The times that we had

Old-fashioned selfie (groupie???) found in Tompkins Square Park… photo by Derek Berg.

Remembering Moises Ismael Locón Yac on 2nd Avenue

[Photo Thursday by Derek Berg]

On Thursday, the family of Nicholas Figueroa, one of the two men who died in the March 26 gas explosion at 121 Second Ave., created a makeshift memorial in his honor on the plywood at the scene of the disaster.

Yesterday, East Village resident Lola Sáenz added an In Memoriam and flowers for the second victim — Moises Ismael Locón Yac …


[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

Locón worked at Sushi Park, and, according to media accounts, sent most of his paycheck back to his family in Guatemala.

Sáenz said that she did it because his family is in Guatemala, and likely wouldn't have the opportunity to do it themselves.

"He was loved," Sáenz told us. "He mattered."

She also included a copy of the painting that she said was inspired by the explosion.



"It was so sad what happened," she said. "It broke my heart."

You can read more about the painting and Sáenz's work here.

Something is Missing

Spotted on Third Avenue near East 14th Street… If you'd like to read it… click on the image below for a better view of the copy…

San Marzano reopened tonight

The restaurant specializing in handmade pasta is back open tonight after being closed the past week.

Last Friday, the DOB issued a Full Stop Work Order at 117 Second Ave. at East Seventh Street. Per paperwork on file with the city, there was "work without a permit — testing and taking part gas lines" in the basement.

This in a building owned by Maria Hrynenko, who is also the landlord at 121 Second Ave., the site of the deadly gas explosion on March 26. Authorities have said that an illegally tapped gas line at 121 Second Ave. may have caused the deadly blast. The investigation continues.

As a result of the Stop Work Order, San Marzano, the restaurant in the retail space, had to close.

Sprung a leak

Superchunk frontperson Mac McCaughan releases "Non-Believers," his first solo album under his own name, next week. (It's on his Merge Records label.)

Here's the first track from the record — "Wet Leaves."

[Updated] The Stage is giving away its bulk food and supplies to charity

The Stage, the beloved 35-year-old diner at 128 Second Ave., is currently in the process of being evicted by landlord Icon Realty.

The restaurant has not been open since March 30 ... and there are doubts that they will ever be able to reopen, at least here near St. Mark's Place. Stage owner Roman Diakun has until the end of this month to leave the premises.

In a Facebook update posted today, Diakun and his son Andrew "cleared out some of the supplies from the shop yesterday. Most of the goods were donated to The Bowery Mission, and some were given to our friends Fawzy and Ola from B&H across the street."









Not really an encouraging sign about the Stage's future, especially since the items that they donated were all non-perishable goods.

Icon has accused the Stage of illegally siphoning gas, which was the basis for the eviction notice. Roman Diakun has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Updated 4:34 p.m.
The Stage left this down in the comments of the post …

"We just emptied the store of supplies because we don't know how much longer we will be closed for and figured we should give it to someone who needs it at the moment."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The possibility that the Stage won't reopen on 2nd Avenue

City serves stop work order on Icon Realty-owned building for installing gas pipe without permit across from deadly 2nd Avenue blast zone (48 comments)

Petition to help reopen the Stage

Tenants at 128 2nd Ave. file suit against Icon Realty in housing court

Troubling talk about 128 Second Ave, and the long-term future of the Stage

[Updated] Report: Icon Realty serves the Stage an eviction notice

Stage owner Roman Diakun responds to allegations of illegally siphoning gas

Petition to help reopen the Stage

All images via Facebook

EV Grieve Etc.: The search for Ryce; a new pop-up shop for Enz's

[Avenue A and East 10th Street via Grant Shaffer]

A look at the avant-garde costume designs on display at the Ukrainian Museum on East Sixth Street (HuffPost)

The murders of NYPD officers Gregory Foster and Rocco Laurie in 1972 on Avenue B and East 11th Street part of new book titled "Days of Rage" (Politico)

