Work starts on the new 16 Handles on 2nd Avenue

Storefront renovations are underway at 105 Second Ave. at Sixth Street, the future home of 16 Handles.

As reported in June, Neil Hershman, CEO of the frozen-yogurt chain, purchased the four-story building for $4.5 million. The property is expected to house the relocated East Village shop. 

The longtime 16 Handles outpost at 153 Second Ave. closed in January after the operators couldn't reach a lease-renewal agreement with the new landlord. That location, which debuted in 2008, was the first 16 Handles. 

The storefront at 105 Second Ave. had been vacant in recent years following a succession of bank branches. The building once housed part of the Fillmore East and, later, The Saint. 

No word yet on an opening date.

Openings: Flamingos Vintage Pound on 1st Avenue

Flamingos Vintage Pound is now open at 199 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. (First reported here)  ... in a former smoke shop-convenience store.

The shop sells secondhand clothing by the pound — currently priced at $17.99 per pound — and frequently offers discounts on larger purchases. 

This will be Flamingos' second East Village location. The company, with 40-plus locations in the U.S. and abroad, opened a shop at 4 St. Mark's Place in May 2025. 

Before the pandemic, the retailer operated stores near Ninth Street and on 11th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, as well as a location on Stanton Street. All three eventually closed, with the First Avenue shop being the last to shutter in the fall of 2021. 

The Astor and Bar Torino open at the Public Theater

EVG file photo

The Public Theater and NoHo Hospitality Group debuted two food-and-drink spaces yesterday inside the venue at 425 Lafayette St. on Astor Place.

The Astor, located on the mezzanine behind the lobby, includes balcony seating, a bar and a dining room. The space features red banquettes, white-tablecloth tables and walls lined with posters, photographs, letters, playbills and other items from The Public's archives. 

Among the pieces are a photograph of Meryl Streep with Public Theater founder Joseph Papp, a telegram from Jacqueline Kennedy, a handwritten note from Samuel Beckett and gold records from "A Chorus Line." 

A mural by André Carrilho around the island bar depicts 32 people associated with The Public, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alicia Keys, David Byrne, Ntozake Shange, Suzan-Lori Parks, Sam Shepard and Tony Kushner.

Bar Torino is located downstairs in the lobby, with additional seating beneath the mezzanine. 

Per the press materials, the openings continue a partnership that began in 1998, when Serge Becker, Josh Pickard, Paul Salmon and Kevin Abbott launched Joe's Pub with the theater. 

NoHo Hospitality partners Andrew Carmellini, Luke Ostrom and Pickard are overseeing the new spaces. 

Astor Bar photo by Michael Condran

John Baer’s neighborhood views come into focus with monograph, exhibit

Photo from the 3rd Avenue El by John Baer 

A debut monograph devoted to the work of John Baer, a self-taught photographer who lived at 215 Second Ave. between 13th and 14th Street in the 1950s and often photographed the neighborhood from his fire escape, is out today. 

"John Baer: The Extraordinary Ordinary/A Memoir in Photographs, 1945–1954" brings together images Baer made in postwar Europe and 1950s New York City. 

He put away his camera in 1954, and his work remained largely unknown during his lifetime. After Baer died in 1994, his son, Andrew, discovered three boxes containing nearly 4,000 negatives and prints. 

The new book marks the first time a selection from the collection has been published. 

To coincide with its release, the John Baer Archive is presenting an exhibition of 40 photographs from the book at White Loft, 273 Grand St. (second floor), from Thursday through Saturday (Sept. 17–19).

Thursday's opening reception runs from 5-9 p.m. A discussion about Baer's work will take place from 6:30–7 p.m. with Andrew Baer and Megan Moynihan of the archive, along with members of the Paper Cinema Editions publishing team.

A book signing will follow.

Gallery hours are 11 a.m- 7 p.m. The exhibition and related events are free.

