Week in Grieview

From a holiday week with fewer posts than usual … with an NYE  photo on 1st Avenue by Derek Berg

Never miss an EVG post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here. 

• Stella of Ray's Candy Store, remembered by the neighborhood (Dec. 29) 

• Metro Acres Market confirmed for former East Village Rite Aid (Dec. 30) 

• Bands we like: Homade (Jan. 2) 

• Reading the signs: An art show opens at Psychic Readings on 5th Street (Jan. 4) 

• Openings: Justin’s Salt Bread on 2nd Avenue (Jan. 2) … Moon Coffee Lab on 1st Street (Dec. 29) 

• A hazy shade of winter in Tompkins Square Park (Dec. 29) 

• A December EVG recap (Dec. 30) 

• The most-viewed EVG stories of 2025 (Dec. 31) 

... and an NYE photo on St. Mark's Place via EVG reader Jason D. Newton...

The most-viewed EVG stories of 2025

A favorite photo... from August by Stacie Joy: Day 1 of the Tompkins Square Park riot reunion shows 

And now, the 10 most-viewed EVG posts of 2025 (posts we published this year — this one still finishes in the top 13 years later) ...

• Mass e-bike seizure sparks tensions and debate on 11th Street (July 31) 

• Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade returns for its 35th year on Oct. 19 (Oct. 2) 

• On Christmas Eve morning, ICE agents take East Village restaurant worker into custody on 7th Street (Dec. 24) 

• About Banshee, the Irish-leaning bar debuting on 1st Avenue (Nov. 12) 

• Madonna endorses Baz Luhrmann's new East Village bar Monsieur on 4th Street (Jan. 27) 

• 2nd man sentenced for East Village assault spree that included Ray's Candy Store (Dec. 4)

• Neighbor steps up to care for dog injured in 2nd Avenue fire that claimed owner’s life (Feb. 3) 

• Checking out the newly reopened area of East River Park (May 29) 

• Giving thanks: A final word on the stranded East River Park squirrels (Oct. 22) 

• Housing lottery is underway for 49 apartments at the all-new 280 E. Houston St. (March 31)

6 posts from December

A mini month in review... with a scene from Orchard and Delancey on the LES... 

• Stella of Ray’s Candy Store, remembered by the neighborhood (Dec. 29) 

• NYPD makes an arrest in the hit-and-run driver who killed a pedestrian on Clinton and Stanton (Dec. 22) 

• The secret life of Key Food’s holiday decorations (Dec. 17) 

• Timeline for reopening northern section of East River Park pushed to end of 2027 (Dec. 16) 

• SantaCon 2025 recap: A quieter crawl through the East Village? (Dec. 15) 

• Scenes from the 34th annual Tompkins Square Park tree lighting (Dec. 14)

Stella of Ray’s Candy Store, remembered by the neighborhood

Photos yesterday by Stacie Joy

In case you missed it over the holidays, the neighborhood is remembering Stella Soltowska of Ray's Candy Store at 113 Avenue A.

Stella, who worked at Ray's for nearly 50 years, passed away over the holidays. She was 80. 

There was an outpouring of tributes to her on the EVG Instagram account (and elsewhere). 

A sampling: 

"Oh, she was such a kind woman. The world needs more Stellas." 

"What a legacy. What a loss."

"She was a beautiful soul. And will be missed by all the EV.

"Stella called my husband and I 'pees and carrots' as we stopped for our egg creams after the Pyramid Club closed. Can't count the cones my 90's kids got from her. She was one of the good ones."

"Oh, this breaks my heart. What a loss to the entire city. Stella is an absolute legend."

"I loved seeing her whenever I passed by - day or night, rain or shine. An anchor in such a quickly changing world. You'll be missed."

The consensus is that Stella was one of those people who made the East Village feel like home, and that feeling doesn't go away.

There is a small memorial outside the shop, and staff say that leaving something modest that reminds you of Stella is a kind gesture — and one that helps Ray see just how deeply appreciated she was by the community. 

Many readers have asked how they can help. Friends say the best way is to stop in and support the store with a purchase. Ray needs the business, and staying busy helps. 

