[Updated] Tropical storm Isaias brings down tree limbs in Tompkins Square Park

[Photo by Steven]

Updated 4 p.m.: City workers have closed the Park for now. Updated 7 p.m. Most entrances were back open.

The heavy rains and winds from tropical storm Isaias brought down a number of limbs in Tompkins Square Park early this afternoon... most notably from the grand Elm near the entrance on Seventh Street and Avenue B...






[Top two photos by Steven]

... and a look at other areas of the Park...







... there were multiple other reports of downed branches around the neighbor, including behind this building on Avenue A at Fifth Street...



... and at the East River Park running track ... (thanks Wendy Rubin for this photo!)



There's also a report of a sidewalk bridge collapse with injuries on Avenue A and Third Street. Will update when more information is available.

CM Carlina Rivera calls for Parks Dept. to review fate of Cox statue in Tompkins Square Park

Local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera is calling on the Parks Department to address the future of the Samuel S. Cox statue in Tompkins Square Park.

In a letter dated Thursday, Rivera asks Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver to address the community about the plans for the statue, created in 1891 and standing at this location since 1924.



Per the letter:

Historians and numerous New Yorkers have highlighted that Cox’s history — beyond his work regarding pro-labor policies at the United States Postal Service — includes very disturbing examples of white supremacy, particularly as it relates to emancipation and Black civic participation in the mid-1800s.

Today’s demands for social justice that are being raised across this country must be met with a holistic review of the (mostly) men whom we honor with place names and statues in our public spaces.

I am sure most New Yorkers would agree that these landmarks should not remain as a public reminder to many of our neighbors that, for much of United States history, they were not considered nor treated as equals to white Americans. As many historians have suggested, such statuary is better situated in non-public settings, such as museums, where they can remain as an educational tool for future generations choosing – operative word — to view and understand our nation’s racist legacy. Encountering the Cox statue while visiting Tompkins Square Park is not a choice.

I hope that you will consider speaking with the local community immediately, specifically Black residents of the Lower East Side, to consult with them on the Cox statue’s fate.

The Cox statue has been under 24/7 NYPD supervision since July 25. It was tagged overnight with ACAB and "black power" on July 16-17. One of the officers in the Park told us that they will be on duty outside the Cox statue "for the foreseeable future." It is unclear if there was a threat against the statue to prompt police protection.

Cox (1824–1889) was a longtime member of Congress who spearheaded legislation that led to paid benefits and a 40-hour workweek for postal employees.

In a post titled "Why Is New York City Still Celebrating Statues of Racists?" from 2014 for the History News Network, Alan Singer, a historian and professor at Hofstra, wrote about Cox's history: "[He] fancied himself a champion of the United States Constitution but somehow his interpretation of the Constitution always seemed to deny rights to Blacks. On June 2, 1862, a year after the Civil War had begun but six months before the Emancipation Proclamation, Cox argued in Congress that the United States was made for white men only."

Earlier this summer, the city announced it was removing the statue of Theodore Roosevelt — long considered a racist symbol — from the American Museum of Natural History's entrance.

The death of George Floyd has led to the removal — by protesters in some cases and city leaders in others — of statues across the country because of the racist ideals they represent.

204 Avenue A disappears; the all-new 202 Avenue appears

[The former 204 Avenue A]

Workers have completed the demolition of the long-empty 4-story building at 204 Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street...



As previously reported, this city-owned property, along with the one at 535 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, will make way for affordable housing.

When the new construction is complete, No. 204 will rise to seven stories, yielding 10 co-operative units for fixed-income housing. (There are 11 one-bedroom rental units planned for the 6-story No. 535.)

No. 204 and 535, part of the HPD’s Tenant Interim Lease Program, have been vacant since 2008. "Due to deteriorating structural conditions," tenants from both buildings were relocated at that time. The former tenants of each building will be able to purchase the co-op units in the newly constructed building at No. 204, which will include ground-floor retail.

Meanwhile, the scaffolding and construction netting was removed yesterday right next door at 202 Avenue A (H/T dwg!)...



Workers added a horizontal and vertical enlargement of the existing 4-floor structure, doubling the total square footage from 5,334 to 10,920.

There will be 10 residences here, including a duplex penthouse with a private terrace.

Here's a look at the rendering of the all-new 202 — called the Topanga — via Lenart Architecture ...



Highpoint Property Group bought No. 202 in a deal that closed in late 2017 for $6.75 million, according to public records.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Affordable housing planned for city-owned buildings at 204 Avenue A and 535 E. 12th St.

