Wednesday's parting shot

A moment on Seventh Street today via Derek Berg...

'I see you over there' — the return of a Zoltar and words of wisdom

A familiar figure in a paisley vest and luxurious gold headwrap made a triumphant debut today outside The March Hare, the toy store at 321 E Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Welcome back, Zoltar! (Thanks to Steven, MP and Jason for the photos!) 

For starters, this is NOT the same Zoltar that held forth outside Gem Spa on Second Avenue and St. Mark's for nearly seven years — 2012-2019. (Among other features, that Zoltar had a flute in his cummerbund.) 

That Zoltar ended up outside a pizzeria in Bushwick, where bloggers probably don't post about him every few days. Sources on Ninth Street tell us that this Zoltar was important from the faraway land of New Jersey.

The new Ninth Street Zoltar is $1 for a fortune (aka words of wisdom). 

We'll have more on this arrival in the days ahead... but one question was answered — the Ninth Street Zoltar will not be outside 24/7...

Mid-afternoon sinkhole watch

Several readers (thank you!) have been keeping tabs on the new budding sinkhole on Avenue A at Fifth Street... it has evolved these past few days to its current triangulated status with the ConEd cones. 

A few days earlier, someone thoughtfully fashioned a bridge for the sinkhole made from a discarded cabinet door...

The city repaved this section of Fifth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B on July 13.

An encore presentation for the Pyramid Club on Avenue A?

The Pyramid Club, the iconic East Village venue that shuttered its doors on Avenue A this past spring after 41 years, is now apparently primed for a comeback. 

A tipster told us that the club, still doing business as The Pyramid Club, will reopen here at 101 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street as early as Saturday. 

A "House of Dance" party featuring DJ Force 1 was posted on the venue's Facebook page... the accompanying text states "The Pyramid is back in NYC"...

The event is advertised between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. — with no cover charge. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy spotted someone inside the space yesterday...

The Pyramid closed at the outset of the pandemic on March 7, 2020. The permanent closure was made official this past April 1, as we first reported.

Manager Maria Narciso and her fiancé, general manager and house DJ TM.8 (aka Quirino Perez), told Stacie the following about the closure back in April:

After many months of asking the owners about their reopening plans and always getting the same answer, "we're not ready, yet" and knowing that now we had a date from NYS/NYC to open on April 2, Quirino asked once again and received a text message reply stating that due to COVID-19, The Pyramid Club will not reopen. 

And of the possibility of the Pyramid reopening under a different name or with new management:

For decades, managers have run The Pyramid Club with unfortunately very little communication from the owners. We don't know what their plans are, as they are very private people and rarely, if ever, talk about their business plans with us. 

At this point, it's not known who might be running the next iteration of the Pyramid, or even if this is a long-term plan or simply a one-night event. 

Since the closure, Narciso and DJ TM.8, who had been at The Pyramid Club for more than 37 years,  found new venues for their 80s dance parties, including Temptation Saturday a few doors away at Drom.

They also released a statement on Instagram "to make it clear that we are in no way associated with any event held at 101 Avenue A, and to remind everyone that we are no longer employees there."

The statement reads in part:

We cherish the times spent managing the venue ... We wish everyone who is involved with reopening well, much success. We want to remind everyone that they have every right to do as they wish with their business, and ask that their wishes be respected.

As we have no communication with the owners (their choosing), we may never understand the why, but we live by The Golden Rule, and never have ill wishes toward anyone. We are blessed to have found venues that have opened their doors for us and our community...

We ask our friends, family and loyal patrons to respect our privacy at this moment. We are not available to discuss anything related with the nightclub's opening. We understand that there's lots of speculation and rumors, and many others who love to create drama, so we remind you that whatever you hear or see written did not/won't come from us, as this is our only official statement.

The only request we have for the owners, is that they return the yellow pyramid logo to Quirino Perez, the rightful owner. This painting was created by his son, and given to his father as a gift. It was used above the entrance for many years. Quirino's son also painted the murals, Rubik's Cube and Pyramid Pac-Man, for his father, and those remain (we hope) at the venue.

When we were fired via text message, we felt for the community and found a way to encourage everyone to keep the Pyramid Spirit alive. We worked hard during the pandemic, during isolation, to keep our community strong with our Twitch livestreams, then we struggled through all the constantly-changing NYS/NYC Health Guidelines to start our live events, becoming the first event to take place in NYC during the global pandemic ... 

We will continue to keep the spirit alive and remind you that Pyramid is just a building, the spirit is inside you and goes where ever you go. We will continue to take you Back to the 80s every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and occasional Sunday and Monday.

We love you just as you are, and thank you for allowing us to follow our passions, and make a living doing what we love to do: Spreading Joy Through Music!

You can keep tabs on their events via this link.

