A 2nd Tompkins Square Bagels confirmed for former Open Pantry space on 2nd Avenue

[EVG photo from Jan. 29]

Christopher Pugliese, the owner of Tompkins Square Bagels at 165 Avenue A near East 10th Street, confirmed to us last night that he has a deal in place for a second location at 184 Second Ave.

He will be taking over the space that previously housed Open Pantry, the 45-year-old coffee shop/grocery between East 11th Street and East 12th Street that closed for good at the end of January.

The proprietors of Open Pantry also own the building.

"They specifically made it a point not to bring in a big corporate business," Pugliese told us via email. "They wanted to keep it local."

We'll have more details later about the timing of the opening of the second TSB shop. (Tompkins Square Bagels opened on Avenue A near East 10th Street in December 2011.)

"It's a go," he said. "I am very excited."

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 40-plus years, Open Pantry looks to be closing on 2nd Avenue

Rumor: Tompkins Square Bagels possibly opening a 2nd East Village location on 2nd Avenue

A sidewalk bridge now wraps around Veselka

On Saturday morning, we noticed that workers were erecting a sidewalk bridge around the building that houses Veselka on Second Avenue and East Ninth Street.

We asked Veselka owner Tom Birchard what happened. He tells us that several small pieces of masonry fell off the building on Thursday. They quickly notified the landlord, whose contractor started putting the sidewalk bridge into place on Friday.

"The landlord assures us that repairs will take place as quickly as possible but it may take a month just to get the necessary permits to start work," Birchard says. "Worst possible time of year for this to happen."

The sidewalk seating was able to return after workers finished the bridge.

Why Kennedy Fried Chicken is closing on East 14th Street

[Photo from Saturday morning]

The quick-serve chicken outlet is closing soon at 536 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. And it's not because of the usual reason for a closure — a rent hike.

EVG reader Jack, an East 14th Street resident, tells the story:

"Whether you liked its food or not, whether you made fun of its red/white Kentucky Fried Chicken-like awning, whether you were one of the drunks in line at 3 am wanting to feed your drunken stupor — Kennedy Fried Chicken has lost a court hearing brought by its landlady and must leave its 536 E. 14th St. location in three days. A dispute over repeated fines that the building's owner received from the city for non-compliance over recycling has forced the longtime East Village location to terminate its lease and vacate the rental property. Sad to see them leave. I will be curious to see who replaces them."

This article from the Times in 2004 has the rather interesting backstory of the Kennedy restaurants.

Met Foods checks out of its longtime 3rd Avenue home

We didn't get the chance to note this last week, when the Met Foods on Third Avenue between East 16th Street and East 17th Street closed for good. (Yes, not technically in the East Village, but we know some residents who live in the northern part of the neighborhood who shopped here.)

And we didn't did hear an official reason for the closure. The space is for rent via Solil Management. The listing doesn't seem to be online.

A sign on the window redirects would-be shoppers to the already crowded Associated on East 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A…



The store has mostly been cleared out…





A few items remain, such as the time clock and a cane...



EVG reader Harry Weiner alerted us to the store's last day. And here's what he had to say about the impending closure in February:

"It has been in the neighborhood for many years – one of the last old-school stores. It will be a great loss to many residents. Prices were reasonable," he said. "I'm sad about this. I live nearby and have been shopping there for about 18 years. There are many longtime employees who will lose their jobs.

"Frankly, it's my favorite neighborhood store because it's a vestige of a fading grocery store era and reminds me of my Brooklyn youth."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Met Foods on 3rd Avenue in Gramercy Park is closing (19 comments)

Week in Grieview

[Outside Davey's Ice Cream on 1st Avenue yesterday via Derek Berg]

A makeshift memorial for East Village explosion victims Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Ismael Locón Yac on 2nd Avenue (Thursday and Saturday)

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

The Wall Street Journal on the ongoing issues at Icon Realty's 128 2nd Ave. (Tuesday)

Ben Ari Arts is a shell of its former self on Avenue A (Tuesday)

San Marzano reopens (Friday)

The Stage donates its bulk food and supplies (Friday)

Out and About with Mildred Guy (Wednesday)

Rumor: Tompkins Square Bagels possibly opening a 2nd East Village location on 2nd Avenue (Monday, 32 comments)

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

More about Babu Ji, opening next month on Avenue B (Wednesday)

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

Tuome back in business after a kitchen fire (Wednesday)

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

T-swirl crêpes for where Subway's 6-inch subs once roamed on East 14th Street (Monday)

Ben Shaoul and friends paid $75 million for the one-level group of properties next to Katz's on East Houston and Orchard Street (Thursday)

SenYa now open on 1st Avenue (Wednesday)

5 weeks in, Long Bay closes for now (Wednesday)

First Avenue bagel update (Tuesday)

And a Black Seed bagels check-in (Tuesday)

Earth Day rainbow! (Thursday)

First look at Pancake Paradise on Avenue C (Monday)

NatureEs calls: About the organic cafe coming to where Mars Bar 2.0 was in the works (Tuesday)

What lies beneath the Moishe's sign (Wednesday)

From pudding to macaroni at 102 St. Mark's Place (Monday)

Zoltar moves to the left (Friday)

And Rosie's opened on Friday, and by Saturday the "s" was burned out here on Second Avenue and East Second Street …


[Photo via Spike]

Report of an early morning fire at 186 1st Ave.

