'Number' cruncher

 

Local trio Sunflower Bean is back with a new catchy EP titled Shake.

The video here is for "Lucky Number." 

You can catch the band live at the United Sounds NYC Festival on Oct. 25 in Red Hook. (The bill includes The Dismemberment Plan and Model/Actriz.)

Openings: YGF Malatang on 3rd Avenue; Conor's Goat on Avenue A

YGF Malatang has debuted at 92 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street.

Per the brand's Instagram account: "The restaurant specializes in malatang, a type of hotpot very popular in the streets of China, often confused with ramen. But make no mistake, malatang is a totally different concept."

The chain is said to have more than 6,000 outposts in China, Japan and Korea ... this is the first in NYC.

Signage out front explains how it works... and what you'll pay, roughly...

Hours: Daily from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Meanwhile...

Conor's Goat is now open at 23 Avenue A between Houston and Second Street. (First mentioned here.)

The Irish pub from Mike Droney, whose credits include the now-closed Gleason's Tavern on West 41st Street, serves various bar food, including a Cubano sandwich, tomato soup with grilled cheese, and French dip beef sliders. 

The hours are below...      

The last tenant in this space, Brooklyn Bean Roastery Cafe, closed in July 2021 after 15 months in business. And previously, we had Yerba Buena, which shut down at the end of 2017.

Conor's Goat image via Instagram

Patis Bakery bringing the bread to Broadway

ICYMI: Patis Bakery is opening a café on the SE corner of 12th Street and Broadway (the Bean was here a few years ago before moving down Broadway to a larger space).

The bakery-café chainlet sells pastries, sandwiches, soups, salads, etc., at 15-plus locations in and around the NYC metropolitan area... this outpost might make for a decent post-Strand-splurge spot. (The bookstore is right across the street.)

Blank Street is down to 1 East Village location

Photo by Steven

The Blank Street outpost on Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street closed earlier this month.

After an expansion tear, the V.C.-funded coffee chain launched in 2020 has closed two of three East Village locations (not including the kiosk in the Bowery Market). The space on First Avenue at 13th Street closed to the public in May and is now a "training + innovation lab."

The Blank Coffee on Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street remains in service.

As previously noted, not everyone is a fan of the company. Per the Times last year: "When word got out that Blank Street is not an independent chain like Variety or Bean & Bean, but an enterprise with global ambitions backed by private equity financing, many became curious — and sometimes suspicious."

Across the Atlantic, Blank Street opened in London last year and is debuting its first shop in Manchester next month.

The Earth School's Fall Fair is TODAY

Photo by Steven

The Earth School (PS 364) is hosting its annual fall fair today (Saturday!) from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is a makeup date for the Oct. 20 rainout.

You can find all the activities in the schoolyard on Fourth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

As a reminder, per the EVG inbox... 

Open to all families! Come join our community and enjoy: 

• A bouncy house
• Music with a live D.J.
• Arts & crafts, including slime making, beading, costume making, trick-or-treat bags, cupcake and pumpkin decorating 
• Affordable food, homemade and from local restaurants
• Games — mini-golf, bean bag toss, basketball and more 
• Rummage sale (child & adult clothing) 
• And more family fun! 

Admission is free; tickets are $1 each and most activities and food cost 2-3 tickets. All proceeds from the Fall Fair are used to fund enrichment classes, supplies, and more for the students of the Earth School. 

Thank you to the following for the generous donations: Bibi's, Gemma, Iggy's Pizza, Peter Pan Doughnuts, Veniero's, Trader Joe’s, Key Food, Guitar Center...  

About the Earth School's Fall Fair on Nov. 4

Updated 10/20 to reflect the rain date — Nov. 4!

The Earth School (PS 364) is hosting its annual fall fair on Nov. 4 from 12:30-4:30 p.m. 

You can find all the activities in the schoolyard on Fourth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

Per the EVG inbox... 

Open to all families! Come join our community and enjoy: 

• A bouncy house
• Music with a live D.J.
• Arts & crafts, including slime making, beading... 
• Affordable food, homemade and from local restaurants
• Games — mini-golf, bean bag toss, basketball and more 
• Rummage sale (child & adult clothing) 
• And more family fun! 

Admission is free; tickets are $1 each and most activities and food cost 2-3 tickets. All proceeds from the Fall Fair are used to fund enrichment classes, supplies, and more for the students of the Earth School. 

Thank you to the following for the generous donations: Bibi's, Gemma, Iggy's Pizza, Peter Pan Doughnuts, Veniero's, Trader Joe’s, Key Food, Guitar Center...  

