Season's Supermarket Greetings

Photos by Stacie Joy 

While out and about this holiday season, EVG contributor Stacie Joy starting keeping tabs on the neighborhood's grocery stores (such as Associated on Avenue C above) to see how the markets were decorating for the season. 

Many places were on the bah-humbug-y side, perhaps with just a few cashier-area holiday tinsel-y ornaments. 

These were the groceries putting in the holiday décor effort, starting with Pioneer/Met Fresh on Avenue D between Eighth Street and Ninth Street ...

... Union Market on Houston and Avenue A...

... H-Mart on Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street ...

...New Yorkers Food Market on Second Avenue between Seventh Street and Sixth Street...

... Whole Foods Market® Bowery ...

... and the clear winner in the grocery holiday games — Key Food on Avenue A and Fourth Street,

Key was also the only shop with any Hanukkah signage and opting for the traditional Chanukah spelling...

Please note that Key closes at 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve (tomorrow) and will be closed all day on Christmas. So plan ahead. (Sidenote: We finally found where they stock the mustard now — aisle 1, which doesn't make sense, after the Great Key Reorganization. Stayed tuned for the next investigative series on mustard presentation.)

Jell & Chill peacing out on 7th Street

After three-plus years at 110 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, Jell & Chill is closing in the days ahead. 

You just have three days left for the shop's traditional handcrafted Bīng Fěn Ice Jelly, a Sichuanese cold dessert jelly. Jell & Chill closes after service on Sunday. 

Per the shop's Instagram account: "Given the current circumstances we chose not to renew our lease." 

The owners are looking to open in another NYC location. 

Hours: Today from 3-8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 2-8 p.m.

Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Happy Haulerdays from Second Avenue!

When Santa Claus came to the Lower East Side — with an assist from the FDNY

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

The 7th Precinct and FDNY Engine 15/Ladder 18/Battalion 4 came together this past Saturday on Pitt Street to help brighten the holidays for some Lower East Side families.

Christopher Lee, co-owner of the Parkside Lounge on Houston and Attorney, filling in for the real Santa Claus who was busy prepping for Dec. 24, distributed toys to happy children and their grateful parents.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was on hand for some of the quality Santa time...

[Updated] NYPD release wanted poster in connection with Avenue A homicide

Updated 12/26

Police have arrested Roland Codrington (see below). He is accused of two murders — on Avenue A and a doctor Friday in Marcus Garvey Park. In both deadly assaults, the victims were killed with a knife. And in both deaths, the suspect did not previously have any interaction with the victims.

More details to follow.

-----

The NYPD is searching for a suspect in connection with the early-morning homicide Monday outside 214 Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street. 

Police have placed reward posters near the crime scene. The poster states the 9th Precinct "is attempting to identify and apprehend this individual." (Thanks to the reader for the photo.)

According to published reports and police sources, 51-year-old James Cunningham was found on the sidewalk with lacerations on his neck just before 1. a.m. He reportedly had a glass of seltzer at Spike's, 218 Avenue A, where he was a regular, per the Daily News, and was attacked after leaving. Police and media reports say that the suspect jumped Cunningham during a confrontation. Police have not yet revealed a motive in the deadly attack.

Sources told the Post that "Cunningham himself was just arrested 10 days ago and charged with menacing with a knife." 

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. All calls are strictly confidential. 

WANTED for Homicide in Manhattan. pic.twitter.com/mwvePZlmQR

— NYPD 121st Precinct (@NYPD121Pct) December 24, 2022

Updated 12/25 

Sources say the suspect, identified as Roland Codrington, is also wanted for an attack at an East Harlem bar on Thursday night.

The following individual has been identified as Roland Codrington. If you have any information on his whereabouts contact @NYPDTips at 800-577-TIPS. https://t.co/7UPzMAj5eA

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 24, 2022

Updated 12/26

Here's the press conference announcing the arrest of Codrington.

Watch as Police Commissioner Sewell and NYPD executives provide an update on an ongoing police investigation. https://t.co/izdFygSP6O

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 26, 2022

A Punk Magazine-Iggy Pop holiday 'Loser' extravaganza at Metropolis

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Iggy Pop recently announced that he has a new record, Every Loser, (his 19th studio album) coming out next month. 

As part of this release, there's also a new edition of Punk Magazine (No. 22 for those of you keeping track) — 47 years after the very first issue. This edition is available along with the record via Iggy's website. 

Ahead of this release, East Village resident John Holmstrom (above), the co-founder, editor and illustrator of Punk Magazine, provided a sneak preview of the edition on Saturday night at Metropolis Vintage on Broadway and 11th Street.

