The East Village Mermaid Inn is now closed until the spring

Photos by Stacie Joy

After a 7-week encore, Mermaid Inn has gone dark once again on Second Avenue — until the spring. 

The East Village location has been removed from the Mermaid Inn Instagram account... and reservations are no longer available here between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. A spokesperson for Mermaid Inn said this outpost is "closing for the winter" and will reopen in April.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy took these photos at the space yesterday... 

This is a deflating development, as the restaurant reopened for business on Sept. 8. In the comments on previous posts, residents cheered on its return.
 

Mermaid Inn closed here during the pandemic. Co-owner Daniel Abrams and partner Cindy Smith decided to shut down the seafood restaurant in the wake of failed attempts to reach a workable rent deal, Eater reported at the time. 

There were later issues with a stringent State Liquor Authority that was delaying the reopening.

The Mermaid Inn arrived in the East Village back in 2003. There are also locations in Greenwich Village, Chelsea and the Upper West Side... with Mermaid Mexicana opening in the spring on MacDougal Street. 

Meanwhile, a big outpost is opening soon on Times Square. 

Service for Manny the Peddler is tomorrow at Most Holy Redeemer

Photos by Stacie Joy

The funeral mass for Emmanuel Howard, aka Manny the Peddler, is tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 29) at 2 at the Parish of the Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...     

Manny, a street vendor along Avenue A since 1979, recently passed away. You can read our previous post here for background. 

An early morning robbery at Desi Galli

Photos by Stacie Joy

Two men smashed their way into Desi Galli early yesterday morning at 172 Avenue B. 

The break-in occurred a little before 6 a.m. Owner PriaVanda Chouhan told EVG contributor Stacie Joy that the thieves took an iPad that the quick-serve restaurant used for music and about $1,000 in cash.

"They didn't get anything else because our neighbor's dog started barking. [The neighbor] heard them smashing things so she called the cops," Chouhan said. "She yelled out the window, 'The cops are coming!' and they ran out the door. They were in the restaurant for two minutes. Other than the door, nothing was damaged." 

This is the second break-in at the restaurant here between 10th Street and 11th Street in recent years. Any plans to add a gate to the storefront? 

"We are looking at gates, but I need to talk to my landlord because security should be part of my lease," she said. 

Meanwhile, the show had to go on at Desi Galli, as Chouhan prepared to cater a 300-person Diwali celebration yesterday.

The city removes the curbside structure from outside Pinky's Space on 1st Street

Yesterday morning, members from the DOT and Department of Sanitation — under watch of the NYPD — shut down First Street at First Avenue to remove the outdoor structure at Pinky's Space, a restaurant-art space at 70 E. First St. (The first two photos are from Luke Mathews)...

... the decor of the outdoor space continued to evolve through the months... an assemblage of paintings, furniture, plants ... not to mention a chandelier and disco ball.

In an Instagram post after the removal, Pinky's wrote: "D.O.T. decided to try and destroy our business today with no warning. #just not right!!!" 

It's not immediately known why the city removed this structure, which was still in use.

Per the Post last night:

The city had inspected the 30-foot shed on East First Street and First Avenue earlier this month — but said nothing about plans to tear it down...

They only told her to get rid of a vending machine that “wasn’t food-related” and to pick up a trash can encroached 6 feet into the amenity zone between the shed and the sidewalk, [co-owner Mimi] Blitz said.

EVG reader Lori E. Seid shared these photos of the removal...

... soon after, cars were parked where the structure stood...

In August, the city started removing dining sheds from outside closed establishments. 

The city said this about curbside structures that are still in use:

The task force will also review sheds that, while potentially active, are particularly egregious violators of Open Restaurants program guidelines. In these cases, sheds will be inspected three separate times before action is taken. After each of the first two failed inspections, DOT will issue notices instructing the restaurant owner to correct the outstanding issues; after the third visit, DOT will issue a termination letter and allow 48 hours before issuing a removal notice. DOT will then remove the structure and store it for 90 days — if the owner does not reclaim it in that period, DOT will dispose of the structure.

If the city did remove this for violations, then it didn't follow its stated policy of removing and storing... as the contents and the structure were tossed into the back of a garbage truck and crushed. 

Deadly shooting reported at Campos Plaza

Updated 11/7

Police have arrested a suspect in the deadly shooting.

Updated 8 a.m.

The shooting victim was identified as Jaden Stokes. His brother Dujon, one of Jaden's seven siblings, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help the family pay for funeral expenses. You can find that link here.

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A 21-year-old man was killed, and a 24-year-old man was wounded tonight in a shooting at Campos Plaza at 635 E. 12th St. at Avenue C. 

According to the Daily News, the two men were in an elevator around 7:30 p.m. When the elevator doors opened, a man waiting in the lobby fired several shots and took off. 

