Happy Thanksgiving

Hope that you are enjoying the day cooking, eating, thanking, visiting, avoiding, etc.

Here come the wooden display racks for the Christmas tree of your dreams

The usual Christmas/holiday stand is going up now on East Houston and Essex... haven't walked around all the usual spots just yet (such as outside Rite Aid on First Avenue at Fifth Street, 14th Street and First Avenue, St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue) ...

However, there's a stand coming to a different location this season — Second Avenue at Seventh Street...



...outside the empty lot that housed the three buildings that were destroyed during the deadly gas explosion in March 2015. Perhaps this is an effort to make the corner more festive ... or just bad judgement.

Updated 6:30 p.m.

Lola Sáenz shares a pic of a snowperson going up the pole...



Updated 11/24

Thanks to the commenter who pointed out the arrival of the Santa RV on 14th Street and First Avenue...



Updated 11/28

There's also a tree stand on East Houston near Avenue C...

Out and About in the East Village (part 2)

In this ongoing feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Eric Paulin
Occupation: Musician
Location: Tompkins Square Park
Time: Thursday, Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m.

In part 1, Paulin, a native New Yorker, discussed coming to the East Village starting in the summer of 1968 to see shows at the Fillmore East.

I’ve been in my building since May of 1979, so I’m coming up on 38 years. I’ve had some bad experiences with a couple of bad landlords in this neighborhood who owned my building. When I moved in, there was a great and extremely interesting person who owned the building named Kent Cooper. He was an East Village hero in my opinion. He was a writer, and he owned a small record company. They recorded jazz, blues, avant-garde jazz and blues-rock. He ran the record company out of his apartment.

Everybody on the block respected Kent. He did a lot of people favors. Kent bought the building for an extremely good price in the early 1970s, and he was actually struggling at the time. It was a lot of money for him; he had to take out a bank loan, and he worked tooth and nail to keep that building going. He would do repairs himself, and he did whatever he could.

If tenants were late on rent, he would give them a break. He would let me work off rent sometimes by doing superintendent duties, or by helping him and a couple contractors do work. He had a big heart, especially for creative people who were struggling or having a hard time — who weren’t using drugs, weren’t drinking ... who were just basically trying to fight the good fight with their creative pursuits.

Unfortunately, Kent sold the building in February 1987 to an extremely bad landlord. They started a renovation process in the building that should have taken six months or less. It was basically a gut renovation of 10 units and there was myself and another older gentlemen in the building. The renovation ended up taking 13 or 14 months, and the owners and contractors put myself and the older tenant through a living hell.

I was in housing court with them from mid-summer of 1988 until late fall of 1991. Because I was a freelance musician, I would do a gig, get home sometimes at 2 or 3 in the morning, sleep for a few hours, and then put on a shirt and tie and go to housing court with my documents, my HPD reports and my photographs. I was very organized. The whole thing was an excruciating process.

We were able to withhold our rent and put it in an escrow account, which the judge approved. In the end, I ended up winning the case, and I got what they called a landmark decision against my landlord, which was a decision in a court of law where that combination of elements had never come together to form that kind of case, therefore getting a certain decision on that case. Because it was a pretty cut-and-dry matter, it should have been solved in a few months, but because the landlord was dragging out and was not showing up to court and was constantly lying and trying to deceive the court and even their own lawyer about what happened.

In the spring of 1991, the building went into receivership because they weren’t paying the bank. So they weren’t paying their bank; they weren’t paying their lawyer; and they also weren’t paying their contractors who worked in the building.

So I won my court case, but about a year and a half later, I was in court with the next landlord, who actually turned out to be a very decent landlord, and a much better landlord than some others. We resolved that case out of mutual consent, and we were able to work it out between us without any problems. They offered me money to leave. It seemed like a lot of money at the time, and it especially would have been to a lot of lower income or struggling people, who might have taken the buyout. But I didn’t do it, because I thought to myself, I love New York, and if I leave, there’s no way I’ll be able to come back and be able to afford to live here.

