At the 2017 Drag March

The annual Drag March departed Tompkins Square Park this evening for the walk to the Stonewall Inn.

Participants tonight were asked to remember Gilbert Baker, the creator of the Rainbow Flag and co-founder of the Drag March in 1994 (with Brian Griffin aka Harmonie Moore Must Die).

Here are photos from EVG contributor Stacie Joy...

Swan song

"Goodbye Goodbye" by Oingo Boingo has always reminded me of prom and the end of the school year. (Oh, wait – I'm thinking about the ending of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High.")

This version was recorded live at the Ritz (now Webster Hall) from April 1987.

Free show in Tompkins Square Park tomorrow includes a Black Flag tribute

Here are the bands leading up to the Black Flag tribute at 5:

Silence Equals Death — 4:30pm
Yo!Scunt — 4 pm
Jump For The Sails — 3:30 pm
None Above All — 3 pm

EVG Etc.: Pride March starts at Tompkins Square Park tonight; Bicycle Film Festival continues

The annual Drag March starts in Tompkins Square Park this evening (Facebook) Find more Pride activities here.

Art on A Gallery's 2nd Annual Summer Group Art Show is underway (Official site)

A member of the Hells Angels arrested for allegedly slashing a tire on a delivery vehicle double parked near the Third Street clubhouse (PIX 11)

Highlights from the Mayor's LES Town Hall (The Lo-Down)

Fire-damaged Beth Hamedrash Hagodol synagogue will likely require a full demolition; rabbi vows to rebuild (DNAinfo)

Police looking for suspect who groped woman in Stuy Town elevator (Town & Village)

East Village resident who booked a massage via Backpage.com was robbed and beaten instead (The Post)

Writer-blogger Jeremiah Moss, an East Village resident, unmasks himself (The New Yorker) Details on the Vanishing New York book party (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Check out Crumb's cover art for the forthcoming East River String Band album (Twitter)

More about the cream cheese shop coming to Seventh Street (Gothamist ... previously)

An interview with East Village-based singer-songwriter Fiona Silver, whose debut record is out today (East of 8th)


[Remember the Titans! Photo by Derek Berg]

The 17th annual Bicycle Film Festival continues through Sunday at the Anthology Film Archives (Official site)

Closing reception tomorrow for the 90s Group Show at Studio 26 on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B (@Hektad_official)

4th Annual Bedside Confessionals storytelling event is tonight at the Sixth Street Community Center (Twitter)

Birthday wishes for longtime housing activist Frances Goldin (Off the Grid)

A look at the large exhibition of work by the artist John Giorno across the city, including Howl! Happening on First Street (artNEWS)

Diversions: Were the Troggs the very first punk band? (Dangerous Minds)

...and here's a clip from earlier this week showing Ranger Rob lending a hand to Flatbush, the new red-tailed juvenile in Tompkins Square Park...

Flatbush the 7-week-old hawk being put to a tree for the night. Since he can't fly the park ranger @rob_mastrianni has to move him by hand. #coolestparkrangerever #dreamjob #Flatbush #redtailedhawk #urbanwildlife #nycwildlife #birdsofprey #tompkinssquarepark #hawksoftompkinssquarepark #nycbirder #cbgb #rangerrob

A post shared by FireMonkey 🔥🐒 🇺🇸🇰🇷🇩🇪 (@firemonkey_69) on Jun 17, 2017 at 7:57pm PDT

Take part in Tiki on 12th tomorrow (Saturday)

The East Village Independent Merchants Association (EVIMA) is presenting Tiki on 12th tomorrow (Saturday!) from noon to 5 p.m.

Participating business along (or near!) 12th Street from First Avenue to the east will be taking part... including Au Za'atar, Ciao for Now, Harry & Ida's and the East Village Vintage Collective, where there's a tiki party from 4 to 5 p.m.


[East Village Vintage Collective co-owner Maegan Hayward yesterday prepping for Tiki time]

Find the rest of the participating merchants at the EVIMA site here. There's a post-tiki party at Lucky, 168 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street.

