Sunday's parting shots

Top photo by Lola Sáenz 

A holiday front window view at the great Academy Records on 12th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

And some stocking stuffers inside ... (pic by EVG the other week)...

Week in Grieview

Posts this week included (with a PediCab Santa photo by Derek Berg) ... 

• Up in the under-restoration belltower at Most Holy Redeemer (Thursday) 

• Paulie Gee's Slice Shop in the works for the former Huertas space on 1st Avenue (Monday) 

• RIP Phil Klein (Friday) 

• A memorial for Bill Dean (Thursday) 

• Landmarks Preservation Commission approves hotel project that could potentially damage the city's oldest residential landmark (Wednesday) 

• A new CO at the 9th (Monday) 

• Sammy's Roumanian Steak House now looking at a new Lower East Side space for its return (Monday) 

• Local elected officials call out landlords renting to unlicensed cannabis shops (Wednesday) 

• A bad sign at Numero 28 Pizzeria Napoletana (Tuesday)

• On the sales market: 180 1st Ave., home of the dual Michael Jackson murals (Tuesday) 

• Construction watch: 183 Avenue B (Tuesday) 

• Calamari with fries at Ray's (Wednesday) 

• Kung Fu Tea closes on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday) 

• Dates released for Mulchchella 2024, where the headliners are your Christmas trees (Tuesday) 

• A Total by Verizon for Avenue A (Monday) 

... and if you won the door prize, don't worry, it's on its way... (photo by Derek Berg)...

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Some weekend holiday pop-up events for your consideration

First posted on 12/15 See below for Sunday, Dec. 17 events...

• Metrograph 

7 Ludlow St. just north of Canal 

Details: 

Join us this Saturday, Dec. 16, as we present hundreds of vintage film books, magazines, posters, ephemera, and more in the theater lobby and bookstore from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Our friends at The Paris Review will be presenting their new issue along with merch and vintage material, and the Commissary is serving brunch all day... 

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• Bluestockings 

116 Suffolk St. between Rivington and Delancey 

Details: 

Still need to find gifts for the holidays? Come visit the Reader's Wonderland Holiday Pop Up, and browse six local booksellers and zinesters all in the same place! Keep your money in your community and find something for everyone on your list. 

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• Victoria! 

235 Eldridge St. between Houston and Stanton 

Details: 

Join us for a free jewelry and accessory swap this Sunday, December 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Victoria! bar. Bring any old, new, or unwanted jewelry and accessories to donate to our huge table of treasured goodies, simply take what you like in exchange. A great way to recycle your pre-loved fashion.

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• Superiority Burger 

119 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place 

Details: 

During Sunday brunch and Sunday/Monday dinner. Unique wares available exclusively in Fowzy's saloon. Cheap books, sweaters, obsolete musical formats, ceramics, etc. You won't want to miss it. Joint is lit up and festive. You are invited.

Sunday's opening shot

The cloud-covered Midtown morning view... a major coastal storm is expected to enter the metropolitan area this afternoon... bringing wind, rain and general mayhem.

From our friends at the National Weather Service...

Illegal cannabis dispensary seeing blue this morning

Photos by William Klayer 

A quick note via the EVG tipline... law enforcement officials were spotted inside the Recreational Plus Cannabis Dispensary on the SE corner of First Avenue and 11th Street. 

A Restraining Order is also posted on the front window here at 180 First Ave. (FYI: This building is also for sale.) 

From the street, the shop appears to be empty. (The business' Yelp page notes, "Recreational Plus East Village is temporarily closed. Scheduled to reopen on January 1, 2024.") 

The signage arrived for it back in October... it was later removed, though the shop remained in operation.

This happens to be one block north of Go Green Dispensary, where on Tuesday, local elected officials came together, spoke out against unlicensed cannabis shops in Lower Manhattan, and called on landlords to stop renting to these businesses.

Like Go Green Dispensary, this operation is close to multiple schools (East Side Community School and PS 19 East Village Community School) and the mosque on the NE corner of 11th Street and First Avenue.

Saturday's opening shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Santa is coming to the 9th Precinct today, 9 a.m. to noon on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... for the station house's annual holiday event.