My first experiences playing music in Tompkins Square Park go back to 1981. The park was dangerous and there was a lot of crime. I would walk through here because I knew how to handle myself in the neighborhood, and because people knew me, but the drug dealers were using a lot of homeless people to help them sell drugs or whatever. We used to play different places in the park, me and three or four of my jazz buddies. I think people appreciate that there’s jazz in Tompkins Square Park, where all these great jazz musicians lived in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

In those days, we actually used to do very well busking. We used to busk in Washington Square Park in the late 1970s with a jazz quartet and jazz quintet. We were one of the first groups to do it. In those days, I could just go on forever busking, and you could actually make very decent money busking in the late 1970s and early 1980s, because you didn’t have a lot of laws.

Today, we have a permit with the MTA, the Music Under New York Program, and when we don’t have a gig, we can been seen playing in the subway once or twice a week, where I also play with my jazz quartet. We play usually either on Friday or Saturday night, usually at 34th Street and 6th Avenue or Times Square.

My wife is also in the group, which is named The Meetles. We started from a meet-up group where we would talk about the Beatles. We specialize in classic rock ... and it’s nice to bring that to the East Village, because a lot of that was born and developed because of the Fillmore East and all of these great clubs all up and down St. Mark's Place.

In the end, I hope that the East Village and all neighborhoods like the East Village retain their original character and identity. I love walking up and down the streets in New York and seeing the old buildings that have been up for 120 years. I love Tompkins Square Park. I love the old architecture. I love the old timers who have interesting stories to tell. I love the creative people and the interesting people.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

Thanksgiving Week at the Bowery Mission

[Image via @BoweryMission]

The Bowery Mission is celebrating its 137th Thanksgiving Week. Yesterday, James Winans, the Bowery Mission's chief development officer, shared a few details about the around-the-clock preparations ...

During its 137th annual Thanksgiving Week celebration, The Bowery Mission will serve more than 11,000 meals — 7,000 on Thanksgiving Day alone — to men, women and children in all five boroughs of New York City and in Newark, N.J.

On Thanksgiving day at the Mission’s flagship location (227 Bowery between Prince and Rivington Streets), more than 650 volunteers will prepare traditional turkey dinners and serve 1,800 guests in the Mission’s century-old chapel filled with music and festive decorations for the holiday.

Meals will be served at 227 Bowery every hour on the hour from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition to a turkey dinner, each guest will receive a brand new coat and a “blessing bag” including socks, a winter hat, gloves, and hygiene items.

The food and gifts, as well as financial support, have been donated over several weeks by a diverse array of generous donors. We appreciate the support from the following partners:

• Major Partner: The Hain Celestial Group, Inc
• Partners: Bombas, Buzzfeed
• Supporters: Bloomberg, Con Edison, Deutsche Bank, Kenneth Cole Productions, Warner Bros. Entertainment

Frozen: A Raphael Toledano-style turkey dinner on 12th Street for residents without cooking gas

[Image via Facebook]

Residents at the Raphael Toledano-owned 325 E. 12th St. say they have been without gas for cooking for more than six months now. Yesterday morning, some of the tenants, along with other members of the Toledano Tenant Coalition, held a protest and "Toledano-Style Turkey Dinner" — featuring Banquet frozen turkey dinners — here between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

A handful of tenants announced that they are taking the under-investigation landlord to court. Here's more via an advisory from the Cooper Square Committee:

Now eight of the tenants are fighting Raphael Toledano in court for an order to restore the gas — one that his lawyers are vehemently resisting. While Mr. Toledano and his agents are likely enjoying warm and cozy kitchens filled with the aroma of holiday cooking, the kitchens of 325 East 12th Street will be cold & empty… except, perhaps, for the echo of Mr. Toledano, spouting empty promises of gas restoration and better relations with his tenants. Mr. Toledano has refused to meet face to face with tenants and elected officials on two occasions and opted to send his legal team (Belkin Burden Wenig & Goldman, LLP) instead.

And a statement:

"The Toledano Tenant Coalition believes that Mr. Toledano continues to harass tenants by unreasonable non-renewal of leases and through slow, poorly managed building construction designed to make tenant’s homes unlivable. The coalition also asserts that Mr. Toledano has irresponsibly forced both stabilized and market rate tenants to live for months without cooking gas in buildings overrun with vermin. The coalition remains committed to ending what they see as Mr. Toledano’s campaign against the tenants that call his buildings home."

