Someone has placed apples for the taking in the fountain of Temperance Fountain fame in Tompkins Square Park...
A kind gesture...
Thanks to Steven for the photos!
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Free apples at Temperance Fountain
Someone has placed apples for the taking in the fountain of Temperance Fountain fame in Tompkins Square Park...
A kind gesture...
Thanks to Steven for the photos!
Cuomo on the Bowery
Finally had a chance to see the Gov. Cuomo/Superman wheatpaste on the Bowery at Houston... a collaboration between SacSix and Mr. Poop...
Still haven't taken a look at the Dr. Fauci/Dr. Spock wheatpaste...
Weekend openings: Black and White, Cherry Tavern, Van Da
[Image via Instagram]
Two bars that have been closed since mid-March are back for to-go service this weekend.
Black & White will be serving drinks (to take home!) today from the bar at 86 E. 10th St. St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue. Hours: 2-6 p.m.
Cherry Tavern is also back in service for the weekend, offering drinks to go from noon to 10 p.m. today and tomorrow at 441 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.
Meanwhile, Boris & Horton, the dog-friendly cafe on Avenue A at 12th Street, reopened their to-go window back on Monday for coffee and pastries (served only to mask-wearing customers, per their Instagram account). Open until 1 p.m. today.
As a reminder, SMØR, the Noridc cafe a few doors away on 12th Street, reopened on April 22. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Also! Van Da, the well-regarded Vietnamese restaurant on Fourth Street, is continuing its collaboration with chef Hannah Wong (of the incoming Brooklyn restaurant Haema), for a weekend takeout service.
You can find the Haema-Van Da menu, which changes each weekend, and order in advance via this form. You pick up the food at Van Da, 234 E. Fourth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B from noon to 8 p.m.
Friday, May 1, 2020
Stumped
Several readers have shared the new-look stump on First Avenue between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street... not sure at the moment who added the color to tree stump street artist Ian Dave Knife's work here...
Previously
Thanks to everyone who sent in photos... Steven was the first to spot it earlier in the week.
'Help' is on the way
Here's something from the new Ringo Deathstarr record that came out in late March ... the track is titled "God Help the Ones You Love."
Fei Ma returns with a takeout window
Fei Ma reopened this afternoon here on Avenue A at Fifth Street.
As you can see, they built a takeout window for quick pickup service (call ahead!). They'll be open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m. You can find their reasonably priced menu here.
Hopefully, some of the neighborhood's other quick-serve Chinese restaurants will also reopen. (It hasn't been easy.)
H/T Paul Gale!
Desi Galli opens a pantry section, with meal kits, supplies — and baker's yeast!
East Village Indian street-food spot Desi Galli, 172 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street, has opened up a pantry section, selling staples and prepackaged meal kits ...
DG Pantry features a bhel puri meal kit, which feeds four people, Indian cooking supplies like masala spices, paneer, and legumes, veggies such as potatoes, carrots, ginger root, and Thai bird chiles.
There is also a baking section, with hard-or-impossible-to-find yeast (available by the pound!), flour, sugars/honey and chocolate chips.
Owner PriaVanda Chouhan is now showcasing a newly created coffee lassi, and vegan and vegetarian meals made with Beyond Meat. Contact-free pickup is available at the restaurant or you can order online directly from the site. Current hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Foxface is selling sandwiches again
[Photo from April by Stacie Joy]
For the first time in six weeks, Foxface will once again be making some of their signature sandwiches from their outpost at 80 St. Mark's Place just west of First Avenue.
Today and tomorrow, they'll be serving The Smoking Fox and Of Montreal. You can order online and schedule your preferred pickup time.
In recent weeks, Foxface stopped making their sandwiches while introducing several new offerings, including Provisions, a pantry of sorts, and the Foxface Farm Stand, where you can order farm-fresh items such as eggs, dairy, meats and honey.