Traveling on

In our post about San Loco closing Tuesday on Second Avenue, the comments turned to a discussion on the group of travelers who have been camped out under the Orpheum marquee on this block between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place these past few months...


[Photo from May]

The travelers were one of the topics discussed at the 9th Precinct's Community Council meeting in May.

The 9th Precinct rather cryptically tweeted this out on June 14... "Sector D keeping the #EastVillage clean" ...

Thanks to our #community partners 4 working with our #NCO Sector D keeping the #EastVillage clean #NYPD #WorkingTogether pic.twitter.com/8ANlX9xefP

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) June 14, 2017

Last October, the 9th Precinct started a new initiative called the Neighborhood Coordination Officers (NCO) program. The precinct is split up into four sectors, with two officers assigned to each sector.

Per an interview with the 9th Precinct's newish commanding officer, Vincent Greany, from The Villager in February: "They’re in charge of quarterbacking any issues in their area — quality of life, homelessness, drugs, nightlife — in addition to crime."

Sector D (aka David) covers the 9th Precinct’s northwest corner of First Avenue to Broadway, and Seventh Street to 14th Street.

Anyway, since that June 14 tweet, I can't recall seeing any travelers hanging out at this spot in the late evenings or early mornings...



They're around, though ...


[Photo on Cooper Square at Seventh Street from Saturday]

Veteran Japanese restaurateurs bringing Dokodemo to 4th Street

Two Japanese restaurant veterans are opening Dokodemo at 89 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Here's more on the place via the restaurant's website:

Okonomiyaki, is among the most popular foods in Japan. Visitors to Japan are often pleasantly surprised to disover the variety of bistro-style foods on offer in Japan. Ramen, Onigiri, Tempura, and Okonomiyaki are often discovered and beloved by travelers on their first visit to Japan.
​
DOKODEMO specializes in Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, and Yakisoba. We combine fresh local produce with specialty sourced ingredients imported directly from Japan to provide a uniquely authentic, casual Japanese dining experience.
​
Restauranteurs Shin Takagi and Kazu Kamehara have over thirty years of experience operating restaurants in Japan but DOKODEMO is a passion project conceived after many visits to New York in which the two were blown away by the culinary variety of the city. DOKODEMO is their first restaurant outside Asia.

This space used to be part of Cucina di Pesce at 87 E. Fourth St. As we reported in May 2016, Cucina di Pesce gave up this room next door at No. 89, which belonged to a different landlord. Cucina di Pesce remains open in a slightly smaller space these days.

Thanks to EVG reader Roxanne Schwartz for the photo!

1st sign of the Old Monk on Avenue B

The Old Monk awning and signage has arrived at the northeast corner of Avenue B and 11th Street ... where Sushil Malhotra, founder of Curry in a Hurry, Akbar Dawat and Café Spice, among others, is opening the Indian restaurant. We haven't heard anything else about the project just yet.

Babu Ji, the previous tenant, closed in March following the disclosure of a second wage-theft and overtime lawsuit against owners Jessi and Jennifer Singh. (Babu Ji later reemerged at 22 E. 13th St. between Fifth Avenue and University Place.)

Thanks to EVG regular Daniel for the photo!

12-story condoplex set for this corner of Bleecker and Mulberry

Leaving the neighborhood for a moment... where demolition is set for two nondescript apartment buildings on Bleecker and Mulberry.

Broad Street Development is tossing up a 12-story, 61-unit condoplex here at 40 Bleecker St., part of a new development that encompasses 304 Mulberry and 298 Mulberry.

The teaser site for the project is now live ... noting that this place is for "a new generation of connoisseurs."


[Rendering Williams New York]

Curbed, who first reported on this back on Monday, has more details here. This is just the latest upscale housing complex to crop up around here, joining next-door neighbor the Schumacher, among others.

Thursday's parting shot

This evening on Third Street between Avenue C and Avenue D...

Details on free summer classes for children in the community gardens

Via the EVG inbox...

This summer, LUNGS (Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens) brings a free urban nature exploration for children to our neighborhood community gardens, The Living Classroom, TLC. The Living Classroom will turn the gardens into living laboratories and artist studios.