Sen. Brad Hoylman also attended yesterday's protest...

Tenants at 325 E 12th St won't have cooked meals this #Thanksgiving because landlord has denied them gas for 7 mos. This is unacceptable! pic.twitter.com/fVfKABxg8z

— Senator Brad Hoylman (@bradhoylman) November 22, 2016

Bedford + Bowery has more on yesterday's Toledano-turkey gathering here.

Back in August, Toledano’s Brookhill Properties held a poorly received ice cream social for its residents, including the 12th Street tenants without gas for cooking. At the time, a Toledano spokesperson told The Real Deal that it was up to Con Ed and the city to address the situation. However, a Con Ed rep said that the shutdown at No. 325 "was prompted by an internal gas leak at the 12th Street building and that the company can’t restore service until Toledano makes necessary repairs."

Toledano, who told a reporter for The Real Deal in June that he's "worth a fuckload of money, bro," has been accused of a variety of predatory practices. In addition, 20 of his buildings were tested for toxic levels of dust. In May, Toledano agreed to pay more than $1 million to settle a lawsuit that alleged that he harassed rent-regulated residents at 444 E. 13th St.

He is currently selling several buildings from his East Village portfolio.

Get smart at this new cafe on Lafayette

Back in July, we noted that a café/coffee shop was in the works for 372 Lafayette St. called Honeybrains. At the time, there wasn't much info available about the concept.

Here's more about Honeybrains, opening this week here between Bond and Great Jones, via their website:

Honeybrains was sparked by a conversation between three siblings, which evolved into a deeper exploration of the relationship between ingredients, health, and flavor. One of the siblings is a neurologist who has spent years studying how nutrition and lifestyle affect brain function. His research became a focal point of their discussion.

Ultimately, this conversation led to the creation of new recipes, and a new experience, with the well-being of people at their core. Together, they started Honeybrains to translate the most reliable, collective scientific knowledge about brain health – which is intimately related to body health – into enjoyable foods, drinks, and experiences.

Dr. Alon Seifan, who co-owns the café with siblings Galit and Tomer, worked as an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine’s neurology facility, according to a Honeybrains feature in the Post yesterday.

Per the Post: "Honeybrains, which the threesome claim is the first café dedicated to brain wellness, is in part dedicated to fighting diseases like Alzheimer’s."

Among other things, the 35-seat grab-and-go-style café features a HoneyBar (raw honey) as well as breakfast offerings such as
power oatmeal with quinoa, spiced coconut milk and manuka honey and a variety of toasts, including kale crunch and avocado smash.

You can find the rest of the menu here.

Report: Mike Pence supporter arrested for alleged racist tirade, pepper-spray attack at 14th Street diner

Two women, who are Chinese-American, were eating early Sunday morning at the Lower East Side Coffee Shop on 14th Street near Avenue A. One of the women, Sally Wen Mao, a Brooklyn-based poet, shared details of the ugly scene that transpired at the diner via Twitter and Facebook on Sunday. (Several EVG readers shared her Facebook post with us.)

Sadly, I am not surprised about what happened — it was only a matter of time before I would experience this shit personally.

Last night around 2AM I was eating in a 14th Street diner, Lower East Side Coffee Shop, with a friend. Just as we were eating, a loud angry man came in, sat in the booth behind ours, and started complaining about Hamilton, how disgusting and "racist" they were to Pence.

Right behind me, he started rambling loudly, complaining about "so-called minorities." It was really hard to be physically near and intolerable to hear that kind of racist bile, so at some point, I said lower your voice, we are just trying to eat. Then we switched seats to the corner.

Inevitably the Trump supporter got aggressive and told us to go back to Tokyo (!), then called us c**** and whores. At which point I wasn't having it with his racism and misogyny — I splashed my water across his face.
He escalated, called the police and said he would have me arrested all the while calling us derogatory slurs. The guy who was working at the diner (presumably the owner) said and did nothing as we couldn't believe the venom we were getting from this angry dangerous man.

