These local Trader Joe's outposts will close for a day of cleaning

[Outside the TJ's on 14th & A on Saturday]

Trader Joe's, which previously closed several outposts on the East Coast after staffers tested positive for COVID-19, will shut down several neighborhood locations for a day of cleaning.

Here's the schedule via the TJ's website:

• April 20 — 436 E. 14th St. at Avenue A

• April 24 — 142 E. 14th St. in Union Square AND 400 Grand St. in Essex Crossing

• April 27 — the wine shop at 138 E. 14th St. in Union Square

These are just one-day closures.

And here's the official TJ's message about all this:

At Trader Joe’s, there is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our Crew Members and customers. We believe in being proactive and transparent in addressing issues, and we value information and clear communication. With this in mind, we have temporarily closed some stores related to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, including for additional, precautionary cleaning and sanitization.

We have made sure all Crew Members at the respective locations have been informed and understand the steps to take to best safeguard their own health and the health of their community. For any unplanned store closure, Trader Joe’s pays all Crew Members for their scheduled shifts.

And Pinch shared this photo from Friday, when the line for the Union Square TJ's wrapped around Third Avenue ...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Union Square Trader Joe's temporarily closed after employee is suspected of having COVID-19

A hopeful sign of things to come at Lucy's

There hasn't been any activity at Lucy's in recent weeks (except for that letter for Lucy on April 12). The bar on Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street has been closed since March 14 during the COVID-19 crisis.

In recent days, however, one of Lucy's signature smiley-face signs appeared on the front door — "We will open soon" ...

Sunday's parting video clip

Colin Huggins, unable to play his piano in public during the COVID-19 crisis, is performing live via Instagram from Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Stacie Joy captured this moment tonight ...

Week in Grieview

[Photo from 14th and A by Walter Wlodarczyk]

Posts from the past week included...

• RIP Jimmy Webb (Tuesday) Flowers and candles for Jimmy Webb, plus a tribute from Iggy Pop (Wednesday)

• A visit to the Interfaith Community Services Food For Life (Wednesday)

• Anonymous East Village restaurant owners distribute meals to neighbors in need (Thursday)

• An East Village business and local artists team up for Art Through Vintage (Friday)

• C&B is selling its tables and chairs — to make room for a larger oven (Saturday)

• Foxface introduces new offerings, including the Foxface Farm Stand (Monday)

• Report: First red-tailed hawk egg hatches this year in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

• The annual Dance Parade will be online in 2020 (Friday)

• Someone vandalized the COVID-19 memorial on 10th Street and Avenue A (Thursday)

• This week's NY See (Thursday)

• RAINBOW (Monday)

• Nowon launching takeout and delivery service today on 6th Street (Tuesday)

• More about the layoffs at B Bar & Grill (Saturday)

• Commodities has reopened (Tuesday)

• Is this your cat? (Monday)

• An assortment of masks on East Village streets (Tuesday)

... and an addition to the mask post with @manyourstyle on Seventh and A the other day via Derek Berg...



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Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

This rainy morning in photos of a deserted 2nd Avenue in the #EastVillage 👋 pic.twitter.com/TQDdbBZQCq

— evgrieve (@evgrieve) April 18, 2020

Remembering Jimmy Webb

[Photo from 2017 by Walter Wlodarczyk]

Jimmy Webb, the owner of I Need More on Orchard Street, died on April 14 of cancer. He was 62.

Although he most recently lived in Murray Hill, Webb was well-known in this neighborhood as an everyday presence at Trash & Vaudeville on St. Mark's Place for nearly 18 years.


[Roses at Trash & Vaudeville on 7th Street via Walter Wlodarczyk]

Webb's passing has prompted many feature obituaries in publications as varied as Vogue to PunkNews.org, a testament to his broad influence and effusive personality.

Here's a sampling of the remembrances:

• Rolling Stone

• The New York Times

• NME

• GQ

• Vogue

• Ultimate Classic Rock

• PunkNews.org

• Just Jared

• HighSnobiety

On Tuesday night, while news of his death circulated, Jimmy Webb was trending on Twitter in the United States...

1st Avenue thank yous

Photo by Walter Wlodarczyk...

