Showing posts sorted by date for query village green. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query village green. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Monday, August 11, 2025

At look at the coming-soon Corner Bistro

Photos by Stacie Joy 

In late July, someone wrote "Corner Bistro Coming Soon" in green paint on the windows at the currently vacant 94-96 Avenue A at Sixth Street. This likely was not the official coming soon signage the business had planned.
Anyway, the West Village burger institute is opening an outpost in the East Village, as we first noted here

We've been waiting to get more information on timing, etc. However, we haven't heard back from ownership or the attorney who represented Corner Bistro during the May Community Board 3 meeting. CB3 signed off on the liquor license application in May

There is also a public notice on the door for a 500-foot hearing with the State Liquor Authority (SLA) dated Aug. 1.
According to the SLA website, the license remains pending...
To date, we haven't seen much activity from the storefronts, which housed the sports bar Offside Tavern until late last year. Before that, August Laura had a brief run beginning in October 2019 but faced a stop-start schedule during the pandemic and finally closed in December 2021. 

The address is best known as the longtime home of Sidewalk — the restaurant, bar, and live music venue (and host of the Antifolk Festival) that closed in February 2019 after a 34-year run. 

Corner Bistro opened in 1961 on West Fourth Street in the West Village. Elizabeth McGrath — daughter of Corner Bistro's original owners, Bill and Lorraine O'Donnell — took over the business in 2015. 

This wouldn't be the burger institution's first time branching out. Corner Bistro opened a location in Long Island City in 2012, which shuttered in 2020 due to pandemic-related pressures. An outpost at the Gotham West Market food hall in Hell's Kitchen also closed in 2020. 

Sunday, July 27, 2025

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)...

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Checking in on Irving Green

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Nearly three months after opening its doors, Irving Green is settling into its new home on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The shop, which debuted in late April at 321 E. Ninth St., offers a selection of curated homeware and gifts — many with ties to Ireland. 

During a recent visit, the shelves displayed a diverse range of items, including handmade ceramics, natural soaps, linen textiles, and stationery, much of which was sourced from Irish makers.
Owner Alison Doyle, who moved to New York from Ireland 18 years ago, has lived most of that time in the East Village. 

"I spent so many of my weekend mornings browsing local stores in the area, so to be able to open Irving Green on East Ninth Street amongst so many of these same stores has been a dream," she said. "Bringing over some of my favorite Irish brands and seeing a positive reaction from our customers makes it even more special."
She continued:

"Meeting the community has been one of the most fulfilling parts so far. Whether it's the regulars who stop in just to chat or the neighboring business owners who've been so welcoming and supportive." 

The shop is open Tuesday through Friday from noon to 6:30 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. 

You can follow Irving Green on Instagram here.

Sunday, May 4, 2025

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo of the lush wilds of Tompkins Square Park by Stacie Joy)... 

• NYC institution Corner Bistro eyeing an East Village expansion (Friday)

• About the Lower East Side Film Festival: 15 years of keeping it reel (Monday) ... At the opening night of the Lower East Side Film Festival (Friday)

• East Village mainstay Cafe Mogador celebrates its 42nd anniversary (Wednesday

• In Tompkins Square Park, a creative pushback against tech's reach (Sunday

• Last splash? Getting the Tompkins Square Park mini pool prepped for 1 more summer (Tuesday

• Key Food moved things around. We took notes. (Friday

• 14th & C development watch: The beast of 'The East' (Monday

• Happy Lower East Side History Month! (Thursday

• Celebrating the new ownership at the Phoenix (Thursday

• Remembering Jill Sobule (Saturday

• Los Tacos No. 1 coming to Union Square (Monday

• Openings: Irving Green on 9th Street (Tuesday)

• Closings on 14th Street: Amara Coffee, Dua Kafe (Thursday) ... Karma Bookshop has closed for now (Sunday

• The Alchemist’s Kitchen is opening an outpost on the Bowery (Thursday

• Reopneings: Fancy Juice on 1st Avenue (Tuesday

• Pop’s Pizza prepping for soft opening on Avenue B (Wednesday

• Seasoned Vegan Real Quick has closed on 2nd Avenue (Thursday

• Luckin Coffee, China-based powerhouse and Starbucks challenger, opening an outpost on Broadway and 8th Street (Monday

• Why Mimi Cheng's is temporarily closed (Monday

• Adda Indian Canteen is set to debut on 1st Avenue (Wednesday

... and if you noticed a 2014 Prius V dressed up as a Cybertruck outside LaMaMa on Fourth Street in recent days (photo by Derek Berg)...
This was part of LaMaMa's Emerging Choreographers Program from Thursday through yesterday. Synopsis! "'fame hOle' is a mobile dance opera created by Alex Romania and Stacy Lynn Smith set inside their 2014 Prius V; a conceptual roadshow on the impossible nature of the touring act of life in general in a collapsing colonial empire." 