Signage alert: Conor's Goat on Avenue A

Photo by Stacie Joy

Signage went up late last week at 23 Avenue A for Conor's Goat.

The last applicant for this space just south of Second Street was Mike Droney, whose credits include the now-closed Gleason's Tavern on West 41st Street.

CB3 approved a liquor license here in October 2022 for the then-unnamed establishment. According to the questionnaire (PDF here), the bar-restaurant will feature 18 tables spread out over the main floor and cellar... with a 10-seat bar. 

The sample menu with the application is from Gleason's, so Conor's Goat will presumably serve a like-minded variety of burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc. 

Per the CB3 minutes (PDF here), the approved hours were opening by 11 a.m. all days and closing by midnight Sunday to Wednesday and 1 a.m. Thursday to Saturday,

Conor's Goat has an Instagram account (set to private now) right here.

The last tenant in this space, Brooklyn Bean Roastery Cafe, closed in July 2021 after 15 months in business. And previously, we had Yerba Buena, which closed at the end of 2017.

Stuyvesant Street storefronts return to view

Photo by Steven 

On Tuesday, workers removed the sidewalk bridge and remaining construction netting along 29 Third Ave. (home of the Bean) and the empty storefronts at 8-14 Stuyvesant St.

Asbestos abatement notices arrived back in April at the storefronts. Work permits at the DOB showed permits for "retail store white box interior renovation."

We're curious if for-lease signs are next.

As previously reported, Village Yokocho, Angel's Share and Panya closed in these spaces in April 2022. Another restaurant, Sharaku, in the corner space at 14 Stuyvesant St., shuttered earlier in the pandemic. (Sunrise Mart in a separate building next door on the second floor also shut down.)

Cooper Union, which leased the buildings from their owners and had subleased them to the Yoshida Restaurant Group for more than 25 years, said it was the tenants' decision to move on. (This post has more background. Yoshida had not paid rent since 2020.)

There haven't been any public statements on what the landlord, believed to be 29 Third Ave Corporation c/o Casabella Holdings, LLC, has in store for the spaces. A Cooper Union rep told us previously that no new building was planned on this site. Based on the reveal this week, it looks as if the storefronts were just receiving an interior-exterior renovation.

By the way, Angel's Share reopened in the West Village in June. 

Baker Falls shapes up

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

If you walked by 101 Avenue A this week, then you may have seen local artist Antony Zito at work outside the recently opened Baker Falls ... adding hand-painted lettering on the façade and front windows...

The venue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street had its soft opening on July 13. When fully operational, the two-level space will feature an all-day cafe, bar, room for community events, and a stage for live music under the Knitting Factory at Baker Falls moniker.

Zito also added the old-school KF logo at the entryway to the ground-floor music space... 

As we've noted (see links below), East Village resident Nick Bodor, who has owned and operated several local businesses in the past 25-plus years, including the Library and alt.coffee, is behind Baker Falls.

Meanwhile, live music via the Knitting Factory at Baker Falls started on July 20 in the main room with Sunflower Bean.

We bought tickets for our first show here last Friday night for a concert featuring headliners cumgirl8, who were back in NYC after an extensive tour in recent months, including several nights opening for Le Tigre.

We hadn't seen cumgirl8 — Veronica Vilim (guitar), Lida Fox (bass), Chase Noelle (drums) and Avishag Rodrigues (guitar) — since late 2021 at the now-closed Knitting Factory in Brooklyn.

The hypnotic neon punk band continues to impress ... playing an exuberant set featuring songs from their forthcoming (Aug. 18!) 4AD EP titled phantasea pharm...

From our vantage in the back of the looked-full performance space, cumgirl8 received an enthusiastic Friday night welcome, complete with a mini mosh-pit.

While the venue is still working out the kinks in these opening weeks, we'll certainly be going back. You can check out the Baker Falls website for upcoming events.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Baker Falls set to debut this week on Avenue A (July 10)

• Generation next: Baker Falls will bring together a cafe, bar and the Knitting Factory at the former Pyramid Club on Avenue A (Nov. 28, 2022)

• The next iteration of the Knitting Factory coming to the East Village (Aug. 24, 2022) 

Details about some upcoming shows via the Knitting Factory at Baker Falls on Avenue A

Baker Falls had its soft opening last week at 101 Avenue A ... first with a release party for Jesse Rifkin's book "This Must Be the Place: Music, Community and Vanished Spaces in New York City" as well as Lach and Friends Anti-Folk/Anti-Hoot, a nod to the now-closed Sidewalk Bar and Restaurant. 

Starting tonight, the performance space — Knitting Factory New York at Baker Falls — will ramp up with the first of many concerts to come... Sunflower Bean (below) headlines a bill with GIFT and Slow Fiction. 

