Happy Fourth of July weekend!

But before we get to July 4, wishing all of you a Merry July Christmas ... Carol from East 5th Street spotted this pine-fresh beauty today on Fifth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square... something to pair with your Hallmark Channel Christmas in July celebration.

Instant Cults classic

The local pop duo Cults have a new single out ... check out the video here for "Spit You Out," a nod to the mukbangers of YouTube.

Book Swap Saturday happening again tomorrow (Saturday!) on 10th Street

Book Swap Saturday is happening again tomorrow (Saturday!) outside the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

This will be the third Saturday for the free book swap, which is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (To be clear, the library isn't involved in this swap.)

Per the organizers: "Let's share our used books to help us get through this pandemic together. Leave some and take others."

And they'd like to see it expand to other NYPL branches until the libraries can safely reopen.





Thanks to Stacie Joy for the photos from last Saturday!

Local squirrel feeling just peachy

In the periodic squirrels being adorable series, Goggla spotted this scene in Tompkins Squirrel Square Park... a squirrel snacking on an empty cup of diced peaches ...



Some narrative: "He got a little too enthusiastic licking the cup and dropped it, only to go all the way down the tree, pick it up and carry it up to a higher spot...where he dropped it again."

Previously on EV Grieve:
• What other photos of squirrels eating things can we post?

• Meanwhile, a squirrel with a coconut drink this morning in Tompkins Square Park

• Today in photos of squirrels carb loading in Tompkins Square Park

Here is an updated map of what's open in the East Village right now

Back in the spring, we told you about the volunteer effort led by the East Village Community Coalition (EVCC) along with residents Perry Leung and Paul Gale, who created an interactive map of what's open in the neighborhood during the COVID-19 crisis. (The site was designed by Zhi He of BetaNYC.)

The group has completed a redesign of the site, which includes almost 650 establishments in the East Village.

What's new? Well! If a establishment has outdoor space, then that info can be found in the notes section of their entry.

Among the other new features:

• Results are now also displayed in list format

• Users can sort by Minority/Women-owned, Black-owned, and LGBT-owned businesses

• A bulletin section, which include links to local human-interest pieces, volunteer opportunities and profile pieces about businesses during the pandemic (many of those link to EVG features).

At the bottom of the map, there's a list of the four most recently updated locations, for users curious about the most latest activity on the site.

And here it is... you can also access the map at this link.

Green Garden Buffet debuts on 9th Street

Green Garden Buffet opened this week at 332 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue... EVG regular Lola Saénz shares these photos of owner Tamika Gabaroum (left) and her assistant (and best friend) Caroline ...



The buffet-style spot serves what's billed as healthy French food. (Another reader described it as Chadian, as Gabaroum is originally from Chad.) Here's a look at the menu ... a selection of these items are available for takeout via a buffet setup that is $7.99 a pound ...





Gabaroum is a former public health advocate with the Peace Corps who served in UN Peacekeeping Missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was an early recipient of a loan last summer as part of the East Village Revitalization Loan Fund for small business owners. (You can read more about the partnership with City Councilmember Carlina Rivera and community advocates here and here.)

Green Garden Buffet is open daily from 1 to 10 p.m.

Thursday's parting shot

The coveted watermelon-toss head shot today outside Westside Market today via Derek Berg... 😍

News of the world

A variation of the wear-a-mask signage written to the tune of Queen's "We Will Rock You" outside Veselka on Second Avenue and Ninth Street...

Reader report: East Village street-cleaning tickets back in full effect

An EVG reader sends along this story of an interaction with a Department of Sanitation officer this morning.

Alternate Side Parking regulations went back in effect on Monday (lasting through today) after the COVID-19 PAUSE.

The reader got to his car ahead of the time to move on First Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. However, he couldn't go anywhere with cars in front of him and a double-parked Con Ed truck next to his vehicle. The street cleaner passed by. The reader was sitting in his car and shared what happened next:

As the clock hit 9:05, I noticed ... a DoS worker writing on a clipboard on the side of my car. 'Is he writing me a ticket?' I thought. I got out of my car, saw his name on his shirt and asked if he was writing me a ticket. To which he laughed and said 'yeah.' I mentioned I was inside my car, the street cleaner had already passed and there was nowhere to move with his truck and a Con Ed truck double parked — plus that no other cars moved. The street was pretty jammed. He laughed and said 'I have six-and-a-half-years experience and know how this works. You must be one of those liberals.'"

The reader also notes the DoS officer was not wearing a face covering. "The lack of mask is just irresponsible."

The reader received a $65 ticket, and estimates another 20 cars on the block also got one.

Sounds as if the city is getting a head start on its 2021 budget goals. According to the Post, "the city's newly adopted budget includes a planned ticket blitz that’s expected to cost motorists some $42 million in the coming months."

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's the latest NY See panel, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood and NYC.

He offers this background about this week's panel: "The Queer Liberation March, June 28th, 50 years after the first Christopher Street Liberation March. It was a magical day, honoring the trans women of color who started the LGBTQ movement and continuing the fight against systemic racism."