The party included some Punk fans and contributors, such as illustrator Bruce Carleton and East Village-based photographer Godlis...

In a recent newsletter, Holmstrom provided the back story on how this Every Loser issue of Punk came together. 

It started with a text this past July from the record's producer, Andrew Watt, who is a Punk fan (especially Mutant Monster Beach Party in issue No. 15). 

This guy, Andrew Watt, said he wanted me to devote an entirely new issue of Punk to Iggy's new album. He wanted it to be an authentic Punk magazine, with the whole scraggly, hand-lettered mess of photos and comic strips we usually came up with. 

"What was your last issue number?" he once asked.

"Twenty-one," I replied. (Our CBGB Tribute!) 

"Then this will be Punk magazine Number Twenty-two," Andrew said. (And to be honest? He stuck to this promise all the way through. This is an authentic Punk Magazine. I enjoyed complete creative control throughout.) An entire issue devoted to Iggy Pop… Great idea, right? How could I say "No!"? So I agreed to do it. What could go wrong? 

And... 

Andrew told me how he was sure I would like the new Iggy LP. I have to admit I was skeptical at first. You know: "That’s what they all say." A few weeks later, he sent me the tracks, and I was blown away. "Best Iggy Pop solo LP!" I gladly told him. By now, I would have killed an army of Nazi Disco Zombies to produce this new issue of Punk Magazine that details Iggy's amazing career and highlights his amazing new album! 

To me, Iggy was the first "Punk." He started it all, the most important person in the history of punk rock, best musician, most influential, etc. Once I heard this amazing new Iggy LP I started putting ideas together and researching everything about Iggy I could find on the Internet. I have to admit I hadn't kept up with all of the intimate details of Iggy's career since the 1970s, but he was always there. I always noticed that he was up to this or that. 

There's a lot about Iggy Pop on the internet, but most of it refers to The Stooges and Iggy's drug years before he cleaned up his act in the early 1980s. Well, yeah, these are all interesting stories, but mostly old and retold many times over. 

So rather than tell the same old dismal stories about "The Depths of Drug Addiction" or track down the many photos where he cut himself on stage, I decided to focus on Iggy's amazing creative career and his work: a bunch of great studios LPs, lots of quotable Iggy quotes, a massive number of film roles, (too many music videos to list), etc. So I got started on putting together the magazine.

This issue of Punk can only be purchased through the official Iggy Pop website. 

You can subscribe to Holmstrom's newsletter here. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Q-and-A with John Holmstrom, founding editor of Punk Magazine

• A visit to Metropolis Vintage on Broadway

• Go on a tour of Iggy Pop's East Village in 1993

No new trees for these 2 East Village spots

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

On Dec. 1, the city dug up spaces on multiple East Village sidewalks to plant new trees.

Days later, however, we were surprised to see that the newly created tree wells in front of 40 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street and 26 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street were filled in ...

We tracked down a city official who told us the following: "The trees can't go in by 40 Avenue B and 26 Avenue A because the buildings have basements under the sidewalks that Parks found when they excavated. [That is likely] true of the others, though without specific addresses cannot confirm."

Meanwhile, you can follow this link to request a street tree on your block — hopefully in a spot not above a basement. 

Dunkin' debuts on East Houston

Photos by Stacie Joy 

There's a new Dunkin' in town... the outpost debuted Tuesday at 250 E. Houston St. between Avenue A and Avenue B (first mentioned here). 

And it's a pretty spiffy-looking Dunkin' ...

EVG contributor Stacie Joy met the family running this franchise...

There was a Dunkin'/Baskin Robbins combo along this stretch previously... though in the one-level storefronts were demolished to make way for a new 11-story residential building.

Anniversaries: 15 years ago today

The very first post arrived on this site on Dec. 21, 2007. It was an item from Page Six (!!!???) about the possible sale of Sophie's and Mona's, two longtime favorite East Village bars.

The site went by — not joking! — Sophie's Bar Blog for a brief period. (And why not Mona's Bar Blog?) After a few weeks of handwringing, it turned out that the bars would stay in the family and remain pretty much the same to this day 15 years later. (I explain the site's evolution from Sophie's Bar Blog to EVG here.)

Anyway, taking this moment to thank you for reading the site for however long it has been these past 15 years and 38,546 posts, and for sharing in the adventures of living in this neighborhood — for better or worse. And thank you for sharing tips, photos, anecdotes, observations, complaints, and perspectives on day-to-day life here, past and present.

Couldn't do any of this without all of you. 

I'm incredibly grateful to Derek Berg and Steven for their daily contributions... and to Stacie Joy for lending her photography and reporting talents in covering happenings around the neighborhood.