Meanwhile, for more information on local businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, check out the interactive map created by the East Village Community Coalition (EVCC) along with residents Perry Leung, Paul Gale and Zhi Keng He ... the EVG link is here ... the EVCC link is here.
Starting today, Book Club will sell books, coffee, beer and wine to go
[Photo from November by Stacie Joy]
Some good news from Book Club over at 197 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.
Starting today, owners Erin Neary and Nat Esten will be serving from a makeshift takeout window, where you'll be able to get espresso drinks to go... not to mention books that you've ordered for a contactless pickup from their website.
In addition, Book Club finally received their beer and wine license, so they'll be serving that to take home as well.
Per a Book Club email:
All the proper precautions will be put in place, including face masks, gloves, sanitizing surfaces, and our takeout "window" opening onto the street where people can properly distance themselves. In addition, you'll be able to pay with Venmo for minimal contact.
It's hardly the grand opening party we thought we'd be throwing when we finally got our beer and wine license (8 months later than anticipated) but here we are, and we hope you'll come celebrate with us!
Also, as we noted last week, Nat is now making book deliveries via bicycle.
Since then, Nat has logged 175-plus miles over three boroughs.
Back to their email:
It's a whole lot faster (and cheaper) than USPS, and a fun novelty for those receiving books to their door. Going forward, we're limiting our bike deliveries to a 35-minute ride from the store, Monday through Thursday.
For now, the to-go window will be open from 10 a.m. to sunset seven days a week.
Thursday, April 30, 2020
6 posts from April
[Summing it up on 7th Street via Walter Wlodarczyk]
A mini month in review...
• Anton van Dalen, drawing in isolation (April 24)
• Need something to read? Book Club now making local deliveries via bike messenger (April 22)
• Here's a map of what's open in the East Village (April 21)
• Anonymous East Village restaurant owners distribute meals to neighbors in need (April 16)
• RIP Jimmy Webb (April 14)
• Whistling in Tompkins Square Park with Michael Lydon (April 8)
Grant Shaffer's NY See
Here's the latest NY See panel, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood.
And here's a close-up look at each panel...
Parkside Lounge owner Christopher Lee talks about his recovery from COVID-19
Text and photos by Stacie Joy
I almost don’t recognize Christopher Lee when I see him hop off his bike at the corner of Houston and Attorney Street, right by his bar, Parkside Lounge.
He’s wearing a mask, and so am I; additionally, it’s humid out, which has caused my glasses to fog up. When we finally make eye contact there’s a shared smile that can be seen even under our face coverings.
Chris is happy to be healthy, out and about again, and I am happy to see that’s he’s survived his battle with the coronavirus that has taken so many people in its viral path.
The bar, at 317 E. Houston St., is, like most in NYC, shuttered right now due to the COVID-19 crisis, which is deeply personal for Chris. He lost a friend and performer to it and also did a lengthy stint fighting it off.
We step into the closed-up lounge and, from a safe distance, we talk about what happened, how it happened, what COVID-19 felt like, and what may be next for Chris — and for Parkside.
First off, I’m relieved you are feeling better. And I appreciate your willingness to share your story! That being said, what happened? Can you walk us through it? Any ideas about how you may have contracted the virus?
This is a tough one. I was in rehearsals in Midtown every day in addition to being around at the bar all the time. I could have caught it on the subway or from a CitiBike, but I probably picked it up at the bar when I was battening down the hatches on Monday, March 16.
I also want to throw in a “who really knows?” The subway seems to be ideal for spreading germs. We had musician Alan Merrill perform at Parkside the weekend [March 8] before the shutdown and he ended up passing away due to COVID [on March 29], so we know it was in the bar. We found that out before I even got my test results back.
At what point did you think that you may have COVID-19? What was the diagnostic process like?
When I first got sick, I dismissed any notion that I had COVID and thought instead it was a nasty flu. I thought about the possibility [of COVID-19] but dismissed it as paranoia. Then two things happened.
