No. 14

Here's your annual reminder that EVG is another year older.

The very first post arrived on this site on this date in 2007. It was about Sophie's, which is why I posted the top pic. 

I explained the origins of this news site in our gala 13th-anniversary post right here. 

So let's use the rest of the allotted time in this post to thank you for reading the site, leaving comments, sharing tips, commiserating about the loss of a business and celebrating the best neighborhood around. As I've said before, this site doesn't work without you.

A big thanks to all the frequent contributors, especially Derek Berg and Steven, for their ongoing photo and tip submissions. And a special shout-out to Stacie Joy for her tireless work in documenting the businesses and residents of the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, a happy and healthy holiday season to you!

Seasonal stump art

'Tis the season for some holiday stump art here at the Seventh and B entrance to Tompkins Square Park. 

In recent months, someone has been creating installations atop the stump of the English Elm that came down in August 2020 during Tropical Storm Isaias. 

EVG reader Robert Minder shared this photo from October...

There's usually a "Twin Peaks" vibe to the art... which we appreciate.

Cornerstone Cafe calls it quits

The East Village has lost a solid breakfast spot. 

Yesterday, the owners of Cornerstone Cafe on the NE corner of Avenue B and Second Street announced its closure after 10-plus years in business. 

In an Instagram post, the Cornerstone cited the ongoing pandemic and the city's related mandates and restrictions for the closure...

The restaurant opened in the early summer of 2011. 

Cornerstone Cafe made headlines in August 2017 after a member of the waitstaff used an Asian slur about a customer on a printed receipt. Management fired the employee and issued an apology.

H/T Salim!

Reports: Did SantaCon contribute to NYC's current COVID-19 surge?

Photo on Dec. 11 along Avenue A by Derek Berg

In recent days, several published reports have suggested that SantaCon, held on Dec. 11 in bars and venues in parts of Midtown and in the East Village, played a role in the current surge of positive COVID-19 cases in Manhattan. (It's also a topic brought up in the EVG comments.)

City Councilmember Mark Levine, chair of the Health Committee and Manhattan Borough president-elect, helped bolster this case when he tweeted Saturday about the high numbers in the city: "And yes SantaCon may partly be to blame."

Manhattan unfortunately now has highest covid rate in NYC.

This is partly because we test more. But this should serve as a warning about how much omicron is out there. Be especially cautious about indoor gatherings where masks come off. (And yes SantaCon may partly be to blame.) pic.twitter.com/DoSOidFhkq

— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) December 18, 2021

In a story published Sunday, The Daily Mail noted, "The SantaCon surge: Covid cases in Manhattan QUADRUPLE in the six days since notorious costumed bar crawl." The article builds its case on the Levine tweet and other social media posts where people said they tested positive after attending the annual bar crawl that was postponed in 2020.

Here's more from The Cut at New York magazine from Thursday:

Last year, SantaCon was thankfully canceled due to the pandemic. This year, there's still a pandemic — not to mention a highly contagious variant spreading — but like many other holiday gatherings that now seem ill-advised, it happened anyway despite fears it had all the makings of a super-spreader event. And now, surprise: #santacon TikTok is flooded with people who attended and have since tested positive for COVID-19.

The Cut assembled a collection of the SantaCon-COVID clips on TikTok.  

Meanwhile, Business Insider also pointed the finger at SantaCon for this current uptick in a piece titled "The SantaCon surge has hit NYC" from Saturday.

Per their report:

[S]ince last weekend — which saw the return of SantaCon, NYC's biggest event of debauchery and drunken revelry — many a New Yorker's phones have blown up with texts from friends saying they'd been exposed to Covid. Positivity rates have doubled in the past three days, with cases in the city up more than 40 percent in one day, recording the highest one-day total since January 14. 

Later, the piece backs off a bit from the headline:

To be sure, SantaCon isn't entirely to blame for the Omicron wave. Companies have been holding in-person holiday parties and NYC nightlife has been back to normal for quite some time. Health restrictions, like mask mandates and social distancing, have been increasingly disregarded. 

In a post published yesterday at Bushwick Daily, three residents who tested positive and work at bars-restaurants in the East Village or Lower Manhattan blamed SantaCon for spreading COVID.

East Village bartender Iseult James told the site that "the event might have been a super spreader and is largely to blame for the uptick in positive tests. So now, instead of spending Christmas with her husband's parents in Fort Greene, the couple must stay at home."

As multiple news outlets have already reported, average daily case counts in New York City more than doubled over the week ending Dec. 17, according to the latest data available on the city's health department website. NYC is reporting a seven-day average of more than 7,200 cases per day, up from about 3,200 the week prior, a 127-percent increase.