And now, a happy and healthy holiday season to you. (If you have a Christmas tree and need to discard it before leaving town, please place it where we can get a good photo of it!)

 Photoshopped photo from the archives courtesy of EVPinhead. And I give that business six weeks!

Workers arrive with construction materials at the former P.S. 64 on 9th Street

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Workers arrived yesterday and began to unload construction materials, including cement and cinder blocks, plywood, 2x4s and fire suppressants at the long-vacant former P.S. 64, 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.

It's not immediately clear what the scope of the work will entail. The long-standing Stop Work Order and Full Vacant are still on file with the department of buildings.

As always with this address, there's an air of mystery about what is happening. No new work permits were spotted on-site, where none of the workers were seen wearing protective gear while entering the building that has been vacant for 21 years. (There's speculation among some P.S. 64 watchers that workers will be sealing up the entrances to keep people from entering the premises.)

The property that Gregg Singer purchased from the city in 1998 for $3.15 million fell into foreclosure earlier this year and is reportedly in the hands of lender Madison Realty Capital. 

The five-floor building is being offered for use as medical space or educational-related purposes. Meanwhile, some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. 

Last week, Sarah Ferguson filed a lengthy feature for The Village Voice about what has transpired. Among many other things, no one knows who owns the property now. 

This past January, a court ruled that Madison Realty Capital, a $10 billion global private equity firm, can foreclose on the property. Although Singer is fighting that too, he appears to be running out of money. Singer now owes Madison nearly $90 million in interest and principal, along with late fees and interest charges of $30,000 per day, which started accruing as of the January 20 court judgment, according to a report compiled by a court-appointed referee. 

Singer's attorneys and Madison Realty Capital did not respond to numerous calls and emails seeking clarification on the current ownership status of the building or their intentions for it. Both sides were supposed to appear in court in June, but the meeting was postponed, so the fate of this old school is still in limbo.

Some local elected officials, residents and Charas supporters are hopeful the limbo doesn't last another 20-plus years.

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

A moment with Baz today outside his (Mariah-Carey-free) Clash City Tattoo shop, 273 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

Read our 2015 piece with Baz here.

Moroccan specialty shop Timbuktu being forced out after 20 years on 2nd Avenue

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Sad news here... Timbuktu, the Moroccan specialty shop at 45 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street, is closing soon.

Owner Del Blaoui seen here with his daughter and co-worker, Yasmin Blaoui, confirmed the news after we heard about the pending closure from several readers.

According to Del, the new landlords, who took over in the spring of 2021, decided to terminate the shop's lease effective at the end of the month. He learned about the decision via a certified letter.

He said he hopes to have a few more months to liquidate the merchandise. Del has been in the wholesale business for four decades and has been in this location for 20 years.

For now, shoppers can find items with sale prices between 50 and 70%. 

Here's a look inside the cozy store...

Moving forward, Del, who lives in the East Village, said he'd like to stay in the neighborhood if Timbuktu can find a new space.

Timbuktu is open daily from 1-8 p.m. Phone: (212) 473-4955.  

A celebration of Joe Strummer's life this Thursday outside Niagara on 7th and A

This Thursday, Dec. 22, marks the 20th anniversary of Joe Strummer's death. 

The iconic musician and co-founder of the Clash was only 50. He died from a heart attack caused by an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. 

On this occasion, local singer-songwriter and bar owner Jesse Malin is hosting a free busking show outside the Strummer mural at Niagara on the SE corner of Seventh Street and Avenue A. Starting at 6 p.m., up to 20 acts are expected to perform an acoustic cover or two. There's an after-party at 9 p.m. at 96 Tears next door to Niagara. (Malin is an owner of both venues.) 

Dr. Revolt and Zephyr created the first iteration of the Strummer mural here in 2003.

And in case you've never seen this... here's the video of "Redemption Song" by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros that shows the mural's creation ... and a bonus clip below that...

 

Signage alert: Caleta on Avenue A, with a Jan. 7 debut

The storefront is shaping up at 131 Avenue A between Ninth Street and St. Mark's Place... where Caleta now has an expected opening date of Jan. 7 (per Instagram). 

As noted in September, real-life couple Jesse Merchant Zuñiga and Javier Zuñiga are opening their first restaurant ... this comes after they launched the pandemic-era business Bad Habit ice cream from their apartment.

During the day, they will serve cartons of their ice cream. And by night, as Eater reported, Caleta "will offer a New American small plates menu to pair with wine, cartons of their ice cream, as well as desserts that use Bad Habit product like baked Alaska." 

The space was previously Thai Direct, which closed following a COVID-related rent dispute with the landlord, per the restaurant's ownership.

H/T Steven!