A visit to Groove Garden, a community music studio on Avenue C

Photos and story by Stacie Joy 

You can't miss the brightly painted, all-green slender storefront at 89 Avenue C between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. 

I paused to admire the façade before heading inside to talk to musician and songwriter Rob Taube, owner of community music studio Groove Garden.

He's surrounded by kids, all participating in the Song Camp program. Some are tucked into the sound booth, a couple at the drum kits, and even more crowded around a mic. 

It's a hot, swampy summer day, but the energy in the small space is contagious. I took a few photos and waited until the recording session ended before chatting with Rob about what brought him to this location, his passion for music, and why he loves the neighborhood.

On his start as a music teacher: 

Somewhere in the 2010s, I decided to take on a few music students and produce some recordings to help make ends meet. I had no idea what the resulting influx would be, and soon, I had more students and musical clients than I could handle in our tiny apartment, which was now constantly overflowing with players and singers. 

On finding a home for Groove Garden: 

Funds were tight, but the NYCHA rental guy guided me to this small space tucked between two brick buildings on Avenue C. It was naturally soundproofed due to the bricks, and it had an old closet space in the back with some odd pieces of wood and junk in it, which I immediately saw as a potential sound booth. It was kind of an "if you build it, they will come" moment. 

And over the last seven years, they have come to take music lessons, write and record songs, rap, and jam — so much so that it's hard to keep up. I'm not here 24/7, but I am more like 12/7, teaching them, recording them, and performing with them live and on their tracks. 

On spreading the word about his business: 

100% of my business comes from word-of-mouth or from people who walk by and say, "What is this place?" So often, they are creative artists who need a place to create, and the fact that I'm right here in a storefront makes the whole process so accessible they actually can wind up with their stuff out there in the world when otherwise it would have died in the vine as they went about their lives. 

On being in this neighborhood:

For me, this could only happen in the East Village, where there is such a crazy quilt of businesses and characters that someone like me, who has lived as an outsider, can thrive.

Even when I lived elsewhere, I loved this neighborhood for its eccentric characters, and now I'm one of them — how amazing is that?

 

You can hear some of the finished products from the studio at this link... and this link.

Visit the Groove Garden website here.

Elisa's Love Bites closes its 9th Street storefront

Photo by Steven 

Several readers have noted the for-lease sign hanging in the window at Elisa's Love Bites, the gluten-free dessert shop at 441 E. Ninth St. just west of Avenue A. 

The storefront is now closed... though, based on a recent Instagram post (see below), we're guessing that the business will continue in service online at the very least. 

After nearly four years in Brooklyn, owner-pastry Elisa Lyew moved to this storefront in March 2020. Elisa's Love Bites had its fans (the imported coffee from Panama was a hit). 

You can follow the shop's link tree or Instragram for any business updates.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Elisa's Love Bites (@elisaslovebites)

Tree branch down on 10th Street

Last night's storm brought down a tree limb on 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. (Thanks to Louise Segev for the photos). 

No word of any injuries... and it doesn't appear that any of the parked vehicles sustained damage...

More crap weather is expected on Friday when the remnants of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Debby arrive.

It will be a dark and stormy night

NYC is under various warnings this evening, with heavy thunderstorms expected in the area. 

Per The Weather Channel, NYC is under a flash-flood warning until 7:45 p.m.

And were were just at Key Food on Avenue A and Fourth Street where they played a solid pre-storm set featuring Eddie Grant, Fleetwood Mac and Irene Cara. What a feeling!

Updated: Virginia is safe and back with her family

Updated 

Per Trinity: "Thank you to all who shared our posts with your networks! We are so grateful to know where she is and are happy for her safe return to her family! Thank you for your love and support!"

 

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A post shared by Trinity’s Services (@trinitysafh)

Trinity Lower East Side is on the SE corner of Avenue B anb Ninth Street.

The summer of stolen plaques continues with thefts at New York Marble Cemetery, the former Club 57

The brass plaque on the front gate at the landmarked New York Marble Cemetery is the latest to have been ripped off around the neighborhood. 

A rep at the oldest non-denominational cemetery in New York City, 41 1/2 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street, told us this happened at noon this past Thursday.

Here's a look at the gate and plaque as they were...

The cemetery rep said the plaque had a value of $650 in 1999. 

They also released a photo from a surveillance video showing the alleged plaque thief... (they filed a police report and shared this image)...

Readers have also noted other missing plaques this past month, such as outside P.S. 15 on Fourth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D...

... and at 57 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue, someone swiped the plaque commemorating Club 57 ...

Earlier this summer, we mentioned the theft of the bronze Christodora House plaque outside the building at 143 Avenue B on Ninth Street. In June, someone stole the brass plaque dedicated to former Tompkins Square Park supervisor Harry Greenberg from along the Ninth Street pedestrian walkway. The plaque commemorating the Fillmore East at 105 Second Ave. near Sixth Street is also gone. 

