Odessa is closed for now, but will it reopen?

[Photo yesterday by Stacie Joy]

As expected, Odessa Restaurant, 119 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, closed after service late Sunday night.

Three "Sorry We're Closed" signs arrived outside on Monday afternoon.


[Photo by Steven]

After hearing rumors on Facebook (one post was shared more than 1,100 times) the weekend of July 10 that Odessa was going to close, EVG correspondent Stacie Joy received in-person confirmation on July 12 from longtime manager Dennis Vassilatos, who shared that the diner was shutting down on July 19 after a prolonged slump in business due to COVID-19. He also said at the time that there wasn't any truth that the space was closing for renovations.

The news brought out some remembrances of a diner that has had a presence on the block since the mid-1960s.

By this past Friday afternoon, however, the story had changed. As Gothamist reported, co-owner Steve Helios stated that Odessa was only shutting down temporarily. "We'll be back," he said in the post, eyeing a return some time in 2021. The super for the building, owned by Odessa partner Mike Skulikidis, also confirmed the renovation to Gothamist.

This news took the staff by surprise. None of the employees on Friday evening were aware of these plans. In a conversation with Stacie, Vassilatos maintained that Odessa was closing, that he hadn't heard from ownership yet about any other arrangements.

Stacie asked if it was possible that she'd see him in the same spot this time next year and he said, "anything's possible in life, but don't count on it."

Since Sunday, we've heard from several longtime Odessa regulars about what is happening moving forward. Many of them are surprised and confused — and hopeful. On Sunday, one longtime customer who stopped by for a last meal to go was told by staff that Odessa might be back in five or six months, or else the owners might just rent out the prime space to another restaurant.

There are several theories that regulars are floating, including:

• The owners had been planning on a renovation and never told staff.
• The owners changed their minds after the uptick in business on what was to be their last week, opting to close for renovations to ride out the pandemic and reopen in 2021.
• The Odessa has closed for good, and the renovations narrative was simply to ease the pain of the closure.

So for now, Odessa is closed. There aren't any signs on the door stating a renovation. We didn't spot anyone inside the space either Monday or yesterday. And given that Odessa lacks a social media presence, there isn't any unified message about the future to customers.


[Photo by Stacie Joy]

Odessa Restaurant opened in this space in April 1995. The original Odessa closed next door in August 2013

Previously on EV Grieve:
• A Visit to Odessa Restaurant

• Last call for the Odessa Cafe and Bar tonight

New brief says city must stop plans to raze East River Park

Opponents of the city's plan to demolish East River Park provided an update on their lawsuit in a new brief filed yesterday.

Via the EVG inbox:

Without state oversight, New York City could demolish East River Park and build a levee but would not be obliged to return the entire 1.2 mile riverfront to parkland. The city could also exceed its five-year construction timeline.

Those are two of the reasons why state oversight is needed for the massive $1.45 billion flood control project, says a brief filed July 20. The document is a response to the city’s argument that state approval is not needed.

The lawsuit, East River Park Action et al v City of New York, originally filed in February, asks to halt the East Side Coastal Resiliency project that is scheduled to begin this fall. It also asks to declare the City Council vote last November approving the project “null and void.”

Attorney Arthur Schwartz with the nonprofit Advocates for Justice argues in July 20's 42-page brief that the city is required to seek Alienation from the state. Alienation is the use of parkland for non-park purposes, even for brief periods.

Schwartz notes that "Closing the East River Park, whether completely or in phases, will disproportionately affect the health and well-being and recreational opportunities of low-income New Yorkers who live in the neighborhood around the Park."

Schwartz, a West 12th Street resident, previously filed lawsuits against the city's 14th Street Busway.

You can read more about Alienation of Parkland, the basis of the lawsuit, at this link.

Last November, City Council signed off on the hotly contested flood-protection plan that will bury/elevate East River Park by eight feet as part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project. Construction is now expected to start this fall.

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Meanwhile, tomorrow night, there's a candlelight vigil set for the Park.