The continued search for Ryce, one of the missing cats from 125 Second Ave. (Washington Square Park Blog)

The latest Enz's pop-up shop is at 627 E. Sixth St. (DNAinfo)

The blending of traditions at Noreetuh, the new Hawaiian place on First Avenue (The New Yorker)

The State Liquor Authority cancels the Sixth Ward's liquor license on Orchard Street (DNAinfo)

A new bike shop on the LES (BoweryBoogie)

Alex salutes Iggy Pop on his birthday (Flaming Pablum)

This week marked the 184th anniversary of the incorporation of NYU (Off the Grid)

NYC apartments top gold as stores of wealth (Bloomberg Business)

Tracking down the long-lost Cramps promo for "Human Fly" (Dangerous Minds)

Chloë Sevigny at 40 (The New Yorker)

… and Fasta, the new pasta joint at the former 2 Bros. (the supreme slice place), opened yesterday at 36 St. Marks's Place… let us know if you try it…


[Photo by EVG reader Russ]

... and finally, the East Village Community School flea market is tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C...

Triumphant returns: Zoltar back where he belongs again outside Gem Spa

[Back in October]

Back in October, in a move that Zoltar Watchers called shocking ("shocking" or shocking), someone decided to move Zoltar to the left of Gem Spa's front door by the to-go window, away from his two-year-plus home on the right side. All to give more space and access to the stupid Key Master game that's not even there anymore and maybe some hats and sunglasses.

Now, though, we can report that overnight Zoltar is back pretty much where it all began here...



And if this helps...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Gem Spa shake up puts Zoltar on the outs

Zoltar continues his difficult transition on the left side of Gem Spa's front door

Getting the lead out

[Photo Wednesday by William Klayer]

Hey, that big pencil has been getting around since being spotted the other night in Tompkins Square Park… @Salim spotted it ready to dock to avoid incurring any overtime fees on East Second Street at Avenue B…



And, awww… there's plenty of lead left in this pencil…

How your donations helped people in need at The Bowery Mission in 2014

[Photo via The Bowery Mission]

Throughout April, The Bowery Mission has been providing recaps to highlight how donations made a difference in the lives of the people they serve.

Whether a warm meal, a hot shower, emergency shelter, or a medical appointment, you helped meet the immediate, basic needs of each person coming to us for help — no questions asked — which many times is the spark that ignites life transformations.

In addition, 318 men and women joined the Bowery Mission's residential recovery programs last year … with 156 of them placed in jobs and 168 placed in housing.

In total:
• 30,000 donors gave more than $10 million in financial gifts and in-kind goods
• 750 volunteers each month offered nearly 45,000 volunteer hours

The Bowery Mission, which has been serving in-need New Yorkers since 1879, is located at 227 Bowery between Prince and Rivington.

Go here to learn more about donating … they are always accepting clothing (and food) at the Bowery location:

Clean, new and gently used clothing of all types is helpful. Large sizes are especially helpful. We are always in need of new underwear/undershirts and socks, new and gently used jeans and shoes, and professional clothing for those looking for work or re-entering the workforce.

The 'Postmodern Polynesian' of Mother of Pearl replacing Gin Palace on Avenue A

Structural repairs are ongoing at 95 Avenue A at East Sixth Street.

During the rehab, Gin Palace, one of the three bars (along with Cienfuegos and Amor y Amargo) that make up the retail component of the building, closed for service last November.

Now, as the Times reports, the bar is getting an overhaul too.

Ravi Derossi, an owner, said construction on the building so completely gutted the interior of the bar that he decided to start over with a “tiki-influenced” bar called Mother of Pearl.

Hmm. And!

Mr. Derossi and [co-beverage director Thomas] Chadwick said they didn’t want Mother of Pearl to be pigeonholed as a tiki bar. “Postmodern Polynesian,” they called it.

