Tuesday, August 17, 2021

In the midnight hour, East Berlin will start a weekly film series

East Berlin is adding a weekly midnight movie series to its entertainment slate.

To kick things off tomorrow (Aug. 18!) at midnight, East Berlin will screen a 4K version of "2001: A Space Odyssey" here at 169 Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street.

There isn't an entrance fee, though there is a two-drink minimum. (And no shouting "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.") 

The music venue and lounge recently rebranded to East Berlin (sibling to Berlin at 25 Avenue A) from Lola.

Monday, August 16, 2021

Like a diversion: Former local resident celebrates a birthday

Madonna was born on this day in 1958. And on this occasion, the Village Preservation repurposed a piece on the pop singer's time in the East Village in the early 1980s. You can read that post here.

Their post mentions that she lived at 230-232 E. Fourth St. We always thought it was 234 E. Fourth St., which is between Avenue A and Avenue B (and next to the entrance for Van Da).

In any event, here she is talking about her old EV place here in the "Madonna Rising" special from 1998 with Rupert Everett...

   

In the next segment, Madonna and Rupert go to (RIP!) Kate's Joint on 4th and B.

Madonna wheatpaste by The Postman as seen on First Avenue.

The NYPD is collecting donations for earthquake victims in Haiti

Every NYPD precinct in the city is now collecting donations for the residents of Haiti after Saturday's 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 1,300 people. 

According to NBC News, the Haiti Civil Protection Agency said that 13,694 homes were destroyed and 13,785 were damaged by the quake. 

The NYPD is accepting donations of: 
• medical supplies 
• personal hygiene items 
• non-perishable food 
• bottled water 
• clothing 

Local precincts include the 9th at 321 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... and PSA4 at 130 Avenue C and Eighth Street.

Your chance to attend a virtual Rat Academy

Via the EVG inbox... Council Member Carlina Rivera's office and Community Board 3 are sponsoring a free Rat Academy tomorrow from 10 a.m. to noon. 

The virtual session will provide training for building supers and staff, residents, community gardeners, managing companies, etc. 

You can find the registration form at this link.

Animal collective: Pillow-Cat Books coming to 9th Street

Updated: The shop opened on Sept. 16.

Pillow-Cat Books, specializing in books for animal lovers, is opening this fall at 328 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Here's more about the shop via a recent Instagram post:
Pillow-Cat Books is the first animal-focused bookshop in New York ... it is small, green, and filled with used, vintage and antique books in several languages and of all types: art, photography, design, literature, comics, children, etc. The books' only common denominator is that an animal or animal character has to be present.
Look for a September opening.

Cure Thrift Shop opening later this month in new space on 3rd Avenue

As we first reported back on May 3, Cure Thrift Shop was moving to the northeast corner of Third Avenue and 12th Street.

The owners have been getting the larger space ready for an opening, which, according to the Cure Instagram account, could happen as soon as Aug. 28.
Cure, the eclectic nonprofit that benefits juvenile diabetes research and advocacy, closed its previous location at 111 E. 12th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue in early July.

As previously reported, Basics Plus was set to close in this storefront — 91 Third Ave. — in the spring of 2019. However, the housewares shop that opened here in August 2014 ended up consolidating the space, and making do with a smaller footprint in the building.

Thanks to Steven for the photos earlier this month!

Good news-bad news about the water-main work on 7th Street and 1st Avenue

Here's some positive news about the roadwork taking place on the west side of First Avenue at Seventh Street in recent months.

A rep for the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) told Community Board 3 late last week that the contractor has completed the water-main installation on the west side of the intersection and between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Workers have also removed those noisy metal plates and filled in the roadway with temporary asphalt.

So far, so good with the west side of this intersection. However, the contractor is now scheduled to begin similar work on the east side of First Avenue and Seventh Street. 

According to the DEP rep, crews will be installing the new water main on the east sidewalk of First Avenue, "about 40 feet (give or take) to the north of the north curb line and 40 feet (give or take) to the south of the south curb line of Seventh Street."

