All along 1st Avenue with Neil Goldberg

Text and photos by Stacie Joy 

Like so many New Yorkers, especially those of us who live in the East Village, I was deeply moved by local resident Neil Goldberg's op-ed piece "Hallelujah Anyway, Anyway" in The New York Times earlier this spring.

A video piece that speaks of his experiences watching shopkeepers all along First Avenue rolling up their gates each morning, and how the city and our neighborhood have changed since he first started videotaping merchants in the early 1990s. A meditative piece dealing with twin viruses, first AIDS and now COVID, Neil reflects on change, impermanence, resiliency and hope. 

I recently met up with the artist and we walked along First Avenue from Houston to 14th Street on both sides and revisited some of the storefronts featured in his story. We even visited his former apartment building, where his name remains on the buzzer. 

We chatted about old favorites long gone like Baby Jake's, Black Forest Pastry Shop and Foot Gear Plus, and marveled at places that are (thankfully!) still here, such as Speedy Lock & Door, Gizmo and Cosmo's Launderama ...

You can keep up with Neil here ... and tune into his podcast, "She's A Talker."

8 a.m. old-timer Milano's returns to service on East Houston

Longtime (circa the 1880s!) daytime-drinking favorite Milano's reopened this week over at 51 E. Houston St. between Mott and Mulberry. 

Milano's had been closed since the PAUSE of March 2020. And now they're back to their longtime 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. hours. 

The same ownership also operates the Library (7 Avenue A), Doc Holliday's (141 Avenue A) and d.b.a. (41 First Ave.) — expect those bars to also reopen soon. 

Thanks to Martin Mahoney for the pic yesterday!

Avenue C stalwart A & C Kitchen is back open

A & C Kitchen, the affordable and reliable quick-serve Chinese restaurant these past nearly 30 years, is back open at 136 Avenue C between Eighth Street and Ninth Street. (Thank you Eden for the tip!) 

A&C had been closed throughout the pandemic, and people wondered if the place was done for good. Yelpers thought so.

They will be expanding their hours and menu items as business returns. 

EVG file photo

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Revisiting A & C Kitchen on Avenue C

Wednesday's parting shots

Christo, one of the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, was up to something today... or maybe on to something. 

Steven saw big daddy swoop onto the side of a building on Ninth Street near Avenue A... intent on whatever was inside this hole in the wall ...

Read this if you parked along Avenue C right now

An EVG reader shared this following... 

We parked our car on Avenue C between Fourth and Fifth this weekend. We should not have had to move it until street cleaning on Friday. We are vigilant about checking for parking signs and warnings, hate tickets. We were good to go. 

Yesterday afternoon I even went to the car to grab something — everything still fine. Last night around 10 I went to walk the dog and saw massive road work being done all along Avenue C. They were towing cars out like it was a parade. I managed to run home and grab my keys to move my car JUST in time. 

Usually, when this happens, [the city] places signs up at least a day before to warn people. But for last night's work, this was not the case. Here's a pic [above!] of a paper sign closest to my car — it's still crisp and dry meaning it wasn’t put up until AFTER the rain late yesterday afternoon. 

How does the city get away with acting like this? I can’t imagine how many poor people came out to their cars this morning to find them missing. There were SO many cars to be towed because NO ONE had any idea because the city gave NO notice this would happen. Outrageous. 

And the work is set to happen again tonight.

But today the signs were all ripped down again. So people may have parked there today and will be towed tonight. Would be great to warn them.

Portraits from the Park Prom

On Sunday evening, a group of young adults from around NYC — some in high school, some recently out of high school — met in Tompkins Square Park for what they were calling a Park Prom. (Not to be confused with Promkins!) 

And, despite the heat, they were dressed for the occasion. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was there and took portraits of some of the attendees...

The evening was to include several bands, including Jade Tourniquet ...

Eventually, as the sun started to set, the NYPD paid a visit and shut down the festivities (no permit for amplified sound). 

The attendees continued on at another LES park... but not before a group shot ...

East Village Loves NYC issues a fundraising appeal to help continue feeding New Yorkers in need

East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group that formed last spring to feed people in need during the pandemic — has put a fundraising appeal to help keep them preparing meals for New Yorkers this year.