According to the NYC Health site, neighborhoods including the East Village and Murray Hill, where SantaConners mingled on Dec. 11, have among the highest positivity rates in the five boroughs for the week ending Dec. 17. The citywide positivity rate is at 7.68 percent.

Here are the two zip codes that include parts of the East Village... 10009 had a positivity rate of 9.79 percent while 10003 had a rate of 11.81 percent (click on the image for more detail) ... 

The zip code encompassing Kips Bay/Murray Hill is at 11.14 percent ...

Of course, SantaCon participants or bar employees who have tested positive don't necessarily live in these zip codes. (Also, these zip codes also have high rates of fully vaccinated adults, above the city's 71 percent.)

Meanwhile, Mayor de Blasio addressed the rise in COVID cases during a press conference yesterday.

"It's going to be a very challenging few weeks. But the good news is based on what our healthcare leadership understands, at this moment, we are talking about a matter of weeks," de Blasio said, as CNBC reported.  

The mayor went on to say that New Yorkers infected with omicron are experiencing mild symptoms so far, though many unanswered questions remain about the variant.

"We're going to see a really fast upsurge in cases; we're going to see a lot of New Yorkers affected by omicron," de Blasio said. "So far, thank God based on everything we've seen, the cases are milder than what we've experienced previously." 

Gov. Hochul reemphasized yesterday that there would not be any new shutdowns.

"It's not March of 2020. It's not even December of 2020. Just to keep things in perspective, it is milder than delta," Hochul said of omicron, per NBC 4. "We are avoiding a government shutdown because we now have the tools available to all of us — vaccinations, booster shots, masks — particularly for the variant we're dealing with."

You can find information on vaccines and boosters via the city at this link. Find a city-affiliated testing site here.  

Arthur’s Barber Shop has closed

Several readers (h/t simcitymayor) have let us know that Arthur’s Barber Shop has closed at 34 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square. 

Readers reported showing up at Arthur's in recent days only to find the gate down, with the inside of the shop emptied out... there also isn't any information about a new location. 

Thanks to Steven for the photo

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... 

Letter perfect: City makes the MPH right on 2nd attempt

As noted, back on Thursday, city workers put down the roadside markings on the recently repaved Avenue B.

Unfortunately, as the top pic showed, workers transposed MHP-MPH along the Avenue's school zones.

However, as of this morning, the MHP-MPH has been corrected, as Vinny & O point out... 

Now, if the city will do something about the idling delivery trucks here... 

Thanks to Vinny & O for the top photo!

These East Village businesses are temporarily closing as COVID cases continue to climb

--Updated12/22: In a good sign, several of the businesses that decided to close this past weekend have reopened. Updating the list below--

The rise in COVID-19 cases across NYC alongside the spread of the new omicron variant made its presence known to local businesses and residents over the weekend. 

In recent days, several establishments either closed because of infection among their staff or due to possible exposure to someone who had tested positive. For instance, Mister Paradise, the cocktail bar at 105 First Ave., closed for the weekend after positive test results for some employees...

Yellow Rose on Third Avenue and Academy Records on 12th Street were among other businesses to announce a temporary closure due to positive test results. 

The Brant Foundation, showing a solo exhibition of new works by Julian Schnabel, abruptly closed "out of precaution" on Saturday here at 421 E. Sixth St. ...

Others taking a cautionary approach included Hearth at 403 E. 12th St. ...

Here is a partial list of other East Village businesses that either decided to amend their operating method or close...

• All The Kings Horses at 521 E. 12th St. has closed until further notice. UPDATED: They reopen on 12/21 with limited hours and no indoor dining. 

• AuH2O Shop, 84 E. Seventh St., closed yesterday and will not reopen until after Christmas. "We're very sorry to people looking to pick up online orders or last-minute gifts, but we thank you for understanding the need to keep our staff and everyone safe." 

• Azaleas, the women's boutique, limited their hours and the number of patrons allowed inside the shop at 140 Second Ave. 

• Beauty Bar, 231 E. 14th St., will be closed until at least Dec. 31.

• Bluestockings, the activist bookstore and café at 116 Suffolk St., is now only open for pickup orders and coffee and pastries to go. 

• Boris & Horton, the dog-friendly cafe on Avenue A at 12th Street, closed for the weekend, stating on Instagram: "The health of our employees, guests, and community is our number one priority." UPDATED 12/22: They are back open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• The Copper Still, 151 Second Ave., plans to reopen on Dec. 26.

• The Film Anthology Archives, 32 Second Ave., canceled yesterday's screenings and those scheduled for tonight and tomorrow. Per a statement: "Having already planned to close for the holidays from Dec. 22-Jan. 6, we hope to return as scheduled on Jan. 7."

