,500 — which the GoFundMe will help cover.

"Now that we're getting to know Noor more, I'm really noticing how truly kind and gentle he is," Rachael said. "It's hard to capture Noor's loving nature with pictures alone."

Bake Culture opening an outpost on St. Mark's Place

Photo yesterday by Steven

Bake Culture, a Taiwan-based bakery chain selling Asian and European pastries, is opening an outpost at 22 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. The signage went up yesterday.

This will be the fourth NYC location for the brand, which also has a storefront down on the Bowery (No. 48). 

According to this 2018 post at Eater, three Taiwanese celebrities — former boy band members — started the company. 

The bakery's specialties include a variety of tarts and cakes, and you can find the menu here. 

The previous business in this storefront was Kimomi Pet, which closed during the pandemic.

Film notices: Getting down to 'Brass Tactics'

You've likely seen film notices up on various avenues and side streets for an Apple+ series titled — per flyers — "Brassed Tactics," which looks to be a big production.

We've spotted flyers along Avenue A from Third Street to 10th Street... and on Second Avenue from Third Street to Houston for filming on Tuesday and Wednesday...

An ad in Backstage describes the production like this:

Roman Candle Casting is seeking talent for "Brass Tactics," a new drama from Apple TV+ set in the year 2002. Talent, aged 18–45, is wanted to portray trendy New York City types, including punks, music geeks, and more. Talent must be available in April for filming in NYC. Pay is $165–$180 per eight hours of work.

The series is "City on Fire." Here's more about it via a recent article at Variety:

The series is based on the book [ed note: which is set in the 1970s] of the same name by Garth Risk Hallberg. In "City on Fire," NYU student Samantha (Sui Wonders) is shot in Central Park on the Fourth of July, 2003. Samantha is alone; there are no witnesses and very little physical evidence. Her friends' band is playing her favorite downtown club but she leaves to meet someone, promising to return. She never does. 

As the crime against Samantha is investigated, she's revealed to be the crucial connection between a series of mysterious citywide fires, the downtown music scene, and a wealthy uptown real estate family fraying under the strain of the many secrets they keep.

The cast includes John Cameron Mitchell and Jemima Kirke. "City on Fire" is written and executive produced by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, whose current credits include the "Gossip Girl" reboot.

Stuyvesant Street closings official: Angel's Share, Village Yokocho and Sunrise Mart are gone

The entry to Village Yokocho was lit up per usual here at 8 Stuyvesant St. on Friday night, giving the impression that the longtime Japanese restaurant was open as it has been for the past 25-plus years.

However, the door to the space Village Yokocho shares with Angel's Share, the speakeasy-style bar, upstairs was locked, and the second level was dark ... 

Village Yokocho and Angel's Share closed after service on Thursday night. This was expected as four popular businesses — including Panya and Sunrise Mart — along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue were set to close either at the end of March or in April. 

There was word of a "rent dispute." According to a previous statement by landlord Cooper Union to EVG: "Unfortunately, the tenant informed us of their decision to vacate the property. They were not asked to move out, despite the fact that they haven't paid any rent since 2020." 

The timing for the end of service was murky, as the Yoshida Restaurant Group had not publically commented on potential closures or relocations for any of these businesses. Information to date in articles had come from bartenders/waitstaff/counter help. (New York Times correspondent Alex Vadukul was first to report on the pending closures in a series of tweets last month.)

Over the weekend, signage arrived confirming three of the closures (h/t Eden) ...

Panya, the bakery-cafe, remains open. Yesterday, a worker said they hoped to be here for the rest of the month.

Meanwhile, there's speculation that Angel's Share may turn up elsewhere; Village Yokocho would likely not. Sunrise Mart will not reopen elsewhere in the neighborhood — its three other NYC locations remain in service in Soho, Midtown and Brooklyn.

Early this past Thursday evening, a line formed for a last dinner and drinks at Village Yokocho and Angel's Share (following two photos by Steven) ...

There were several farewells on social media, including ...

I was lucky enough to go to the last night of Angel's Share. Such an iconic bar. Always such incredible service and fantastic cocktails. It's the end of an era. 😢 pic.twitter.com/2MQq7nl8H3

— Paula Lukas (@penguinbar67) April 1, 2022

No word on what might be next for these spaces. A Cooper Union rep told us previously that there wasn't any truth to a rumored new building here. 

This corridor has been called a micro-center of Japanese culture. Angel's Share opened here in 1994, with Panya arriving next door in the same year. Sunrise Mart debuted in 1995. 

Milling and paving continues along Houston ahead of bike lane upgrade

City workers have resurfaced eastbound lanes on Houston Street from Second Avenue to Suffolk Street...

As first reported last Monday, the DOT is upgrading the existing bike lanes on Houston Street between Second Avenue and the FDR. Crews still have the roadway from Suffolk Street to the FDR left to do ...

