Photo by Derek Berg
As seen along Seventh Street near Second Avenue...
Sunday, November 17, 2024
Week in Grieview
• After over 50 years, Ludlow Garage on the Lower East Side to close its doors (Thursday)
• Lower East Side indie mainstay Rockwood Music Hall abruptly closes, musicians say (Monday)
• When is the 2024 Cookie Walk? (Wednesday)
• On Monday, the Ukrainian Museum will open with free entry to mark 1,000 days of resilience (Saturday)
• The Avenue A 7-Eleven is now closed. The reason why may not surprise you. (Tuesday) ... And then there 0 — the last of the 4 East Village 7-Elevens is closing this week (Wednesday) ... The 7-Eleven on the Bowery has closed (Saturday)
• Boris & Horton seeks new owner to save East Village cafe despite crowdfunding success (Monday) ... Boris & Horton preparing to close East Village cafe at the end of the month (Tuesday)
• Knock Out Café bringing coffee, art and yoga to 13th Street (Wednesday)
• Budget Mart is OPEN on Avenue A (Friday)
• Ben's Deli is really truly ready to reopen SOON (Thursday)
• Awning alert on the Bowery as Dark Matter Coffee's new cafe comes into view (Monday)
• Openings: Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop (Saturday)
• A Veteran's Day tribute in StuyTown (Monday)
• Tipsy Shanghai eyes former Monsieur Vo space on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)
• Coming attractions: Fomo Momo on 1st Ave. (Monday)
• Licensed cannabis shop The Flowery blooms on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday)
• On 13th and A, corner markets come and go (Monday)
• The Union Square Holiday Market returns (gulp) tomorrow (Wednesday)
• Opening alert: Joe's Wine Co. on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday)
... and if you're a Bluesky person, we set up on that platform this past week...
One week later: Still no word from Rockwood Music Hall after closure
Since then, Rockwood has not made any public statements about the closure, whether on social media or its website. (They did disable the calendar.) There also aren't any messages on the door for patrons.
The sudden shutter sent the bands set to take the Rockwood stage Sunday and beyond scrambling. For instance, California-based singer and songwriter Arielle Silver found another gig in the neighborhood, as she wrote in the EVG comments.
We heard from some Rockwood faithful who were disappointed at the club's radio silence, especially after its crowdfunding appeal in June 2023 in a bid to remain open.
Still facing financial challenges, Rockwood announced last November that the venue was "getting back to basics" and closing its Stage 2 space, which debuted in 2010 with a 175-person capacity. Nick Boder of Baker Falls is opening at the old Stage 2 address, as we first reported.
Rockwood's Boston outpost also abruptly closed in May, which "came as a surprise to ticket holders as well as artists who were booked to play the venue in the coming days and months."
Owner Ken Rockwood opened the NYC venue in 2005.
Sunday's opening shots
Photos by Stacie Joy
Yesterday, we stopped by and checked out the curated selection of used, vintage, and designer items for sale inside the gallery space at 629 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.
As mentioned on Friday, a few local artists and curators came together for this pop-up sale...
The sale continues today from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, November 16, 2024
On Monday, the Ukrainian Museum will open with free entry to mark 1,000 days of resilience
Photo by Oleksandr Glyadelov
Courtesy of the Ukrainian Museum
On Monday, the Ukrainian Museum will be open to the public with free admission to mark the 1,000th day since the Russian invasion.
Here's more:
In honor of 1,000 days since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian Museum will open its doors for a day of reflection, resilience, and remembrance.Join us on Monday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., with free entry for all visitors, as we stand united in support of Ukraine. Experience the power of Ukrainian art, history, and culture firsthand, and connect with a community committed to preserving and uplifting Ukraine’s story.
On this day only, in addition to the exhibitions on view now, "Alexandra Exter: The Stage Is A World," "Volia: Ukrainian Modernism," and "UKR|RUS," we will be displaying photographs from the frontlines of Ukraine taken by Oleksandr Glyadyelov, which were on view during our "Oleksandr Glyadyelov Fragments" exhibition this past summer.Let's come together to honor this important day, amplifying Ukraine's voice through art and solidarity.
The museum is at 222 E. Sixth St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.
The 7-Eleven on the Bowery has closed
This was the second 7-Eleven to close in the East Village this week. The owner of the Avenue A 7-Eleven blamed the rampant thefts for his store's closure.
An employee at the Bowery outpost said: "People — they're breaking things, stealing, scaring away customers at the door."
The Bowery store opened in December 2011... and it was the first of four to open in the East Village, ushering in a wave of storefront suburbanization that repelled some residents.
The St. Mark's Place outpost closed in 2013, with 14th Street going in 2021.
Also, the outpost that opened at 813 Broadway between 11th Street and 12th Street closed a while ago.
