Saturday, December 8, 2018

SantaCon 2018



A few scenes from SantaCon today in the East Village... Derek Berg took these photos...



























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A reader shared this from Second Avenue at Ninth Street outside the Step (former 13th Step), which, as always, seemed to be the center for SantaCon (even if it wasn't on the list on SantaCon bars) ...



... and EVG reader Sonya shared this from the Santa Shack Shack at the DeathStar...



Updated 12/9

A reader shared this photo from yesterday on Second Avenue and 15th Street ... some Santas in an Uber headed to East Village bars, but not before making a pit stop...



Another sick Santa on Second Avenue near Ninth Street...


[Photo via @mishamc]

There are several reports of fights and assaults on the Citizen app from yesterday, though only one specifically mentioned Santas...



Not sure of the exact location of this street brawl...

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.

Mountain views



Thanks to @cecilscheib for sharing these views of Tompkins Square Park this morning... when the clouds looked like mountains to the west...



Today: Holiday Gift Fair at the LES Girls Club; ceramics sale at the Sirovich Senior Center



Via the EVG inbox...from the Lower Eastside Girls Club

Join us from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for our Fair Trade & Girl-Made Holiday Gift Fair

Items for everyone on your list: Featuring hand made products from the Lower Eastside Girls Club and our sister partners around the globe.

Potholders, aprons, handcrafted soaps, jewelry, ornaments, dog and cat beds, cards, art, baby gifts and more, more, more…shop with us! And all for a good cause: girls and women worldwide.

Address: 402 E. Eighth St. at Avenue D.

Meanwhile, a reader shared this... Day 2 of the ceramics sale over at the Sirovich Senior Center on 12th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

Report of a roof fire at 40 Stuyvesant St.


Several EVG readers shared word of a large FDNY presence last night just before midnight at 40 Stuyvesant St. west of Second Avenue.

The FDNY reported a roof fire, which they had under control in 30 minutes, per the @FDNYALERTS feed.

EVG reader Mary Jane Glaser shared this video clip...



No word on cause or extent of damage. There isn't any visible damage to the building this morning ... at least from the street level..

Zoltar is — more than usual — increasing spiritual energy this morning



There's some sandalwood burning here outside Zoltar's residence at Gem Spa on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place...

Friday, December 7, 2018

On such a Winter's day



UK shoegazers Swervedriver have a new record, Future Ruins, coming out on Jan. 25 via Dangerbird Records. The video here is for "Mary Winter."

EVG Etc.: Possible weather-related death on 9th and 3rd; honors for dogs-rescuing cop


[Tompkins Square Park the other night]

A homeless man found overnight on Ninth Street and Third Avenue dies; officials say he may be the first weather-related fatality of the season (Daily News)

ASPCA honors NYPD officer who helped rescue 33 Shih Tzus from a sweltering East Village apartment last summer (Daily News ... previously)

Some early history of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe on Third Street (The New York Times)

More on the Strand's objections to landmark designation (Curbed ... Gothamist)

That hunk Christo is in the 2019 Peregrine Fund "Birds of Prey" calendar (Laura Goggin Photography)

City Council quickly sues over the Two Bridges development (The Real Deal)

A preview of Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt’s "Tenemental (With Sighs Too Deep For Words)" at Howl! Happening (Hyperallergic)

Nathan Silver's latest, "The Great Pretender," making its U.S. theatrical debut (Anthology Film Archives)

Stanton Social is closing at the end of the year (The Post)

A tiny owl in Stuy Town (Town & Village ... previously)

Some NYC coffee history (Ephemeral New York)

... and here's the original Twitter footage of the man taking on a bus on East Houston at Forsyth on Wednesday night...

A visit to C&B Cafe on 7th Street



Text and photos by Stacie Joy

It's early evening when I arrive at C&B Cafe, 178 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, for the start of dinner service. The interior is intimately lit, with the sounds of Isaac Hayes coming from the record player. (Yes, an actual turntable and stylus.)





Chef and owner Ali Sahin is cutting up chickens while prep chef Sayvon “Sam” Flemings is chopping eggplant into symmetrical cubes for tadig, an Iranian dish served here with tomato, asparagus and a poached egg over crispy Persian rice. The freshly prepared chicken will be made into several meals: breast meat for sandwiches, made with avocado and lemon juice, chicken legs for the chicken and eggs breakfast bowl as well as braising for the dish’s accompanying jus, and bones for making stock.




[Sam Flemings]

Bread is proofing gently on racks, about to be transferred overnight to the tiny and well-organized cold storage. C&B creates and serves two kinds of breads, a 4-pound sourdough loaf that takes three days to make, and the round bread rolls for sandwiches and burgers. Ali uses a bit of aged or “old” dough in each batch to add tang and flavor to the finished product.





