A look at 'Bringing Back Bowery' at Howl! Happening

Howl! Happening reopened Thursday with a special exhibit titled "Bringing Back Bowery: Public Art as Protest."

The group show is an outgrowth of an effort organized by Bowery artist Sono Kuwayama in June. She received permission from store owners to paint on the plywood of the boarded-up businesses along the Bowery. She then reached out to some local artists to have them create murals.

These works have been preserved and are now on display at Howl! EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by Thursday for a look...






[Scooter LaForge's "People Have the Power"]


[Izhar Patkin's "Aria: After the Black Paintings"]


[Sono Kuwayama in front of her work "Look Up"]


["Little Boy Blue" by Catt Caulley, Grace H. Gutekanst & Robert Blodgett]


["Black Trans Lives Matter" by Maya Edelman, Scooter LaForge & Sono Kuwayama]


[Sono Kuwayama, Scooter LaForge, Hitomi Nakamura & James Rubio]

Howl! Happening, 6 E. First St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery, is open Thursday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The show ends on Aug. 23.

The gallery is limiting the number of visitors at any one time, and will require masks for everyone. Guests must also register upon entering and have their temperature taken. Find more details about the artists at this link.

In your right 'Mind'

Here's a track from the well-reviewed new (as of July 31) record by Fontaines D.C., the Dublin-based post-punk band... this is "Televised Mind."

Workers removing damaged Elm tree in Tompkins Square Park

A crew was out early this morning in Tompkins Square Park... cutting up parts of the majestic Elm tree that came down on the southeast corner at the entrance on Seventh Street and Avenue B on Aug. 3 during Tropical Storm Isaias ... Goggla shared these photos...



Unfortunately, the rest of the tree must be removed — workers said that the Elm has tree rot...

Updated 12:45 p.m.

A reader shared this photo...



Per the reader: "Sad we're losing another one. But it will be a sunnier corner now. Maybe more flowers..."

Updated 3 p.m.

[Updated] ATM swiped from outside Yankee Deli on Avenue C at 11th Street

There was an early morning report of a stolen ATM from outside Yankee Deli on Avenue C at 11th Street... the thieves ripped down part of the shop's rolldown gate in the process, as these photos via Vinny & O show ...





Police and reporters are on the scene...



Updated:

Apparently Yankee Deli recently refurbished the front of the storefront.

A longtime reader shared this photo...



Updated 9 p.m.

Owner Jose Collado tells CBS 2 that the robbery caused $10,000 in damage to the deli. The station also has the surveillance video of a van pulling the ATM from the storefront.

A visit to East Village Acupuncture & Massage

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

As part of our ongoing look at personal-care service spots reopening under Phase 3 of the PAUSE order, I’m meeting longtime East Village resident Donna Nield, L.Ac., MSTOM, owner of East Village Acupuncture & Massage, located at 155 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. (This location opened in the spring of 2016.)



She and two of her afternoon’s clients, Susan Bing and her daughter, Magnolia “Maggie” Bing-Edwards, have agreed to allow me to observe and photograph a session, and to ask questions, which I do, after the acupuncture treatment is over.



Strict COVID-19-related guidelines are observed. There's a forehead-scan temperature check at the door and COVID waivers to sign as well as antibacterial sanitizers and hand-washing instructions — all the while HEPA air filters are continuously running.



There's mandatory mask wearing for everyone — the only exception being when Donna briefly checked the tongue (a common Eastern medicine diagnostic tool) of Maggie.



I witness and learn about health and wellness through acupuncture, cupping, electric stimulation and herbal oil treatments, and ask about what is has taken to reopen the studio.

Acupuncture is considered an essential service, so were you at any point closed for COVID-19 PAUSE orders?

Yes, we closed our clinic on March 16 just before the PAUSE orders — we saw it coming and wanted to be safe. It was a few months into the shutdown that acupuncture was deemed an essential service in NY State. We opened back up again on June 15.

Were there any ownership or staff worries or concerns about treating clients during a global pandemic?

I made sure that I was well informed and got the proper training and supplies before re-opening. I attended webinars that were organized by the NCCAOM (The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine). They gave us excellent guidance on how to keep our patients and staff safe.

