RIP to the MRI place on Avenue A

A for-lease sign now hangs on the storefront at 191 Avenue A near 12th Street, marking the end of the downtown location of Stand-Up MRI of Manhattan.

The office provided an Open Upright MRI scanner — an alternative for patients who are claustrophobic, cannot lie down due to pain or whose size prevents them from being evaluated in a traditional MRI scanner (according to the website).

Stand-Up MRI had been here for roughly 12-15 years (we can't remember exactly!). The arrival did prompt some "there goes the neighborhood" groans. As we've seen in the past, the artists and "hipsters" show up first, then come the cafes-galleries-coffee shops, then the Stand-Up MRI joints... then it's off to another neighborhood...

The Midtown location of Stand-Up MRI of Manhattan remains in service.  

As we recall, until the mid-1990s, this space was a funeral home. 

Sunday's parting shot

Shaking fist at those meddling kids on Fourth Street!

6 posts from April

A mini month in review (with a springtime photo from Tompkins Square Park by Stacie Joy) ... 

• A familiar face is leaving Key Food (April 26)

• The farce awakens at the Orpheum Theatre (April 22)

• After group-show ghosting, the EVAC space is for lease on 1st Avenue (April 20) 

• Hemingway, the sleepy window kitty of 3rd Street, has been priced out of the East Village (April 10) 

• A look at Theatre 80 before marshals seize the historic East Village venue (April 5) 

• First look at the all-new Superiority Burger, now open on Avenue A (April 2)

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg)...

• NYC institution Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse attempting a Lower East Side comeback (Thursday) 

• No new grocery now for the former Associated space on 14th Street in Stuy Town (Thursday) 

• A familiar face is leaving Key Food (Wednesday)

• Here are the official local Open Streets for 2023 (Tuesday)

• Sign of Summertime: the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival set for Aug. 27 in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday) 

• A look at Wicked Heathens, now open on 9th Street (Friday) 

• Here's what's coming to the former Zum Schneider space on 7th Street and Avenue C (Monday) 

• Reminders: Tompkins Square Library branch now closed for renovations (Tuesday) 

• Poetica Coffee debuts on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• The skyward-bound 21-story office building at 360 Bowery reaches the halfway mark (Monday) 

• A career-spanning exhibition of Andy Warhol's work at the Brant Foundation (Wednesday) 

• The Braised Shop closes in the East Village (Monday)

• On St. Mark's Place, office building 1, tree 0 (Friday) 

• Asbestos abatement for the vacant storefronts along Stuyvesant Street (Tuesday)

• One of the neighborhood's more unique apartments is now a storefront (Friday) 

• Signage alert: The restaurant-bar in the works at 309 E. Fifth St. (Tuesday)

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Sunday's opening shot

Photo by Steven 

An addition to the "Indicted" banner here along St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue — "Remove Justice Swag."

Saturday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

A moment on St. Mark's Place today...

Convenience Tobacco rises from the ashes of Runtz Tobacco; NYPD takes note

This past week, Convenience Tobacco debuted with a grand opening at 14 First Ave. between First Street and Second Street. 

You may recall that this space was previously Runtz Tobacco, one of four unlicensed East Village cannabis shops that the city attempted to shut down this year. Runtz was permanently shuttered as of early March. 

Meanwhile, the new establishment is using the Runtz Tobacco sidewalk signage. As the Daily News reports, the NYPD has taken note. (Or took note after a reporter from the Daily News called.)

Per the News: 

According to the NYPD, the shop is going against the court order that shut Runtz down.

"They are currently in violation of a court order to remain closed to the public," an NYPD spokesperson said of the shop in a statement. "It is anticipated that the premises will be closed again soon. If not, we will seek to get a full closure order from the court."

NYPD intends to resolve the case with a settlement, the NYPD spokesperson added. 

And... 

Attempts by the Daily News to reach Runtz's owner, lawyer and landlord were unsuccessful and an employee at the shop said she wasn’t able to answer questions about the store.

It had been a challenging debut for Runtz. Armed robbers reportedly took them for $5,400 shortly after opening this past August.

EVG Etc.: the 11-ingredient Fak-Tin at Sunny & Annie's; the 26 best East Village restaurants

Avenue A in the rain this a.m. 

