Week in Grieview

[The Jimi Hendrix experience on Avenue A]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

1st signs for the future tech hub arrive on 14th Street; more details emerge about 14th @ Irving (Monday)

A visit to Eat’s Khao Man Gai on 6th Street (Friday)

The Tompkins Square Park holiday tree lighting is Dec. 9 (Thursday)

Vacant lot at 14 2nd Ave. sells for $7 million; will yield to 10-floor condoplex (Thursday)

The Mars Bar lives! (in a penthouse suite in Times Square) (Wednesday)

This week's NY See panel (Friday)

Police looking for suspect in slashing outside Karma on 1st Avenue (Wednesday)

1st signs of the 14th Street SBS lane (Monday)


[A post-election scene on Avenue C]

Election results: All 3 NYC ballot measures approved (Wednesday)

At the You Can't Fire the Truth rally in support of protecting the Mueller investigation (Friday)

Remembering Todd Youth (Thursday)

peter radley's "Summer Hibernation" (Saturday)

Atino Eyewear Optical closing at the end of the month on 7th Street (Thursday)

New signage and a Michelin star for Tuome on 5th Street (Wednesday)

Pawsitive news: School for the Dogs relocates to larger space on 7th Street (Monday)

The return of 'The Village,' and the loss of a tree (Friday)

Setting up for the Union Square Holiday Market (Tuesday)

Pressure washing around the fountain (Thursday)

A new broker for 503 E. Sixth St. (Wednesday)

Uluh Tea House debuts on 2nd Avenue (Monday)

Report: New owner for 531-533 E. 12th St., the onetime home of the East 12th Party Crew (Tuesday)

Dunkin' done on 1st Avenue at 13th Street (Monday)

... and for this Veterans Day... members of the Air Force Honor Guard on Second Avenue and Seventh Street via Derek Berg...



-----

Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter

These laundry baskets outside the Marble Cemetery have dead chickens in them

An EVG reader shared this rather grisly discovery this morning from outside the New York City Marble Cemetery on Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... inside the baskets are at least two dead chickens as well as an assortment of candy and broken dishes.



One resident on the scene said that this was likely a Santeria ritual, conducted by someone of the Santeria faith, with each chicken representing a curse on someone. (If any occult experts want to chime in...)

The reader who shared the photos said that the NYPD was notified of this discovery.

The 'Parts Unknown' series finale, featuring the East Village and Lower East Side, airs tonight

[Photo of Kembra Pfahler and Anthony Bourdain via Instagram]

As you might know, CNN is airing the series finale of "Parts Unknown" tonight at 9.

The episode, which arrives five months (and three days) after host Anthony Bourdain's death, is set in the East Village and Lower East Side ... and features Harley Flanagan, Lydia Lunch, Richard Hell, Fab Five Freddy, Amos Poe, Jim Jarmusch, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, and John Lurie, among many others.

Along the way, Bourdain, a former LES resident, visits old haunts including Ray’s Candy Store, Veselka, John’s of 12th Street, Max Fish (where they're screening the episode tonight) and Emilio’s Ballato.

Here's a mini trailer...

Some of the biggest names in music, film & art came out of one New York neighborhood. Tony returns to the Lower East Side on the final episode of #PartsUnknown, Sunday at 9p ET on @CNN pic.twitter.com/Ea7FHaOU62

— CNN Original Series (@CNNOriginals) November 8, 2018

And for more on what to expect, here's a preview via Eater:

In the episode, a recurring question Bourdain has for his interview subjects regards the romanticization of a time and a place that, in many ways, was dangerous and bad. Was it all really better then than it is now, with clean streets, Target stores, Whole Foods supermarkets, and fancy restaurants filling the blocks? For Flanagan, it was a “horror story,” but he misses it. Lydia Lunch, who fronted bands and starred in independent films, doesn’t look back with nostalgia and instead lives in the present: “I still have shit to do,” she tells Bourdain over a white-tablecloth meal.