• 202 Avenue A has been gutted on its way to doubling in size to become the Topanga

Lucy's will reopen next month

[Photos yesterday by Steven]

Blanche’s Lucy’s Tavern — aka Lucy’s — will be closed now until later next month here at 135 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

A sign on her front door notes a September return (and we're not sure if this means Sept. 20 or maybe September 2020 in general)...



Lucy's reopened back on May 30 after the PAUSE for take-home drinks ... before going on hiatus again until late June.

Proprietor Ludwika "Lucy" Mickevicius, who has worked here for nearly 40 years, typically closes up late in the summer to visit her native Poland. (We're not sure if this is the case again this year.)

We look forward to seeing her again. Like many other businesses, Lucy's has struggled to stay afloat in recent months. Upon returning in late May, she told Bedford + Bowery that she already owed $50,000 for rent and water, though her landlord had offered to only charge her half of June's rent.

Fish ahoy! The Chippery debuts on 1st Avenue

The Chippery, which specializes in fish and chips, debuted over the weekend at 85 First Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.

As noted back in January, this is the first Manhattan outpost for the New Jersey-based chainlet, which currently has four locations in the Garden State.

The quick-serve establishment offers a variety of fried seafood platters and sandwiches. You can find their menu here.

Last evening Goggla tried the house speciality (fish and chips!) and a side of jalapeño poppers ... and gave both dishes high marks...



Thanks to everyone who pointed out the opening, including Jonathan Michael Fung!

Monday's parting shot

A moment in time on First Avenue and Sixth Street today via Derek Berg...

Make a splash: Hamilton Fish Pool reopens Wednesday

[EVG photo at Hamilton Fish Pool]

This summer, the city is only reopening 15 public pools via a phased-in schedule. On Wednesday, Hamilton Fish Pool — the only one servicing this area — will open for a limited month-long run over on Pitt and East Houston.

Here are details via the Parks Department website:

• Pool hours will remain the same: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. Sessions may be split further at the discretion of the pool managers to accommodate more patrons.

• All pool patrons will be required to wear a face covering to enter the pool facility. Face coverings must be worn in locker rooms, bathrooms, and on the pool deck. They are not to be worn in the water.

• Please maintain at least six feet of social distance, except between members of the same household. If a pool reaches capacity, we may provide patrons with a time of day to return to the line.

• During general swim hours, aquatic programs including Lap Swim, Learn to Swim, Senior Splash & Swim, and Water Exercise classes have been cancelled for the summer.

The pool closes for the season on Sept. 7.

The Dry Dock Pool on 10th Street and Avenue D and the Tompkins Square Park mini pool will not open this summer.

Tompkins Square Library reopens today for grab-and-go service

The Tompkins Square Library on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B is one of 22 NYPL branches reopening today for grab-and-go service. (This follows eight city branches returning on July 13.)

What does grand-and-go entail? Per the NYPL website:

Our new grab-and-go service allows you to pick up items you've reserved and return materials you currently have checked out, all while safely maintaining distance from others.

What's new: The pickup process is contactless. Once the items you've reserved are ready for pickup, they will immediately be checked out to your account. This way, all you have to do when you get to the library is grab your items from the holds shelf — then go! There will be no need to stop by the circulation desk for checkout. The same goes for returns — rather than visiting the desk, there will be a designated bin where you can return any items you currently have.

Note: The process of reserving an item is the same as always. You can place a hold on an item online or over the phone, which will put your request into a queue until a copy becomes available. The wait time will vary depending on how many others have reserved the item and how many copies we have. Once your item is read, you will be notified via email, and then you can head to the branch to pick up your item. Learn more here about how to reserve items and what to expect when visiting one of our grab-and-go branches.

And the branch's hours:

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday: Noon to 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Masks are required for entry.

Meanwhile, the Tompkins Square Branch will continue to offer their online programming.

The Seward Park Branch on East Broadway also reopens today.

Porsena has closed for good on 7th Street

[Photo from Saturday night]

After 10 years on Seventh Street, Porsena has closed. Saturday night saw its final service out on the socially distant curbside seating.

We heard rumors that Porsena was shutting down over the weekend. Management confirmed the news yesterday in a message to us:

We are all sad. It was a sort of a quick decision when we realized our landlord would never work with us in any way. We couldn’t continue to owe more money. So so sad as Porsena definitely deserved to survive.

