Checking in on La Sirena Mexican Folk Art

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

Dina Leor, owner of La Sirena, 27 E. Third St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery, is feeling emotional when I arrive to take her picture and talk to her about the challenges small businesses face during the coronavirus outbreak.

Dina recommends purchasing reusable bags for the shopping we’re doing right now — not to mention the recent plastic bag ban. Bags start at $3 (some perfect ones for little kids who may wish to have their own reusable shopping bags!) and go up to $35 for larger, oilskins versions.



There are also $4 prayer candles, Mexican milagros (religious/folk charms for healing miracles), and colorful rosaries. During this challenging economic time, Dina is offering an East Village neighbors discount if you mention you live in the neighborhood.

You can also support the store via its online shop here. She is also taking phone order (212-780-9113). Dina hopes to remain open as long as possible. Hours are noon until 6 p.m. daily for now.

Tuesday's parting shot

The marquee at City Cinemas Village East on Second Avenue at 12th Street. Now playing: Stay safe and healthy. (Please do!)

Photo by Steven

St. Patrick's Day at McSorley's

McSorley's over on Seventh Street is always — obviously — quite festive on St. Patrick's Day... today, they are open to sell a variety of sandwiches to go... growlers too...





Thanks to Steven for the photos!

Ravi DeRossi's East Village restaurants are giving out free vegan lunches to NYC school kids

Starting today from noon to 2 p.m. Pick up at Mother of Pearl, 95 Avenue A, Avant Garden, 130 E. Seventh St. and Ladybird, 111 E. Seventh St.

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Please help support our mission by sharing this with all your friends and families on social media https://www.gofundme.com/f/feeding-nyc-public-school-children?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet

A post shared by Mother of Pearl (@motherofpearlny) on Mar 16, 2020 at 5:53pm PDT

Key Food this morning (March 17)

Key Food on Avenue A at Fourth Street is the closest grocery to my apartment. So I'm more likely to have updates from here as opposed to some of the other neighborhood groceries. (I welcome comments about other markets.)

This morning, there were seven delivery trucks outside the supermarket, delivering everything from dairy to Peppridge Farms.

Key is no longer open 24/7. They are closed from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. for sanitizing and restocking...



They also put a limit on high-demand items like, toilet paper and milk...



They were hit and miss on a few things (boxed unsweetened almond milk, randomly) but generally stocked.

Meanwhile, the Key Food soundtrack was keeping the 80s fresh with "Hip to be Square" by Huey Lewis & News.

Updating: What's open in the East Village for takeout and delivery

[Photo by Steven]

First draft as of 9 a.m. on March 17. Here are East Village cafes-restaurants open for takeout and delivery — many with contact-free options. Yes, this is an incomplete list. But it is a start. We'll continue to update throughout the day. Additions are welcome via the comments and email. Find the in-progress list of closures here.

Please call ahead or check the restaurant's website or social media for updates. All this is subject to change. Several of the vendors we talked with we're unsure how long they'd be able to stay open. Thanks to Lola Saénz and Steven for the reporting!

Updated 3/21: Continuing to update. Some of the information below may be outdated. Several restaurant owners told us that they have decided not to continue at this time. One restaurant owner said he had two orders the entire day.

Updated 4/5. Updated the list. Removed the closures and put the restaurants in alphabetical order.

• Abraço, 81 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Alphabet City Beer Co., 96 Avenue C. They've expanded their grocery items, and added fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products. Open from noon to 7 p.m.

• Artichoke Pizza, 321 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Barnyard Cheese Shop/Brix Wine, 168 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street

• B Cup Cafe, 212 Avenue B at 12th Street is open for picks up deliveries

• The Bean (Third Avenue/Ninth Street and Broadway/Ninth Street) are open for takeout and delivery. They also have touch-free pick up.

• Bin 141, 43 Avenue A at Third Street, is open from 3-7 p.m. They are offering a variety of grab-and-go dinners for $10. See the list here.

• Bite, 211 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Brodo, First Avenue at 12th Street. The to-go Brodo window is open 100 First Ave.

• Brick Lane Curry House, 79 Second Ave. near Fifth Street.

• C&B Cafe, 178 E. Seventh St. near Avenue B. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Caffè Bene, 208 Avenue A at 13th Street

• Calexico, 99 Second Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.

• Casa Adela, 66 Avenue C between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, is open for takeout.

