Fun City Tattoo expands on St. Mark's Place

Fun City Tattoo has expanded into the adjacent storefront at 94 St. Mark's Place here between Avenue A and First Avenue. (Thanks to Steven for the pic.) 

The business, which dates to the 1970s, arrived on St. Mark's Place in 1989... with Big Steve and Maxx Starr taking over as owners in July 2013. 

The empty space next to Fun City was previously O! Nigiri The Rice Ball Factory, which closed early on during the pandemic last year.

Storm damage: reports of trees and limbs down; Ace Bar's curbside structure collapses

The high winds from this evening's thunderstorm KO'd a tree outside 323 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B... coming to rest on a car in the process, as these photos from a longtime reader show...

Hard to tell from the pics, but it appears the car may have been spared serious damage... and no injuries. 

Meanwhile on Avenue B at Seventh Street (thanks @theenemieslist1!) ...

From 11th Street and Second Avenue (not 12th as ID'd on the tweet)...

Someone's car got WRECK'D on 12th and 2nd pic.twitter.com/Nftt1r2Os5

— Paul Gale (@ImPaulGale) July 6, 2021

And on Fifth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, the curbside structure outside Ace Bar flipped over... (thank you @tjack411) ... also no injuries reported here...

The FDNY helped stack up the remains of the structure...

A news box for The Shadow

There's a new news box with free copies of The Shadow — billed as the city's only underground newspaper — on Avenue A at St. Mark's Place (SW corner) ... 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos from yesterday... the box contains the two most recent issues... 

"This is the first time we've put out a free box. We thought we'd give it a try and see how it goes," publisher Chris Flash told Stacie. "We hope that we can turn others on to publishing as well."

Look for another box coming soon to Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place. 

The Shadow got its start in March 1989.

The Ottendorfer Library branch reopens today

The Ottendorfer Library reopens today at 135 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. 

This is the first time that Ottendorfer has been open since March 2020... and as of today, this location — as well the rest of the NYPL branches, including Tompkins Square — is offering nearly full service: general library use and seating, unlimited browsing, computer access and more. In-person programming and classes will return in the coming months. (Tompkins Square had been open just for grab-and-go service. Hamilton Fish Park Library on East Houston remains closed for renovations.)

Ottendorfer will also be featuring a new series of paintings from East Village-based artist, educator (and parent) EiLeen Doster that celebrates summer in the city. 

Hours: Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Masks are required for patrons at all NYPL branches.

City offering free grab-and-go meals to New Yorkers in need this summer

This summer, the Department of Education will continue to offer free grab-and-go meals to all New Yorkers. (The program started up again on June 28.) 

Per the Summer Meals website: 

• No registration, documentation or ID is required to receive a free breakfast or lunch

• Multiple meals can be picked up at once 

• Breakfast and lunch service times are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (click links to view menus) 

• Vegetarian meals are available at all locations 

• All meals are grab and go, not to be consumed on-site

Local schools offering grab-and-go meals include:

• P.S. 20, 166 Essex St. at East Houston

• East Side Community School, 420 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C

• The STAR Academy/P.S. 63, 121 E. Third St. between Avenue A and First Avenue

• P.S. 64, 600 E. Sixth St. at Avenue B

Visit this link for the full list of meal locations. This link has a map of all free meal programs in the city. 

The city launched the community-meal program in April 2020 during the early days of the pandemic. Gothamist reported that, to date, the DOE has distributed more than 130 million grab-and-go meals since then.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Where residents can get a free meal during the week  

Classic University Place steakhouse Knickerbocker Bar & Grill is open once again

The Knickerbocker Bar & Grill returned to service on June 29 here on the southeast corner of Ninth Street and University Place. They are also offering, for the first time in its 44-year history, limited sidewalk seating.

The timeless NYC steakhouse had been closed since March 15, 2020. And there was some understandable concern that the Knickerbocker might not be returning. (For instance, there wasn't any messaging coming from the restaurant about the pandemic-related closure.)

However, as Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite reported at New York back in March, the restaurant would reopen in the coming weeks and — even better! — with a new 12-year lease.

Turns out that they needed a new exhaust system in the restaurant, a project that took place during part of the state-mandated shutdown.