Via a recent Instagram post:

Truth is, we haven’t been able to raise enough funds to safely continue helping the city we love until the end of 2021. At this pace, we'll have to shut our doors by the end of the summer. Times are tough, the city needs us, and we worry that we won't be able to respond to the growing ask for help.

So if you are in a position to help, and only if you are in a position to help, we ask that you please consider financially supporting us this year, and by doing so, knowing that you will be feeding tens, hundreds, thousands of New Yorkers who need it most.

You can read more about helping at this link. 

In addition, Sougwen Chung, a Chinese-Canadian artist, created a piece of virtual art that she is selling as an NFT. She will be donating 100 percent of the funds to East Village Loves NYC. (Details here.)

As Gothamist reported yesterday, the need for emergency food resources remains high in the city:

As vaccination rates rise and the city approaches a full reopening, hunger may no longer be top of mind for many New Yorkers. But those working in food banks and pantries say demand is still much higher than it was before the pandemic, especially among groups that were already more vulnerable.

East Village Loves NYC — which has attracted some 400 volunteers — celebrated its first anniversary earlier this spring ... and in those first 12 months, the group has cooked more than 100,000 meals for New Yorkers during the pandemic ... not to mention donated 325,000-plus pounds of groceries and 7,000-plus pantry bags.

As they noted on Instagram:

What started with our team of five or six friends doing a cooking session to help their neighborhood, turned into a massive family of hundreds of volunteers gathering every week to deliver thousands of meals to New York City.

Early on, Ali Sahin, the owner of C&B Cafe on Seventh Street near Avenue B, donated his space on Mondays for the group to cook its meals. By last June, they had outgrown the space and started assembling deliveries at the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

By the end of last summer, East Village Loves Queens expanded operations and announced its new name — East Village Loves NYC. 

Photo from May by Stacie Joy

Previously on EV Grieve:
• These East Village residents are helping feed families in Queens during the COVID-19 crisis

• East Village volunteers expand their outreach to feed more neighbors in need

• East Village Loves Queens expands: Meet East Village Loves NYC

• Volunteers at East Village Loves NYC prepare meal for Ramadan; celebrate 1st anniversary

Here's the Vin Sur Vingt Wine Bar signage on 2nd Avenue and 11th Street

As we first reported this past December, Vin Sur Vingt Wine Bar is opening its seventh NYC location at 170 Second Ave. at 11th Street.

Signage is up now for the business. (Thanks to Steven for the photo!)

As a reminder, here's more about Vin Sur Vingt via their website:

The menu includes an extensive list continuously rotating of 250 wines – 50 wines by the glass – coupled with a light French fare menu. The intimate space was personally designed to resemble the most authentic Bar a Vin in France. A pewter-topped bar runs along its length, with large tilted mirrors hung along a copper plated ceiling to reflect cozy dim lighting. The relaxed ambiance is also prevailed by nostalgic melodies that play in the background. All this to ensure an experience that transports you to the very place where these elements were born.

No word on a specific opening date at the moment — just summer 2021 for now.

Until October 2018, this corner space was home to the original Liquiteria, which debuted in 1996. Founder Doug Green sold the business several years ago to a group of investors who then opened more outposts, all of which closed by late 2019.

The Brindle Room is on the hunt for a new home

Several readers have asked about the status of the Brindle Room, the restaurant that served "eclectic comfort food" at 277 E. 10th St. 

Workers recently removed the sign and cleared out the space here between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Owner Jeremy Spector confirmed that the Brindle Room is closed for now after 11 years at the address. 

"We are currently looking for a new location. We hope to be open this fall," he said in an email. "We're looking at spaces in the East Village. However, we haven't ruled out another neighborhood. We came close on a space. But it fell through. So we will keep trying." 

The Brindle Room was open for takeout during the early days of the pandemic but has remained closed since the spring of 2020. 

Photos by Steven

Openings: Cafe Sandra on First Avenue

Cafe Sandra debuted last week at 194 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street... with the food service arriving on Saturday (they were serving a nice looking tomato ricotta danish, among other items like breakfast burritos and sandwiches) ...

The mural is of Sandra, the chef here...

