Tuesday, September 24, 2019

May the 'Four Force' be with you at the Ninth Street Community Garden & Park dioramas



It's now officially Peephole Season at the Ninth Street Community Garden & Park on the northeast corner of Avenue C... as East Village artist J. Kathleen White has unveiled her 2019 collection of dioramas.

This year's theme: "Four Forces," featuring Evening Man, Wish, Blob and Dream.



Here's a quickie sneak preview via Vinny & O... you have roughly a month to check them out for yourself here...







White started creating and sharing the dioramas in 2005. Here's her work from 2018 ... 2017 ... and 2016 ... 2015 ... 2014 ... 2013 ... 2012 ... and 2011....

First work permits issued for the former Hells Angels HQ


[EVG file photo]

Better Living Properties, the new owners of 77 E. Third St., have filed the first work permits for the renovation of the former Hells Angels clubhouse here between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The permit, dated yesterday, note "minor partition work in Apts 19-20-21-22." More permits will presumably follow.

As previously reported, No. 77 will be converted into 22 one- and two-bedroom units with an expected price point of $3,500 a month following a $2 million renovation. There was also a report that the ground floor will house two retail spaces.

The last of the members moved out of No. 77 at the end of March. The Hells Angels had this six-story building in their possession since 1969.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Photo exclusive: Take a look inside the former Hells Angels clubhouse on 3rd Street

After 50 years on the block, the Hells Angels appear to be selling their 3rd Street clubhouse

The Hells Angels have left the East Village

Squish reopens on St. Mark's Place after summer hiatus


[Photo by Steven]

The storefront operation for Squish Marshmallows is back open to the public today at 120 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue after a summer hiatus.

In recent months, the Squish online operation was up and running as was their catering operation. In an Instagram post the other day, Squish management thanked patrons for their patience while they did some "necessary behind-the-scenes work."

Squish opened here in late November 2016.

Monday, September 23, 2019

A reinterpretation of 'The Jazz Singer' on the Lower East Side


[Art by Jarrett Key @jar.key]

Abrons Arts Center is staging a production of The Jazz Singer, directed by East Village resident Joshua William Gelb.

Some details via the EVG inbox...

Abrons Arts Center is proud to present the world premiere of jazz singer, a theatrical exhumation of the first feature-length “sound film” The Jazz Singer, reinterpreted by director and performer Joshua William Gelb and composer and performer Nehemiah Luckett.

Set on the Lower East Side, the 1927 film tells the story of a “jazz crooner” forced to choose between his immigrant Jewish heritage and his aspirations of becoming a Broadway star. Though the film is historically significant for its integration of synchronized sound, it is most remembered for its controversial use of blackface. Gelb and Luckett’s musical rendering offers a contemporary take on this distinctly American story, one that interrogates appropriation, assimilation, atonement, and whether escape from the specter of blackface is possible.

The production opens tomorrow (Tuesday) evening and runs through Oct. 12 at the Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand St. in the Henry Street Settlement. Find more details on tickets and the staging at this link.

Last-minute notice about a PS 64 town hall tonight



There was very little advance notice about this... Community Board 3's Arts & Cultural Affairs Subcommittee is hosting a town hall this evening about the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.

It happens from 6:30 to 9 at the Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

The flyer promises an array of local elected officials, including State Sen. Brad Hoylman and City Councilmember Carlina Rivera, as well as city officials. Is the Mayor really going to be there?

CB3's September meetings included mention that the Arts & Cultural Affairs Subcommittee was finalizing plans for a town hall tonight. But we never heard anything about the event. There haven't been any notices in the local press or email invites from CB3. I found the flyer on the bottom of the CB3 website — only after seeing it this morning on the La Plaza Cultural Instagram account.

On Feb. 7, local elected officials gathered outside the building and urged the city to reclaim the property for community use. Read more background about the long-vacant property here.

Property owner Gregg Singer recently filed another lawsuit against the city.

At the march and rally to save East River Park



On Saturday, a crowd — estimated between 300 and 500 community members — gathered in Tompkins Square Park for a march and rally to protest the city's plan to bury East River Park with eight feet of landfill starting this March as part of protecting the east side against future storms and rising seas.

East River Park Action organized the rally.

"We support a plan that will provide much-needed flood protection," Howard Brandstein, director of the Sixth Street Community Center and a rally organizer, said in statement beforehand. "At the same time it should expand the park and reduce greenhouse emissions in response to the climate crisis."

EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared photos from the event starting in Tompkins Square Park...







Reverend Billy was on hand to lead the parade...



The group moved on toward East River Park...





... crossing over the FDR at Sixth Street...















Speakers on Saturday included Adam Zhou (pictured below), the East Village resident who successfully challenged the city's plan to put down a synthetic turf on the ball fields in Tompkins Square Park...











In keeping with the cries of "Bury the plan, not the park," the rally concluded with a burial of the city's current stormproofing plan... EVG reader Brucie took these two photos...