When we stopped by today, he was in better spirits ... talking about Stella and greeting visitors and longtime friends as they came through.

Meanwhile, Ray's, a 24/7 business, has reduced its hours for now to 3 p.m. to 4 a.m., though these are subject to change.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo yesterday on Second Avenue by Cynthia Reynolds)... 

Never miss an EVG post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here. 

• Stella Soltowska, a fixture at Ray's Candy Store since 1977, has died (Dec. 26) 

• On Christmas Eve morning, ICE agents take East Village restaurant worker into custody on 7th Street (Dec. 24) 

• RIP Stanislawa "Anna" Sulkowska (Dec. 23) 

• NYC retrospective for the late No Wave filmmaker Amos Poe opens Jan. 3 at Metrograph (Dec. 23) 

• NYPD makes an arrest in the hit-and-run driver who killed a pedestrian on Clinton and Stanton (Dec. 22) 

• Openings: Barryville General on Avenue A (Dec. 22) ... Burgerhead on 2nd Avenue (Dec. 22)

• A ghostly parade for long-lost local music venues (Dec. 26) 

• ICYMI: Fire disrupts operations at Norwich Meadows Farm, a Tompkins Greenmarket regular (Dec. 26)

• The former Rite Aid is looking more like a grocery store every day (Dec. 22) 

• Signage alert: Matcha and coffee for 68 Avenue A (Dec. 22) 

• About the next MulchFest in Tompkins Square Park (Dec. 21) 

• Scenes of the season, lately (Dec. 25) 

• Waiting the whole year to toss your 2024 Christmas tree (Dec. 24)

And thanks to the excellent editorial team at The City for the EVG anniversary shout-out this past week...

Stella Soltowska, a fixture at Ray’s Candy Store since 1977, has died

Reporting by Stacie Joy

Photos from 2024 by Stacie Joy

Stella Soltowska, a regular presence at Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A for nearly 50 years, passed away over the holidays. She was 80. 

Sources say she suffered a heart attack at her home in Queens. 

Stella, a longtime friend of owner Ray Alvarez, had been with Ray's Candy Store since 1977.

This afternoon, the 24/7 Ray's was closed during what was traditionally Stella's shift. Updated: For the foreseeable future, the hours at Ray's will be 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.

We're told that Ray is in shock over Stella's passing. 

She will be missed by generations of East Village residents, past and present, and by all those who made Ray's a neighborhood favorite over the years.

On a personal note, I will miss Stella's sweet yet steely disposition — and the way she always tried to ply me with a soft serve or an egg cream. I'll miss how she took care of Ray, making sure his meds were in order and that he ate his dinner.

It's heartbreaking to know I won't see her on my endless trips by Ray's — waving through the to-go window or smiling from behind the counter, always with style and panache, her signature blue rinse and sweater sets firmly in place.

We'll share more information as it becomes available.

Photo of Ray and Stella in 1975 via Peter Brownscombe

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a street scene from 7th Street at Avenue B)

Never miss an EVG post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here. 

• When is the tree lighting in Tompkins Square Park this year? (Dec. 1) 

• 2nd man sentenced for East Village assault spree that included Ray’s Candy Store (Dec. 4) 

• Neighbors to rally Sunday to protect Most Holy Redeemer Church (Dec. 6) 

• A new chapter on Avenue A: Café-bookstore proposed for the former 7-Eleven (Dec. 4) 

• Harvey Epstein sworn in as City Council District 2 representative (Dec. 4) 

• Why neighborhood staple Casa Adela will be closed this week (Dec. 1) 

• Cookie Walk returns — with a centennial twist (Dec. 3) 

• Holidays at Metrograph (Dec. 5) 

• Bill Rice’s East Village on view uptown (Dec. 2) 

• The Brant Foundation to host major Keith Haring exhibition next spring on 6th Street (Dec. 2) 

• A sauna-and-cold-plunge pop-up returns to La Plaza Cultural this weekend (Dec. 5) 

• Behold the last full moon of 2025, as seen from Tompkins Square Park (Dec. 4)

• Openings: Godunk on the Bowery (Dec. 3) 

• Surprise Scoop closing on 1st Avenue; skewer concept next? (Dec. 4) … Game over for 8-Bit Bites on 2nd Avenue (Dec. 1) 

• Top Secret Comedy Club makes its U.S. debut on Avenue A (Dec. 1) 

2nd man sentenced for East Village assault spree that included Ray's Candy Store

Gerald Barth was sentenced yesterday to five years in state prison for his role in a series of assaults and robberies in the East Village in 2023, including the attack on Ray Alvarez, the then 90-year-old owner of Ray's Candy Store. 