• Josie's, 520 E. Sixth St., like its sister bars Mona's and Sophie's, will be closed at least until after Dec. 25.

• Kindred, 342 E. Sixth St., is closed to at least Dec. 28.

• The Hard Swallow, 140 First Ave., will reopen on Dec. 27.

• The Immigrant, 341 E. Ninth St., has closed until Dec. 26.

• Metrograph, the cinema at 7 Ludlow St., is closing its theaters and commissary until Dec. 25.

• Mona's, 224 Avenue B, has shut down through Dec. 27.

• Now Yoga at 61 E. Fourth St. has suspended in-person classes, pivoting back to online sessions for the remainder of the year. 

• O'Hanlon's, 349 E. 14th St., is shutting down until Dec. 26 to give its staff time off to get tested and to deep clean the bar.

• Otto's Shrunken Head, 538 E. 14th St., closed after service last night. The bar plans to reopen on Jan. 5.

• Phebe's, 361 Bowery, announced it will be closed for the next week. 

• Ruffian, 125 E. Seventh St., plans to reopen on Dec. 27.

• SMØR, the Nordic cafe at 441 E. 12th St., suspended indoor dining, serving food and drinks outdoors and for takeaway and delivery. 

• Sophie's, 507 E. Fifth St., is closed now with hopes of reopening after this holiday week.

For fatigued owners, employees and residents, the closures have prompted unpleasant flashbacks to March 2020, when businesses announced short-term closures due to the rising cases of coronavirus... only to be shuttered for months after then-Gov. Cuomo ordered all nonessential businesses to close during the PAUSE. 

In recent days, both Mayor de Blasio, who has less than two weeks left in office, and Gov. Hochul have reportedly said another NYC lockdown won't be necessary. "Getting vaccinated, getting the booster and wearing a mask are critical to avoiding getting seriously ill from COVID-19, so don't take a chance," Hochul said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the scramble for testing continues. Long lines await people anxious for peace of mind before traveling in the days ahead or attending holiday get-togethers with friends or family. The Mayor has promised more testing sites early this week. 

Starting today, the NYC Test & Trace Corps, in partnership with the NYC Health Department and NYC Care, will distribute 500,000 rapid antigen self-testing kits and 1 million KN95 masks through community-based organizations across the city. It's not clear where these might be available in the East Village. 

Hearth photo by Lola Sáenz

Signage arrives for the new Urban Wine & Spirits

Workers yesterday installed the awning/signage at the new home of Urban Wine & Spirits at the SW corner of First Avenue at Third Street. (Thanks to the reader for the shot!) 

The wine store is 30 steps away from Urban's current First Avenue storefront. No word on an opening here just yet. (Updated 12/26: The new shop is open!) There will be a wine bar-cafe opening here in the spring... and it will have a separate entrance on Third Street.

Old-timer Exquisite Cleaners vacated this space in the summer of 2020 as the pandemic wreaked havoc on the dry-cleaner business.

7-Eleven shutters on 14th Street

The 7-Eleven on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue shut down last week. (Thanks to Pinch for the tip!)

No closing notice, no explanation behind the closing.

As you can sorta see in this shot above the papered storefront... the space is mostly empty...

This outpost arrived in 2012 (bring back Exquisite DVD Video!). And this is the second 7-Eleven to close in the East Village, joining the one on St. Mark's Place in 2013.

Still, there are still plenty of 7-Elevens around (the Bowery, Avenue A, etc.) to get your Fiery Hot Taquitos and Mountain Dew Major Melon Slurpee...

Bar None returns to service on 3rd Avenue

Bar None is back open at 98 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. 

As previously noted by mutliple readers, two yellow SEIZED stickers were affixed to the sports bar's storefront. According to the legal documents dated from Nov. 18, "The property was seized for nonpayment of New York State taxes." 

However, the owners cleared up the issue ...

East Village Social has not been open in awhile

East Village Social remained dark for another weekend here at 126 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

By most estimates, the bar-restaurant has been closed since early November... with no notice of a temporary or permanent closure on the EVS website or social media properties.

Multiple EVG readers have inquired about the bar's status in recent weeks. Two readers who frequent EVS have said the bar is closed for renovations and that management hasn't made that fact too well known.

EVS opened in June 2012. 

Sunday's parting shot

Thanks to Goggla for this pic tonight from Tompkins Square Park...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo by Stacie Joy of the Tree Riders heading into their final few days on Second Avenue)... 

