Thursday, March 11, 2021
Spring break
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 ...
Indoor dining in NYC increases to 50% on March 19; Little Poland promises reopening
The news coincided with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announcing that his state's restaurants would also increase to 50 percent.
NYC and New Jersey restaurants are currently operating at 35 percent capacity ... while the rest of New York State is operating at 50 percent capacity (soon to be 75 percent on March 19).
And via the news advisory...
"In New York State, our decisions are based on science and data and we are encouraged by the continued decline in infection and hospitalization rates," Cuomo said in a statement. "We will continue to follow the science and react accordingly. If we keep the infections down and vaccinations up, we will continue to stay ahead in the footrace against this invisible enemy and reach the light at the end of the tunnel together."Several East Village bars and restaurants have previously said that they'd reopen when the capacity hit 50 percent ... including Little Poland on Second Avenue. The diner teased this out yesterday on Instagram...
Anthology Film Archives will remain closed for the time being
Although NYC theaters were OK'd to reopen at limited capacity last Friday, the theater on Second Street at Second Avenue was not among the movie houses electing to restart its in-person programming.
Here's more via the Anthology Instagram account:
[D]espite that announcement, Anthology is not planning to rush it — given the current COVID numbers in NYC, the uncertainty surrounding new variants of the virus, and the increasing momentum of the vaccination program, we are keeping our theaters closed for the time being.We're hard at work developing the protocols that will allow us to safely reopen when the time is right, and we’ll keep you updated.Meanwhile, we'll continue to offer online programming before and after we open our doors, so that until everything returns (as much as possible) to normal, watching our programs from home will still be an option.
The Anthology is a vital part of this neighborhood (and NYC)... looking forward to when they are ready to safely return.
City removes tree said to have been tangled up with a sanitation truck on 1st Avenue
According to Ekya, a sanitation truck was traveling north in the bike lane, emptying the garbage cans along the west side of First Avenue on Tuesday night around 11.
"It must have got tangled in the branches because as it drove off it pulled the tree along with it," Ekya said. "That was a gorgeous tree and we're hoping the city can put it back and not have to tear it out."
Unfortunately, before the day really got started yesterday and Ekya arrived at the restaurant, the city already had the tree removed.
A bad sign at Joe's Rice Roll on St. Mark's Place
Workers were seen emptying Joe's Steam Rice Roll at 36 St. Mark's Place on Tuesday (thanks to Steven for the photos) ... it's not entirely clear what's happening here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue at the moment... there's a dumpster parked out front...
... and the interior is bare...
There isn't any message about a temporary or permanent closure on the shop's Instagram account. (Or, better — on the front door.) The website is currently offline and the phone is not in service. No one responded to messages just yet about the status here. (Pandemic-time refresh/renovation?)
This wouldn't be the first time this outpost closed without any notice: Joe's was shuttered for seven weeks in the fall of 2019 without any explanation before finally reopening.
Joe's debuted in the East Village in June 2019 ... another branch of the popular quick-serve establishment, which got its start in Flushing. They had been open in recent months.
Report: San Francisco's Beloved Cafe ready to adore the LES
As the Commercial Observer first reported this week, the health-focused cafe specializing in organic juices, teas, smoothies, salads and plant-based bowls plans to debut this summer.
The original location opened in San Francisco's Mission District in 2017.
Part of this Allen Street storefront previously housed Palà, the pizzeria that closed in May 2017 after 11 years in business.
Beloved Cafe will be the third new food establishment to open on Allen between Houston and Stanton this year, joining Meat + Bread and Mi Salsa Kitchen.
P.S.
On the topic of quick-serve health-focused cafes... several EVG readers have pointed out that the now-former Dr Smood outlet (opened September 2017) around the corner on Houston and Orchard is for rent ... the branch of the chainlet closed late last year...
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
That '80s show: 3rd Street all Russian Dolled up today for Netflix TV shoot
Despite the leap back a few decades, series lead (and a writer and creator) Natasha Lyonne hasn't reverse aged a day!
EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos...
... this is Jane's Exchange... doing duty as a Ukrainian market called Ukraine Grocer...
Apparently, only Book Club along here missed out on the time travel.
And around the corner on Avenue B, Ben's Deli, which played a key role in season 1, got a new look...
Stacie reports that Lyonne was very friendly with the onlookers, who cheered her on as she smiled and waved ...
AND SPOILER!
They bought some records from us so there'll be records
— Academy Records NYC (@AcademyRecords) March 11, 2021
Gallery Watch: 'Dress Up My Lindsay' at Public Access on St. Mark's Place
Dress Up My Lindsay
Public Access, 8 Saint Mark's Place
Public Access is a cute space tucked away on a lower-level storefront on Saint Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue that has been exhibiting an eclectic and impressive mix of artists since opening this past September.
For the gallery's latest show, Marika Thunder has painted 10 large-scale oil paintings in her solo show, Dress Up My Lindsay. While slightly disconcerting in some painted moments, the show presents autobiographically intriguing and nostalgic plays on pain and heartbreak that we find within celebrity culture.
Dress Up My Lindsay showcases a bittersweetness of what adolescence promises versus what it actually provides.
The recurring motif used in Thunder's body of work is the child star turned troublemaker Lindsay Lohan, famous for her roles in "Freaky Friday," "Parent Trap" and "Mean Girls."
The power and influence that Lohan had on her community were at an all-time high in the 1990s. It is no surprise that young girls all over the country idolized her, and for Thunder's case, started to religiously follow her tabloid headlines and celebrity behaviors by collaging magazine clippings into notebook pages for fun.
The compositions of her paintings in Dress Up My Lindsay are reminiscent of her collaging days, bringing life to scribbled pages and dirty marks now with oil paint and a bolder delivery. The smudginess and lack of realism make these paintings unique and stand out amongst each other distinctly. Most paintings don't necessarily consider the precise rendering of Lindsay Lohan, positioning Thunder's subject more as a projected catalyst or representation of the artist's own childhood.
This is an exciting space that pushes the boundaries of contemporary art and culture. I am grateful to have been greeted and shown around by a lovely man named Diego. He outlined to me how Public Access aimed to be a hospitable and inclusive art gallery that maintained a welcoming attitude regardless of who walked through the door.
The experience he facilitated was very down-to-earth and inquisitive. I find it to be such a nice rarity when people working in an exhibition context wish to engage in dialogue with their viewers. It's also gratifying to see and feel so much passion in a newer space.
Dress Up My Lindsay at Public Access will be showing until April 12. The gallery is open Thursday through Sunday from 2-7 p.m. You may schedule an appointment for viewing here.
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Clare Gemima is a visual artist from New Zealand. New-ish to the East Village, she spends her time as an artist assistant and gallery go-er, hungry to explore what's happening in her local art world. You can find her work here: claregemima.com
The mystery of the disappearing Rite Aid sign
Updated 3/12
Per Stacie Joy: "At Rite Aid today: crew reports new lettering and signage (to reflect new colors, font, etc.) should be up next week. They told me they have no plans to close, that all Rite Aids are being rebranded."
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