ICYMI: Medan Pasar is now open and serving Malaysian cuisine from this 7th Street space

Another ICYMI recap from Dec. 24: Medan Pasar is now serving Malaysian cuisine from 102 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

They are currently open for takeout or delivery starting at 11:30 a.m. Find their menu here. Or call them at (646) 756-4006.

The Instagram account @eastvillagefoodfinds highlighted their Nasi Lemak with Beef Rendang in a post last week: "Full of flavor, some nice kick and a stick-to-your ribs meal overall — perfect for keeping you warm in these cold months." 

Closings: The Dip, Williamsburg Pizza

A for-rent sign now hangs outside the western storefront at 58 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... officially marking the end of the Dip's tenure here. (Thanks to Steven for the photo.) 

The quick-serve restaurant that served a variety of sandwiches went dark in the fall ... and they didn't respond to requests about their reopening status. 

The Dip opened in November 2019, and barely had four months in business before it had to shut down for the PAUSE in March. Still, they made an impression in their short time here... people seemed to like their specialty dish — the French Dip sandwich. 

The other retail space at the address is also vacant. The Clay Pot closed next door at the end of the summer. 

Meanwhile, on 14th Street, Williamsburg Pizza looks as if it won't be reopening here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...

This outpost has been closed since the PAUSE... and the space was emptied out in the past week ... the pizzeria's other four locations remain in service...

This outpost of the popular pizzeria only opened in December 2019.

New development (Stella!) at Houston and Avenue C finally sheds its sidewalk bridge

Construction is past the four-year mark now at 11 Avenue C (aka 350 E. Houston St.) where work continues at this new 10-story residential building ... one notable milestone — the sidewalk bridge has been removed from around the triangular-shaped property... 

And it turns out the building has a name — Stella ... as seen now above the main entrance on Second Street...

Stella joins the other newer residential buildings nearby bearing a single name — The Adele and The Robyn. 

And here are a few more views of Stella, where some renters will have a balcony and floor-to-ceiling window views of East Houston and Avenue C ...

BLDG Management is the developer behind the project, which will feature 46 residential units and ground-floor retail. Still no word on pricing or availability just yet.

Foundation work began in December 2016 here on this lot that housed the neighborhood's last gas station. The well-worn plywood rendering lists a March 2018 completion date. Why the delay? Architect of record Rotwein+Blake previously stated that "the narrow triangular site presented numerous challenges from its odd shape to zoning constraints."

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Workers officially reach the top at 11 Avenue C, where a 10-floor building sits on the neighborhood's last gas station

... and a 2011 flashback...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included... 

• East Village Loves NYC prepares 1st holiday feast; tops more than 70,000 meals made for hungry New Yorkers in 2020 (Wednesday) 

• A Visit with Frank "Frankie Christmas" Bianco (Tuesday) 

• This East Village resident is holding a one-man protest against landlord Steve Croman (Tuesday)

• High winds takes down the B&H Dairy awning (Friday) 

• About Evil Katsu, a pop-up ghost kitchen now open on the Lower East Side (Monday) 

• East Village season's greetings (Friday)

• Gallery Watch: Mrs. Evan Williams by Jamian Juliano-Vilan at JTT Gallery (Wednesday) 

• This week's NY See panel (Thursday) 

• The Village Voice is returning, and is this a good thing? (Wednesday)

• You may now drive — or jump up and down on — 1st Avenue at 7th Street again (Wednesday ... Monday) 

• Sweet Generation is leaving the East Village (Thursday)

• MiGarba shuts down on 4th Avenue: "We close due to New York restrictions and unsustainable rent" (Monday) 

• The now-closed Bleecker Street Bar looks to relocate to Broadway (Monday) 

• Sauced Up! spreads its wings on 2nd Avenue (Monday) 

• Medan Pasar now serving Malaysian cuisine on 7th Street (Thursday) 

• Signage reveal for Greenwich Marketplace on 4th Avenue (Thursday) 

• Teso Life is open on St. Mark's Place (Monday) 

• EVG turns 13 — thank you for the kind words! (Monday)

... and a scene from outdoor dining early last week on Sixth Street...