We reorganized the clinic with fewer massage tables with more space and wider curtains separating them. We have always had HEPA air filters and hospital-grade cleaner, and now require everyone to wear a mask at all times in the clinic. We feel very confident that we are able to keep everyone safe.

What has the reaction been from regulars — and potential new clients — about receiving treatment?

I imagine that there may be some patients who are still not comfortable coming to the clinic — or anywhere for that matter. The patients who are coming in — both new and returning — seem very relaxed and have a lot of confidence in us.

We have posted all of our safety protocols on our website. Many patients tell us that our clinic was the first place they had been since the quarantine began, they seem very happy that we are open again and I am so grateful for their trust in us.

I watched you do some cupping, electric stimulation, and herbal/oil treatments on patients during my visit, what other treatments do you/can you provide to clients?

Our regular acupuncture sessions consist of an intake and treatment with acupuncture needles. If patients want something extra, they book an extended session, which allows for more time to add the modalities that you listed above. We also do trigger point and motor point sessions, which are orthopedic treatments.











You mentioned that you are currently offering acupuncture but not massage. What needs to happen for you to feel comfortable offering that medical service? Are there any other services that you have suspended?

At the moment we are using all the space that we have — including our massage room — to distance our acupuncture patients from each other.

Massage involves a lot of one-on-one contact, and some of our massage therapists were not comfortable. I agreed with them that it was better to err on the side of caution — I am not sure if we will need to find a larger space, or maybe we will wait for the vaccine before we bring back massage. Many patients who were partial to massage have begun to try acupuncture and cupping to help with muscle tightness.

We have also suspended facial rejuvenation acupuncture treatments. Facial rejuvenation is a cosmetic treatment that targets the muscles of the face, it requires more time to needle and also involves a facial massage. Our staff decided together that it was best to hold off on this and focus on our patients who are coming in for medical rather than cosmetic concerns.

What’s next for East Village Acupuncture & Massage; what are your plans moving forward?

Like most small business owners, we are just trying to keep the business going. We are very fortunate to have understanding landlords, an extremely dedicated staff, and a really diverse and committed community that depends on us. I think it will be a long time before we get our clinic back to where it was in early March but we are flexible, creative, and committed. We are confident that we will get there.



You can keep up with Donna and the team at East Village Acupuncture & Massage on Instagram. They also have remote resources available via a new You Tube channel.

Bleecker Street Bar closing on Aug. 30

Bleecker Street Bar's 30-year tenure on the corner of Bleecker and Crosby is coming to an end this month.

Yesterday, owners of the neighborhood bar announced a permanent closure at this location after service on Aug. 30. Apparently the landlord wasn't interested in a lease extension.

On the positive side, they did leave open the possibility of a return in another location. Here's part of the announcement via Instagram:

It is with a very heavy heart that we are here to announce we will be closing our doors here at 56 Bleecker Street end of day, August 30th. All of our efforts to negotiate a reasonable lease extension with our landlord have failed.

We will be looking into some possible future incarnation of Bleecker Street Bar, and we will keep fighting the good fight, but the one thing we know for sure is that our industry has taken some fatal blows, and the future is very uncertain. We have loved being a part of NoHo, watching the many incarnations over the years, even though it's painful to feel there are less and less neighborhoods for places like us to exist anymore.

But onward we go...Now we especially would like to thank the many many people who have made our bar so special over the last 30 years. It's true that the people make a place, and we have been incredibly fortunate to have the best customers, and far and away the best staff since we opened our doors in 1990. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. So come on by in the next few weeks, enjoy some outside seating, some dumplings, and raise a glass.

With love and a broken heart,
-The Owners, Managers, and Staff of Bleecker Street Bar.

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, hears or dreams around the neighborhood and NYC.

A visit to East Side Ink

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

To learn more about businesses in the personal-services category that reopened under Phase 3 of Gov. Cuomo’s PAUSE order last month, I decided to visit East Side Ink, the tattoo, laser and microblading shop at 95 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

Jen Terban-Hertell, one of the three co-owners (joined by Yadira Mendez-Firvida, the manager and “Shop Mom” and tattoo artist Josh Lord, well-known for celebrity inking) welcomes me to the low-key, no-attitude body art location.


[Jen Terban-Hertell]

She shows me around the open-concept salon, with two floors of space, a good mix of light and dark material, and a plethora of cleaning and sanitizing supplies.


