Storm center 12/9/17: City crews, IHOP prepped for the snowfall

If you were unsure about going out this morning with the inclement weather, then put your mind at ease... IHOP has prepped its sidewalk on 14th Street for the incoming flurries snow.



Elsewhere, 1 Avenue B has already blown its 2017-18 ice melt budget in one morning...



City crews are out...





Supply lines are open...



So sit back and relax...



P.S.

First sighting... 8:36 a.m.

Scandal in Tompkins Square Park as Christo courts new hawk while Dora recuperates

While Dora is rehabbing an injured wing, her partner Christo — 10 hawklets between them — has been seen in the company of another red-tailed hawk in recent days...

Steven shared these photos of the other hawk ... nicknamed Not-Dora (Nora?) or, the opposite of Dora, Arod (ack!)...

Anyway, here's Goggla with more:

While I've been mourning Dora's absence and am hoping for her swift return, all Christo knows is that Dora is gone and his life must go on.

There have been several hawks around lately and I think a new female has been in the park the last few days. Christo and this new hawk were seen being aggressive with each other yesterday, but it appears he has now accepted her.

Whoa. Read more from Goggla here.

Dora is rehabbing on Long Island at the moment... and she will be released into Tompkins Square Park when the time is right. Her return promises to be dramatic.

The getaway

The first full-length record from L.A. Witch came out back in September... the video for their track "Drive Your Car" debuted this week...

Dark Tree

Dark Tree

We gather under that same dark tree,

Where we have gathered many times before,

Some of us sing, while others join in,

Happy dogs barking in harmony,

A Fall dampness in the air,

The smell of hot chocolate lingering there,

Chatting with friends old and new,

The choir sings without a care,

As if by the magic of anticipation,

Our tree bursts into sparkling lights,

White bulbs glowing in wild configuration,

Collectively we cheer, our laughter bright,

So begins the season, not too tardy?

Of togetherness, friendship, and more hot chocolate, please.

•

peter radley

The 26th annual Tompkins Square Park holiday tree lighting is Sunday from 4-5 p.m.

Post-'Pose' tree damage on 4th Street

Crews for the upcoming series "Pose" have decamped from Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, where they were filming for parts of Nov. 28 through Wednesday.

An EVG reader on the block shared this photo ... noting that one of the production trucks was responsible for damaging this tree...



As for "Pose," the show is via Ryan Murphy, whose credits include "Nip/Tuck" and "American Horror Story."

Per Deadline:

Set in 1986, Pose examines the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York City: the emergence of the luxury Trump-era universe, the downtown social and literary scene and the ball culture world.

Reminders: The 26th annual Tree Lighting at Tompkins Square Park is Sunday

[Photo by Steven]

It happens from 4 to 5 p.m. on Sunday ... once again featuring the holiday stylings of the Carolers of Olde New York (via the Theatre for the New City) and the Mandel & Lydon Trio (every year someone makes the John Lydon joke) ... with refreshments provided by Veselka and C&B Cafe over on Seventh Street. (Go here for info about post-tree-lighting specials at a few local businesses.)

Meanwhile, two different crews have been spotted working on the tree... From yesterday...


[Photo by Ronnie]

And Sunday...


[Photo by Steven]

Not sure exactly what they were doing. Hooking up the power? Some Park regulars thought that the lights were kept on the tree year round...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: A call to keep the lights on the holiday tree in Tompkins Square Park

A holiday celebration at these East Village businesses on Sunday

[Photo via @evimanyc]

On Sunday, the East Village Independent Merchants Association is hosting a holiday celebration with specials at a handful of local businesses.

Some of the deals kick in after the tree lighting ceremony in Tompkins Square Park from 4-5 p.m. ... others are day-long specials ... here's a list of participating businesses via the EVG inbox (I did not receive specifics about what each business was offering as a special) ...