Per the New York Marble Cemetery rep: "We caution other historic sites to be aware of this vandalism."

These thefts are certainly not unique to the East Village. The rash of thefts in Los Angeles, for instance, "is fed by the high price of scrap metal. The plaques are comprised of bronze – which is made up largely of copper, a hot commodity in the stolen metal market." 

On July 9, The New York Times published an article titled "Metal Thieves Are Stripping America's Cities." 

2 members of Team USA are featured in this local band's new music video

The new music video from local band Midnight Machines has a timely Olympics connection: the clip for "Burning Me Down" features two professional fencers and members of Team USA, Kasia Nixon and Jess Savner. Savner will compete this week in the Paris Games in the Pentathlon event. 

Krikor Daglian (who has contributed photos to EVG) and Krisana Soponpong are Midnight Machines, who find inspiration from a range of artists, including LCD Soundsystem, CHVRCHES, The Rapture, Phoenix, Christine and the Queens, Bloc Party and Daft Punk. 

"The song is about the complex theme of desire and whether it's better to stay safe in a situation you've known or 'burn it all down' by chasing after something new and exciting," said director Charlie Gillette. "While the lyrics explore the intricate emotions of longing and passion, I wanted to transform the abstract notion of desire into a tangible and exhilarating narrative, portraying a compelling duel between two master fencers."

You can check out the video, which was filmed in April, right here...

 

The band plays at Rockwood Music Hall on Thursday night at 9. 

Coming attractions: Korean rice bowls for 309 E. Houston St.

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Renovations are underway at 309 E. Houston St. between Clinton and Attorney, where a quick-serve restaurant specializing in Korean rice bowls is in the works. 

The business, DupBopBro, is owned by life partners Gene and Veronica Choe. You can learn more about what to expect at their website (parts are still under construction). No word on an opening date.

The last tenant here was the specialty sandwich shop Tramezzini NYC, which closed last summer after six years in service.

14th Street's twinkling lights tree returns to its roots

The Mystery of the Mysteriously Illuminated Tree on 14th Street has reached an unsatisfying conclusion.

As noted on July 23, someone adorned the tree outside Beauty Bar and Coyote Ugly with a cascade of twinkling lights complete with two wall-style switches here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

In any event, the tree, as of last week, is now free of its cloak of white lights.

No one claimed responsibility, but an anonymous EVG commenter reasonably explained that the Union Square Partnership created it as a festive tester tree. Per the commenter: "They are considering lighting up a bunch of trees on 14th Street for the holidays."

Some readers enjoyed the pre-holiday lights spectacular... while others stated tightly wrapping a tree in strands of lights is harmful.

For now, the tree is back to just being a tree...

H/T Brock Michael Napoli

Noted

An EVG reader shared these photos from this morning on 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... where there's a chalk campaign about the overflowing trash... and trash dumped on the sidewalk... with a "10th Street pride" message...

Perhaps the city's new official trash can, NYC Bin, will alleviate these kind of problems?

The end and beginning of curbside dining

Photo outside Ruffian on 7th Street on Thursday by Derek Berg 

The deadline for restaurants to apply for the city's new outdoor dining program passed Saturday at midnight. 

If you didn't apply for Dining Out NYC, your curbside dining structure needed to come down, per the Department of Transportation (DOT), which oversees the program.

⚠️Attention Restaurant Owners with Outdoor Dining⚠️

Today is the last day to apply for Dining Out NYC or you must remove your outdoor dining setup.

Applications must be submitted before midnight.

Learn more and apply at https://t.co/7vrQgVYexi pic.twitter.com/8NnpHo3DnY

— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) August 3, 2024

In the past week or so, we have seen at least a dozen restaurants remove their pandemic-era curbside structures, including Gnocco on 10th Street just west of Avenue B, which in June 2020 was one of the more attractive-looking spots with its plants and umbrellas.

Many structures remain, as you've noticed. Perhaps these establishments applied for Dining Out. According to the DOT, they received fewer than 3,000 applications as of Saturday afternoon, per Gothamist. 

That's in contrast to the 13,000 participating in the temporary program in 2020. We spoke with an employee of one such place that didn't apply and still had its structure up outside. The employee didn't seem too concerned that a stretched-thin DOT would be out in force the first few days after the deadline passed.

Well, you have to figure the city is seeing $$$. Back to Gothamist: "Establishments that fail to do so would face a $500 fine for the first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense until the outdoor setup is removed." 

As previously noted, the significant change with the new guidelines is that enclosed, year-round roadway dining structures will no longer be permitted. The revised regulations stipulate that roadway cafes must now be open-air, easily portable, and simple to assemble and dismantle. 