Barth previously pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted assault in the first degree. His plea follows the earlier sentencing of his co-defendant, Luis Peroza, who received a 10-year prison term in 2024 for his part in the same string of attacks. 

As EVG previously reported, Alvarez was assaulted outside Ray's Candy Store around 3 a.m. on Jan. 31, 2023, after stepping outside for some air. Prosecutors said Peroza struck Alvarez with a belt weighted by a rock, leaving him with a black eye, several broken facial bones and a dislocated jaw. The incident reportedly began after Alvarez declined to buy seltzer water from the suspects. 

A short time later, prosecutors say Peroza and Barth attacked two additional victims in separate incidents — one outside a deli on Avenue C, and another on Avenue B — each sustaining serious facial injuries.

Barth, whose erratic past behavior earned him the nickname "Insanity Claus" in Tompkins Square Park after donning a discarded SantaCon suit, was initially charged with first-degree assault and two counts each of first-degree robbery and first-degree attempted robbery. 

"Gerald Barth attacked three strangers over the span of hours, including an assault at Ray's Candy Store — a pillar of the East Village community," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said in a statement. "For his actions, Barth will now serve a state prison term, and I thank our prosecutors for securing accountability for the victims." 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• A timeline of events after the assault outside Ray's Candy Store

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo outside New York Theatre Workshop by Derek Berg) 

Never miss an EVG post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here. 

• Guilty plea announced in 2023 assault spree that included attack outside Ray’s Candy Store (Monday, Nov. 3) 

• Cauz for Pawz has opened in its new home on Avenue B (Wednesday, Nov. 5)

• Planned Parenthood closes its Manhattan Health Center on Bleecker Street (Wednesday, Nov. 5) 

• ABC No Rio’s new building reaches the top on the Lower East Side (Monday, Nov. 3) 

• Another collision on Avenue A: Car slams into 2A (Wednesday, Nov. 5) 

• Election Day 2025 (Wednesday, Nov. 5) 

• Scenes from the final Show Brain concert of 2025 in Tompkins Square Park (Sunday, Nov. 2) 

• After years of dormancy, activity stirs again at 89 1st Ave. (Wednesday, Nov. 5) 

• A look at "Loose Change" at C-Squat (Saturday, Nov. 8)

• Another unlicensed smoke shop shuttered after multiagency raid on Avenue B (Friday, Nov. 7) 

• A bold Merlot theft on Halloween night with notes of mischief (Monday, Nov. 3) 

• Friday night’s full moon over 2nd Avenue, plus talk of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (Saturday, Nov. 8)

• Ramen by Ra returning with a reservation-only space on 1st Street (Wednesday, Nov. 5) 

• Pecking order on St. Mark’s Place (Tuesday, Nov. 4)

• 2 films to see with East Village connections — "Bunny" and "Peter Hujar's Day" (Friday, Nov. 7) 

... and even if you don't see "Peter Hujar's Day," we highly recommend the book the film was based on...

Guilty plea announced in 2023 assault spree that included attack outside Ray’s Candy Store

Photo last week by Stacie Joy

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced that past Thursday that Gerald Barth has pleaded guilty to felony charges for his role in a string of violent assaults across the East Village — including the January 2023 attack on Ray Alvarez, the then 90-year-old owner of Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A.

"Gerald Barth now stands convicted of felony charges for his role in the violent and brutal attacks of three victims in separate incidents across the East Village," Bragg said in a statement to EVG. "The conduct displayed by Barth and Luis Peroza — who is currently serving a 10-year sentence — is completely unacceptable and resulted in significant injuries for each victim involved. Every Manhattanite deserves to be safe, and I thank our prosecutors for ensuring accountability in this case."

