EVG Etc.: tracking COVID-19 cases by zip code; remembering Little Italy butcher Moe Albanese

[At Sake Bar Satsko via Andrew Adam Newman]

• New data shows that Hispanic and black New Yorkers are dying from COVID-19 at higher rates than other racial groups (Gothamist ... the City)

• ProPublica, the nonprofit newsroom, has a coronavirus tracker that compares positive cases in the city by zip code. As of April 10, 348 of the 782 people tested in the 10009 zip code have had a positive result, which is 44 percent less than the NYC average. Find the tracker here.

• City Hall's COVID-19 budget adjustments (NY Post ... Streetsblog)

• RIP legendary Little Italy butcher Moe Albanese (Eater)

• Elizabeth Blackwell, NYC's first female medical doctor — not to mention the first woman to practice medicine in the entire country — opened her clinic in this neighborhood (Ephemeral New York)

• Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis, senior minister at Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue, talks about the meaning of Easter this year (WNYC)

• A tour of what's still open in Chinatown (Eater)

• How Christo and Amelia are faring this week (Laura Goggin Photography)

• 12 classic books about the East Village and Greenwich Village (Off the Grid) Looking for a book? You can still order online at Third Street's Book Club (Official site)

• Classic Stage Company on 13th Street has moved its Classic Conversations Series online (Official site)

• "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," which some critics are calling the best film of the year, had an abbreviated run at the Angelika. It's now available to stream. (Reviews: Artforum... AV Club)

• About East Village-based musician and bar owner Jesse Malin's new live YouTube show (B&B)

• Actress Julia Fox, an East Village resident, on what movies she's rewatching from home (Vulture)

• Diversions: "Twin Peaks" turned 30 this week (SYFY Wire... Newsweek ... The New York Times)

... and via the 9th Precinct...

While you were stay(ing)-at-home, these nearly 900 glassines packed with heroin were bound for our #EastVillage streets. Luckily they never made it!—thanks to the sharp eyes 👀 of our Field Intelligence Sergeant and Anti-Crime Team. #NYPDProtecting pic.twitter.com/xbUu25ipfW

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) April 10, 2020

Saturday at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery

Morning views outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on 10th Street and Second Avenue in Abe Lebewohl Park...



... and staying safe...

Day starter

An early morning look at Tompkins Square Park via an anonymous reader...

City locks up basketball courts, exercise bars in Tompkins Square Park

[Photo yesterday by Steven]

The city locked up the basketball courts yesterday in Tompkins Square Park in a move to prevent people from using the pull-up bars, parallel bars and other equipment in the fitness area.

This comes after the city removed the hoops from the backboards, closed the playgrounds, shut down the dog run and sealed up the handball courts.

With each day, some residents wonder when the entire Park will be locked up for use during the CONVID-19 crisis.

Friday's parting shot

[Click to go big]

A flashback to last night... a look to the east... thanks to Michael Kramer for sharing this!

'Grinding' it out

Been listening to healthy doses of the Cure these days. (More than usual.) Here's "Grinding Halt" from the soundtrack to the 1980 NYC classic "Times Square." (Not sure when this video was recorded in the 1980s...)

Checking in on Bin 141

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

The bistro on the northwest corner of Avenue A and Third Street has a variety of grab-n-go meals available for $10 plus tax.





Owner Rafik Bouzgarrou has also turned part of the dining room into a makeshift market...



... where you'll find toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, water, among a few other items...

Spring break

This afternoon on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

East Village Neighbors lend helping hands to Vision Urbana to assist local residents in need

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, newly formed mutual aid group East Village Neighbors, in conjunction with Invisible Hands, teamed up to help deliver food to East Village and Lower East Side seniors and low-income residents through Vision Urbana’s food pantry initiative.

I tagged along recently as a dozen volunteers arrived at the makeshift command center in Seward Park to help Vision Urbana’s director, Eric Diaz, get food to 150 families and individuals.



















This is only one of ways that East Village Neighbors has been helping out in recent weeks, a list that includes assistance with shopping, deliveries, and/or matching those in need with services and goods available via other resources.

"This effort is as much about our volunteers as it is about who we are helping," longtime resident and East Village Neighbors founder Diane Hatz told me. "We’re in uncharted times right now, and no one knows what the aftereffects of the daily anxiety and isolation gripping so many of us will be, so I thought bringing the community together might help in more ways than one."

Interested in helping out? Volunteers can sign up via this form.

If you need assistance, you can fill out this help-request form, email EastVillageNeighbors@gmail.com or call 917-994-1074.

You can learn more about — and support — Vision Urbana at this link.



Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village Neighbors here to help during the coronavirus outbreak

East Village Organic reopens today

[Photo yesterday by Steven]

East Village Organic took a break back on March 27 here on First Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

According to an Instagram message, they were going to "take a week to air it out, monitor the health of our brave little staff and regroup." One week turned into two.

However, they are back in action today — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. moving forward... and here's their reopening notice from yesterday...