Via the EVG inbox:

"We are gathering in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, specifically against the ecocide that continues to harm Black and Indigenous lives globally; to grieve the thousands of lives, neighbors and loved ones lost to COVID'19; and to come together in protection of land, trees, and the wellness of our community on the Lower East Side,” says vigil organizer Emily Johnson, an artist in residence at Abrons Arts Center and a land and water protector from the Yup'ik Nation.

"In the center of a pandemic the city will destroy the Lower East Side’s only large outdoor green space for wellness and exercise, raise toxic dust and cut down 1,000 trees, reducing air quality and putting residents — especially elders and those who are immunocompromised — at greater risk for and with COVID-19," says Johnson.

The procession starts at 7 p.m. at the Abrons Arts Center amphitheater. Details and directions at this link.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Opinion: COVID-19 + Storm Surge = Catastrophe for the Lower East Side and East Village (Feb. 7)

• More details on the city's new plan to keep East River Park partially open during flood protection construction (Oct. 3, 2019)

• At the march and rally to save East River Park (Sept. 21, 2019)

• An annual reunion in East River Park (Aug. 4, 2019)

• A visit to East River Park (July 10, 2019)

A grim small business outlook

[Photos by Steven]

Fine-Tune Brows shut down a few weeks back here on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The salon, which opened in 2017, had grown a steady client base... one of whom left behind an RIP message outside...



Unfortunately, we can likely expect more closings like this in the weeks and months ahead. A new report issued by the Partnership for New York City finds that one-third of the city's 230,000 small businesses may never reopen post pandemic.

As the Post reported:

Most small businesses have less than three months worth of cash reserves — a period equal to the length of the state's COVID-19 shutdown.

"That means that funds to restart, pay back rent and buy inventory are exhausted, leaving tens of thousands of entrepreneurs at risk, particularly business owners of color," authors Kathryn Wylde and Natasha Avanessians wrote.

They say business owners face high rents, regulatory burdens and taxes.

In addition, the report projects that only 40 percent of Manhattan office workers will return by year's end with an estimated 75 percent expected to return full time in the future.

You can find all the grim results in the 67-page report here.

Tuesday's parting shot

A recent summertime skyline shot by East Village-based photographer Martin Mahoney ...

Previously on EV Grieve:
• The East Village photography of Martin Mahoney

Bluestockings is leaving its Allen Street home of 21 years: 'This is not goodbye'

Updated 8/8: Bluestockings has a new home here.

Bluestockings, the collectively owned and volunteer-powered bookstore, cafe and activist center on Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington, is on the move.

They shared the news this morning in posts on Facebook and Instagram:

Due to so many unforeseen circumstances both pandemic-related and otherwise, we must leave our current location at 172 Allen St. in search of a new, more sustainable, accessible and safer home.

The copy reads:

This is not goodbye. This is “wait for our new location announcement,” hopefully soon. The facts are: we have outgrown our space and we want features that better accommodate and center our disabled collective and community. We want ramps and bathrooms and ventilation and chair lifts! We are committed to realizing this for our future home!

Though we wish we were making this decision on our own terms, our decision has been forced by the demands of our landlord for more money and by their inaction on necessary repairs to the structural damage our wild little slice of space has endured over these last 21 years.

With so much afire, we’re evermore committed to doing all we can to keep this project alive and rooted at a physical space (such a rarity in NYC). We know our movements need spaces–to share and grow and learn and build alongside each other.

It’s going to be hard, and take a lot of work. But we’re here for it. We humbly ask for your patience and continued support in the coming weeks and months as we relocate, store and continue our virtual programming.

With all our hearts and guts,

The Bluestockings Collective

RIP Phyllis Somerville

[Image via Legacy.com]

Phyllis Somerville, a longtime St. Mark's Place resident who enjoyed a lengthy career as an actor in film, TV and Broadway productions, died last Thursday. Paul Hilepo, her manager, told The Hollywood Reporter that she died of natural causes. She was 76.

"She was the consummate professional who lived her dream of being a working actress her entire life in NYC which spanned over 45 years," Hilepo said.