Here's a recap of what is happening with the improvements in the days/weeks ahead: 

• Resurfacing of Houston between Second Avenue and the FDR
• Installing parking-protected bike lanes on Houston between Forsyth and the FDR 
• Installing delineator-protected and curbside bike lanes on Houston between Second Avenue and Forsyth .. and between Ludlow and Essex
• Creating painted pedestrian islands along Houston between Ludlow and Avenue C 
• Installing new bicycle parking on Houston at Orchard and Avenue D 

Plans for protected bike lanes along this corridor date to the fall of 2020 ... and put into place to provide cyclists a safer passage on city streets with the closure of the East River Park Greenway until 2026. 

This Houston Street work comes four months after the $1.45-billion East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project shut down bike access along the East River starting at Montgomery Street. 

The DOT pointed out the work in a tweet from late last week...

Work has begun on protected #BikeNYC lanes on E Houston St (FDR Dr to 2nd Ave) in #Manhattan. This work will:
🚴‍♂️ Install Protected Bike Lanes
🚶‍♀️ Add Pedestrian Space
🚗 Organize and Calm Traffic
🚦 Improve Signal Timing pic.twitter.com/D4RqG3dq9U

— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) April 1, 2022

Up next: Milling, then paving the westbound lanes along the same Houston Street corridor...

Based on the posted notices between Avenue A and Avenue C, it looks as if work will start here tomorrow (Tuesday) evening ...

Now open: USA Super Stores on 3rd Avenue

The USA Super Stores (the store so nice, they named it plural?!) we've been telling you about is now OPEN on the SW corner of Third Avenue and 10th Street. 

This location has daily hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a 7 p.m. close on Sundays. 

The chainlet of discount stores — grab those McKenzie & Lloyds Danish Style Butter Cookie tins while you can! — have been opening in former Duane Reade outposts this past year (like the one on Second Street and Avenue D).

Perhaps this is ushering in a new era of discount businesses ... joining the soon-to-open Lot Stop on First Avenue near 14th Street ... and the Dollar & More on Third Avenue also near 14th ...  

Pour one out for Pouring Ribbons

A closure from late march that we didn't get a chance to mention... Pouring Ribbons has closed for good — as of March 26 — at 225 Avenue B between 13th Street and 14th Street. 

This closure was first announced back in September as the second-floor cocktail lounge returned to in-person service for the first time in 18 months.

The bar from Alchemy Consulting opened here in September 2012. According to an Instagram post last fall from Joaquín Simó, partner and bartender, the lease for Pouring Ribbons expired in April 2022.

A bar-restaurant serving an omakase menu is in the works for the space.  

Sunday's parting shot

A scene from the "Chasing Andy Warhol" theatrical walking tour today on the Bowery at East Houston... photo by Derek Berg...

Here's how you can rent those thousands of titles from the collection of Kim's Video

The massive collection of DVDs and videos from East Village legend Kim's Video is now available to rent from the Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan. (Background on all this here.)

Alamo released details late last week about how people can watch these films. For starters, you need to visit the Alamo, which opened last fall, at 28 Liberty St. This is in the space formerly known as One Chase Manhattan Plaza between Nassau, Liberty, William and Pine Streets.

To the Alamo press release!

The white whale of movie collections has landed at Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan and we're making it available to you fine folks for free. That's right — Kim’s Video is back! Starting now, an ever-growing selection of over 15K titles are available for rent, for free, from our Lower Manhattan location.

There are thousands of deep cuts, hard-to-find titles, and rarities spanning genres such as "Roller Skating Classics," "Monkey Business" and "Nunsploitation." You know, the essentials. We'll have DVD players and VCRs available for rent, just in case you don't keep functionally obsolete technology lying around your house. You can even see some of these rare finds on the big screen as a part of our monthly Kim's Video Presents series, curated by Nick Prueher of the Found Footage Festival (and longtime Kim's Video member!).

Rentals — up to three at a time — are free for five days before a late fee kicks in. Alamo requires a credit card on file for rentals.

The Kim's empire had a modest start in Yongman Kim's dry-cleaning business at 99 Avenue A in 1986 ... the last Kim's Video closed in 2014.   

And Kim was at Alamo Drafthouse last Thursday for the media preview ... this photo is via the Alamo Instagram account...

Week in Grieview

Posts from the past week include (with a shot of 1st Avenue at Houston) ...