• Eleven B
• Ace Bar
• Anthony Aiden Opticians — offering 15 percent off all in stock eyewear plus a free eye exam.
• Barnyard Cheese
• Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks — 10 percent off all purchases, all day.
• Brix Wines
• Butter Lane Cupcakes
• Club Cumming
• Dream Baby — All day & all night $4 beer and $4 well liquors
• East Village Vintage Collective — 20 percent off everything store wide
• Exit 9 — 20 percent off everything storewide
• Jane's Exchange — will offer cookies and juice for kids visiting the store.
• La Sirena — will offer 20 percent off with the mention of EVIMA before check out, and gift of Mexican chili candy with every purchase
• Lucky — Free drink with any receipt of $50 spent at (one or a combination of) participating merchants
• Maiden Lane
• Ninth Street Espresso
• Pageant
• Random Accessories — 20 percent off ALL accessories
• Red Baron Ink
• Rue St. Denis Clothier
• Spotted Owl
• Swing Organic Salon — Swing into the holiday season with a glass of organic wine, a complimentary consultation, and 20 percent off gift certificates Dec. 10 to Dec. 17.
• Veselka

Here's a map with the businesses taking part on Sunday...


[Click on map to go big]

SantaCon 2017 includes these East Village bars

Organizers have announced the participating bars for SantaCon 2017.

The starting point tomorrow — snow is in the forecast — is at the James A. Farley Post Office Building on 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue. From there, some 50 bars and clubs in Midtown, Murray Hill and the East Village will be welcoming the Santas (you need to pay $10 ahead of time for the special Santa badge to enter).

Here is the list of local places [UPDATED: The original list included the Spotted Owl on Avenue A — they are not participating!] ...


[Click on the image for better view]

Also, Solas on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue is serving as one of the "Santa Clubs" for the day.

The above list is very similar to last year's announced participants in the East Village. (The 13th Step wasn't on that list, though they had one of the longest lines of Santas.)

You can find the rundown of NYC SantaCon bars here.

The official SantaConning begins at 10 a.m. (You still have time to #SitOutSantaCon.) The listed hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. At 7:01, everyone will quietly return home.

Meanwhile, EVG reader Jefferson Siegel shared this photo from the window at Ricky's on Third Avenue near 14th Street... he notes the Santa costumes each have different price stickers — $4.99 and $5. Hurry and save a penny...

TK Kitchen is closing on St. Mark's Place

TK Kitchen is closing after service on Sunday here on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Here's part of a message from the TK Facebook page:

Dear all TK lovers and TK Family:
Dec. 10th will be our last day to serve you.

[W]e are really glad that we brought this bubble tea and Taiwanese food culture into New York city, we also feel really thankful for those people who loved us, but unfortunately, we have to say goodbye.

We are truly thankful for people who support us, to us, this is not just a restaurant, it's somehow a part of Taiwanese's memory when you are in town, in New York, it is just like home, it is really hard to use words to describe how thankful and how sorry we have to make this decision.

We will keep working hard after we finish, as a matter of fact, we have a new idea [that we are] planning at the moment, we will be back soon!

[Photo by Derek Berg]

It's unclear from their message if they will reopen in this space or somewhere else. (They will have a new neighbor if they do reopen here.)

TK evolved during its 10 years here... initially sharing space as TKettle with a BBQ Chicken chain, as seen in this photo from the EVG bubble tea archives ...

Hibachi Dumpling Express rolls onto 14th Street; so long Stuyvesant Organic

The signage is up for Hibachi Dumpling Express at 536 E. 14th St. near Avenue B... not sure if this is related to the Hibachi Dumpling Express that had a short run on First Avenue near 14th Street. (The logo is different...) Anyway, that place had a decent quick-serve menu featuring hibachi-style teriyaki chicken, beef and shrimp.

This arrival also marks the end of Stuyvesant Organic, which debuted about this time in 2015. The cafe-restaurant had almost too-good-to-be-true prices, like the daily special with three sides going for $4.99.

Also yesterday, workers finally removed the sidewalk bridge and scaffolding from Extell's new retail-residential complex a few doors away...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: That new place called Stuyvesant Organic on East 14th Street is really good

Why Kennedy Fried Chicken is closing on East 14th Street