The birds and the bees: Mating season commences in Tompkins Square Park for red-tailed hawks Amelia and Christo

The following post is intended for mature audiences only. Blogger discretion is advised.

The hawkarazzi in Tompkins Square Park have noted that it's mating season for Amelia and Christo, the two resident red-tailed hawks.

Goggla passed along these two photos from Monday...





Here's Goggla with more from a recent post:

We can expect to see an increase in mating activity over the next three or four weeks, with egg-laying expected in mid to late March.

And...

As nesting season progresses, the hawks will be less tolerant of other hawks in their territory, and will chase them out of the area. Today, I saw both Christo and Amelia knock a curious squirrel out of their nest, so no visitors are allowed.

Steven shared these two photos from Saturday...



... and a minute later...



Amelia and Christo welcomed two chicks early last summer... unfortunately, one did not make it.

Kikoo bringing all-you-can-eat sushi to the former Papa John's outpost on 1st Avenue

It appears that Kikoo Sushi is moving on up First Avenue... the all-you-can-eat specialist is currently at 141 First Avenue between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

Steven spotted Kikoo signage in the front window a few blocks to the north at the former Papa John's outpost between 12th Street and 13th Street...



This Papa John's shuttered last fall after nearly eight years in business here.

Kikoo opened at No. 141 in 2015. This move is likely several months out — the interior is still set up as a pizzeria.

A 'new wave gay bar' for the Standard East Village

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A post shared by angela🦎dimayuga (@angela.dimayuga) on Feb 19, 2019 at 10:57am PST

Out Magazine has a feature on chef Angela Dimayuga, the creative director of food and culture at The Standard International.

She has been working to relaunch narcbar inside the Standard East Village on Cooper Square at Fifth Street. According to Out, No Bar is Dimayuga's "boldest project to date."

Dimayuga reimagined the haunt as a "new age gay bar."* Trading the rainbow flags and kitschy tchotchkes of a typical West Village dive for banquettes upholstered with a custom cowhide print and a cocktail menu dotted with innuendos (one sipper is named "Spill the Tea"), she notes, "I want us to be chic. We deserve nice things."

But as a nightlife mainstay herself — Dimayuga throws a roving party called GUSH that centers lesbian and nonbinary femmes — she knows that, beyond any design tweaks she could make, queer and safer spaces are all about the folks who occupy them. With carefully curated programming and deliberate language about whom the space is for, she hopes to manifest a holdout where "the only rule is that it is inclusive and that it is a safe space for all types of folks."

No Bar debuts tonight.

* Updated: The No Bar fact sheet and Instagram account describe it as "a new wave gay bar," not "new age gay bar," per the quote in Out.

Updated 7 p.m.

Eater has a preview with more details here.

Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices coming to 2nd Avenue in Gramercy Park

An EVG reader shared this photo from several blocks outside the usual coverage zone ... showing that a Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices outpost is opening on Second Avenue between 21st Street and 22nd Street.

For now this appears to be the only Manhattan location for Ralph's, which got its start in Staten Island in 1928. There are multiple outposts on Long Island, Queens and in New Jersey. (Thanks to Shiv in the comments who pointed out that a Ralph's closed a few years back on 24th Street near Lexington.)

The Ralph's Instagram account notes this location will open in early March.

Tuesday's parting shot

Christo on the hunt early this evening in Tompkins Square Park... photo by Steven

Today in discarded 'Stomp' props

Workers at the Orpheum on Second Avenue were taking out the trash today — some banged-up garbage cans belonging to cast members of "Stomp," now in its 25th year here between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place...





Thanks to Steven for the photos!

The final days of Sidewalk

[Photo from Feb. 12]

Sidewalk Bar and Restaurant is winding down its 34 years on Avenue A and Sixth Street this week.

Staff is telling patrons that the last day of service is Feb. 23.

As I first reported on Dec. 10, hospitality vets Laura Saniuk-Heinig and Alyssa Sartor are taking over the space. (Saniuk-Heinig is the general manager at the Bar Room on East 60th Street; Sartor co-owned August Laura in Carroll Gardens.)

Many current Sidewalk fans are curious if the new owners will continue on with the nightly live music program, including the country's longest-running open-mic night.

In December, Saniuk-Heinig told me in an email that "we are looking forward to keeping the music aspect of the room still alive. Exactly what kinds of shows, we do not know yet." She also didn't know what the name will be moving forward.

In an email from early February, she said "Still working on the name and music aspect."

Meanwhile, as for the current Sidewalk, you can find the remaining (packed) music schedule here.. Saturday marks the final Sidewalk open mic. (Updated 2/20: Nick McManus captured some scenes from the final winter Antifolk Fest here.)

Sidewalk opened in the corner spot in 1985 ... eventually expanding to the space next door when Sophie's relocated to its current home on Fifth Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New owners set to take over the 33-year-old Sidewalk Bar & Restaurant on Avenue A

Crooked Tree closes after 20 years on St. Mark's Place

After 20 years of serving up crêpes and other cafe fare at 110 St. Mark's Place, Crooked Tree has closed here between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The closure came after service on Valentine's Day. (You can read their thank you to patrons on Facebook here.)

