St. Brigid-St. Emeric on Avenue B celebrated Good Friday yesterday with a Stations of the Cross processional and Senor de los Milagros ... commemorated with Most Holy Redeemer/Nativity Parish on Third Street. (And the first in-person Good Friday procession since 2019?)
The procession began at St. Brigid on Avenue B and Eighth Street...
... with the Way of the Cross procession heading east along Eighth Street...
... and a look inside St. Brigid-St. Emeric on Avenue B at Eighth Street...
While we're waiting for new videos from the Swedish band (described as "Punks from Malmö, Sweden"), here's a clip for "A.T.T.A.C.K" from their 2018 debut.
Keith Haring's "Self Portrait" has returned to Astor Place at Third Avenue... EVG reader 8E shares these photos of workers putting the sculpture back in place last night...
Workers removed "Self Portrait" in September 2020 for conservation work.
The owners of Birria LES, which debuted an instant hotspot on Rivington Street last spring, is opening a new location at 34 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... signage arrived here yesterday ...
This is the origin of Birria LES, a tiny new storefront with a food-truck-sized menu of tacos, mulitas, tostadas, consommé, and esquites on Rivington Street. The restaurant is a partnership between childhood friends Iqbal "Iggy" Ahmed and Emon Ullah, along with another friend, chef Raymundo Garcia, a native of Tlaxcala in central Mexico.
Though Birria LES has only been open for a few weeks, the tiny restaurant — with its seven indoor seats and three outdoor standing tables — is a burgeoning favorite among young Muslims. Its popularity is soaring thanks to TikTok, first from @HalalNYC, in a clip that has over 130,000 views and reads, "#Birria LES is a game-changer for #Halal eats in #manhattan 🌮👌🏼."
Birria LES takes over the space from Japanese chain Ramen Setagaya, which shuttered earlier this year.
Half Gallery has opened an annex at 233 E. Fourth St. (a former hair salon) ... just a few storefronts away from the main space on the NW corner at Avenue B.
The annex is currently featuring the work of Kyle Staver ... a collection of bas-reliefs ...
... that complement her paintings on exhibit in the Half Gallery on Fourth and B...
The work will remain up through May 8.
The gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. (Ask for access to the annex at the main gallery.)
El Colmado, a market specializing in Dominican food, is now in soft-open mode at 309 E. Houston St. between Clinton and Attorney. (We first mentioned this pending arrival here.)
For now, the market offering a variety of sandwiches, empanadas and to-go-meals is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Work has been taking place on the perch outside the DeathStar, aka 51 Astor Place ... where the Keith Haring sculpture — "Self Portrait" from 1989 — has been MIA since September 2020.
At the time, the director of collections at the Keith Haring Foundation told us that the sculpture had been removed for minor conservation work and would be reinstalled after this work was complete.
In court, Assistant US Attorney Sara Winik described the attack as "premeditated and carefully planned" as prosecutors requested James remain behind bars.
Defense attorneys told the federal judge they consented to him remaining in custody for now but may press again for bail later. The lawyers further asked for a psychiatric evaluation to determine James' medical needs.
His attorney, Mia Eisner-Grynberg, had this to say:
"We are all still learning about what happened on that train. What we do know is this: Yesterday, Mr. James saw his photograph on the news. He called Crime Stoppers to help. He told them where he was. Initial press and police reports in cases like this one are often inaccurate. Mr. James is entitled to a fair trial, and we will ensure that he receives one."
James was arrested on the NE corner of First Avenue and St. Mark's Place yesterday afternoon. According to media accounts, James called the NYPD tip line and told authorities where they could find him.
Two workers outside Saifee Hardware & Garden are also credited with alerting police after spotting James walking by the store on the SE corner of First Avenue and Seventh Street.
Last Thursday night saw the NYC premiere of "The Crusaders" at the Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue and 12th Street.
This is the first film for Maxx Starr (below right with Jahmal Kirwan aka Manhattan Mal), co-owner of Fun City Tattoo on St. Mark's Place, who wrote and directed the short (24-minute) crime noir filmed entirely in the East Village. (International Bar on First Avenue and Nublu Classic on Avenue C served as locations for several scenes.)
EVG contributor Stacie Joy was at the premiere as moviegoers and other guests waited to enter the auditorium...
Members of the cast were present, including the two leads — Tessa Gourin...
Sunset Park subway shooting subject Frank R. James being transported from the 9th Precinct on Fifth Street this evening several hours after his arrest on First Avenue and St. Mark's Place...
Thanks to Carol from East 5th Street for the photo.
Top photo from an impromptu press conference on 1st Avenue by Derek Berg
Two men working outside Saifee Hardware & Garden on the SE corner of First Avenue and Seventh Street are being praised for spotting alleged subway shooter Frank R. James minutes before his arrest this afternoon.
As previously reported, James was the sole suspect in the mass shooting on a crowded subway train and platform yesterday morning in Sunset Park.
At least 30 victims were treated at four local hospitals following the attack, and all but seven had been released as of this afternoon, per Gothamist.
James, wearing a blue t-shirt and brown pants, was reportedly inside the McDonald's on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. According to the Associated Press and other outlets, James called in a tip himself, telling police where he was.
He was already gone when the police got to the scene. However, Zack Tahhan, who was working for MACA security integrators installing cameras outside Saifee Hardware & Garden, and the shop's manager, Frank Puebla, spotted the alleged shooter walking by on First Avenue.
Puebla said he flagged down an NYPD cruiser from the 9th Precinct that had just stopped at the light on the SE corner of First Avenue and Seventh Street. James was then arrested on the NE corner of St. Mark's Place and First Avenue without incident.
EVG correspondent Stacie Joy was on the scene and filmed this clip of Tahhan recounting what happened this afternoon...
... and here's Puebla telling his story...
According to NBC 4, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York is considering filing federal criminal charges in the subway attack. The station reported that one potential federal charge being considered is using a weapon/arson on mass transit/train.
Meanwhile, Saifee is showing its appreciation for the longtime manager...
