Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo by Stacie Joy of the Tree Riders heading into their final few days on Second Avenue)... 

• RIP Molly Fitch (Monday)

• One man dead, several people injured in a fire at 118 Avenue D (Thursday) 

• The Community Holiday Feast in Tompkins Square Park is now taking place on Sunday (Friday) 

• At the rally for Casa Adela (Monday) 

• At the annual Tompkins Square Park tree lighting (Monday) 

• A rally in support of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project; activists lose appeal (Friday) ... Activists: Even with a new court order, the city continues demolition of East River Park (Tuesday) 

• Making a connection with the history of this 13th Street apartment (Thursday) 

• Gallery Watch checks out Bockhaus's Anti Christmas Special by Ryan Bock at Ki Smith Gallery (Friday) 

• This is the closing date for Dress Shoppe II (Thursday) 

• Gia Trattoria has closed on the Bowery (Wednesday)

• The SE corner of Avenue C and 3rd Street is now sidewalk-bridge free after 8-plus years (Thursday)

• Dry cleaners and laundromats make a return (Monday) 

• Noho Market debuts on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Construction watch: 699 E. 6th St. (Thursday) 

• Snack Bowery has closed (Monday) 

• Dumpling N' Dips coming soon to St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• Summing up feelings about SantaCon (Sunday) 

• August Laura has closed on Avenue A and 6th Street (Thursday).

And after August Laura closed, several readers noted that up to 8-10 people moved into the restaurant's seldom-used Sixth Street streetside structure...

Since then, someone has removed most of the barriers...

... and boarded up the Avenue A streetside structure. The residents (and one business owner) who emailed us about these want the street eateries removed, as the retail space will likely sit empty for months...

---

Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics. 

A Sustainable Christmas

Now for a little holiday cheer... earlier this month, A Sustainable Village, the new eco-friendly shop at 318 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, held its first tree trimming party.

The owners, Em Hynes (left) and Jaclyn Roster, invited EVG contributor Stacie Joy to stop by for the festivities... which include making ornaments...

A Sustainable Village is open Tuesday-Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. You can follow them on Instagram here. 

EVG Etc.: The 'pointless demolition' of East River Park; the city's worst landlords

Morning shadow on Avenue A 

• Mayor insists there won't be a new round of business or school closures amid COVID surge (ABC 7)

• An update on the teens who climbed out their fourth-floor window during the fire at the Jacob Riis Houses Thursday morning (CBS 2 ... previously on EVG) ... There's a GoFundMe for the family at this link. 

• Tompkins Square Middle School students speak out against sexual harassment and assault (CBS 2) 

• What we'd lose if Casa Adela closes (Grub Street ... previously on EVG)

• Eileen Myles on "the pointless demolition" of East River Park (artforum) 

• City Council votes in favor of the SoHo/NoHo rezoning plan (Gothamist) 

• The 2021 list of the city's worst landlords (Patch) 

• Sweet Pickle Books celebrates its first year on the LES (Publishers Weekly) 

• Diversions: Pleasant Gehman and Coyote Shivers lead a group of ducks, swans and geese to Dee Dee Ramones' grave at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery (NBC Los Angeles)

Saturday's parting shot

A moment from the 9th Precinct's annual holiday party today on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... photo by Derek Berg...

HBD Marty Rev

 

Martin Rev, the keyboardist and one-half of the influential duo Suicide, turned 74 today. Enjoy the clip of "Ghost Rider" from 1980.

Also HBD to Keith Richard (No. 78), who has several ties to this neighborhood as well (here and here and here, for instance).

Testing, testing

As you are likely well aware, the rise of COVID cases in the city has spurred lines for testing as people prepare to travel for the holidays... or simply just want to get tested.

There have been social media reports (#CityMD) of 2-3 hour waits at CityMD. (The above photo is from this morning around 8 as the line outside the 14th Street CityMD outpost stretched halfway down the block between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.)

Some knowledgeable/trustworthy sources online have reminded people about free city-run test sites. Find that list here. And this site has the wait times for NYC Health + Hospitals COVID-19 testing locations. And here's a list of free mobile testing units. You'll have to travel a little bit for this — none of the locations are in the East Village.

The city is reportedly expanding testing sites, distributing masks and giving away at-home test kits... though, as many people have pointed out in news articles on this winter surge: 20 months in, it shouldn't be so difficult to get a test. (And this article at The City reports: "De Blasio Shut Down 20 City-Run COVID Testing Facilities Ahead of Omicron Surge.")

Also: The city's Vaccine Command Center is here.... the COVID-19 and Flu Vaccine Finder is here.  

A holiday concert at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer

Photo this month by Stacie Joy 

The Church of the Most Holy Redeemer celebrates the season with a candlelit carol concert tomorrow (Sunday!) afternoon at 4. The event is free (you can register here). 

Proof of vaccination is required, and attendees must wear a mask. Organizers say that there will be enough room in the church for people to remain socially distant.

Westville East on Avenue A is closed for renovations until Jan. 3

In case Westville East on Avenue A at 11th Street was in your dining plans for the remainder of the year... Per the notices on site, the restaurant is now closed for renovations until 5 p.m. on Jan. 3.

On Avenue B, we're seeing firsthand what happens when the city disbands the DOT proofreaders

Updated 12/20: The city has fixed the MHP-MPH errors!

On Thursday, city workers put down the roadside markings on the recently repaved Avenue B.

EVG reader Krikor Daglian first pointed out the transposed letters in MPH < MHP.

Vinny & O (and several others!) then pointed out that the MHP is on the entire length of the Avenue, from Houston to 14th ...

Perhaps the DTO DOT intends this to mean Minimum Horse Power. (H/T John G. for that one!)

First! (aka Saturday's opening shot)

We have an early participant here on Avenue A at Ninth Street for MulchFest in Tompkins Square Park ... the two-day event is set for Jan.8-9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

And not to be scoldylocks, but you're supposed to remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and stands before dropping off your tree.