Earlier this year, 101 Avenue A was listed on Loopnet for rent as a retail space. That listing, first posted on March 6, was subsequently removed.

Opening in 1979, The Pyramid ushered in an era of "socially-conscious drag performance, led by the likes of the Lady Bunny, Lypsinka and RuPaul," as Village Preservation once put it. In an oral history of the space, Tricia Romano noted: "[The Pyramid] served as a safe haven for freaks, geeks, weirdos, queers, and dreamers to come together and create. Sometimes it was bad; sometimes it was beautiful. But it was never boring."

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Packing up the last of The Pyramid Club  

Post debuts in new 3rd Street space

Post debuted over the weekend in its new digs at 217 E. Third St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.

As previously reported, the four-plus-year-old cafe that serves a variety of comfort food and cocktails was moving to this larger space from 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.

For now, Post is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Dinner hours to come!) You can find a menu here. And their Instagram here.

The last tenant in the retail space was the cocktail bar Corlear's NYC, which closed in early 2017. The address was immortalized in Lizzy Goodman's 2017 oral history, "Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011," when it was the Plant Bar, the hangout for James Murphy and DFA Records and a lot of other people in the book.

Now You're Clean, offering self-service dog washing, opens on 10th Street

From the EVG reader tipline... Now You're Clean just opened its doors at 279 E. 10th St. west of Avenue A. 

Here's the business description via Yelp: "Self-Service Dog Wash in 15 Minutes. First automated dog washing machine in New York. Affordable and fast. We also offer ... pet products such as leashes, harnesses and toys." 

Per the sign out front, the first wash is free. 

Hours: Daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a 10 a.m. start Saturday and Sunday. 

H/T Christine!

Tuesday's parting shot

Workers papered up the windows today at the empty storefront on the northwest corner of First Avenue and Ninth Street... (the listing on the ICON website is also gone) ... no word yet who the new tenant might be... this space has been empty since the Bean closed here in November 2019. 

Photo by Steven...

Updated 7/28

From the tip line: A deli called Sweet Village Marketplace is in the works for the storefront. (Thanks Upper West Sider!)

Report of a slashing outside 7-Eleven on Avenue A

Just after noon today, multiple readers reported a police presence outside the 7-Eleven on Avenue A at 11th Street. (Thank you to Brian Katz for the photos.) 

According to law enforcement officials at the scene, there was a slashing outside the store. (The Citizen app reported an "assault with edged weapon.") Police did not say what led to the attack or if the victim and suspect knew each other. 

A police source described the victim as a white male. His injuries were not considered life-threatening. He was being treated at Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

Residents also spotted a trail of blood along Avenue A from 11th Street to 14th Street...

We'll update this post if any further information becomes available.

New bike lanes next for freshly paved Avenue C

The city repaved Avenue C from Houston to 18th Street in mid-July (maybe your car was towed during the milling/paving process?). 

All this was done ahead of improvements along the avenue for pedestrians and cyclists. 

DOT flyers are up now along Avenue C with details of the coming changes...

Improvements along C include: 

• Curbside bike lanes between Houston and Fourth Street 

• Parking-protected, bollard-protected and curbside bike lanes between Fourth Street and 18th Street 

• Updated parking regulations to provide truck loading zones 

• Neighborhood loading zones on select side streets 

• Painted pedestrian islands between 11th Street and 15th Street 

• New left-turn bays at 10th Street and 14th Street 

You can find many more details in the presentation that DOT officials made to CB3 back in April. (PDF here)

As reported last fall, the DOT is adding the protected north/south bike lanes on Avenue C and East Houston Street to help offset the closure of the East River Park greenway once construction starts someday.

Advocates urging City Comptroller to withhold approval for East River Park reconstruction

Updated 7/29

As amNY first reported: "After several discussions with the DDC, the comptroller is requesting the agency tackle some unresolved issues, including information disclosure concerns." AND: "Though Stringer kicked the contract back to the DDC, it does not mean that he won’t sign it in the future — or that the project won’t move forward."

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The low bidder's contract for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Plan (ESCR) at East River Park is waiting for approval at Comptroller Scott Stringer's office. 

And opponents of the current plan, led by East River Park Action, are urging Stringer to withhold his approval of the bid by IPC Resiliency Partners. (Read more about the bidding drama here.)

Today at noon, group members will rally outside his office at 1 Centre St.  

Here's more via an email from East River Park Action:

Once approved and a Notice to Proceed is issued, IPC can begin prep work for the demolition of East River Park — including cutting down almost 1,000 mature trees — in order to build a giant levee over the 46-acre land. The Department of Design and Construction, which oversees the project, said at prior Community Board 3 meetings that surveyors are ready to enter the park to perform necessary tests. Other work will include fencing of the park and bringing in trailers for field offices, which can begin within two months of approval.

