Wednesday's parting shot

New wheatpaste art of James Baldwin on Lafayette and Great Jones... "the Best Baldwin Brotha" ...



Art by @erinkostudios ...

Twilight's last gleaming: One last electric version of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' on 7th Street

[Photo last night by Sarah Larson]

In case you were headed over to Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue this evening to hear the Jimi Hendrix-style version of "the Star-Spangled Banner" ... last night marked the final performance.

Starting on April 3, Seventh Street resident John the Baptist (aka John Fredericks) played the anthem on his Bobkat with a Stratocaster neck from his fire escape during the 7 p.m. cheer for health-care workers.

The song became a tradition, even attracting two off-duty ER doctors from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx who wanted to hear it live.

He recalled one night where he didn't break out his guitar, and "people were looking up at our fire escape, and they were, like pissed," he told Sarah Larson as part of The New Yorker's cover story on a day in the life in NYC during COVID-19.

The tribute was always personal, as his father and two brothers are ER doctors, per The New Yorker. It also received the approval of Janie Hendrix, Jimi's sister.

Here's a flashback to April 20 ... to a video via Stacie Joy...



And an upclose version that Rainer Turim shot for Gothamist...

An East Village community raffle for Black Lives Matter

The folks at East Village Postal, 151 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street, have organized a community raffle to raise funds for Black Lives Matter.

Here's how it works:

100 percent of all ticket sales will be donated to Colin Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp and the Equal Justice Initiative.

Each ticket is $5. For multiple entries, please purchase in increments $5. You can purchase tickets by venmo @eastvillageraffle and leave your email or phone number so that we can contact you if you win. To purchase tickets in cash, please purchase your ticket at our shop.

Visit this link for a list of all the raffle prizes, which include gift cards to East Village Organic, Veselka, Mr. Throwback, Superiority Burger, Abraco and Azaleas, among many others.

Updated:

East Village Postal shared this on Instagram this morning...

View this post on Instagram

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE! We just found out that Venmo limits our weekly transfers so we decided to make our first donation! Out of the $7900 that we raised so far, we made our first donation of $4000 to @eji_org. Our donation was matched 2:1 by a friend’s corporate matching program, growing our first $4000 contribution to $12000 🤍 thank you Melina for having your company match our donation, all the vendors who have donated their services and gifts, and our NYC community for such an outpour of love! 🤍 let’s keep this going! Next week we will post our second donation!

A post shared by East Village Postal (@eastvillagepostal) on Jun 10, 2020 at 10:36am PDT

Violet won't be reopening on 5th Street

Violet, the restaurant by the Pizza Loves Emily Group and chef/owner Matt Hyland, will not be reopening after the COVID-19 PAUSE here at 511 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Eater had the news yesterday about the spin-off from Emmy Squared and Emily:

[I]t wasn’t the runaway hit of the chef’s past restaurants. The restaurant built its menu around the grilled pizzas made famous at Italian restaurant Al Forno’s in Providence, Rhode Island, and critical reception was tepid. Eater critic Ryan Sutton found that the toppings-saturated pies at Violet often missed the mark, while New York Times critic Pete Wells praised the pizzas but saw some flaws in the pasta and dessert lineup. The restaurant, which opened its doors in January 2019, also featured pasta and seafood dishes like spaghetti with clams, and grilled shrimp with spicy butter and cilantro.

Hyland called the restaurant “a fun experience” in a statement on the closure, but said that Violet wasn’t feasible to run “in a New York that is increasing drastically in cost of goods and wages.”

FWIW, I liked the pizza, and it was a good spot after a drink at Sophie's a fews doors away.

The address has been home to several restaurants since Le Tableau closed in December 2007. Before Violet, there was Goat Town, Seymour Burton, Butcher Bay and GG's.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Emmy Squared's owners are bringing grilled pizza to the former GG's space on 5th Street

Getting 511 E. 5th St. ready for new grilled pizza venture from Emmy Squared's owners

Your Desire in Food now open on 4th and B

Your Desire in Food debuted back on Monday on the southeast corner of Avenue B and Fourth Street... the owner runs several other delis in the neighborhood, including on Seventh Street and Avenue C.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by and met the manager, Nassr Saleh...





