[Click on image for more detail]
Here's this week's NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood (and sometimes elsewhere).
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Grant Shaffer's NY See
[Click on image for more detail]
Here's this week's NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood (and sometimes elsewhere).
[Updated] Sick red-tailed fledgling taken away from Tompkins Square Park for evaluation
[Photo by Goggla]
In recent days we've enjoyed watching the younger of the two red-tailed fledglings frolicking in Tompkins Square Park.
However, as Goggla noted, Amelia and Christo's older fledgling has kept a lower profile, staying perched in a tree.
And yesterday, the hawklet looked unwell. NYC Urban Park Rangers Rob Mastrianni and Nick Baisley came to the Park, and took the hawklet to the Animal Medical Center for testing and evaluation, Goggla reported.
Here's a video of the capture...
Visit Goggla's site for more photos and updates.
Updated 7/29
Unfortunately the fledgling died early this morning. Early test results showed anemia and exposure to rodenticide. More to come...
Vegan Love arrives on 10th Street
Vegan Love is now in soft-open mode (as of Tuesday) in the former Quintessence space on 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.
As we understand it, the chef from Quintessence is behind this raw-food venture. Vegan Love offers a smallish menu featuring several burgers (guac and mushroom) as well as a variety of create-your-own salads. In addition, there are sides, including daily soups, air-baked sweet potatoes and squash mac and cheese, as well as smoothies and desserts.
While there are several tables and stools inside, given the menu items, it looks to be a good to-go option.
Quintessence, the 17-year-old raw-food cafe, closed back in late June without any notice for patrons on its website or social-media properties. The space has been under renovation this past month.
Previously
Revamped McDonald's ready to reopen on 14th Street
[Photo from July 2 by Tara Cox]
The McDonald's at 404 E. 14th St. near First Avenue closed back on July 2 for an interior-exterior renovation combo... and yesterday, a new McDonald's sign arrived ... EVG regular Greg Masters shared these photos...
This McDonald's was expected to reopen sometime today...
You can see the difference now in the facade...
[Google Street View from November]
Not sure of the extent of the makeover inside just yet. The McDonald's on Essex and Delancey reopened in April after a five-month renovation. Changes there included the arrival of digital self-order kiosks, table service and mobile ordering.
Perhaps the renovation will help boost those Yelp reviews here. Some one-star Yelpers state that this is among the worst McDonald's in the city.
Report: 14th Street busway debuts in January to prep for the upcoming L-train stoppage
[Not really an M14 bus]
The city and MTA have decided to get an early start on converting 14th Street into a bus-only corridor ... beginning on Jan. 6 — three-plus months ahead of L-mageddon time.
City officials said that they need the extra months to test M14 SBS service and make adjustments before the shutdown begins.
amNY first had the story:
To ensure buses are up to the task of absorbing some of that crowd, the city and MTA plan to institute bus-only restrictions on 14th Street between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m., seven days a week. The restrictions will be in place between Ninth and Third avenues eastbound, and Third and Eighth avenues westbound. A DOT spokeswoman said the city is hashing out “specific access points” for local traffic and trucks.
The SBS route will initially make five stops between First Avenue and Tenth Avenue. The SBS route will complement existing M14A and M14D service so that buses will arrive every two minutes during morning and evening rush hours. Combined, the local and SBS service is expected to handle about 84,000 riders per day.
The shutdown of the L — between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue to repair the Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel — is expected to last 15 months.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Cars to give way to a bus-only corridor most hours on 14th Street during the L-train shutdown
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Full moon rising: Read and share stories in the Green Oasis Garden gazebo
[Image via Facebook]
Via the EVG inbox...
Join the Green Oasis Garden’s Little Library book & story share on the full moon
• Share what you are reading and/or tell a story
• Donate or swap a gently used book* for the little library (optional)
7-9 pm at the Green Oasis Garden gazebo, Eighth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D.
Thursday, July 26 (rain date Friday, July 27)
Monday, Aug. 27 (a day late, we know...)
Tuesday, Sept. 25
Wednesday, Oct. 24
All ages - 12 and under with an adult please
*Children’s, teen, eclectic, Arabic, Chinese, French, or Spanish books appreciated
... and the info in flyer form...
