EVG Etc.: Inside the COVID Rent Relief Program; Update on the tech CEO murder

[Photo on 7th Street by Derek Berg]

• An explainer on New York state’s COVID Rent Relief Program (Curbed)

• Aunt says accused killer Tyrese Devon Haspil "was a quiet young man, at times annoying, but incapable of the cold-blooded murder of victim Fahim Saleh" (Daily News ... previously on EVG)

• Why gets to drink outdoors in NYC? "Nobody is drinking pouches of colorful cocktails underneath the floodlights on Avenue D." (Grub Street)

• Without jobs in bars and restaurants, what will happen to the city's creative class? (The Associated Press)

• Inside Abolition Park (The Indypendent)

• A unique season package at the New York Theatre Workshop on Fourth Street — a subscription to the artists, rather than to a roster of plays (The Washington Post)

• The online screenings and events at the Anthology Film Archives (Official site)

• Empire State Building observatory reopens Monday (USA Today)

• ICYMI: A Sonic Youth album guide (Brooklyn Vegan)

• Diversions: When the Ramones appeared on the Sha Na Na television variety show in 1979 (Boing Boing)

The final days at I Need More, the late Jimmy Webb's rock 'n' roll boutique on the LES

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

I Need More, the rock 'n' roll boutique that Jimmy Webb owned and operated on Orchard Street, closes Monday after three-plus years. The store announced their closure in an Instagram post last month.

Webb, who opened I Need More in October 2017, died on April 14 of cancer. He was 62.

I stopped by to speak with Eddy, the manager, about Jimmy, the store's last days and the future.



"We want people to come by, reminisce and talk about Jimmy: laugh, cry, dance ... to be happy," he said. "Even though Jimmy's gone and the store will soon be gone, he will live on in the spirit. The rock 'n' roll spirit. Jimmy lived his life to the fullest, living out his dream. He was a fighter and would say that he had a great life. Whenever I am lost I ask myself, WWJD? What would Jimmy do? He would say, 'Keep your pants tight. If the clothes aren't tight, it's not rock-n-roll!'"










[A look in the now-closed basement]

One much-requested item that sold out immediately online is the original I Need More T-shirt design. Eddy's says it will be back in stock and available only for in-person purchase and pick up at the store, starting today (Saturday!) at around 1 p.m. Sizes available include unisex or men's cut from sizes xs to xxl and women's cut from xs to large.





All other merchandise is discounted steeply right now and Eddy hopes to sell much of it prior to Monday’s closing.

Curious about what will happen to the cement footprints, handprints and autographs? Eddy says there are currently no plans in place to sell them or remove them, that the store needs to "pack up and leave ASAP, that the autographs will stay and the next tenants will be very lucky."

He says if anyone in interested in purchasing these items, or the Slash drawing on the bar, they should contact him and he'll put them in touch with Jimmy's estate. (Slash, the guitarist for Guns N' Roses, was a longtime friend and supporter.)







In early 2020, the shop hosted a "Footprints in February" celebration, in which Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop put their handprints, footprints and autographs in concrete on the floor of I Need More...











While I was there drummer and tattoo artist Bob Nelson of Five Points Tattoo dropped by to talk about Jimmy and pick up some remaining bullet belts.



Store hours are extended, currently through Monday's closing date, noon until 6 p.m., possibly 7 p.m. if there's a need. I Need More is at 75A Orchard St. between Broome and Grand.

A pop-up breakfast service on Avenue A

[Image via @MilkMoneyKitchens]

Milk Money Kitchens is hosting a pop-up breakfast service at 50 Avenue A (the former Villa Cemita space) between Third Street and Fourth Street today from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (They did this last Saturday as well.)

Today's menu: gluten free lemon-ricotta pancakes with blackberry compote and maple syrup with crispy bacon sprinkles (optional!) ... and chia seed pudding with blackberries and natural dates. And there's coffee by The Bungalow.

Milk Money Kitchens, which provides commercial kitchen rentals and consulting services for food businesses, is opening soon right next door on Avenue A. Nancy Preston, the company's founder and CEO, is a 10-year Army veteran, and served as a Brigade Engineer building bases in Iraq.

These East Village streets are now part of the expanded Open Restaurants initiative

[Photo via @astorplacenyc]

As you may have seen, Mayor de Blasio yesterday extended the Open Restaurants program until the end of October, giving NYC restaurants two extra months to serve sidewalk and curbside meals.

Also! The mayor announced that the city was providing a weekend expansion for outdoor dining options — a combo of Open Streets and Open Restaurants.

Per the city's release:

The program expands restaurant seating options onto car-free streets for select corridors throughout the five boroughs. Restaurants on these corridors will go farther away from the curb than other Open Restaurants participants, and the rest of the streets will be open to pedestrian traffic and emergency vehicles. Selected corridors will be operational on Friday from 5-11 P.M., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 11 P.M. The 26 new locations bring the citywide total to 47 participating streets.

And around here, the new street dining — weekends only — will happen on:

• St Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue
• Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street
• Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue
• Bleecker Street between Mott Street and the Bowery

As the top photo shows, the outdoor dining on St. Mark's Place already has branding — Street Feast.

Friday's parting shot

Dog-window action on 12th Street today via Vinny & O...

Lover's rock

Local synth-pop group Hennessey have released a new single — a cover of "We Will Not Be Lovers" by the Waterboys (from that band's 1988 album Fisherman's Blues). Read more about that track at Paste.

"We Will Not Be Lovers" is the second single off Hennessey's forthcoming debut EP on Velvet Elk.

