This East Village Easter footage from 1966 includes a crucifixion in Tompkins Square Park

James Maher, our longtime blog friend (and creator of this now-retired EVG series), shared a 3-minute video clip with us. His grandparents and mother were born and raised on Fifth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

The video below is from Easter Sunday 1966 in the East Village. It starts on Fifth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. You'll also see some scenes in Tompkins Square Park where, at the 1:40 mark, the kids are treated to an interpretation of the crucifixion of Jesus. 

James' cousin Donna, one of the girls in the video, provided some narrative: 

My dad shot these videos. We were all going to Easter Mass at Most Holy Redeemer then to Nana Julie's and Grandpa Walter's for Easter lunch. We were waving to my Grandma Anna in the window. Others on the street were are family friends and neighbors all getting together for Easter. 

The hippies had moved into the neighborhood and basically took over the Park. On Easter, they built their version of the crucifixion with human skulls, etc. It didn't last long as some of the local guys knocked it down because it upset their wives and mothers. 

The street-front store is next to the Chic Choc bar [now Sophie's]...it belonged to Willie Silverman. He and his son Sidney bought closeouts from department stores and wholesalers. Every night the neighborhood would gather in front of his hole in the wall to see what crap bargains we could get. These were great times!"  

See for yourself... (and there is no sound on the clip)...

 

Video shot by John Sagan!

The Ukrainian Museum is back open on 6th Street

The Ukrainian Museum reopened on May 5 at 222 E. Sixth St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square ... back for the first time since the PAUSE in March 2020. 

Among the current exhibits: "In Bloom: Nature and Art," which "explores the impact of the flower motif through the prism of Ukraine’s folk art traditions and the works of its preeminent artists of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries." 

The museum, founded in 1976 by the Ukrainian National Women's League of America, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

There is a limited capacity for now and masks are required. You can check out the visitor info page for more details.

Coyote Ugly makes it official on 14th Street

The Coyote Ugly signage went up yesterday at their new saloon at 233 E. 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. (Thanks to Pinch for the photo!)

No mention yet of an opening date here on IHOP Way.

As we first reported this past September, Coyote Ugly permanently closed its home of 27 years at 153 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street. (That space is currently going under a gut renovation for lord knows what.)

In announcing the closure, CEO and founder Lil Lovell had this to say in a video clip: "After sitting closed for six months due to COVID restrictions, we simply can't afford to pay the rent." 

This First Avenue location was the original Coyote Ugly — featuring bartop dancing, body shots and guilt for ordering water. There are now more than two-dozen global outposts.

No. 233 was previously home to the Blind Pig, the sports bar/pub, which closed in June 2019. 

A full FULL reveal on 1st Avenue and 2nd Street

OK! Here's a look at the southeast corner of First Avenue and Second Street... where workers have cleared away most of the construction materials from outside the all-new 24 First Ave., including at the Second Street side of the development.

The two buildings that made up the L-shaped parcel — 24 First Ave. and  99-101 E. Second St. — were demolished to make room for the 101 Condominium, a 7-story, 23-unit condoplex.

And here's a view from the side along First Street between First Avenue and Avenue A...

Our previous post has the 411 on the 101.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Onetime home of Lucky Cheng's and adjacent property sell for $12 million

• Demolition permits filed to bring down former Lucky Cheng's building on 1st Avenue

• The 411 on the 101 Condominium

Report: Man stabbed, robbed of his e-bike in Tompkins Square Park

A man was stabbed in his hip late this afternoon during a robbery inside the entrance to Tompkins Square Park on Seventh Street and Avenue A. 

The two men apparently knew each other. 

Per the Post:

The 55-year-old victim was sitting on a bench in the East Village park at around 4:30 p.m., and got up when a man he knew approached him, according to cops and law enforcement sources. 

"Sit your ass down, you are not leaving," the perp snarled, before grabbing the bike and knifing the victim, according to the sources.

EMTs took the victim to Bellevue, where he was reportedly treated for a puncture wound in the left hip/groin area.

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's the latest NY See panel, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood and NYC...

Checking in on 2 under-renovation properties along this charming block of 7th Street

Here's a look at the recently renovated 264 E. Seventh St. between Avenue C and Avenue D.

According to the approved permit filed with the city, the owners had No. 264 gut-renovated and converted to a two-family dwelling (from three units),  leaving the building's exterior in place and adding an extension in the rear.

You can see the exterior results of this work in the top two photos... as it still fits in this row of like-minded residences.

Things didn't look so good here in September 2016, when a permit was filed with the DOB to demolish the three-level, circa 1842 townhouse.

Preservations rallied to try to have the string of pastel-colored residences considered for landmarking. However, in late October 2017, the Landmarks Preservation Commission refused to consider them for such a designation.

In April 2019, word came via the Village Preservation that new owners purchased the property and nixed a full demolition. (Public records show an LLC paid $7.7 million for the address.)

And as noted before, Felicia Bond lived in the garden duplex at No. 264 when she illustrated the renowned children's book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" in the mid-1980s.