The Trump supporter then blockaded the door to prevent us from leaving the diner, trapping us inside for over an hour. We were physically afraid to go near the door for fear of what he would do to us. He was describing me to the police on his phone, saying that he was for sure pressing charges, sickeningly staring at me and making comments about my appearance. We sat with other women who witnessed the whole thing and were horrified (they showed solidarity to us and said that they would support us if the police asked for the story). More racist sexist shit poured out of him, "c*** whores," he wasn't very creative. So I splashed another glass of water on his face.

The police arrived, asking what happened. They took down my ID, said splashing water is not something they can arrest me for. The sad thing is this white man believed so much in the racism of his fellow white man and the system — a system that has already been broken, and he understands this system benefits him without being informed of what he can or cannot charge someone for. He was trying to engage with other white men and the police officers in a "us" versus "them" way. And sadly, playing the role of demure harmless Asian woman worked in getting the cops to dismiss it, and I recognize my privilege. Eventually after over an hour, the cops had to palliate him, he grew more and more angry over why they weren't arresting me, ranting about "men's rights."

UPDATED: A woman who was there with me and witnessed the whole thing told me that after my friend and I left, there was an incident. A Latino man came in with two of his friends as we were waiting for the police to hand us back my ID and sat in the booth we sat in. As we were exiting, he asked us if we were okay, and I told him a very, very brief version of the story ...

What happened next was also extremely upsetting. The woman told me that the man who asked us if we were okay, told the Trump supporter that he would not tolerate racism. Then the Trump guy took out pepper spray and sprayed it directly into the man's face. That man had to go to the emergency room. At that point, the woman was definitely trying to leave, and the Trump supporter pushed her, and the pepper spray got into one of her friend's eyes too.
The Trump supporter was arrested as the police saw what happened.

But a person who demonstrated empathy, who stood up against racism and said he would not tolerate it, had to go to the emergency room. That person was hurt. We are not safe.

Gothamist has an account of the incident here. The woman at the diner who witnessed what happened is a Mic News reporter, and she shared her version of the events here.

Gothamist also has more details about the man's arrest:

Police arrested Frank Camino, 56, at 2:52 a.m. on Sunday. He's since been charged with assault in the second degree and possession of a weapon, specifically pepper spray. According to a criminal complaint, Camino sprayed a man in the face and eyes with a can of pepper spray, causing swelling, redness and pain.

A spokesman for the NYPD confirmed that Camino was also the man who called 911 to report being splashed with water. Prosecutors and police did not provide details on the arguments that promoted both interactions. Camino's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment; Camino himself could not be reached.

As for why the diner's staff didn't come to assist the women, a manager there told Gothamist that he "had no idea."

The 2nd Avenue location of Tompkins Square Bagels is now open

[Photo of Garrett the manager yesterday by Lola Sáenz]

After a test run yesterday, the new location of Tompkins Square Bagels officially opens today at 184 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. Owner Christopher Pugliese said that their hours for now will be 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. (and possibly 5 p.m.).

There have been several delays with the renovations here. Pugliese's build out got bogged down, in part, by city bureaucracy. As he said last December: "The killer is, the DOB approved all of our major alterations very quickly. They came back to us with a list of about 12 minor objections and asked us to make adjustments. Little things like 'move this staircase six inches to the right,' or 'put the skylight here instead of there.' That has been dragging on for months."

And most recently there was an electrical problem with the main line to the building.

The original Tompkins Square Bagels, which debuted in December 2011, remains open at 165 Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street.

Pugliese previously said that there will be several items only available at the Second Avenue outpost, such as knishes from Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery and bialys. [Bialys not here yet!]

Previously on EV Grieve:
A 2nd Tompkins Square Bagels confirmed for former Open Pantry space on 2nd Avenue

Tompkins Square Bagels makes it official on 2nd Avenue

The new Tompkins Square Bagels will arrive before the 2nd Avenue subway

Video: An in-progress look at Tompkins Square Bagels, opening this month on 2nd Avenue

Storefronts at 110 E. 7th St. for rent

The for rent sign showed up this past Friday at 110 E. Seventh St., the former home of Porchetta.

