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 and NYC...

Another chance to hobnob with some Marvel superheroes

"Anchor Point" — code name for the new Disney+ series "Hawkeye" via Marvel Studios — will be filming in the neighborhood again tomorrow. 

As the top sign shows, they'll be filming on some different streets than on Tuesday, including 11th Street (a Szold Place mention!) and 13th Street.

On Tuesday, crews were filming along Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B (check out Stacie Joy's photos here).

In the series, Jeremy Renner is reprising his Marvel Universe role as the superhero Hawkeye and his alter ego Clint Barton while Hailee Steinfeld plays his protégé Kate Bishop (also known as Hawkeye). Cameos include the Discount Wine & Champagne's shop on 4th and A...

A partial reveal shows off the now-taller 94-96 Avenue A

Workers have removed part of the construction netting at 94-96 Avenue A, revealing the new floor on the building here on the northeast corner of Sixth Street...

According to the approved permit, the work includes an interior renovation of the fourth-floor apartments and an addition of a fifth floor. The three buildings in this assemblage/zoning lot — 94 Avenue A, 96 Avenue A and 501 E. Sixth St. — were combined into one, per the permit.

The building's current square footage will increase from 8,304 to 10,151. Despite the expansion, the taller No. 94-96 will have 10 residential units instead of the current 11. The filing also shows that there are plans for a roof deck.

This corner was home for 32-plus years to the Sidewalk, which closed in February 2019.  

Penn South Capital paid $9.6 million for the property in March 2019, per public records. Pini Milstein, who retired, was the principal owner of the building as well as the operator of the Sidewalk. 

A bar-restaurant called August Laura opened in the building's retail space last October. 

Previously on EV Grieve:
• 1-floor expansion planned for Avenue A building that housed the Sidewalk

• The building housing the former Sidewalk sells on Avenue A

Nón Lá debuts on 4th Street

Nón Lá Vietnamese Kitchen opened yesterday at 128 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue (we've mentioned this new venture a few times, dating to late October). 

Ronny Nguyen, who runs the very solid Sao Mai on First Avenue, is behind this family-run venture along with his son Tommy. 

You can check out their menu of Vietnamese staples below... or visit this link.

Here's the number for some takeout: (917) 388-3321

The E. 10th St. Finest Deli has closed

As several readers passed along last month, the E. 10th St. Finest Deli on the southeast corner of First Avenue was winding down its business... unable to come to terms with the landlord on a lease while sales plummeted during the pandemic. Per an employee: "We just can not pay $18,000 in rent." 

The space is now vacant... as the deli moved on at the start of the month...

This is the second corner deli on this stretch of First Avenue to close this fall. Best Price Deli & Grocery on the southeast corner of 12th Street closed in late October.

Boulton & Watt and Mister Paradise decide to temporarily close for now

Boulton & Watt closed after service this past Sunday over on Avenue A at East Houston. 

The message on the door (and Instagram) for patrons reads in part: 

Restrictive government rules and rising cases has forced our hand. We close now so that we can do our part in helping stop the spread of this virus, and so we have the opportunity to re-open again as soon as is safely possible.

Several readers have noted that B&W has a spacious outdoor layout, with nicely distanced tables and propane heaters. 

Meanwhile, another property in the Paradise Hospitality family, Mister Paradise, has also decided to close temporarily. However, the bar on First Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street will be offering a Paradise Holiday Market delivery service.

Two other Paradise Hospitalty establishments, Drexler's on Avenue A and Paper Daisy on St. Mark's Place, have yet to reopen after the PAUSE.

With the threat of indoor dining shutting down in the near future, several bars-restaurants have decided to proactively close, a list that include's Phebe's on the Bowery.

Gallery Watch: Nosegay Tornado by Ambera Wellmann at Company

Text and photos by Clare Gemima 

Nosegay Tornado by Ambera Wellmann

Company Gallery, 88 Eldridge St.

One of the many tokens of pleasure during the pandemic I have come to find is stumbling across an incredible art show by accident while on my way to another. I suffer from option paralysis, a serious-sounding faux disorder that makes it difficult for me to commit to choosing only one gallery to go to at a time. 

Even as COVID-19 continues to impose itself, there is still so much new artwork to see and for that, I am bountifully grateful. I urge you to go out and explore for yourself too. There is nothing quite like seeing artwork in the flesh. 

Regardless of prior planning or research, the sensation of walking into a gallery you’ve not even heard the name of before is something exciting in and of itself. When a body of work appears so forceful in its serendipity, you can’t help but wonder if the paintings were in fact waiting for you to appear this whole time. Who cares how you got there, the point exists in your arrival. 

Company Gallery was by far the best pit stop of my whole week.

Ambera Wellmann presents her first solo show, Nosegay Tornado in this hidden gallery on Eldridge Street. Walking down a dauntingly long hallway to arrive at the show (on your right), Company is surprisingly welcoming and warm for a large white space. This feeling was most likely caused by a combination of witnessing more and more people visiting shows (some seemingly had the same gallery route as me), mixed with the maturity of Wellmann’s use of paint. 