Find info on other LaMaMa programs here.

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Openings: Irving Green on 9th Street

Image via @IrvingGreenNYC 

Irving Green debuted on Saturday at 321 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Per the Irving Green Instagram account, this is an "East Village destination for curated homeware and gifts with a touch of Irish charm." And it's a great fit along with the like-minded small shops on the block.

Opening hours are Tuesday through Friday from noon to 6:30 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m."

The shop takes over for the March Hare, which closed at the end of January. Read about that here.

Sunday, April 13, 2025

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo on 3rd Avenue by Derek Berg)... 

• Leadership dispute erupts at the Sixth Street Community Center as longtime executive director dismissed (Thursday

• RIP Clem Burke (Monday)

• East Village musician Jesse Malin bringing his life story to the Gramercy Theatre (Wednesday

• Saved from the dumpster: Classic Lower East Side signage rescued (Wednesday

• A visit to Holographic Studios on 2nd Street (Tuesday

• Why an East Village business chose a modified shipping container for its curbside service (Thursday

• Brooklyn's Maya Taqueria is bringing California-style tacos to Avenue A (Wednesday

• New East Village café aims to blend coffee and creativity (Monday

• First look at the revamped dog café Boris & Horton (Friday) 

• A Record Store Day appreciation of East Village record stores (Saturday

• Angels on A has closed (Tuesday)

• Fancy Juice moving up 1st Avenue (Monday)

• Signage alert: Bánh Mì Café on 10th Street (Monday) ... The Burger Guy on Avenue A (Monday

• On Avenue B, Green Line gets trimmed (Friday

• Would Chelsea and Rick from season 3 of 'The White Lotus' live in the East Village? (Sunday

• Openings: Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao on Houston Street (Tuesday)

Saturday, March 15, 2025

EVG Etc.: Tracking down an Elvis bust; remembering Michael Stewart

2017 photo of Elvis at Great Jones Cafe... see link below for more 
Local stories of interest from other sources this past week include... 

• LES man indicted in brutal murder of roommate (Gothamist ... DA's office)

• Three men were sentenced to prison in a murder-for-hire conspiracy among rivals on the LES (1010 WINS ... DA's office

• Hochul and Trump meet again to discuss congestion pricing... and maybe the once-dead Constitution Pipeline project (Gothamist

• NYC's nightlife mayor was hit with more than $350,000 in court judgments (The City

• Lawmakers and union demand NYU Langone resume offering gender-affirming care for minors (City & State

• The city's Open Streets program needs more funding to survive (Streetsblog

• A compelling read on what became of the Elvis bust at the former Great Jones Cafe (The New Yorkeryou may get a freebie; otherwise, subscription required

• Read a passage from Elon Green's new book on Michael Stewart, "The Man Nobody Killed" (CrimeReads) ... WYNC and Hellgate have more on Green's book and the life and death of Stewart, the artist who was killed by transit cops at 14th and First in 1983. 

• The legacy of East Village artist-designer Dan Friedman 30 years after his death (artnet

• Photographer Bobby Grossman's Corn Flakes boxes featuring downtown luminaries are on display at the Ki Smith Gallery, 170 Forsyth St. on the LES (official site ... 

• A review of "Bunny," Ben Jacobson's East Village-set comedy that premiered at SXSW (The Hollywood Reporter ... Deadline

• The 2025 New Colossus Festival helped revive NYC's music scene (American Songwriter ... previously on EVG

• F*Bomb Productions presents a Ramones tribute at Baker Falls on March 28 (Tickets

• Are the scones at Mary O's on Seventh Street worth the wait in line? (BuzzFeed ... previously on EVG) ... A feature on Mary O (NBC News)

• See "Bonnie & Clyde" on a big screen this weekend (Village East by Angelika)

Sunday, March 9, 2025

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a crescent moon watch from 2nd Avenue)... 