Best sellers at the small restaurant include the sausage egg and cheese (with either merguez or chorizo) and one of Sahin's’s favorites, menemen, a Turkish breakfast. Sahin, who is Turkish, makes the dish with tomatoes, garlic and onion, oregano and spicy red peppers, finished with two scrambled eggs stirred into the cooked dish.

Barista Sade King selects a new album, “On the Radio: Greatest Hits (volume 1)” by Donna Summer and rings up the midweek burger-and-fries dinner special for a local repeat customer before making a cup of Callebaut-chocolate-based hot cocoa with steamed whole milk.





She reflects on the recent rise in popularity of oat milk, while Sahin uses a propane torch to flame-finish the cheese on the burger. “No lettuce today,” he informs the customer, due to the CDC’s temporary banning of romaine. Before he can even answer (he is fine with it!) Sahin has already turned his attention to his roasted red peppers, which will be used for the housemade (and available for sale) hot sauce, cooked down with roasted garlic and habaneros. He winces a bit as he tastes it: “Spicy!” he announces, satisfied.










[Ali Sahin]



C&B Cafe, 178 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. You can keep up with C&B Cafe on Instagram here. The Cafe opened in January 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street

A visit to Bali Kitchen on 4th Street

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

A visit to Yoli Restaurant on 3rd Street

Preparing for Saturday's dinner at Il Posto Accanto on 2nd Street

A visit to the Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen on 7th Street

A trip to the recently expanded Lancelotti Housewares on Avenue A

When is the fruit vendor on 1st Avenue and 6th Street closing down for the winter?



By this time of year, the fruit-vegetable vendors here on First Avenue and Sixth Street outside Village View usually pack it up for the season... with a spring-time return.

However, as the photo above via Riley McCormick from last night shows, the vendors are still on the scene ... and will be here through the winter. Riley double-confirmed the news with the sellers last evening. So there's a good daily produce option here to ease the winter doldrums...

ICYMI: Here comes SantaCon


[Image via @SantaCon]

As you likely heard by now, SantaCon 2018 is tomorrow (Saturday).

The woo-hooery starts tomorrow (still Saturday) at 10 a.m. at Plaza 33, 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue.

From there, the Santas will fan out across Midtown, Murray Hell, Midtown East, et al. Once again, the East Village will serve as a host planet for the harvesting. There are 15-plus participating bars — list here. (The 13th Step/The Step isn't on the list, though they usually have one of the longest lines of people in Santa hats.)

Solas on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue and The VNYL on Third Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street are designated "Special Santa Venues," which require a $12 donation. As Gothamist noted, "they are larger and offer additional hellish delights such as undoubtedly terrible DJ, holiday decorations, 'sexy' bar games, rooftops, cash prizes, etc."

Meanwhile, some thoughts via Twitter... including a little campaigning for a mayoral run in 2021...


Thursday, December 6, 2018

Thursday's parting video



RIP Pete Shelley, lead singer of Buzzcocks. He died today of an apparent heart attack at age 63.

Revisited this post from May 2010 about "the sketchy 1991 Cutlass Ciera" parked near the Con Ed building on 14th Street that caused a bomb scare. The owner was at Irving Plaza for the Buzzcocks show.

Get Ray's Candy Store delivered to your door



Over at Ray's Candy Store at 113 Avenue A, Ray started a delivery service via Uber Eats back in the late summer... which has apparently helped boost business ...


[Photo by Peter Brownscombe from September]

And now, Ray's has even more delivery options, as announced today, so you can get beignets or Belgian fries or something crazy that Ray has even dreamed up just yet brought to your doorstep...

View this post on Instagram

More big news!!! @RaysCandyStore delivery is now available via @Seamless and @Grubhub!!! Another way to get Ray's famous delights delivered right to your door! 🚗🛴🚲🛵🚘🚞🚙🚗🛴🚲🛵🚘🚞🚙 Perfect for these cold Winter nights!!! Give it a shot!!! Order via the web or download the Seamless and/or Grubhub apps for iOS and Android and search for "Ray's Candy Store!" And you can also order Ray's delivery via Uber Eats!!! 📱💻📱💻📱💻📱💻📱💻📱💻📱💻 AND AGAIN –– PLEASE DON'T BE A STRANGER AT THE STORE!!! WE'D MISS YOU TOO MUCH AND CUSTOMERS WHO BUY IN-PERSON GET EXTRA SERVINGS OF LOVE!!! #️⃣ #rayscandystore #eastvillage #alphabetcity #avenuea #nyc #realnyc #smallbiz #ourmanray #everythingmadewithlove #hoorays #nyceats #nycfood #nycfoodie #newyorkdesserts #newyorkfood #munchies #famousrays #trueyorker #trueyorkcity #delivery #latenighteats #grubhub #seamless #ubereats #uber #foodiegram #nyu #gamechanger #netflixandchillandrays

A post shared by Ray's Candy Store (@rayscandystore) on

St. Dymphna's eyeing a return engagement, this time at 117 Avenue A


[The former St. Dymphna's on St. Mark's Place]

The owners of St. Dymphna's are planning a comeback for the Irish-style pub, which closed on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue on Oct. 20 after 24 years in service.

