You’ll hardly recognize the former Crocodile Lounge on 14th Street

Here is a current (as of the other evening) view of 325 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Workers had been renovating the building from late last year and into 2025. If you recall the old Crocodile Lounge, you may need to double-check the address, as the space now features a glassy double entryway that feels more SoHo than East 14th Street. 

The retail space, which is for lease ("retail, food, fitness, and other service concepts"), has been home to restaurants for many years, including Il Faro and, in the 1990s, Manila Garden. Crocodile Lounge never reopened after the COVID shutdown in March 2020. 

As previously reported, in a transaction posted last October, an LLC affiliated with The Sabet Group purchased the four-story building for $3.3 million, down from its initial asking price of $5.5 million. 

For generations, a family has owned the building known as The James McCreery House. Read its history here.

Kobano has not been open lately on the Bowery

We've heard from a few readers about the status of Kobano, a Japanese-Brazilian restaurant at 299 Bowery between First Street and Houston. 

The space has been dark lately, giving it that abandoned feel...

Google now lists the restaurant as "temporarily closed," although there is no mention of this on Kobano's website or Instagram. 

Kobano opened in February after the owners decided to switch up concepts from Íxta, which served southern Mexican and Oaxacan dishes for two years. 

Previously, in this rather large space, Daniel Boulud closed DBGB in August 2017 after an eight-year run.

Sunday's parting shots

Photos by Steven 

As seen in Tompkins Square Park today... and a little later...

Oct. 5

A discard today on Avenue B between Seventh Street and Eighth Street — an artificial Christmas tree complete with lights.

However impressive a fall discard may appear, this specimen is, regrettably, synthetic and therefore not eligible for prizes, trophies or the global renown accorded to authentic holiday tosses before Dec. 25.

Thanks to Maegan Hayward for the tree tip!

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo yesterday from Tompkins Square Park)

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• Corner Bistro debuts on Avenue A (Monday, Sept. 29) 

• The East Village photographer behind a new David Bowie book (Tuesday, Sept. 30) 

• Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade returns for its 35th year on Oct. 19 (Friday, Oct. 3) 

• Surprise! 10-story condo planned at the former home of Chris French Cleaners (Monday, Sept. 29) 

• Pierogi Day returns to East Village Meat Market on Oct. 11 (Friday, Oct. 3) 

• City Fun expands into new 2-story space on 1st Avenue (Friday, Oct. 3) 

• Worker-stewards push back after Bluestockings’ abrupt closure (Thursday, Oct. 2) 

• The return of Hitchcocktober at the Village East by Angelika (Sunday, Sept. 28)

• Diorama season! Miniature magic returns to the corner of 9th Street and Avenue C (Saturday, Oct. 4) 

• Catching up with Bella McFadden of iGirl (Wednesday, Oct. 1) 

• The Starbucks on 1st Avenue and 13th Street has closed (Monday, Sept. 29) 

• Vendors say goodbye to The Bowery Market (Wednesday, Oct. 1) 

• Happy trails, Mayor Adams (Sunday, Sept. 28) 

• Closings: Chakra on 5th Street (Wednesday, Oct. 1) … Hubani on 1st Avenue (Monday, Sept. 29) 

• Openings: Seald Cafe on 9th Street (Wednesday, Oct. 1) 

• 6 posts from September (Tuesday, Sept. 30) 

Save these election 2025 dates

Find more details at NYC Votes.

Saturday's parting shot

We did NOT know that it was International Observe the Moon Night. So! As we see from Avenue A and Fifth Street, we have a Waxing Gibbous phase with 91% of its surface illuminated, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation. 

Good night, fellow nerds!

Diorama season! Miniature magic returns to the corner of 9th Street and Avenue C

Autumn brings a new crop of peephole dioramas to the northeast corner of Avenue C and Sixth Street, courtesy of East Village artist J. Kathleen White. 

In case you haven't seen this year's edition (the 20th!) outside the Ninth Street Community Garden & Park ... the 2025 theme is "The Thing Is..." 

And in order below... 

Assembled

Independent Contractors

Fortune

To Save the Day

Check them out in person if you can.

White started creating and sharing the dioramas in 2005. Revisit the early editions at this link.

Saturday's opening shot

As seen on Seventh Street between Avenue C and Avenue D... yes, yes — this used to be such a nice, safe neighborhood!

Friday's parting shot

Photo by Cecil Scheib 

An early evening moon shot near the Con Ed facility on 14th and C...

'Begin' the begin

 

The LA-based Goon recently released Dream 3, another record full of dreamy psych-rock. 

The video here is for "Begin Here." 

Pretty last minute, but Goon is headlining a show tonight at Trans Pecos in Ridgewood.

Harvest Fest returns to 6&B Garden for its 42nd year

The 6&B Garden will host its 42nd annual Harvest Fest this Saturday, Oct. 4, from 2-7 p.m. 

The afternoon will feature free food and live music for the community, along with an extensive raffle supported by local businesses. Raffle tickets are $1 each and will be on sale starting at 12:30 p.m. outside the garden, with proceeds going toward the upkeep of the space. 

A complete list of prize donors is available at 6bgarden.org.

The garden is located on the southwest corner of Sixth Street and Avenue B.

Pierogi Day returns to East Village Meat Market on Oct. 11

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Pierogi Day returns to the East Village Meat Market.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., pierogies will be 25% off — roughly $1 each. 

Expect steam tables filled with housemade pierogies from Rosa-Ly, Veselka, and East Village Meat Market, along with more than 10 types of blintzes, smoked meats, kielbasa, grilled sausages, and J. Baczynsky's brisket. 

I stopped by the other day while Roman Ilnicki and his father, Andrew Ilnicki, were preparing to hang the Pierogi Day signage. The rest of the staff on duty also gathered for a quick group shot.

East Village Meat Market is at 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

City Fun expands into new 2-story space on 1st Avenue

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

City Fun is moving — and growing. 

The indie retailer opens today at noon in a larger space, one storefront to the south in the same building at 45 First Ave., between Second Street and Third Street. 

The new location features two levels: merch on the ground floor and a basement space set aside for events, community collabs and possibly even band performances down the line. 

All your favorites from the original store will be back — officially licensed band tees, patches, socks, and more. However, the lineup is expanding to include accessories, backpacks, a western-inspired fashion line, and eventually self-published books and poetry from local artists. 

We dropped by for a peek while the team was stocking the shelves...

... and talked with store manager Lilly Axe...

And we took a last look at the old shop next door...

Between customers, City Fun clerks Mack McCracken (left) and Aiyana Radcliff were catching up on some reading...

You can keep tabs on store hours and upcoming events via the City Fun Instagram account here.