The paintings throughout the space represent the last six months of Wellmann’s studio time. Using inspiration from the romantically distorted and anamorphic bodies of William Blake’s apocalyptic work, these paintings are vibrant and undeniably sexy. There’s narrative, lust and confusion in the room, brought to life through oil paint and soft pastels. 

Nosegay Tornado presents paintings that embody alternative and perhaps conflicting narratives. Whether it be the choice to construct internal (oil on linen canvas) and external (painted frame) structures (The Unicorn Captivity) or in creating a scene where a sinister figure voyeuristically watches two lovers reach ecstasy (Nox Tendencies), her canvases home a level of uncertainty within them.

Wellmann’s vibrant colors bleed into animals and ornaments, blurring forms with shapes and patterns. Figures softly turn into abstractions and the combustion of needs and desires portrayed in these paintings emit a kind of sexy, kind of serious but definitely catastrophic steam that demands the viewer’s attention. The work dramatically (and dreamily) deals with ideas of fluidity in sexuality and gender, the psyche, and queerness. 

Nosegay Tornado extrapolates the potentiality of who we are as animalistic creatures and romanticizes the idea of what human desire looks or feels like beyond any and all of its confinement. 

Nosegay Tornado is on show at Company Gallery until Jan. 9.

 

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ 

Clare Gemima is a visual artist from New Zealand. New-ish to the East Village, she spends her time as an artist assistant and gallery go-er, hungry to explore what's happening in her local art world. You can find her work here: claregemima.com 

The Tompkins Square Park Holiday tree is now lit (so to speak)

As we reported back on Friday, this year's annual Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony — featuring a choir and music — in Tompkins Square Park has been cancelled over COVID-19 concerns. 

However, the Parks Department still planned on putting the lights on the tree for the season (and I thought they were on year-round) ... 

Anyway, yesterday, workers started installing the lights and adding the electrical wiring ... Steven shared these top two photos...

... and Goggla passed this along later in the day...

And by last night, the lights were shining brightly...

We were originally told the lights would go on Thursday... but we'll take them a little early. Maybe they can stay on through the spring. (C'mon — we've done March before.)

As Stacie Joy reported on Friday...

Albert Fabozzi first planted the much-loved Christmas tree in Tompkins Square Park in 1992 to honor and memorialize his partner, Glenn Barnett, as well as others who died of AIDS. The tree was 8 feet tall when he planted it. Today, the tree is well over 50 feet.

This year would have marked the 29th annual tree lighting celebration. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

The annual Holiday Tree Lighting in Tompkins Square Park is canceled due to COVID-19

Thai Direct reopens on Avenue A

A few regulars were worried after not seeing activity at 131 Avenue A for several weeks. 

However, after a short hiatus, Thai Direct reopened yesterday here between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street... offering very limited inside dining as well as takeout and delivery.

The quick-serve establishment, which bills itself as offering a healthy take on Thai street food, opened here in September 2018. 

Sogie Mart Rolls & Puffs coming soon to Avenue A

We have new business signage up over on the northeast corner of Avenue A and Second Street... please welcome Sogie Mart Rolls & Puffs to the block. The sign highlights items that will be available inside — ATM! Soda! Candy! CBD! And many more.

And the small print — "East Village Finest & Cheapest Spot."

Sogie Mart will mark the third deli-type establishment here within about 100 feet...

This space was previously home to Wendigo, which produces live events, concerts and tours, and represents and promotes local artists ... who closed its retail-consignment shop in the summer of 2018. They also had the gallery next door, which is now Choice Cleaners 7.

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo on Second Avenue today by Derek Berg...

Straight shooters: Marvel Studios brings 'Hawkeye' to 4th Street for Disney+ series

Crews for the Disney+ series "Hawkeye" — via Marvel Studios — were filming on Fourth Street today at Avenue A... where EVG contribuor Stacie Joy took these photos...

... including of leads Hailee Steinfeld and Jeremy Renner in full costume...

... Renner is reprising his Marvel Universe role as the superhero Hawkeye and his alter ego Clint Barton and Steinfeld plays his protégé Kate Bishop (also known as Hawkeye) ... (had to look all this up)... glad to see the Wine & Champagne's sign get some screen time! 

... there was also filming down the block at Avenue B, as we noted yesterday ... with some fake snow ... and the Half Gallery dressed like an old-school hardware store...

... and Lucky the Pizza Dog also made an appearance...

The filming continues tonight. 

This also appears to be one of the biggest TV-film shoots in recent memory, arguably up there with "Die Hard With a Vengeance" (in Tompkins Square Park) and "The Devil's Advocate" (at Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street).

More of the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church comes into view

Workers continue to haul out the remains of 48 E Seventh St. at Second Avenue... which is providing for a better view of the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church structure... these photos are from around 3:45 today... (hopefully we'll get some much better shots tonight when the corner is flooded with the spotlights) ...