During the pandemic, the Knickerbocker received a PPP loan and raised nearly $70,000 via a GoFundMe, whose contributors include nearby neighbor F. Murray Abraham (woo! "Mythic Quest"). They were also reportedly able to renegotiate a lease with the building's landlord. 

For now, the Knickerbocker is open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 11 p.m. The live jazz will return at a later date...       

Stuyvesant Gourmet Deli announces itself on the corner of Avenue A and 14th Street

Signage for the Stuyvesant Gourmet Deli has arrived at the southwest corner of 14th Street and Avenue A. (The flower vendor has been there now about a month.)

As noted previously, some of the gang from the old Stuyvesant Market on the southeast corner of 14th Street and Avenue A (RIP May 2010) will be behind the counter here.

The market takes over from Dion Cleaners, which closed in November after 35 years in business.

No word on an opening date. But probably soon.

Monday's parting shots

For whatever reason(s) the gates were locked to the main lawn in Tompkins Square Park on this holiday Monday... which forced people to jump the fence... photos by Derek Berg...

One of Amelia and Christo's red-tailed hawk offspring has died

One of Amelia and Christo's red-tailed hawk fledglings died last night. 

On Friday afternoon, the young hawk was spotted in a dazed state on a fire escape behind a building on Seventh Street. (Thank you to Lauren of 7th Street for sharing these photos.)

According to residents, the hawk "flapped clumsily out of a tree onto our fire escape. Clearly not well, damaged wing or leg?"

Rob Mastrianni of the NYC Urban Park Rangers transported the chick to the Wild Bird Fund on the Upper West Side for observation. There was blood in the hawk's mouth. However, as Goggla noted in her post today, an official cause of death has not been determined. The young hawk was said to have a spinal injury.

Amelia and Christo, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, had three chicks this spring. One died from unknown causes in May.

The surviving two fledglings had been quite active in recent weeks, learning to fly and hunt.

And 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.

Signing off with part of Goggla's post:

[W]e've noticed several dead rats in Tompkins Square Park and in the surrounding neighborhood over the last couple of weeks. This is NOT normal and anyone finding a dead rat should report it to 311. If one is found within the park, please notify a park employee so they can dispose of it. We have concerns that with all the trash in and around the park the last several weeks, people could be using rodenticide. We currently have an outstanding inquiry with the Parks Department to confirm whether or not they are still employing nontoxic dry ice for rat control.

A mutual aid pop-up shop today in Tompkins Square Park

The Freedom Art Collective is hosting its monthly mutual aid pop-up in Tompkins Square Park today from 5 to 9:45 p.m. 

Sales from the art, clothing and jewelry will benefit East Village Mutual Aid as well as a BIPOC dad trying to secure safe housing for his three children. (Details here.)

The Village Voice said to be restarting a print edition

The Village Voice has hired Steven McKenna, the former CEO of Dan's Papers, to serve as the publication's chief revenue officer. 

According to Keith Kelly at the Post, with McKenna on board, the paper will launch a monthly print edition this fall with plans for an issue every other week in 2022. (The Voice next needs to hire an editor-in-chief.)

At the beginning of the year, the publication returned online with new ownership in Brian Calle, the chief executive of Street Media, the owner of LA Weekly. A quarterly print edition of the iconic paper was in circulation this spring. (I never did see one out in the wild.)

Previously...  the Voice website ceased publishing new content in August 2018 ... this after the final print edition in September 2017 — a 176-page commemorative issue with Bob Dylan on the cover. 

The paper first started in 1955 under founders Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock and Norman Mailer.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• The Village Voice is returning, and is this a good thing?  

From the EVG archives: Q-and-A with Lydia Lunch, underground legend, town crier

"Lydia Lunch: The War is Never Over" is currently playing at the IFC Center (and on various streaming platforms) ... Beth B's career-spanning documentary retrospective is enjoying a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes...

   

Back in 2013, before an appearance at the Bowery Electric and the Pyramid, EVG correspondent Stacie Joy spoke with the singer, writer, poet, No Wave icon ... and you can find that interview at this link ... and some photos from her appearance at the Pyramid here.

Monday's opening shots

July 5 from Tompkins Square Park...

Sunday's parting shot

A red-tailed hawk on the cross atop Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street today ... thanks to Steven for the photo...

