Thursday, April 13, 2023

Flag days: Ray's Candy Store repping the East Village with egg creams at Rockefeller Center

The egg cream from Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A is part of the 2023 edition of The Flag Project at Rockefeller Center ... celebrating iconic NYC food (and drinks!). 

The flags will be on view from April 3-12 (missed that) and April 17-30. You can read more about the flag project here

The flag features art created by Peach Tao — in conjunction with the East Village-based Lisa Project — in honor of Ray's 90th birthday. The mural was on the wall outside 50 Avenue A earlier this year...
Images via @rayscandystore

A new pizzeria coming to the former Solo Pizza space on Avenue B

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Gut renovations are underway inside the former Solo Pizza space on Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street. 

A group of partners originally from Northern Italy are behind the new establishment, Lollo Italian Restaurant. (Lollo is short for Lorenzo, the chef and one of the partners.) 

They are several months out from the opening. 

Solo closed last September for undisclosed reasons after 15 years in business.

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Wednesday's parting shot (and sneak preview)

As seen on a LinkNYC kiosk on First Avenue... an ad for "Personality Crisis: One Night Only," the new documentary about New York Dolls founder David Johansen... co-directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi. 

It premieres Friday on Showtime.

 

April 12

The aftermath of today's spring cleaning took place on Avenue B near 10th Street. (Thanks to the reader for the photo!)

Basics Plus said to be closing on 3rd Avenue

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

According to store employees, Basics Plus will close at 91 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street at the end of the month. 

There are currently posted signs advertising "30% off entire store."
This isn't the first time that the EV location of the chainlet of houseware and hardware stores announced a closure. BP was set to shut down in March 2019 but instead downsized its space, giving up the corner storefront (now occupied by Cure Thrift Shop).

The Basics Plus outpost closed on University Plus in 2019 ... though several other NYC locations remain in business.

Basics Plus opened here in August 2014 ... taking over for old fave Surprise! Surprise!, which shuttered after 25 years in business in April 2014.

Renovations will close the Tompkins Square Library branch for 3 months

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Beginning on April 24, the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B will close for renovations. 

According to an email to patrons, the closure, expected to last three months, will "facilitate improvements to the building, including preliminary work on a new Teen Center at the library, as well as replacing the branch's flooring and a fresh coat of paint." 

During this temporary closure, patrons are encouraged to use the following nearby branches: 
• Ottendorfer Library, 135 Second Ave. 
• Hamilton Fish Park Library, 415 E. Houston St. 
• Jefferson Market Library, 425 Sixth Ave. 

Also!: "All items on hold after April 24 may be picked up at Ottendorfer Library. Future holds can be sent to an alternative location selected by patrons using their account at The New York Public Library website."

... and thanks to all the readers who shared this news!

The Village Works Yard Sale continues on St. Mark's Place

Village Works, the gallery, bookstore and artist space, is opening at 12 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue a little later this spring, as previously reported.

While prepping for the grand opening, Village Works has been holding a yard (sidewalk!) sale, offering various items of interest. And they are accepting donations of books here. (Thanks to 
@unitof
 for the photos!
)
Founder Joseph Sheridan was previously set up at 90 E. Third St., just west of First Avenue. However, he needed to find a new storefront after he lost the lease with a rent increase.

The new Village Works will also include a cafĂ© service. You can read more about it here.

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Tuesday's parting Instagram post

The folks at B&H Dairy on Second Avenue reposted the above shot today... Santiago Durango and Steve Albini of Big Black eating at B&H in July 1986... © photo by Gail Butensky. Find more of her work here.

April 11

As seen today on Avenue C between 10th Street and 11th Street... thanks to Louise & Danny for the find!

What you need to know about the 17th edition of the Dance Parade, happening on May 20

Organizers of the annual Dance Parade, one of the more (most?) festive East Village events of the year, released details about the 2023 edition happening on Saturday, May 20.

This year's grand marshals, Ronald K. Brown, Natasha Diggs and Elizbeth Streb, will kick off the event at 11:45 a.m. from a new starting location — 17th Street and Sixth Avenue (it was on Broadway and 20th last year). 

And more details via the EVG inbox:
At this year's parade and festival, Dance Parade will celebrate its 17th year under the theme "Beyond the Zone" with 10,000 dancers from 160+ dance organizations who will present over 100 unique styles of dance down Avenue of Americas, parade across West 8th Street, perform before the Grand Stand at St. Mark's Place before reaching Tompkins Square Park [for DanceFest]. 
If you want to dance in the parade or get involved and volunteer with Dance Parade, please register here.

You can relive part of last year's Dance Parade and DanceFest at this EVG link.

The historic 64 E. 7th St. is for sale

As we mentioned the other day, the Greek Revival brownstone — now a single-family residence — at 64 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue is getting some attention thanks to David Hajdu, a cultural historian, critic and educator.