Barth's plea follows the sentencing of co-defendant Luis Peroza, who in 2024 received a 10-year prison term for his part in the same series of assaults. 

As EVG previously reported, Alvarez and his employee Gabe Thorne were attacked outside Ray's Candy Store around 3 a.m. on Jan. 31, 2023, when they stepped outside for some air. 

Prosecutors said Peroza struck Alvarez with a belt weighted by a rock, leaving him with a black eye and a gash on his temple, while Thorne was hit across the chest. The assault reportedly followed an argument after the pair declined to buy seltzer water from the suspects. 

A little later, Peroza and Barth attacked two other victims in separate incidents — one outside a deli on Avenue C, and another on Avenue B — each sustaining serious facial injuries. 

Barth's guilty plea brings closure to a case that rattled the neighborhood and drew widespread support for Alvarez, whose Avenue A shop has been a neighborhood fixture for more than 50 years. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• A timeline of events after the assault outside Ray's Candy Store

Saturday's parting shot

As always on Avenue A, Ray's Candy Store tonight...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with an Ozzy tribute photo from Fourth Street by Derek Berg)...

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• Petition seeks to landmark Most Holy Redeemer ahead of possible closure (Tuesday, July 22) 

• Buddies Coffee, forced out of Williamsburg with a rent hike, still on track to open East Village location (Monday, July 21) 

• What's next for the Minca space on 5th Street? (Thursday, July 24) 

• The Rainbow is a new play and community space for kids, complete with a mini Ray's Candy Store (Monday, July 21) 

• Celebrating the life of Jason Goodrow (Saturday, July 27)

• East Village openings: Wait a Second on 11th Street (Thursday, July 24) 

• Checking in on Irving Green (Wednesday, July 23)

• Parks Department prunes drooping elm in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday, July 23) … Post-mortem on the freshly cut-back American elm in Tompkins Square Park (Friday, July 25) 

• When Black Sabbath played in the East Village (Tuesday, July 22)

• ICYMI: East Village Rite Aid sets closing dates (Monday, July 21) 

• An encore presentation for the cumgirl8 clothing and merch sale on 2nd Street (Friday, July 25) 

• Some more decade-spanning looks at 5th Street and Avenue B (Wednesday, July 23) 

• Beer & wine in the works for Danny & Coop's (Thursday, July 24)

• A pharmacy for 6th Street and Avenue C (Tuesday, July 22) 

• From a Food Market to a Swap Shop on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday, July 23)

• Signage alert: Village Bites on Avenue A (Monday, July 21) 

• Love, American 1990s style (Saturday, July 27)

... and keeping tabs on outdoor dining trends along Avenue B (photos by Stacie Joy)...

The Rainbow is a new play and community space for kids complete with a mini Ray's Candy Store

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The Rainbow, which recently opened at 343 E. 10th St. at Avenue B, is the creation of East Village parent Milena "Mimi" Leznicki, who wanted to build something playful, local, and creative — not just for kids, but for the grownups raising them too. 

Designed for babies and children up to age 7 (along with their parents or guardians), The Rainbow is equal parts play space and community hub, with programming that ranges from music and dance to STEM and sensory activities. 

Leznicki gave us a tour of the space, accompanied by her 3-year-old daughter, Phoebe, and pointed out some of the custom touches that make it feel especially East Village.

East Village artist Tom Manco created colorful playhouses modeled after neighborhood businesses, including Ray's Candy Store and Sunny and Annie's.

The space includes wall art of other East Village buildings...

There's another piece of recognizable local art — Jim Power created a rainbow mosaic for the entrance.

Leznicki said she's loved his work forever and was very excited that he agreed to do this project. 

Daily hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can find The Rainbow on Instagram here.

Saturday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Saturday night with Stella and Ray at Ray's Candy Store, 113 Avenue A at Seventh Street...

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

A crew filmed Ray outside Ray's Candy Store today on Avenue A for a Japanese TV program ... we'll try to get more details on this...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo from Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg)...