My initial symptoms of fever and aches went away pretty quickly — less than 24 hours. I knew from my staff that the flu was putting people in bed for at least a week and took everyone significant recovery time. I have a strong immune system [but] I probably couldn’t kick the flu that fast. It was a bad sign.
When I got my test for COVID-19, they also tested me for the flu. My doctor said it was a way of ruling out COVID without having to wait who-knows-how-long for that test to come back. It was both nostrils for the swabs — the right for flu, the left for COVID. If the flu test came back positive, I could dismiss the COVID concerns. Well, I got the flu test back and it was negative and this is when I knew I had COVID-19. I also had pretty much kicked it by then so it was just a matter of quarantine until I got the official test results back.
What were the worst of your symptoms?
The headache was incredibly intense. Days of just excruciating pain anytime I looked at anything. During the “double tap” — after I had been symptom-free for nine days and thought I was in the clear — my fever was 103 for three days and the sweat was not something I even thought my body was capable of producing.
My entire nervous system was affected. My skin felt like someone had given me a rubdown with sandpaper but there wasn’t any irritation apparent. My sense of smell went pretty early on. That’s happened to me before, back when I was younger and had the flu so I wasn’t shocked. My taste buds — this was bad. I woke up and it honestly felt like I had fallen asleep with a handful of garlic in my mouth and then tried to wash it down with liquid copper. It was overwhelming.
I also experienced blurry vision along with the crazy headaches as well as an acute sensitivity to light. I couldn’t find my mouse cursor on my computer monitor at one point. I ended up wearing sunglasses inside for a couple of days for some relief. I was usually on the couch half sitting up with my eyes closed. Never comfortable. There was no position I could get into that allowed for restful sleep. Enter the NyQuil!
What has been the worst part of the experience?
The worst part of the experience is the complete lack of understanding of what we’re really dealing with. The White House has been contradicting the medical community. Meanwhile, those folks don’t seem to understand COVID either and they’re blaming it on China not telling us everything.
I was told by my health-care provider that after three symptom-free days I could break my quarantine and go outside. Really? Because after nine fever-free days without any real symptoms I was laid up worse than I was the first time around. Apparently, that was common in the outbreak in China but why wasn’t that communicated to us? Seems like a really good way for a pathogen to get passed on.
I’ve been completely symptom-free now for eight days and I’m second-guessing every little ache/pain I feel. It’s allergy season and I’m allergic to the cats in my apartment as well. You get to feel like COVID is just something that’s always going to be part of you, which I know is not true but the paranoia is real.
Another horrible part of this whole thing is worrying about all the people I’ve come into contact with. I’m terrified I passed it on to my wife but so far, she’s had no symptoms whatsoever. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she’s part of that small percentage with some immunity because she spent practically a month locked in quarantine with a very infected person. Side note: she’s been incredible throughout this whole thing.
Any upside to this experience
There’s always a silver lining somewhere! I’m ecstatic that I’ll be able to help people in need recover. I’ve got an appointment at the New York Blood Center to donate my plasma for antibody treatment. I’m hoping after the double-tap from COVID I’ll have a strong antibody count and will be able to give support to somebody else fighting this asshole of a virus.
I’m glad that I got sick instead of any member of my staff or family. I mean, the buck stops with the owner, right? Rather than have my staff endangering themselves battening down the hatches of the bar when it was time to close up for quarantine, I did it. It’s completely unreasonable to put people in that position and I’m Exhibit A.
How has your recovery been?
Recovery has been full of trepidation. I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop — again. Every little sniffle, every hint of a sore throat from allergies, every sore muscle from exercise makes me wonder if I’m about to get sick again. That shouldn’t be possible, but then again, I really don’t think we know anything close to the whole story on COVID-19.
What helped get you through the experience?
When you say you have COVID most people’s first question is, “how are your lungs?” What seems to be the most deadly aspect of the virus is people getting pneumonia and their lungs failing. There are breathing exercises that popped up all over the internet from doctors dealing with COVID patients in ICUs. I can’t stress doing them enough. Breathe deeply. Regularly. If you can do it in a hot shower with eucalyptus oil, even better. I took very long hot showers!