Hope remains that the remaining structure is stable, and can remain in place ahead of a rebuild... there hasn't been any official word about this to date...

The 128-year-old church was all but destoryed during the early-morning, six-alarm fire on Saturday.

The church is currently fundraising on its website to help rebuild. 

Headless Santa now free to terrorize Rite-Aid shoppers on 1st Avenue

Here comes Headless Santa Claus! 

EVG reader Daniel shares these photos from the Rite-Aid on First Avenue at Fifth Street, where, according to employees, someone stole the head right off of this Santa last night. 

For now, the Santa remains in place, right near the depleted shelf of Entenmann's ... 

So hang your stockings and say your prayers 'cause Headless Santa Claus comes tonight...

Permits filed to demolish the former B Bar & Grill on the Bowery

 

Permits are now on file with the city to demolish the one-level structure that has housed the B Bar & Grill on the Bowery at Fourth Street since 1994.

As reported last fall, CB Developers paid $59.5 million for a stake in 358 Bowery, previously a gas station before its conversion into the onetime hotspot. B Bar owner Eric Goode, who owns a handful of hotels including the Bowery Hotel, has been assembling air rights to build a larger development on this corner space. 

B Bar was expected to close for good in August. However, the bar-restaurant never reopened after the PAUSE in March. As we reported back on April 3, nearly 70 B Bar employees were laid off without any extension of benefits or offer of severance pay.

No word on what new development will rise here. Likely not a hotel given that Goode has one right across the Bowery.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• CB Developers pay $59.5 million for an interest in 358 Bowery — current home of the B Bar & Grill and likely a new development

• B Bar & Grill lays off its staff without severance

As Westville Bakery exits, Superiority Burger set to expand on 9th Street

From the EVG tipline: Westville Bakery closed as of Sunday on Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. While there isn't any official notice of a closure, temporary or permanent, the shop was not open yesterday during usual business hours ... the space also looked as if someone emptied it out.

No one from Westville responded to an email or Instagram message about the closing.

Meanwhile, the tipster tells us that Superiority Burger will be taking over this space.

And the folks at Superiority confirmed the upcoming expansion, noting that they will also be keeping their current (and original and small) home across Ninth Street. 

Superiority also confirmed that the new space will not be used for indoor seating, and they are still shaping up their future plans for the Ninth Street spaces...

Westville Bakery, which offered a variety of sweets and cafe fare, debuted here in October 2018. It appeared to have a solid following — even after Sullivan Street Bakery moved in a few storefronts away in October.

Superiority opened in the East Village in June 2015... and has pretty much been a veggie juggernaut since it unleashed its first batch of quickly vintage Yuba-verde sandwiches and, say, hakurei turnip slaw.  

On 1st Street, Con Ed work shutters Cafe Himalaya and Prim Thai once again

Cafe Himalaya and Prim Thai have been dark here in recents weeks at 78 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

In late October, Con Ed's emergency repairs at the address forced the two small restaurants to shutter for a week... their reopening on Nov. 4 was apparently short-lived as they both had to shut down again, per several EVG readers.

There haven't been any updates on either the Cafe Himalaya and Prim Thai Instagram accounts... and no one from Cafe Himalaya, the 18-year-old family-owned Tibetan/Nepalese restaurant, responded to queries about their status. It has been a particularly tough year for them: In early October, someone broke in and stole their cash drawer.

Photo from Sunday evening

Previously on EV Grieve:

Checking in on Cafe Himalaya

Via Della Pace reacts to loss of longtime home on 7th Street

Workers yesterday demolished the remains of 48 E. Seventh St. at Second Avenue... the above photo by Steven shows the fire-ruined Via Della Pace in the morning. 

The rustic Italian cafe had been closed here since the fire back on Feb. 10. At the time, the owners were unsure if they would ever be able to reopen here.

Over the weekend, Via Della Pace responded on Instagram to the news of another fire in the building ... with a photo of a heart-shaped cloud ...

Giovanni Bartocci, the restaurant's co-owner and chef, has made headlines during the U.S. Open for his enthusiastic support of Italian tennis star Matteo Berrettini. 

Bartocci posted an emotional video clip on Instagram Saturday as he watched firefighters hose down 48 E. Seventh St., where the cafe first opened in 2001. (In one bit of positive news, it appears he was able to salvage the original Via Della Pace sign from the building.)

Meanwhile, it's very possible that we'll see a return of Via Della Pace one day. Bartocci was on the November CB3-SLA agenda for a new liquor license for 87 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery, according to public documents filed on the Community Board website. The item was ultimately a scratch from the agenda. 

87 E. Fourth St. has been vacant since Cucina di Pesce closed in September 2018.

The Checkers on 1st Avenue closes

The Checkers outpost on First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street has closed... as the photo by Pinch shows, workers have removed the Checkers sign ... and the space is empty...

This location reopened in September after a 6-month closure during the pandemic.

Checkers debuted here in December 2014.

Monday's parting shot

A message on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street for the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church ... photo by Steven...