View this post on Instagram

Tomorrow, babes. 💚💚💚💚💚💚 Come see us, but you know, not all at once. Lol

A post shared by East Village Organic (@eastvillageorganic) on Apr 9, 2020 at 10:49am PDT

City Harvest opening distribution center in the former Associated on 14th Street

From the EVG tip line yesterday... workers from City Harvest were spotted unloading supplies into the former Associated Supermarket space on 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...



City Harvest is setting up a distribution center (Repacks or Mobile Markets?) in the space. Will update the post when more information is available.

The Associated closed here back in December.

Thanks to Michelle and Gamelan, who took these photos...

Reader appreciation: Zaragoza Mexican Deli & Grocery

Via @PatKessock...

Showing some love for the Martinez family over at Zaragoza on 13th and A — still open and making sure to keep everyone safe by wearing protective equipment and taking orders at the door. Support one of the best local businesses and the best burrito in NYC!

Zaragoza Mexican Deli & Grocery is at 215 Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street. For now, the shop is open from 9 a.m. to late evening.

Want to share an appreciation of an East Village business that remains open? Send us an email here. (We'll see how this goes!)

A takeout collaboration this weekend at Van Da on 4th Street

Van Da, the well-regarded Vietnamese restaurant on Fourth Street, is teaming up with chef Hannah Wong (of the incoming Brooklyn restaurant Haema), for a takeout service this weekend (today through Sunday).

The menu is available from noon to 6 p.m. You can find the menu and order in advance via this form.

You pick up the food at Van Da, 234 E. Fourth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Plywood report

[Photo by Steven]

The currently closed 99 Favor Taste on St. Mark’s Place at Second Avenue replaced the newspaper in the front windows with sheets of plywood.

Will check back at the end of the weekend to see how the plywood looks.

Spring break

A scene along 10th Street near Avenue B before the rain this afternoon...

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's the latest NY See panel, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood.

14th Street residents enduring construction hell while under stay-at-home orders

For the past two and a half years, residents along 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B have endured the ongoing L-train reconstruction. (Read about that here and here.)

Now more construction arrived at the end of March as the NYC Department of Environmental Protection decided to start a (non-emergency) old sewer line repair in the middle of 14th Street between A and B.



Residents of 542 E. 14th St. described the scenario:

The project involves jackhammers, chainsaws, a pipe cutter, several generators/pumps, as well as cranes. The sound is unbearably loud, at times shakes the building, goes on all day, including weekends, and is expected to continue for several weeks.

The result is that, while we are stuck inside our homes upon the order of the governor because of the pandemic, we are being forced to endure incredibly loud and disruptive non-emergency work on the part of the DEP. This is cruel and is completely outside the spirit of solidarity we need right now. Everyone is trying to do their part in staying sane and calm during this ongoing crisis, and yet we are being tortured by unnecessary repair work.

According to the residents, the "worst" of the work takes place between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., though it commences at 7 a.m. and lasts until 3 p.m.

Below is a three-second sampling of what goes on for hours...



Back to the residents: "This is a real 'screw you' to the community, especially after we've endured two and a half years of the ongoing MTA construction."

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

The frequency of the M14A

An EVG reader, working from home like many other residents, noted just how often the M14A is running in recent days — especially in the morning. The reader's desk is against a window overlooking Avenue A, where she has a prime view of the buses on its northbound and southbound routes.

Yesterday morning between 10 and 11, she noted the bus going in each direction 14 to 16 times — so, doing the math, roughly less than four minutes apart. In several instances, the buses were 1 minute from each other during the hour.

With the aerial view, however, the reader could not ascertain how many passengers might be on each bus. (As Curbed reported Monday, bus ridership is down more than 70 percent compared to the same time last year.)

According to the MTA, "buses are operating on a reduced schedule because of decreased crew availability [and are] strategically supplementing some bus service to help prevent overcrowding."

Given the frequency along Avenue A, overcrowding won't be an issue.

The MTA previously initiated a new rear-door boarding policy to keep riders and operators at a safe distance during the COVID-19 crisis.

Reader appreciation: Post

A reader shares this via the EVG inbox...

The owners of Post — brothers Myki (left in the above photo) and Bobby Stackleather — are remaining open for takeout, including serving the best biscuits, to feed the neighborhood.

In addition, in a time when they themselves are under every challenge, they’re also turning over their kitchen to help feed health-care workers. They’re generous people and really jumping into action right now.

Post is at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street. They are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can read more about their fundraiser to feed hospital workers here.

Want to share an appreciation of an East Village business that remains open? Send us an email here. (We'll see how this goes!)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by POST (@postnewyork) on Apr 8, 2020 at 11:07am PDT

Handball courts now locked up in Tompkins Square Park

Following the closure of the playgrounds and dog runs as well as the removal of the hoops on the basketball courts ... officials have now locked up the handball courts in Tompkins Square Park in an effort to curb possible overcrowding.

Several residents have wondered if (or when) the entire Park will be locked up for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.

Thanks to Eden for the photo!