Steve Gunn (and friends!) performs on Friday...  and there's an all-ages matinee on Sunday featuring a handful of bands, including EVG favorite Jade Tourniquet (photo below by Stacie Joy)...

Other upcoming shows include cumgirl8 on July 28...

There are several bands — local, national and international — a week on the calendar now. Check it out here.

These select shows at Knitting Factory New York at Baker Falls are curated by Knitting Factory Talent Buyer Carson Ehlert with support from Senior Talent Buyer James Irvine. The duo is reprising their roles from Knitting Factory Brooklyn in Williamsburg, which closed last August.

As previously reported, East Village resident Nick Bodor, whose past and current establishments have included the Library bar, alt.coffee and the Cake Shop music venue, serves as the managing partner and creative director of Baker Falls.

In the weeks ahead, you can expect a coffee shop, all-day cafe, bar and community events at the two-level space between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Generation next: Baker Falls will bring together a cafe, bar and the Knitting Factory at the former Pyramid Club on Avenue A (Nov. 28, 2022)

• The next iteration of the Knitting Factory coming to the East Village (Aug. 24, 2022) 

• Baker Falls set to debut this week on Avenue A (July 10)  

Sunflower Bean and cumgirl8 photos courtesy of Knitting Factory at Baker Falls

Baker Falls set to debut this week on Avenue A

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

A new era in East Village day- and nightlife gets underway this week with the soft opening of Baker Falls at 101 Avenue A.

As previously reported, the venue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street will feature an all-day cafe with coffee service and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as a bar and performance space with live music, DJs and readings. 

This performance space is also home to what will be called Knitting Factory New York at Baker Falls. (The Knitting Factory Brooklyn in Williamsburg closed last August.) The first gig under the Knitting Factory brand is July 20, featuring Sunflower Bean with GIFT and Slow Fiction. 

East Village resident Nick Bodor, who has owned and operated several local businesses in the past 25-plus years, including the Library and alt.coffee, is behind Baker Falls, scheduled to debut with a soft opening on Thursday evening. (Details on the first few gigs are below.)

Leading up to the opening, Bodor provided EVG's Stacie Joy with a work-in-progress sneak preview of the former Pyramid Club, which closed last October after a decades-long run. 

On the main floor, beyond the original bar, you'll find the stage area — now painted black and with upgraded audio-visual production and soundproofing — for the live music, DJ sets, and readings. The lower level will feature seating for coffee and drinks in a setting that Bodor has called a "fever-dream" or manor house in terms of décor with vintage lamps and other odds-n-ends. 

Helping him realize this vision downstairs is Deb Parker (seen below with Bodor), a thrift aficionado who is/was behind EV spaces like Beauty Bar, Barmacy and No-Tell Motel...

The inaugural event here Thursday evening, which Bodor said is inspired by the very first flyer for the Pyramid Club stating: "DOWNTOWN FOR DOWNTOWN," is a release party for Jesse Rifkin's book "This Must Be the Place: Music, Community and Vanished Spaces in New York City."

The evening features special guest DJ Dany Johnson of Club 57, Pyramid, Mudd Club and Wah Wah Hut fame. Cover is $5. Doors open at 7 p.m.

The rest of the soft opening weekend includes what Bodor describes as "Nick's fuzzed out, drone-y, noodle-y, psych-rock guitar freak-out... just setting up a bunch of guitar amps and starting a reverb-ed out guitar strum and then have other invited guitar players come in and out as they see fit to play leads and make shit up in real-time as the night goes on... could be 20 minutes or could be 8 hours...who knows, we are just jamming out on a Spacemen 3 vibe."

Saturday features Lach and Friends Anti-Folk/Anti-Hoot, a nod to the now-closed Sidewalk Bar and Restaurant across the street... and Sunday will see stand-up comedy featuring Erik Bergstrom and friends.

You can find the Baker Falls calendar with info on these and more shows here.

Opening hours for coffee service is 10 a.m. Visit the Baker Falls website for more details on programming. And if you're on Instagram.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Generation next: Baker Falls will bring together a cafe, bar and the Knitting Factory at the former Pyramid Club on Avenue A (Nov. 28, 2022)

• The next iteration of the Knitting Factory coming to the East Village (Aug. 24, 2022) 

This East Village outpost of Blank Street coffee will be a barista training lab

Photos by Steven 

The Blank Street outpost on the NE corner of First Avenue at 13th Street is now closed to the public. (Thanks to the EVG commenter who pointed this out yesterday.)

According to the door signage, this space will become a "training + innovation lab" for the fast-growing brand. 