The Walking Gallery brings art — and protest — to St. Mark’s Place

Photos and interview by Stacie Joy

Outside the new Sephora, the Walking Gallery is staking its own claim on St. Mark’s Place.

The small outdoor gallery sets up most afternoons and evenings on the northeast corner of Third Avenue at St. Mark's Place, weather permitting. It features original clothing by NOFACE, HOMESICK and STOP MEN, along with prints, trinkets and poems written on the spot by artist Mia (@lovemia.arg). 

We caught up with @nofuckenface at the gallery to discuss the work, reclaiming space for artists and the group's uneasy relationship with its corporate neighbor.

When can people expect to find the gallery here?

The hours vary, but mostly we're out here six to seven days a week; we usually start at 3 or 4 p.m., depending on the day. Sometimes a little bit later, but we go till 2 a.m. We're always here unless it's raining, or unless it's super windy. But even if it's super windy, we're still sometimes here! 

We have a new Instagram, and from now on we'll post on our stories when we're up and when we're not.

What is available at the gallery?

The clothing is mine, with work from HOMESICK and STOP MEN as well.

I truly believe in the idea that when I make clothing, it's the same as a painting. I want each piece to be unique, and I only use my own film photos, which were mainly shot in New York and on this very block of St. Mark's.

Each piece incorporates aspects of my film photography and art; the idea is to cross mediums until the border between them blurs. That's what I live for. 

And my friend Mia? She’s a poet and artist. She writes poems for people on the spot — for donations; she's incredible and people really connect with her work.

You are set up right outside the new Sephora. What is your relationship like with them? How have they reacted to your art gallery? 

Sephora… we don't see eye to eye with Sephora. They came onto St. Mark's… They are a corporation that literally gives nothing back to the community or the artists who inhabit it. 

[He went on to argue that the arrival of large chains contributes to rising costs and puts additional pressure on residents, artists and independent businesses such as Village Works on the block.]

Sephora is very angry. They strong-armed Mia into moving to the other side and down the block a little bit, but they did it in a very hostile way. I came back, and I moved it all back here. And I said, we're never doing that again. 

They also asked us to move across the street, which is ridiculous, so no, we don't see eye to eye with them. 

They've called the cops on us before, and sent their security guards out here to try to make us leave. I told the security guard we're in solidarity with the artists, bringing back art to St. Mark's. 

This is a protest against Sephora too, and a poke at gentrification, at the corporations buying up St Mark's. We want to bring back art and reclaim the movement.

Find the Walking Gallery on Instagram here.

A floral changing of the guard on Avenue A

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

The flower stand outside Key Food on Avenue A and Fourth Street has reopened after a brief renovation, but a new team now runs the operation. 

Meanwhile, one familiar face from the former Key Food crew has resurfaced nearby. 

Miguel now works at Metro Acres Market, where the flower department offers roses, lilies, sunflowers, and tulips when in season, along with custom arrangements.

A sign of Stickett Inn on 10th Street

The Stickett Inn logo recently appeared at the under-renovation storefront at 279 E. 10th St. just west of Avenue A.

As previously reported, the cider bar cleared out of its home at 157 First Ave. this summer, with a reader telling us that the business planned to move to this 10th Street address. 

As far as we can tell, Stickett Inn never publicly announced the First Avenue closure or the move. There is also no word yet on when the new location might open. 

The space previously housed a dog-washing facility with self-service stations. 

Stickett Inn, an extension of the Barryville, N.Y.-based boutique inn and cidery founded by husbands Johnny Pizzolato and Roswell Hamrick, opened its East Village outpost in June 2021.

Celebrating Chet Mazur at Otto’s Shrunken Head

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Friends, family and fellow musicians gathered at Otto's Shrunken Head on 14th Street on Friday evening for a celebration of the life of Chet Mazur, a longtime presence in the downtown music and arts scene. 

Mazur died last month after being struck by a U.S. Postal Service truck near his Hell's Kitchen home. He was 66. Just hours earlier, he had performed at Otto's with his band the Rasslers.