• Craft + Carry St Marks, 118 Saint Mark’s Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. Only beer to go. 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• Dallas BBQ, 132 Second Ave. at St. Mark's Place. Pick up, takeout and delivery.

• Dan and John’s Wings, 135 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Takeout, pick up or delivery via their website or DoorDash.

• Desi Galli, 172 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street, is open for contact-free takeout and delivery. Customers can save 15 percent off all their orders on www.desigalli.com with coupon code DESI15.

• Dim Sum Palace, 59 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street.

• The Dip, 58 Saint Mark’s Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Takeout and delivery.

• East Village Meat Market, 139 Second Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street

• East Village Pizza, First Avenue at Ninth Street

• ElevenB, 174 Avenue B at 11th Street. Takeout and delivery. They are also offering a special to the neighborhood: large pizza for $12, which is $3 off the usual price. Pick up only.

• Eliza's Local, 2 St. Mark's Place, has beer and growlers to go.

• Esperanto, 145 Avenue C at Ninth Street, is offering takeout and curbside pickup (including a to-go happy hour!).

• Fonda, 40 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Frank and Lil' Frankie's are open for takeout and delivery.

• Fresco, 138 Second Ave., between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, takeout and delivery from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Gena's Grill, 210 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street

• Gnocco, 337 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. Takeout and delivery.

• Gomi Korean Wine Bar, 186 Avenue A. near 12th Street. Take out only.

• Grape and Grain, 620 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C, is now serving sustainable sushi from 2 p.m. - 10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday for take out and delivery. For a limited time only. Details here.

• Gruppo, 98 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, is open for takeout and delivery from noon to 9:30 p.m. (No fee delivery when ordered via their website.)

• Hanoi Soup Shop, 119 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue, is offering takeout and delivery from noon to 9 p.m. They are also offering the full beer, cocktail and wine menu available to-go, as well as 20 percent off bottles of wine.

• Holiday Cocktail Lounge, 75 St. Mark's Place, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Hub Thai, 103 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street

• Iggy's Pizza, 173 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street

• IHOP, 235 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Jiang Diner, 309 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Open for to-go or delivery from 5 to 10 p.m.

• John's of 12th Street, 302 E. 12th St. near Second Avenue, is open for delivery and takeout.

• Juicy Lucy, 85 Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Katz's, 205 E. Houston St., is open for takeout and delivery.

• Kitchen Sink, 88 Second Ave. at Fifth Street. Open for pick up and delivery.

• Kona Coffee and Company, 57 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street. Open to-go from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Kotobuki, 56 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street, has pickup, delivery and curbside service.

• La Palapa, 77 Saint Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Takeout and delivery.

• Le Petit Parisien, 32 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

• Le Sia, 11 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Takeout and delivery.

• Love Mama, 174 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. Delivery and takeout.

• Lower East Side Coffee Shop, 442 E. 14th St. near Avenue A, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Madame Vo, 212 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Open for takeout as well as delivery on Caviar

• Makiinny, 32 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Takeout and delivery

• Mamoun’s, 30 St. Marks Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue

• Mary O's, 32 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Mimi Cheng’s, 179 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. Delivery and takeout. Currently only serving hospitals.

• Misoya, 129 2nd Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

• Mother of Pearl, 95 Avenue A at Sixth Street, has pickup and delivery options.

• Native Bean, 36 Avenue A. Open for takeout and delivery.

• Nolita Pizza, 128 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

• Numero 28 Pizzeria, 176 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. Delivery and takeout.

• Odessa, 119 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. Takeout and delivery only. 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Weekdays and Sunday. 11 a.m. to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

• Original Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwich Shop, 209 Avenue A at 13th Street. Open for takeout.

• Paquito’s, 143 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Take out and delivery.

• Paul’s Da Burger Joint, 131 Second Ave. near Saint Mark's Place. Takeout only.

• Pink's, 242 E. 10th St., near First Avenue, is available for takeout and delivery.

• Porto Rico Importing Co., 40 Saint Mark’s Place near Second Avenue

• Post, 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street. Takeout and delivery.

• Proto’s Pizza, 50 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street.

• Pylos, 128 Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue (pick up and delivery)

• Rakka Cafe, 81 St Mark's Place near First Avenue

• Ray's Candy Store, 113 Avenue A. To-go window is open. They are also delivering via services like Seamless, Uber Eats, GrubHub and DoorDash.