Meanwhile,  two residences to the east, the three-level 268 E. Seventh St., didn't fare as well ... demolition continues here... and the insides have been gutted...

Plans, as well as owners, have changed here in the past two years. Approved permits on file with the city show that workers are adding a vertical enlargement to bring the building to six stories... which will boost the number of units to six. 

Actor John Leguizamo owned No. 268 starting in 1995. In February 2013, the building hit the market with a $4 million ask. However, as Curbed noted at the time:

It's unclear how recently Leguizamo lived in the place, or whether or not he even still owns it — the deed was transferred to an LLC in 2002, and the listing says that it was "Recently a single family residence; currently used as a 3-family" ...

Leguizamo watchers on the block say that the actor moved away about 2001 or 2002.

Highpoint Property Group is now listed as the owner... picking up the property for $4.3 million in the fall of 2019, per public records. The Group's other East Village properties include The Slater at 174-176 First Ave. ... The Topanga at 202 Avenue A ... and The Callahan at 100 Second Ave.

More pizza for a former pizzeria

Look for more pizza on the high-profile corner of Second Avenue at 10th Street.

Signs arrived yesterday for Marinara Pizza ... (thanks to Steven for the photos!)

This will be the fifth outpost for the pizzeria, which has locations on the UES, UWS, Midtown East and Park Avenue South. (I've never had their pizza. Anyone?)

Two buzzy pizza joints have been at this address (160 Second Ave.) in recent years. Lions & Tigers & Squares — the Detroit-style pizzeria from the Artichoke team — debuted in October 2019 before closing during the pandemic last summer. 

And before this... Nicoletta spent six-plus years in business here until the end of 2018.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cafe Centosette closes on Second Avenue

AuH20 Thriftique popping up for 2 days in former 7th Street home

AuH20 Thriftique is making an encore presentation tomorrow and Saturday in the shop's former home at 84 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Per an Instagram post: 

Popping up at the old storefront, 84 E. 7th St., on Friday & Saturday, May 14 & 15, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Stop by if you're in the East Village! We will also be buying! Bring your used clothes and accessories ... And we'll be bringing "wait to bundle" bags in case you'd like to pick up in person.

After 14 years of selling stylish women's vintage clothes and accessories, Kate Goldwater, who opened the storefront after graduating from college, shut down the business last fall.

She is continuing to offer items online. 

Image via Instagram 

Coffee shop slated for 194 1st Ave.

Updated June 2: Cafe Sandra is now open!

A coffee shop called Cafe Sandra has signed a lease at 194 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street.

Cafe Sandra already has a website. And despite what the site states, they are not yet open for business. The storefront is empty.

The previous tenant, Space 194, a hybrid tea-coffee shop-gallery, closed in early 2020 after nearly a year in service.

The address was previously the Neptune. The Polish-American diner shut down in December 2016 after 15 years in business. After their departure, the landlord divided up the restaurant into two storefronts.

Photo by Steven. H/T Upper West Sider!

Wednesday's parting shot of a Basquiat painting that just sold for $93.1 million

Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting titled In This Case sold for $93.1 million last night at Christie's. 

The record price paid for a Basquiat at auction came in 2017 when another painting of a skull sold to the Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa for $110.5 million. 

As for last night, Bloomberg provides the play-by-play...

As the lot opened up to a salesroom populated exclusively by cameras and auction house specialists, Gemma Sudlow, a senior vice president at Christie's who was leading the auction, opened bidding at $40 million, and quickly brought its price to $52 million.

And...

Soon, six bidders began to vie for the work, slowly pushing its price in increments ranging from $1 million to $3 million. After about six minutes of bidding, the nearly 6.5 foot-high (2 meters) painting hammered at $81 million. Auction house fees payable by the buyer added on another $12 million.

And...

The painting was last purchased publicly in 2002, when it sold at Sotheby’s for just under $1 million. It then sold privately in 2007 for an undisclosed sum. The seller on Tuesday night, according to reports, was former Valentino chairman Giancarlo Giammetti; the buyer was not immediately known.

Basquiat died of a heroin overdose in 1988 at his home-studio at 57 Great Jones St. between the Bowery and Lafayette. He was 27.

Image via Christie's

Today in sunspots

Felton Davis of the Second Avenue Star Watchers shared this today...

Crystal-clear blue sky this afternoon, for an unusually large sunspot left of center, but the attempt to angle my aging telescope almost straight up was very difficult. Joanne stayed the course through about 45 minutes of agonizing adjustments, and then the sun promptly disappeared behind the clouds. The sunspot was approximately 8,000 miles in diameter, or a hundredth of the diameter of the sun.

... and a view of the sunspot...

... and the size of the sunspot next to Earth for a little comparison...

According to NASA: "The sun ... is roughly 109 times the diameter of the Earth — about one million Earths could fit inside the sun." 

And a word of warning from Felton if you want to start sunspot spotting: "Do not stare at the sun for any length of time, and do not point a telescope at it unless you have a very thick filter covering the tube."