Sara Jenkins opened her low-key pasta-focussed trattoria here between Second Avenue and Cooper Square in 2010. It garnered positive reviews and found a loyal following. The Porsena Extra Bar debuted next door in 2012.



EVG contributor Stacie Joy took a last look inside on Saturday evening...





As The City recently reported, "many New York restaurants are within months — or even weeks — of running out of the resources needed to stay alive."

The NYC restaurant industry is being crushed by the triple whammy of high rents, ever-changing new city regulations on outdoor dining and disappearing customer base.

The Walgreens on Astor Place closes at the end of August

The Walgreens location on Astor Place at Lafayette is closing at the end of the month... signs are now up on the plywood outside announcing Aug. 31 as the last day in business...



Walgreens is transferring prescriptions to nearby stores — in this case one on West Fourth Street.

Last August, Walgreens announced that it was closing nearly 200 U.S. locations, including its Duane Reade brand, as part of a sweeping $1.5-billion cost-cutting measure.

With that, three neighborhood Duane Reade by Walgreens locations have closed in recent months. The outpost on Avenue D at Houston and First Avenue between 14th Street and 15th Street shuttered last November while the storefront on 10th Street and Third Avenue shut down in early March.

The Astor Place Walgreens had been looted in early June along with other businesses along this corridor.

Thank you to Vinny & O for the photos and tip!

Matthew Kenney changing up concepts on 2nd Avenue and 4th Street

Plant-based celebrity chef Matthew Kenney is changing up concepts again at 67 Second Ave. at Fourth Street, where Sestina, a pasta bar, is opening later this summer, per its website (thanks to Vinny & O for the photos!)...



And they already have an Eventbrite page for the Sestina Thanksgiving dinner.

This marks the fourth Kenney concept here in the past few years, following Plantmade, Plant Food + Wine and Arata.

There was also a revolving door of restaurants here before Kenney took over. La Contrada ... Contrada (not to be confused with La Contrada) ... Calliope and Belcourt all came and went since 2012.

Cantilevering condoplex next to Rite Aid looking glassy

A milestone of sorts to note at 75 First Ave., the 8-floor (plus that bulkhead) cantilevering condoplex next to Rite Aid between Fourth Street and Fifth Street — workers have put in the glass on the north-facing side.

And some details about the building via the 75 First Ave. website, which lists that nine of the units are in contract:

The building lobby boasts a fumed glass door entrance, lava stone floors and walls, and a contrasting yellow travertine stone desk. Black stucco adorns the elevator walls, while the private residents lounge features a yellow travertine stone fireplace, white stucco walls with brass reveals, a pool table, and several areas of seating. Additional amenities include a full-time doorman, a landscaped rooftop, a fitness center, and bicycle storage.

Available units include 1 and 3-bedroom homes with several 1-bedrooms featuring sizeable home offices, and a dazzling selection of Penthouse residences crown the building. Each home of 75 First Ave blends a modern open layout with sleek finishes, Italian doors and hardware by Lualdi, and gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows. Kitchens are equipped with white and greige matte lacquered cabinets custom made in Italy by Arclinea, white Carrara marble countertops and backsplash, Fantini faucets, and top-of-the-line Miele appliances. Bathrooms are adorned with custom sinks and vanities, and Piasentina stone flooring.

The Colonnade Group developed the building, created by HTO Architect and designed by Stefano Pasqualetti.

This project has been taking its time. The ground breaking took place in September 2016. The build included nearly 14 months of inactivity.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• 2020 vision: New completion set for Rite Aid-adjacent condoplex on 1st Avenue

• High-rise for 75 First Avenue back in play

• Long-stalled First Avenue site now has a brand-new rendering

• Plywood report and the future of 75 1st Ave. (Spoiler: condos)

Sunday's parting shot

At the Ninth Street and Avenue A entrance to Tompkins Square Park today... photo by William Klayer...

Week in Grieview

[Photo on A today by Derek Berg]

Posts this last week included...