• Ray’s Pizza, 2 St Mark's Place at Third Avenue.

• Remedy Diner, 245 E. Houston St. at Norfolk Street, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Royale, 157 Avenue C near 10th Street, which is open for takeout and delivery from 5-10 p.m.

• S'MAC, 197 First Ave. at 12th St. They will continue to offer takeout and delivery during regular operating hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Sammy’s Halal, 109 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. Takeout and delivery.

• San Loco's Stanton Street location is open for takeout and delivery from noon to 10 p.m.

• Sauce, 345 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue [Only open on weekends]

• Shake Shack, 20 Third Ave. at Astor Place. Takeout and delivery.

• Souen, 326 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, is open for takeout and delivery.

• Starbucks, 125 St. Mark's Place at Avenue A. Open for takeout via the mobile app.

• Stromboli Pizza, 83 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Hours to be determined depending on how business is.

• Sweet Generation, 130 First Ave. between Saint Mark's Place and Seventh Street. Takeout and delivery only.



• TabeTomo, 131 Avenue A. between St Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Pick-up orders.

• Tacos Cuautla Morelos, 438 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. Takeout and delivery

• Taqueria Diana, 129 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

• Thai Direct, 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. (They have contactless takeout and pickup.)

• Thai Terminal, 349 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. [Reopened on 4/20]

• Thailand Cafe, 95 Second Ave. near Sixth Street.

• Tompkins Square Bagels (both locations)

• Village Square Pizza, 147 Avenue A. Take out and delivery.

• Vinny Vincenz Pizza, 231 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street

• Westville Bakery, 443 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue

• Westville East, 173 Avenue A at 11th Street, is open for delivery between 11:15 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.

• Whitman's, 406 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, has pick up and delivery from 5 to 10 p.m. daily.

• Zaragoza, 215 Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street, is open for food to go. They also have some groceries for sale.

[Updated] Today at Veselka

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Tuesday only. Buy one get one free! #soups #stews Everything on sale! Stay calm and get some #borscht or #pierogies #veselkanyc While supplies last!

A post shared by Veselka (@veselkanyc) on Mar 16, 2020 at 1:35pm PDT

Veselka is on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Ninth Street.

Updated 3/18: Veselka is now closed until further notice.

Monday's parting shot

A look at a darkened Sophie's tonight on Fifth Street ... the bar closed last evening... along with most other city bars tonight after Mayor de Blasio signed an executive order to temporary close nightclubs, movie theaters and concert venues.

The order also limits restaurants, bars and cafes to take-out and delivery. We're working on a list of East Village establishments that will have food available for pick up or delivery.

B&H Dairy is temporarily closing, and giving away all of its food

B&H Dairy, 127 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, is closing during the coronavirus outbreak.... but not before they're giving away their inventory.

Via the EVG inbox:

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 virus, B&H Dairy is temporarily closing. We are offering free food to all. Eat in or take it to go. Please come by for your favorites or to try something new! Free food from today, March 16, Noon until 10 PM and tomorrow March 17, from 9 AM until 4 PM.

With love, B&H Dairy.

Updated 3/17: Multiple readers have said this only applies to soup.

Noted

Spotted on Sixth Street and Second Avenue. Thanks to EVG reader Lora Ewing for the photo...

Line check

Russell K. notes the line to enter Trader Joe's on 14th Street near Avenue A stretches around the corner.

This photo is from 8:40 a.m. The store opens at 9.

There are other places to shop nearby too.

NYC shutting down: public schools, restaurants, bars and movie theaters

As you likely heard: New York City schools will close until at least April 20 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Read more about that here.

This morning, Mayor de Blasio is signing an executive order to temporary close nightclubs, movie theaters and concert venues. In addition, the order limits restaurants, bars and cafes to take-out and delivery orders.

All this goes into effect tomorrow morning at 9.

Meanwhile, we'll start compiling a post of East Village restaurants that are offering take-out and delivery.

Please let us know in the comments or via email.

Little Tong permanently closes East Village location

[Photo from May 2019]

After three years on the southwest corner of First Avenue and 11th Street, Little Tong shut its doors last night following dinner service.

In an Instagram post, Simone Tong, the chef and owner, cited the coronavirus outbreak as the driving force behind the closure.

