Steven and Eden shared these photos... not sure if people are living here now or just they just opened a store or lending library...
Not sure when Lucy's was last open... likely until the 25-percent indoor capacity was revoked in December...
Monday, January 25, 2021
Noted
Cemetery hawk
And what have Amelia and Christo, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, been up to of late? As Goggla reports, they're gearing up for nest-building season!
Longtime resident revisits the neighborhood for 'A Walk Around the Block'
Today marks the 10th anniversary that Victoria Linchong, who was born and raised in the neighborhood, was evicted from her East Village apartment.
In commemoration of that life-changing event, Linchong — aka Viva Lamore — is releasing a web series that she started in 2014 titled "A Walk Around the Block."
Here's more about the series:
It's a simple idea: Victoria takes a longtime East Village resident on a walk around their block. A hundred years of history are revealed as they say hello to shopkeepers, reminisce about long gone stores, check out the street art, poke through community gardens, and gaze at the architectural curiosities of this unique neighborhood.
And a preview of the upcoming episodes...
• Jan. 25: BACK ON THE BLOCK — 11th STREET BETWEEN B & CIn 2009, Victoria first took a walk around her block and documented her connection with the shops, the school, and the many community gardens. Three years after she was evicted, she is back on the block, surveying the changes that have occurred and saying hello to old friends who have remained. Special double episode, combining the original walk around the block in 2009 with a walk around the same block in 2014.• Feb. 22 : HOLY CANNOLI — 10th STREET BETWEEN 1ST & AVictoria and photographer Richard Sandler walk around his formerly Italian block, finding not only the world's largest cannoli, but also traces of Jerry Rubins, Basquiat and the Beastie Boys.March 29 : LA LUCHA CONTINUA — 8TH STREET BETWEEN B & CVictoria goes for a walk with actress/director Elizabeth Ruf and the late filmmaker Roland Legiardi-Laura on their block, which seems to be the immigrant epicenter of the old Lower East Side, with vestiges of former Irish, German and Jewish enclaves where Puerto Rican pride now runs strong.April 26: TWO OLD FUGS — 10TH STREET BETWEEN B & CVictoria and housing activist Frank Morales reminisce about Diggers, dealers, dissidents, DAMP and the Avenue D Boys on a walk around his block.
Linchong said that she'd like to do more episodes, and is hopeful of securing some financing to make it happen.
After her eviction, she lived in Berlin for four years. These days, she's living in the Park Slope/Gowanus area.
"I've not been coming by the East Village that often — especially with the pandemic," she told me via an email. "But I do still have a lot of friends in the neighborhood and I come around sometimes to see them."
And what would she like people to take away from her series?
"The value of the East Village is its community. No other neighborhood in the whole world has been so shaped by its residents. Every episode shows this ... Yet the longtime residents that make the East Village so great are rapidly being displaced by short-sighted moneyed interests," Linchong said. "I want people to see that the longtime residents of the neighborhood are valuable and their continued presence needs to be protected. What is a neighborhood if it doesn't have residents who are invested in their neighborhood, who have been part of the area's struggles, who know the story of every block?"
The episodes debut on the above dates at 7 p.m. on Vimeo ... as well as Facebook Live.
Batteries not included: Food and drinks options on this block of 7th Street
Last week, we reported that the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop would not be reopening on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. When it debuted in 2011, this was the very first storefront for co-founders Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff.
In a letter about the closure, the founders understandably cited the challenges of running a business during a pandemic, and how difficult it would be to make it work on Seventh Street ... they also noted that what was once one of "the hottest food blocks" in the city wasn't what it used to be... that "[t]he batteries have gone a bit dim on that street."
It's true that Caracas Arepa Bar decided to close in November after 17 years, continuing on with their Williamsburg location instead. In addition last year, the now-global Luke's Lobster shut down their Seventh Street location, having outgrown the space. And there was the loss of Porchetta a few years back.
Still, we heard from a lot of readers who took exception to the claim that the block between Avenue A and First Avenue was dimming. While they appreciated the good cheer that Big Gay Ice Cream brought to Seventh Street for nearly 10 years, some readers contend the block has never been more vibrant — even during the pandemic. (The readers were also sorry to see the ice cream shop close, and hope that it can reopen elsewhere in the neighborhood some day.)
For starters, Pylos, Butter Lane and Ruffian (among others, like Papilles and Giano as well as dessert spots mochii and Jell & Chill) continue on.
Ravi DeRossi has three restaurants — Saramsam, a Filipino restaurant at 111 E. Seventh St. that opened in September, Ladybird and Avant Garden — on the block. (They are currently closed for a winter break.) His Overthrow Hospitality is preparing for the opening of a fourth establishment this year on the block — Cadence, a take on southern soul food via chef Shenarri Freeman.
