6 posts from May

A mini month in review... (with a wisteria flashback to May 1 on Stuyvesant Street)...

• Honoring the memories of Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón on 2nd Avenue (May 27) 

• Woman dies after falling from Avenue A rooftop; Rivera demands review of building enforcement procedures (May 23) 

• St. Mark’s Comics is reopening this summer (in Brooklyn) (May 20) 

• The remains of the Gem Spa can now be found in homes (and a barn) across the U.S. (May 18) 

• This East Village Easter footage from 1966 includes a crucifixion in Tompkins Square Park (May 14) 

• Cinema Paradiso looks to bring foreign and independent films to Avenue A (May 10)

Tompkins Square Library hosting an online discussion with Grant Shaffer

East Village-based artist and illustrator Grant Shaffer, who contributes the NY See panel to EVG, is the guest tomorrow (Tuesday, June 1) evening during an online discussion with Tompkins Square Library manager Corinne Neary. 

Per the invite, Grant "will show and talk to us about his work. He will discuss his process and inspirations, including the work he has created inspired by life in NYC during the COVID pandemic." 

Grant's illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times and Interview. 

The discussion is from 6-7 p.m. Sign up at this link. 

And coming up on Saturday: Longtime East Village resident Sarah Schulman will discuss her upcoming book "Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993." Details here.

Food Emporium has closed on Union Square

An EVG reader reports that the Food Emporium on Union Square East has officially closed... we're told Saturday was the last day...

The salmon fillet deal was still being advertised even though the deli department had been packed up days earlier...

As we first reported back in March, this 14th Street location was to close on May 30, according to a WARN notice filed on Feb. 25 with the New York State Department of Labor. 

The WARN filing says that the Food Emporium lease is expiring. The closure will impact 50 employees, per the notice. 

In February 2020, Lois Weiss at the Post reported that Target signed a lease for the 32,579 square feet here in the base of the Zeckendorf Towers. At the time, the Food Emporium was said to stay here through the end of April 2023. Perhaps now Target will push forward their opening date.

And we'll walk off with a passage from Rachel Sugar's March 11 essay at Grub Street titled "New York Grocery Stores Are Uniquely Weird. That’s Why They’re Important" ...

In itself, the Union Square Food Emporium was not special. It was — and is! (until May 30) — what one might call "serviceable," which is to say that it does indeed sell groceries and has two stars on Yelp. But it is emblematic of its kind. It is, like Key Food and Foodtown and C-Town and Gristedes and Associated and Bravo and D’Agostino, a quintessential New York City chain. Are these stores largely mediocre? Of course, but they are distinctly mediocre. And while there are recognizable differences between them, such as quality and ownership and location, spiritually, they are the all same.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• The Union Square Food Emporium looks to be closing at the end of May

Monday's opening shot

Several readers have asked about the hot ball of glowing gases in the sky as seen here from Houston at First Avenue... if this helps...

🤔

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included (with a random sky pic from Tompkins Square Park) ... 

• Elected officials call for more rooftop oversight; details emerge about woman who fell from 202 Avenue A (Tuesday) 

• Honoring the memories of Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) 

• Volunteer help wanted for the new Loisaida CommUnity Fridge and Pantry (Monday) 

• Opinion: Against Upzoning (Wednesday) 

• Report: One of Amelia and Christo's 2021 offspring has died (Thursday) 

• Gas service is restored at Pangea after 7 months (Wednesday) 

• The owner of alt.coffee and Cake Shop is looking to start a new cafe concept (Tuesday) 

• A follow-up to the fire on Bleecker Street late Friday night (Monday) 

• March gallery debuts on Avenue A (Friday) 

• How expensive are the flowers here? (Friday) 

• An organic grocery for the Bowery (Monday) 

• Marufuku Ramen next up for 92 2nd Ave. (Tuesday) 

• 7th Street Burger for 7th Street (Tuesday) 

• Sidney's Five in soft-open mode on 1st Avenue (Monday)

... and in case the skies miraculously clear by this evening...

Happy Manhattanhenge! It's TONIGHT- don't miss it!!#exit9 #exit9giftemporium #shoplocal #eastvillage #brooklyn #manhattanhenge pic.twitter.com/TbG05IuciY

— Exit9 Gift Emporium (@ShopExit9) May 30, 2021

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Spring into Pride extended through June at 3rd & B’Zaar on 3rd Street

Today was set to be the last day for Spring Into Pride over at 3rd & B’Zaar, the mixed-vendor market and event space at 191 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

However! Based on the feedback this past month, the organizers have decided to extend Spring Into Pride through June (June 28 to be exact). 

There will be a few new vendors joining the more than 30 local designers, vintage sellers and artists.

Spring into Pride is open from 1-6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

3rd & B’Zaar debuted late last year with a month-long Holiday Market ... followed by Sex, Love & Vintage in February.... with several art shows in between. 

Today is the last day for Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen before summer break

Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen on Seventh Street will close after today for its customary summer break. (They broke tradition and stayed open last June, July and August.)

The basement cafe, which generates income for the St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church on Seventh Street, is open today from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for takeout. 

Stock up your freezer!

Streecha is at 33 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square. Look for their return in late August.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to the Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen on 7th Street

Top photo from 2018 by Stacie Joy!

Today's concert at the East River Park Amphitheater has been postponed

Today's wind and rain has forced the cancellation of the free concert this afternoon at the East River Park Amphitheater. Organizers will be announcing a rain date soon.

Saturday's opening shot

The eternal springs of Avenue A gently being replenished this morning...

'Crisis' communications

 

For the holiday weekend... Holiday Ghosts have a new record out (the UK-based band's third)... the video here is for "Total Crisis."