Hennessey is performing tonight at the Bowery Electric as part of the venue's ongoing livestream series. Learn more about that here.

Noted

From the EVG inbox: A reader shares that someone tagged the statue of Samuel S. Cox at the Seventh Street and Avenue A entrance to Tompkins Square Park.

Cox (1824–1889) was a longtime member of Congress who "spearheaded legislation that led to paid benefits and a 40-hour workweek for postal employees."

However, according to the History News Network: "Cox fancied himself a champion of the United States Constitution but somehow his interpretation of the Constitution always seemed to deny rights to Blacks. On June 2, 1862, a year after the Civil War had begun but six months before the Emancipation Proclamation, Cox argued in Congress that the United States was made for white men only."

Stranded Records is back open

[Image via @strandedrecords]

Stranded Records reopened today for weekend business here at 218 E. Fifth St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.

For now, their hours are Friday-Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. (Masks required to enter.)

This outpost of the new-and-used vinyl retailer, which started in Oakland in 2012 and expanded to San Francisco several years later, debuted in the East Village in April 2019.

The shop shares ownership with archival label Superior Viaduct. Label artists include Glenn Branca, Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, DNA, the Fall, the Gun Club, Charles Mingus, the Residents and Suicide, to name a few.

Reports: Police arrest former personal assistant in murder of tech CEO

[Photo by Stacie Joy]

Police have a suspect in custody for the murder and dismemberment of tech CEO Fahim Saleh in his apartment on Houston and Suffolk Monday.

The New York Times has more on the suspect, identified as Saleh's former personal assistant.

Tyrese Devon Haspil, 21, was expected to be charged in a criminal complaint with second degree murder and other crimes.

Detectives believe that the motive for the killing stemmed from Mr. Saleh having discovered that the assistant had stolen tens of thousands of dollars from him, despite the fact that Mr. Saleh had not reported the man and had set up what amounted to a repayment plan for him to return the money, one of the officials said.

Saleh was found decapitated and dismembered on Tuesday. Police offices yesterday said that Saleh was stabbed to death. According to the NYPD and published reported, Saleh used a key fob to select his seventh-floor residence in the elevator Monday afternoon. Surveillance footage shows a man wearing black and carrying a bag following him on and acting like he selected a different floor.

When they arrived on the seventh floor, the man followed Saleh, possibly knocking him out with a taser.

Police believe the killer was interrupted at the scene by Saleh's sister, who had come to the building to check on her brother.

Updated 7/18:

Gothamist has a summary of the arrest and charges here. Haspil was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He was held without bail after his arraignment early today.

Gemini Rosemont buys third parcel on 2nd Avenue for future development

As expected, Gemini Rosemont Development bought the former La Salle annex at 38 Second Ave. and Second Street.

The $14.5 million purchase of the four-story building — announced yesterday — is the third of three contiguous parcels between Second Street and Third Street acquired by the firm this year for future development. Gemini Rosemont closed on 42-44 Second Ave. and 46-48 Second Ave. (the former Church of the Nativity) in March for $40 million.

The total lot area of the assembled site is 14,075 square feet, according to city records. The combined development site can accommodate an as-of-right buildable area of 75,908 square feet and up to 101,210 square feet of residential area under the city's Inclusionary Housing Program.

Development plans have not been made public. Meanwhile, demolition permits have already been filed for the former Church of the Nativity and the adjacent building.



La Salle purchased the Annex property in 1966 to provide additional space for its large population of students during that era. Since 2010, the Annex served as the home of the Brothers' Community that was associated with the school and provided office space for some members of the school's administrative staff.

According to a press release on the sale, proceeds are earmarked for school's endowment.

A significant portion of the proceeds from the sale are earmarked for La Salle Academy’s endowment fund, boosting the school’s financial stability and its ability to meet the growing needs of the segment of its student population who require tuition assistance. La Salle Academy, which currently occupies the top three floors of St. George’s Ukrainian School on East Sixth Street off Second Avenue, will continue to operate at its present location.

Brother Thomas Casey current president of La Salle Academy, remarked enthusiastically, "This sale will benefit La Salle students far into the future."

La Salle Academy's former school building and Brothers' Residence on Second Street, which is currently leased by the Nord Anglia International School, are not included in the transaction.

The Church of the Nativity closed after a service on July 31, 2015, merging with Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street.

As previously reported, the Cooper Square Community Land Trust had explored buying the former Church of the Nativity to use as low-income housing.

As for the future of 38-48 Second Ave., the Gemini Rosemont website notes that they look to rent to "tenants in high growth and tech centric industries."

Flashback Friday: Take a virtual tour of the Brant Foundation's Basquiat exhibit from 2019

[Photo by James Maher]

In case you missed the Brant Foundations's Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibit last year... the currently-closed space on Sixth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue is now offering a 360 VR tour of the show as seen in the four-level space owned by Peter M. Brant.

The exhibit, open to the public for two-plus months, featured some 70 works collectively valued at $1 billion. You can start exploring at this link.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• A Basquiat-at-the-Brant Foundation reader

Your 99-cent pizza update on Avenue A

As a reminder (way back to March 11), a 99-cent pizza slice emporium is in the works for 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

The space is shaping up, as these photos via EVG 99-cent pizza slice emporium correspondent Steven show...



This must be a successful business model: This will be the third 99-cent pizza shop on Avenue A between Houston and Ninth Street, joining Alphabet 99-Cent Fresh Pizza and 99¢ Pizza. (There's also FDR 99¢ Slice Pizza just off of A on Second Street.)