Where to see Films on the Green this summer (but not in Tompkins Square Park)

The Films on the Green series — the free outdoor French film festival produced since 2008 — is underway again this summer. 

Organizers announced the 11-film slate — "celebrating the triumphs, challenges, and sheer excitement of sports" (go Knicks!) earlier in the week.

However, for the first time that we can recall, Tompkins Square Park won't host any screenings. (Could it be because the three porta-potties in Tompkins are locked after 5 p.m. — if they are unlocked at all because there is apparently just one person with a key.) 

You can go to Washington Square Park on June 7 or June 14... or Seward Park on July 5 and July 12. Find the full schedule here.

Sushi Fan has not been open lately on St. Mark's Place

Sushi Fan has not been open during its regular hours lately at 102 St. Mark's Place, between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

The omakase spot's Instagram account does not mention a closure, temporary or otherwise, though its reservations are now offline. No one responded to an email or Instagram message seeking comment. 

Sushi Fan debuted back in January. 

Next door, Avenue NYC also recently closed. Cakes by Klein, a custom cakes and cookies business, will open in June.

A Feast (and some chalk) on St. Mark's Place

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A post shared by The Village Alliance (@villageon8th)

We were unaware that today is the Feast of St. Mark's Place between Third Avenue and Second Avenue... sponsored by the Village Alliance ... and running until 8 p.m. 

EVG reader Jacob Ford shared a few photos from the block...

There is artfully arranged chalk too...

... and people are putting it to use...

An Evening with the Ivalas Quartet at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer

On Saturday (April 27), the Most Holy Redeemer/Nativity Parish on Third Street hosts another evening of free music ... featuring works by Beethoven and Mendelssohn. 

Per the EVG inbox: "Come and hear the highly acclaimed Ivalas Quartet, official string quartet in residence at Juilliard ... You won't want to miss this evening of beautiful classical masterworks in a gorgeous and historic space!" 

The event starts at 7:30 p.m. at the church, 173 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. Find more details here.

Celebrating the birth of the Pyramid Club at Howl! Arts

The book "We Started a Nightclub: The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It" is due out at the end of the month. (Dazed has a feature here.) 

The Pyramid, which helped define the East Village drag and art scenes in the 1980s, held forth for several decades at 101 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. 

In an oral history of the space, Tricia Romano noted: "[The Pyramid] served as a safe haven for freaks, geeks, weirdos, queers, and dreamers to come together and create. Sometimes it was bad; sometimes it was beautiful. But it was never boring." 

In honor of the publication, Howl! Arts/Howl! Archive is currently showing "Pyramid Pioneers," an exhibition showcasing early Pyramid Polaroids and posters by Trey Speegle; video, graphics and memorabilia from Mark Oates; photographs by Lynn M. Grabowski (Pyramid name: Baronessa); Julie Hair and Jody Kurilla's musical memorabilia from their Pyramid series, Tuesday Night Fever; clips from the documentary "Pyramid Club — The Movie" directed by Elizabeth Bouiss; and flyers and photos featured in the book from Howl! Archives' Brian Butterick Collection. 

The exhibit debuted last Thursday (and included a sold-out party at Baker Falls, which opened last July in the former Pyramid space). 

"Pyramid Pioneers" is up through May 19. 

Howl! Arts/Howl! Archive is at 250 Bowery, 2nd Floor, near Stanton Street. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Find more book info here.

P.S. update

Thanks to Bill in the comments... I hadn't seen Alex's post yet at Flaming Pablum, which includes some Boss Hog and Cop Shot Cop clips from the Pyramid.

Workers are removing an elm tree from Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Steven 

Workers this morning are cutting down one of the grand elm trees in Tompkins Square Park.

This one, located behind the under-renovation field house, was said to be dead for the past 18-plus months...

We're coming up on the 1-year-anniversary of the renovations. 

The Parks Department website lists a September 2024 competition date for the $5.6-million project. The work is 61% complete, per the Parks website.

Thursday's opening shot

Workers are removing the last of the sidewalk bridge from around 316 Bowery (aka 4-6 Bleecker St.) ... providing a better view now of the Bad Brains mural. 

The corner retail space is apparently for rent after the J. Crew men's concept store shuttered late last year.

Wednesday's parting shot

Early evening in Tompkins Square Park...

A late-day look at the fire-damaged 131 Avenue A

Photos by Steven

A fire broke out early this morning at 131 Avenue A on the NW corner of St. Mark's Place. 

According to ABC 7, five residents sustained minor injuries while vacating the six-floor building. 

Starbucks was open today for business in the retail spaces, while TabeTomo next door told us that they suffered “substantial damage.”

Next door, Bad Habit hope to be back open tomorrow...

As for the rest of the building, there is a Partial Vacate Order limited to two residences. 

Per the Department of Buildings: 

FIRE HAS CAUSED EXTENSIVE WATER, SMOKE AND FIRE DAMAGE IN APT#1, ALSO FIREFIGHTER OPERATIONS IN APT#7. WINDOWS AND WALLS HAVE BEEN REMOVED LEAVING STRUCTURES OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS. THESE POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS HAVE THEREFORE RENDERED UNSAFE TO OCCUPY. VACATE APT #1 AND 7. EGRESS WAS NOT COMPROMISED. 

Firefighters recovered a lithium-ion battery from a unit, per ABC 7, though fire officials haven't stated that was officially the cause. Another resident mentioned talk of an "electric scooter explosion."