The 8-year-old, quick-serve restaurant, which specialized in Italian-style roast pork sandwiches and platters, closed several weeks ago here between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Co-owner Matt Lindemulder told me that he was exploring several options and was looking forward to getting Porchetta up and running as soon as possible in a new location.

And it appears that both retail spaces at the address are available, according to the listing. (The rent is available upon request.) The other space housed Salon Seven. I do not know their status at the moment.

Neither here nor there but the Winick listing has a rundown of the neighboring businesses, four of which have closed or relocated.

The landlord is listed as Jakobson Properties.

It now seems like Thanksgiving with the Thanksgiving Special at the Odessa

I was getting worried that, perhaps, the Odessa at 119 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place was not going to offer its annual Thanksgiving Special this year. But! Signage finally went up on Sunday. (Last year, for instance, the sign arrived one whole week before Thanksgiving.)

The complete dinner price remains the same as in recent years — $18.95. (Management bumped it from $15.95 to $18.95 for Thanksgiving 2014.)

As always, I am thankful for the Odessa's homemade sign. And where do they store it year round?

Village Grannies bringing water pipes and smoking accessories to 9th Street

Signage is up at 346 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue... where a smoke shop called Village Grannies is prepping to open its doors..



A quick look inside shows a variety of water pipes on display ...



Not sure if they're really for grannies, or maybe just their new roommates.

As far as we can recall, the space was previously residential.

Thanks to Steven for the photos

Mayor de Blasio calls for unity during anti-hate rally at Cooper Union this morning

"We have a special obligation in NYC to be an example ... we're the greatest city in the world & to lead by example" #AlwaysNewYork pic.twitter.com/PxEOOBBuC8

— NYC ImmigrantAffairs (@NYCImmigrants) November 21, 2016

Mayor de Blasio spoke at Cooper Union's Great Hall this morning to continue spreading a message of unity in NYC.

Per the Daily News:

De Blasio ... said it's important for New York to be at the forefront of a burgeoning anti-Trump movement because this city has always been a beacon of opportunity all over the world.

He urged the crowd — which twice gave him a standing ovation — to "always be proud of our values."

"The president-elect talked during the campaign about the movement that he had built. Now its our turn to build a movement, a movement of the majority," he said.

You can read a full transcript of his speech here ... including remarks by First Lady Chirlane McCray. Other speakers were FDNY chaplain Rev. Ann Kansfield, Rabbi Joseph Potasnik and NYPD chaplain Imam Khalid Latif.

To all of you – we will protect you. This is your home. We are #AlwaysNewYork.

— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) November 21, 2016

A single election does not change who we are - we are 8.5 million strong. We are #AlwaysNewYork.

— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) November 21, 2016

Oh Christmas trees on St. Mark's Place

Workers at St. Mark's Market were putting out the Christmas/holiday trees this evening here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...and these mark the first [full-size] trees that we've seen this season.

Also on this block, the three decorative holiday lights went up this past weekend...

Barnyard Cheese and Brix Wine Shop moving from Avenue C to Avenue B

[Reader-submitted photo on Avenue B]

Avenue B will soon be home to two familiar East Village businesses: Barnyard Cheese and Brix Wine. The two sister shops will be side by side at 168 and 170 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street. (The Avenue B spaces were previously home to the bistro 26 Seats and the motorcycle apparel shop Klutch.)

Moving signs are up at the now-closed location of Barnyard Cheese Shop at 149 Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street...





Brix Wine was just around the corner at 649 E. Ninth St. ...



"We are excited about the moves and the opportunity to have both stores side by side, which was always the dream but never quite attained on Avenue C, although we came close," Barnyard/Brix owner Beatriz Arremony told us via email.

Arremony said that the move will allow them to expand their offerings. Barnyard will now finally have a full kitchen and unveil a number of new items beyond their meats, cheeses and sandwiches. In addition, she said that Brix will offer small-group educational courses, including menu planning, as well as in-store tastings. (No word on an official opening date just yet — but soon.)