Reader report: Falling tree branch strikes man sitting in Tompkins Square Park

Earlier this evening, a tree branch fell in Tompkins Square Park and struck a man sitting on a bench at the Ninth Street and Avenue B entrance. 

An EVG reader shared the top photo and this narrative around 6:45: "People are helping him. He can walk. The branch is hanging precariously. It is still attached to the tree. A guy called 911." 

The FDNY arrived to remove the rest of the branch from the tree... EVG correspondent Steven took these photos...

According to witnesses, paramedics were treating the man, believed to be in his 60s, at the scene. Hopefully, he is OK...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo by Derek Berg) ... 

• How you can help The Bowery Mission protect New Yorkers from summer heat (Monday) 

• A conversation with Lilly Dancyger, author of the East Village memoir 'Negative Space' (Thursday) 

• Help wanted: East Village restaurants look for staff, find few options (Tuesday) 

• At the 27th annual Drag March (Sunday) 

• A plant-based community fridge arrives outside Essex Market (Tuesday) 

• C&B debuts expanded space on 7th Street (Wedensday) 

• Days and Nights of Pride (Monday) 

• A red-tailed hawk rescue outside Whole Foods on East Houston (Wednesday)

• Report: Diner reviver Louis Skibar eyeing Odessa (Thursday) 

• The ridiculously narrow pedestrian passage at the NE corner of St. Mark's Place and 3rd Avenue (Tuesday) 

• A case of mistaken rat identity on the lawn in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday)

• Doc Holliday's serves again on Avenue A (Monday)

• Community Board 3 returns to in-person meetings starting in July (Monday) 

• Openings: Toasted Deli on 9th Street (Monday) 

• Former Paper Daisy space for rent on St. Marks Place (Thursday)

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Sonic Youth at Central Park, July 4, 1992 (redux)

A partial repost of an EVG item from July 4, 2008...

On July 4, 1992, I saw Sonic Youth at SummerStage in Central Park. Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra opened. I remember SY being as frenzied as I'd ever seen them as they played a Dirty-heavy set. (The record was just about to be released.) I don't remember much else, except that I loved every minute of the afternoon. 

Missing from the previous post — a video of the 66-minute set ...

   

 And the setlist from the Sonic Youth website... 

01. Teenage Riot 

02. Burning Spear 

03. Dirty Boots 

04. Drunken Butterfly 

05. Theresa's Sound-World 

06. Youth Against Fascism 

07. Swimsuit Issue 

08. Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit

09. 100% 

10. Kool Thing 

11. Sugar Kane 

12. Expressway to Yr Skull 

There's a bootleg of the show here.

Saturday's parting shot

Aka, today in discarded art... as seen on Second Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street... photo by Derek Berg...

Because someone had to be an asshole

Someone overturned the Grocery Cart Garden on Fourth Street... which had survived more than a year here at the Bowery before the crowds returned... 

Photos today by Stacie Joy...

Updated:

Back in business...

New York's Liberty Bell, long housed in the East Village, now ready for a closer look

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The New York Liberty Bell is now on display at the New-York Historical Society.

As you may recall, workers removed the bell, which dates to the early 1700s, several weeks ago from the belfry at the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue at Seventh Street.

Here's some history of the bell via the Museum: 

Along with countless other momentous events, the bell pealed upon the reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, announced the inauguration and death of every American president, and tolled in remembrance of the lives lost on September 11, 2001. 

Donated by Colonel Abraham de Peyster to Middle Collegiate Church — then the New Dutch Church on Nassau Street—the bell was cast by the foundry of Jan Albert de Grave in Amsterdam in 1731. The 900-pound bell rings with a distinctive silver tone, thanks to donated coins thrown into the metal mix. 

During the Revolution, the bell was moved to York, Pennsylvania, for safekeeping, but it was not silenced for long. The bell echoed through the 19th century from Middle Church at Lafayette Place, Ninth Street Church, and St. Nicholas Collegiate in Midtown. In 1949, the bell was relocated to Middle Church’s present East Village location. 

The bell will be in the museum on Central Park West until Middle Collegiate Church's sanctuary is rebuilt.

 

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The museum is open Fridays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; until 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Kids 17 and under get in free on the Fourth of July.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• At fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church, it's moving day for the historic New York Liberty Bell