The East Fifth Street Tree Committee helps expedite removal of these downed branches
There are several reports of downed tree limbs in the neighborhood these past 18 hours or so with the rain and strong winds ... starting on Fifth Street near Cooper Square, where two large branches fell yesterday afternoon, landing near the Standard East Village.
Per the EVG inbox: "The East Fifth Street Tree Committee was on the job and contacted the Parks Department immediately." There weren't any injuries reported.
Meanwhile, there were reports of a small branch down at the entrance to Tompkins Square Park at Avenue A ... and a limb fell across Sixth Street near Avenue B.
Previously on EV Grieve:
The East Fifth St. Tree Committee back in action
The East Fifth St. Tree Committee is alive and well, and they do not mess around
And now, a word from the East Fifth St. Tree Committee
The East Fifth St. Tree Committee reveals its policy about carts
Summer begins with random bags of soil and a note from the East Fifth St. Tree Committee
Demolition watch: 321 E. 13th St., future home of the new Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Hospital
There isn't much left of 321 E. 13th St., a former 14-floor building here between Second Avenue and First Avenue that previously housed training physicians and staff of the nearby New York Eye and Ear Infirmary...
As previously reported back in the fall of 2016, the Mount Sinai Health System is in the midst of its years-long project to rebuild Mount Sinai Beth Israel, transitioning to a network of smaller facilities throughout lower Manhattan. The plans include an expanded facility on 14th Street and Second Avenue.
This new, 70-bed Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital will apparently go up where No. 321 previously stood and be ready, optimistically, sometime in 2021.
Here's more info from a Mount Sinai FAQ page:
Central to the downtown transformation is the new Mount Sinai Downtown Beth Israel inpatient hospital, and a brand new state-of-the-art Emergency Department (ED), located at 14th Street near Second Avenue – just two blocks south of the current MSBI campus. The hospital will feature operating and procedure rooms, lab services and imaging equipment, and will be able to handle general surgeries such as gall bladder, hernia and appendectomies.
The ED will accept ambulances and will be able to handle all of the same emergencies that the current ED handles, including: broken bones, asthma attacks, appendicitis, heart attacks, pneumonia, stroke and all other emergencies. It will also include a pediatric ED. Services at the existing MSBI ED will continue without interruption until the new facility opens, which is expected in about four years.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mount Sinai's 13th Street residential building
[No. 321 in 2016]
Tatsu Ramen debuts on 1st Avenue
Tatsu Ramen, with two locations in Los Angeles, opened its first NYC outpost last evening at 167 First Ave.
For now, Tatsu will be opening in the evening hours...
Here's more about Tatsu, via their website:
Tatsu was founded by a handful of tight-knit USC family who fell in love with Tokyo and ramen. Having tasted the best, we went on a mission to find the best ramen in LA — and were terribly disappointed.
This sparked our (neon) lightbulb to bring Tokyo "home" to LA. We reimagined the typical Japanese ordering vending machine as iPads and flew multiple chefs from Japan to deconstruct the chemistry-laden recipes and have them painstakingly house-made from scratch with natural ingredients (and tough love!).
We shocked the ramen traditionalists by also offering gluten-free option, 100% chicken and vegan broth.
"Tatsu" means dragon and opened its door in 2012, the year of the dragon. It has since become an LA institution that’s frequented by A-listers, hipsters and blacklisters.
You can find the Tatsu Ramen menu here.
The last tenant in this space between 10th Street and 11th Street was Ashiya Sushi, who moved away in 2015.
Previously on EV Grieve:
L.A.-based ramen shop opening outpost on 1st Avenue
Report: Madam Vo team opening Madam Vo BBQ on 2nd Avenue
[104 2nd Ave. from December 2017]
The owners of Madame Vo at 212 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue plan to open a restaurant specializing in Vietnamese barbecue called Madam Vo BBQ later this year on Second Avenue at Sixth Street.
Eater had the scoop yesterday:
Owners Yen Vo and chef Jimmy Ly grew up in Vietnam eating Vietnamese barbecue, a part of the cuisine that is traditionally reserved for weddings and special celebrations ...
