Santos Variety Shop is closing on Avenue C

The shop at 77 Avenue C between Fifth Street and Sixth Street will be closing on July 25.

The owner, who is 80, has decided to retire... so for the next few weeks, Santos, which sells various religious artifacts, such as candles, statues and incense, will be unloading its inventory...







The circa-1950s canisters of Saint Mark powdered incense were going for $1.50.

La Contrada now open on 2nd Avenue

Several readers, including Vinny & O, who shared these photos, have noted that La Contrada is now open for service on Second Avenue at Fourth Street...





The place is billed as an "Italian American Restaurant and Caterers" ...



The restaurant menu shows a variety of standard pasta, meat and fish offerings...


[Click on image to go big]

They also offer takeout items ... as well as juices and smoothies...



The hours are 8 a.m. to midnight daily.

This southwest corner of Second Avenue and Fourth Street was formerly home to Contrada, Calliope and Belcourt. For now, the Contrada signage remains up.

Please ket us know if you have tried La Contrada.

Today we celebrate our Independence Day!

[Photo on East 3rd Street from last night]

As you know the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks are on the East River this year/tonight...

Here are some articles with the rundown on places to watch the fireworks, street closures, etc., at Gothamist ... Curbed ... DNAinfo ... The Village Voice

And there are parking restrictions...

Be mindful of Parking Restrictions for the 4TH, No Parking both sides of E 14 from 1 Ave to Ave C, Sun & Mon #NYPD pic.twitter.com/l5SI7lr4aJ

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) July 2, 2016

...and the 9th Precinct offers this...

Wishing everyone a safe #July4th weekend including all our furry friends. #NYPD @NYPDPaws pic.twitter.com/e7UXfnysGS

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) July 2, 2016

Lastly, a reminder not to have any breath-holding contents.

Otherwise, enjoy, be safe ...

Noted

As we reported back on Friday, the owners of the Kati Roll Company are looking to open their fourth Manhattan location at 128 Second Ave., former home of the Stage, according to preliminary paperwork filed ahead of this month's CB3-SLA committee meeting.

This spray-painted message arrived overnight here between St. Mark's Place and Seventh Street...





The Stage, the 35-year-old lunch counter, closed March 30, 2015. Stage owner Roman Diakun had been involved in an ongoing legal/eviction battle with landlord Icon Realty. (You can read that background here.)

Reps for the the well-liked Kati Roll Company will be seeking a beer-wine license during the CB3-SLA committee meeting next Monday, July 11.

Neighborhood alert for the 3rd Street Rose Snipper

These are flyers up on Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... for an alleged flower thief.

Thanks to EVG reader Marjorie for the photo

Week in Grieview

[Photo on 2nd Avenue by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

The Sock Man is returning to St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

Gregg Singer secures $44 million loan to continue plan to convert former PS 64 into a dorm (Monday)

Report: East Village man admits to three sexual assaults in 2014 (Wednesday)

At ABC No Rio's last HardCore/Punk Matinee on Rivington Street (for now) (Tuesday)

Reverend Jen departs her LES home, and Troll Museum (Tuesday)

A visit to former East Village mainstay Love Saves the Day in New Hope, Pa. (Thursday)

Brooklyn's Dun-Well Doughnuts opening an outpost on St. Marks's Place (Wednesday)

Out and About with Colette Pwakah (Wednesday)

Another freeze on 1-year leases for rent-stabilized apartments; 2% for 2-year leases (Tuesday)

Other Music storefront is for rent (Monday)

The Kati Roll Company vying for the Stage space on Second Avenue (Friday)

Thursday Kitchen will serve Korean tapas on East Ninth Street (Tuesday)

235 Second Ave. being pitched for bar-restaurant usage (Wednesday)

B4 has closed on East Fourth Street (Thursday)

Final 4Knots Festival lineup unveiled (Monday)

Checking out the penthouse at THREE99 — "unlike any apartment ever in the East Village" (Friday)

Sweetgreen opening on Astor Place (Thursday)

The black crowned night heron continues to come out at... night in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

Two more sidewalk cafe choices for Second Avenue (Tuesday)

Films in Tompkins return this summer with "Do the Right Thing," "True Romance" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (Friday)

A reminder about breath-holding contests (Wednesday)

Osaka Grub bringing Japanese fast food to the Essex Street Market (Tuesday)

Full reveal at Icon Realty's 327 E. Ninth St. (Tuesday)

Inch by inch, 190 Bowery is losing its graffiti (Thursday)

Lost and found PSA from Tompkins Square Park

Paging William A. Morton...

Photo via Steven

A LinkNYC kiosk for 2nd Avenue, and several false alarms

The influx of LinkNYC kiosks continues... as one of the [free] Wi-Fi hotspots has been installed on Second Avenue and East 12th Street... the first that we recall seeing in the neighborhood outside the Third Avenue corridor at and above 14th Street.

The city is reportedly expected to have more than 500 kiosks up and running by the end of this month... with a goal of 7,500, each replacing a pre-existing phone booth, over the next eight years.

Meanwhile, given the anticipated arrival of more kiosks, there has been some confusion... none of these are LinkNYC kiosks, just FYI...

Summer lovin'

A moment on St. Mark's Place via Derek Berg

Steiner East Village wooing L train Steinhangers

Developer Douglas Steiner has unveiled an ad campaign at the L train stop on Third Avenue and 14th Street for his residences — aka Steiner East Village ...



The 7-story, 82-unit building at 438 E. 12th St. features homes starting at $1.1 million... with the 4-bedroom penthouse with 1,364 square feet of terraces that's asking $11.25 million. Something nice to think about while pondering which L train shutdown scenario MTA officials will choose...



Meanwhile, forgot to note that the 438-branded astroturf arrived on the corner of Avenue A and 11th Street a few weeks back...

INCOMING

A look downtown earlier this evening via Bobby Williams...

A 'Grey' area

NYC-based punk/blues band Boss Hog have an EP out today — their first new material in 16 years. (Brood X, their fourth full-length album, is due later this year.)

The track here is for the first single, "Wichita Grey."