Additionally, these establishments are restricted to operating only from April through November. Lastly, Nov. 29 marks the conclusion of the roadway dining season under the permanent program, and all roadway setups must be removed until the spring. (Sidewalk cafes are permitted year-round.)

The application review process for roadway dining can take up to five months and for sidewalk dining, up to six months, CBS 2 reported. And, "Within 30 days of approval or by November, they need to submit a plan to meet the DOT's new outdoor dining guidelines."

Meanwhile, we'll be curious to hear the reaction to the new structures. 

Shiso Omakase could serve as a litmus test on Ninth Street between Second and Third Avenue. 

A new curbside space went up earlier this summer outside the under-renovation building (and adjacent to a portable toilet for the construction workers). This is how it looked before completion.

Notices — since removed — were posted on the structure stating that the setup had been approved by the DOT and was "not illegal as the building (214 E. 9th St.) falsely claimed." 

Then! 

The dining platform should not and can not be tampered with. By doing so, you will be bringing forth a lawsuit against you and any members involved, including the building." 

The letter says the structure is valued at $17,500. 

And to repeat later: 

Under no circumstances may the dining structure be damaged, removed or tampered with in any way, shape or form or you will be charged with a felony offense by the NYPD as well as bringing forth legal charges against you, your company, and the building.

Community Board 3's SLA committee has two items on its August agenda related to outdoor dining — a sidewalk cafe for Bowery Meat Company on First Street (which, if memory serves, had one before the pandemic) and curbside dining for Motel No Tell on Avenue A at 13th Street. Those items will not be heard during the meeting, however. 

Manhattan's first medicinal marijuana dispensary is now for lease on 14th Street

A for-rent sign has arrived on the front doors of 212 E. 14th St., just east of Third Avenue. 

As you may recall, this space was previously Columbia Care, Manhattan's first medicinal marijuana dispensary. This outpost closed at the end of May without much fanfare, in contrast to the hoopla surrounding its opening in January 2016. 

Here, the medical conditions approved for marijuana prescriptions were limited to cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis, among several others. In addition, the NYC dispensaries would only sell 30-day supplies of marijuana in the form of oils, pills or tinctures. (Columbia Care still has an outpost out in Riverhead.)

And what came next: In March 2021, New York State legalized adult-use cannabis by passing the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act. That legislation created the Office of Cannabis Management, governed by a Cannabis Control Board to oversee and implement the law. 

Since then, we've seen the arrival of legal and, mostly, unlicensed cannabis shops around the city. 

Columbia Care originally signed a five-year lease with a five-year renewal option. The Super Saving Store closed in 2011 and was the last retail tenant before the building underwent a gut renovation/expansion. 

Still, despite the for-lease sign, Community Board 3's Cannabis Control Task Force will hear an application for the address for a business called Flower Guys (Dai Ma LLC) this month. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• New East 14th Street retail space already gone to pot 

• Columbia Care brands its marijuana dispensary on East 14th Street 

• A patient visit to the medical marijuana dispensary on 14th Street

[Updated] The Black Ant has closed on 2nd Avenue

We've fielded some queries about Black Ant in recent weeks. 

Paper has covered the front windows at 60 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street for a good part of the summer ... and there's a sign stating, "We are temporary [sic] closed." 

There isn't any mention of a closure on the Mexican restaurant's website, and their phone goes to a full voice mailbox. A sold-out pulsd deal for a "$39 Michelin Guide Boozy Cocktail Brunch For 2 (a $120 Value)" expires in October.

However, OpenTable lists them as "permanently closed." Turns out we missed the Instagram post noting their last day on June 2.

This development coincides with the recent sale of the two buildings at 58 and 60-62 Second Ave., which sold for nearly $14 million.

The Black Ant opened in May 2014. The place drew generally solid reviews and attention for its ingredients, including "tribal delicacies like grasshoppers, worms and, yes, the namesake ant." 

Sidewalk bridge removal reveals a business closure on 1st Avenue

Photos by Steven 

Late last week, workers removed the sidewalk bridge from outside 165-167 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street, where we learned that the obscured business here, Hay Hay Roasted, had closed. (The other storefront, the former Commodities at No. 165, has been vacant for 20 months.)

The restaurant, which served Cantonese roast meats and noodle soups, opened this past Dec. 16. They announced their closure on May 28 via Instagram. 

The notice left for patrons on the gate didn't go into too much detail: "We regret to announce the closure of our East Village location. Despite our best efforts, this decision, though difficult, reflects our commitment to adapt and thrive."

Being under a sidewalk bridge during the business's entire existence could not have helped. In fact, we didn't even realize that the place had shut down.

Hay Hay Roasted's Mott Street outpost remains in service.

The signage at No. 167 remains from Tatsu Ramen, which closed in the fall of 2021.