Somerville made her Broadway debut in 1975 in the musical "Over Here!" She most recently appeared in Aaron Sorkin's Broadway adaptation of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Her TV credits included "The Big C," "NYPD Blue" and "Daredevil" while her film highlights were "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Poms."

"She took pride in calling herself a New Yorker but she had salt-of-the-Earth Midwestern roots, which she was also proud of," Hilepo told the Associated Press.

Fellow St. Mark's Place resident David Godlis paid tribute to her on Instagram...

View this post on Instagram

So sad to hear that PHYLLIS SOMERVILLE, the great actress died unexpectedly this week. Here she is in 2013 up at LIncoln Center with the Korean Director Park Chan-wook. You’ve seen her as the midwestern old lady in everything. Phyllis was my neighbor on St Marks Place where her sparkling presence in blue jeans will be greatly missed. Used to see her in the mornings at Gem Spa or just hanging on the street. She recently did a long run in the original Broadway cast of To Kill a Mockingbird. Rest In Peace Phyllis. What a smile. What a laugh. You will be so missed. 📷@GODLIS @filmlinc

A post shared by Godlis (@godlis) on Jul 19, 2020 at 2:59pm PDT

Pastry alert: French bakery set to open next month at 229 1st Ave.

A new bakery, Petit Chou, is opening later this summer at 229 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street. (Thanks to Shiv for the photo!)

The proprietor, a French-trained pastry chef, shared a quick overview of what to expect:

It’s going to be a French-inspired bakery with a specialty in choux pastry, which is the base for eclairs, cream puffs and profiteroles. We will also have lots of different desserts, croissants, danishes, macarons and coffee.

They'll also offer baking classes for residents to learn how to make macarons and choux pastry.

My goal is to bring a really high quality bakery to the neighborhood. We use quality ingredients and do everything the right way, using the latest techniques. I’m really looking forward to serving the community!

Petit Chou is hopeful for an early August debut. They have an Instagram account ready to go.

No. 229 was until June 2019 Just for Fen, which served Guizhou-style fen bowls for nearly two years.

Renovations at long last for the haunted beauty at 104 E. 10th St.

Nearly three years have passed since we heard about the plans to add a roof-top extension and gut renovate the long-empty townhouse at 104 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Second Avenue.

As you can see, plywood now surrounds the structure and renovations are underway...



According to the architect of record:

MKCA is orchestrating the reinvention and gut renovation of a historic townhouse in the storied St Mark's Historic District for a young family. Abandoned for a generation, the 2,400 brick rowhouse has been rescued from a state of near-structural collapse. The project includes a new sculptural stair, penthouse addition, and interiors that celebrate the historic building while updating it for contemporary family life.

As previously reported, the townhouse, built in 1879, was once the property of reclusive real-estate baron William Gottleib. It sold in 2013 for $3.5 million to an entity going by North Sydney LLC.

No. 104 is within the St. Mark's Historic District and needed the proper approvals before moving forward. (As I recall, there was some debate about the setback and other details. There are approved permits, as of July 15, on file now with the DOB.)

The building has been vacant for years. The last (and lone) tenant was playwright, poet and performance artist Edgar Oliver.

This article from 1998 in The New York Times suggests that the place could possibly be haunted. But as Oliver said at the time, "The house I do believe is haunted. Alas, it is only with memories."

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Plans to convert the haunted beauty 104 E. 10th St. into a single-family home with 2 extra floors

• The charmingly shabby interiors of 104 E. 10th St


[An interior photo from 2012]

Monday's parting shot

A view earlier today of La Plaza Cultural on Avenue C and Ninth Street via Vinny & O...

A memorial for Fahim Saleh on East Houston Street

[Photos yesterday by Stacie Joy]

A makeshift memorial with multiple bouquets of flowers grows outside 265 E. Houston St., where the stabbed and dismembered body of Fahim Saleh, 33, was found last Tuesday in his seventh-floor residence here at Suffolk Street...





On Friday, Saleh's former assistant, Tyrese Devon Haspil, 21, was arrested and charged with the murder. As The New York Times reported: "Some investigators theorized that the suspect had tried to make the killing look like a professional assassination to divert attention from himself."