• Q&A with Steven Matrick, co-founder of the New Colossus Festival, taking place this week at East Village and Lower East Side music venues (Tuesday

• The return of Lucy's (Monday)

• Tompkins Square Park field house refurbished, reopening nears after final inspections (Tuesday

• RIP Hal Hirshorn (Wednesday

• A group of runners is hoping the city will add lighting to the new East River Park track (Thursday

• At Night Club 101 with Hello Mary (Monday

• Meet the new owner of Boris & Horton (Monday

• Ashes to ashes: A to-go twist on Ash Wednesday (Wednesday

• One-time studio home of Joey Ramone is for sale at the St. Mark (Monday

• Coming this spring to 9th Street: Irving Green (Thursday

• Openings: Bateman's on 6th Street (Thursday

• On 7th Street, the Instant Noodle Factory is closing; noodle liquidation sale commences (Monday

• Interesting new business opens on the Bowery and Houston (Wednesday)

• From pizza to politics: Eleven B serves up a new campaign HQ on Avenue B (Wednesday)

• Signage alert: Butter Smashburgers on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday

... and EVG reader Bryan K. shared this Christmas tree discard with us from Second Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... Per Bryan, "Trying to camouflage the shame by dropping it among some old tree branches!"

Thursday, March 6, 2025

Coming this spring to 9th Street: Irving Green

Photos by Steven

Renovations are underway inside 321 E. Ninth St., between First Avenue and Second Avenue, where Irving Green will open this spring.
Per its Instagram account, this is an "East Village destination for curated homeware and gifts with a touch of Irish charm." 

The shop takes over for the March Hare, which closed at the end of January. Read about that here.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Do you have what it takes to be the coolest block in the neighborhood?

So, do you think your block is cool? Here's a chance to prove it.

This month, the Lower East Side Ecology Center is launching "The Coolest Block in the Lower East Side" (and NOT a Magnetic Fields song), billed as "an exciting new initiative designed to encourage community stewardship of street trees in the East Village, Lower East Side and Chinatown neighborhoods.''

OK! What else?
... this community-driven contest fosters environmental awareness, local engagement, and a healthy dose of competition, bringing together neighbors, schools, and organizations to transform their blocks into vibrant, green spaces. 

Residents, community groups, block associations, schools, and local organizations are invited to compete for the title of the Coolest Block in the Lower East Side. Participants will focus on key street tree care activities such as soil aeration, mulching, watering, and general cleanup, all while showcasing creativity and community spirit. 
Interested? Then, fill out this Interest Form.

There will also be a kick-off event on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Sixth Street Community Center. For event information, click this link

Monday, January 6, 2025

What are they now? The fate of several unlicensed cannabis shops in the East Village

As 2024 unfolded, illegal smoke shops closed rapidly in the East Village and around NYC. 

The latest casualty is the unmarked place that opened in the former Good Beer space at 422 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. The legal documents on the storefront are dated Jan. 2. (Thanks to Steven for these two photos.)
Here's a look at a few other formerly unlicensed spots, like the Village Happy House at 127 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, which is now for lease. 
The ex-Goodies Shop is also for lease at 324 Bowery near Bleecker...
At 44 First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, Exotic Green House shuttered and morphed into Rainbow Spa, which offers "body work"...
At 143 First Ave., the former Smart Smokers (dumb name!), Jason Corey of The Immigrant on Ninth Street and Jennifer Murphy are behind a new venture called Banshee. The restaurant will serve oysters and other fresh seafood. 

Banshee is on this month's CB3-SLA committee docket for a new liquor license for the storefront between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. (Application here. And thanks to Jake for the photo.)
In August 2023, a new city law that holds commercial landlords responsible for renting storefronts to unlicensed cannabis shops went into effect.
 
Introduction 1001-B, also known as Local Law 107 of 2023, prohibits commercial space owners from knowingly leasing to unlicensed sellers of marijuana or tobacco products and imposes fines of up to $10,000 on landlords for violations. 

While the illegal shops are disappearing, leaving plenty of available storefront inventory, expect many new licensed establishments in the year ahead.

According to the Post:
The legal cannabis industry will take New Yorkers even higher in 2025, with state regulators projecting the number of new licensed pot stores will more than double — soaring from 275 to more than 625.