[Photo via ‏@mtg543]

There was a report of a fire early this morning at 186 First Ave. between East 11th Street and East 12th Street … several readers who live nearby reported smelling smoke…

The official @FDNY Twitter account notes the fire at 3:23 a.m.

MAN ALL HANDS 186 1 AVE, MULTIPLE DWELLING TOP FLR FIRE,

— FDNY (@FDNY) April 26, 2015

#FDNY is on the scene of a building fire on 186 1st Ave that started on the top floor. #Manhattan pic.twitter.com/hbtulxXQTQ

— Allison Papson (@AllisonPapson) April 26, 2015

It appears that they had the fire under control fairly quickly …

MAN ALL HANDS 186 1 AVE, MULTIPLE DWELLING TOP FLR FIRE, UNDER CONTROL

— FDNY (@FDNY) April 26, 2015

No word on the cause of the extent of the damage at this time.

Updated 9:17 a.m.

The fire apparently started in an apartment in the back of the building…

[Updating] Report of a shooting on East 6th Street

There's a crime scene developing on East Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B… closer to B.

Woah. Apparently there was just a shooting on E. 6th St. #EastVillage

— Kevin Frankenfeld (@kpf) April 25, 2015

Witnesses reported hearing a single gun shot inside 538 E. Sixth St. And there is an unconfirmed report that the man shot was an undercover NYPD officer.

Said a witness at the scene: "I think there was a scuffle and then the single shot. I heard that. Other people who happened to be right there said they heard a scuffle.

Updated 2:19 p.m.

Three people brought out of the building on stretchers, one definitely unconscious. #EastVillage #shooting #6thSt pic.twitter.com/1vNg6iFQQH

— brianna daley okada (@briannadaley) April 25, 2015

Updated 2:34 p.m.

Per PIX 11:

A man is in critical condition after a police-involved shooting.

Two detectives were conducting an investigation at East 6th Street just before 2 p.m. when the shooting occurred.

No other info at the moment.

Updated 2:49 p.m.

@briannadaley @evgrieve sidewalks blocked close to av b and e 6th pic.twitter.com/JmE0gEsDsR

— Salim (@salim) April 25, 2015

Updated 2:52 p.m.

From the Post:

A man was shot and critically wounded by police in the East Village, sources said.

Two police officers suffered lacerations to their heads but it wasn’t immediately clear if they were attacked by the suspect.

Updated 2:58 p.m.



Updated 3:08 p.m.

The Daily News reports that the two officers shot a man in the following an altercation. There aren't many other details at the moment.

According to people at the scene, the house in question includes a drug-treatment facility and that the suspect was trying to steal methadone. (All unconfirmed.)

Updated 3:29 p.m.

From the crime reporter at the Post...

A violent criminal attacked two cops with a police radio before he was shot dead. POs are going 2 be OK @nypost @NYPD9Pct #EastVillage

— Natasha Velez (@Philellina) April 25, 2015

Updated 3:41 p.m.

The Post confirms that the suspect was shot dead.

Police shot and killed a man as they tried to arrest him Saturday at an East Village halfway house, authorities said.

Detectives from the 26th Precinct in Harlem tried to arrest the suspect around 1:45 p.m. at a facility for people released from psychiatric institutions near the intersection of East 6th Street and Avenue A.

The suspect grabbed one of the detectives’ radios, and then hit the detective over the head, said sources.

Updated 8:30 p.m.

The Times has an updated story. Here's some of their report:

When they confronted him on the sixth floor, he jumped out a window and climbed down the fire escape, Chief O’Neill said. The detectives were able to catch up to him on the first floor.

“A violent physical struggle ensued, during which the suspect grabbed one of the police officer’s walkie-talkies and struck the detective in the head,” Chief O’Neill said.

The struggle lasted for about five minutes he said, ending when one of the detectives fired a single shot into the man’s torso.

The detectives, who were in plain clothes and who were not identified, each had over 20 years with the department.

Updated 8:36 p.m.

Some photos from the scene this afternoon via Edward Arrocha …







Updated 7 a.m., 4/26



Dave on 7th notes that there was a lone protestor last night on Avenue A at East Sixth Street … with signs reading "disarm the NYPD" and others…

Updated 12:35 p.m.

The Post identifies the victim as Felix David, 22, who was wanted for "beating and robbing a female acquaintance in a classroom building at City College in Harlem on Thursday evening."

The Post also reported that some of the five-minute struggle between David and the NYPD officers was captured on video.

A block party to welcome 20 new trees on East 14th Street

There's a block party until 5 p.m. today on East 14th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.

As a resident shares with us:

"It's to celebrate the arrival of 20 trees. This took about five years of petitioning the city … and is pioneering because the infrastructure on this block with the Con Edison steam pipes running along here made it tricky. Previously no trees were able to be planted here."

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