Yesterday, Legal Aid Society attorneys with the Homicide Defense Task Force who are representing Haspil said he has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. Per CNN:

"We are in the very earliest stages of ferreting out the truth. The life of this case promises to be long and complex. As the attorneys for Mr. Haspil, we urge the public to keep an open mind."

An aunt told the Daily News this past weekend that Haspil "was a quiet young man, at times annoying, but incapable of the cold-blooded murder."

Haspil allegedly killed his boss after getting caught embezzling more than $90,000 from him. Saleh had said he would not call the police if Haspil paid the money back in installments, according to published reports.

During the arraignment, Manhattan assistant district attorney Linda Ford said that they have overwhelming video evidence against Haspil, including surveillance video showing him at a Home Depot purchasing the saw and cleaning supplies.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 17.

Among other endeavors, Saleh was the CEO of Gokada, a motorbike ride-hail company in Nigeria. He was born in Saudi Arabia to Bangladeshi parents and was raised in upstate New York.

His family issued this statement last week:

"The headlines talk about a crime we still cannot fathom. Fahim is more than what you are reading. He is so much more. His brilliant and innovative mind took everyone who was a part of his world on a journey and he made sure never to leave anyone behind."

Mother of Pearl and Honey Bee's close to make way for a larger Amor y Amargo on Avenue A

Changes are afoot at 95 Avenue A, East Village restaurateur Ravi DeRossi's complex of eating and dining establishments in the corner space on Sixth Street.

No. 95 housed three businesses: Honey Bee's, Amor y Amargo and Mother of Pearl. However, according to materials on file with Community Board 3, the spaces will be converted to accommodate a larger Amor y Amargo.

DeRossi is on CB3's SLA virtual docket tonight for the following changes at No. 95:

• Honey Bee's, Amor y Amargo and Mother of Pearl Room (Cien Fuegos LLC), 95 Ave A (op/alt/change method of operation: change current concepts of Honeybee's, a vegan Texas barbeque whiskey bar, and Mother of Pearl, a vegan tiki bar, to Amor y Amargo, a bitters bar).

A rep for Derossi Global confirmed the restructuring, and confirmed that Mother of Pearl and Honey Bee's have closed.



The expanded Amor y Amargo operation will now also include a full food menu.

Amor y Amargo debuted in 2011 with just a handful of seats, and quickly became celebrated as the country's first bitters-based bar.

Mother of Pearl opened here in July 2015, replacing another DeRossi venture, Gin Palace. Honey Bee's opened in May 2019 in the space that was Cienfuegos for 10 years.

DeRossi is known for switching up concepts in his restaurants either after a successful run or more quickly if the space doesn't pan out. In this case, the DeRossi rep said that the restructuring was "in response to COVID-19 and the new world we’re entering."

And 95 Avenue A is not the only DeRossi restaurant on tonight's CB3 agenda: He's changing the menu at Night Music:

• Night Music (Derossi Asia LLC), 111 E 7th St (b/alt/change method of operation: from a vegan Indian restaurant to a vegan Mexican restaurant)

Night Music, on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, opened last September.

At the beginning of the pandemic in NYC, Mother of Pearl distributed free school lunches during the week. DeRossi also distributed free vegan meals from Avant Garden on Seventh Street.

Hit Japanese coffee cafe Hi-Collar moves to a larger space on 9th Street

Hi-Collar, the Japanese cafe offering coffee and sandwiches by day and beer and sake in the evening, debuted in its new, larger home at 231 E. Ninth St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue this past Friday.

Here's more about Bon Yagi's spot — part of the T.I.C. Restaurant group — via an Eater profile a few years back:

[E]spresso drinks are not pulled here. Instead the bar is dressed like a chemistry lab, with rows of coffee siphons, AeroPresses, and Hario V60 ceramic coffee drippers at the ready to make liquid magic.

Hi-Collar is, by Japanese standards, what's called a kissaten, a traditional Japanese coffee and tea house that also sells Japanese-American breakfast, sweets, and light lunch fare, usually including some sandwiches and even a pasta dish or two.