He wrote about the circa-1840 building in a widely-shared piece in the Times. There's now a separate article about No. 64 at Places, the journal of public scholarship on the built environment.

Past lives include serving as the parsonage for St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church, the newspaper Russky Golos, the Les Deux Megots coffeehouse, the Paradox (a macrobiotic restaurant where Yoko Ono once worked) and Books 'N Things. 

Turns out the place is also for sale. 

Bill Joy, a founder of Sun Microsystems, bought the townhouse in 2019. And, according to The Wall Street Journal, he put it up for sale last month. Asking price: $13.5 million.

Here's what you get via Corcoran, the broker:
Historic elegance meets modern sophistication in this magnificent, impeccably gut-renovated 25-foot wide, 5-story mansion ...

More recently, the 7,500 square-foot jewel was meticulously restored and transformed into a prized single-family residence with 5 stories of stunning living space connected by stairs and an elevator, a full basement, and generous outdoor space with a parlor floor terrace, a third-floor balcony, remarkable rooftop terrace and a sunny south-facing garden.
  
... The handsome brick building also boasts a planted forecourt, brownstone base, and exquisite cornice heightening curb appeal. Here you'll enjoy the ultimate in downtown luxury living, in one of NYC's most dynamic neighborhoods. Interiors are finely finished and tastefully designed, featuring striking elements throughout like gorgeous wood beamed ceilings, rich wood floors, oversized windows bathing rooms in floor-through natural light, warm exposed brick, 7 fireplaces, tasteful built-ins, and fabulous moldings and millwork.
  
The ground floor, with its own front entrance, is an exceptional space that's beautiful and multifunctional. The front portion features a lounge with a television and ample seating, a wood-burning fireplace divides that space from the open dining area and a well-appointed chef's kitchen that overlooks the garden, perfect for hosting casual get-togethers and movie nights. A wall of glass with glass-paneled doors with screens brings the outdoors in and leads to a wonderful south-facing patio garden for lounging and alfresco dining. 
  
Up the inviting front stoop awaits the grand parlor level for more upscale entertaining. Formal living and dining rooms afford an ideal backdrop for the host and can remain open or privatized by pocket doors. The living room has a state-of-the-art projection TV hidden in the ceiling. A catering kitchen with dishwasher sits nearby for easy serving, and French doors from the dining room open to a lovely terrace with stairs to the garden.
And we still have two floors and the basement to go!

Back on Friday, Hajdu released The Parsonage, a recorded album about the history of 64 E. Seventh St. Hadju and a group of musicians will perform live on April 27 at the Museum of the City of New York

Image via Corcoran

Hospitality vet Curt Huegel appears to be taking the former Dallas BBQ space on 2nd Avenue

Workers put up the plywood on the NE corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place in late March as gut renovations continue at the former Dallas BBQ.

There is now a posted notice about a pending on-premises liquor license here...
The LLC listed is affiliated with hospitality vet Curt Huegel, whose portfolio includes concepts such as Bill's Townhouse, Campagnola, Printers Alley and, closer to home, Jackdaw on Second Avenue at 13th Street.

Huegel appeared before Community Board 3 in June 2022 and received approval for the unnamed establishment. There was some debate over closing time, and the committee wouldn't approve a 4 a.m. close (midnight during the week and 2 a.m. on weekends). Huegel didn't respond to our previous request for comment about what's in store for this space.

Dallas BBQ closed this past December after anchoring the corner since the mid-1980s. Staff said the building's landlord would not renew the chainlet's lease.

Monday, April 10, 2023

This is the way

Here's a follow-up to last week's post and a look at the final "Mandalorian"-related mural by local artist-illustrator Rich Miller on the NE corner of Seventh Street and Avenue C. 

P.S.
This April 2012 EVG post has more history about the address, 106 Avenue C.

P.S.S.
A headline explanation.  

Hemingway, the sleepy window kitty of 3rd Street, has been priced out of the East Village

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Hemingway, the sanguine feline window-perch presence on Third Street, has been priced out of the neighborhood along with Alex, his human companion. (Read our previous post on Hemingway here.)

The landlord raised the rent by more than $1,200 for the market-rate apartment between Avenue B and Avenue C and would not negotiate the lease renewal. 

Hemingway and his mom, Alex, will be leaving for Crown Heights tomorrow (April 11), where Hemingway will take up residence on the 4th floor of a building — his new unit has four windows, one of which will house his perch. He will have bird feeders to enjoy (and, presumably, birds) to keep him occupied, but the residents and passersby on this block will miss his friendly presence. 

Alex and Hemingway promise to keep in touch, and we wish them luck at their new home. (You can follow Hemingway on Instagram here.)