Flashback Friday

The top photo is from September 2020... when the main lawn in Tompkins Square Park had grass... and as seen last evening...

Previously on EV Grieve:

Concern for the main lawn in Tompkins Square Park

March gallery debuts on Avenue A

Photos by Stacie Joy

March gallery debuted this past weekend at 64 Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. 

As previously reported, Phillip March Jones, an artist, writer and curator, leased this space. 

The debut exhibit, titled Pre-Renovation Potluck, is an installation of self-portraits by 16 artists whom March has worked with in the past. You can read more details on the March website.

The exhibit is up through June 30 (and before a renovation). Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Until June 2020, this storefront was Alphabets ... owner Linda Heidinger moved the novelty-gift shop to Palm Springs, Calif. 

And wait until you see how expensive their balloons are!

Earlier this month, the folks at Flordel Florist, 226 E. Third St., changed up the signage here between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

The sign originally said "Florist Flowers." The new signage — "Very Expensive Flowers" — is definitely more memorable. 

Anyway, they are running a special — the dozen red roses, previously priced at $19.99, are available for $101.11, which includes the "no sense of humor fee." 

Photo by Stacie Joy!

Can you Dig it? [Update: Postponed due to the rain]

Update 5/29: The organizers have postponed the show to a later date given today's wind and rain...

There's a free show tomorrow (Saturday!) afternoon at the East River Park Amphitheater to help raise awareness of the destruction to come to the Park later this year.

Dig Stop! will bring together more than a dozen local bands, DJs and speakers from 1 to 5 p.m.

You can also purchase Save East River Park T-shirts and totes ... and bid on a mystery bag raffle with items donated by Patagonia. Proceeds go to the East River Park Action legal fund.

East River Park Action has been asking for a "real environmental review" of the $1.45 billion plan to protect the Lower East Side and surrounding neighborhoods from a 100-year-flood event and sea-level rise. 

Opponents of the city's current plan — where workers will raze the 57.5-acre plot of land, bulldozing 1,000 mature trees and rebuilding the park atop eight feet of landfill — say there are better ways to preserve the park and provide flood protection, such as the one mapped out in the years after Sandy.

In late 2018, the city surprised community stakeholders by announcing a complete overhaul of a plan, part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, discussed over four years of local meetings.

Previously

Thursday's parting shot

Photo on Fourth Street today by Derek Berg...

Honoring the memories of Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón on 2nd Avenue

Family members of Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón came together outside 121-123 Second Ave. yesterday morning for the dedication of a memorial plaque in honor of the two men who died here during the gas explosion on March 26, 2015.

Retired (2017) FDNY battalion chief John Dunne joined the families ... Dunne, the third-highest-ranking member of the FDNY at the time, was part of the massive response to the explosion that leveled three buildings here at Seventh Street.  

State Sen. Brad Hoylman, City Councilmember Carlina Rivera and her predecessor, Rosie Mendez, who was in office at the time of the tragedy, were also on hand to pay their respects to the family members.

The Village Preservation advocated for the inclusion of the plaque here on the new residential building at 45 E. Seventh St.  

Thank you to Steven for the photos 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• RIP Nicholas Figueroa

• RIP Moises Locón

• Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street 

Report: One of Amelia and Christo's 2021 offspring has died

Sad news out of Tompkins Square Park. It appears that one of Amelia and Christo's 2021 chicks has died. 

Local red-tailed hawk documentarian Goggla reported this yesterday:

Unfortunately, we have no idea what happened, when exactly the chick passed away, or where the body is now. It's likely still up in the tree, but there is no way to check up there and, without a body, no way to know what caused the chick's death. Any stories floating around the park are pure speculation. The last time we observed the chick, it appeared fine, but they were all still too small to be able to get a really good look at them. Of course, we're watching the remaining two chicks closely.

As she points out, this is not the first time that the resident red-tailed hawks have suffered the loss of their fledglings. In 2018 and 2019, at least one of the chicks died from rodenticide poisoning.

In more positive news, the other two chicks appear to be doing well ... and they are briefly in that awkward 7th-grade phase as they mature into lean, rat-hunting machines.

Thanks to Goggla for the photos!

The Lower East Side Festival of the Arts returns for in-person events this weekend

The 26th annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts takes place this weekend at the Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. at 10th Street... and it will be in-person after last year's virtual proceedings. 

Expect to find a mix of theater, music, dance, comedy, poetry, film and fine arts indoors and out on Friday through Sunday. You can check out the extensive offerings at the Theater's website. 

The events are all free of charge. Theater officials have also noted the following about admission:

[S]adly, we cannot be as uninhibited and laissez-faire with our audience as usual. So, we must let you know that you WILL BE ASKED TO SHOW US YOUR VACCINATION CARD or a NEGATIVE COVID TEST NO MORE THAN FIVE DAYS OLD, IN ORDER TO BE ADMITTED! There will be masking and social distancing, and we will adhere to the most recent rules promulgated by the CDC, State and New York City.

In addition, TNC's Lobby Art Gallery is displaying the work of local artists...

Thanks to Lola Sáenz for the photos. Lola also has a work on display in the art show.

Wednesday's parting shots

Christo*****, the resident red-tailed hawk of Tompkins Square Park, road tripped to Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery today... where Derek Berg took these photos...

***** Hold on! Per Goggla, this may not actually be Christo! It is defintiely an adult red-tailed hawk... but this hawk has a molting tail, and Christo usually molts later in the summer. Perhaps it's one of the hawks from Washington Square Park... or an adult red-tail stranger... to be continued...

Moon struck

Well, we didn't get to enjoy the full-on effects of the Super Flower Blood Moon like in other parts of the world ... but the moon was pretty super last night. EVG reader Jeanne Krier shared this photo from last evening...