Per Derossi, "The idea for this was like sitting in a fancy hotel in Hawaii or somewhere."

Mother of Pearl is expected to open in late May or early June.

Rosie's puts its spin on Mexican cuisine starting today on 2nd Avenue

[Photo from Wednesday]

Rosie's opens today on Second Avenue and East Second Street.

And Women's Wear Daily has a preview, speaking with co-owner Vicki Freeman.

Rosie’s has set out to siphon the vibe of Mexico’s open markets and the myriad flavors from across the country into its menu. “The idea really was to create the feeling of a Mexican market without being literal,” Freeman said ... “We didn’t want to do anything kitschy. There aren’t going to be any piñatas.”

What the restaurant does have is clay pots and good luck charms sourced from Mexico, as well as an open, airy dining room swathed in pastel green, yellow and blue tiles and wooden tables custom-made by Asfour Guzy Architects. The restaurant sits on a well-lit corner of Second Avenue, with floor-to-ceiling windows that can open directly onto the sidewalk.

And the food?

The emphasis is on authentic regional dishes that incorporate ingredients sourced from small farmers in Mexico. Using this shorter supply chain, Rosie’s is able to get their hands on heirloom corn varieties, which they use to grind and make their own tortillas in-house, and numerous varieties of chiles. They even hope to eventually procure some more obscure items, such as terrestrial snails.

The previous tenant, the low-key, Greek-themed Boukiés, closed in March 2014 after a two-year run.

Previously on EV Grieve:
2nd and 2nd coming up Rosie's

A makeshift memorial for East Village explosion victim Nicholas Figueroa on 2nd Avenue

This afternoon, the family of Nicholas Figueroa, one of the two men who died in the March 26 gas explosion at 121 Second Ave., created a makeshift memorial in his honor on the plywood at the scene of the disaster.











Figueroa's family also left the white roses yesterday on the site where 119-123 Second Ave. once stood.



Figueroa, 23, had just finished a meal with a friend at Sushi Park when the explosion occurred. Authorities have said that an illegally tapped gas line at 121 Second Ave. may have caused the deadly blast. The investigation continues.

Thank you to EVG reader Daniel for these photos

Bed and breakfast?

East Seventh Street this afternoon via Grant Shaffer

A look at the Earth Day rainbow, somewhere over the Christodora House

In case you missed it late yesterday afternoon... after the rain and during happy hour... thanks to aegisnyc for the photo...

Schoolhouse Rock

Schoolapalooza, the annual fundraiser for the Children's Workshop School at 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C is tomorrow night (April 24).

Here are details via the EVG inbox...

It is from 6-10 p.m. at the Manny Cantor Center in the Educational Alliance building on East Broadway near Grand Street featuring beautiful downtown skyline views from the rooftop deck. Lisa Lisa (she is the principal Maria Velez-Clarke's sister) will perform around 9 p.m. as well as The Lonesome Cupcakes and a special surprise guest. Delicious food, great auction items and cocktails served in flashing disco ball cups. All proceeds fund programs at the Children's Workshop School, everything from the school band to class trips.

Find more details here. And find some No. 1 Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam singles here from 1987 — Lost in Emotion and Head to Toe.

Reader report: 421 E. 6th St. will house Peter M. Brant's personal art collection

On Tuesday night, reps for Peter M. Brant and his architect appeared again before CB3's Landmarks Committee to discuss a Certificate of Appropriateness application for 421 E. Sixth St., the building that the art collector-publisher-paper magnate bought last year for $27 million.



Among other modifications/additions, Brant's reps are calling for a rooftop terrace and a garden to the west of the building here between Avenue A and First Avenue. (Read more about the plans here.)

An EVG reader attended Tuesday's meeting, and shared this:

The building is intended to be a gallery space to display [Peter Brant's] personal art collection. The intention is to have approximately two shows per year, with the first show scheduled for Fall 2016. There would be an opening night event for each show. This is not intended to be a party space or a commercial space. Entrance to the gallery space will be by appointment only so there will not be people going in and out each day. On a daily basis, there should only be two people using the building, if even that. The maximum capacity of the building is 200 people.