Meanwhile, several of the newer businesses seem to be a hit, including Ho Foods and 787 Coffee, which is a welcomed lively spot in the morning.
Meanwhile, four quick-serve businesses have opened in recent months... Shinn East ... Los Tacos ... plant-based, a vegan bakery, and the newly opened Medan Pasar, the Malaysian restaurant that has drawn rave reviews from Eater and Gothamist this year.
Tamam is now open on 14th Street
The plant-based Tamam Falafel (first reported here) is now open on 14th Street at Third Avenue right next to Joe's Pizza. (Thanks to Pinch and Nick Solares for the tip!)
Here's part of a review of the UES location when it opened last summer via The Beet:
The name, Tamam, which is Arabic and Hebrew slang for "thumbs up," definitely elicits that kind of response for all sampling its tasty — and affordable — fare and Oren clearly hasn't lost his edge in the falafel-verse. The short menu has several standouts.First, the Eggplant Sabich Plate ($11.50) is a must, with the crispy eggplant savory and crunchy, and the perfect complement to a drizzle of amba sauce, a piquant condiment made of pickled mangoes and spices. Served on a bed of quinoa with a side of Israeli salad or cabbage salad with delectable hummus—extra creamy and mild — and warm chickpeas, along with freshly baked fluffy pita, the generous portions mean you may just have late-night leftovers to anticipate.
A message for Short Stories
And perhaps no one is around to mind the store on a full-time basis... as such, a neighbor left a sign on the door asking the bar-restaurant to clean up its curbside dining space...
... seen worse, but...
This has been a common complaint among some residents when a bar or restaurant temporarily closes... who's taking care of the curbside space... and, in some cases, if the venue closes, who's responsible to take down the structure... ?
Sunday, January 24, 2021
Sunday's parting shot
As previously noted, the Ray's Annual Birthday Celebration isn't happening this year... organizers instead are asking Ray fans to record a video message here.
Week in Grieview
Posts from this past week included ... (with an optical illusion on Seventh Street via Derek Berg) ...
• In open letter, community groups seek answers over recent removal of 2 CB3 committee chairs (Tuesday)
• Big Gay Ice Cream founders say goodbye to their very first shop (Friday)
• How you can record a virtual 88th birthday greeting for Ray (Monday)
• Halloween Adventure is hoping for one more Halloween (Friday)
• This week's NY See panel (Thursday)
• Gallery Watch heads to Paige Beeber’s Farbe at Freight and Volume Gallery (Wedensday)
• Phony Express returns with "Laurie Anderson" (Friday)
• The former Meet Noodles space is for rent on 3rd Avenue; Taste Wine looks closed next door (Tuesday)
• 2021 development watch: 38-46 2nd Ave. (Wednesday)
• Amsterdam Billiards reopens (Wednesday)
• Happy trails: the sidewalk bridge has been removed from the all-new 619 E. 6th St. (Tuesday)
• Taiwanese noodles for 7th Street? (Wednesday)
• Camellia will not be reopening on 3rd Avenue (Wedensday)
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Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.
Layers of signage on Avenue A
Until this past September, this storefront was home to Native Bean. The coffee shop was here since January 2015, having moved the one block from 50 Avenue A.
The Native Bean sign always looked rather temporary here, stuck over the name of the previous tenant – Angelina Cafe, which moved across the Avenue in 2012 (before closing and becoming Bin 141 on Third and A in 2019!).
Anyway, the rumor is that another coffee shop is opening at 36 Avenue A... something to keep an eye on in the weeks ahead.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Saturday, January 23, 2021
Bernie meme goes offline in the East Village
Friday, January 22, 2021
Friday's parting shots
"We thought an apartment in our building was on fire, but instead it was a DSNY truck."
Mind the 'Store'
Halloween Adventure is hoping for one more Halloween
Earlier this month, reports surfaced that Halloween Adventure is shutting down in the weeks ahead at 808 Broadway/104 Fourth Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street.
However, store ownership is now hoping for a reprieve... with the goal of staying open through this Halloween.
Here's part of their statement via the store's website:
Unfortunately, due to diminishing traffic as a result of COVID, Halloween Adventure is tragically facing the reality that we will have to close.While the store has always been open all year, Halloween is always the critical season that funds the rest of our year. The effects of COVID on Halloween 2020 caused us to lose over $2 million in sales. Due to this harsh reality, we are facing closure and are selling off all goods at 75% off.At this rate we will not even be able to celebrate Halloween 2021 with the East Village and our last Halloween will have been one that had severely muted celebrations because of COVID.Nothing would mean more to us than to have at least one more full, true Halloween celebration with the community. After seeing the outpouring of support over the past two weeks across social media and in the store, we have realized there could be a light at the end of this dark tunnel.If we could make back this month even half of the $2 million in Halloween sales that we lost, we could stay open through Halloween and have that last great adventure with the community. This last week in the store has already gotten us nearly 20% of the way there!If you cannot come to our store in person, we would greatly appreciate if you could support us by purchasing a gift card for the store. Every gift card helps us make it that much closer to our goal and our dream to celebrate that final Halloween with the East Village!We truly appreciate all the support we have received from our fans over the years and how you have shared our store with your friends and families.