 

At a time when the city is in a fiscal crisis, we are urging Comptroller Stringer to withhold approval on the $1,272,221,100 construction contract with IPC for the ESCR project that has already gone over-budget, until an independent review is conducted on the prior plan that would've cost the City considerably less money and the park considerably less destruction.

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 discussed over four years of local meetings.

In October 2019, the city announced that they would phase in the construction, so only portions of the park are closed to the public at any given time. 

According to various reports, the city has committed to leaving a minimum of 42 percent of East River Park open to the public. It is projected to be completed in 2025, a timetable opponents say will never be met.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• City tries again with the release of a Value Engineering Study for East River Park

• Report: Lowest bids for East River Park construction are $73 million over budget 

• Report: Now there's an East River Park construction lawsuit 

Karma's newest 2nd Street gallery is open

Karma's newest EV gallery space recently debuted at 22 E. Second St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

On view through Aug. 13: "Lee Lozano: Drawings 1959–64," a solo exhibition of 200 works on paper.

You can read an overview of the show at the Karma site here. 

The New Yorker has an item on Lozano and her work at this link. An excerpt:

As the art world has grown increasingly careerist and market-obsessed, Lozano has attained cult-hero status for her commitment to absence. Now an astonishing selection of two hundred of her early drawings, made from 1959 to 1964, arrives as a jolting reminder of her ferocious way with materials.

The gallery is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

As previously reported (here and here for starters), this is the latest EV expansion for art dealer and publisher Brendan Dugan, who debuted Karma at 188 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B in November 2016. A smaller gallery arrived later at 172 E. Second St. (Karma Books opened in April 2018 at 136 E. Third St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.)

As for 22 E. Second St., Willard Morgan started the Ideal Glass Studios, an artist-run film & TV production studio, in 2004 ... and the Second Street building was in use as a gallery and art collective. Morgan, who still owns the building, runs Ideal Glass Studios from space on West Eighth Street.  

Tony's Pizza will be Famous on 1st Avenue

Tony's Pizza opened in early June at 128 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

As we've noted, a second Tony's Pizza is coming to 231 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street. As you can see with the recently installed signage, this will be a Tony's Famous Pizza (not sure at the moment what the difference is between the two locations).

Our pizza sources say that these pizzerias are affiliated with Antonio's Pizza Cafe on Court Street in Brooklyn. (Their description of a Fugheddaboudit Pizza matches exactly with the one at the Court Street location.) Antonio's owner (and Brooklyn native) Sal Casaccio also operated Tony's Famous Pizzeria.

Tony's is taking over the storefront from Vinny Vincenz, which quietly closed in April.

July 26

Earlier today, EVG regular Salim spotted this instant Christmas, a table-sized tree, complete with lights, on Avenue A near Ninth Street ... ready to enjoy for the next five months...

Noted

Dave on 7th spotted this straightforward urban etiquette note on Seventh Street: "Please do not defecate here!"

Tompkins Square Library hosting mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic this week

This week, the Tompkins Square Library hosts a mobile vaccination clinic outside the branch at 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

The City's Test + Trace Corps will be here today through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

According to the flyer, anyone age 18 and over is eligible. No appointments are necessary. And a form of ID is required.

Data from the NYC Department of Health shows that 65 percent of adult residents in all five boroughs have been fully vaccinated.

Here's a look at zip codes in this area for adults age 18 and older via the DOH's map of vaccinations...

10009 

Partially vaccinated: 76.04 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 71.72 percent 

10003 

Partially vaccinated: 74.58 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 70.3 percent 

10002 

Partially vaccinated: 86.01 percent 

Fully vaccinated: 80.56 percent

In other developments... with the delta variant driving up infection rates, Mayor de Blasio called on private employers to consider mandating employees get vaccinated.

As The Hill reported:

"I'm calling upon all New York City employers, including our private hospitals, to move immediately to some form of mandate," the mayor said Friday while appearing on "The Brian Lehrer Show." "Whatever the maximum you feel you can do."

The Democratic mayor said the vaccination system that was in place for over half a year has been effective enough to restore some sense of normalcy, but that New York City has "reached the limits of a purely voluntary system." Mandates, he argued, are the next step.

It was reported last week that just 43 percent of the NYPD's workforce has been vaccinated against COVID-19. (The FDNY said that about 55 percent of its employees have been vaccinated.) An NYPD spokesperson told the Post that the department is working to educate workers and combat misinformation about the vaccine.

Meanwhile, with the increase in positive COVID-19 cases among the unvaccinated population, some elected officials, like City Council member Mark Levine, are making a case for the return of indoor mask requirements — even for the fully vaccinated. 

Updated noon: 

• NYC Will Require Vaccination Or Weekly Testing For All City Workers (Gothamist)

Brooklyn Bean Roastery closes on Avenue A

The Brooklyn Bean Roastery Cafe cleared out of 23 Avenue A late last week just south of Second Street.