• A visit to Le Phin, the new Vietnamese cafe on 10th Street (Wednesday) 

• Essex Card Shop is now in its reconstruction phase on Avenue A (Monday) 

• Help for an East Village teacher who lost everything in an apartment fire (Thursday) 

• Bike-lane upgrade underway on Houston (Monday) 

• Commemorating International Transgender Day of Visibility on 2nd Avenue and 2nd Street (Friday) 

• Everytable bringing its fast-casual concept to Avenue B (Tuesday) 

• El Rinconcito makes it signage official at new Avenue C home (Monday) 

• Farewell to Holyland Market on St. Mark's Place (Thursday) 

• Bracing for new construction at the former B Bar & Grill space on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Demolition grinds on at 38-48 2nd Ave. (Thursday) 

• A 1-day strike at Anthology Film Archives (Friday)

• A look at the just-finished mural 'Ukraine: A History in Solidarity' (Wednesday)

• Remembering Taylor Hawkins as Iggy Pop in the 'CBGB' movie (Sunday) 

• Bar Veloce looking to open an outpost on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Openings: Avenue A Deli and Grill (Thursday) 

• Venus Over Manhattan opening a gallery on Great Jones (Wednesday) 

• Coddiwomple makes closure permanent (Tuesday) 

• Former Eileen Fisher space for rent on 9th Street (Tuesday) 

• Discarding an oversized photo of yourself: A cautionary tale (Friday) 

... and always been intrigued by this building on 14th Street near Third Avenue... especially with the new tag on top... 

On the topic of tags... a reader shared this photo... showing that someone tagged the entrange to the luxury Steiner East Village on 12th Street at Avenue A...

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Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

A springtime choral concert at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer

The Most Holy Redeemer/Nativity Parish on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B is hosting an evening of choral and violin music tomorrow (Monday!) night. The event takes place from 7-8:30 p.m. The concert is free. Find more info here.

East Village filmmaker turns to Kickstarter for 'Marble Dust'

Andrew C. Jacob, a filmmaker born and raised in the East Village (his father and cousins worked at Veniero's), is embarking on his biggest project. 

Jacob, a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, is working on a short narrative film titled "Marble Dust," a psychological thriller involving "a repentant sculptor attending the closed casket ceremony of her dearly departed lover, Lily." 

He has a Kickstarter campaign underway to help make the production a reality. You can read more about the film, including the cast, via this link. (The campaign ends on April 17.) 

If all goes well, Jacob hopes to film some scenes in the East Village. 

"It's a big part of my DNA," he told me, "and is a place I will always call home."

Sen. Schumer announces infrastructure funding for community gardens at La Plaza Cultural

Photos by Stacie Joy

On Friday morning, Sen. Charles Schumer visited La Plaza Cultural on the SW corner of Ninth Street and Avenue C to announce infrastructure funding (aka "Bipartisan Infrastructure Law") for NYC community gardens...

Joining him for the announcement were Sen. Brad Hoylman and local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera...

We will update when we receive more specifics — beyond the general announcement/photo opp — about the funding for the community gardens... 

Spring has Sprung!

Community gardens are the green gems of so many communities across the city.

That’s why I was thrilled to announce funding from the infrastructure law we passed that will support 260 community gardens across all five boroughs! pic.twitter.com/HStgZMJ2UL

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 1, 2022

About 'the War of the Mushrooms' at the Ukrainian Museum

Here's information about a timely new exhibition at the Ukrainian Museum, 222 E. Sixth St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square, opening tomorrow (April 3).

Via the EVG inbox... 

"The War of the Mushrooms" is a group of 10 original illustrations by Ukrainian artist Nikita Kravtsov. Drawing inspiration from the eponymous folk tale, a popular classic in Slavic cultures and the subject of a 1909 publication of the tale featuring illustrations by the prominent Ukrainian graphic artist, Heorhii Narbut, Kravtsov's contemporary interpretation reimagines the tale with paintings of scenes from Russia's current war on Ukraine. 

Mushroom soldiers shoot mushroom missiles at projectiles fired from Russia onto Ukrainian soil, cities, and innocent civilians. The creative pictures drawn by Kravtsov in pencil and painted in vivid colors should not be misunderstood as simple cartoons and illustrations one finds in comic books. The subject matter is serious and representative of the massive assault by Russia on Ukraine and Ukrainian culture. Kravtsov reacts to the unwarranted war and the destruction levied on his homeland in his own inimitable style.

Kravtsov will be on-hand for the exhibition opening tomorrow. 

The Museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Find more details here. 

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Artwork from the series "The War of the Mushrooms," Nikita Kravtsov/Courtesy of the Ukrainian Museum 

Photo of Kravtsov by Alex Neprel/Courtesy of the Ukrainian Museum

A group art show opens today at Theater for the New City

There's a new group show, dubbed "April Fools Not 4 School," in the gallery space at Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. near 10th Street. 

The show's opening, featuring "art, music and energy," takes place from 3-6 p.m. today (April 2, and sorry for the late notice — I only just received the info).

Don't fret! The work will be up all month in the gallery space, open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Curated by Marcus Chae.