Eric Baker, one of the bar's previous owners, is on this month's CB3-SLA agenda for a new liquor license at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.


[117 Avenue A]

"The new space will be going by St Dymphna's — I believe yellowish gold facade and all," Baker told me via email. "We hope to continue the tradition, history and culture of the former space by continuing to provide our local community with a comfortable place to gather together with friends and family for good food, good beverages and good music as we have done previously for over 23 years."

Baker and company began a collaboration with Brendan McElroy, owner of Dr. Brendan Mac Repair on St. Mark's Place and a "St. Dymphna's family member," to hopefully reopen at the new location.

The questionnaire on file (PDF here) has more information on the proposed relocation, including a diagram of the layout and sample menu, which includes the $10 all-day Irish breakfast.

117 Avenue A has remained empty since the bar the Black Rose closed in April 2017 after nearly two years in operation. No. 117 was the longtime home, until August 2013, of the Odessa Cafe & Bar.

Baker said escalating rents were behind St. Dymphna's closure on St. Mark's Place.

"We are excited about the new digs, a new place to make a home," said Baker, who's collecting signatures of support for the new St. Dymphna's.

The committee meeting starts Monday at 6:30 p.m. Location: The Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Previously on EV Grieve:
St. Dymphna's is closing this weekend after 24 years on St. Mark's Place

So long St. Dymphna's

The Black Rose, 'a neighborhood rock and roll bar,' opening in the former Odessa Cafe and Bar space

Tomorrow (Friday!): Holiday Bazaar at the Children's Workshop School



The Children's Workshop School on 12th Street is hosting its Holiday Bazaar tomorrow (Friday). Here are a few details via the EVG inbox...

Come see our lobby transformed into a winter wonderland, do some holiday shopping and come eat at the CWS Cafe. We have something for everyone.

• An expanded Cafe — breakfast items including bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon, breakfast sandwiches, assorted holiday treats! Lunch items including salads, chili and sandwiches, after-school treats! Also available: whole breads — banana, babka, etc.
• Gifts for children to buy — CWS slime, air plants, small crafts
• A wide variety of vendors — from homemade crafts to artisanal chocolates, gold jewelry, records, CWS branded items

And for the first time this year, a gift wrap table — buy something and get it wrapped for only $3

Come browse, get something to eat and enjoy the beginning of the holidays with the CWS community.

CWS Holiday Bazaar
Dec. 7
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C

This link has the full list of vendors.

Y7 Studio debuts its candlelit hip-hop yoga at 250 E. Houston on Monday



The plywood came down this week along the retail portion of 250 E. Houston St. ... exposing the new Y7 Studio here between Avenue A and Avenue B...



The ground-floor studio, equipped with showers, changing rooms and retail space, opens on Monday morning. This marks the growing yoga chainlet's 11th location in Manhattan and Los Angeles. (Y7 is also reportedly one of the fastest-growing fitness boutiques in the country.)

Here's more about Y7, which describes its practice as "sweat dripping, beat bumping, candlelit yoga" set against a soundtrack of Cardi B, Fetty Wap and Beyoncé.

At Y7 we do things differently. We give you 60 minutes of intensity combined with heat and strength complemented by deep breathing and a calming of the mind. We ask you to step outside the chaos and embrace the fire inside. You’ll flow along to the latest beats. There are no mirrors in the candle-lit studios. The darkness, the sounds, and the heat will take you to a place you’ve never before been. Join us for the best hour of your day. Leave here feeling strong, clear and ready to take on whatever the city has in store for you. Take a class and never look back.

The is the first new retail tenant at No. 250 since the under-renovation 13-floor building changed ownership in the fall of 2016.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rumors: Red Square has been sold

New ownership makes it official at the former Red Square on East Houston

Apartment listings at 250 E. Houston look to offer glimpse of former Red Square's future

Long-vacant retail space hits the rental market at 250 E. Houston St.

Former Red Square lobby gets the plywood treatment on East Houston

Y7 Studio bringing the hip-hop yoga to 250 E. Houston St.

That's a wrap for Five Tacos on St. Mark's Place


[Photo by Steven]

The Five Tacos comeback has apparently come to an end. A for rent sign recently arrived on the now-empty storefront at 119 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The quick-serve taco shop went dark back in January... a sign on the door said they'd be "closed until further notice."

In February, a Five Tacos rep emailed me, saying that they'd be reopening very soon, but only for a lunch service and catering.

Anyway, it never looked all that open to the public in recent months. Five Tacos, owned by the folks behind 10 Degrees Bar on the block, debuted in January 2012.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

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...