Gone but not forgotten

Remembering a few of our friends and neighbors who died in 2018...

• Adela Fargas...


[Photo by @casaadelarestaurant]

• Gino DiGirolamo...


[Photo from 2014 by Michael Paul]

• George Cameron...


[Photo from 2015 by James Maher]

• Mikey Evans...



• Beverly Bronson...


[Photo courtesy of House with Heart]

• Jim Moffett...



• Tony ...


[Photo by Jen Fisher]

• Chile...



• Jimi Zhivago...


[Photo by James Lanning via Facebook]

• Todd Youth...


[Photo by Derek Berg]

• Kenny Shopsin...



• Milton Ellison...



• Glenn Branca...



• Hamlet Zurita...


[Photo by Enrique Lara]

• Anthony Pisano


[Photo by Marty Wombacher]

• Freddy Corea ...


[Photo by Thomas Donal Ward]

• Fred Bass...



• Amos Little Jr. ...


[Photo by Walter Wlodarczyk via Instagram]

• Philly Abe...

Noting noted

In the spirt of the year-end listicle season... here's the most-viewed EVG post from 2018 ... the item on Target's 14th Street Grand Opening on July 21 that included a replica CBGB storefront ...

The art of Sir Shadow and the remaining residents of the Whitehouse Hotel on the Bowery

In case you didn't see this feature in the Times over the weekend... Alex Vadukul profiles the artist Sir Shadow, one of the six remaining residents of the Whitehouse, about the last of the flophouses on the Bowery.

A few passages:

As Sir Shadow hums for inspiration, his slender hand strikes a sketchpad with a silver marker and swirls deliriously, never leaving the page, as though he were signing a signature. The elegant silhouette, formed with one continuous line, depicts a saxophone player. He blurs through more: a jazz ensemble featuring trumpet and upright bass; a drummer in the flurry of a solo. His musicians are faceless abstractions.

And...

At 6-foot-4, he sleeps diagonally to fit into his windowless cubicle. Rarely without his fedora, he gets around on a red electric scooter and draws his blues and jazz musicians across the neighborhood. He calls his one-line style Flowetry, which can be found in the calendars he sells.

But his masterpiece might be the Whitehouse Hotel itself. Nearly every hallway and boarding room contains a Sir Shadow mural. Even the keys behind the reception desk are marked with his musical silhouettes.

The piece also delves into Sir Shadow's past as well as "another surreal accent" of his life — his connection to one of the most powerful real-estate families in NYC.

The Whitehouse, a four-story building erected in 1916 at 340 Bowery between Great Jones and Bond, spruced itself up in 2011 to appeal to the thrill-seeking backpacking set. (For $45, guests could stay in a tiny room where the walls don't go up to the ceiling... while the longterm residents remained on another floor.)

However, the Whitehouse stopped accepting reservations in September 2014. Plans were previously filed via Sam Chang in 2014 to "convert 4-story lodging house into a 9-story hotel," according to DOB records. Those plans never materialized. The Renatus Group now owns the property. However, as the Time notes, "development has been hindered by Sir Shadow and his compatriots."

A few residents have died, and buyouts have lured away others. The men who remain in the flophouse have refused these deals. The Whitehouse Hotel’s future appears to now hinge on a grim but simple waiting game.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More tenant meetings for White House residents; plus the bed bugs will be exterminated

Another round of plans to convert the Whitehouse Hostel on the Bowery into a 9-floor hotel

The Whitehouse Hostel on the Bowery is 'temporarily closing down'

The Whitehouse Hostel has closed for good on the Bowery

Happy New Year's Eve Day!

The vendors outside Gem Spa on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place have already moved on, though. (And has the Kmart on Astor Place already started selling Easter candy?)

Week in Grieview

[Tompkins Square Park shadows the other morning]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Photos: Holidays in the East Village (Thursday)

Storm center: Questions linger over updated plans for the East Side Coastal Resiliency project (Wednesday)

Report of a fire at 93 E. 7th St.; Luke's Lobster temporarily closed for several weeks (Friday)

After fire, Fiaschetteria Pistoia closed until January (Wednesday)

Report: Residents of Kushner-owned 118 E. 4th St. learn building had 10X legal levels of lead (Thursday)

A visit to Mashbill Wine & Spirits on Avenue C (Friday)

Bar Virage has closed on 2nd Avenue (Friday)

The unknown future of the Sidewalk (Monday)

Joyface debuts on Avenue C (Thursday)

Rue-B adds daytime café service (Thursday)

Christmas Eve Eve, ruined (Sunday)

Holidays on 5th Street (Monday)

Engineering the return of CBGB in this model train set at Grand Central Terminal (Monday)

Coming soon to 13th Street: On the Mark Cleaners (Friday)

48 Clinton St. has new owner; first property sold in an NYC Opportunity Zone (Wednesday)

The rush to be the first tree in the Tompkins Square Park MulchFest pen (Wednesday)

Tonight's Con Ed blue light special brings back Sandy memories (Thursday)

The French connection: Salon Chérie Chéri opening soon on Avenue B (Wednesday)

A year-end look at the Streit's-replacing condoplex (Friday)

Retail moves at 250 East Houston (Tuesday)


[Time to renew]

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2 New Year's Eve options

Via the EVG inbox...

