Sunday, September 26, 2021

Checking in on what's left at Lancelotti Housewares

As we first reported on Sept. 17, Lancelotti Housewares is closing its doors this fall after a 25-year presence on Avenue A.

Co-owners Michael Isaacs (below) and Jeff Chatterton are moving to Dallas to be closer to family, and plans are in the works to open a similar concept/new home-goods store there. 

And since the news of the pending closure hit, the well-curated shop between Fourth Street and Fifth Street was quickly picked over. EVG correspondent Stacie Joy stopped by yesterday to see what was left... as you can see in the last photo, the second room in the store is empty... everything is currently 30-percent off... 
Lancelotti was originally expected to close in mid-to-late October. Not sure about that now! You can find updates on the shop's Instagram account

Lancelotti is open Tuesday-Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

Check out these NYC taxi views from 1977-1987 along East Houston Street

In case you haven't been over on East Houston at Second Avenue in the past week ... there's a new exhibit up along First Street Green featuring the work of photographer Joseph Rodriguez.

He drove a cab in NYC from 1977 to 1985 ... and later published a book of his work: "Taxi: Journey Through my Windows 1977–1987." 

Some of those photos, including scenes from the East Village, are featured along this corridor ...
The work, part of the Photoville Festival, will be up here until Dec. 1.

The 10th annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival is underway

In case you missed our post from Wednesday... the 10th annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival is underway.

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

Check the LUNGS website here for the day-by-day, garden-by-garden schedule. There's a lot of free live music on the calendar for today (Sunday!).

Saturday, September 25, 2021

Saturday's parting shot

Felice Rosser today in Tompkins Square Park with her band, Faith NYC. 

She'll be performing next on Friday night in the Green Oasis Garden, 368 E. Eighth St. between Avenue C and Avenue D as part of the LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival.

Photo by Derek Berg.

Mobile unit offering COVID-19 vaccines today on Avenue A

One of the city's mobile units is offering free COVID-19 vaccines today on Avenue A outside Blink between Sixth Street and Seventh Street ... no appointments are needed for the Pfizer vaccine (ages 12+)...
According to the city's COVID-19 Vaccine Finder, the $100 incentive is available at this pop-up site. The mobile unit will be here today until 5:30 p.m. 

UPDATED

The van is back today (Sept. 26)... same block but on the west side of Avenue A...

Details on Autumn Rocks in Tompkins Square Park

Autumn Rocks in Tompkins Square Park takes place this afternoon, which brings together several events. There's the second annual Tompkins Square Book and Arts Fair, which starts at noon, and a lineup of bands from 2-6 p.m.

Here's a list of the bands, per the Shows in Tompkins Square Park page on Facebook: 

• Midnight Jerks 
• No Police State Girl 
• Dub Corps 
• Simon + JJ 
• The Uplifters 
• Faith 
• Bachslider 

And at 1 p.m., there will be a memorial for Jerry Foust, a familiar figure in Tompkins Square Park in recent years. He died on Sept. 13. We'll have more on his passing in an upcoming post.

Friday, September 24, 2021

Days of your youth

 
Going back to 1981 for this live clip of Delta 5 performing "Anticipation." 

Julz Sale, the lead singer of the UK-based post-punk band, died this week. Details about her death were not disclosed. 

Some background, cutting-and-pasting from Pitchfork: "Although the Delta 5 only released one full-length album —1981's See the Whirl — they released several other singles, which Kill Rock Stars collected in the 2006 set Singles & Sessions: 1979-1981."

Looking at the estate sale of Tony Rosenthal, the sculptor who created the Alamo on Astor Place

Fans of the Cube — aka Alamo — on Astor Place may have an interest in gawking at this. (Thanks, Lori!)

There's an estate sale tomorrow featuring the work of Bernard "Tony" Rosenthal, the American abstract sculptor who created the Alamo. He died in 2009 at age 94. 

Per the sale notice: "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own pieces from his private collection amassed in his Southampton, N.Y., home and studio over several decades."

The sale includes some prototypes of the Cube, which are expected to fetch $4,000 to $6,000. 

And some cube history via Village Preservation:
On November 1, 1967, an 8′ x 8′ x 8′ 1,800-pound giant black cube was installed in Astor Place as one of 25 temporary public artworks by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. However, it was so popular that local residents petitioned the City to keep it, and except for its absences for restorations over the past few years, it has stood there ever since.

Bernard "Tony" Rosenthal's sculpture was originally named "Sculpture and the Environment," but was eventually renamed The Alamo by his wife, Cynthia Rosenthal, because its size and mass reminded her of the famous Alamo Mission in San Antonio
  Pic from the archives by Peter Brownscombe

Memories of Homecoming 2021

For the premiere of the latest episode of her freewheeling reality series, "Story of My Fucking Life," local photographer and filmmaker Manon Macasaet (pictured below) put together an action-packed event in Sara D. Roosevelt Park this past summery Saturday, dubbed Homecoming 2021.
There was a very competitive basketball game for starters, which went into double overtime (not sure who won — please check the EVG sports section for a follow-up).

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was on hand and shared some highlights from Homecoming 2021... on the court and off... 
There were also short sets by two local bands — Clovis and Hello Mary (seen below)...
The evening concluded with the screening of episode 4, titled "Tales of Love Downtown." (Ray at Ray's Candy Store is among those featured in the episode.) You can check out the other episodes on YouTube right here.  

Help East Village Loves NYC feed 10,000 people in 3 days

East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group formed in the spring of 2020 to feed people in need during the pandemic — has laid out ambitious plans for a pre-Thanksgiving event: to prepare meals for 10,000 New Yorkers over three days.
Details via Instagram...
We are holding our biggest and boldest event ever! For our EARLY THANKSGIVING COOKATHON, we’re planning to feed 10k people! Our Love Kitchen will be running full steam three days in a row: October 23, 24 and 25! 

Want to get involved in the most ambitious event of the year? Visit evloves.nyc/thanksgiving and help us raise enough to make this happen!

Volunteer slots will open on October 1, stay tuned!

In its first year, East Village Loves NYC — which has attracted some 400 volunteers — cooked more than 100,000 meals for New Yorkers during the pandemic ... not to mention donated 325,000-plus pounds of groceries and 7,000-plus pantry bags.

Police seeking suspect who robbed the Chase branch at 255 1st Ave.

Several readers have noted this ... police say a man robbed the Chase branch on First Avenue at 15th Street yesterday afternoon (thanks to Steven for the photo). 

Here are a few details...

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's a new 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...