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

Personal ad as seen on St. Mark’s Place. Must hate Vincent Gallo. pic.twitter.com/HphpMmXDyx

— evgrieve (@evgrieve) December 26, 2020

A post-Christmas Book Swap Sunday

Perhaps you received a book or two as a Christmas gift... and need to make some room on your shelf... then consider dropping by the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B where today marks another Book Swap Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

As the organizers said: "Let's share our used books to help us get through this pandemic together. Leave your donations, and take home some others. Reading is a safe survival tactic!" 

Photo courtesy of Kevin Farley

Saturday's parting shot

A moment from today's free zumba class on Avenue B courtesy of the Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition ... photo by Derek Berg... 

Report: Welcome to Exploding Manhole Season.

As Gothamist points out today, we're now in Exploding Manhole Season, when, as they put it: "The city's creaky tangle of underground utilities is once again under siege from salty water." 

As a result, there have been numerous manhole explosions reported around the city. 

Around here, we've had some smokers, as you can see in the top photo on Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. And this morning, there was a report of a "smoking maintenance hole" on Second Avenue at 13th Street ...

Fortunately, nothing exploded in these two instances. The Gothamist post included this helpful infographic via Con Ed ...

Zumba on the open streets of Avenue B this afternoon

The Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition is hosting a post-holiday zumba event on Avenue B at Ninth Street today from 1-3. 

Per the invite: "Warm up in the cold 🥶 with some FREE #Zumba Saturday All levels welcome (masks & distancing required)."

An early morning view along Avenue A

A view along Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street this morning... after yesterday's reported high of 60, temperatures dropped to the 20s overnight with wind chills in the teens... causing the Avenue A reflective pool to freeze over ...

East Village season's greetings

In recent weeks EVG contributor Stacie Joy has been taking photos of holiday scenes around the neighborhood ... here's a roundup of an East Village Christmas season...

Hello again

 

One last Christmas song for the season... and one we aren't tired of — the recently released "Hello Santa Claus" by the local band Pom Pom Squad.

High winds takes down the B&H Dairy awning on 2nd Avenue

The high winds overnight damaged several outdoor dining spaces ... and it took down the awning at B&H Dairy on Second Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place... (Derek Berg took the top photo; and BW took the shot below...)

B&H's small outdoor space was also damaged by the awning.

It has been a struggle this year for the 82-year-old lunch counter — absence of indoor dining aside... there have been two break-ins ... and the vandalized front window... not to mention the trash mound. 

B&H is currently crowdfunding to stay in business.

Christmas miracles: Joseph C. Sauer Park is back open on 12th Street

Updated: Readers report the gates were locked as early as 1 p.m.

The reconstruction of Joseph C. Sauer Park is complete here on 12th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... and the Park officially reopened today. (Thanks to Choresh Wald for the photo!)

Work appeared to have been completed several days ago, but the space remained locked, prompting questions from community members eager to have access to the Park during the pandemic.

Local Assembly Member Harvey Epstein shared the reopening news yesterday ...

Good News: The Sauer Park project on East 12th Street between Avenues A & B has been completed, and the park will be reopened tomorrow – a Christmas present to the community!

— Harvey Epstein 哈維 D. 艾普斯汀(男) (@HarveyforNY) December 24, 2020

The $4 million renovation — part of Mayor de Blasio’s Community Parks Initiative — originally had a completion date of October 2020, though that was later changed to this month, per the Park's website. The links below provide more history of the project. 

Updated: 

A reader shared this photo from inside today ...

... and an aerial view from a week ago...

Previously on EV Grieve:

• A petition to keep the 8-foot fence at Joseph C. Sauer Park on 12th Street

• Year-long renovations expected soon at Joseph C. Sauer Park on 12th Street; locals want fence to remain at 8 feet

• Pols: Fence at Joseph C. Sauer Park on 12th Street will remain at 8 feet

Thursday's parting shots

HBD to Dr. Anthony Fauci on this Christmas Eve day ... and as seen at Two Boots Pizza on Avenue A and Third Street...

Thanks to EVG regular Greg Masters for the photos!