• RIP Molly Fitch (Monday)

• One man dead, several people injured in a fire at 118 Avenue D (Thursday) 

• The Community Holiday Feast in Tompkins Square Park is now taking place on Sunday (Friday) 

• At the rally for Casa Adela (Monday) 

• At the annual Tompkins Square Park tree lighting (Monday) 

• A rally in support of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project; activists lose appeal (Friday) ... Activists: Even with a new court order, the city continues demolition of East River Park (Tuesday) 

• Making a connection with the history of this 13th Street apartment (Thursday) 

• Gallery Watch checks out Bockhaus's Anti Christmas Special by Ryan Bock at Ki Smith Gallery (Friday) 

• This is the closing date for Dress Shoppe II (Thursday) 

• Gia Trattoria has closed on the Bowery (Wednesday)

• The SE corner of Avenue C and 3rd Street is now sidewalk-bridge free after 8-plus years (Thursday)

• Dry cleaners and laundromats make a return (Monday) 

• Noho Market debuts on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Construction watch: 699 E. 6th St. (Thursday) 

• Snack Bowery has closed (Monday) 

• Dumpling N' Dips coming soon to St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• Summing up feelings about SantaCon (Sunday) 

• August Laura has closed on Avenue A and 6th Street (Thursday).

And after August Laura closed, several readers noted that up to 8-10 people moved into the restaurant's seldom-used Sixth Street streetside structure...

Since then, someone has removed most of the barriers...

... and boarded up the Avenue A streetside structure. The residents (and one business owner) who emailed us about these want the street eateries removed, as the retail space will likely sit empty for months...

---

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

A Sustainable Christmas

Now for a little holiday cheer... earlier this month, A Sustainable Village, the new eco-friendly shop at 318 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, held its first tree trimming party.

The owners, Em Hynes (left) and Jaclyn Roster, invited EVG contributor Stacie Joy to stop by for the festivities... which include making ornaments...

A Sustainable Village is open Tuesday-Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. You can follow them on Instagram here. 

EVG Etc.: The 'pointless demolition' of East River Park; the city's worst landlords

Morning shadow on Avenue A 

• Mayor insists there won't be a new round of business or school closures amid COVID surge (ABC 7)

• An update on the teens who climbed out their fourth-floor window during the fire at the Jacob Riis Houses Thursday morning (CBS 2 ... previously on EVG) ... There's a GoFundMe for the family at this link. 

• Tompkins Square Middle School students speak out against sexual harassment and assault (CBS 2) 

• What we'd lose if Casa Adela closes (Grub Street ... previously on EVG)

• Eileen Myles on "the pointless demolition" of East River Park (artforum) 

• City Council votes in favor of the SoHo/NoHo rezoning plan (Gothamist) 

• The 2021 list of the city's worst landlords (Patch) 

• Sweet Pickle Books celebrates its first year on the LES (Publishers Weekly) 

• Diversions: Pleasant Gehman and Coyote Shivers lead a group of ducks, swans and geese to Dee Dee Ramones' grave at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery (NBC Los Angeles)

Saturday's parting shot

A moment from the 9th Precinct's annual holiday party today on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... photo by Derek Berg...

HBD Marty Rev

 

Martin Rev, the keyboardist and one-half of the influential duo Suicide, turned 74 today. Enjoy the clip of "Ghost Rider" from 1980.

Also HBD to Keith Richard (No. 78), who has several ties to this neighborhood as well (here and here and here, for instance).

Testing, testing

As you are likely well aware, the rise of COVID cases in the city has spurred lines for testing as people prepare to travel for the holidays... or simply just want to get tested.

There have been social media reports (#CityMD) of 2-3 hour waits at CityMD. (The above photo is from this morning around 8 as the line outside the 14th Street CityMD outpost stretched halfway down the block between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.)

Some knowledgeable/trustworthy sources online have reminded people about free city-run test sites. Find that list here. And this site has the wait times for NYC Health + Hospitals COVID-19 testing locations. And here's a list of free mobile testing units. You'll have to travel a little bit for this — none of the locations are in the East Village.

The city is reportedly expanding testing sites, distributing masks and giving away at-home test kits... though, as many people have pointed out in news articles on this winter surge: 20 months in, it shouldn't be so difficult to get a test. (And this article at The City reports: "De Blasio Shut Down 20 City-Run COVID Testing Facilities Ahead of Omicron Surge.")

Also: The city's Vaccine Command Center is here.... the COVID-19 and Flu Vaccine Finder is here.  

A holiday concert at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer

Photo this month by Stacie Joy 

The Church of the Most Holy Redeemer celebrates the season with a candlelit carol concert tomorrow (Sunday!) afternoon at 4. The event is free (you can register here). 

Proof of vaccination is required, and attendees must wear a mask. Organizers say that there will be enough room in the church for people to remain socially distant.