In the back room, a slideshow played as family members and friends shared stories about Mazur. Photos and handwritten remembrances lined the hallway, and bands performed later in the evening, including Alice Donut, a group often associated with Mazur.

The mood mixed sadness with plenty of laughter as attendees recalled their favorite Chet stories. 

Outside, several people remarked how much he would have enjoyed the gathering — that it was his kind of party.

One attendee said she was glad some time had passed since the initial shock of his death, allowing everyone to celebrate his life properly — "all the good and wild parts."

On tonight's CB3-SLA docket: A vinyl cafe called Bobblehead for the former Pardon My French

Photos by Stacie Joy

Tonight's September meeting of Community Board 3's SLA committee includes the following applicants (find the full list here)... 

• Bobblehead NYC LLC, 103-105 Ave B (op) (restaurant) 

The former Pardon My French space at 103-105 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street may become an all-day vinyl cafe and restaurant called Bobblehead. 

Applicants Kahiem Rivera (GM experience includes Le Dive and Jean's) and Natalie Manion (who worked with Rivera at The Turk's Inn and the Sultan Room in Brooklyn) will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee to apply for a new liquor license. 

According to the questionnaire on file with CB3, Bobblehead would serve coffee and lunch during the day, then transition to a New American restaurant at night. Plans also call for curated vinyl playlists on a custom sound system and retail sales of records, clothing and ceramics.

The cafe hours are listed as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with the restaurant open until 2 a.m. The rear garden would close at 10 p.m. The sample menu includes baked goods, a Basque breakfast, salads, skewers and natural wines. 

Pardon My French closed in May after more than a decade in business. The Parisian-style bistro opened in March 2015, taking over Casimir's longtime home. 

• Laozao Hotpot 8ST LLC, 37 St Marks Pl (op) (restaurant) 

An authentic Chinese hot pot restaurant is in the works for 37 St. Mark's Place just west of Second Avenue. 

The questionnaire on file with CB3 shows that the restaurant will feature 26 tables with 110 seats. 

Proposed hours are 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, with the kitchen closing at 10. The plans do not include music or outdoor dining. Principal Ming Lin has 11 years of restaurant management experience with Szechuan Mountain House. The application also lists connections to the nearby Mountain House and Blue Dimsum restaurants on St. Mark's Place.

Chef Tan closed here in February after nearly four years in business. A sign initially cited exhaust-duct maintenance, though a demand-for-rent notice later appeared on the front door. The restaurant opened in 2022 as the first NYC location of the Jersey City-based establishment serving Szechuan and Hunan cuisine. 

• Red Onion (Red Onion Foods Inc), 277 E 10th St (upgrade to op/corp change/alt: license space next door) 

Red Onion is looking to expand into the adjacent storefront (the one on the east side) here on 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Reps for the Indian restaurant are also seeking an upgrade from beer and wine to a full liquor license, a corporate change and approval to license the additional space. 

According to the questionnaire on file with CB3, the expanded restaurant would have 22 tables with 53 seats and a bar with eight seats ... with proposed hours of 11 a.m. to midnight daily.

Red Onion has been operating at the address since 2024. Incoming president Vishnu Singh, who will hold a 69% ownership stake, previously worked in restaurant operations at Darbar Grill and Darbar Fine Indian Cuisine. 

• The Hairy Lemon (Galmac LLC), 28-30 Ave B (op/method of operation: removal of security on quiet evenings, addition of a DJ, allow cover charges) (bar/tavern) 

The Hairy Lemon is seeking several changes to its current method of operation at 28-30 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street. 

The sports bar requests approval for a DJ once a week, cover charges for approximately 12 sporting events per year, and the addition of a pool table. Ownership also seeks to remove the requirement for security personnel on quieter evenings. 

Under the proposed change, security would be used as needed Thursday through Saturday. No changes are proposed to the hours: noon to 4 a.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. on weekends. 

The Hairy Lemon opened in September 2017 in the former Croxley Ales space.

