Dead again: Peter Jarema Funeral Home ad replaced by the Marvel Universe on 7th and B

Photo by Salim 

The ad for the Peter Jarema Funeral Home on the north-facing wall at 108 Avenue B and Seventh Street is dead. 

Long live the ad for the Peter Jarema Funeral Home on the north-facing wall at 108 Avenue B and Seventh Street! 

Yesterday morning, workers replaced the new ad (as of February) for the longtime East Village business with one for Coca-Cola and the Marvel Universe.

During exterior renovations last June (first reported here), workers sandblasted away the former ad for the funeral home that's on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

The decades-spanning ad touted "Air Conditioned Chapels," and there was a smaller sign for "Vazac Hall Catering" (and "Fine Food"),  a nod to the business before the current and longstanding tenant Vazac's/the Horseshoe Bar/7B.

The mystery executive behind putting the Jarema banner back on the wall told the Post in February that the ad would come down this month... but may return during slower time periods.

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Jason Trucco 

Today was the last day for Street Life Ministries after 30-plus years of serving Tompkins Square Park.

David Van Fleet (above) says the family plans to relocate to another state where they will continue their work.

Updated: On Avenue A, let the milling begin (again)

Two-plus weeks after milling Avenue A between Houston and Fourth Street, crews returned tonight. to pick up the work up to 10th Street. Updated: Workers tonight milled more of the roadway between Fourth and Houston before repaving this section. 

The DOT website said work was to happen last night (it didn't) and tonight... so it's TBA on the next six-block section between Fourth Street and 10th Street that is scheduled for milling-paving.

Updated

EVG reader Joe shares these photos... from between Third Street and Fourth Street...

The surface-of-the-moon-like surface on A was prompting cyclists, scooters, etc., to ride on the sidewalk. Which we heard about!

Thanks to the reader for the top pics!

East Village tenants speak out against rollbacks to potential rent-stabilization laws

On Sunday, a united front of East Village residents and activists gathered to voice their opposition against proposed changes to rent stabilization, currently under consideration during budget negotiations in Albany. 

The rally took place outside 256 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, a building owned by Mark Scharfman. 

Scharfman, who owns nearly 150 properties, has been on the Public Advocate's Worst Landlord List, coming in at number 44 in 2021 and number 28 in 2020. At No. 256, he has reportedly been taking tenants to court for eviction for withholding rent during a sewage leak. 

Residents argued that the harassment and neglect they face today would get worse if landlords regained incentives to push tenants out so that they could raise rent-stabilized rents. 

"We are already facing harassment from greedy landlords who refuse to make repairs and then try to evict us when we stand up for ourselves," said 256 tenant Irene Metaxatos. "Albany leaders should reject out of hand any changes to the rent stabilization law that would recreate the system rife with harassment and fraud that drove so many of my neighbors out of the building in the past." 

Here's more background via the Cooper Square Committee:

Lawmakers are reportedly considering proposed increases to the cap on how much Individual Apartment Improvements (IAIs) can be passed on to tenants in the form of rent hikes. A chart of how changes to the cap would impact rents is available here. 

Prior to 2019, IAIs were a driver of skyrocketing rents in rent-stabilized apartments and gave landlords a financial incentive to harass tenants to vacate apartments. Together with other measures like eviction bonuses and Major Capital Improvements, thousands of rent-stabilized units were deregulated. 

After decades of organizing, the tenant movement dramatically strengthened New York State’s rent stabilization law in 2019, limiting IAIs to a cap of $15,000, which translates to a monthly rent increase of approximately $89 a month.

On Friday, City & State reported that 21 elected officials in NYC wrote a letter "demanding that state leaders not rollback any part of the 2019 rent stabilization laws in any housing deal included as part of the budget."

Signees included city Comptroller Brad Lander, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and 19 Council members — including nearly every member of the Council's Progressive Caucus. 

The Lazy Llama Coffee Bar is opening 2 new outposts, including on 1st Avenue

The Lazy Llama Coffee Bar is expanding in the neighborhood. 

Ownership has just signed two new leases — 194 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street and at 122 Ludlow St. between Rivington and Delancey. 

The Lazy Llama will be keeping its original outpost on First Street, which opened in December 2015 just west of First Avenue. 

The new leases come after Lazy Llama operated the snack bar in First Park for three years. That arrangement was set to expire this month.

No. 194 was last home to Cafe Sandra, which closed in 2022.

H/T Greg Goldberg

Protection for a tree garden on St. Mark's Place

Photos by Donald Davis

This past weekend, Boyd constructed an elaborate medieval fence on one of the adopted tree garden plots outside 99 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The fence is to help remind dog walkers and people looking for a place to sit that every garden space is precious...

On 2nd Avenue, Sunday Dreamin' on such a spring day

Photo by Steven

Perhaps this will be a cure for people who suffer from the Sunday Scaries.

Signage is up for Sunday Dreamin' at 80 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

The new restaurant will offer coffee, brunch and dinner, per the awning. (They have a placeholder website here. And Instagram here.) 

