Openings: El Churro on Houston and Allen

UPDATED: They now close at midnight Monday-Wednesday, 2 a.m. Thursday-Saturday, and 10 p.m. on Sunday!

El Churro has debuted on the SE corner of Houston and Allen (175 E. Houston St. aka 200 Allen St.).

The cafe offers house-made churros, ice cream and several coffee drinks. (You can watch them make the churros through the front window on Houston.)

For now, the hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Management says they will eventually extend their hours until 10 p.m. or midnight on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends.

The renovations started on this thin strip of a storefront in early 2022. (Find our other coverage here for more background on previous tenants, etc.)

Meanwhile, signage for Runtz Tobacco arrives on 1st Avenue

Another day, another smoke shop reveal... this time for Runtz Tobacco at 14 First Ave. between First Street and Second Street. (Thanks to the EVG reader for the pic!) 

As far as we can recall, the last tenant in this storefront was the salon One Plus One (not to be confused with the bar One and One a storefront away). 

Something other than a smoke shop opens in a vacant storefront

A spiritual advisor specializing in spiritual things like tarot cards has set up shop at 338 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue (RIP Perfect Threading Salon) ...

Signage up before the official signage included a web address ...

... that went to a New Jersey-based psychic who is seen sitting with either the real Jerry Seinfeld or a Seinfeld impersonator in an Instagram post from 2018 (h/t Steven!) ...

Also, H/T Pinch!

Limited to One celebrates 5 years

Limited to One is marking its fifth anniversary next week. 

The specialty and collectible record shop, located at 221 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, opened on July 29, 2017. (Read our interview with founders Kristian Sorge and Nichole Porges here.) 

And to celebrate: 

We're having a birthday party/show/record fair/old school punk distro party on July 31 at Saint Vitus at 7 p.m. We have a few of our favorite bands playing including Common Sage, Amitie, and Light Tower along with a few possible guests! In addition, we will also have a few rare crates of records and merch at the show! 

You can find tickets to the show here.

Saint Vitus Bar is at 1120 Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint. 

And you can follow the Limited to One Instagram for updates.

Top image via Limited to One

Week in Grieview

Posts from the past week included (with a photo at the former Sidewalk on Sixth and A)... 

• A crowdfunding campaign for Andy Gil, killed by a hit-and-run driver on East Houston Street (Wednesday) 

• Some 13th Street residents want the fried-chicken smell to stop (Tuesday)

• Seth Tobocman on the story behind a long-covered mural on 9th Street (Thursday) 

• City officially unveils Manuel Plaza on 4th Street (Monday) 

• The new East Village location of the Brindle Room set to open next week on 11th Street (Thursday) 

• Raise your spirits: At WitchsFest 2022 on Astor Place (Sunday) 

• Construction watch: 204 Avenue A (Tuesday) 

• The Mermaid Inn is moving closer to its East Village return (Monday) 

• Kent's Dumpling House has apparently closed on 14th Street (Tuesday) 

• The former Baker's Pizza space is for rent on Avenue A (Monday) 

• Openings: Dhom on 12th Street (Wednesday) 

• The 9th Precinct will add bicycle patrols to the East Village (Wednesday)

• Little Kirin announces itself on St. Mark's Place (Monday) 

• Reader mailbag: Syringe disposal in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday) 

• Kura has apparently closed on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• Report: Rivera tops new 10th Congressional District poll; a talk about redistricting (Monday) 

... and several EVG readers have shared photos of the growing memorial on the NW corner of Second Avenue and Ninth Street... (photo below by Jefferson Siegel) ...

It's a happy birthday for what would be No. 28 for Sabrina Gournaris, who died in August 2019 at age 25. We don't know what her connnection was to this corner (an obituary lists her as a Connecticut resident). Based on the number of flowers and candles, she had many friends and loved ones...

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

Today in posts about things people are stealing

Hot topic and probably one of the hottest items for criminals these days!! BE AWARE pic.twitter.com/Tqqr5xQK5Y

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) July 21, 2022

The 9th Precinct tweeted this out the other day... an uptick in catalytic converter theft!

Per Car & Driver: 

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), catalytic converter theft has spiked dramatically due to three precious metals found inside them: palladium, rhodium, and platinum. How precious are we talking about here? At the time of this writing, an ounce of rhodium costs about $15,000.

Sunday sunrise

EVG regular Jeanne Krier shares this early morning photo...

Saturday's parting shot

Discarded fridge art on Seventh Street via Derek Berg...

July 23

Carol from East 5th Street shares this photo... as seen this morning in the East Fifth Street pathway through Village View... a grab-and-go Christmas tree ready to make someone's home a winter wonderland on this hot Saturday in July...

Puke Island returns to Tompkins Square Park

The 10th edition of Puke Island takes place tomorrow afternoon (Sunday, July 24) in Tompkins Square Park (and, as it happens, a day after Punk Island).

Scheduled to play: 

• 2 — The List 
• 2:45 — Prostitution 
• 3:30 — Skappository 
• 4:15 — Iconicide 
• 5 — Hell's Teeth 

Per the invite: "NONE of the bands performing at this event have ANYTHING to do with one another, other than two simple words: GOOD MUSIC." 

You can read more about the history of Puke Island here.