There was some talk, several months back, that the cafe was relocating to another neighborhood (maybe Brooklyn?!). No word about a new outpost — or anything about this closure via the Roastery's social media.

The cafe debuted on Feb. 21, 2020 — and roughly had one month of business before New York went on PAUSE.

However, owner Khaled Abdelhaleem decided to keep the shop open for takeout. And during the spring of 2020, Abdelhaleem provided free meals to first responders from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily and free coffee for first responders and law enforcement at any time. 

The previous tenant at 23 Avenue A, Yerba Buena, closed at the end of 2017.

Mochinut bringing mochi doughnuts and Korean-style hot dogs to 2nd Avenue

There was action at the former Dumpling Shop this past week (top photo by Steven) ... as workers were prepping the space for something.

And just like that, the signage for the new business arrived on Saturday here on the east side of Second Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place... (thanks to Alexander Romanovich for the pics!).

Mochinut, the quickly expanding California-born chain known for its mochi doughnuts and Korean-style hot dogs, will be making its EV debut in the weeks ahead...

Here's info on the business, including their specialties ... 

Mochi Donuts are made with rice flour. The rice flour makes Mochi Donuts stretchy and chewy. There is a sticky addictiveness to each bite, a textural element that is completely different from yeast or cake donuts. Mochinut is receiving attention from people for its unique shape which is made of a connected circle of 8 dough balls. 

Mochinut, which has 20 locations in the United States with 90 (!!!) more on the way, also serves Korean rice flour hotdogs... photo below via the Mochinut website... 

Find their menu here. 

The owners of Dumpling Shop, citing the challenges of running a small business during the pandemic, closed here at the end of 2020 after two-plus years. 

Jiang Diner is on a break

We've fielded questions about the status of Jiang Diner at 309 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The business has been closed this past week... and there isn't any notice on the premises to patrons at the well-regarded restaurant (try the Big Plate Chicken) about what's happening here. 

However, there is a post, dated July 18, on Instagram: "Jiang Diner has been in constant operation throughout this pandemic ... It is time for us to take a break. We will be back."

Jiang Diner debuted in the spring of 2019 "with a mission to introduce authentic Xinjiang-styled Northwestern Chinese food and culture to New York City."

You can follow them on Instagram for reopening info.

Photo by Steven

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included (with a nighttime look at the former Jules Bistro on St. Mark's Place)...

• A farewell visit to The Baroness (Thursday) 

• Happy returns: New location of Gaia Italian Café — REVEALED! (Wednesday) 

• RIP Joe the tailor (Tuesday) 

• The Lazy Llama Coffee Bar opens cafe in the First Park kiosk (Monday) 

• Humans of New York inspires an outpouring of support for Dress Shoppe II on 2nd Avenue (Friday) 

• Police seeking possible witness to last week's homicide on 1st Avenue (Thursday) 

• Author Q&A: About the dystopian East Village future of 'Drained' (Friday) 

• Illustrations from the pandemic (Wednesday)

• The Anthology Film Archives returns with in-person screenings on Aug. 5 (Tuesday) 

• Italian favorite Via Della Pace announces itself in new 4th Street home (Monday) 

• Coming soon: Cutlets Sandwich Co. opening an outpost on 3rd Avenue (Monday)

• More details on 2 new fast-casual Indian restaurants from the owners of the Masalawala (Tuesday) 

• Openings: Gia Trattoria on the Bowery; Marufuku Ramen on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) 

• Openings: Yubu on 7th Street, Evil Katsu on 9th Street (Wednesday) 

• Sushi by M debuts in new space on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Snack Bowery sets up shop on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Who's NOT on tonight's CB3-SLA docket: Roberta's Pizza, Spiegel (Monday) 

• A smoky late-afternoon view of Midtown (Tuesday) 

• Former Banco Popular space for rent on Houston and B (Tuesday) 

• Former bubble tea shop space for rent on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday) 

• Aces Fine Food and Spirits in the works for 197 2nd Ave. (Monday)

... and someone left his/her thoughts on the new Tiffany's ad campaign on the Bowery...

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XOXO 2nd Avenue

Last Sunday, we marked the 10th anniversary of the closing of Mars Bar on Second Avenue's southwest corner at First Street. 

On this occasion, Julius Klein shared the two photos below of what the northwest corner of Second Avenue and First Street looked like for a time in the 1990s ... when he ran XOXO, a performance space and gallery.

This first shot is from 1997, three months before workers demolished the building to make way for part of the Avalon Bowery Place luxury complex...

And this next photo — circa 1992 — is looking to the northwest from Houston and Second Avenue... Roy, a handyman at Mars Bar, attends to owner Hank Penza's car...

Here's a current-day view of the NW corner of Second Avenue and First Street (thanks to Steven for the pic)...