• Roger Clark checks in on Theatre 80 as auction looms (NY1 ... previously on EVG) Ways to help (Village Preservation) 

• Man stabbed in rear on Avenue A near Sixth Street (1010 WINS ... the Post) 

• The Rent Guidelines Board could seek increases of up to 8.5% for rent-regulated units (THE CITY) 

• Enjoying the 11-ingredient sammy Fak-Tin at Sunny & Annie's (Eater) 

• The MTA ends its Twitter service alerts because Elon (THE CITY)

• The 26 best EV restaurants, per TONY (Time Out New York) 

• A long read on Superiority Burger (GQ... previously on EVG)

• The Walkmen reunite at Webster Hall (NME)

• A look at 'Nowhere New York,' in which Julia Gorton captures 'the city's punk and no wave subcultures in all their hedonistic glory' (i-D) 

• May 1 is the next First Mondays reading at Performance Space New York on First Avenue and 9th Street (Official site) 

• Molly Ringwald’s former East Village duplex on 10th Street sells for $7.9 million (Architectural Digest)

• That Fyre Fest-7th Street Burger grilled cheese mashup flopped (Rolling Stone) 

• Mayor Adams bids farewell to NYC's nightlife mayor (Page Six) 

• Works by Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat 'are suddenly so L.A.' (Los Angeles Magazine) 

 ... and in Instagram posts...

 

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Rain delays: Today's free show in Tompkins Square Park with Madball is being rescheduled

The all-day rain expected today has prompted the cancellation of the free concert in Tompkins Square Park this afternoon featuring HC headliners Madball and Murphy's Law. 

The Tompkins gig will be rescheduled ... there's also a free show today (without Madball or Murphy's Law) at the Meadows in Brooklyn for fans who made the trip to NYC (or anyone who wants to go). Organizers will still collect money to benefit Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A. 

Here's the official notice via Madball's Instagram account... 

Unfortunately, due to the weather, the park show will be postponed. There’s a smaller show happening in BK, for those who are in town… so go show some support! It's a Free show but donations are welcomed. Proceeds will go to Ray's Candy store… as well. Info is on the flyer. We're all bummed but the park tradition will continue. New date coming soon! Thanks!

Friday's parting shot (aka April 28)

As seen on 11th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue today... via Robert Miner

Hitting a high note

 

"Little Stoner" is a new track from a recently released record by singer-songwriter Max Stalker-Wilde. 

The video, filmed on 16mm by Jonas Bishop Hayes, was shot around the East Village, where Stalker-Wilde was born and raised. And Ray's Candy Store, where Stalker-Wilde has worked for the past few years, has a starring role. 

"In fact, I had to make a couple of milkshakes and egg creams during the shooting just so I could get the foot traffic moving faster for production's sake," he told us. 

Check out more of Stalker-Wilde's music at Bandcamp.

Meanwhile, on Avenue A and 9th Street...

A reader-submitted photo this afternoon... happy Friday!

A look at Wicked Heathens, now open on 9th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Wicked Heathens, a jewelry store carrying clothing, accessories and candles, recently opened at 337 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

I stopped by the shop and met with owner-designer Martha Henry and manager-designer Daymone Edmonds, who has a clothing brand — Culture and Fate — also carried at Wicked Heathens.

Henry discussed what drew her to the East Village from Brooklyn to set up her first brick-and-mortar outpost. 

"Back when I used to do artist markets, there was such an amazing community of creators. During the pandemic, I was forced to focus on online sales and started working from home, but I felt like I lost that community," she said. "Years later, I decided it was time to open a brick-and-mortar [shop] filled with like-minded creators and makers. The East Village has such an amazing community of small businesses that really support each other, which is what drew me to open up in this area."

Hours: Monday-Saturday, noon-7 p.m.; Sunday, noon-6 p.m. 

You can keep tabs on Wicked Heathens via Instagram.

On St. Mark's Place, office building 1, tree 0

EVG reader Bruce Tantum shared the above photo from Wednesday morning ... when workers cut down a tree that had managed to survive the intermittent construction the past three-plus years at the office building going up on the NE corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

Not sure exactly what kind of tree this was (the NYC tree map listed this as a Callery pear), but it looked plenty healthy to us, as seen last year ... it just had the misfortune of being behind the construction plywood...

... the rendering for the building even shows a similar-looking tree on St. Mark's Place...