The unfortunate reality is that the current public health climate has hit small businesses like ours to the extent that we cannot sustain the restaurant beyond this week. We are honored to have had the privilege to host so many of you in the East Village — and hope that we’ll have the opportunity to continue to do so at our other locations in the future.

The restaurant, which opened in March 2017, debuted to positive notices (the grandma chicken mixian was a standout dish), including two stars from Pete Wells at the Times.

The place was a big enough hit to open a second outpost in Midtown East. That location will remain open.

Sunday, March 15

EVG contributor Stacie Joy took a walk through the neighborhood on this spring-like day today... as more and more businesses were temporarily closing during this novel coronavirus outbreak... here are a few snapshots of the day...

Updating: Coronavirus-related closures and suspensions in the East Village

[Sanitizer shelves at Rite Aid on 1st Avenue via Stacie Joy]

Here's the start of a list (March 13) of coronavirus-related closures or suspended activities in the East Village. We'll continue to update as more announcements are made. Send any relevant info to this email. Find the bars-restaurants listing at this link.

Updated 5 a.m. 3/16: Mayor de Blasio has announced that restaurants, bars and cafes will only be allowed to serve only take-out and delivery starting 9 a.m. on 3/17.

---

• All New York Public Library events and programs are cancelled through March 31. However, the neighborhood branches — Ottendorfer, Tompkins Square and Hamilton Fish — will remain open. Updated: All public libraries will now be closed from March 14 through at least March 31.

• The Cooper Union Library is now closed through March 22.

• The the 14th Street Y is now closed for at least a week.

• The Brant Foundation, 421 E. Sixth St., is closed indefinitely. More info here.

• The Pyramid Club, 101 Avenue A, is closed until further notice.

• Howl! Happening, 6 E. First St., is closed until further notice.

• The Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave., has suspended all screenings for the rest of March, effective immediately.

• New York Theatre Workshop, 79 E. Fourth St., is suspending all public programming for 31 days, effective immediately.

• All public events and performances of shows at La MaMa are suspended as of tomorrow (March 13) until further notice.

• Bowery Ballroom has is rescheduling its slate of shows through the end of the month.

• Webster Hall on 11th Street is closed until further notice.

• Mercury Lounge on East Houston is rescheduling its slate of shows though March.

• The annual Zoroastrian Fire Jumping Event, set to take place March 17 in Sarah Roosevelt Park, has been cancelled this year.

• The Swiss Institute on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place exhibitions has put a hold on all public programs and education workshops effective immediately.

• The Ukrainian Museum on Sixth Street is closing its galleries and discontinuing all programs until further notice.

• Events at the Third Street Music School are currently postponed.

• Nublu and Nublu Classic on Avenue C are closed for the weekend.

• The Bhakti Center at 25 First Ave. has suspended all public events, including weekly yoga classes and all other workshops, until March 27.

• Fun City Tattoo on St. Mark's Place is now closed through March 28.

• Alongside Abrons Arts Center, the East Village Dance Project has suspended group classes until at least March 29. They're experimenting now with holding virtual sessions.

• Academy Records at 415 12th St. closes indefinitely after 3/15. They'll still be selling records via Instagram and Discogs.

• Mast Books at 72 Avenue A is closed for now.


[Photo by Steven]

• Spark Pretty, 333 E. Ninth St.

• City Fun Shop, 45 First Ave.

• The Strand, 828 Broadway

• Exit9 Gift Emporium, 51 Avenue A

• Downtown Yarns, 45 Avenue A

• Turntable Lab, 84 E. 10th St. (You can shop online there!)

Week in Grieview

[Seen at Basics Plus on 3rd Avenue yesterday]

Posts this last week included...

• Updating: Coronavirus-related closures and suspensions in the East Village (Friday)

• Updating: Temporary East Village restaurant closings (Friday)

• The Archdiocese of New York cancels church service (Saturday)

• An East Village inventory check (Saturday)

• Checking in on Book Club Bar (Sunday)

• Report of a fire at 138 1st Ave. (Saturday)

• A visit to Russo’s Mozzarella & Pasta (Wednesday)

• Ray celebrates his 87th birthday (Tuesday)

• Bronx Brewery opening an East Village outpost on 2nd Avenue this fall (Thursday)

• Xi'an Famous Foods has closed on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

• First hint of future development at the current home of B Bar & Grill (Thursday)