And via Rosie Spinks at Quartzy:

Of course, like the prior episodes in this final season — which, with the exception of the season premiere in Kenya, are devoid of Bourdain’s narration, which he he had not finished at the time of his death — the episode feels haunted by its star’s absence. The voice that told you what was what, who was who, and why you should care is replaced by frenetically-styled transitions, and on-screen text introducing the next interviewee or luminary. The absence of Bourdain’s voice as an anchor feels like a loss throughout, and the disorientation it brings feels like delayed reaction to his death — a reminder that the world we live in is one that Bourdain chose to leave.

In a review of the episode, Verne Gay at the Chicago Tribune sums it up this way: "In one final whoosh, Bourdain is framed in an episode of pure, unadulterated post-punk joy."

Michael Steed, the director, told Eater: "People are going to feel a lot from this particular episode. I just hope people feel something."

-----

CNN has released several interviews with people featured in the episode, including Lunch (access here) and Lurie (access here).

And if you feel like a post-show egg cream and conversation ... then you can head over to Ray's Candy Store...

View this post on Instagram

Join us at @RaysCandyStore Sunday night @ 10PM following the airing of the final episode of @AnthonyBourdain’s @PartsUnknownCNN for a celebration of travel, food, and friendship. The show airs at 9PM on CNN. Swing by after. Nothing fancy. Ray will be cooking up the classics. Come say hello, enjoy some of Ray's simple pleasures, and raise an egg cream. Click the link in our bio to visit our Facebook Page and view the event details. 📸: Photo via @LauraLeeFlanagan #️⃣ #rayscandystore #eastvillage #alphabetcity #avenuea #nyc #realnyc #smallbiz #ourmanray #everythingmadewithlove #anthonybourdain #partsunknown #eggcream

A post shared by Ray's Candy Store (@rayscandystore) on Nov 9, 2018 at 12:31pm PST

Summer Hibernation

Summer Hibernation

Returning to all that was lost

to sweltering days now passed

those clothes that were tucked

away in their snug piles

for the past season having

been too hot to consider

where are my gloves away

on a walking tour of the Hebrides

a little stiff from their excursions

the unexpected discovery of a

garment new at the end before

summer began in earnest

re-discovered born again into cooler climes

scarfs hats that no matter how

many you have collected

boil down to the same few

that your friends will recognize

before they recognize you.

•

peter radley

Make a lantern and join a parade tomorrow at the Green Oasis Community Garden

The Green Oasis Garden's annual Lantern Festival happens tomorrow (Sunday) from 1 to 4 p.m. A parade follows at 5 p.m. Per the invite: "S'mores & cider, fun for all ages, make a lantern and join the parade!"

The Green Oasis Community Garden is on Eighth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D.

The fall collection from Tompkins Square Park

From Tompkins Square Park this morning... peak colors with the changing of the leaves...



Also, those two bras and witch puppet are still hanging at the Avenue A/St. Mark's Place entrance...

Friday's parting shot

Photo in Tompkins Square Park today by Bobby Williams ...

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's this week's NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood and NYC...

The 'Hit' parade

After 30-plus years of work in bands like Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and the Honeymoon Killers, Jon Spencer has released his first solo record, Spencer Sings the Hits!, which is out today on In the Red Records.

The video here is for "I Got the Hits."

At the You Can't Fire the Truth rally in support of protecting the Mueller investigation

Thousands of people converged on Times Square last evening at 5 in a rapid-response rally — one of many nationwide — following President Trump's firing of Jeff Sessions on Wednesday and appointment of loyalist Matt Whitaker as Acting Attorney General.

The demonstrators gathered and marched to show support for special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation into possible collusion between Trump's 2016 campaign and the Kremlin.

EVG contributor Dan Efram shared these photos...starting in Times Square ... and then from along Broadway as the peaceful protestors headed south to Union Square...

















Dan's work can also be found at New York Indivisible on Facebook and Twitter.

XII

Another addition arrived over night at “The Gun Chronicles,” JR's mural featuring images of 245 Americans who represent various viewpoints on the gun debate.

On Oct. 28, someone added an 11 — for the victims in the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre — in red paint here on the Bowery mural wall.

And now an X was added to make the 11 a 12 — representing the number of people gunned down in Thousand Oaks, Calif., Wednesday night.

JR collaborated with Time magazine for this interactive special report on gun violence in America.

Thanks to EVG regular Lola Sáenz for the tip.