• Checking out the newly reopened area of East River Park (Thursday)

• Rossy's Bakery & Café to close after 15 years on 3rd Street (Tuesday) 

• Neighborhood invited to help shape the future of ABC Playground (Tuesday) 

• Packing up Sixth Street Specials (Wednesday) 

• ICYMI: In Tompkins Square Park, Amelia and her new mate welcome first brood together (Monday) 

• Here's Johnny on the Bowery (Friday) 

• Where you can get a copy of the Ray's Candy Store photo book (Sunday) 

• Flock this way: Flamingos Vintage Pound debuts on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

• Key Food new self-checkouts month in review (plus a first look at the new dessert signage) (Friday) 

• Wash Rite Laundromat has closed on 4th Street (Tuesday) 

• Upperz Cafe and Bar announces closing date on 14th Street (Wednesday) 

• Plywood up at Theatre 80 (Wednesday) 

• 'Parent Trap' parody 'Ginger Twinsies' up next at the Orpheum Theatre (Saturday) 

... and from our walk-through of the newly opened area of East River Park on Monday: A message near the Delancey Street pedestrian bridge reading "Next stop, Art Basel."

Where you can get a copy of the Ray's Candy Store photo book

Photo on May 17 by Stacie Joy

We've mentioned "Candy Store," a years-in-the-making photo documentary about Ray's Candy Store.

Photographer Whitney Browne worked part-time at Ray's at 113 Avenue A from 2012-2017 and documented the late-night scene there. 

A percentage of each sale will go to Ray. (During the book launch on May 17, sales generated $1,000 for Ray.)

Anyway, several readers have asked where they buy a copy (we were vague with "select bookstores"):

• Bluestockings, 116 Suffolk St.

• Mast, 72 Avenue A

• The Strand, 828 Broadway

• Village Works, 12 St. Mark's Place

They are also available on Browne's website.

Weekend's parting shots

Photos yesterday by Stacie Joy 

Yesterday (Saturday!) saw the launch of "Candy Store," a years-in-the-making photo documentary about Ray's Candy Store. 

Photographer Whitney Browne worked part-time at Ray's from 2012-2017 and documented the late-night scene there. 

A percentage of each sale will go to Ray. And yesterday, the book sales generated $1,000 for Ray.

A few copies remain at the shop, 113 Avenue A near Seventh Street. Some are also available on Whitney's website and in select bookstores.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a post-graduation scene on Bleecker Street via an EVG reader)... 

• First look at the Whole Foods Market Daily Shop on 14th Street (Wednesday) 

• Day-long CBGB Festival in Brooklyn this September to feature Iggy Pop, Jack White (Monday) 

• Bands we like: Pop Music Fever Dream (PMFD) (Tuesday) 

• Local artists: Friends and 'Neighbors' (Monday) 

• The 2025 edition of the Ukrainian Festival is this weekend on 7th Street (Thursday)

• New photo book captures life inside Ray’s Candy Store (Thursday) 

• Kijitora, a Williamsburg-based coffee shop, is opening an outpost on 14th Street (Monday)

• Matcha House next for the former ChikaLicious space on 10th Street (Monday) 

• That's all for the Dunkin' at 100 1st Ave. (Saturday) 

• Signage alert: Lil Sweet Treat on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Nosh Up (officially) closes down on St. Mark's Place (Monday) 

• The retail spaces for rent in the Untitled building on Avenue A (Tuesday) 

• Owners of Penny and Claud looking at 12th Street space for a possible new project (Monday) 

As we noted on Tuesday, the Village Alliance BID celebrated the unveiling of a new public artwork by Juliana Woods, a first-year student at The Cooper Union. People responded very favorably to her work ... sharing a few more shots here.

Photos courtesy of Village Alliance (Ryan Muir).

Reminder: A book launch for 'Candy Store' at Ray's today

Image via @canigetawhitney 

ICYMI (EVG post here): There is a launch event TODAY (May 17!) from 5-8 p.m. for "Candy Store," a years-in-the-making photo documentary centered entirely on Ray's Candy Store. 

Photographer Whitney Browne worked part-time at Ray's from 2012-2017 and documented the late-night scene at 113 Avenue A.

If you can't make it by today, the books are available for purchase on Whitney's website and in select bookstores. A percentage of each sale will go to Ray.