We will be combining hands-on investigation and inquiry-based learning with art making and movement. The classes will be taught by four professional educators and run for eight weeks.

The Living Classrooms will be taught in eight different community gardens on Monday and Tuesday afternoons from July 10 until Aug. 29. Classes are free and open to all children ages 5 to 10.

Come and join us for a FREE TLC workshop this Saturday, June 24, 1-3 pm at Green Oasis Garden, 376 E. 8th St. between Avenue C and Avenue D.

Find more details and register at the LUNGS website here.

Noted

"It was all a dream I used to read Word Up! magazine...." @nike x momofuku = @nikesb dunk - On June 22 a limited number of Nike SB Dunk High Pro “Momofuku” will be available at Fuku (163 First Avenue, New York, NY 10003) starting at 10 a.m., and, from June 23, the shoe will be available at select Nike retailers. 163 = 13th anniversary for noodle bar / ko / fuku 207 = 11th anniversary for ssam

A post shared by Dave Chang (@davidchang) on Jun 15, 2017 at 12:07pm PDT

Nike is collaboring with Momofuku founder-chef David Chang on a limited-edition sneaker... which went on sale this morning at 10 at Fuku, First Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street.

The line apparently started at 6:30 a.m., with a rumor that someone spent the night outside to be first. An Eater editor reported that the line was a full block long and 100 feet around the corner on 11th Street.

Standing In line to get my @momofuku sneakers. And hopefully to grab @lucamanfe a pair. Fingers crossed @Nike pic.twitter.com/623DbGPX7q

— CHEF ScottishFrancis (@ScottishFrancis) June 22, 2017

Report: Polish G. I. Delicatessen is closing at the end of the month

[Photo from March]

Rumors started circulating back in January — prompted by the arrival of a retail listing for the space — that the 21-year-old Polish G. I. Delicatessen on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street would be closing. (A for rent sign also appeared in the front window in late March, though we were told that this was not for this space.)

Eater got confirmation yesterday that the Eastern European specialty foods shop will be shutting down at the end of the month.

Polish G.I.'s counterman David Cohen told Eater that they would be taking a two-month vacation and returning with hopes of opening in a new location. "Nothing is sure, but we'll see what happens," he told Eater.

However, multiple readers told us that chef-owner Grace Iwuc was going to retire. In addition, the listing for the space notes that "the owner is retiring and selling her 10-year lease of $2,600/month."

In any event, here's New York magazine with a description of the store:

Polish G. I. Delicatessen is among a disappearing breed of Eastern European specialty-food stores that were once common in the East Village. The initials stand for its sunny owner, Grace Iwuc, who has steadfastly provisioned loyal locals since 1996. The front window is packed with locally baked Polish-style breads, and the narrow but deep space is stocked floor to ceiling with a variety of instant soups, bags of roasted buckwheat, jars of sauerkraut and marinated sweet peppers, and jams imported from Poland.

And The Village Voice...

It's rare to find a shop like G.I. still active in the city these days, especially in an area as highly developed as the East Village. But even if you’re not a fan of mushroom soup or Old World–style ham, it's worth a visit for a real taste of the neighborhood.

Former Kabin space on the market (again)

Kabin Bar & Lounge closed in March 2015 here at 92 Second Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street after 10 years in business.

We recall a few people looking to open a new venture (bar) in the space. However, nothing ever materialized.

Last summer, the Sabet Group bought 92-94 Second Ave. from EMMES Property Group for $19 million. (The Sabet Group has made headlines for alleged tenant harassment in the past.)

A for rent sign recently appeared on the former Kabin. (A different broker this time.)

Some details via Winick:

SIZE:

Ground Floor: 2,200 SF
Basement: 1,150 SF

FRONTAGE: 18′ on 2nd Avenue

COMMENTS:

-Prime East Village Restaurant/Retail Opportunity
-Landlord to deliver premises with new glass storefront and vented for cooking use
-New direct long term lease, no key money
-Outdoor seating cafe possible
-All uses considered

Here's a rendering of what that new storefront might look like ...



Keeping that Kabin signage then?