So far the sandwiches are said to be popular ...



And they'll have beer for sale soon...



The previous tenant here, East Side Gourmet Deli, closed in April 2019.

St. Mark's Place seems a little more St. Mark's Place-like with the return of the sidewalk vendors

The sidewalk vendors returned to St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue on Monday... as these curbside operations are OK'd in the Phase 1 reopening. (You'll have to wait for any body piercings, though!)

Steven passed along these photos ... and as you can see, the open-air shops are well-stocked with the usual sunglasses, hats and scarves...

Tuesday's parting shot

The Brant Foundation added their support to BLM on the plywood outside both the entrances on Sixth Street and Seventh Street ... photo by Derek Berg

These East Village venues are open today for protestors

As part of the Open Your Lobby campaign that we've been reporting on (here and here and here).

The venues are supplying protestors with water and snacks as well as letting them use their restrooms.

Check @openyourlobby on Instagram for updates every day at noon.

An appreciation: East Village Books

New York City entered Phase 1 of the four-part reopening plan yesterday. In this initial phase, curbside and in-store pickup are now available for certain retail outlets, including clothing stores, florists and bookstores.

This does not pertain to East Village Books. The used-book mainstay at 99 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue has been open throughout the COVID-19 PAUSE. Gov. Cuomo stated in March that "any business that only has a single occupant/employee has been deemed exempt."

And we've heard from several residents who have been grateful that East Village Books remained open — albeit with instituted time and occupancy limits while following CDC guidelines. Having the opportunity to be inside a store and find some pandemic reading has been therapeutic.

With the proprietor's blessing, EVG contributor Stacie Joy recently wandered the stacks and shared these photos from her visit...





















East Village Books is also continuing to buy used books. Per their website: "On the store-open days, should you wish to sell books without entering you would phone from out front and use the designated bins. You would be paid by envelope and offered an alcohol wipe."

Reopenings: Il Posto Accanto

[Photo today by Stacie Joy]

Il Posto Accanto reopens today at noon for takeout and delivery over at 190 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Owners Bea and Julio (officially Beatrice Tosti Di Valminuta Pena and Julio Pena) made the announcement on Instagram. (And they seem quite excited to be back open.) You can find updates and daily specials on their Instagram.

The closed back on March 25.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Checking in at Il Posto Accanto

Preparing for Saturday's dinner at Il Posto Accanto on 2nd Street

Exquisite Cleaners is closing

From the EVG tipline (thanks Patrick!)... Exquisite Cleaners is closing after 30 years on the corner of First Avenue and Third Street...



Management is telling customers to swing by to pick up their dry cleaning by mid-June... and as the signage notes, they'll be carrying on over at their Mercer Street outpost...

Forsythia temporarily sets up on 7th Street

Forsythia has been offering four-course takeout meals from 107 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue since the beginning of the month.

This is a temporary arrangement for owner-executive chef Jacob Siwak, who had been planning a new restaurant on Stanton Street when the city went on its COVID-19 pause.

Per the Times the other day:

The menu is based on a working sojourn in Italy [management] took before the coronavirus pandemic, and has Roman overtones. Focaccia with mortadella, short rib meatballs, supplì cheese and rice balls with asparagus and mushrooms, stuffed pastas like scarpinocc and tortellini, and a brioche bun filled with whipped cream are some of the dishes they’re planning and preparing for four-course takeout menus, $30 per person. The kitchen is open from 4:30 to 6 p.m. daily, except Sundays.

Forsythia is using the space that belongs to the currently closed Atelier Sucré, which offers a studio kitchen for cooking classes, catering, and pastry and wine tastings.

Monday's parting shot

Photo this evening by Robert Miner ... there was a report of a fire in a building on Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... no word on any damage...

2 new East Village murals honor George Floyd

The above mural by @fumeroism is on the southwest corner of the Bowery and East Houston... the other new work by @dragon76art arrived today on the northeast corner of First Avenue and 13th Street...