Sunday Dreamin' is also just a few storefronts south of the incoming Sunflower Cafe, another brunch specialist.

No. 80 was most recently Cacio e Vino, which went dark in late November. 

Monday's parting shot

Photo by Steven 

Eclipse viewing from Tompkins Square Park this afternoon...

Today's solar eclipse with the Second Avenue Star Watchers

Here's the eclipse-viewing scene today on Third Street and Second Avenue... with photos courtesy of Felton Davis c/o of the Second Avenue Star Watchers ... from the ground...

... and the view of the moon blocking out the sun through the telescope (a 90% partial solar eclipse) ...

Watching the eclipse from 6th and B

From the 6th and B Community Garden... photos by Daniel Efram...

Eclipse in progress on St. Mark's Place

Photos by Donald Davis 

The scene along St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue this afternoon  ... with Mark Meretzky at the telescope (safely) projecting images...

As noted, the best time to watch the total solar eclipse in NYC is between 2:45 and 3:30. 

Updated: Moving to First Avenue as the sun faded behind the buildings...

Reminders: People will be saying things like 'path of totality' today

ICYMI (if so, HOW?): Today, April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. 

First, an explainer via NASA: 

A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. People located in the center of the Moon's shadow when it hits Earth will experience a total eclipse. The sky will darken, as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, people in the path of a total solar eclipse can see the Sun's corona, the outer atmosphere, which is otherwise usually obscured by the bright face of the Sun. A total solar eclipse is the only type of solar eclipse where viewers can momentarily remove their eclipse glasses (which are not the same as regular sunglasses) for the brief period of time when the Moon is completely blocking the Sun. 

As the above map shows, the East Village is NOT in the path of totality. Still, we (and other NYC residents!) will get 90% coverage.

Here are a few details from Curbed's eclipse explainer: 

What time is it happening? 

In New York City, the eclipse will begin just after 2 p.m. and finish at around 4:36 p.m. But the best time to watch will be between 2:45 and 3:30. 

Where can I get eclipse glasses? 

You can pick them up first come, first served at your local public library branch (check to see when and where) and the MTA Long Island Rail Road ticket windows at Moynihan Train Hall. Warby Parker is also giving them away at all its stores. (Everything is going fast, so we suggest calling in advance to see if there are glasses left or getting to any giveaway events early.) Or you can buy glasses that have an ISO rating from the certified vendors listed by the American Astronomical Society. But beware: The counterfeit-eclipse-glasses market is a real thing. (Actually use them. Every time an eclipse happens, people have looked straight into the sun to their own demise...)

Re: Eclipse glasses — the Tompkins Square Library branch is out... and Ottendorfer just had a few left as of Saturday.

The weather plays a significant role in all this.  Good news here, via CBS News:

Luckily, the weather forecast is on our side. High pressure is forecast to bring us a dry day with temperatures in the 60s. A few high clouds may drift by, but we are rain-free. We can expect mostly sunny skies, with a high around 64.

We have not heard about any official viewing parties in the East Village (there are official city parks viewing events, though they promise to be well-attended) ... you'll likely run into some people out in open spaces (along Houston at First Avenue by Peretz Square?) with unobstructed views.

The NYC 311 site has some more info, too.

First sign of Wonder on Stuyvesant Street

"Opening Soon" signage has arrived outside 8-14 Stuyvesant St., here just off Third Avenue and Ninth Street...

As we first reported on Jan. 11, Wonder is opening a delivery and food-hall concept in this space.

Wonder currently operates 10 locations throughout New York City and New Jersey, offering pick-up, delivery, and dine-in (ordered via touch screens) from a collection of chefs that include Bobby Flay, Marc Murphy, Jose Andres, Nancy Silverton and Marcus Samuelsson ... and restaurants such as Tejas Barbeque, Di Fara Pizza and Barrio Cafe. 

While this is primarily a delivery and to-go business, this outpost will include a dine-in option.

A Wonder spokesperson said they are targeting a spring opening.

As previously reported, Village Yokocho, Angel's Share and Panya closed in these spaces in April 2022. Another restaurant, Sharaku, in the corner space at 14 Stuyvesant St., shuttered earlier in the pandemic. (Sunrise Mart in a separate building next door on the second floor also shut down.)

Cooper Union, which leased the buildings from their owners and had subleased them to the Yoshida Restaurant Group for more than 25 years, said it was the tenants' decision to move on. (This post has more background. Yoshida had not paid rent since 2020.) 

Demolition watch: The NW corner of 1st Avenue and 2nd Street

Top photo from Friday by Steven; others from Saturday

Demo crews have made pretty quick work of the two two-level structures at 33 and 35 First Ave. at Second Street (33 housed First Avenue Laundry Center on the main level and Serenity Spa upstairs) ...

As previously reported, a 7-floor residential building with ground-floor retail is now slated for 33-37 First Ave., the vacant three-building assemblage between Second Street and Third Street. 

According to DOB paperwork, the proposed building — using the address 88 E. Second St. — will be 19,278 square feet, with 2,994 square feet designated for commercial space. Plans call for 22 residential units, likely rentals, given the square footage.