“We wanted to show New York that Vietnamese food is a lot more than what people are used to,” Ly says. “Vietnamese barbecue is a real thing in Vietnam, and a lot of people don’t know about it. We grew up eating it.”
And...
The focus of the menu is on a seven-course beef tasting with dishes such as lime-juice-dressed beef salad (bo tai chanh), beef wrapped in betel leaf (bo la lot), and beef grilled with scallion (bo luoi). Other meats include whole grilled sea bass, stuffed squid, lobster, and scallops. Dipping sauces run from orange butter-garlic to anchovy sauce with pineapple, and accompanying drinks will be beer, wine, sake, fresh juice, and sake-based cocktails.
Madam Vo BBQ will take over 104 Second Ave., which housed Wall 88 for seven months until last fall. Previously, the address was the Lions BeerStore — part retail shop, part restaurant — for 16 months.
P.S.
Bring back Bamboo House to this corner (because someone always brings this up)!
[Photo via Jeremiah Moss]
Remembering some disappearing storefronts courtesy of Karla and James Murray
[Mars Bar photo courtesy of Karla and James Murray]
Karla and James Murray, the East Village-based photographers, currently have a storefront installation (through July 2019) in Seward Park titled "Mom-and-Pops of the L.E.S."
Meanwhile, starting tonight, their photography — spanning the past 20 years — will be on display in an exhibit titled "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" at The Storefront Project, 70 Orchard St. between Broome and Grand.
Per the exhibit description:
The Murrays have captured the out of the way bodegas, candy shops and record stores just as faithfully as the historically important institutions and well-known restaurants, bars and cafes. From Katz’s Delicatessen to Ideal Hosiery and the Mars Bar, James and Karla reveal how New York’s long-standing mom-and-pop businesses stand in sharp contrast to the city’s rapidly evolving corporate façade.
The opening is tonight from 6-9. The storefront photography will be on display here through Aug. 12.
The Murrays were also the focus of this feature in The New York Times yesterday.
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
At play in the fields of the hawks
The younger of Amelia and Christo's two fledglings has been putting the main lawn in Tompkins Square Park to good use... Derek Berg shared these photos from the Park this afternoon...
Goggla has more photos and a great video of the fledgling playing in the Park ... right here.
A reminder to lock your doors and windows
Today an #EastVillage resident reported that when he returned from a weekend trip he found his apartment had been burglarized.
— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) July 24, 2018
We’d like to remind everyone to make sure they lock their doors & windows even if you are only going out for a little while. #NYPD #CrimePrevention pic.twitter.com/XPkv2DBdq4
On Avenue A, Key Food deploying 12 new self-checkout machines
Big news from Key Food on Avenue A last night, where workers were hooking up 12 new self-checkout machines ... an EVG reader shared these photos from the store at Fourth Street...
No word yet just how intuitive these new self checkouts will be... and if they will be programmed to comment on your purchases. "There's a reason those are on sale." "Hey, it's your colon." "Hmm, 10 pints of Halo Top?"
In any event, four cashier-assisted lanes will remain — the same number as before. Per the reader, Key Food staff reported mixed feelings about the new machines. Still, Key insiders hope for an improved shopper experience.
Meanwhile, the previous self-checkout systems have been shown the curb...
Perhaps a little karma for shoppers frustrated by being told to scan an item again even though they've already scanned the thing multiple times, or being prompted to remove an item from the bagging area even though they've already scanned the item and placed it in the bagging area... and now you have to wait for customer service to reset the machine and people waiting in line behind you think you're stupid.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Breaking: The self checkouts at Key Food are broken
Breaking: Models invade Key Food, hold melons
East Village Fruit and Vegetable is closing on Avenue B
Several EVG readers have shared the news that East Village Fruit and Vegetable is closing at the end of the month here on Avenue B between 13th Street and 14th Street.
The lease is up, and the owners can't make the increase in rent work. According to a longtime patron, the store owners also said that they don't think they can compete with the new Target, which features a large grocery selection, on 14th Street at Avenue A.
An EVG reader had this to say about East Village Fruit and Vegetable:
It's the kind of place where you could leave keys for a friend to pick up, catch a glimpse of Deborah Harry buying fruit [when recording at Mercy Sound Studios on 14th Street] or pick up milk on the way home from a night out. Friends and I wonder how long that single-level structure is likely to exist, given the income potential of building up.
