The 10th annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival begins on Friday evening

There are 10 days of free events in the neighborhood's community gardens connected to the 10th annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival.

This year's festival includes activities at dozens of gardens, each featuring various performances, concerts, workshops and other related events (dominos tournament!). 

The festivities begin with an opening-evening celebration at 6 at Green Oasis, 370 E. Eighth St. between Avenue C and D.

Check the LUNGS website here for the day-by-day, garden-by-garden schedule.

A visit to Ergot Records

Ergot Records made its debut back on Friday at 32 E. Second St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Adrian Rew, who's behind the experimental imprint of the same name, is the owner here ...

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the shop during the opening weekend. For now, Ergot Records will focus on second-hand records and cassettes, spanning an array of genres, including jazz, salsa, punk, disco, hip-hop and avant-garde.

Eventually, Rew, a resident DJ at the Lot Radio and former curator at the gallery Blank Forms, wants to add books and other literature and host in-store events. 

Here's a look around the shop, which includes several listening stations ... 

Rew, who previously worked at A-1 Records on Sixth Street, renovated the space with the help of a few friends. He signed a five-year lease on the storefront and plans to stick around for a while. We hope so too. 

Hours:

• Wednesday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

• Friday-Saturday: Noon-8 p.m. 

• Sunday: noon-6 p.m.

You can find the Ergot Records Instagram account here. 

After a few days away, barricades return to the Tompkins Square Park chess tables

For a few days over the weekend and until yesterday, the chess tables in Tompkins Square Park were free from the police barricades surrounding this area since Aug. 31. (Top photo from Sunday.)

The unofficial word from this corner of Seventh Street and Avenue A was that a Park regular moved and tossed the barricades.  

In any event, workers put barricades back into place yesterday...

... and fastened them together this time ...

Some residents had complained about the encampment here... with activity around the chess tables that included drug use and fencing stolen goods. The city had cleared out this space several times this summer, starting back in June.

Photos by Steven

A makeover for the East Village Neighbors Community Fridge and Pantry

There's a new look for the 24/7 East Village Neighbors Community Fridge and Pantry outside S'MAC at the NW corner of 12th Street and First Avenue ...

Yesterday, East Village-based artist, artist, writer and filmmaker Ethan Minsker completed a makeover for the refrigerator and adjacent pantry. (This Instagram post explains more about the background and inspiration.)

The fridge's motto is "take what you need, leave what you can," and is made possible by S'MAC, Change Food and East Village Neighbors. Its first anniversary is coming up soon.

You can support the East Village Neighbors Community Fridge and Pantry at this link.

Photos by Steven

A clue about future development courtesy of the former Subway at 250 E. Houston St.

We continue to wait for official word of what will happen to the now-empty strip of storefronts at 250 E. Houston St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

As we've reported, there's been a storefront shuffle along this retail stretch. Kapri Cleaners and the FedEx Office Print & Ship Center moved from the unrenovated spaces to new storefronts closer to the entrance to the 13-story residential building at No. 250. Other businesses, including the Dunkin'/Baskin-Robbins and China Town, have closed. 

The old retail section of this strip is apparently coming down to make way for an unspecified new development. 

A letter from the owner of the shuttered (as of Aug. 30) Subway sandwich shop provides another clue. EVG contributor Stacie Joy spotted this on the storefront (click on the image for more detail) ... 

Per the letter: "I am saddened to inform you that since the Ownership of this Property has decided to construct a multistory building, they will not be able to renew [the] lease for my Subway Store."

The family-owned franchise had been here for more than 20 years. Per the letter, the owner said that he hopes to find a new location for his Subway.

Meanwhile, still nothing on file with the city just yet about a demolition or new building permits.

Sri Lankan specialists Sigiri back open on 1st Avenue

Some good reopening news via EVG reader Garth... he notes that the Sri Lankan flag is flying once again outside Sigiri above Dual Speciality Store at 91 First Ave. 