And the small print: "Over the coming months we will also open the door to anyone who wants to come try some of the fun things we are working on. See you soon!"

Blank Streeters can still hit up the other two EV locations on Avenue A and Third Avenue. 

The First Avenue Blank Street opened last summer. 

As previously noted, not everyone is a fan of the company. Per the Times last year: "When word got out that Blank Street is not an independent chain like Variety or Bean & Bean, but an enterprise with global ambitions backed by private equity financing, many became curious — and sometimes suspicious."

Friday's opening shot

Photo by Lola Sáenz 

New at the Bean on Third Street at Second Avenue...

Asbestos abatement for the vacant storefronts along Stuyvesant Street

Earlier this month, workers erected a sidewalk bridge along 29 Third Ave. (home of the Bean) and the empty storefronts at 8-14 Stuyvesant St.

Work permits at the DOB show a pending permit for "retail store white box interior renovation." (We have also yet to see any for-lease signs here.)

We're waiting to see what might be happening with these high-profile spaces.

In the interim, Asbestos Abatement Notices have arrived on the plywood... noting the removal of asbestos... with a projected completion date of Feb. 23, 2024.

This is the first activity we've seen here since the previous tenants moved out last spring.

As previously noted, it was nearly a year ago that news first surfaced — via a tweet by Alex Vadukul, a correspondent for The New York Times — that Tony Yoshida's four businesses along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue were expected to close. Village Yokocho, Angel's Share, Panya and Sunrise Mart were all gone by the end of April. 

Cooper Union, which leased the buildings from their owners and had subleased them to the Yoshida Restaurant Group for more than 25 years, said it was the tenants' decision to move on. (This post has more background. Yoshida had not paid rent since 2020.)

There haven't been any public statements on what the landlord, believed to be 29 Third Ave Corporation c/o Casabella Holdings, LLC, has in store for the spaces. A Cooper Union rep told us previously that no new building is planned on this site. 

A sidewalk bridge for the vacant storefronts along Stuyvesant Street

On Tuesday, the EVG inbox lit up as workers erected a sidewalk bridge along 29 Third Ave. (home of the Bean) and the empty storefronts at 8-14 Stuyvesant St. (H/T Steven for the first photos)...

Work permits at the DOB show a pending permit for "retail store white box interior renovation." (We have also not seen any for-lease signs here. Those may arrive after the renovations.) 

This is the first activity we've seen here since the previous tenants moved out last spring.

As previously noted, it was nearly a year ago that news first surfaced — via a tweet by Alex Vadukul, a correspondent for The New York Times — that Tony Yoshida's four businesses along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue were expected to close. Village Yokocho, Angel's Share, Panya and Sunrise Mart were all gone by the end of April. 

Cooper Union, which leased the buildings from their owners and had subleased them to the Yoshida Restaurant Group for more than 25 years, said it was the tenants' decision to move on. (This post has more background. Yoshida had not paid rent since 2020.)

There haven't been any public statements on what the landlord, believed to be 29 Third Ave Corporation c/o Casabella Holdings, LLC, has in store for the spaces. A Cooper Union rep told us previously that no new building is planned on this site. 

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with "A Clockwork Orange" jacket sighting on 1st Avenue via Derek Berg) ... 

• Unveiling Donald Suggs Jr. Way on 6th Street and Avenue B (Tuesday) 

• About Love Not Money, a new record store on the LES (Thursday) 

• Report: Man shot on St. Mark's Place on Friday night (Saturday)

• Resurrection: Halloween Adventure is open on 4th Avenue (Thursday)

• The Pyramid is closing once again (Thursday)

• Coming attractions: Beer and wine for the AMC Village 7 on 11th Street and 3rd Avenue (Monday) 

• ICYMI: The new athletic fields at Pier 42 (Monday)

• The 'See You Next Tuesday' book from Sophie's will be here next Tuesday (Tuesday) 

• A familiar new owner for the development site at 280 E. Houston St. (Wednesday)

• Otto's Shrunken Head celebrates 20 years on 14th Street (Monday) 

• The 3rd annual Mask-Querade taking place on 7th Street this Oct. 30 (Tuesday) 

• New ovens for Two Boots Pizza on Avenue A (Monday) 

• Legends of the fall: Lucy (Wednesday)

• For rent: space ideal for a gallery on 6th Street (Wednesday) 

• Catching up with Jimmy McMillan (Saturday) 

• Reader report: A single-car crash on Clinton takes down a light pole (Wednesday) 

• Another new broker for the long-vacant 20 St. Mark's Place (Monday)

• Check out this mural of Mia Farrow from "Rosemary's Baby" outside the Bean on Second Avenue (Tuesday)

• Another day, another cannabis operation arrives (Tuesday) 

... and noting a new awning for the great Gena's Grill at 210 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street ... (thanks to Steven for the photo)...