The Office of Cannabis Management said sales in 2025 could exceed $1.5 billion, or about double last year's haul while law enforcement will expand efforts to padlock illegal stores.
You can find a map of legal cannabis dispensaries here.

 Previously on EV Grieve

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

The wild project is fundraising to purchase its home on 3rd Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The performance venue wild project is looking to secure its future in the East Village with a capital fundraising campaign to purchase its building located at 195 E. Third St., between Avenue A and Avenue B.

I recently met with operations manager Chris Moseley (pictured above) to tour the space and learn more about the campaign called Root Us in the LES.
Wild project is known for supporting diverse independent theater, film, music, visual arts, and spoken-word performers. It seeks to solidify its permanent home and protect one of NYC's eco-friendly theater spaces. 

The 89-seat, ADA-compliant venue stands out with its environmentally conscious features, including solar panels, a rooftop garden, LED lighting and repurposed bamboo risers. 
However, if the necessary funds are not raised by February to purchase the $5 million building, the space may be sold to the highest bidder, potentially closing another arts venue in downtown Manhattan.

The campaign received a boost last year with a $1 million grant from former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and a $250,000 grant from the LoCAP fund, facilitated by State Sen. Brian Kavanaugh. To secure a low-cost mortgage and complete the purchase, wild project must raise an additional $1 million through federal, state, local, community, and foundation support. 

Since 2007, wild project has hosted over 55,000 patrons and supported more than 12,000 artists through programs like Wild Culture, Sound Stage and MainStage. These initiatives emphasize theater access and outreach for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists, offering free or affordable venue space to theater companies supporting 1,200 to 1,500 creators annually.
As NYC's community continues to face rising rents and venue closures, the wild project represents more than just one theater's survival — it's a fight to preserve the spirit of independent arts in the East Village.
I talked with Mosely more about the wild project's prospects and hopes for the future.
Why is it important for the wild project to be able to buy the space, and why now? 

The downtown theatre ecosystem cannot afford to lose another space there simply aren't enough left. Earlier this fall, our neighbors at the Connelly Theater were forced to close, putting the community at a serious crossroads. 

But the harsh reality is that over the past several years, the theater landscape has experienced devastating losses in affordable space for artists. Local artists can feel this urgency. We need to ensure our legacy in the East Village by providing free and subsidized space to our independent artists and resident companies.

Our capital campaign is called Root Us in the LES because we want artists, patrons, and all our supporters to know we are putting down permanent roots in the community. We have nurtured our theater for so long that planting roots will provide us a solid foundation to serve artists and members of our community for generations to come. 

Artistic Director Ana Mari de Quesada, Director Tom Escovar, myself, and our entire staff of technicians and front-of-house employees — we have all lovingly put so much hard work and dedication into wild project. This fast-approaching deadline of February 2025 may seem like a high mountain to climb, but it is achievable with the help of our community! 

We are determined to meet our goal and preserve the history and future of the East Village and Lower East Side as welcoming and accessible places for all artists. 

How is the wild project involved in the East Village and LES community, and how will this purchase affect the neighborhood in the future? 

Beyond being a space for artists, wild project has always been embedded in our neighborhood. We partner with Sixth Street Center's Climate Justice Program to give young people in our community hands-on experience with gardening on our green roof. We host an annual Halloween block party with our small-business partners to provide local families a fun and safe place to celebrate the holiday. We lend our audio equipment to the folks at the Miracle Garden across from us for poetry readings. We host a summer camp in partnership with the Educational Alliance that provides local students from PS 140 with workshops that teach artists about the various aspects of theater to inspire the next generation of artists. 

We have this unique opportunity to purchase our building, continue our legacy in the East Village, and keep fostering this community in our corner of New York. If we are unsuccessful and our building is put on the market, another apartment complex of unaffordable housing will likely go up in its place. 

How can people help? 

Donations to our capital campaign are the most tangible way to help. If just 4,000 people donated $250, we could secure a down payment for an affordable mortgage. People can also help by spreading the word! By talking to their friends and family about wild project, posting about it on social media — simply telling the people in their lives helps move our story forward.

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo by Louise & Danny)...