Happily 'Everlasting'

 

You might think a recently released song called "Everlasting Gobstopper" might have something to do with the new"Wonka" film.

The track by The Veldt is actually 34 years old... the Raleigh, N.C.-based soul-shoegaze-alternative rock band has finally seen the release of what was to be their debut record, produced by the Cocteau Twins' Robin Guthrie. Capitol Records shelved the recording in 1989, and reportedly sent the band back into the studio to do another record, which turned out to be Marigold.

Anyway! Always thought they were very under-appreciated... 

RIP Phil Klein

Several EVG readers who shop at Whiskers Holistic Pet Care, which has been on Ninth Street at Second Avenue since 1988, shared the following sad news about one of its owners. (H/T Bayou!)

Phil Klein died in his sleep at home on Nov. 24. He was 81. 

According to a memorial post on the shop's Facebook account, Phil suffered a heart attack eight years ago and had not been at Whiskers since then. 

Here's more via the Facebook post...

Of course, he missed going into the store, said his wife and partner of 42 years Randy Klein. "He would go in every day with gusto. Never angry or with frustration."

Phil and Randy Klein are a New York story if ever there was one. Having met 43 years ago at a bus stop in front of the New York Public Library, they were both going to the same stop at 34th Street to Penn Station — one to Flushing and the other to Long Island. That became a ride of love, and they married a year later in 1982. 

You could say that fateful meeting started them off on the same road into a shared future that led to Whiskers Holistic Pet Care. Born from their commitment to trying to save their own dog from cancer and the frustration and anger with traditional recommendations and medicine. 

Phil Klein, a Vietnam veteran, played the drums and loved to ride his motorcycle any chance he got. 

Survivors include Randy Klein, his wife of 42 years and co-founder of Whiskers Holistic Pet Care; his cousin, Betty Edel; and his closest friend, Richie Armento.

Whiskers is asking that people share memories and tributes to Phil on Facebook.

A memorial for Bill Dean

There's a memorial on Saturday afternoon at 2 for Bill Dean (aka "Sensitive Bill") under the Hare Krishna Tree in the center of Tompkins Square Park. 

Here's more information (thanks to Jimmy the Greek for this)... 

Known to his friends as "Sensitive Bill," Bill Dean passed away on Dec. 10 at age 60. The cause of death has not been determined. 

Dean was an activist with the Yippies in the 1980s, a 13th Street squatter and community gardener, Rainbow Gathering brother, photographer, and avid cyclist. 

In recent years, he had been living on the Upper West Side but often came down to Tompkins Square Park to hang with friends and attend local demonstrations. 

He is survived by an adult daughter in Sweden.

Up in the under-restoration belltower at Most Holy Redeemer

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

On Oct. 30, we reported on the restoration work underway on the bell and clock tower at Most Holy Redeemer/Nativity Parish on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

In recent weeks, you've likely noticed that the clocks are coming back into service after several decades, and there's an electronic carillon system playing seasonal hymns at certain hours. (Note: The top photo is a pre-restoration shot!)

Earlier in the fall, Father Seán took me on a tour into the 232-foot tower at the historic church, which was completed in October 1851... and it was one of the most exhilarating (aka, terrifying!) EV tours that I've taken!

Father Seán and church handyman Daniel Alvarado met me in front of the newly restored and painted gates and doors to Most Holy Redeemer ...

From there, we climbed!

And climbed!

We went up a steep spiral staircase to the staging grounds above the church's stained-glass windows, where I saw the old clock mechanisms and the about-to-be-installed new ones.

We marveled at the bone graveyard of the animals who have long since perished up in the tower and the beautiful exposed brick. The filtered light coming through the tall windows was awe-inspiring.

Father Seán explained that the church was lucky they didn't need to repair the clocks from outside, which would require cranes, street closures and scaffolding, and would be a much more expensive project. Workers have been transporting materials from within the stairs and ladders during this restoration. 

The church later shared these photos ... showing the spectacular view from the tower clocks...

You can read our previous post for more details on the restoration and history of Most Holy Redeemer. The church also accepts donations "to help alleviate this restoration's burden on our parish budget." You can find a link here.