Prepping for 'Black Gumball' (or 'Russian Doll' — shhhh!) on 3rd Street and Avenue B

Crews for "Black Gumball" are prepping some storefronts on Third Street and Avenue B ahead of tomorrow's shoot along here.

As Stacie Joy's photos show, Jane's Exchange is now Old Ukraine Grocer ...

Expect a laundromat here too...

... and Ben's Deli on B is getting some enhancements...

Ben's at 32 Avenue B served as a pivotal location for the time-bending Netflix series "Russian Doll" and Natasha Lyonne's character. Much of that award-winning series from 2019 was filmed in the East Village.

Word is "Black Gumball" is code/the working title for season 2 of "Russian Doll." 

Gotta get up, gotta get out. 

Updated 2 p.m. 

Crews are at 7B/Vazac's/Horseshoe Bar too... a scene of several interesting moments in Season 1... photo by Vinny & O...

See this post for more details on the shoot.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Your 'Russian Doll' reader

Letters

You've likely seen an array of letters posted around the East Village... the top one (thanks Stacie Joy!) is taped to the bear outside Josie's on Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... the one below (thanks Robert Miner!) is outside Ninth Street Espresso at Avenue C... (you may click on the images for more detail)... 

There are other variations, like one outside Mast on Avenue A and another near Juicy Lucy the next block up the Avenue. Some namecheck East Village businesses and at least one is signed by EVQ (East Village Queen).

Frank Prisinzano planning grocery concept near Lil' Frankie's on 1st Avenue

East Village restaurateur Frank Prisinzano is opening a personally curated grocery store on First Avenue. 

In a series of clips in Stories at the newly created @frankiesgrocery on Instagram, Prisinzano unveiled some of the plans.... starting with that he might not actually call it Frankie's Grocery. 

"I'm still conceptualizing everything," he said.

He has signed two leases for storefronts, though he only divulged details on a space adjacent to Lil' Frankie's on First Avenue between First Street and Second Street. 

"I've always wanted to have a grocery store. I've always wanted to curate all my own products," said Prisinzano, who also owns and operates EV mainstays Frank on Second Avenue and Supper on Second Street. "It will be a curated list of products that I use and recommend. Nothing will be on the shelves that I don't personally love." 

He plans on having a deli case inside the new shop to sell sandwiches ... with a vertical slicer for prosciutto. He's also thinking about offering homemade gelato and sorbet — similar to what his restaurants have on the dessert menus. Other amenities will include a 20-foot table to host private parties catered by the shop. 

"I'm going to keep it real simple, real Italian and real fresh," he said.

NYPD reps to brief Community Board 3 on the activity around 3rd Street and Avenue C

Tonight, Community Board 3's Transportation, Public Safety & Environment Committee will hear from reps from PSA 4, who patrol public housing, and the 9th Precinct about "public safety issues in the Avenue C/Third Street area."

On Jan. 18, a 36-year-old man was shot and killed here. According to published reports, the man was shot multiple times around 8:40 p.m. The Post reported that three men were seen fleeing westbound on Third Street.

Since then, an NYPD vehicle has been parked on the corner.

Residents have long complained about the drug activity on the southeast corner of Avenue C and Third Street, which has been under a sidewalk bridge now for more than eight years. (The renovations to the three-story building, 32 Avenue C, came to a halt in recent years. A full vacate and stop-work order remain at the address.)

In August 2019, residents posted these flyers on buildings in the immediate area... asking tenants to reach out to the NYPD and local elected officials about the "drugs and hookers at the homeless camp" on the corner...

Tonight's virtual meeting starts at 6:30. The Zoom invite is here. 

Visit the CB3 website at this link for more details on all this month's CB3 meetings. Tomorrow night, the NYCHA & Section 8 Housing Subcommittee will discuss the conditions at the nearby Mariana Bracetti Plaza housing complex.

Changes: Looking for a Coinstar replacement after the Food Emporium closes this spring?

In our post last Thursday about the May closure of the Food Emporium on Union Square, a reader lamented the pending loss of the grocery's Coinstar machine.

As another reader noted, there's a Coinstar machine in the lower level of the Kmart on Astor Place.

Also! You can find one at the PayOMatic at 303 E. Houston St. between Clinton and Attorney... where EVG contributor Stacie Joy took these photos the other day...