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Future Positive New Year's Eve at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS), 155 Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street

This Future Positive New Year’s celebration is brought to you by MoRUS, celebrating its sixth anniversary, and Time’s Up, celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The evening includes multimedia presentations by Fly, Seth Tobocman and Eric Drooker .... and live music by Banji and the Rude Mechanical Orchestra. Find more details at this link. Admission: Sliding scale between $5 and $25.

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Otto's Shrunken Head, 538 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B

The evening features three bands, Sister Ray Gun, Women of the Night and Mesiri, with a midnight performance by Kembra Pfahler and members of Karen Black. Find more details at this link. Admission: $10.

New-look Paquito's debuts

After an 18-day closure for renovations, Paquito's, the dependable Mexican takeout spot on First Avenue between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, reopened yesterday, as promised...

Here's a look at the new interior via the quick-serve restaurant's Instagram account...



The family-owned restaurant has been here since 1992...



Paquito's closed its larger bar-restaurant operation next door at the end of last year due to a reported rent increase. That space, one year later, remains without a tenant.

H/T Steven!

Previously on EV Grieve:
On 1st Avenue, Paquito's is closed for renovations until Dec. 28

New signage arrives for Paquito's on 1st Avenue

This week in East Village music history

Hilly Kristal debuted the short-lived CBGB's Theater at 66 Second Ave. at this time in late 1977 ...

View this post on Instagram

Grand Opening Week (1977) #thedictators #deadboys #pattismith #pattismithgroup #pattinotpatty #richardhellandthevoidoids #cbgb #rrexplorernyc

A post shared by Rock & Roll Explorer Guide NYC (@rrexplorernyc) on Dec 28, 2018 at 4:45pm PST

Here's one description of the CBGB Theater via: "The place was disgusting. It made the CBGB club look like the Rainbow Room. We were talking about eighty years' worth of dirt. I mean there was popcorn left over from the last performance of the Yiddish theater in 1925...They did manage to clean up the entryway, and made it look like a subway station."

Read more about the Anderson Theatre, 66 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street, at Cinema Treasures and It's All the Streets You Crossed Not So Long Ago.



Previously on EV Grieve:
When you could see the Grateful Dead on Second Avenue for $2

Spiral up

Here's Johnny Marr with "Spiral Cities," the second single from his 2018 release Call the Comet. Perhaps an under-appreciated record from this year. (And a good live show at the Irving Plaza back in October.)

Happy trails to the 'Queen of Borscht'

Malgorzata Sibilski — aka the "Queen of Borscht" — retired from Veselka on Dec. 1 after 30 years at the restaurant on Second Avenue and Ninth Street... Veselka paid tribute to her today on Instagram...

View this post on Instagram

. Veselka's "Queen of Borscht" - Malgorzata Sibilski - retired on Dec. 1st, after feeding the neighborhood and visitors from around the world about 5,000 gallons of borscht every year for more than 30 years. Let's wish her a long and happy retirement! ❤️. #veselkanyc #retirement #borscht #malgorzatasibilski #veselka #eastvillagenyc #littleukraine #thankful #notablewomen #notablenewyorkers #miracleworkers #ourfriend

A post shared by Veselka (@veselkanyc) on Dec 28, 2018 at 9:55am PST

In January, Veselka was honored by the Columbia Aging Center — part of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health — for its efforts to hire and retain workers over the age of 50.

Report of a fire at 93 E. 7th St.; Luke's Lobster temporarily closed for several weeks

[Photo last night by Lauralynn]

The FDNY responded to a report of a fire on the fifth floor of 93 E. Seventh St. just east of First Avenue last evening. (Eden tweeted about it here.)

EVG correspondent Steven shared these photos from this morning...





Luke's Lobster is the retail tenant on the ground floor...



The fire (obviously) caused them to close early last night. No word on the extent of the damage in the building... and to the restaurant. There weren't any reports of injuries.



Luke's will be closed for the next few weeks... [Updated 1/6 — Luke's is back open!]