"We will miss our corner of 9th and C and the great community that we've been part of for the last nine years but hope to continue to do the same on the B side," she said.

Healthfully has closed on 4th Street

Last Monday, we posted how several EVG readers were worried about the longterm health of Healthfully Organic Market, 98 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. The shop had been keeping irregular hours and unveiled a 40-percent-off inventory sale.

Unfortunately, in this case, there was reason for concern: Workers cleared out the store on Friday...





We heard a variety of [unofficial] reasons for the closure, from the expiration of the lease to a decline in business due to the Dolphin Gym closing next door.

Hot Pot Central sets up shop on 2nd Avenue and 12th Street

New Hot Pot Central signage went up on Saturday evening, as this photo via EVG reader Harry Weiner shows...

The restaurant on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and 12th Street emerged as DumplingGuo back in August ... after a revamp of the Dumpling Go space.

Not sure if the Hot Pot Central/DumplingGuo ownership is the same ... In any event, HPC, which is open for business, is currently hiring...



... and filming a documentary...

Former Grand Sichuan space for rent on St. Mark's Place

As we noted at the beginning of the month, Grand Sichuan closed in the upper level at 19-23 St. Mark's Place ... there was a 30-day notice of termination taped to the front door here between Third Avenue and Second Avenue.

The for rent sign arrived on Friday. The listing hasn't been posted yet online. So no word on the rent.

Shu Han Ju II takes over for Mulan East on 3rd Avenue

The nearly 11-month reign of Mulan East is over at 98 Third Ave. ... the restaurant between 10th Street and 11th Street is now Shu Han Ju II, which offers a variety of familiar Chinese specialities on the menu...



The owners were on the CB3 docket this month for a beer-wine license for the space. (This did not need board approval.)

There is also a Shu Han Ju, which opened in 2014 on Sixth Avenue at 11th Street.

Until July 2015, No. 98 housed the Thai restaurant Bodhi Tree.

Week in Grieview

[Photo in Tompkins Square Park by Bobby Williams]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

RIP Carmen Pabón (Wednesday)

Annual New York Cares coat drive underway (Thursday)

A new art gallery on Second Street (Friday)

Village View ends talk of privatization (Monday)

Out and About with Eric Paulin (Wednesday)

A look at East Houston before the arrival of Red Square (Friday)

McSorley's reopens after bout with DOH (Monday)

Patisserie Florentine coming soon to 10th Street (Tuesday)

Chipping away the exterior detail at 112-120 E. 11th St. (Friday)

East Village is closing after tonight (Saturday)

FryGuysNYC coming soon to Second Street (Thursday)

Vivi Bubble Tea coming to former Organic Avenue space on Third Avenue (Monday)

Report: Pretty ugly AMC Village 7 building sells for $32 million (Thursday)

CB3 douses plans for hookah bar Fire and Ice on Third Street (Thursday)

Ray's Candy Store named best East Village restaurant (Thursday)

Kati Roll Company is now open on Second Avenue (Tuesday)

The cube and Astor Place officially welcomed with ribbon cutting (Wednesday) Then Astor Place closes for "Game of Thrones" fan event (Thursday)

East Village Burritos & Bar is now Spicewala Bar Indian Cuisine (Monday)

Dean & Deluca vet bringing Fat Cat Kitchen to 14th Street (Tuesday)

Switch Playground now open on 12th Street "for the body and soul" (Wednesday)

Future Swiss Institute gets the plywood treatment on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Monday)

Coyote Ugly opens its first location in Kyrgyzstan (Wednesday)

The pilot program to house NYU students with local seniors

The Post brings news of a pilot program that NYU will debut next fall in partnership with University Settlement, a Lower East Side nonprofit that provides social services to low-income seniors.

Per the Post:

Students who opt in to the “home stay” program would slice their $14,000-per-year housing bill in half.

Under the plan, cash-strapped students will get a break on rent, and seniors will get extra cash.

While the the initial program "will consist of 10 mature juniors, seniors or grad students," the Post dropped in this lead: "Beer pong at Grandma’s?"

There is a similar housing program for college students in Chicago.