For now, the store is having a 50-percent off sale on selected items.
New owner in the works for Downtown Yarns
Rita Bobry, who opened Downtown Yarns 17 years ago at 45 Avenue A between Third Street and Fourth Street, is retiring.
And Leti Ruiz, an employee, is looking to take over the business.
Ruiz launched a crowdfunding campaign yesterday:
I am very happy and honored to have been considered to carry on this very special place Rita has created.
When I first came to Downtown Yarns I didn’t know anything about knitting but I remember being drawn to the vibrant colors and textures, the subtle scent of the wool and the perfect samples on display. I knew immediately how special Downtown Yarns was and that I wanted to be a part of it. I took class after class, acquiring skills and knowledge, eventually joining the sales team, and then part-time staff, then teacher, now potential owner.
Downtown Yarns has been more than a store for me and so many others, it is a vital community space where intergenerational learning happens, where new skills are developed, and where community networking is initiated.
Preserving this special hub in a rapidly gentrifying New York City neighborhood is important not only for those who have been here for years but also to new community members and visitors, offering a welcoming home to curious crafters, makers, and learners.
Ruiz has already met half of her goal in the first 24 hours.
[Ruiz as seen in the GoFundMe video]
[Photo of Rita Bobry by Gudrun Georges]
H/T EVG reader gaminette!
Previously on EV Grieve:
A spin through Downtown Yarns on Avenue A
For rent on St. Mark's Place
The Edible Arrangements outpost on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue has closed... a for lease sign is now in the front window.
This is one of five spaces for rent on the block... Satori Holistic Wellness & Beauty has been for lease since at least the beginning of the year...
... there's a new broker for the former Macaron Parlour, which moved to a larger space on Hester Street in the spring of 2017...
... the ground-floor at No. 116 has been converted into a storefront... and there's a second broker now for the address that hit the market in early June...
... and the for rent sign arrived about 10 days ago at the former Mr. Bing, the pop-up shop that wrapped up here back in the spring...
This year's Summer Streets celebration includes rocks and bubbles on Astor Place
This year's Summer Streets is coming up the first three Saturdays of August (the 4th, 11th and 18th).
As in previous years, the car-free, Street-Festival-Free zone includes Lafayette, Astor Place and Fourth Avenue.
The city yesterday announced the activities taking place along the route. Here's some of what you'll find on Astor Place, via the Summer Streets website:
BF Bouldering Wall & Obstacle Course, Astor Place between Broadway and Lafayette Street
Join the Brooklyn Boulders Foundation to test your skills on an eight foot tall bouldering wall. Leave the ropes and harnesses behind and scale this wall with ease. The Bouldering Wall and Obstacle Course by the Brooklyn Boulders Foundation was co-designed by West coast-based Vertical Solutions featuring wood paneling, and a pull-up bar feature. The obstacle course includes accessible features for all abilities to be able to complete the course. Challenge yourself and get through quickly for a prize or race against a friend. Even if this is your first time, don’t worry, there will be plenty of safety mats to catch your fall.
And!
Gazillion Bubble Show’s Bubble Garden, 4th Avenue between 8th Street and 9th Street
GAZILLION BUBBLE SHOW is Unlike Anything You Have Ever Seen Before! The most incredibubble show in the world! Bubble lovers of all ages are delighted with an unbubblievable experience, awashed with a bubble tide, and perhaps even find themselves inside a bubble. Mind-blowing bubble magic, spectacular laser lighting effects and momentary soapy masterpieces will make you smile, laugh, and feel like a kid again. You have to experience it to bubblieve it! Experience the Gazillion Bubble show's exclusive interactive Bubble Garden. Join the fun by making bubbles of all sizes and learning new bubble tricks that will amaze and dazzle you!
Monday, July 23, 2018
Another limb down in Tompkins Square Park
A large branch fell (presumably last night) from an American Elm onto the handballs courts near the entrance at Ninth Street and Avenue B... Goggla shared these photos ...
A limb fell yesterday afternoon near the entrance on Seventh Street and Avenue B. Thankfully no one was injured
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