Virginia's reopens after December fire next door

A late-night fire on Dec. 23 temporarily put two restaurants — Fiaschetteria Pistoia and Virginia's — out of commission here on 11th Street near Avenue C.

Vinny & O, who shared the photos on this post, reported that Virginia's reopened this past Friday night for the first time since the fire, which started next door at Fiaschetteria Pistoia.

Meanwhile, Fiaschetteria Pistoia remains closed (they were originally hoping to reopen last month).

More than 60 firefighters battled the blaze. (A cause has not been revealed.) There weren't any reports of injuries, though parts of the kitchen and dining room at Fiaschetteria Pistoia, which debuted in 2017, were damaged.



The sign on the door notes: "Unfortunately, because of a fire, we will be closed for renovations for a bit more time."



Fans of Fiaschetteria Pistoia's Tuscan-style food can still visit their new outpost at 114 Christopher St., near Bedford Street that opened in the beginning of January.

The 13th returns to the 13th Step

[Photo from October by Steven]

Back in October, workers removed the neon 13th Step signage from outside the sports bar/SantaCon favorite on Second Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street

The temp sign simply said The Step, prompting speculation that the bar had dropped the 13th...


[That one night it snowed in November]

However, this past Thursday, a new sign arrived ... with the return of the 13th...


[Photo by Steven]

Several readers/residents found the name to be in poor taste upon the bar's arrival nearly nine years ago. The term 13th Step is used as a euphemism for inappropriate sexual advances by a member to a newcomer in AA. It means other things too.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The 13th Step loses the 13th on 2nd Avenue

Your 'Russian Doll' reader

"Russian Doll" debuted on Nexflix on Feb. 1. The macabre, eight-episode series, created by Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland, is set in the East Village ... with many EV locales, including Ben's Deli on Avenue B, Vazac's/7B/Horseshoe Bar on Seventh Street and Avenue B, and Tompkins Square Park.

Lyonne (who has lived around here and and off through the years) plays the lead character who keeps dying and coming back to life at the same point during her 36th birthday party...



Anyway, I'd been meaning to write about the show — mostly for the use of the EV locales. However, I've only watched the first two episodes (I like it, though I'm not much of a binge watcher. I'm an episode-a-week person mostly). Meanwhile, there have been about 5 million articles written on "Russian Doll," with a few more million to arrive before I get through the next six episodes.

Here then instead, a selection of articles on the show...

• The Ultimate 'Russian Doll' Theory About Tompkins Square Park (Gothamist)

• The Key to 'Russian Doll' Might Be Tompkins Square Park (The New York Times)

• 'Russian Doll' Is Natasha Lyonne's 'Autobiography Wrapped in a Mind-Bending Concept' (The Hollywood Reporter)

• The 'Russian Doll' Map of the East Village (B+B)

• 'Russian Doll': The Story Behind the Song That’s Probably Stuck in Your Head Right Now (IndieWire)

• 'Russian Doll' May Be Perfect, But You Won't Be Satisfied (Wired)

• What Is 'Russian Doll' Actually About? (The Atlantic)

• Why Russian Doll's Co-Creator Would Rather Not Explain that Joyous Finale (Vanity Fair)

• How Natasha Lyonne’s 'Russian Doll' Stunt Double Filmed All Those Death Scenes (Vulture)

Speaking of death... here's flashback to an EVG post from Feb 28, 2018...



Crews were out today filming scenes for "Russian Doll," an eight-episode Netflix series from Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler.

The comedy series follows Lyonne (pictured above) "on her journey as the guest of honor at a seemingly inescapable party one night in New York," per Hollywood Reporter.

Derek Berg caught this scene outside Vazac's/7B/Horseshoe Bar on Avenue B and Seventh Street...



...as Lyonne's stunt double...