• The York (Dos Dudes LLC), 186 Ave B (op/alt: license adjacent storefront) (bar/tavern) 

The York is looking to expand into the adjacent storefront at 186 Avenue B between 11th Street and 12th Street. 

According to the questionnaire on file with CB3, the expanded space would include six tables with 22 seats and a bar with nine seats. The York would continue serving its American comfort-food menu, including smash burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries and tater tots. 

The York opened in March 2023 and currently occupies the north storefront at the address. 

The adjacent south storefront was home to Jose Luis Restaurant (seen below in better days), which recently closed...

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CB3's SLA meeting is tonight at 6:30. The Zoom link is here. This is a hybrid meeting, and limited public seating is available. The first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery, will be accommodated.

A plea for help along the 14th Street and 1st Avenue corridor

Photo by Stacie Joy

The above notice has appeared on a building window along the long-troubled 14th Street corridor near First Avenue. 

"We all feel for the homeless & addicted," the sign reads, before criticizing local elected officials and the 9th Precinct over what its author describes as dangerous conditions outside the building and around the corner. 

The flyer asks readers to contact Assemblymember Keith Powers and State Sen. Brian Kavanagh. (Kavanagh’s name is misspelled on the sign.) Someone also wrote "Please don’t tear down" across the top. 

As previously reported, the area drew renewed attention after a June 2024 stabbing spree left one man dead and two others wounded during a Sunday afternoon attack. Alejandro Piedra was sentenced in May to 18 years to life in state prison for the attacks.

Meanwhile, as the notice makes clear, some residents continue to feel unsafe around the intersection.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Where is the $1 million NYPD mobile command unit that Mayor Adams promised for the troubled 14th Street and 1st Avenue corridor?

After a 7-week closure, Salumeria Rosi is back on Avenue B

Photos and interview by Stacie Joy 

Salumeria Rosi is back in service at 222 Avenue B between 13th Street and 14th Street after a seven-week closure for storm-related repairs. 

The cafe reopened earlier last week, and the restaurant reopened on Friday. Along with repairing the ceiling and floors, owner Andrew Loscalzo added a coffee window and hardwood flooring. Brunch, a new seasonal menu and outdoor seating are also in the works. 

We spoke with Loscalzo, who opened the EV restaurant this past January, for an update.

When we last spoke, you had just temporarily closed the restaurant. What happened? 

A big storm in July damaged the ceiling, so we had to replace it. We also had some water damage to the floor and repaired that. It took us about seven weeks to get it all done. We wanted to make sure we were at 100%. 

Were the landlord and building management helpful with the repairs? 

They were ... cooperative. 

You mentioned some additions to the space. What can patrons expect? 

We opened our coffee window, which is exciting. We also installed real hardwood floors, and we’re launching a new seasonal menu at the end of September. 

What's changing on the menu? Are you keeping items from the previous one? 

I would say pretty much all of our fan favorites will stay on the menu. They never really come off. The reality is that some items are seasonal. As an Italian restaurant, we must stay seasonal. Whether it's asparagus season, cauliflower, or watermelon, we try to stick with what's fresh.

You're also installing seating around the tree bed. What's the plan there? 

We’ll be open for brunch, and we have our outdoor dining cafe. We want to clean up and beautify the block a little. The seating is removable, but we put it there so people having coffee have a place to sit and gather.

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The breakfast and salumi counter opens daily at 8 a.m. The dining room is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., with weekend brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Details here.

EV Grieve's East Village Week in Review

Posts this past week included... with a last Tribute in Light shot from EVG reader Bettina...

