Sunday's opening shot

A view from Tompkins Square Park this morning...

Saturday's parting shot

Photo by N&Lon7th 

The Guardian Angels today presented Ray with an award of friendship outside Ray's Candy Store at 113 Avenue A... more details via the Daily News.

Revealed! Avenue A ghost signage!

Photos by Stacie Joy

Yesterday, workers removed the rolldown gate on a vacant storefront on Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street (the former lottery place next to Discount Fine Wine & Champagne's, aka Nizga Liquors). 

In the process, the workers uncovered ghost signage for a long-ago shop that sold carriages, strollers and toys...

... from the days when Avenue A had several like-minded shops along this corridor (like here) ...

Have you seen these banana roller skates?

A new item in the Lost & Found section of Craigslist (thanks for letting us know, Gwynne!) ...

Dearest neighbors, I’m an idiot and left my roller skates outside in a Citibike basket at the intersection of East 7th and Ave C. They are banana yellow with mermaid scale tips, purple stoppers and pinky gummy wheels. PERFECT in every way. 

Did you find them? If I found them I’d probably take them as my own or sell them, but maybe you’re one of the rare goodies that took them to try to find their forgetful owner. If so, please advise! I miss them so much! 

I won’t pay you a million dollars for them, come on they’re mine, but I’ll give you something for your trouble.

A tribute to Tom Verlaine on the Bowery

Someone left a thank-you note for Tom Verlaine outside the former CBGB space at 315 Bowery (now John Varvatos) ... quoting from "Marquee Moon." 

Not sure how long the note has been here. 

Verlaine, guitarist, frontman and co-founder of Television, one of the most influential acts of the CBGB scene in the late 1970s, died on Jan. 28 at age 73.

Life in the hive puckered up my night 

A kiss of death, the embrace of life 

Ooh, there I stand neath the Marquee Moon 

But I ain't waiting...

Saturday's opening shot

The sunrise as seen from Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place...

Friday's parting shot

Moxie Pocket at Heaven Can Wait tonight on Avenue A ... on a bill with the Acute and Hard Nips.

Ring in the new year

 

There's a new (great!) record out by R. Ring, a band featuring Kelley Deal (of the Breeders) and Mike Montgomery.

The video here is for "Def Sup." 

6 Avenue B, long-abandoned, has a new owner

Photos yesterday by Stacie Joy

There's a new owner for 6 Avenue B, the 6-story building on the NW corner of Avenue B and Houston that has been empty/abandoned for years.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy spotted a notice on the front door noting the ownership change... 

The LLC is linked to Penn Capital South, whose portfolio includes multiple EV properties. 

According to public records, the building changed hands for a mere $1.05 million. However, the new owners also had to pay $4.2 million in real property transfer and real estate transfer taxes.

As we've pointed out (here and here), the building is in dismal shape and will need significant work to bring it up to code. (The DOB has cited No. 6 for emergency repairs several times in recent years.)

This was one of the abandoned buildings owned by the estate of the mysterious team of Arthur and Abraham Blasof, both long deceased. However, No. 6 has been generating some income with the cell-phone towers on the roof. 

The liquor store in the retail space closed when the owner passed away in the fall of 2009 at age 89. (Chico created the tribute to her on the gate in February 2010.)

The sidewalk bridge has been here since 2015.

Previously on EVG:

• Because you've always wanted to know what the inside of the long-empty 6 Avenue B looks like

• Let's take another look at the eerie remains of the long-abandoned 6 Avenue B 

About the 3rd & B'zaar Valentine's Market this weekend

Photos by Stacie Joy 

This weekend, 3rd & B'zaar is hosting a Valentine's Market here at 191 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

Curators Maegan Hayward, Delphine Le Goff and Sara Ann Rutherford (seen below) gave us a preview what to expect at the mixed-vendor market and event space ...

We have over 25 local small businesses participating and will be selling vintage, locally designed clothing and accessories, infused chocolates, art, cards and much more. 

Also, we are very excited to announce that we will be debuting our special collection of Fashion Brand Company clothing and accessories! We've been obsessed with their amazing creations for so long ... and are beyond happy to offer Fashion Brand Company in person in NYC!

The market is open from noon to 9 p.m. today (with a special sip and shop from 7-9 p.m.) and ... and noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 

Offside Tavern shapes up on Avenue A and 6th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Renovations continue on the NE corner of Avenue A and Sixth Street, where a new outpost of Offside Tavern is expected to open in the months ahead here at 94 Avenue A. (First noted here. Comments from readers who had been to the original OT were positive.)

We spotted owner Nick Costa out front painting the exterior of the highly-tagged storefront...

This is a new iteration of Offside, which had a three-year run at 137 W. 14th St. until the pandemic-related PAUSE of March 2020. 

During the NHL season, OT was a hockey bar — specifically for fans of the New York Islanders. The place made enough of an impression that when the Islanders opened UBS Arena in late 2021, the new venue included an Offside Tavern tribute bar located in Section 217.

Costa said that they hope to debut on A in a few months — as soon as the liquor license arrives... and they hire and train new staff. 

Here's a look inside the space... where there are multiple rooms, including one for a bar and another area (along the Sixth Street side) with a communal table... not to mention multiple TV sets for watching the Islanders — or whatever happens to be in season...

August Laura had a brief run here, opening in October 2019 ... then a haphazard schedule during the pandemic before finally shutting down in December 2021.

August Laura took over the space from what some people considered an East Village institution — Sidewalk, the restaurant bar and live music venue (home of the Antifolk Festival) that closed in February 2019 after 34 years.

Pini Milstein, who retired, was the principal owner of the building and the operator of the Sidewalk. According to public records, Penn South Capital paid $9.6 million for the property in March 2019. The building's new owners added a one-floor extension here in 2020.

Thursday's parting shots

In case you weren't up at, say, 6:48-6:58 a.m. today  ... here's a look at the fiery sunrise. 

William Klayer shared this photo from Ninth Street looking toward Avenue A...

... and from Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue... via Jackflashnyc...

... and 14th Street by Pinch...