----

The East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR) is a coastal protection initiative jointly funded by the city and the federal government aimed at reducing flood risk due to coastal storms and sea-level rise. ESCR is the first element of the city’s "Big U" plan to protect Lower Manhattan from surges like those seen during Superstorm Sandy.

As part of the project, city officials, starting next spring, plan to close East River Park for three-plus years, elevating it with 8- to 10-feet of soil and chopping down trees, etc., from Montgomery Street to East 13th Street.

City officials have said that this is a better course of action compared to the previous plan that was in the works with community input before Mayor de Blasio's team changed course last fall. Among other things, city officials claim that the new plan will shave nearly six months off of the projected timeline and will be less disruptive for residents living in the area.

The project is now undergoing a third-party review by a Dutch consultant hired by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera. (The review is expected to be delivered soon.)

The City Planning Commission will vote on the plan today (Sept. 23) in the next step of the public review process before it heads to City Council later this fall. (The meeting is at 1 p.m. in the Lower Concourse, 120 Broadway. Find the meeting agenda at this link.)

Updated 6 p.m.

As expected, the Planning Commission approved the plan. Find a recap at Patch.

----

On the way to East River Park, the group stopped by Rivera's office on Fourth Street...


[Photo by Dave on 7th]

There, the group sang a modified version of Simon & Garfunkel's "Cecilia" — "Carlina, you’re breaking our hearts, don’t bury the park [baby]."

According to Patch, Rivera has advocated "for staged construction to avoid a full park closure but has not outright opposed the plan." She holds a key vote when the plan comes before City Council this fall.

Flyers posted around the neighborhood have called out Rivera ... and urged residents to contact her office about the plan...

Veniero's celebrates 125 years today



Veniero's Pasticceria & Caffé, the East Village and city landmark, is celebrating its 125th anniversary tonight (Sept. 23!) here at 342 E. 11th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Here's what to expect, via the shop's Instagram account:

Veniero’s is throwing a party with live music by the Creswell Club jazz band, and the event will be hosted by comedian Eddie Brill from 4-9 p.m.

Free mini cannolis are available all day while supplies last.

In addition, Veniero's is offering an 18.94 percent discount on everything in the store and online.

Antonio Veniero founded the bakery at this address in 1894.

Robert Zerilli is the fourth-generation current owner and great-nephew of Antonio Veniero.

“I’m so proud and honored that our once little Italian bakery is part of the great city of New York for the last 125 years,” Zerilli told Time Out. “Veniero’s success lies with our exceptional history with the neighborhood which drives us to uphold our excellent reputation.”

This 6sqft post has more on the history of Veniero's.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Veniero's to celebrate 125th anniversary on Sept. 23; free mini cannolis for all (while supplies last)!

Soothr, a Thai noodle bar, coming to the former Bruno Pizza space on 13th Street



Coming soon signage is now up at 204 E. 13th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue for (what looks like) Soothr, described as a "Thai Noodle & Bar" ...



Don't know anything else yet about this venture, other than what the sign notes: "From our hearty family recipes to your table."

The previous tenant here, Bruno Pizza, never reopened after an early morning fire broke out in the top-floor apartment last November. The fire caused extensive water damage to the pizzeria, which first opened in July 2015.

Post-fire renovations continue in the residential portion of landlord Steve Croman's building.

Thank you to EVG reader Laura K. for the tip!

Previously on EV Grieve:
The former Bruno Pizza space is for rent on 13th Street

What's new below 14th and B?



Here's a street-level look at 14th and B...



Preliminary work started in the summer of 2017 on building new entrances at Avenue A and a new power station at Avenue B.

The weekly L Project newsletter provided an update on what's happening below the streets here ...


[Photo by Trent Reeves/MTA Capital Construction]

Our new substation on 14th Street and Avenue B has floors, walls and a ceiling. That means it's time to start installing the equipment. Here the industrial grade fans arrive, which will help maintain the right temperature in the substation.

The L-train slowdown began on April 26, and is now expected to be finished within a year.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Nightmare scenario for residents who learn that 14th Street and Avenue A will be the main staging area for the L-train reconstruction

Strings Ramen signage arrives at 188 2nd Ave.



As noted last month, Strings Ramen was prepping to be the next tenant for 188 Second Ave.

And yesterday, the Strings signage arrived on the scene here at 12th Street.

According to materials at the CB3 website, the proprietors were previously involved with the now-closed Lotus Blue Dongtian Kitchen and Bar on Union Square West. The liquor license application didn't mention any connection to Strings Ramen, a regular on the best-of ramen lists in its home turf of Chicago and the United States.

The logo that arrived at No. 188 is the same as the logo of the expanding Chicago-based shop

The restaurants at 188 Second Ave. haven't fared well in recent years. Lumos Kitchen lasted three months in 2018. Others to make quick departures in the past four years were Hot Pot Central, DumplingGuo and Dumpling Go.

H/T to the Bagel Guy!

