Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Shake Shack signage appears outside new Lower East Side outpost

The green glow of the familiar Shake Shack neon signage can now be seen behind the plywood at the chain's newest outpost on Rivington and Norfolk. (First reported back in June.)

The Shack takes over the space — vacant for five years — from Schiller’s Liquor Bar, which closed after 14 years in 2017.

No word yet on an opening date — this outpost has yet to appear on the Shaker's website.

Thanks to EVG reader Mitch Lerner for the photo!

Monday, November 21, 2022

Monday's parting shot

SLIPPERY CHARACTER ON FOURTH AVENUE.

Photo by Derek Berg (with a headline H/T to Janice!)

The 2022 Cookie Walk has been canceled

Photo from 2019 by Stacie Joy

Organizers have decided not to host a Cookie Walk again this year at St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on Avenue A and 10th Street. 

The Cookie Walk website shows that this year's event, expected to occur early next month, has been canceled.

"Our hearts are broken to make this announcement," per the site...
There wasn't an official reason given for the cancellation of what would have been the 12th Cookie Walk.
We will wait until 2023 when we can all enjoy the excitement and fun of "walking The Walk" together once again.

Be well. Stay safe. Eat Cookies!
The always-festive event, held in early December in the church basement, offers about 75 varieties of homemade cookies and pastries. As the name implies, you take a walk around cookie-filled tables and pick your favorites. 

The last Cookie Walk took place in 2019.

96 Tears debuts on Avenue A as a tribute to Howie Pyro

96 Tears debuted this past week at 110 Avenue A at Seventh Street... the establishment next door to sister bar Niagara takes over from Tompkins Square Bar

Owners Jesse Malin and Johnny T (whose other local ventures include 2A and Bowery Electric) as well as well as Jonathan Toubin have dedicated the space to the late Howie Pyro. Pyro, the prolific musician, producer and DJ, died in May from complications from COVID-19-related pneumonia following a liver transplant. He was 61. 

Here's more about the venue via the 96 Tears site:
"96 Tears" is of course the ? and The Mysterians distinctive #1 hit that was covered by everybody from Big Maybelle, Jimmy Ruffin, and Aretha Franklin to The Modern Lovers, Suicide, and The Stranglers. The DNA of so many revolutionary minimalist sounds that evolved across generations since its release, the original classic recording is also the first song ever referred to in print as "punk music" (by Dave Marsh in a 1971 issue of CREEM). 
While these dimensions of the song's journey are at the heart of what 96 Tears is all about, the bar took its name from a tattoo across the neck of Howie Pyro...  Howie's tragic death in May, and his friends' subsequent focus on his remarkable life and how he lived it, was the inspiration for 96 Tears.
Pyro was also well-known for his extensive collection of music-related memorabilia, which will be featured at 96 Tears...
The walls and shelves of the 96 Tears bar realize Howie's dream as they're adorned with his original posters, tchotchkes, and other extraordinary artifacts like the original promotional fruit company ashtray he discovered Andy Warhol lifted for The Velvet Underground & Nico LP cover ...  the "Free Sid Vicious" shirt that punk's original poster child left at Howie's apartment before his legendary demise ... a gold record the Ramones presented to Howie for their debut LP, a Dead Boys bass case that became his own, and an unimaginable array of other authentic subcultural wonders from across the edges of the 20th Century sub terrain that found their way into Howie's orbit.
The bar is open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., with a 4 a.m. close on weekends. You can check out their food menu (similar to the one at Tompkins Square Bar) here.

A Snack Stop for St. Mark's Place

A rather generic-looking business called Snack Stop is setting up shop in the eastern storefront at 58 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Vegan Grill is in the western space.)

The signage (with a typo — GROICERIES) promises exotic soda and snacks... as well as an ATM. 

The space has been vacant since Clay Pot didn't reopen after the PAUSE of March 2020.

Can't believe it has been 10 years since Natori, a longtime favorite, closed here.

Thanks to the readers who shared photos of the new signage! This pic via Steven.

Report: City's first NFT restaurant slated for the former Sunshine Cinema location on Houston

The city's first NFT restaurant has signed a lease at the new 9-story office building at 141 E. Houston St. between Eldridge and Forsyth. 