[Ground floor]


[Lower level]


[Yadira Mendez-Firvida and Gianna, East Side manager]

The longtime shop (in existence since 1992, before tattooing became legal in NYC in 1997) is operating as per mandate at 50-percent capacity, and has plenty of space between clients as well a strict(er) regimen for visitors, which Jen explains in our interview below.





Jen’s specialty is microblading. During our conversation, we discuss tattooing during the COVID-19 crisis, what it’s been like since the shop reopened, and about how people use ink to pamper themselves and as a reflection of current events.

What COVID-19 safety precautions do you have in place?

We have numerous safety precautions in place. We’ve been tattooing for more than 20 years so taking safety precautions is not new to us. However, we now require all of our clients to wait outside until their appointment, come to their appointment alone, wear a face mask at all times, have their temperature taken when they come in, fill out our COVID-19 waiver, sterilize their phone, and sanitize their hands.

Also, we no longer allow eating and drinking in the shop. All of our artists are also following the same protocols. They have face masks on at all times and have longer breaks in between appointments to sterilize their stations. And, of course everyone is washing their hands constantly. We’re all a bit OCD when it comes to cleanliness and not cross-contaminating, so this is easy for us!

Were there any ownership or staff worries about being able to reopen?

We are all excited to get back to work and have the opportunity to rebuild. We have been on the block for more than 13 years and just want to get back to normal. Unfortunately, not all of our staff returned, and some relocated during the shutdown. They are missed. Everyone else is happy to be back!


[Gunny]


[Charles Arizmendy]


[Caesar Bacchvs]


[Jonathan Ellis]


[Cheo Park]

What has the reaction been from regulars — and potential new clients — about the reopening?

Our clients, artists, and neighbors are all excited to see us back and reopened! Even the local dogs are thrilled! (We give out treats.) Everyone who has come back, or made an appointment is eager and excited to be coming in and doing something nice for themselves. It feels good to pamper yourself.

Were there any long-term business effects from the PAUSE order?

It’s too soon to tell what the long-term effects will be from the financial impact. However, in short term we are just trying to rebuild. As a small business we did not qualify for any loans and are still responsible for a huge overhead. It will be nice to just survive all this as a business and move on. Only time will tell and we are still in the process of figuring it all out.

Have current events influenced anyone’s choice for a tattoo? For example, have you had any COVID-19-related tattoo requests? Or any from the BLM movement after George Floyd’s death?

Yes. We have always done tattoos as a reflection of the times. We did a lot of tattoos during 9/11 as well. People use tattoos as a way of healing and claiming and taking control of their bodies. It’s very rewarding for us to provide that.

How have things been since you reopened the shop? And what are your plans moving forward?

Things have been good but different. A large percentage of our clients were people from out of town — tourists and walk-ins. We no longer have them. We are just focusing on our locals and regulars and continuing the work we started before the shutdown. We are hopeful for the future.

We’ve been in the neighborhood through 9/11, Sandy, the blackout and now COVID-19 lockdown, and the protests/riots. Our plans moving forward are to keep working, doing our best and providing joy to people when times get tough. We’re not going anywhere so come in and get tattooed, microbladed, or laser off something you never liked! You can’t tell but we’re smiling under our masks.

You can keep up with East Side Ink on Instagram.

'Public Art as Protest' debuts at Howl! Happening

Howl! Happening reopens today with a special exhibit titled "Bringing Back Bowery: Public Art as Protest."

The group show is an outgrowth of an effort organized by Bowery artist Sono Kuwayama in June. (Read more about it here.)

She received permission from store owners to paint on the plywood of the boarded-up businesses along the Bowery. She then reached out to some local artists to have them create murals, such as Love Power between Great Jones and Fourth Street...



... created by East Village-based artist Scooter LaForge along with Hitomi Nakamura and James Rubio.

The murals, which were started to feel the effects of the summer heat, will now find a second life at Howl! Here's more about the show:

After the tragic death of George Floyd, impassioned citizens in cities around the world rose up together in a call for justice. The streets became the backdrop for our collective mourning, our outrage, and our plea for change. Opportunistic agitators took advantage of peaceful demonstrations and forced many businesses to board up storefronts all over New York. On the Bowery ... the plywood barriers became windows into the hearts of the neighborhood’s artists.