[Updated] Another bubble tea chain setting up shop in the East Village



One Zo, a bubble tea brand from Taiwan, is opening an outpost here on Third Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street...



And what might set One Zo apart from the other recent bubble-tea establishments to arrive in the East Village of late (here and here and here and here and here, for starters)?

Per the One Zo website:

Since the invention of bubble tea in the 1980s, it spread all over the world and became the most popular Taiwanese drink. Before One Zo was established, every bubble tea shop would only serve one type of tapioca pearl, the honey black boba, a prepackaged tapioca that can store for 8 months or longer. We wanted to break this tradition and show our creativity and passion in boba, and that was when One Zo was found.

We came up with the idea of making boba in our own store so everyone could experience how fresh boba tastes. Although it took countless trials and failure to create different boba flavors, we became the world's first bubble tea brand to make fresh boba in-store. While our boba does not have the typical long shelf life, we hope you will feel our passion and enjoy our boba.

---

Updated!

The shop is now open...



---

So much bubble tea! The Wall Street Journal recently explored the ongoing bubble-tea bonanza:

Bubble tea is hardly a new phenomenon. The drink traces its roots back to Taiwan in the ‘80s, according to those in the industry, and made its way to New York City at least a decade ago.

The current growth in bubble-tea shops reflects the increasing interest in Asian food and beverages, observers of the culinary scene said. As for why so many chains are coming up with new twists on the drink, it speaks to the need to differentiate in a more crowded market, said observers.

“It’s looking for that competitive edge,” said Stephen Zagor, an instructor and former dean at the Institute of Culinary Education and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School.

But some wonder if the bubble will burst, so to speak, and the interest in the drink will diminish. Then again, Danielle Chang, founder of LuckyRice, a lifestyle brand that promotes Asian food events, said the same could have been said of Starbucks Corp. and the gourmet-coffee trend of decades ago.

Ms. Chang is convinced that bubble tea, in all its variety, is here to stay. “It’s a sign of Asian cuisine going mainstream,” she said.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Sunday's parting shot



A tale of two St. Mark's Places today... photo by Derek Berg...

Week in Grieview


[Current view of the NE corner of 3rd Ave and St. Mark's]

Posts this past week included...

The Associated on 14th Street in Stuy Town is said to close by year's end (Monday)

At the Gem Spa Cash Mob (Monday)

A visit to ANNA on 5th Street (Thursday)

RIP Gigi Watson (Tuesday)

2nd Avenue gas explosion trial enters 2nd week (Monday)

Reports: 89-year-old woman attacked in her home, robbed of money for husband's tombstone (Friday)

The East Village Vintage Collective celebrates 4 years on 12th Street (Friday)

What's left of the northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

Report: Cops blame cyclist for being assaulted on his bike (Friday)

Grant Shaffer's NY See (Thursday)

Community gardeners to rally at City Hall (Wednesday)

Remembering Ric Ocasek (Monday)

Workers officially reach the top at 11 Avenue C, where a 10-floor building sits on the neighborhood's last gas station (Monday)

First pumpkins of the season at Westside Market on Third Avenue...



"Mom-and-Pop Storefronts," now on display at the Theater For The New City Gallery through Oct. 27 (Thursday)

The Dip is coming to St. Mark's Place (Friday)

Orientation underway at the Boys' Club for the 2019-2020 school year (Monday)

The all-new 149 Avenue B emerges (Monday)

Trash PSA on Avenue A (Saturday)

4 opportunities to talk with the 9th Precinct about crime-safety concerns (Sunday)

Construction watch: 75 1st Ave. (Tuesday)

Construction watch: Houston House (Thursday)

Some sprkl for Gem Spa (Wednesday)

Police searching for suspect who robbed the Dunkin' Donuts on 14th Street near Avenue B (Tuesday)

Kolkata Chai Cafe aims to bring authentic South Asian vibes to 3rd Street (Wednesday)

Unpacking what there is at the Moxy East Village, now open on 11th Street (Tuesday)

157 2nd Ave.is for rent (Monday)

... summer officially ends ... photo in Tompkins Square Park Friday by Vinny & O...



---

Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter

Friday night at the Bambi One-Hour Cleaners on 2nd Street



EVG reader David shared these photos from Friday night... he encountered a well-dressed crowd in line for the Bambi One-Hour Cleaners here on Second Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...



The signage is part of a new installation at the Karma gallery by Alex Da Corte titled "Marigolds."



Friday was the opening reception... and the show ends on Nov. 3. Karma opened here in November 2016. There are also several unconfirmed reader reports that Karma is also taking over the former Sugar Sketch space on the block...

Last day for the Feast



The 93rd Annual Feast of San Gennaro ends today (after 11 days) on Mulberry Street. A good time to visit is about now — four hours before it officially opens for the day at 11:30 a.m.

You can visit the official Feast site for a list of today's activities.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Saturday's parting shot



A scene from the march and rally this afternoon to save East River Park... EVG contributor Stacie Joy was on hand... we'll have more photos and details later...