• Election Night 2024 (Wednesday

• Mixed messages about the future of 7-Eleven on Avenue A (Monday

• The return of O'Flaherty's, now on Allen Street for the next month with Matthew Barney & Alex Katz (Thursday) ... At the opening of 'The Bitch' at O'Flaherty's (Saturday

• On Sunday, a sneak preview of Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop ahead of its Nov. 16 grand opening (Friday

• A new East Village vintage clothing store opens, and a cat is the curator (Tuesday

• Halloween night with Pretty Sick at Bowery Ballroom (Monday

• B Cup Café is on the move on Avenue B (Tuesday

• About the Community Boutique & Café, an inclusive gathering place on 12th Street (Thursday

• It's not just you — the whole area smells like smoke. Here's why. (Saturday

• More stabilization work at the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center (Thursday

• 325 E. 14th St., sells and farewell to the Crocodile Lounge sidewalk awning (Monday

• Owner of 2 Brooklyn restaurants taking over the Lollo space on Avenue B (Thursday)

• Coming attractions: Mrs. Green on 14th Street (Tuesday

• Renovations underway at the former Boulton & Watt (Thursday)

• The former Houston Village Farm is for rent (Tuesday

• A bad sign at the Sunflower East Village on 2nd Street (Monday

• Stuffed closes and the owners promise 'a brand new, never seen before' ice cream concept (Monday)

Also, this past week, workers removed the sidewalk bridge from Third Street and Avenue A (part of the ongoing work at the First Houses).
Also! The Budget Mart on A between Second and Third is expected to open SOON (photo below by Stacie Joy).


Wednesday, October 9, 2024

What's next for the former smoke shop next to Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A?

Green World Convenience has been closed in recent months next to Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

We got some closure, so to speak, last week: The Marshal paid a visit on Oct. 1, and the landlord is now in legal possession of the space.
The unlicensed shop opened last fall, and was pretty promotional with sidewalk boards advertising flowers, edibles and pre-rolls. 

The business was, until May 2023, known as East Village New Deli. Then, in June 2023, it returned without the deli counter... only to close again and reopen as another exotic snack shop/weed shop. 

We have no idea what might be next... how about: Bring back Alphabets!

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

A look at the ongoing renovations at First Houses

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

We've fielded several queries about the extensive renovations at the city-owned First Houses on Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street, both in the residences and above the strip of retail spaces.
For starters, a little history of the eight four-story and five-story buildings with the residential entrances on the south side of Third Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. First Houses was the first publicly funded low-income housing project in the U.S., opening in December 1935 under the auspices of the just-created New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). 

First Houses was originally planned to house 120 to 122 families, and all apartments had steam heat, hot water and were equipped with the modern amenities typically found in middle-class housing. Within two months of opening a rental office for the project, the Housing Authority received between 3,000 and 4,000 applications. Prospective tenants were carefully selected by a team of social workers, with preference given to the inhabitants of the worst slums and relatively small families. All but one of the families chosen were residents of the Lower East Side. 

First Houses became a NYC Landmark in 1974. 
In recent decades, the buildings have shown their age, revealing ongoing bureaucracy issues plaguing the NYCHA.

In 2011, City Limits documented many of the residents' issues here. There were stories of mice eating their way through the worn floorboards and a resident battling the NYCHA for 15 years over a persistent leak. 

Fast forward to the start of the renovations last year. According to an architect working on the $24.8-million roofing replacement and exterior restoration:
[The] project is for restorative work throughout all of the facades of buildings within the complex, including rebuilding brick parapets in kind, repointing masonry and replacing brickwork, precast coping stones and metal lintels. 

Entrance porticos will be temporarily removed to allow for the replacement or restoration of green-painted cast iron columns and railings. Work on porticos includes the replacement of portico copper roofs, copper cornices, new concrete entrance stairs, landings, and footings, and replacement of nearby concrete or asphalt pavers pathways. Roofs of all buildings will be replaced with new liquid-applied roofing membrane over new insulation. 
In addition, the construction site manager told us: "We are replacing the roof and doing masonry restoration. We've also started on the interior work, which includes drywalling and lead and asbestos removal." 

Here's a look around the complex earlier this summer...
As you may have noticed, many tenants have moved out, including the local folk hero known as The Chillmaster, known for blasting classic R&B from his open window (year-round).

Local Assemblymember Harvey Epstein told us that tenants were temporarily relocated to other complexes, including the Jacob Riis Houses and the Wald Houses, and some public housing further away from the Lower East Side. 

Epstein said that all tenants can return to the First Houses upon completion of the work, set for 2025, per the posted signage.