• Bali Kitchen is back in action, but only on Saturdays and Sundays (Tuesday)

• 130 E. 7th St. sells for more than $20 million (Tuesday)

• More 99-cent pizza for Avenue A; plus hot dog (Wednesday)

• Sally Beauty is now open on 14th Street (Monday)

• Cantilevering condoplex finally reaches the top at 75 1st Ave. (Monday)

• The former Hot Kitchen space is for rent (Thursday)

• Sexyflow moves on from Avenue A (Thursday)

• Resurfacing the sullied sidewalk on 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

• The new-look 107 Avenue C (Wednesday)

• Doctor, doctor: Medical office set for this 3rd Avenue storefront (Tuesday)

• Land of Buddha now open on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

• Bank of America makes it official on East Houston (Monday)

... and longtime East Village resident Daniel Carlson shared these photos from Thursday...







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Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates

Updating: Temporary East Village bar-restaurant closings

Will continue to update a list — started on March 13 — of any bars-restaurants that are temporary closed due to the novel coronavirus. Updated 9 p.m. 3/15: The closures are coming in faster that we can update this post.

Updated 5 a.m. 3/16: Mayor de Blasio has announced that restaurants, bars and cafes will only be allowed to serve only take-out and delivery starting 9 a.m. on 3/17.

• Kikoo Sushi, 141 First Ave.


[Photo by Steven]

• The Bao, 13 St. Mark's Place


[Photo by Steven]

• Kyo Ya, 79 E. Seventh St., is closed until April 1.

• Kung Fu Tea, 28 St. Mark's Place



• Joyface, 104 Avenue C (read post here)

• Empellon Al Pastor, 132 St. Mark's Place, is closed until further notice


[Photo by Vinny & O]

• All Momofuku establishments — the Noodle Bar, Ko and Ssäm Bar — are closed until further notice.

• Superiority Burger, 430 E. Ninth St., has closed for now.

• Lucky, 168 Avenue B

• Sanpoutei, 92 Second Ave.


[Photo by Sheila]

• Bar Primi, 325 Bowery

• Virginia's, 647 E. 11th St.

• Red Gate Bakery, 68 E. First St.

• Death & Company, 433 E. Sixth St.

• Kindred, 342 E. Sixth St.

• Drexler's, Boulton & Watt, Paper Daisy and Mister Paradise are now closed

• Pouring Ribbons, 225 Avenue B, is closed and taking it "day by day."

• Snow Days, 241 E. 10th St.

• Professor Thom's, 219 Second Ave.

• Lavagna, 545 E. Fifth St.

• The Cabinet and Mace

• Caracas Arepa Bar, 91 E. Seventh St.

• Nowon, 507 E. Sixth St.

• Factory Tamal, 63 E. Fourth St.

• SMØR, 441 E. 12th St.

• Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, 28 E. First St.

• Juice Vitality, 192 First Ave.

• Ama Raw Bar, 190 Avenue B

• Sophie's, Mona's and Josie's

• The International, 102 First Ave.

• Sharaku, 14 Stuyvesant St.


[Photo by Steven]

• Doc Holliday's, 109 Avenue A

• Niagara, 112 Avenue A

• Tompkins Square Bar, 110 Avenue A

Want to help?

Several people have reached out to ask about volunteering in the neighborhood — such as shopping or running errands for those who may need help or don't feel comfortable being outside... spotted this flyer on Avenue A at Fourth Street...

Checking in on Book Club Bar

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

Updated 3/16 below

I stopped by Book Club Bar on Third Street yesterday to talk with Nat Esten, who runs the shop along with his wife Erin Neary, about how the small business is managing during the coronavirus outbreak.

Esten and Neary, who live nearby, are encouraging people who want to support the shop to buy books online, purchase gift cards or listen to audiobooks via Libro.fm.

Book Club is also offering coffee (via Mud) to go along with items from Eli Zabar’s bakery.

I asked Nat what books he recommends for people staying indoors. He offered two suggestions: For scary pertinent material, “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel, and for distraction enjoyment, “The Splendid and the Vile,” by Erik Larson.



Book Club Bar, 197 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, remains open for now with daily hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Updated 3/16

They are now only open for to-go coffee and pick-up book orders. You can still shop via their website.

March 2020 street art

Spotted on 11th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...



Artist unknown (at the moment) ...



Photos by Vinny & O