• RIP Annette Averette (Wednesday)

• RIP Carol Porteous-Fall (Friday)

• SOS: Local business owners discuss their COVID-19-related rent challenges (Thursday)

• Bluestockings closes on Allen Street; new LES location in the works (Thursday)

• City temporarily removes makeshift living quarters from the NW corner of 2nd Avenue and 7th Street (Monday)

• Checking in with East Village artist Ethan Minsker (Wednesday)

• Closing Day at Gaia’s Italian Café (Tuesday)

• John's of 12th Street is back in action (Friday)

• More details about the slashing outside the Black Ant (Monday)

• Bali Kitchen will offer a weekend service through August (Saturday)

• Ben & Jerry's peace out of St. Mark's Place (Friday)

• A petition to allow patrons to sit at a bar without having to order a meal (Saturday)

• This week's NY See panel (Thursday)

• Van Đa returns to service on 4th Street (Thursday)

• Sidewalk bridge arrives ahead of the demolition of the former Church of the Nativity (Tuesday)

• Gutting the former Hells Angels clubhouse on 3rd Street (Wednesday)

• iSouvlaki debuts on 12th Street (Tuesday)

• Parlor says goodbye to the East Village after 25-plus years (Thursday)

• Lhasa is a Tibetan restaurant coming to 1st Avenue (Monday)

• Le Sia has closed on 7th Street (Wednesday)

• Former Associated in Stuy Town now for rent (Monday)

• What's happening with the Ten Degrees space on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

... and didn't get the chance to note some of the downed limbs in Tompkins Square as a result of the late-night storms this past Thursday... Steven shared these photos...







---

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

New signage and an expansion for Dual Specialty Store on 1st Avenue

Activity this morning at Dual Specialty Store, 91 First Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.

Workers are in the process of putting in new signage here... (and it is now going by Duals! Unless that s is a typo...)



And it appears that they are opening a Dual outpost — selling herbs and teas — in the empty space (formerly a spa) upstairs...



Will check back in on this later.

Dual, one of the more unique and essential shops around, carries a wide variety of bulk Indian spices, herbs, groceries and beer.

Learn more about the 32-year-old shop here.

An unplugged riot anniversary show in Tompkins Square Park

An unplugged (mostly!) version of the Tompkins Square Park Police Riot 32nd Anniversary show was set for this weekend.

There was a full slate of bands, including Spike Polite and Sewage as seen below, and speakers...



Unfortunately, given today's forecast for rain and potential thunderstorms, organizers cancelled Day 2.

Here's a quick look from yesterday via EVG contributor Stacie Joy...









Pinc Louds also performed in the Park last evening... she has been garnering a following this summer in the Park... follow her on Instagram here for upcoming dates.

A tribute to Elijah McClain in First Street Green Art Park

New this past week in First Street Green Art Park ... a tribute to Elijah McClain by the Brooklyn-based artist Vincent Ballentine.

As he wrote on Instagram:

#elijahmcclain was a specifically painful story for me. After teaching art for 5 years, he reminds me of all the young men I’ve worked with. To the artsy, sensitive, introverted and magical minds, you have purpose.

Elijah McClain was walking home from a convenience store in Aurora, Colo., carrying a bottle of iced tea last August when three police officers tackled him after receiving a 911 call about a suspicious man in a ski mask. McClain, a 23-year-old massage who taught himself how to play violin and guitar, was put in a stranglehold by police and injected with ketamine. He died six days later.

Bali Kitchen, officially closing today, will do a weekend service through August

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

Bali Kitchen is having its last official day of service today here at 128 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Chef/owner Jazz Pasay recommends you that order online ahead of time.)

The penultimate day found the chef and his husband, David Prettyman, in the weeds with long lines of people waiting to get a last bowl of gado-gado or nasi goreng.



As previously reported, the Indonesian restaurant is closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I asked Jazz and David about the situation and their future plans.


[Jazz & David]

Jazz says that "a large percentage of our business is catering for offices, hundreds of people for lunches and events, and since the offices are closed [due to COVID-19] there is no work. Also, there are no tourists — we get a lot of Indonesian tourists, and international students, and so business has dried up."

There is some hope though if you can’t make it in today for a meal, as Jazz is creating a limited-menu weekend run, just for August (the lease is up at the end of this month). Bali Kitchen will be open Saturdays and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a new weekly menu.

Also in the works: a potential pop-up restaurant concept focusing on seafood with Essex Market’s Marketline-based southeast Asian dessert stall Moon Man and Sea Monster Indonesian grilled seafood pop-up partner Nigel Sielegar.


[Jazz and Sielegar]

Both Jazz and Nigel talked with me about the importance of raising awareness about Indonesian food and culture, and speculated about why Indonesian food isn’t widely known.


[Jazz with neighbor Lek of Lui’s Thai Food]

In the interim, Jazz and David plan to keep the catering business open and have also been tossing around the idea of mobile food delivery. You can keep tabs on what Bali Kitchen is up to on Instagram.



Previously on EV Grieve:
• A visit to Bali Kitchen on 4th Street