Tuesday, March 24, 2020

RIP Nashom Wooden



According to published reports, Nashom Wooden, a legend in the drag community who lived on the Bowery, has died. Friends say that Wooden died from COVID-19. (Update: According to the Times, he was 50.)


Here's more via Paper:

Wooden's life looks like a history lesson in fabulous downtown culture. He worked as a salesboy at Charivari, the groundbreaking designer fashion chain of stores where Marc Jacobs folded t-shirts as a teen. He later also worked at Pat Field, the eponymous boutique of "Sex & the City" stylist Patricia Field. He first performed in drag at Boy Bar, a gay bar and drag spot on St. Mark's Place famed for their gorgeous Boy Bar Beauties like Miss Guy, Connie Girl, Princess Diandra and Raven O. He did an off-Broadway show, "My Pet Homo," with RuPaul. He was cast in Joel Schumacher's 1999 film, "Flawless," and co-wrote the title song with his group, The Ones. It was a worldwide dance hit.

Since 1997, he had been working as bartender, doorman and DJ at the Cock on Second Avenue.

You can read about Wooden's drag past in this interview with Michael Musto from 2017.

L.A.-based investor pays $40 million for former Church of the Nativity property on 2nd Avenue



The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has sold the former Church of the Nativity property on Second Avenue for $40 million, according to public records. (H/T Upper West Sider!)



The buyer is Gemini Rosemont, an L.A.-based real-estate investor. The LLCs that purchased 42-46 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street are based out of the company’s Santa Fe office, as The Real Deal noted.

According to their website, they look to rent to "tenants in high growth and tech centric industries."

There were rumors dating to January about this deal. Now it's official.

The Church closed after a service on July 31, 2015, merging with Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street.

As previously reported, the Cooper Square Community Land Trust had explored buying the former Church of the Nativity to use as low-income housing.

However, the Archdiocese of New York reportedly didn't seem too keen on that idea, perhaps intent on garnering top dollar for the prime real estate for luxury housing.


[Photo at Nativity from Jan. 10 by Felton Davis]

In April 2019, Catholic Homes New York, the affordable housing unit of Catholic Charities and the Archdiocese of New York, announced plans to redevelop several existing properties to provide 2,000 affordable units in NYC over the next 10 years. Not on the affordable-housing list: Church of the Nativity and the Church of Saint Emeric on 13th Street near Avenue D.

This wouldn't be the first time that a former Catholic church was demolished for upscale housing in this neighborhood. Developer Douglas Steiner bought the former Mary Help of Christians property in 2012 from the Archdiocese of New York for $41 million.

During the summer of 2013, workers demolished the church, school and rectory to make way for Steiner East Village, the block-long condoplex where a penthouse unit is currently renting for $19,000 per month.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Educator: Turning the former Church of the Nativity into luxury housing would be a 'sordid use' of the property

The fight to keep Church of the Nativity from becoming luxury housing

Report: Archdiocese of New York announces affordable-housing projects; fate of 2 East Village churches unknown

Checking in on TabeTome



Text and photos by Stacie Joy

Traditional Japanese ramen and tsukemen restaurant TabeTomo has set up a to-go station here at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark’s Place and Ninth Street that has proven to be a popular spot.

Here, you'll find omusubi (filled rice triangles wrapped in seaweed), donburi rice bowls, croquettes, hot sake and cold beer in addition to its signature ramen and tsukemen.





Manager Roka Kishimoto, owner Tomotsugu Kubo and chef Julio Roche welcome me when I show up to pick up my order — from a safe distance and allow me to watch and photograph as they prep other meals to go.







There is a well-stocked customer cleaning/sanitizing station, and customers can also call in and order ahead of time and grab their order through the open accordion doors. Several people on bicycles did just that while I was there.



Best-selling items include the salmon omusubi for $2.50 and the brewed-for-60-hour pork-broth-based ramen for $13 (a vegan version is also available).







It’s cash only and current hours are noon to 9 p.m. daily. You can follow TabeTomo on Instagram here.

CheLi signage up at 19-23 St. Mark's Place



Signage went up Friday for the new restaurant coming to a space at 19-23 St. Mark's Place...





A tipster had previously told us that CheLi was affiliated with Szechuan Mountain House on the other side of the upper level here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

CheLi is taking over from Chipotle, who vacated the premises in August 2018.

Meanwhile, in the lower portion of this complex, Teso Life, a Japanese variety store with several NYC locations, is the new tenant for the former St. Mark's Market. Next door, Mi Tea is in its third month of dormancy due to "renovations."

Monday, March 23, 2020

Monday's parting shot



Given today's crappy weather... here's a flashback to yesterday in Tompkins Square Park, where the Eric Paulin Quartet played for a social-distancing crowd.

Thanks to Walter Wlodarczyk for the photo! (Check out his work here.)

The Union Square Greenmarket will return Wednesday


H/T Daniel...

S'MAC's curbside service



Sarita and Caesar Ekya, owners of S'MAC on the northwest corner of First Avenue and 12th Street, have reorganized the storesfront to make curbside ordering and pickup easier. (They are delivering as well.)

Meanwhile, we're continuing to try to update our list of East Village cafes-restaurants that are currently open for takeout and delivery. The list remains incomplete for now.

An East Village stay-at-home shopping list



EVG reader Krikor Daglian spotted this discarded paper on Avenue A yesterday... a shopping list with essentials such as milk, butter, white wine, whiskey, pot and bong cleaner.

Monday morning rush



The scene at Union Square this morning at 8:40 ... the first day of Gov. Cuomo's PAUSE on nonessential workers reporting to work.

Photo by Pinch...

Local business resources via EVIMA



The East Village Independent Merchants Association is gathering resources for local business during the COVID-19 health crisis.

Per their Instagram message:

The impacts of this unique emergency are substantial and will be ongoing. We have compiled a variety of resources that provide relief to East Village merchants at eastvillage.info.

We will continue to update this information as new programs become available in an ever-changing environment.

They are also posting concerns from local business owners on the EVIMA Instagram account...