Due to a fire in the building (everyone’s ok), our #eastvillage shack will be closed for the next couple of weeks to fix the damage. Stay tuned here for further updates, and check us out on #UniversityPlace in #UnionSquare to get your fix. 🦞

— Luke's Lobster (@LukesLobster) December 28, 2018

This is the second fire this week to temporarily close a restaurant. Fiaschetteria Pistoia is currently closed following a fire Sunday night at 647 E. 11th St. at Avenue C.

In September 2016, a fire broke after inside the Caracas Arepa Bar next door to Luke's at 93 1/2 E. Seventh St. The owners decided not to reopen the restaurant.

A visit to Mashbill Wine & Spirits on Avenue C

By Stacie Joy

I stopped by Mashbill Wine & Spirits on a recent Friday night, when the shop at 24 Avenue C between Second Street and Third Street hosts a wine and spirits tasting.

Owner Adi Pal, also the founder of online spirits merchant Mash & Grape, was behind the counter...



The space has been a liquor store for years. (Before Mashbill arrived in 2014, going first by Mash & Grape, the liquor store's clerks still worked behind bulletproof glass.)









During my visit, I was impressed with the staff's personalized service, greeting customers and having their orders waiting for them. Mashbill fans also appreciate the shop's thorough stock of harder-to-find items... and the Threesomm Wine Club, a three-bottles-for-$45 deal.

Mashbill is also dog friendly (there's a treat jar for pups up front)...





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Mashbill Wine & Spirits is at 24 Avenue C between Second Street and Third Street. The shop is open Monday through Thursday from 2 to 10 p.m.; until 11 p.m. on Friday. Weekend hours: Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.



Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street

A visit to Bali Kitchen on 4th Street

A visit to Eat’s Khao Man Gai on 6th Street

A visit to Yoli Restaurant on 3rd Street

Preparing for Saturday's dinner at Il Posto Accanto on 2nd Street

A visit to the Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen on 7th Street

A trip to the recently expanded Lancelotti Housewares on Avenue A

A visit to C&B Cafe on 7th Street

Bar Virage has closed on 2nd Avenue

[Photo by Steven]

Bar Virage, the corner bistro with a popular sidewalk cafe on Second Avenue at Seventh Street, closed Sunday after service... bringing an end to its 20-some years in business. (H/T Rhonda!)

This photo by Steven last night shows that the dining room has been emptied out...



No word on why the restaurant closed. (We did spot a retail listing for the address dating back to September 2017, last updated in April. The space appears of be off-market now.)

A sign on the front door thanks patrons...



The space went under a renovation in 2014, switching from Virage to Bar Virage (featuring an expanded bar area) ... there was another renovation in 2010.


[2010]

Coming soon to 13th Street: On the Mark Cleaners

On the Mark Barber Shop opened a second location in August 2017 at 350 E. 13th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Their original location at 400 E. 13th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A is now closed. EVG regular Pinch tells us that Mark, the owner, is opening On the Mark Cleaners, a drop-off dry-cleaning service, in the New Year at No. 400...



Updated Jan. 17, 2019

The business is now open...

A year-end look at the Streit's-replacing condoplex

Here's 150 Rivington, the 7-story glass condoplex with 45 one- and two-bedroom residences at Rivington and Suffolk... a corner better known as the longtime home of Streit’s Matzo Factory from 1925 to 2015.




The last time we checked in on the site — back in March — workers had recently reached the top level. Now it's looking close to completion, clad in floor-to-ceiling glass and 265 custom-cast panels.

The 150 Rivington website lists five residences still available (sales started in 2016). As for the interior, Christopher Robbins at Gothamist toured the new condoplex back in October. (Link here.)

The family-owned business sold its original factory to Cogswell Realty in January 2015 for a reported $30.5 million.

Streit's, who left the LES in 2015, now operates out of more modern facilities in Rockland County. (Here's a story about how they're doing today.)

And here's the slot for the future new ABC No Rio next door...



The city signed off on the new building permit in mid-November, and construction is expected to start in early 2019.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Times reveals the Streit's-replacing condos; Ben Shaoul wordsmiths gentrification

A celebration of Streit's Matzo Factory starts tonight on Avenue A

Matzo madness as Streit's documentary by East Village resident debuts at the Film Forum

At ABC No Rio's last HardCore/Punk Matinee on Rivington Street (for now)

Tonight's Con Ed blue light special brings back Sandy memories

[Image via @BreakingNews]

The Con Ed transformer explosion tonight in Astoria brought back some memories ... to when the transformer blew at the Con Ed plant on 14th Street and Avenue C the night of Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.

EVG regular William Klayer took this shot at nearly the moment he heard the explosion about 8:13 that night in 2012, bathing the sky in an eerie gray-blue light similar to what people saw tonight ...



And the second explosion the night of Sandy, which KO'd the power to lower Manhattan (as seen from Brooklyn)...