PlantShed debuts on 2nd Avenue

The PlantShed outpost has opened at 193 Second Ave. on the NW corner of 12th Street. (Thanks to Steven for the top two photos.) 

As previously reported, this location of the family-owned business that dates to the 1950s will sell plants and flowers and offer café service (tea, coffee and pastries). There are a few sidewalk tables available.

EVG regular Lola Sáenz shared these photos from Friday...

The first PlantShed retail space opened on the Upper West Side in 1981... the café service arrived later.

There are now four PlantShed storefronts — two on the UWS, one on Prince Street at the Bowery and one that debuted in 2020 in Englewood, N.J. 

No. 193, a high-profile storefront, has been vacant since Pastel Spa & Nails closed in March 2018.

2 tenants for the renovated storefronts at 21-23 Avenue B

Photos by Stacie Joy

Friday saw the grand opening of a new business at 21-23 Avenue B — Gas on Deck (a Q Da Fool reference?).

Yoon Lee (below) is behind the recreational marijuana dispensary and accessories shop ...

Along with a partner, he has plans for an omakase restaurant for the space next door. This month he's on the CB3-SLA docket for a beer-wine license for the establishment, doing business as Domakase.

As previously reported, workers added two new floors and combined the two four-story structures here between Second Street and Third Street. 

H/T Salim!

P.F. Chang's makes it signage official on University Place

EVG reader Mark Cox shares this photo from the SE corner of 13th Street at University Place (113 University Place) ... where signage recently arrived for the new tenant — P.F. Chang's.

As previously noted, this will reportedly be the chain's first sit-down restaurant in NYC ... and a big one at 4,777 square feet of space across three floors. 

The company opened several P.F. Chang's To Go outposts during the pandemic. 

Italian restaurant brand Vapiano was previously in this University Place space. 

Sunday's parting shot

A moment today in Tompkins Square Park with Tilted Axes (an orchestra of guitarists and percussionists led by post-rock composer/performer Patrick Grant) ... photo by Derek Berg...

At the March Against Gun Violence

Photos by Stacie Joy

Dozens of local residents, community groups, faith-based leaders and members of the NYPD turned out yesterday on the Lower East Side for the March Against Gun Violence.

Neighborhood police precincts (the 7th, 9th and PSA 4) and several local community groups organized the event. 

"We're here for them, the community — and the community is here as you can see," 7th Precinct Commanding Officer Luis Barcia told ABC 7. "They're also doing their part and working with us to stop the violence." 

The march started at Delancey and Columbia on the Lower East Side ... and ended at P.S. 34 on 12th St. between Avenue C and Avenue D. EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos...

According to ABC 7, there have been nearly 450 shootings this year — a 9% increase over the same period last year. 

"This is how serious this is to everyone, including the mayor," said NYPD Deputy Inspector Ralph Clement. 

Mayor Adams met with top NYPD leadership yesterday to discuss crime strategies in the wake of citywide violence, per NBC 4.

On Friday morning at 9, a 42-year-old man was shot dead on Fourth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. Police have a person of interest in custody. 

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo outside FDNY Engine 28/Ladder 11 on 2nd Street by Stacie Joy)... 

• Man dead in shooting outside Mariana Bracetti Plaza on 4th Street (Friday)

• RIP Paul Adrian Davies (Thursday) 

• The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival returns to Tompkins Square Park for the 1st time since 2019 (Wednesday) 

• Proletariat and Cadence on the move to larger East Village spaces (Monday) 

• Luzzo's bringing the Neapolitan pizza to this corner of Avenue B (Tuesday) 

• Police release surveillance video of suspect in connection to stabbing on Avenue A (Monday) 

• City shrinks the size of the passive lawn in East River Park (Monday) 

• A break-in at Lucky on Avenue B (Thursday) 

• Coming soon: Rake Wine Bar on 3rd Street (Monday) 

• FULL reveal at 141 E. Houston St.; Yonah Schimmel can breathe again (Friday) 

• Openings: Little Myanmar brings Burmese cuisine to 2nd Street (Thursday) 

• About the "explosion" in Tompkins Square Park this morning (Wednesday)

• Workers removing the former Root & Bone curbside dining structure (Monday)

• Old-timer Rakka Cafe doesn't appear to be coming back on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday) 

• Your season 2 "Russian Doll" reader (Wednesday) 

• What you knead to know about Librae Bakery (Monday) 

• Good Heavens! A rebrand for 169 Avenue A (Tuesday) • Pouring Ribbons replacement 11 Tigers announces itself on Avenue B (Wednesday) 

• Openings: Lot Stop on 1st Avenue (Monday) 

• Strings Ramen shutters on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Thai Direct looks closed now on Avenue A (Wednesday)

• Captain Cookie & the Milk Man will be taking orders soon on Astor Place (Thursday)

---

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

Cleaning out the former businesses along Stuyvesant Street

Photos by Steven

This past week, workers continued to empty out the now-closed retail spaces along Stuyvesant Street, including Sunrise Mart and Panya.

Village Yokocho, Angel's Share, Sunrise Mart and Panya shuttered in recent weeks. Cooper Union, which leases the buildings from their owners and had subleased them to the Yoshida Restaurant Group for more than 25 years, said it was the tenants' decision to move on. (This post has more background.)

Workers removed half of the sidewalk dining structure here on April 21 (H/T MP!) and removed the rest of it in recent days... (not sure who used the outside space — Village Yokocho? Panya?) 

This is the second recently closed business that had someone remove the outdoor dining structure, joining Root & Bone on Third Street. 

Report: Workers at the Starbucks on Astor Place vote to unionize

The Starbucks on Astor Place became the second NYC outpost to unionize, according to press reports and several media advisories. 

The workers voted Friday in favor of a union by an 11-2 count. The Reserve Roastery in Chelsea voted to unionize in early April.

So not only a blowout win in NYC, but another downstate store filed today as well!! Welcome Farmingville!

Working at an understaffed SB next to a CityMD during a pandemic...uhhh, workers deserve better. #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/zSc4XnEFSg

— SBWorkersUnited (@SBWorkersUnited) April 29, 2022

According to Nation's Restaurant News: 

In just four and a half months, Starbucks went from having zero union presence to employees voting to unionize at 32 stores around the country, with dozens of unionization elections occurring weekly.

And... 

Throughout this process, there has been growing tensions between the Starbucks corporation — which has made it clear that direct representation is preferable and that the unions have been disruptive — and union group SBWorkers United, which has accused its parent company of union-busting.

Saturday's parting shots

The Abracadabra bus made a stop along Tompkins Square Park on Avenue A late this afternoon... photos by Derek Berg...

6 posts from April

A mini month in review... 

• Farewells: Rev. Anne Sawyer has left St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery (April 19) 

• Closing day at Panya on Stuyvesant Street (April 18) 

• Suspect in Sunset Park subway shooting arrested in the East Village (April 13) 

• Remembering International Bar owner Molly Fitch (April 10) 

• Standoff on 9th Street (April 6) 

• A last look at the now-closed East Village institution Sunrise Mart (April 5)