Saturday's opening shot

The golden glow-y sunrise view today from 14th Street... with special effects courtesy of the Con Ed power plant...

'Heavy' mettle

 

The debut record from the Dublin-based Sprints came out a few weeks back (more info here). 

The video is for "Heavy." 

And you can catch them live out at Zone One at Elsewhere in Brooklyn on March 21-22. (Oh wait — that March 21 date is sold out.)

Celebrating the life and spirit of John Crellin, aka 'Architect John'

Photo by Kyle de Vre 

From the book "See You Next Tuesday."

Republished with permission 

Information via the EVG inbox...

John R. Crellin, 75, died peacefully on Nov. 25, 2023.

John spent his childhood in Spencertown, N.Y., and on Queechy Lake in Canaan, N.Y. He earned a history degree from Colgate University (class of 1970) and an architecture degree from Pratt Institute. 

"Architect John" was a devout resident of the East Village. He was on the board of the Howl Festival and enjoyed the local community and culture. He was a regular at Sophie's and enjoyed socializing at The Grafton and St. Dymphna's. 

In earlier years, he delighted in King Tut's Wah Wah Hut at Seventh and A (now Niagara), and he and his wife Wendy (who met at the Wah Wah Hut) were married at Life Cafe at 10th and B. 

Equal parts architect and artist, John was a lifelong creator and inventor. He loved building homemade double-decker motorized rafts ("Queechy Queens”), photographing "memories of old buildings" and cracked pavers, and creating shrines and 3D photographs. John always participated in The Howl Festival's "Art Around the Park," painting murals yearly. 

In his professional career, he practiced architecture with several firms in New York City, including Kohn Pederson Fox, Hardy Holtzman Pfeiffer Associates, and Agrest & Gandelsonas. 

Among his many projects, he contributed to the design of the Melrose Community Center in the Bronx and the renovations of the Plaza Hotel and the Brooklyn Tabernacle. 

John was the beloved father to Madeleine Hoog-Crellin, Juliette Crellin, and Lilly Crellin, and grandfather to Josephine and Caroline Crawford (Mady's girls) ... and, lastly, his bunny Honey Bunny.

A celebration of John's life is planned for Tuesday, Jan. 23, at Sophie's, 507 E. Fifth St. (just east of Avenue A) at 6 p.m.

Memories of John can be shared here. 

The Veselka documentary, narrated by David Duchovny, opens at the Village East on Feb. 23

"Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World," the documentary on the iconic Ukrainian diner on the corner of Second Avenue and Ninth Street, will have a theatrical release on Feb. 23. 

A description: 

New York City's beloved Ukrainian restaurant Veselka is best known for its borscht and varenyky, but it has become a beacon of hope for Ukraine. As the second-generation owner Tom Birchard reluctantly retires after 54 years, his son Jason faces the pressures of stepping into his father's shoes as the war in Ukraine impacts his family and staff. 

And the trailer...

 

The film, directed by Michael Fiore, is narrated by David Duchovny, who grew up nearby. 

Find tickets for the opening on Feb. 23 at the Village East by Angelika, Second Avenue and 12th Street, here.

Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Finally made it back from New Year's Eve on Times Square! Wooo! Photo today on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...

A bench in honor of the 'Birdman' of Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Steven

A longtime regular of Tompkins Square Park now has a bench dedicated in his memory.

Dennis Edge, an East Village resident since 1970, passed away on Sept. 1. He was 85. For years, he documented the birds of Tompkins Square Park, where he was a regular and welcome presence.

His family, friends and fellow birders came together to make this happen... you can find it by heading into the park at the entrance on Seventh Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...

Meanwhile, throughout February, an exhibit of his urban wildlife photography will be on display at the Loisaida Center, 710 E. Ninth St. just east of Avenue C. 

There is also a bench dedication on the afternoon of Feb. 14.

Dennis' friends wish to thank Loyan Beausoleil for spearheading the GoFundMe and Florence Marcisak for arranging to have the plaque made.

On Astor Place, Raising Cane's is raising funds for Harvey Milk High School

The newish Raising Cane's outpost on Astor Place at Lafayette is helping a neighbor with a fundraiser tomorrow (Friday afternoon).

Between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m., if you mention "Harvey Milk High School" at the register, the fast-food restaurant specializing in fried chicken fingers will donate 15% of the sales to the school.

The high school was "founded on the principles of inclusivity inspired by Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States." (Read more about the school here.) 

 

St. Marks Pizzeria (the former Funzi's) has not been open lately

Photos by Stacie Joy

We've fielded several queries in recent weeks about the status of St. Marks Pizzeria, the former Funzi's Pizzeria at 36 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...

The shop has been closed during advertised hours (noon to 10 p.m. daily) since before the December holidays. All the items on the online menu are marked "out of stock." The phone is not in service at this time.

This development comes after hospitality vet Kevin Cox left the business in November following a June debut. He took the Funzi's name with him for a new version of the pizzeria in another EV location. (Funzi's was named after the youngest of Cox's three sons.) We haven't heard anything further about a new Funzi's.

Funzi's opened in late June and aspired to be an East Village throwback with a 1970s-80s decor modeled after Cox's grandmother's house.

After Cox departed, the business pivoted to St. Marks Pizzeria... with a message on its website noting, "Same Pizza. Same Chef's. Same Location. New Name." 

While the slices here got solid reviews, the budget 2 Bros., a few storefronts to the west, always looked to be doing a much brisker business... even their customers enjoyed using the Funzi's bench for dining...

H/T Steven!

Wednesday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

I Know What You Did Last Winter. 

Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

A look at the under-renovation Ben's Deli on Avenue B

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Interior renovations are progressing at Ben's Deli, 32 Avenue B, between Second Street and Third Street.

The market temporarily closed in September for the work... an expected move after longtime owner and Avenue B folk hero Ben Gibran sold the business earlier last year to a cousin, Sammy Ksem. 

Here's a look ... upgrades include new shelving and light fixtures...

Ben's Deli, which played a pivotal role in season one of "Russian Doll" on Netflix, is expected to be back open in another month (or so).

Even with the renovations, Ben's regulars can still be found outside the shop, commiserating on the day's events. And despite his retirement, Ben still pops by a few times a week. We've spotted him watching lions of the Serengeti videos on an iPad from his office, aka his Astro van parked on B.

This past fall, before the renovations really kicked in, the gang used the space in the evening to play dominos ... and to finish drinking the leftover Bud and Coors Light from the cold but denuded store shelves...