The move here takes over the East Village outpost of T.I.C.'s Sakagura.

The previous location of Hi-Collar on 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue closed two weeks ago ahead of the move... they opened here in the summer of 2013.

Last day for I Need More

[Leticia and Eddy]

In case you missed our post from Saturday... today is the last day for I Need More, the late Jimmy Webb's rock 'n' roll boutique on Orchard Street...



We stopped by over the weekend, and it was surprisingly upbeat... there were still several items for sale — including the original I Need More t-shirts (though just xs remain as of today) ... EVG contributor Stacie Joy spotted Raven a.k.a. Seaton Hancock from Murphy's Law at the shop...



The store is expected to be open today from noon to 6 p.m. or so, but you may want to call ahead before trekking down to 75A Orchard St. between Broome and Grand. While you're on Orchard Street, check out the rock-vintage goods across the street at The Cast.

Webb, who opened I Need More in October 2017, died on April 14 of cancer. He was 62.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• The final days at I Need More, the late Jimmy Webb's rock 'n' roll boutique on the LES

About the for-rent sign at Tac N Roll on 4th Street

Tac N Roll's time has come to an end here — for now anyway — at 124 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

A for rent sign arrived outside the quick-serve cafe late last week.

Earlier this month, owner Eric Wong said that he was awaiting an insurance company assessment to see if he'd be able to cover damages from a looting the shop suffered late on May 31.

"Unfortunately, we have yet to receive compensation from the insurance company for our riot claim, and rather we keep depleting our funds to an empty space we asked the landlord to attempt to rent it or we can retake the space when the claim comes through," Wong said yesterday.

So a return is possible.

Most recently, Tac N Roll was sharing the space with the pop up Black 6 Coffee Trading Co. The veteran-owned company, which was created to fund the nonprofit organization the Black 6 Project, was serving coffee and a variety of breakfast parathas.

And Tac N Roll will continue with the pop ups, taking part in one this coming weekend at 50 Avenue A, the former Villa Cemita space. Wong, a Marine veteran, is teaming up with the incoming Milk Money Kitchens, whose founder and CEO, Nancy Preston, is an Army veteran who served as a Brigade Engineer building bases in Iraq.

View this post on Instagram

Come join us July 25th & 26th from 10am-2pm for a Pop Up alongside @black6coffee and @andersons_icecream hosted by @milkmoneykitchens 📍50 Ave A, New York, NY 10009 . . . . . . #tacnrollnyc #black6coffee #andersons_icecream #milkmoneykitchens #foodporn #foodbeast #nycwff #nycfoodie #eeeeeats #foodandwine #eater #thrillist #zagat #newforkcity #foursquare #timeoutnewyork #foodnetwork #amnyeats #evgrieve #paratha #coffee #icecream #saverestaurants #toosmalltofail #supportlocal #smallbusiness #covid19 #nycsbs #smallbizsos

A post shared by Tac N Roll (@tacnrollnyc) on Jul 17, 2020 at 11:44am PDT

Wong opened Tac N Roll in December 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• The Black 6 Coffee Trading Co. takes up temporary residency on 4th Street

A locksmith for this retail space on 10th Street

From the EVG tipline... a report that a locksmith opened last week at 241 E. 10th St. just west of First Avenue.

The small space was until December 2019 home to United Copy & Print.

The former Lions & Tigers & Squares space is for rent on 2nd Avenue

As noted last week, the East Village outpost of Lions & Tigers & Squares had apparently closed. Workers were spotted cleaning out the pizzeria, including scraping the restaurant's name off the front windows here on Second Avenue at 10th Street.

The signage, which some commenters thought looked fitting for a car wash, was removed... and a for-rent sign arrived late last week...



Also arriving on the front door: Legal documents from the landlord, stating that rent from April through July — at $16k per month — is past due...



The Detroit-style pizzeria from the Artichoke team debuted in this high-profile corner space back in October.

The first Lions & Tigers & Squares remains open on 23rd Street in Chelsea.

Week in Grieview

[Tompkins Square Park this morning]

Posts this last week included...