According to the Post, the Flyfish Club is leasing three levels, 11,000 square feet total, for the members-only club that will feature a "bustling" cocktail lounge, an upstairs restaurant and outdoor space. 
Details! 
Flyfish was founded by the VCR Group’s restaurateur David Rodolitz, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, celebrity chef Josh Capon and chef Conor Hanlon — with membership through non-fungible tokens that were purchased on the blockchain and are now being resold on Opensea.io. 
And!
An "intimate" omakase room will additionally have a menu being created by Masa Ito, a partner with VCR Group in the Ito restaurant, and entered through a separate token. Here, members are allowed just one guest, which is the same for regular members in the cocktail lounge. But diners can bring a number of guests depending on their table size and reservation. 
Annnnd!
 ... so far they have sold 1,294 regular memberships with the club reserving 1,423 and 318 omakase memberships with 67 reserved by the club. Tokens started at 2.5 Ethereum ($8,400 in January) and are now being listed for 3.5 Ethereum, or $5,390, to as much as 150 Ethereum, or $190,170 — and provide entry to the restaurant and cocktail lounge. 

The Omakase token was first offered for 4.25 Ethereum ($14,300 in January) and now is offered for as much as 22.8571 Ethereum, nearly $29,000 — and provides access to that exclusive space.
Here's the Flyfish opening announcement...

 

This is all happening on the site of the former Sunshine Cinema (RIP January 2018).

Where you'll be able to find the Goodies on the Bowery

Another day, another cannabis-related shop opening in the neighborhood. 

The Goodies Shop is the latest entry ... coming soon to 324 Bowery near Bleecker... signage arrived last week...
This piece from Fortune on Friday has more about the city's unlicensed shops popping up all over the place.

The Goodies Shop takes over the space from Snack Bowery, which closed late last year.

Sunday, November 20, 2022

An early Thanksgiving today courtesy of East Village Loves NYC

Photos by Stacie Joy

Today, East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group formed in the spring of 2020 to feed people in need during the pandemic — prepared and distributed its third-annual Thanksgiving meal citywide. (More background here.)

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the group's home base at the Sixth Street Community Center ... 
Later, several volunteers passed out Thanksgiving meals in Tompkins Square Park. (EV Loves NYC started a distribution on Sundays at 1:45 p.m. back in the summer for anyone in the neighborhood who needs food, water and health care supplies.) 

Thanksgiving meals were on the menu today... 
You may find information about volunteer opportunities here... or if you'd like to make a donation to support their work. (Link here.)

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo on 1st Avenue by Grant Shaffer) ... 

• A visit with Moxie, a nearly 8-year-old East Village photographer with an eye for nature (Wednesday)

• A visit to Azaleas, celebrating 20 years in the East Village (Tuesday

• EV Loves NYC preparing for its 3rd annual Thanksgiving event for New Yorkers in need (Friday)

• The tree lighting ceremony in Tompkins Square Park takes place on Dec. 11 (Monday

• This morning's community meeting in Tompkins Square Park (Thursday) ... Why is this area of Tompkins Square Park now closed to the public? (Thursday

• About 'Bomb Pop 2,' an 'ongoing conversation' at Bullet Space (Friday

• The Gallery Watch Q&A: Sneha S. on 'Portraits of the Revolution' (Saturday

• Bowery building once owned by Andy Warhol is up for auction (Tuesday

• City removes curbside dining structure at Amor Y Amargo on 6th and A (Saturday

• While we're waiting for the full reveal at 14 2nd Ave. (Monday

• Let there be sidewalk here on Avenue C! (Wednesday

• Gratin, a new gallery, debuts on 5th Street and Avenue B (Thursday

• That's all for the short-lived Luna Cafe Lounge on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

• The Union Square Holiday Market is now open on Union Square this holiday season (Friday

• Heathily Deli has not been open lately (Monday

• Noted, good-God-not-another-one edition (Wednesday) ... Hey, what might be opening in this empty 1st Avenue storefront? (Monday

... and an attempt at humor for fans of the Citizen app...
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Toss your e-waste today!

We only just received this flyer... the Lower East Side Ecology Center is collecting e-waste — computers, monitors, keyboards, Betamax players etc. — today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Location: Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street.