Previously on EV Grieve:
11

A visit to Eat’s Khao Man Gai on 6th Street

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

Updated 12/14
Owner Chai “Bryan” Chunton's restaurant on Queens Boulevard, Zen Yai, was destroyed during a five-alarm fire that injured 12 people.

The first thing that strikes me at Eat’s Kaho Man Gai, 518 E. Sixth St., is how spotlessly clean the kitchen is. Immaculate.

It’s almost hard to believe any cooking is done in it!



The second thing I notice is the meticulous prep stations, and how space is allocated in this small restaurant.



Owner Chai “Bryan” Chunton (also known by his nickname “Eat”) greets me and tells me about the single dish that the space prepares and sells since opening in August.



“I think the neighborhood is ready to try real Asian comfort food,” he says. “The East Village needs traditional khao man gai [chicken fat rice]. It’s hard to make. So we make and sell only that dish.”

Eat’s offers two versions of the dish: the original, heritage, free-range bird with liver and gizzards, ginger-scented rice, winter melon soup, plus a few slices of English cucumber, and the vegan version, which has steamed tofu slices, turmeric-Thai saffron rice (made with vegetable stock) and vegan version of the winter melon soup, plus the cukes. There’s also a trio of sauces to choose from: traditional ginger-garlic, sweet brown sugar-soy, and spicy green chili. And both Thai iced tea and a Thai cold brew that steeps for more than 12 hours.




[The vegan version]

Chunton, who has born in Bangkok and grew up in Queens, decided to open in the East Village because of the interesting food options and adventurous diners in the neighborhood ... and the fact that no one else was bringing this staple of Asian street food to the area.





He picked a bright yellow paint so his shop would stand out on the block, and who can miss the giant chicken outside?

Eat’s Khao Man Gai, 518 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, is open every day from noon until 10 p.m. You can follow them on Instagram.

The return of 'The Village,' and the loss of a tree

[Filming "The Village" on 12th Street on Oct. 19]

Crews for the NBC series "The Village" return to the neighborhood today for more filming on parts of Second Avenue, Third Avenue and slide streets, including 11th...



They shot scenes here back on Oct. 18-19 as well. Several EVG readers shared info about a Gingko tree (seen here from November 2017) on 11th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



... that was, unfortunately, damaged by one of the production trucks on either Oct. 18 or 19... the tree needed to be removed ...







A tipster shared this response from the location manager:

We are devastated that this beautiful tree was damaged. It was obviously an accident and we are looking into the details at the moment. We have called the authorities to file a report and are proactively contacting the NYC Department of Forestry to figure out how to most efficiently rectify the matter. If anyone in the association has experience with replacing trees we are totally will to cover any cost to rectify the damage.

We sincerely apologize for the damage and hope that we can do everything possible to fix the issue.

I promise you we are not going to walk away from any issue, and we want to see this resolved and everyone happy.

Another tipster said that the production company will make a donation to the East 11th St. Block Association, who will use the money to install tree guards (they had already been saving up for them).

This is not the first time a film crew's equipment truck damaged a tree on a side street (here for instance). However, this is the first time some people can recall a production company apologizing and trying to make amends.

As for "The Village," NBC's website has this synopsis:

Welcome to The Village, an apartment building in Brooklyn that appears like any other from the outside — but is quite unique inside. The people who reside here have built a bonded family of friends and neighbors. Sarah's a nurse and single mom raising a creative teen; Gabe's a young law student, who just got a much older and unexpected roommate; Ava must secure the future of her young, U.S.-born son when ICE comes knocking; Nick's a veteran, who's just returned from war; and the heart and soul of the building, Ron and Patricia, have captivating tales all their own. These are the hopeful, heartwarming and challenging stories of life that prove family is everything, even if it's the one you make with the people around you.

Remembering Todd Youth

[Photo by Derek Berg]

Tonight, friends and family came together — in Tompkins Square Park and at Niagara — to remember Todd “Youth” Schofield.

The NY hardcore guitarist, who lent his talents to bands including Agnostic Front, Warzone, Murphy’s Law, D Generation and Danzig, among others, died on Oct. 27. He was 47. (A cause of death has not been reported.)