Week in Grieview

[Photo on 2nd Avenue by Derek Berg — see below for update]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

The Archdiocese of New York is shutting down the St. Brigid School on Avenue B and 7th Street (Tuesday)

Jimmy Carbone on the long recovery ahead: 'Starting each day is a challenge' (Wednesday)

East Village cyclist killed in early-morning hit-and-run near Times Square (Monday)

After 43 years in business, Raul Candy Store is closing on Avenue B (Thursday)

Evacuations on 10th Street as inspectors examine crack in the former P.S. 64 (Wednesday)

A visit to Dumpling Man on St. Mark's Place (Friday)

Super Bowl Sunday chaos at Atomic Wings; 'the new Fyre Festival' (Tuesday)

Where on earth? Here are details on the 2019 Ecological City (Tuesday)

Brodo debuts on Astor Place this week (Monday)

A look at the development coming to 14th and C, now the subject of a lawsuit (Tuesday)

169 and 171 1st Ave. (home to Momofuku) are for sale (Thursday)

Truck takes out tree on 6th Street (Wednesday)

The storefront that houses St. Mark's Comics is now for rent (Thursday)

Bad news at Spinner's? (Monday)

Marcha Cocina has closed on Avenue C (Wednesday)

16 Handles is back in FroYo action (Monday)

Sushi coming to the former 10Below Ice Cream space on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

The Ramones, Velvet Underground and EVE (Friday)

... and just one of the tags/markings someone left Tuesday night/Wednesday morning along St. Mark's Place (thanks to Lola Sáenz for first telling me about it) ...


[Photo by Steven]

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Derek rescued the (brand-new) mannequin heads on Second Avenue ... Julia at East Village Hats gladly accepted them...



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Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's this week's NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood.

In case the exterminator comes calling

An old #scam is returning to the #EastVillage involving exterminators. They say the landlord sent them & you allow them in. Only things leaving are your valuables.

If you did not call, check with the building management before allowing anyone inside. #NYPD #CrimePrevention pic.twitter.com/vZkPIgeq2C

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) February 8, 2019

Report: What happened to the donated money earmarked for St. Brigid School?

As noted on Friday, students, parents and local residents will gather this morning — at a mass at 10 or afterwards at the school — to show "support and solidarity in saving our beloved school."

This past Monday, the Archdiocese of New York took the community by surprise in announcing the school will close here on Seventh Street and Avenue B at the end of this academic year. (St. Brigid is one of seven NYC Catholic schools marked for closure by the Archdiocese.)

Meanwhile, parents and residents are now questioning where the money is from the anonymous donation that spared St. Brigid Church from demolition. As reported at the time in 2008:

"The donor also has given $2 million to establish an endowment to help the parish meet the spiritual needs of community residents. A separate gift of $8 million will support Saint Brigid School, and other Catholic schools in need."

To the Post today:

"There still was a significant amount of money left," said Edwin Torres, who formed an organization to save the church.

He said the cash went to the Archdiocese and there should have been at least $2 million for the school.

"They really haven’t shown an accounting for that," he said.

And the response from the Archdiocese of New York:

Joseph Zwilling, an Archdiocese spokesman, told the Post the school did have money left in its endowment fund — about $1.5 million.

But he said the school is losing $850,000 a year, a loss the Archdiocese has been covering.

"It is a sad reality that it is nearly impossible to run a school with only 119 students in Grades K-8," Zwilling said.

And the response from a parent:

Matthew Daloisio, a St. Brigid parent working to save the school, said the $1.5 million was "absolutely a lot of money" and parents would work to boost enrollment if that would keep the doors open.

"Then with our help, there should be no reason the school can't stay open," he said.

There is also a petition in circulation (link here) to help save the school.

And here's a look at some of the homemade signs that line the school...

A thrift-store podcast with Maegan Hayward of the East Village Vintage Collective

Jason Charles asked me to guest-host an East Village-based session for his podcast network.

For this episode, I talked with Maegan Hayward, the proprietor of the East Village Vintage Collective at 545 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The place started as a pop-up shop in August 2015. Along the way, the East Village Vintage Collective became a full-time endeavor now entering its fourth year.

Launching the business is among the topics that we cover in the 27-minute podcast, which you can access here. We also discuss thrift-shop culture, what people look for these days (spoiler: jeans) and the challenges of running a small shop in NYC.

(Also, nothing to do with the podcast but everything is 25-percent off in the store today. They are open from noon to 8 p.m.)

And the landing page with the East Village Vintage Collection podcast includes a two-part podcast that Delphine Blue did with me last fall.

Today's free book selections

Subjects in the pile of discarded books at the St. Mark's Place entrance to Tompkins Square Park include Ralph Waldo Emerson, the San Francisco Earthquake and Leonardo DiCaprio Da Vinci.

Thanks to Vinny & O for the photo this morning.

Go it alone

The audio clip here is for "Onkel," a recently released single by the Swedish post-punk band Makthaverskan.