The 16-year-old spicy standby here between Fifth Street and Sixth Street closed at the start of the PAUSE in March 2020... doing delivery and takeout in the summer of 2020 before closing again.

In recent months, we noticed that the interior had been dismantled. Glad to see that it was just for a renovation and nothing like a closure.

Sigiri is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Check out the menu here... which includes a daily lunch special from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Pillow-Cat Books is open now on 9th Street

We mentioned Pillow-Cat Books in this post last month ... this shop specializing in animal books opened late last week at 328 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Here's a description via a recent Instagram post:

Pillow-Cat Books is the first animal-focused bookshop in New York ... it is small, green, and filled with used, vintage and antique books in several languages and of all types: art, photography, design, literature, comics, children, etc. The books' only common denominator is that an animal or animal character has to be present. 

Pillow-Cat is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  You can find the shop's Instagram account here... and the website here.  

Photo by Steven

SLCT Stock brings vintage t-shirts and sneakers to 12th Street

SLCT Stock opened back on Friday at 523 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The shop carries collectible t-shirts, sneakers and other pop-cultural items from the 1980s and 1990s.

Indiana University student Nick Ayala started SLCT in Bloomington, Ind., in 2018. There's also an outpost in Boulder, Colo. 

Hours: Noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with a 6 p.m. close on Sundays. You can find this SLCT's Instagram account here.

And if you're over this way, then you can also check out East Village Vintage Collective a few storefronts away at 545. 

Monday's parting shot

A moment with Jim Power working on one of his mosaic poles along St. Mark's Place... thanks to Mike G. for the photo...

A Chuck Close tribute on Bond Street

Chuck Close died last month at age 81. 

And recently, the artist Scott VanderVoort paid tribute to the photorealist outside 42 Bond St. between the Bowery and Lafayette. (Close had a studio and residence nearby.)

EVG reader Garth shared these photos ... you get the 1967-68 Big Self-Portrait of Close while walking to the east...

... and a 2005 version of Close while heading west...

Here's a little clip to give you a better idea of the work...

 

VanderVoort previously created tributes here for President Obama after his eight years in the White House ... and after the deaths of Steve Jobs ... and David Bowie. 

This video explains more about how VanderVoort creates the art...

 

One last seasonal fling for Halloween Adventure and Gothic Renaissance?

Halloween Adventure has returned from the dead.

The shop at 808 Broadway/104 Fourth Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street reopened last Wednesday, per Time Out. (Reopening-for-Halloween signs had been on the storefront since July.)

As you may recall, back in January, Halloween Adventure's owners announced it was closing due to a pandemic-related drop in business during 2020. However, after an effort to sell many gift cards, the shop was able to return for another Adventure.

Meanwhile, next door, sister business Gothic Renaissance is also reopening soon ... (this shop had closed in March)... 

A Halloween Adventure manager told Time Out that the store plans to stay open through December "at the very least." Per TONY:  The manager said, "if sales are up this year on par with the before times, it's possible it could stay open year-round again."

"We've been here for so long and people are used to seeing us as part of the community. It would be amazing could get enough business this year to keep going strong...and forever."

However, as The Real Deal reports, this is likely the last season for both businesses as the retail condo at 808 Broadway and 104-110 Fourth Ave. is for sale with a $15.95 million ask. 

The block-through property combines two adjacent buildings: 808 Broadway (completed in 1888) and 104-110 Fourth Ave. (circa 1981).

The company that operates these stores has been around since 1981, starting in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Halloween Adventure first arrived in the East Village with a pop-up in 1991 and continued to do this in various locations until 1996, when they found this current space.

They have not commented on their local plans beyond 2021.

Previously on EV Grieve:

Costume drama: Halloween Adventure is closing next month

Salma brings Lebanese cuisine to 12th Street

Salma recently made its debut at 331 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The restaurant's website describes it as an "authentic Lebanese grill." 

A look at the menu shows a variety of platters, including chicken, lamb and falafel. They also offer breakfast items, such as a labneh platter. Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. 

Salma takes over this space from Ducks Eatery, which closed last November after eight years in business.

H/T Steven