Monday, April 25, 2022

Coming soon: Rake Wine Bar on 3rd Street

Signage is up for Rake Wine Bar, coming soon to the SW corner of First Avenue and Third Street.

As we mentioned back in December, Urban Wine & Spirits was opening a small wine bar — via a separate entrance on Third Street — in the shop's new corner space...
Rake has a space on the Urban Wine & Spirits website for future updates.

Jorge Arias, a partner in The Sampler in Bushwick, opened Urban Wine & Spirits on First Avenue in March 2014. 

The shop debuted in the corner space in late December, a few steps north of the previous spot.

What you knead to know about Librae Bakery

If you missed our post from last week, Librae Bakery is opening soon at 35 Cooper Square at Sixth Street. 

Since that last post, help-wanted signage has gone up in the windows (in case you knead a job — we'll run that joke into the ground!) ... and there's BREAD pictured on that sign...
Mentioning the bread because whenever a bakery opens and just sells cookies and cakes and desserts, people are like, What about a bakery with bread? 

The Librae Facebook page describes the business like this: "Third culture bakery with Middle Eastern roots and Danish technique." 

Anyway, it's shaping up inside to be a nice-looking space.

Librae takes over the storefront from Schmackary's, a bakery that sold cookies and other desserts (but not bread, see?).  Schmackary's didn't reopen following the PAUSE of March 2020. Their original outpost remains open on West 45th Street.

Openings: Lot Stop on 1st Avenue

Lot Stop is now open at 245 First Ave., just a smidge past 14th Street (previously mentioned here) ... this is the latest tri-state location for the family-owned biz that debuted in 2011.

Here's more about Lot Stop via the chainlet's website:
We pride ourselves on offering name brands at the lowest price possible. Our close-out buying team sources deals nationally every week enabling us to provide incredible bargains. 
As the world was transitioning to online shopping, we did not want our neighborhoods to lose the convenience and feeling of connection that comes with a "brick-and-mortar" shopping experience. We study trends, popular name brand items, and necessities to provide the same merchandise as superstores and online giants, at better prices. We take pride in carefully choosing our locations to create an asset to the community through stellar employees and developing lasting relationships with the many who shop here. 
We did a little pre-opening window shopping and noted a large variety of hand soap, mouthwash, dishwashing liquid... not to mention Valentine's Day gifts and Glade Air Freshener Spray — Ginger Spice Oh So Nice (8 ounces for 99 cents)...
The Duane Reade closed here in November 2019

Lot Stop is the second discount shop to open in the EV this spring... joining USA Super Stores in the former Duane Reade on Third Avenue and 10th Street.

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Sunday's parting shot

A head-on collison this evening reported around 6:15 on Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street... no reports of injuries... and no idea how this happened... thanks to the longtime reader for the photo...

April 24

Avenue B is the place to be for discarded Christmas trees today... Salim hit the daily double jackpot ... at Sixth Street (above!) ... then Seventh Street...
Dave on 7th also spotted the tree on B and Seventh...
And just 244 days to Christmas Eve!

Week in Grieview

Posts this last week included (with a photo from Avenue B yesterday by Stacie Joy) ... 

• 2 arrested in latest East Village encampment sweep (Wednesday

• Closing day at Panya on Stuyvesant Street (Monday

• Report of a stabbing on Avenue A near 10th Street (Monday

• A visit to Spooksvilla + Friends on 9th Street (Thursday

• Farewells: Rev. Anne Sawyer has left St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery (Tuesday

• City honors Saifee Hardware manager Francisco Puebla for role in nabbing alleged subway shooter (Friday

• Big Ash brings the vintage gems to Delancey (Friday

• The cowboy way at Key Food (Friday

• Breaking bread: Librae Bakery coming to Cooper Square (Monday

• That 99-cent slice of pizza will now cost you $1.50 (Wednesday)

• 'Low Fidelity' features the iconic photos from Bobby Grossman's downtown milieu (Wednesday

• A chance to see the 1956 film classic 'On the Bowery' on a big screen (Friday

• Former B Bar & Grill cleared from the Bowery (Monday

• Don't be blue! The window displays will return to Blue Door Video on 1st Avenue (Wednesday)

• Root & Bone shutters after 8 years in the East Village (Tuesday

• Modern Asian restaurant slated for 334 Bowery (Monday

• Wyatt will pay you to move your car on 9th Street (Friday

• Openings: Oh K-Dog & Egg Toast on St. Mark's Place (Thursday) ... Viva Cucina on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday

• Checking in on the incoming Chicken & the Egg on 2nd Avenue (Tuesday

• Bagel Boss has closed on 14th Street (Saturday

• A new wrinkle for art installations on Astor Place (Thursday

• Meta deal: Facebook takes up more of 770 Broadway (Tuesday

... and thanks to Salim for sharing this find from outside the Duane Reade (2nd and B) on 4/20...
Another reader shared a discarded tree shot from the day before on Second Street and Avenue A... didn't quite have as much green left!

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4/20 in review

A few photos from this past Wednesday — 4/20 — around the East Village and Lower East Side courtesy of EVG contributor Stacie Joy... some people were celebrating the day, others just enjoying the spring day...

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair!

Photos by Steven 

In case you had forgotten! The first Street Fair in two years is now underway on Second Avenue...
EVG reader Terry Howell provided a quickie assessment: 
The Second Avenue Street Fair extends from Seventh Street to 11th Street, unless there's an afternoon shift later. Mainly the same traveling band of commercial sellers with stuff and tchotchkes (crystals, bonsai, baskets, bowls, rugs, jewelry, etc.) that clogged the former street fairs. If you're looking for new food experiences or any local vendors, you will be disappointed, as was I. I searched in vain for "The Pickle Guy." Sad, but it's a start. 
Yes! Welcome back... and maybe THIS will be the year you buy the "Scarface" poster you've been eyeing for the past 15 years...

A water main break on 7th Street at Avenue C

City crews continue work on Seventh Street just west of Avenue C... there was a report of a "water condition" here at 1:13 a.m. ... (A reader told us it was a water main break...) Seventh Street is closed to through traffic between Avenue B and C.

Another reader reported that the city has shut down the water to the block. (This after low water pressure last night.) 

Hopefully, this is something that can be repaired quickly...

Saturday, April 23, 2022