Saturday's opening shot (aka, Merry Christmas!)
Friday, November 15, 2024
Friday's parting shot
Read more about November's Full Beaver Moon (no snickering!) here.
The 'Pleasure' principle
The Vermont-based Thus Love is back with album No. 2, titled All Pleasure, a euphoric post-punk collection of tracks such as the self-titled single in the video above. (And we'd put "Birthday Song" as one of the best of 2024.)
We really enjoyed seeing them live this past summer in Tompkins Square Park. They'll be back around on Jan. 17, opening for the Vaccines at Brooklyn Steel.
This weekend, 'A curated selection of used, vintage and designer things'
"A good old-fashioned stoop sale (but in an art gallery). Local artists and curators selling their wares."
Taking place today through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 629 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.
Reminders: Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop opens tomorrow (Saturday)
Photos by Stacie Joy
As noted (here and here), Mary O's proprietor, Mary O'Halloran, is opening a new cafe at 93 1/2 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.
The grand debut (after Sunday's sneak preview, seen above) for Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop is tomorrow, Saturday, starting at 7 a.m.
The shop's main attraction is soda bread scones, which she makes from her mother's recipe in Ireland and serves with jam. She's also offering coffee via Superlost in Brooklyn.
EVG Etc.: The end of mandatory broker fees; the return of congestion pricing
• City Council passes bill that shifts broker fees to landlords (ABC 7 ... The Associated Press)
• RIP Cowboy Ray Kelly, sculptor, leader of the Rivington School, and co-founder of the performance space NoSeNo (Legacy.com)
• The latest from the Daniel Penny trial (Gothamist)
• City announces 'Drone as First Responder' program (NYC.gov ... Daily News)
• Brush fires reach historic levels across NYC (The City)
• Recently arrived immigrants from Africa are turning to Instacart outside places like Wegmans on Astor Place with few other options for work (Streetsblog)
• Knickerbocker Village on the LES was the only district in Manhattan where Trump received the majority of votes (The Post)
• Post-election therapy in the form of Post-it notes in an underpass at the 14th Street subway complex (Hyperallergic)
• A look at four co-named streets in the neighborhood (Village Preservation)
• At the Swiss Institute Benefit Gala (Cultured)
• What to eat at YongChuan, a 2-month-old restaurant that opened at 90 Clinton St., above Delancey, that is the lone restaurant in Manhattan focusing on the cuisine of Ningbo, a port city in the Zhejiang province, south of Shanghai (Eater)
• Almost time for "A Christmas Carol at the Merchant's House: Charles Dickens in New York, 1867" (Merchant's House Museum)
• Two chances to see "Downtown 81" on a big screen (Metrograph)
• About a local resident's AI wingman (Observer)
... and if you're a Bluesky person, we set up on that platform this week...
Budget Mart is OPEN on Avenue A
The windows feature a variety of throw pillows and Christmas decorations... a quick scan inside showed ample amounts of kitchen appliances and gadgets, storage containers, household cleaning supplies, socks, undershirts, slippers (a lot of slippers), suitcase, etc.
We'll do a deeper dive on it later.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
After over 50 years, Ludlow Garage on the Lower East Side to close its doors
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Ludlow Garage is closing its doors on Saturday after more than 50 years in business.
Co-owner Jerome Vasconcellos (below left) and his brother-in-law, Mario Marques, decided to sell their auto repair mechanic shop at 151 Attorney St. between Houston and Stanton and rent out the Ludlow Garage body shop directly across the street.
Mario has been in the business for 57 years, Jerome for 51. Ludlow Garage was on Ludlow between Rivington and Stanton before moving to Attorney Street in 1982.
The two own both buildings and the businesses housed in them.
The new owner of the complete auto repair/mechanic building on the west side of the street will be using the space as a private garage for personal use to store his vehicles — it will not be torn down.
The body shop will be rented out, and the new owner taking over the smaller space will likely keep the three employees.
I asked Jerome a series of questions while visiting the garage on Tuesday.
Why sell now after all these years?
"We're tired. OK, we're tired," Jerome told me. "We work six days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day, you know? Maybe I am going to spend a little time with my kids. Enjoy time with them, make it up to them for when I wasn't there. When you own a business, it's tough. I'm ready to retire… and move down to Florida. One of my kids lives in the Bronx, and two live in Florida."
"I get up at 4:30 in the morning so I can leave Rockland County [where Jerome and his wife Letitia, the shop's office manager, live], and I don't leave here until 6 p.m., so I don't get home until 7:30, depending on traffic. It's a lot of hours."
Where will Ludlow Garage customers go?
"I'm selling the customer database to someone reputable so customers can still get service," Jerome said. "So when they call this number, it will go to another mechanic shop."
Have you told your customers?
