Wednesday's parting shot (part 1)

Photo by Derek Berg 

Special delivery this Valentine's Day on St. Mark's Place at Second Avenue...

2 weeks left before Gizmo closes and relocates from longtime East Village home

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Updated 2/26: Unfortunately, the deal for a new Gizmo space fell through, and Rosa and Hossein are searching again for a new space. Details here.

As we first reported on Jan. 3, Gizmo is leaving its longtime home at 160 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street for a new EV storefront. 

Wife-and-husband owners Rosa Malmed and Hossein Amid told me that while they have not secured a new space yet for their sewing supply shop, they are still "in negotiations" for a new storefront...

The last day here is Feb. 28. Until then, expect markdowns on fabrics, trims, and zippers (50% off) and discounted prices on other merchandise.

And be sure to check out the table out front ...

Rosa said she opened the shop 32 years ago because she needed space for her alterations business. Hossein told us that their rent has increased to a point where the couple can no longer afford to stay here.

Closings: Emilia by Nai on 1st Ave.

Photo by Pinch

A for-rent sign hangs above 174 First Ave. (south storefront), marking the official end of Emilia by Nai here between 10th Street and 12th Street.

There's no mention of a closure on the restaurant's website or Instagram account. A "Closed for Private Event" sign had been on the storefront for months.

This was a return (circa June 2022) to the address for Chef Ruben Rodriquez, who ran Nai Tapas Bar in the subterranean space until a move to Second Avenue in 2018.

Rodriquez has several other restaurants in the neighborhood, including the recently opened Bad Hombre at 29 Second Ave. — the former Amigo.

Per the listing (PDF), the asking rent at 174 First Ave. is $18,500 a month.

The Bloom Bloom-Book Club mashup returns this Valentine's Day (today!)

If you need a gift this Valentine's Day (TODAY), Book Club is once again hosting the East Village-based Bloom Bloom floral design studio at the shop-cafe on Third Street.

From 11 a.m. to whenever the flowers are gone, Bloom Bloom is selling grab-and-go wrapped bouquets and custom floral arrangements. 

Book Club is at 197 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

This is the third year for the Feb. 14 collaboration between the two businesses. 

Now $1.50, 99¢ Fresh Pizza enters a new era

Top photo by Steven

On the ever-shifting budget pizza front, new signage arrived Sunday at 71 Second Ave., marking the change from 99¢ Fresh Pizza to $1.50 Fresh Pizza here between Fourth Street and Fifth Street...

As far as we can recall, this is the first price increase for the sliceria since its debut 10 years ago. (Bring back Cool Gear!)

And 99¢ Fresh Pizza isn't the only local slice shop to up the price by 51 cents. 99¢ Pizza debuted mid-March 2023 at 418 E. 14th St., just east of First Avenue. By June, their budget slice was going for $1.50. 

However, it took ownership until this past October to make the change signage official. (Thanks to EVG reader Tom for this shot from the fall...)

Storm center: Scenes from around the East Village after Nor’easter moves off the coast

For those of us who were here, it will be a winter storm discussed for generations, as more than three inches of snow fell in Central Park, the most since 2022. (We forgot to measure how much fell closer to home.)

By late this afternoon, there were widespread reports of damp sidewalks, soggy cardboard in broken recycling bags and photogenic puddles...

Meanwhile, any wet or untreated roadway will likely ice over tonight as temperatures drop below freezing. So try to stay within the salt path on the side streets...

So while the winter storm warnings turned out to be a non-event around Manhattan, other local areas and states were hit hard... and we heard from a few people who had their flights delayed or canceled. 

Soon, back to the "Remembering When It Snowed" posts.

Tuesday morning in review

Photo from 9th and A by Steven 

Waking to a slushy snowfall this morning... as the entire NYC metropolitan area and northeast corridor remains under a Winter Storm Warning (the first in two years) until 6 p.m. 

Readers have reported gusty winds and sloppy sidewalks... though not close to the 4-8 inches forecast (yet).

Meanwhile, flames were spotted coming from a manhole on the southbound lane of Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street ... as the salty runoff caused some sparks here... the FDNY was quickly on the scene. 

Thanks to EVG reader Emma for this clip...

 

... and a shot with Con Ed and the FDNY via Derek Berg...

Updated 5 p.m. 

We've heard from several readers about the stubborn (and dramatic) manhole fire ... the FDNY (with Con Ed) eventually had to clear out part of (half of?) the open-air curbside space at Kazuza Lounge...

Monday's parting shot

Photo this evening outside Saifee Hardware by Stacie Joy 

For the first time in two years, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for all of NYC from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow (Feb. 13). 

Per the NWS: "Heavy snow and gusty winds are expected with snowfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches."

Given the forecast, EVG is suspending the "Remembering When It Snowed" posts until further notice.

A Citi Bike docking station for 3rd and A

A new docking station has arrived on the SE side of Third Street at Avenue A. (Thanks, Newman, for the photo!) 

The station isn't listed on the system map yet, though a Citi Bike rep confirmed this is a permanent dock (and not, say, relocated here from another spot during construction). 

Citi Bike, now in its 11th year, reportedly saw record-high ridership numbers last fall. Citi Bike also announced that the current number of e-bikes in the system will double by the end of this year, per Streetsblog.

Meanwhile, the docking station on Fifth Street at Avenue A is still MIA (since October) due to the Con Ed transformer work.

On the CB3-SLA docket: Williamsburg’s Win Son Bakery plans East Village outpost

The team behind the popular Taiwanese-American Win Son Bakery in East Williamsburg will appear before CB3's SLA committee tonight for a liquor license at 23 Second Ave. between First Street and Second Street.

Like the Brooklyn outpost, the East Village location will serve as a café, bakery and restaurant ... with proposed hours of 8 a.m. to midnight daily. (Find a PDF of the questionnaire here.)

The bakery opened in September 2019 at 164 Graham Ave. at Montrose Avenue... several years after the Win Son restaurant debuted (to long lines). 

Many of their goods have been celebrated, like the mochi millet doughnuts. The New Yorker called their Mortadella Pancake a perfect breakfast sandwich in November. You can check out the Win Son Bakery menu here.

The previous tenant here, the dance studio Exile Professional Gym (EXPG), never reopened after the PAUSE of March 2020.

Also on tonight's agenda: The AYS Hospitality Team (that includes Tabetomo on Avenue A) is behind two new concepts on the same block...

• AYS Libations LLC, 126 St Marks Pl (op) — the former East Village Social space ... (PDF here)

• AYS Libations LLC, 122 St Marks Pl (wb) — the former Holyland Market... (PDF here)

Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.