Report of an early morning fire at 131 Avenue A at St. Mark's Place

The FDNY responded to a report of a fire this morning on the second floor at 131 Avenue A, a six-floor building on the NW corner of St. Mark's Place. 

According to the Citizen app, the FDNY received the call at 5:15 a.m. Firefighters were seen wrapping up by 6:15 a.m.

There weren't any reports of injuries. [Updated: ABC 7 reported five residents suffered minor injuries.] Several building residents were gathered with small bags and backpacks, surveying the FDNY at work. Some of them reported leaving their apartments via the fire escapes. 

While it's too early to determine the cause of the fire, firefighters recovered a lithium-ion battery from the second floor, per ABC 7. 

The building is home to several businesses, including Starbucks and TabeTomo. It's not immediately known how much damage they may have sustained.

A benefit concert for East Village musician Jesse Malin Friday night at Irving Plaza

The benefit show for East Village-based singer-songwriter and business owner Jesse Malin scheduled for Tompkins Square Park this Saturday will now occur Friday night at Irving Plaza. 

Malin made the announcement yesterday on Instagram, writing, "I can't thank these artists and people enough for doing this. It really means the world to me." 

The lineup features Gogol Bordello, Madball, Murphy's Law, The Capturers, War Orphan, and Crazy & The Brains. Concert-goers can donate at the box office to attend. (You can read more about his Sweet Relief fund at this link.) 

Malin, who has been undergoing rehabilitation, including daily physical therapy, was left paralyzed from the waist down after suffering a rare spinal stroke last May. 

Malin is a partner in several local establishments, including Niagara, 96 Tears and the Bowery Electric.

Irving Plaza is at 17 Irving Place at 15th Street.

The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival returns to Tompkins Square Park this Aug. 25

Yesterday, the City Parks Foundation announced its SummerStage series lineup for 2024, which includes dozens of free and benefit concerts in neighborhood parks. 

Among the shows is the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, which will be held in Tompkins Square Park on Sunday, Aug. 25, from 3 to 7 p.m. 

Details on what to expect in Tompkins on that day... via the City Parks Foundation website... 

As part of the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, the newly minted (2023) Jazz Master Louis Hayes is joined by some of the more impressive talents in modern jazz. Hayes, a one-time member of McCoy Tyner's trio, has been leading bands since he was a teenager in 1950s Detroit, recorded with John Coltrane and Yusef Lateer, and did stints in quartets with Horace Silver and Cannonball Adderley, as well as time with the Oscar Peterson Trio. 

He's supported by the 24-year-old Cameroonian-American jazz vocalist Ekep Nkwelle, a Juilliard grad and rising star of Jazz at Lincoln Center; and Alexis Lombre, the Chicago-born pianist, vocalist, and composer whose 2017 debut Southside Sounds pays homage to her home’s artistic and cultural heritage. 

The bill also features a performance from SuperBlue, the collaboration between Kurt Elling — one of jazz's preeminent male vocalists — and Charlie Hunter, the guitar virtuoso who plays custom-made seven- and eight-string guitars that allow him to play bass lines, chords, and melodies simultaneously.

They're supported by the high-energy, horn-driven Brooklyn-based ensemble Huntertones. Multi-talented DJ and host of WBGO's podcast Milestones DJ KulturedChild aka Angelika Beener is on the ones and twos.

The festival, which started in Tompkins Square Park in 1993, holds a significant place in the jazz community. It takes place near or on Parker's birthday on Aug. 29. Additional dates were added in Harlem in 2000, further expanding its reach. 

Parker, who died in 1955 at age 34, lived at 151 Avenue B from 1950-1954. That residential building between Ninth Street and 10th Street is landmarked.    

Closing notices: J-Spec Wagyu Dining and Esora Omakase on 5th Street

Photo from October 2020 by Jacob Ford 

The owners of J-Spec Wagyu Dining and Esora Omakase have announced that they are closing the 44-seat restaurant at 239 E. Fifth St. at the end of April. 

Here's part of an email they sent out last evening (thanks to the EVG reader for the tip)...

Regrettably, after careful consideration, we have come to the difficult conclusion that we will be closing our restaurant at the end of this month. This decision was not made lightly and comes after much reflection on various factors, BUT THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE GONE FOREVER. 

We want to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support over the years. It has been our utmost pleasure to serve you, and we are truly grateful for the memories and experiences we have shared together.

As we approach the closing date, we will provide you with further details regarding any upcoming events, possible transition arrangements, and how we plan to bid farewell. 

While we embark on this new chapter, we will continue to strive to provide you with the best service possible until our last day of operation. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. 

We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your patronage and loyalty throughout the years. It has been an honor to serve you, and we will cherish the memories we've made together. 

J-Spec, an abbreviation for "Japan-Specification," opened here between Second Avenue and Cooper Square in November 2020 ... taking over part of the former Jewel Bako space. 

 Tomoe Food Services Inc., a Waygu supplier, owns and operates the restaurant. 

A smoke and vape shop for the former Gaia Italian Café on 3rd Street

Photos by Stacie Joy

A smoke shop recently debuted at 226 E. Third St. between Avenue B and Avenue C ... serving a variety of pre-rolls, edibles and other smoking-related products...

For every unlicensed shop that closes, another one seems to pop up in the neighborhood. (A new one recently opened on Avenue C between 11th Street and 12th Street.) 

No. 226 was previously home to Gaia Italian Café.