Sandra and Jake, her business partner, previously ran O Cafe on Sixth Avenue and 12th Street. Cafe Sandra is their first space as owners. 

They are open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find their menu at the Cafe Sandra website at this link. 

The previous tenant, Space 194, a hybrid tea-coffee shop-gallery, closed in early 2020 after nearly a year in service.

Thank you to Lola Sáenz for these photos!

The Astor Place Greenmarket returns TODAY

The Astor Place Greenmarket returns for the season starting today... where, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can find vendors that include: 

• Kernan Farms Vegetables from Cumberland County, N.J. 
• Remsburger Honey & Maple Honey & maple syrup from Dutchess County, N.Y. 
• Wilklow Orchards Orchard and small fruits, vegetables, cider, baked goods and jams from Ulster County, N.Y.
• Runner & Stone Baked goods from Kings County, N.Y. 

This marks the second year for the market, located on the south plaza at Astor Place (Eighth Street-Lafayette). It will be here through Nov. 23. More details at this link.

Photo from 2020 by Steven

Lucky Star is a 1950s-style ice cream shop opening 3 downtown locations this summer

Look for three locations of Lucky Star, a 1950s-style ice cream shop, opening this summer downtown, including on St. Mark's Place.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy took these photos yesterday on the northeast corner of Clinton and Delancey, where the first outpost is set to debut soon...

The shop features a to-go window offering up a variety of soft serve, milkshakes, sundaes and Italian ice...

There is also a Lucky Star in the works for 34 St. Mark's Place, the former Kyber Pass space between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, and the Two Bridges neighborhood.

Trigger, the longtime owner of the live music venue/bar the Continental (1991-2018) on Third Avenue at St. Mark's Place, is behind this new venture. 

Openings: Marinara Pizza debuts on 2nd Avenue

As we've been reporting (like here and here), Marinara Pizza is coming to the northeast corner of Second Avenue at 10th Street.

And yesterday was the pizzeria's opening day (thanks to Nick Solares for the pic!) at 160 Second Ave.

As noted before: An EVG reader told us that their most popular slice is the MVP, which features stripes of marinara sauce, vodka sauce and pesto on a square pie (the pic is from the Marinara social media) ...

For now, their hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Find the menu here.

This is the fifth outpost for Marinara, which has locations on the UES, UWS, Midtown East and Park Avenue South. 

H/T Steven

Report: Christodora House board tells staff to get vaccination or risk losing jobs

The board of the Christodora House, the 16-floor, 83-unit residential building at 143 Avenue B, has reportedly asked two employees that they need to receive the COVID-19 vaccination — or risk losing their jobs. 

Per the Post:

The apartment building's board has informed a porter and doorman that they have until June 15 to receive at least one dose, or they will be let go. 

"The Board respects your decision," read the letter, which was seen by the Post. "However, we hope you will understand that your choice is not compatible with the Board's responsibility to provide the safest possible environment for all Christodora House staff members and residents."

The board was said to have offered the two employees $1,000 each to receive the vaccine.

"I never told them that I don’t want to get it — I just said 'not now,'" said Brandon of the vaccine. The 33-year-old porter, who declined to give his last name, fears the vaccine could trigger a flare-up of pre-existing health conditions, especially as he does not have health insurance.

Several residents of the landmarked building between Ninth Street and 10th Street have signed a petition in support of the two workers. 

Employers are allowed to require the COVID-19 vaccine, and can also legally provide incentives, including cash, to workers, according to guidance that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated late last month. 

EVG file photo

Hot in the city: Pinc Louds bring the (pre) summertime fun to La Plaza Cultural

Picking up from the previous post ... currently in a crackdown mode (to say the least), the NYPD would not let the Pinc Louds set move forward in Tompkins Square Park on Saturday evening. (No amplified music without a permit...)

However, the show was able to go on at a new location — La Plaza Cultural on Ninth Street at Avenue C, where attendees were treated to another euphoric performance on this hot (not-officially-summer-yet) night. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy took these photos... 

In other Pinc Louds news, the band's new single, "Aire Acondicionado," drops on Friday.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• At the first Pinc Louds show of 2021 in Tompkins Square Park

• An end-of-summer appreciation: Pinc Louds