There is an 11.9 percent service fee here ... (fees may vary by location!) ...

Other nearby locations include the D'Agostino outpost on First Avenue between 20th Street and 21st Street.

A quick look at CTown's new deli

Also from our post about the Food Emporium closing in May on Union Square ... a reader pointed out that the CTown over at 188 Avenue C between 11th Street and 12th Street has a new deli ... Indeed! EVG contributor Stacie Joy happened to be by and shared these two photos... a bevy of Boar's Head products ...

Open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Noted

As seen on Second Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place... someone amended the work zone sign to read — "Cuomo Zone Ahead. Share Them Broads."

Five women have now accused the governor of inappropriate sexual conduct. Attorney General Letitia James is now investigating the sexual harassment allegations.

Bing celebrates International Women's Day with photo of RBG mural on 1st Avenue

On International Women's Day today, the Microsoft Bing homepage features a photo of the Ruth Bader Ginsburg mural on First Avenue and 11th Street. (Thanks to Upper West Sider for the screengrab!)

Artist @ellestreetart finished the mural of the late associate justice of the Supreme Court back in November. 

PSA 4 providing increased security at Mariana Bracetti Plaza

This year, EVG contributor Stacie Joy has been reporting on the dangerous living conditions at Mariana Bracetti Plaza, the public housing complex on Third Street and Fourth Street along Avenue C. 

In early February, local elected officials and NYCHA deputies met with tenant activists Kanielle Hernandez and Yvette Maria for a firsthand look at the issues here, a list that includes flooding, leaks, sewage and infrastructure issues, broken door locks, trespassing, nonfunctioning elevators,  police response and drug use and sales. 

Stacie now reports that officers from Police Service Area 4 (PSA 4), the Avenue C-based station that serves 25 NYCHA developments in the 5th, 7th, 9th and 10th precincts in Manhattan, are working to provide increased security at Mariana Bracetti Plaza.

Stacie took the top photo on Saturday when PSA 4 officers were joined by members of the NYPD's Law Enforcement Explorers program, which is for young men and women ages 14 to 20, at Mariana Bracetti Plaza.

Security aside, there's also an emphasis now on providing educational materials related to COVID-19 testing and vaccinations for the residents... these materials were spotted in the lobby...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Local elected officials, NYCHA reps get firsthand look at the problems at Mariana Bracetti Plaza 

• Residents say dangerous safety conditions at Mariana Bracetti Plaza lead to illegal and hazardous activities 

• Another look at conditions in and around the Mariana Bracetti Plaza public housing complex

More hot dogs for Avenue A

Work continues at 147 Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

What can you expect? Hot dogs!

The work permit in the window points to a "hot dog store" ...

We're tracking down more details about the business... which will offer up more hot dogs for Avenue A...  the 99-Cent Fresh Pizza & Hot Dog shop opened back in September. And Ray's Candy Store has been peddling franks for decades at 113 Avenue A.

Arepa Factory, the quick-serve Venezuelan restaurant, closed at 147 Avenue A in January 2020 after nearly five years in business.

Photos by Steven

Full reveal for Spike's on Avenue A

The new awning/signage for Spike's arrived late last week at 218 Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street.

Spike's Instagram account describes the establishment as an "East Village dive bar."No word on an opening date.

As previously noted, Spike's is from the same ownership as the family of bars that includes Iggy's Keltic Lounge on Ludlow, Local 138 on Orchard and the Spotted Owl on Avenue A.

This space was previously the Horsebox, the sports bar that opened in the spring of 2010 ... they never reopened after the PAUSE in March 2020. A for-lease sign arrived here in August. 

O Ramen Dim Sum M has closed on 9th Street

A for-rent sign now hangs on the storefront at 350 E. Ninth St. just west of First Avenue.

The previous tenant, O Ramen Dim Sum M, never really had a chance. They opened this past July for two weeks then closed when there wasn't any business during the pandemic ... sources on the block said that they reopened in the fall, but their hours were sporadic... open for a day or two, then closed for several days.

And previously: beQu Juice closed here in November 2019 after nearly six years in business. Until 2012, a bakery had been in this storefront for 87 years. 

Thanks to Steven for the photo... and to William Klayer for also noting the closure.