Earlier this evening, his loved ones placed flowers and candles at the Hare Krishna Tree in Tompkins Square Park.

His children, Abijah and Eliana, who launched a crowdfunding campaign titled The Youth Fund, wrote that "our dad became interested in Krishna Consciousness as a teen in the mid 80s."

The Fall

Peak fall in Tompkins Square Park... Goggla shared these photos today...

Pressure washing around the fountain

[Photo on Nov. 1 by EV Resident]

Last Thursday, EV Resident shared the above photo showing a worker applying a fresh coat of paint on the 130-year-old Temperance Fountain in Tompkins Square Park.

Several readers quickly pointed out that this was a really bad idea.

Per East Village Community Member:

This is sad. They've essentially defaced the granite of this historic monument in the park. You would think someone in the Park's Department would be regulating how they "maintain" significant cultural artifacts in our parks. They shouldn't be painting over stone monuments and fountains.

Apparently someone at the Park's Department realized that this was a really bad idea ... an EVG reader shares this photo from this morning, showing a two-person crew on the scene with a pressure washer ... with one member of the crew documenting the work...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Painting around the fountain

The Tompkins Square Park holiday tree lighting is Dec. 9

[Photo from last year's lighting on Dec. 10 by Steven]

The 27th edition of the Tompkins Square Park tree lighting happens on Dec. 9 from 4-5 p.m.

The East Village Independent Merchants Association (EVIMA) made the announcement yesterday on Instagram...



Per the invite:

The humble evergreen was planted in 1992 in the memory of Glenn Barnett and other neighbors who have died of AIDS. Glenn Barnett was an East Village local and a fierce advocate for the park's value to the community. Over the years, this event has turned into a beloved tradition. The evening will include carolers, refreshments, official tree lighting and raffle giveaways.

Will post more details on the tree lighting 12-13 times before Dec. 9.

The EVIMA is also look for local businesses to help sponsor the event. Details at this link.

H/T Jimmy Carbone!

Vacant lot at 14 2nd Ave. sells for $7 million; will yield to 10-floor condoplex

That empty parcel at 14 Second Ave. between First Street and Houston has a new owner who plans on building condos on this spot adjacent to First Street Green Art Park.

According to a real-estate transaction posted yesterday, Evan Blum, who owned the previous business on the property, Irreplaceable Artifacts, sold the parcel to developer Daniel Vislocky of Station Companies for $7 million.

The site offers 15,042 buildable square feet as of right. In a news release on the sale, Vislocky said his firm plans to build a 10-story residential building with full-floor luxury condominium units on the property.

To date, there's nothing yet on file with the Department of Buildings for the address. (And there are still Stop Work Orders dating to 2009 and 2000.)

The deal for 14 Second Ave. was part of a bankruptcy proceeding. In a separate transaction, 212-216 E. 125th St., also owned by Blum, changed hands for $10 million.

In July 2000, the city demolished the four-story building that housed Irreplaceable Artifacts at 14 Second Ave. According to the Times, a wall and two floors collapsed at No. 14, which forced the evacuation of 51 apartments in three nearby buildings.

The Times reported that a construction crew was making alterations to the first floor of Irreplaceable Artifacts in defiance of a stop-work order.

On Oct. 26, an EVG reader spotted workers at 14 Second Ave. removing several artifacts that remained on the site following the building's demolition

As the reader noted then: "Can luxury condos be far behind?"

Previously on EV Grieve:
Workers remove artifacts from the vacant 14 2nd Ave., fueling speculation of new development

Development watch: 14 2nd Ave.

Atino Eyewear Optical closing at the end of the month on 7th Street

Angel Suarez is closing Atino Eyewear Optical at 110 E. Seventh St. at the end of the month.

In an email to me, Suarez said that everything was "on the right track until Sept. 1." Business for the shop that opened in March has dropped off drastically since the end of the summer — by nearly 60 percent.

"I have been open and working seven days a week now and I have come to the conclusion it is finished," he said. "This is rough."

Suarez, a Brooklyn native, spent seven years at Robert Marc in the West Village and three years at Selima Optique in Soho before opening here between Avenue A and First Avenue.

He's holding a going-out-of-business sale on frames through the end of the month. (Find more details at the store's website.)