Monday, May 27, 2019

First word: Believe on the Bowery Mural Wall



Queen Andrea started work on the Bowery Mural Wall on Saturday... here's an in-progress look...



She's known for her bright color palettes and lively geometric motifs.

And a sampling of her work...


Updated 6/9

And the final product...




Memorial Day rush



About 8 a.m. on Second Avenue at Seventh Street...

Sunday, May 26, 2019

At the 32nd annual Loisaida Festival



It was a perfect summer day today for the 32nd annual Loisaida Festival on Avenue C.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the festival earlier today and shared these photos of the vendors, patrons and performers taking part in the annual Memorial Day weekend gathering...











































Week in Grieview


[Photo in Tompkins Square Park yesterday by Derek Berg]

Posts from this past week included...

Behold these murals uncovered behind the bar at the former Grassroots Tavern on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

It's official: San Loco is returning to the East Village (Thursday)

Parents, students ride together in bid for 2-way protected bike lane on Avenue B (Tuesday)

At the first WPA Arts exhibition (Thursday)

The latest I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant (Thursday)

H Mart won't open now until June 3 (Friday)

Happy 1-month anniversary, red-tailed hawklets of Tompkins Square Park (Monday)

Looks like a Flamingos Vintage Pound is coming to 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

No Dollface for the former Bar Virage space on 2nd Avenue (Monday)

The former Thaimee Table space is for rent (Monday)


[A Fleet Week Moment outside McSorely's via Adrian Wilson]

A new sign for Casey Rubber Stamps (Thursday)

Call me by your...: Gallery-cafe combo By Name opening on the Bowery (Monday)

A moment with the Party Bus Express on Avenue A this morning (Wednesday)

1-floor expansion planned for Avenue A building that housed the Sidewalk (Wednesday)

Sugar Sketch has closed on 2nd Street (Monday)

250 E. Houston St. is changing colors (Friday)

Former UCBeast space for rent on Avenue A (Wednesday)

Spiritea debuts on 2nd Avenue (Friday)

Reader report: Martial arts for the empty storefront on 11th and C (Wednesday)

Spring scenes from Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

The Blind Pig wraps up 13 years on 14th Street (Monday)

Empty Avenue B storefront yields psychic adviser (Tuesday)

The Alley signage arrives on Cooper Square; more bubble tea on the way (Monday)

The FryGuys space is for rent on 2nd Street (Friday)

... and a Keith Haring wheatpaste on Second Street by the Postman...



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St. Mark's Place Sinkhole Alert



Helping prevent potential pothole/sinkhole disaster with cones and cubed shelving here on St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



At a previously documented sinkhole spot.

An honest post-DOH inspection reaction



Ten Degrees Bistro at 121 St. Mark's Place got dinged during a DOH inspection this past Thursday ... with the city agency forcing a closure after finding 48 violation points. (No. 1 item listed: "Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.")



And the management's meme-generated reaction ...

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Queen Andrea next for the Bowery Mural Wall



Queen Andrea, an NYC-based muralist, typographer and graphic designer, is starting work today on the Bowery Mural Wall at East Houston.

She's known for her bright color palettes, lively geometry motifs and creative pattern mashups. Check out her Instagram account to see what we might expect to see here.

Queen Andrea taking over after the five-month tenure of TATS CRU.

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Updated 5/27

WIP...





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And when the wall was blank here the other day...

Shop and stroll on 9th Street this weekend



Today and tomorrow (Saturday and Sunday!), the merchants of Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue are celebrating the holiday weekend with a "shop and stroll" event on the block.

Per the EVG inbox: "Look for the balloons in front of the participating stores, and stop in to see what specials they are offering."

Sebastian Piras took the above photo last month of the Ninth Street merchants, who gathered on a local stoop for "A Great Day on 9th Street," a quasi recreation of the famous Art Kane photo "A Great Day in Harlem."

Details on today's free show in Tompkins Square Park



There's a free show — aka Waste Fest — in Tompkins Square Park this afternoon.

Here are details via the Facebook event page:

It's a WASTECREW party at Tompkins Square Park and Memorial show for the late Kenny "Waste" Ahrens.

With performances by:

> Skum City
> Cherry Pop
> Hot Blood
> Full Scale Riot
> Caught in a Trap
> The Undead
> Urban Waste

Second Chance Animal Rescue will also be at the Park, all donations collected will be used toward the care of the animals in need.

If you're into DIY arts and crafts Rude Girl Design will have also have a table set up.

To keep the party going, we have DJ AKB who will be spinning, scratching and taking requests for everything from the Old School to the New School music!

Friday, May 24, 2019

Well, it's 1966 OK



Here's some bossa nova from 1966 to randomly start the holiday weekend... the audio track is for "Aleluia" by Quarteto Em Cy and Tamba Trio.

Anyway, have a great summer! See you after Labor Day!

[Updated] H Mart won't open now until June 3



Updated June 3: The market is still not open. A worker at the store said it might be another week.

The H Mart was all ready to open this week here on Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

However, a manager at the Asian-American supermarket tells EVG correspondent Steven that they are still waiting for an inspection via the Department of Buildings, and the opening has been pushed back now to June 3. Workers are transporting all the fresh produce to the other NYC locations.

Head over to the 32nd annual Loisaida Festival on Avenue C this Sunday



The 32nd annual Loisaida Festival takes place this coming Sunday — always the day before Memorial Day — from noon to 5 p.m. on Avenue C (Sixth Street to 12th Street).

This year's main stage lineup includes old school Puerto Rican pleneros, experimental salsa, Cuban charanga, Afro-Cuban dance and a special musical performance from Puerto Rican theater troupe Y No Habia Luz.

Find the full lineup and schedule for the main stage at this link.

And here are more details via the EVG inbox...

The Festival historically kicks off each year with the Community Parade, a carnival through the streets of Loisaida that leaves from Dry Dock Park at 11 a.m. sharp. Batala NYC, the all-women, Afro Brazilian samba-reggae ensemble will be marching with us! A Community Pageant later closes the Loisaida Festival Theater Lab.

Artwork, costumes, and other props for the Parade and Pageant are created from recycled and found materials from the neighborhood.

The festival is rain or shine... as of now, Sunday's forecast calls for mostly sunny skies with a high of 88 (!!!).

250 E. Houston St. is changing colors



This reader-submitted photo shows the continued transformation of 250 E. Houston St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The bricks are changing color here now. We've already mentioned the clock work. (OK, twice.)

The Dermot Company, which bought the 13-floor building for $100 million in 2016, has stated they are "creating a more updated style and fit for the cool East Village neighborhood" with the renovations at the retail-residential complex.

And one day, No. 250 will look like this rendering...



Previously

Spiritea debuts on 2nd Avenue



Spiritea is now open on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street.

This is the second outpost (third counting the one TK in Irvine, Calif.) for the fruit-and-milk tea shop, whose first location is in Vancouver.

EVG reader Carol from East 5th Street shared the opening news as well as these photos...







Spiritea reportedly brews all of their teas on the spot in a special Teapresso machine.

And here's a look at their offerings...



The space has gone under a drastic renovation in recent months... it had been vacant since 100% Healthy Blend (or maybe just Healthy Blend) closed after three months in November 2016. Previous tenants include the Mexican restaurants Dahlia's and Mary Ann's.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Tea time for 2nd Avenue and 5th Street