-----

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

This is no dream. This is really happening!

There's a great new Halloween-themed mural by BKFoxx up on the Third Street side of The Bean, 54 Second Ave. ... showing Mia Farrow from a scene in the 1968 horror classic "Rosemary's Baby." 

And the headline reference from the film.

The Earth School’s Fall Fair is TOMORROW

The Earth School's (P.S. 364) Fall Fair is happening tomorrow (Saturday!) ... in the Big Yard at the school, Fourth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C from noon to 5 p.m. 

What can you expect? Per the organizers: 

• A bouncy house 
• Music with a DJ 
• Arts & crafts, including slime-making, beading, costume-making and pumpkin decorating 
• Affordable food, homemade and from local restaurants 
• Games — mini-golf, bean bag toss, basketball and more 
• Face painting 
• Rummage sale (child & adult clothing) 
• And more family fun!

Food provided by Gruppo, Caffe Vita and Gemma... 

Compilation Coffee debuts on St. Mark's Place

Compilation Coffee debuted last week at 102 St. Marks Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. (We first reported on this pending arrival in June.)

Industry vet Noah Jashinski, who has worked with brands like Intelligentsia, Blue Bottle and Stumptown, is the founder. 

The business is looking to set itself apart in its offerings — no fancy iced mocha frappé drinks — and support to the community with the following values statement: "We believe in inclusion, transparency, and service."

A rep shared more about what to expect:

Compilation Coffee is laser-focused on its customers and coffee, so there are no espresso machines or latte art competitions. Pairing a Poursteady with a back bar of 10 Baratza Fortés, customers can select daily from 10 different coffees, made to order by the cup (hot or iced) as a pour over. 

Any cup, be it black or Au Lait, cow's milk or alternative milk from NuMilk, is $5 for a 12 oz. cup. Customers can even purchase 4oz tubes of the entire bean menu, so they can mix and match, or even buy three different ones — their version of a flight.

According to the company: "We want to be involved in our community and to bring people together. That’s why we choose to support charities that help marginalized young people." Compilation's charity partners are The Trevor Project, the suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQ young adults, and Covenant House, which provides services to unhoused youth. (Read more on the partnership here.)

Compilation Coffee is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The previous tenant here, Baked Cravings, a bakery specializing in nut- and peanut-free desserts, went dark at the start of the year after a September 2020 debut. Dun-Well Doughnuts was here previously.

Why Blank Street Coffee seems everywhere, and maybe that's not a good thing

Photo on Avenue A from last fall

ICYMI: Several EVG readers passed along this piece from the Times last week titled "It's Not Just You — Blank Street Coffee Is Suddenly Inescapable." 

Four outposts (Avenue A, First Avenue, Third Avenue and the Bowery Market) have arrived in the East Village since last fall. 

Per the Times:

The rapid expansion has piqued the interest of New Yorkers, who became especially alert to changes in the streetscape during the pandemic. When word got out that Blank Street is not an independent chain like Variety or Bean & Bean, but an enterprise with global ambitions backed by private equity financing, many became curious — and sometimes suspicious.

And...

To fuel that growth, Blank Street raised $67 million last year; investors include high-profile venture capital funds like General Catalyst and Tiger Global, the founders of Allbirds and Warby Parker, and the real estate giant Tishman Speyer 

With that kind of backing, [co-founders] Mr. [Issam] Freiha and Mr. [Vinay] Menda had anticipated rapid growth. They did not anticipate that by debuting in Williamsburg and advertising their support for local business, they would invite the kind of scrutiny normally reserved for Met Gala outfits and Mets pitchers. Skeptics, who see Blank Street as an avatar of gentrification and automation, and resent the use of Wall Street money to compete with local businesses, have aired their objections on social media.

@livlaskowski i physically can’t stop myself from commenting on niche coffee news I’m sorry #blankstreet ♬ Just a Cloud Away - Pharrell Williams

Back to the Times... 

Jalen Williams, a product support engineer, stopped going to Blank Street soon after the very first brick-and-mortar shop opened on Bedford Avenue in his neighborhood. "People realized they were just here to check the Williamsburg box," he said.

As Eater pointed out in its brief — titled "The Oppressive Blah-ness of the Blank Street Coffee Chain" — about the article, Blank Street "has the potential to threaten mom-and-pop coffee shops." 

And how does it stack up against other chains? Per the Times, a 16-ounce Blank Street iced latte costs $4.25; at Dunkin’, $3.75; and at Starbucks, $5.50.