The new garden in the empty lot next door is intended to be a sculpture garden to display the sculptures in the owner's collection. It also will be the main entrance because the current entrance on Sixth Street is not handicap accessible.

Demolition work is scheduled to begin in August and will last approximately two months. All work will be done during the day. There will be a telephone number that people can call if they have complaints about the construction.

The reps also said that they'd come speak to any concerned residents who live in Village View across the street to make sure everyone was comfortable with the plans.

And what about the 11 days of activities with the generators on East Seventh Street that culminated with an elegant dinner party for the world's top collectors of Dom Pérignon rosé? (The event, on the evening of March 26 — hours after the deadly Second Avenue explosion — featured a marching band playing outside at 1 a.m.)

The owner's rep also apologized for the party with the generators. She said that the owner lent the space to a friend as a favor and that the owner didn't realize it was going to be like that.

Previously on EV Grieve:
About that "giant-robot laboratory" on East Sixth Street

RIP Walter De Maria

What is your East Village dream home?

Walter De Maria's 'giant-robot laboratory' going for $25 million; inside is amazing as you'd expect

Walter De Maria's home/studio on East 6th Street is now on the market for $25 million

Rumor: The Brant Foundation buying Walter De Maria's E. 6th St. studio for an exhibition space (19 comments)

Confirmed: Peter M. Brant buys Walter De Maria's amazing East 6th Street home and studio

1st permits filed for renovation of Walter De Maria's former home-studio on East 6th Street

A soft opening at the Brant Foundation's new space at Walter De Maria's former East 6th Street studio

More about the 1st show at Walter De Maria's former home-studio on East 6th Street

Here's what Peter Brant wants to do with his new exhibition space on East 6th Street

When the world's top collectors of Dom Pérignon rosé came to the East Village for dinner

Johnny Favorite's now serving slices (and sorbet) on East 4th Street

Johnny Favorite's made its debut last Thursday at 240 E. Fourth St., just west of Avenue B.

The pizzeria is connected to Lovecraft, the bar-restaurant that opened last August at 50 Avenue B.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by to take a look…


[Pizzeria manager Jason]


[Lovecraft door man and menu guy Kadim]

A regular slice starts at $2, with the Ultimate slice (homemade tomato sauce, pepperoni, smoked bacon, sweet Italian sausage and mozzarella) going for $4 ...



Other item include calzones, specialty rolls and garlic knots…





Local school kids receive a free scoop of ice cream or sorbet with the purchase of a slice.

You can find the pizzeria's website here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Enter into a Lovecraftian atmosphere at Lovecraft Bar on Avenue B

The going rate to buy up an LES corner for a new development (spoiler: $75 million)

[EVG photo from March]

Not exactly hot off the presses... however, in case you missed this... On Monday, The Real Deal reported that Ben Shaoul and Real Estate Equities, a Midtown-based firm, paid $75 million for the one-level group of properties next to Katz's on East Houston and Orchard Street.

The $75 million ($5 million less than the asking price of Shaoul's Bloom62!) went to buy four properties from two different owners and the air rights over Katz's (who will remain in place).

As previously noted, coming soon some day: a 10-story building with 83 residential units spread out over 95,000-square feet... plus 13,500 square feet of ground-floor retail.



The Commercial Observer had more on the deal yesterday, noting, among other things, that Shaoul has not yet decided if the building will hold rental units or condominiums. Shaoul said that the project will work either way.

BoweryBoogie, who first reported last year that Shaoul was behind the new project, has more details here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Katz's is now the last business on East Houston between Ludlow and Orchard

Noted

Someone left behind a giant Brooklyn pencil in the ballfields/lot in Tompkins Square Park, EVG regular William Klayer reports…

Any explanations?