"Yeah, the customers know. All my good customers have my personal cell phone — they can call me if they have a problem, and you know I will refer them, or if they need advice, I can help," he said. "I have customers who left here years ago still call me from Wisconsin, Ohio, all over — just for advice. I tell them, "Just text me, and I'll get back to you right away." I always call back. The way I do business — it's not about the money; it's about doing the right thing."
And what will happen to the remaining vehicles?
"I am trying to notify every customer. The new owner will take possession in February, but I have six weeks to get this place emptied."
And across the street at the body shop?
"The new renter will start in January. He'll change the name. But he hasn't said the new name yet."
What would you say to the people who are sad about the closure?
"I would say, first of all, thank them for the business they've given us — the whole neighborhood has given me the opportunity to serve them. I appreciate everything over the years," he said. "I came to this community from nothing and watched it go from bad to better. I've seen the whole transition. I come from Guyana."
He's emotional, and I am, too. On a personal note, I see these folks all the time, and I will miss them.
I blink back a tear and grab my camera equipment to get some photos of the team, the space, the cars, and the equipment. The team points out a 100-year-old car ("from 1925, Stacie!"), a historic rotor and break machine on its way to the Bronx, and a few vehicles that Jerome is working on restoring.
Jerome later lets me on the truck lift for an elevated vantage point for photos. He jokes, "Don't jump! We don't have insurance for that."
Tipsy Shanghai eyes former Monsieur Vo space on 2nd Avenue
Photos by Steven
The owners of Tipsy Shanghai are planning on opening a restaurant at 104 Second Ave. at the NE corner of Sixth Street.
Reps are on this month's CB3-SLA committee docket for a beer-wine license, though they have received conditional approval and won't be appearing at Monday's meeting.
Tipsy Shanghai serves traditional Chinese cuisine and has locations in the West Village and Murray Hill. (Their outpost on East Broadway closed last year.)
While the chainlet started in 2018, its signage notes "century-old restaurant from China."
Monsieur Vo closed here earlier in the fall after a September 2022 debut.
And until a time in 2007, the storefront was Bamboo House!
Ben's Deli is really truly ready to reopen SOON
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Temp signage went up this week at Ben's Deli, the closed-for-renovations market at 32 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street.
Owner Sammy Ksem (pictured above left with Sam) said a new permanent sign is coming. However, they want to make sure the new one is correct. In August, the city made Sammy remove the previously new sign, saying it was too large. The city also hit him with a $6,000 fine.
Sammy said he is frustrated with how long the renovations have dragged on at the shop. (They closed in September 2023.)
However, Ben's is ready to reopen ANY DAY NOW...
The space includes a revamped deli counter with, among other items, an all-day breakfast...
There's also a party in the works to welcome the neighborhood back.
Meanwhile, you can still expect to see previous longtime (40-plus years!) owner Ben Gibran and his family at the shop. Ben sold the business to his cousin Sammy in early 2023 and has remained a presence here... chain smoking in his van outside while watching Snakes of Africa videos on YouTube.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
And then there 0 — the last of the 4 East Village 7-Elevens is closing this week
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
And then there were none.
After 13 years on the Bowery between Third Street and Fourth Street, the 7-Eleven is closing its doors.
The posted signage states the store has permanently shuttered, though it was still open for business on Monday.
The cashier on duty said they'd likely be open until Friday.
Unlike the Avenue A outpost that had been slowly emptied out, there is still a lot of merchandise at the Bowery 7-Eleven...
The owner of the Avenue A 7-Eleven blamed the rampant thefts for his store's closure.
While an official explanation for the shutter wasn't offered on the Bowery, the cashier told me, "Things are very bad now."
"People — they're breaking things, stealing, scaring away customers at the door," he said while pointing to the entrance where there were several panhandlers. "Very bad."
The Bowery store opened in December 2011... and it was the first of four to open in the East Village, ushering in a wave of storefront suburbanization that repelled some residents. (On Avenue A, the No 7-Eleven group spoke out against the pending arrival of the multinational chain.)
The St. Mark's Place outpost closed in 2013, with 14th Street going in 2021.
Seven & I Holdings, the chain's Japan-based parent company, revealed in an earnings report last month that it would close more than 400 "underperforming" stores, CNN reported. The company did not provide a list of store locations, and it wasn't known if the two remaining East Village locations were on the list.
When is the 2024 Cookie Walk?
The two-day Walk takes place in the church basement on Dec. 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. ... and Dec. 15 from noon to 3 p.m. (or until they run out).
As the name suggests, you take one of the provided boxes (or two) and walk around cookie-filled tables (no sampling!) to pick your faves.
More details will follow (we haven't seen the event listed online just yet).
And not to ruin the holiday mood... but SantaCon also takes place on Dec. 14.
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