The owners of David's Cafe right next door were on this month's CB3-SLA agenda for a new liquor license for this space. The CB3 paperwork was on display outside the cafe in recent weeks...





Crooked Tree owner Daniel Rivera is also a partner in David's Cafe. Not sure at the moment what they have planned for the former Crooked Tree. The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website (PDF here) doesn't contain too many revealing details.

A new marquee for Webster Hall

Webster Hall will have a new marquee when it reopens this spring.

So far, this is the only noticeable change to the exterior of the landmarked building on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue ...





The previous Webster Hall marquee became partially dislodged from the front of the building in February 2018...


[Photo in February 2018 by Michael Giacoppi]

Workers blocked off the street and secured the sagging sign with a sidewalk bridge...



The new Webster Hall owners made the surprise spring-return announcement at the beginning of the year. Previous estimates had been for 2020. Still, no word on an official opening-night date or subsequent first act. (One EVG tipster heard the venue will reopen in late April.)

Webster Hall closed in August 2017. Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment and The Bowery Presents bought the landmarked building from the Ballinger family for $35 million in a deal announced in the spring of 2017. The Bowery Presents will be booking the shows here moving forward.

The new ownership filed permits in December 2017 for interior demolition and structural work to renovate the facility and make it ADA compliant. The city approved those permits in March 2018.

As previously reported, the Washington, D.C.-based Martinez+Johnson Architecture (now part of OTJ Architects) is behind the interior makeover. Per their website, the firm brings "their design sensitivities to cultural arts and institutional projects." Their work includes the restoration of the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn and the Boston Opera House.

The building has been around since 1886. It re-opened as Webster Hall in October 1992 after the Ballinger family purchased and renovated the space that was known as The Ritz during the 1980s.

Previously on EV Grieve:
When Webster Hall reopens, there might be a Moxy Hotel across the street

First sign of upcoming renovations at the former Webster Hall

Permits filed to renovate Webster Hall

The Webster Hall marquee looks to be in danger of falling

Plywood arrives at Webster Hall

C&B Cafe now part of new venture taking over the former Cafe Orlin space on St. Mark's Place

In its in its fall preview last September, New York magazine wrote about Joya Loves Louie, a vegetarian cafe-market-bar combo expected to open in the former Café Orlin space at 39-41 St. Mark's Place east of Second Avenue.

Apparently chef Joya Carlton, whose résumé includes the Orchard Grocer, is not part of the new establishment, which now goes by Paper Daisy.

And as several EVG readers (thanks to everyone for the photos) have pointed out in recent weeks outside the small space adjacent to the cafe... there's a C&B sign here...



Ali Sahin, chef-owner of C&B Cafe at 178 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, said that the space at 39 St. Mark's Place will be a new C&B outpost for takeout only... and he is continuing on with the Seventh Street location, which recently turned 4.

Meanwhile, the signage is up for Paper Daisy. (Will update when more information about it becomes available.) There's an Eventbrite notice for a launch party at Paper Daisy on March 5 for a "Daisy Jones & The Six" book.


[Photo yesterday by EVG reader Brian I. Oxman]

Cafe Orlin closed in October 2017 after 36 years at the address.

Previously on EV Grieve:
1st sign of activity at the former Cafe Orlin space on St. Mark's Place

No trespassing (or hunting or fishing) at the former Cafe Orlin

Cafe Orlin will close after 36 years in business (34 comments)

Report: Danny Meyer is closing Martina on 11th Street

In case you missed this from back on Friday, Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group announced that it is closing Martina, the high-profile pizzeria on 11th Street at Third Avenue, Eater first reported.

March 31 24 is the last day. In a statement, Meyer said that "despite numerous efforts to turn around Martina's financial performance around ... we were not able to succeed at developing a large enough audience to sustain the business."

In December, Meyer and Co. changed up formats for this offshoot of Marta, switching from a quick-serve format to table service. (The pizza reviews had been so-so.)

Martina opened in August 2017 in a newly created space at 55 Third Ave., aka Eleventh and Third, the 12-floor residential building on the corner.

[Updated] Under St. Marks won't be available for the Frigid Festival, which starts on Wednesday night

[EVG photo from 2017]

Updated 2/20: Shows scheduled for Under St. Marks will now be at the IATI Theater at 64 E. Fourth St.

The annual Frigid Festival gets underway on Wednesday at several East Village venues. Unfortunately, Erez Ziv, Frigid's artistic director, has learned that one of the main venues for Frigid, Under St. Marks, 94 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue, isn't available now.

Ziv and company are currently searching for new venues to keep the festival going as planned...

Under St. Marks has operated here as an experimental theater space since the 1970s. Under St. Marks is currently operated by the Horse Trade Theater Group.

Meanwhile, there aren't any new work permits on file with the city for 94 St. Mark's Place that might shed light on the scope of work necessary in the basement space.