A worker making a delivery in the NYCHA building told the News: "The guy in the lobby started shooting the guys in the elevator. There were three, maybe four shots," he said. "It was crazy scary. I didn't want him to shoot me."

No other information was immediately available as the investigation got underway. 

Updated, more coverage: The Post ... CBS 2 ... ABC 7 ... NBC 4 ... 

Screengrab via Citizen

Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Steven 

A view of Jupiter this evening ... as seen — with the help of EV Arrow — by the Christodora on Avenue B...

Select films by Nick Zedd will screen in Tompkins Square Park this Sunday evening

On Sunday evening, you can check a selection of films by the late Nick Zedd in Tompkins Square Park.

The screening will be presented by special guest and film provider — Amanita Funaro, Zedd's stepdaughter. 

Here's more via the EVG inbox... 

Nick Zedd is an artist from the New York City underground punk scene, who passed away earlier this year. Although mainly known for his films, he was also a painter and author. Nick spearheaded the movement known as Cinema of Transgression — kitschy, violent, sexy, shocking, and featuring a filming style that goes beyond description. 

Nick Zedd always felt there was no good way to describe his films other than to just watch and experience them yourself. Tompkins has been known for decades as a park where artists, punks and other creatives come together in different ways. 

Back in the 1980s-90s Nick Zedd was always pasting his art around and sharing his zines in Tompkins and the surrounding neighborhood. Which is part of what makes screening Nick Zedd's films here so special.

The lineup, which will last roughly two hours, features:

• Police State (1987) 

• War is Menstrual Envy excerpt (1992) 

• Geek Maggot Bingo (1983) 

• Attack of the Particle Disruptors (2016) 

The program is presented by The Shadow and Cine Movil.

Earlier on this Sunday afternoon starting at 1 ... the second annual gathering of Infernites in Tompkins Square Park takes place. Fans of the circus punk cabaret collective The World/Inferno Friendship Society will gather to celebrate the life of their departed lead singer, Jack Terricloth. We'll share more information about this in a separate post. 

A look at Thayer, a new cafe-bookstore opening soon on Avenue B

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Updated 11/2: Thayer is now open!

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Thayer, an independent press, is moving closer to opening day for its bookstore-cafe at 99 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. (First reported here.) 

Founder Matt Lally, an East Village resident, plans to have a soft opening early next month. The two-level space will feature coffee drinks by Irving Farm New York and pastries by Balthazar. There will be grab-n-go soft drinks too. Beer and wine will be available in the evening.

Thayer will host various literary events and offer a curated selection of books and magazines for sale. There will be tables and chairs for drinks and books.

Daily hours: 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week, with a 9 p.m. close on weekends.

Village Grannies is closing on 9th Street

Village Grannies is closing up shop at 346 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Vered Behr and Zviah Eldar, aka the "Village Grannies," opened the storefront in November 2016... far ahead of the current smoke-shop-on-every-corner trend. 

The shop sells stylish smoking accessories ... much more unique offerings than the mall-like goods seen more frequently today.

For now, all items in the store are 50% off... We didn't hear an official reason for the closure... the shop's fans who reached out to us with the news hope that the Village Grannies can relocate.

Photo by Steven

Kōbo by Nai watch on Avenue A

As you may have noticed in recent months... the small plaque for Kōbo by Nai outside 202 Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street...

This will be the latest EV establishment for Chef Ruben Rodriguez ... the restaurant's website notes that Kōbo by Nai will be "a contemporary pasta bar featuring Mediterranean fare."

Rodriguez told us in a recent message that he hopes to be up and running here later this fall. 

Rodriguez is also behind Nai Tapas Bar on Second Avenue, Amigo by Nai on Second Avenue and the recently opened Emilia by Nai on First Avenue.

This marks the first retail tenant for No. 202, which underwent a gut renovation and expansion ... the custom stereo shop Bright Audio was the previous business in the old 202 storefront.  

Wednesday's parting shot

The Wednesday evening Hitchcocktober screenings wrapped up tonight at Village East by Angelika with the spy thriller "Saboteur." 

Coming Halloween night: "Psycho." The 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. showings are either sold out or close to it... so the theater added screenings at 6 and 7 p.m. (There's also one at 4:30 p.m.) You can find ticket info here. 

The Village East by Angelika is on Second Avenue at 12th Street.

A Haunted Halloween party for the Little Missionary's Day Nursery

There aren't any shortages of Halloween-related activities in the neighborhood.

Here's another to consider... the Little Missionary's Day Nursery (above!) on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue is hosting a Haunted Halloween party on Saturday that will also serve as a fundraiser for the school... 

Neighborhood kids and their parents/guardians are invited to participate Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at La Plaza Cultural on the SW corner of Avenue C and Ninth Street. They'll be some seasonal food and games. 

Top photo by Steven