During the first round I tried not to take any fever reducers so my body could burn out the virus and we went pioneer-style and just used a cold washcloth on my forehead to try to give me some relief. But during the double tap when my fever was higher and the head and body aches were worse an important tool for me was inarguably NyQuil. NyQuil was my best friend. It allowed me to sleep and for the most part, I did wake up feeling better than I did the night before. I also drank water with electrolytes to help replenish what I lost from the fever sweats.
Any thoughts/concerns about the future of the bar?
I’ve always had a good relationship with the Parkside’s landlord. Hurricane Sandy really put us in a hole but we worked through that and I’m hopeful we’ll be able to do the same with this pandemic.
Our lives have all changed and the social environment we knew is probably permanently altered. Right now, we’re not even allowed to be open so there’s no money coming in to pay rent. When society does open up, I expect bars to be one of the last businesses the city allows to open their doors. I’m sure it will include capacity restrictions that will slowly get back to normal as the virus infection rates wane.
On top of that, the Parkside is a venue and I don’t see the city letting live music events happen for a long time. DJs, private parties, burlesque shows, live theater, film screenings — these are a huge part of the business model for not just the Parkside but also the entire nightlife industry in New York City. Even worse, and harder to anticipate is how society as a whole will adapt. Will people still want to go to bars at all?
I know landlords citywide are expecting their rent. It’s their business just like the nightlife is ours and at the end of the day, it’s about money. I’m cautiously optimistic that the Parkside will be able to find a way to keep being the Parkside by coming to an agreement with our landlord. We’ve all got to communicate and agree that the next few years will be completely different for our industry than the previous 10.
Downtown NYC has suffered for years because landlords have been getting tax breaks on their boarded-up businesses. Hopefully, this will be the impetus that is needed for City Hall to weigh in to discourage those tax breaks. Then we — and the neighborhood — will be in business.
Isabella debuts on St. Mark's Place, joins sibling David's Cafe next door for takeout and delivery
[Photos by Steven]
Isabella made its debut yesterday here at 110 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue... the Italian restaurant teamed up with its sibling next door, David's Cafe, to offer a limited menu, in which you can mix-n-match meals from the two...
Isabella’s menu includes bucatini and meatballs, carbonara and more...
The two will be open Wednesday-Sunday from 1 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. You can hit up the David's Cafe Instagram or website for more info and the menu.
Isabella is in the former Crooked Tree space, which closed in February 2019 after 20 years of serving up crêpes and other cafe fare.
19-23 St. Mark's Place sells for $34 million
[Photo via]
UBS Realty Investors is the new owner of 19-23 St. Mark's Place, the 8-story retail-residential complex between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.
Cape Advisors sold the property for $34 million, according to @TradedNY.
The building features 41 residential units, five retail spaces and a sidewalk bridge dating back at least five years.
[Photo yesterday by Steven]
Most recently, Teso Life, a Japanese variety store, signed a lease for the former St. Mark's Market, which closed here this past October after 16 years in business. A restaurant called CheLi is in the works for the upper retail level.
The address has a long history. As Off the Grid noted:
The buildings at 19-23 St. Mark’s Place are an excellent example of how the East Village has changed over time from a wealthy merchants neighborhood to a landing spot for immigrants, to the launch pad for numerous counterculture and artistic movements. Where else would one find a building which had been townhouses for wealthy families, a ballroom, a gangster hangout, a Polish wedding chapel, and a performance venue with the Velvet Underground as the house band?
In the early 2000s, a developer gutted the space, added a new façade as well as a few floors that look as if they blew in from the Hamptons. The developer also created the mall-friendly retail spaces, whose tenants have included a Chipotle and CBGB gift shop.
[EVG photo from 2008]
The building also features the $18,000-per-month unit, which Daniel Craig was said to be renting at one point.
Previously on EV Grieve:
St. Mark's Market is dead
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