• Body of dismembered, decapitated man found inside residence on Houston and Suffolk (Tuesday) Reports: Police arrest former personal assistant in murder of tech CEO (Friday)

• The final days at I Need More, the late Jimmy Webb's rock 'n' roll boutique on the LES (Saturday)

• Bali Kitchen closes on Aug. 1: "COVID-19 was too much for us" (Thursday)

• Gemini Rosemont buys third parcel on 2nd Avenue for future development (Friday)

• Odessa's longtime manager says the diner is closing for good; co-owner later says they're just closing for renovations (Monday)

• The Russian & Turkish Baths have NOT permanently closed on 10th Street (Monday)

• New community coalition helping keep Avenue B safe for cyclists and pedestrians (Monday)

• These East Village streets are now part of the expanded Open Restaurants initiative (Saturday)

• Veeray Da Dhaba bringing the "authentic roadside cuisine of Punjab" to 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

• This week's NY See panel (Thursday)

• Checking in on Pause Cafe (Thursday)

• Flashback Friday: Take a virtual tour of the Brant Foundation's Basquiat exhibit from 2019 (Friday)

• Report of a fire at 67 Avenue D (Wednesday)

• Retail space at 4 St. Mark's Place, onetime home of Trash & Vaudeville, is for rent again (Wednesday)

• Stranded Records is back open (Friday)

• INA NYC closes 13th Street outpost (Wednesday)

• On 2nd thought, C&B finishes its curbside seating with the help of the DOT (Tuesday)

• Mystery dig behind the St. Brigid School (Wednesday)

• Shell shock! Lost turtles return to La Plaza Cultural (Wednesday)

• Calling out a plant thief on 7th Street (Thursday)

• Oscar watch on 2nd Street (Monday)

• The new-look 151 Avenue A (Thursday)

• Formerly interesting new business closes on 1st Avenue and 14th Street (Monday)

• The Standard East Village sets reopening date (Monday)

... and as seen on Avenue B at East Houston...


[Photo by Vinny & O]

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Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

The fast and the squirrious: Juvenile hawk gives chase in Tompkins Square Park

Amelia and Christo's 2020 offspring are all grown up now, and doing red-tailed-hawk things, like chasing squirrels in Tompkins Square Park.

Derek Berg got these shots the other day as one of the juveniles put the heat on a squirrel... who managed to get away...







As always, Goggla has been busy documenting the activities of the whole fam. Check out her site for updates here.

Area under heat advisory today and tomorrow

NYC is under a heat advisory starting today at noon, lasting through tomorrow at 8 p.m. Cooling centers are open across the city. To find the nearest location call 311 or visit the City’s Cooling Center Finder. This city map provides details on public spray showers as well as tree shade.

Meanwhile, @Newyorkist shared this photo from this morning on Second Avenue and 14th Street. And yes — a few people have pointed out that the man is being inconsiderate for not wearing a mask.

EVG Etc.: Inside the COVID Rent Relief Program; Update on the tech CEO murder

[Photo on 7th Street by Derek Berg]

• An explainer on New York state’s COVID Rent Relief Program (Curbed)

• Aunt says accused killer Tyrese Devon Haspil "was a quiet young man, at times annoying, but incapable of the cold-blooded murder of victim Fahim Saleh" (Daily News ... previously on EVG)

• Why gets to drink outdoors in NYC? "Nobody is drinking pouches of colorful cocktails underneath the floodlights on Avenue D." (Grub Street)

• Without jobs in bars and restaurants, what will happen to the city's creative class? (The Associated Press)

• Inside Abolition Park (The Indypendent)

• A unique season package at the New York Theatre Workshop on Fourth Street — a subscription to the artists, rather than to a roster of plays (The Washington Post)

• The online screenings and events at the Anthology Film Archives (Official site)

• Empire State Building observatory reopens Monday (USA Today)

• ICYMI: A Sonic Youth album guide (Brooklyn Vegan)

• Diversions: When the Ramones appeared on the Sha Na Na television variety show in 1979 (Boing Boing)