• On 14th Street, Engine 5 remembers those lost on 9/11 (Sept. 11) ... From the East Village Books Poetry Window: World Trade Center (Sept. 11)

• "Locals Only" captures growing up in New York City (Sept. 9) 

• The bar as a neighborhood battleground: Max Wolf Friedlich and Hannah Getts on "The Holes" (Sept. 10) 

• The community fridge outside the Sixth Street Community Center is no more (Sept. 9) 

• NYPD releases photo of suspect in Most Holy Redeemer break-in (Sept. 10) 

• At last, a look at the new 3rd Avenue development (Sept. 8) 

• Community groups urge NYU Langone to preserve Kips Bay AMC and Fairway (Sept. 8) 

• A call to protect the trees outside the former St. Brigid School (Sept. 7) 

• Running with the 95 Bulls in Tompkins Square Park (Sept. 7) 

• Beauty Bar Marks 30 Years (Sept. 10) 

• Half Gallery closes its 4th Street annex (Sept. 8) 

• A brief floral intermission outside Key Food (Sept. 8) 

• Trinity's Churchyard Sessions return for 3 Tuesdays (Sept. 7) 

• Good Time Country Buffet debuts on 1st Avenue (Sept. 10) 

• Summer's parting shot (tip-in edition) (Sept. 7) 

EVG reader David Siegel shares a recent signage reveal over on Waverly between Mercer and Greene, where the latest Apollo Bagels outpost will be (closer to home, they're at 10th Street at First Avenue) 

... and now that summer is winding down, why not toss the artificial Christmas tree ... as seen on 12th Street via Heather Dubin... 

Raccoon patrol on 6th Street

EVG reader Jane R. spotted two large raccoons walking along Sixth Street between First Avenue and Avenue A a few nights ago. 

"They were walking from east to west down Sixth Street," she said. "They kept walking on the sidewalk for a while and eventually just disappeared." 

Jane managed to get a photo of one of the nighttime visitors.

Saturday's parting shots

Photos by Stacie Joy 

First Avenue style...

Today: Opera at Campos Community Garden

Opera Essentia comes to Campos Community Garden this (Saturday) afternoon with "Lost in Cyprus," a one-hour distillation of Handel’s 1728 opera "Tolomeo." 

The free performance starts at 3 p.m., with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. Campos Community Garden is at 644 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

The garden organizers also suggest bringing mosquito repellent.

Hardcore returns to Tompkins Square Park

The New York Hardcore Chronicles presents another installment of its "Back to the NYHC Roots" music series today (Saturday) in Tompkins Square Park. 

The free, all-ages show runs from 2-6 p.m., with Bad Luck 13, Silence Equals Death, TREE, Fuggitt and RBNX.

Friday's parting shot

Photo by Roger Bultot

The Tribute in Light as seen from near the Manhattan Bridge...

Friday's parting shot (morning edition)

EVG reader Joann Falkenburg shared this photo, taken this morning at 6:32 ... with a view downtown: "It was a beautiful morning looking south and remembering."

Fall classic

 

Getting a jump on the fall here... plus, Billie Holiday's "Autumn in New York" seemed like the right selection for today...

On 14th Street, Engine 5 remembers those lost on 9/11

Photo by Greg Masters 

Local firehouses across the city commemorated the 25th anniversary of 9/11 today.

Here's a scene from this morning outside Engine Company 5 on 14th Street, between First Avenue and Second Avenue, during a moment of silence.

On Sept. 11, 2001, the Company lost Manny DelValle Jr., a 7-year FDNY veteran who grew up in the Bronx. He was 32.

Here's more about him from his obituary in The New York Times:

At home in the Bronx, Mr. DelValle took advanced classes in salsa dancing. He loved Latin music but listened to everything. "Rap," said his brother Pete Moyer. "And R&B," added his sister Grace Nolly. "Old school," said his father, Manuel Del Valle, to be specific.

Mr. DelValle, who graduated from the University of Maryland, was also an accomplished moguls skier and roller skater, a traveler, a lover of war movies and, his family says, a lady's man. He also got Engine Company No. 5, where he was assigned, to participate in the Puerto Rican Day Parade. He was the one in the family who always sent a card and gift to siblings, half-siblings and cousins.

According to reports, 26 firefighters from the neighborhood's four firehouses lost their lives on 9/11.