You can find the gift card info at this link.
The Times has a feature on the shop from today right here.
Photo by Steven
Big Gay Ice Cream founders say goodbye to their very first shop
Big Gay Ice Cream co-founders Doug Quint (above left) and Bryan Petroff (above right) shared this message with us yesterday about the closure of their Seventh Street shop, as reported yesterday ...
With great sadness but with no regrets, Bryan and I decided that the time came for Big Gay Ice Cream to close our East Village location.125 East Seventh Street is where Big Gay Ice Cream became more than just our overblown hobby. Big Gay Ice Cream Truck a grew into a legitimate hit and in 2011 we decided that it was supposed to be what we did with our lives.We signed the lease, quit our day jobs, and built ourselves a perfectly imperfect hole-in-the-wall soft serve joint. I would work a late night in the ice cream truck, staying out long enough to be able to afford a prep sink the next day so in a way every Big Gay Ice Cream Truck customer helped build that place.For a decade the shop hummed along and put tens of thousands of Salty Pimps in the hands of folks from Tierra Del Fuego to Lapland. It made many people, including us, very happy.We always knew that if we ever opened a shop it would be in the East Village. It had to be. In its heyday that section of East Seventh was one of the hottest food blocks in the city — even The New York Times singled it out. We wanted to be right there with Caracas, Luke’s Lobster, Porchetta, Butter Lane and Pylos. Damn, that block had energy and we loved it.The batteries have gone a bit dim on that street. The empty storefronts (kept vacant by landlords working tax breaks) that plague the city have settled in. It ain’t what it was.We decided that even if the shop managed to make it through “the COVID thing” it would never truly recover. We need to be able to jam customers in during the summer to make enough money to get us through the off season. That won’t work anymore. Knowing that the usual fall semester student rush won’t be coming this year we have decided to call it.Thank you all for making wonderful memories at our first shop and thank you to the East Village for having us. We’re going to “keep on keeping on” at our other locations and hope to open another East Village or Lower East Side location before too long.Goodbye East Seventh. So long and thanks for all the calories.
Bush Tetras, live on livestream tomorrow night at Le Poisson Rouge
The band will also be introducing new bassist RB Korbet.
Photo of founding members Pat Place and Cynthia Sley by Stacie Joy from February 2020
Phony Express returns with 'Laurie Anderson'
Phony Express, the pandemic-era band started by some local artists, writers and musicians, have released a new single — "Laurie Anderson."
To refresh your memory... here's info from our post on the anonymous band from last week:
"Phony Express is what happens when artists, writers and musicians, who'd normally be making shows live at La MaMa and in our neighborhood watering holes, decide to use our own devices. We've formed an anonymous band inspired by EV Grieve — anonymous, so that listeners may focus on the music itself, not what they find online about the persons performing it; local, sparked by our neighborhood's unique legacy, free and fun ... Our plan is to collaborate by phone, making music quickly (Phony Express) and upload to Phony Express's YouTube channel."
Previously on EV Grieve:
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Grant Shaffer's NY See
The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop will not be reopening on 7th Street
A lot of people have pointed this out in recent days: The for-rent sign in the front window of the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.
Co-founder Doug Quint confirmed the closure, though didn't offer any other immediate comment. [Updated: Read their farewell-to-Seventh-Street message here.]
This outpost had been closed since the PAUSE went into effect last March ... the Big Gay locations in the West Village and UWS did reopen.
The popular shop opened in September 2011 with a memorable array of entertainment, including an all-bassoon band, Bea Arthur lookalikes and Anthony Bourdain dressed as a priest blessing the shop.
This was the very first location for the business that started with an ice cream truck. Since then, Quint and co-founder Bryan Petroff authored a cookbook on frozen treats and launched a pint-sized product line in grocery stores.
A show of Local Artists this weekend at 3rd & B’Zaar
3rd & B’Zaar, the mixed-vendor market and event space at 191 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, is hosting an art show this weekend with an array of local artists.
The opening reception is tomorrow (Friday!) evening from 6-9. The show will then run this weekend — 1-6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
And coming soon: the space will become the Sex, Love & Vintage Market from Feb. 1-Feb. 28. Stay tuned for more details on that.
3rd & B’Zaar debuted late last year as a group of local merchants, artists and designers hosted a month-long Holiday Market.
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