Today at the Tompkins Square Park Greenmarket

Today's vendors, who are putting in place social distancing with their sales:

• Bread Alone Bakery

• Pura Vida Fisheries

• Fledging Crow Vegetables

• Meredith's Bread

• Stone & Thistle Farm

• Back to the Future Farm

• Norwich Meadows Farm

Information taken from the GrowNYC Instagram account.

And here's a photo via EVG reader Daniel from last Sunday showing the social distancing in place...

Meanwhile, on 3rd Street

From Third Street, a very pointed COVID-19 Urban Etiquette Sign ...

To the asshole
who keeps leaving
dirty gloves outside
my window

Suck my whole dick!

Thanks to Mark White for the photo!

Bus stop

From just before 3 p.m. ... EVG regular Lola Saénz shares these from First Avenue and 12th Street...



Apparently this passenger claimed that someone on the M15 stole her headphones, and she won't move until the police arrive to help sort it out...

More about the layoffs at B Bar & Grill

[EVG file photo]

As we reported back on April 3, nearly 70 employees of the B Bar & Grill on the Bowery at Fourth Street were laid off in late March without any extension of benefits or offer of severance pay.

One of the now-unemployed B Bar staffers shared the letter sent to employees and signed by owner Eric Goode ...


[Click to go big]

As one former employee said:

Eric Goode responded to employee pleas for two weeks paid leave with very little - some directions about how to apply for unemployment and a "yours truly" sign off. This termination without pay was sudden and decisive, leaving many of the staff left with nothing to feed their families. Many of these staff members have worked at 20-plus years. Mr. Goode is currently living on his multimillion-dollar ranch in California.

Goode has enjoyed positive press in recent weeks for his role as the co-director and co-writer (along with Rebecca Chaiklin) of "Tiger King," the hit docuseries that recently debuted on Netflix.

BuzzFeed News talked with several former employees in a piece published earlier in the week titled "Their Wealthy Boss Was The Director Of 'Tiger King.' They Got Laid Off And Can’t Pay Their Bills."

[F]our staff members at the restaurant told BuzzFeed News that unlike other wealthy hospitality leaders who have donated salaries and worked to fundraise for those suddenly out of work, they have heard nothing from Goode as he enjoys Hollywood attention. Goode, they say, has the wealth and cultural influence to help them at a time when they need it most.

“They have families, they have children, they have mortgages to pay, and they spent a lot of their life working for B Bar,” said Luis Lugo, a former floor manager. “You’re the director of Tiger King and you own the Jane Hotel and you’re not a small mom-and-pop shop that’s struggling. You’re someone that has the financial resources to make a difference.”

And...

“It strikes me as unjust that I worked a long time for him and didn’t get anything in return,” said Eloy Aguilar, who worked for 25 years at B Bar as a line cook. “We need economic help, not just for me but also my other colleagues.”

There is a staff-driven GoFundMe campaign here.

As reported last fall, CB Developers paid $59.5 million for a stake in 358 Bowery — the B Bar & Grill's home since 1994. Goode, who owns a handful of hotels including the Bowery Hotel, has been assembling air rights to build a larger project on this corner space. B Bar was expected to close for good in August, per the former employee.

Previously on EV Grieve:
CB Developers pay $59.5 million for an interest in 358 Bowery — current home of the B Bar & Grill and likely a new development

B Bar & Grill lays off its staff without severance

A football-sized cocktail to go option on 3rd Avenue

As seen outside Bar None on Third Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street... $20 for a to-go cocktail served in a football-sized container with an easy-sipping option... keep the container, and a refill is $15 ...

A free lunch for Engine Company 28, Ladder 11 on 2nd Street yesterday

In recent weeks, San Loco has created grab-n-go burrito grande meal packages for people interested in ordering food for local first responders, hospital staff or nursing home/senior center employees. (Details at this post.)

Yesterday, two local residents bought lunch for the 11 firefighters on duty for the afternoon shift at Engine Company 28, Ladder 11 on Second Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.

EVG contributor snapped this photo of San Loco co-owner Kimo Hing with Frank, Luke and Tom from the FDNY...



San Loco's Avenue C location is currently closed, but the outpost at 111 Stanton St. is open for takeout and delivery.

Previously on EV Grieve:
San Loco's special delivery to 2 local hospitals