"Bringing Back Bowery: Public Art as Protest" is a re-presentation of public artworks made in solidarity with the protest movement fighting for racial equality and police reform.

Howl! Happening, 6 E. First St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery, is open Thursday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The show ends on Aug. 23.

The gallery is limiting the number of visitors at any one time, and will require masks for everyone. Guests must also register upon entering and have their temperature taken. Find more details at this link.

SLA suspends the liquor licenses at the Hairy Lemon, Cloister Cafe and the Wayland

[Cloister photos by Steven]

On Tuesday evening, Gov. Cuomo announced that the state had suspended liquor licenses for 38 bars in New York City and on Long Island "after finding egregious violations of pandemic-related Executive Orders."

Of those 38, four of the establishments are in the East Village. (We already covered Maiden Lane here.)

Here are the other three:

• Cloister Cafe, 238 E. Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Per the SLA:

On August 7th, the New York City Sheriff's Office requested assistance from the state's multi-agency task force at this establishment approximately 12:30 a.m. — well past the 11 p.m. NYC curfew. Investigators found the restaurant operating as a nightclub and hookah lounge with a live DJ, documenting numerous patrons ignoring social distancing with lines of customers congregating in front of the premises without facial coverings, at least twenty patrons consuming alcohol indoors under a fixed roof, and no receipts for food purchases. The inspection identified thirty-three significant fire and life safety violations, with the NYC Sheriff's Office issuing seven criminal court summonses.

The exclusive pandemic parties reportedly hosted here by Provocateur, a former Meatpacking District club, were a poorly kept secret in recent weeks at Cloister Cafe — now going as Café Tucano.

One recent attendee told Gothamist, in a story published on Aug. 4, that he saw "hundreds of people, nobody is social distancing, nobody is wearing masks. It’s like the normal club scene. There’s a lot of spenders there. If they do social distancing, they can’t make money. They need to have a packed room full of people to make money."

→→→



• The Hairy Lemon, 28-30 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street.

Per the SLA:

On August 8th, investigators with the state's multi-agency task force observed patrons standing and drinking without facial coverings outside the premises and confirmed that the location was operating a bar-type service, selling drinks to multiple patrons without substantial food.

The Hairy Lemon had drawn neighbor complaints in recent weeks with crowds congregating to watch sports from the bar's front windows... photos here from Aug. 1 (via Stacie Joy)...





→→→


[Photo from Sunday after the closure]

• The Wayland, 700 E. Ninth St. at Avenue C.

Per the SLA:

On August 7th, investigators with the state's multi-agency task force observed at least 13 patrons without facial coverings standing outside the bar, congregating and mingling. Investigators also noted patrons served drinks at an outdoor table without food.

Wednesday's parting shot

Tompkins Square Park this afternoon via Derek Berg...

Man randomly damages front window at Azaleas on 2nd Avenue; 'Might be the last straw for me'

An unidentified man smashed the front window at Azaleas on Second Avenue with a bike lock yesterday morning.

"This was just a senseless random act," said Cindy Hahn, who owns the 18-year-old boutique selling lingerie and swimwear between Ninth Street and St. Mark's Place. "I think he was in some heated argument in front of Veselka and just threw a big old bike lock into my window out of anger."

Hahn commended her neighbors, who quickly came to her aid. The folks at Fresco Cafe a few storefronts away stopped by to make sure that she was OK and used some spare plywood to cover the broken glass. The staff at Veselka flagged down the NYPD.

The vandalism is another example of the uptick in crime and quality-of-life issues in recent months, especially along parts of Second Avenue, that residents and business owners have previously noted.

"The police were helpful but it was too hard to look for the guy as he could have gone anywhere," Hahn said. "I’m still a little shook as it was such a loud bang I thought it was a [gun shot]. Doesn’t sound so out of question from all I’ve been seeing in news. This was 10:54 a.m. on Second Avenue. What is happening?"

Azaleas, which moved to this storefront in 2012 after 10 years on 10th Street, had only just reopened for in-store shopping following the COVID-19 PAUSE. The broken door just adds to the stress Hahn has felt as a small business owner these past few months.

"Might be the last straw for me," she said.