In addition, the project calls for the installation of a water main pipe up to the mid-block on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Avenue A. (The rep said that this will be done without "disturbing" any outdoor dining structures on Seventh Street east of First Avenue.) 

"We have also requested the contractor to divide this work into phases," the DEP rep said. "This will minimize the number of road plates on location for the duration of the project."

No word on a timeline for the east side. The repair work on the west side of the intersection began in early May.
As previously reported, there were back-to-back breaks here in late December. The multiple ruptures sent water rushing into businesses and residences along Seventh Street between First Avenue and Avenue A. 

The work earlier this summer disrupted the lives of residents and businesses due to the all-consuming noise, both during the day when the work crew was on the scene and after-hours when cars and trucks would pass over the multiple metal plates on the roadway. (Read our posts here and here.)

Our coverage, as well as a follow-up piece in the Post, apparently got the attention of the DEP, who told the paper: 
"The ongoing upgrades to the critical infrastructure that serves the East Village must be carried out in a way that respects the residents and businesses in the area and we have directed our contractors to take several steps to ensure that this happens. Inspectors will be following up with regular visits."
Businesses and residents can file service complaints with Community Board 3 via this link

Sunday, August 15, 2021

Sunday's parting shot

Sunset pic via @cecilscheib...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo of the new East Village Meat Market sign on Second Avenue by Steven) 

• RIP Patricia Kennealy-Morrison (Tuesday

• Former tenants of the fire-destroyed 48 E. 7th St. want to hear from landlord Faith Popcorn (Monday)

• Thanks to Humans of New York, Mary O's will be making scones for the foreseeable future (Wednesday

 • Advocacy group: Mayor 'overrules' comptroller on East River Park reconstruction contract (Monday

• Police searching for suspect who fired a shot outside the Ace Bar on 5th Street (Wednesday

• Celebrating Luna's 2nd birthday (Tuesday)

• Broken stage rail derails show at Webster Hall (Sunday

• At the LESUPA Reunion 2021 (Saturday

• Checking in on the intersection of 7th Street and 1st Avenue (Thursday

• Pete's Tavern is back open (Tuesday

• Empty 5th Street lot seeks $2.75 million (Wednesday

• Planet Taco reenters 2nd Avenue's orbit (Thursday)

• Oh-K! Another Korean-style hot-dog chain to give the East Village a go (Tuesday

• New 2nd Avenue sushi restaurant unveils attempt at humor (Monday

• 1st round of necessary permits OK'd for the incoming Wegmans (Thursday

• New boutique office building on East Houston shows off some glass (Monday

• Craft beer specialists Top Hops on tap for Zero Irving food hall (Wednesday

• Dumpling Lab to test out 9th Street (Thursday

• The FedEx Office Print & Ship Center is shipping off to a new storefront on East Houston (Tuesday

• 75 Degrees Cafe & Bakery slated for this 7th Street storefront (Monday

• An August break for Baker's Pizza (Monday

• Two Perrys makes first appearance on Avenue C (Tuesday)

• Local blogger annoyed by new blog look (Thursday

And: This past week, workers removed the tree adjacent to the Con Ed substation here on Fifth Street at Avenue A ...
... and replaced by a hard drive...
While we can't recall the exact condition of the tree, the tree well was a well-known rat hotspot.

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Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

Expect some 'Meet Cute' moments this week

Filming notices are up along First Avenue and on parts of Sixth Street (and elsewhere?) for "Meet Cute," a romantic comedy starring Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson. 

Per Deadline:
"Meet Cute" ... is a wildly inventive deconstruction of the romantic comedy built around the question: What would you do if you could travel to your loved ones’ past, heal their traumas, fix their problems, and change them into the perfect partner?
The production started filming in NYC this past week. Per these notices, the crews will be here this week Monday through Wednesday. 

 

About Tompkinstock today in Tompkins Square Park

Today, the Meetles, the local classic-rock tribute band, are paying homage to Woodstock (52nd anniversary) with this Tompkinstock lineup ... 

• 1 p.m. The Meetles 
• 2:15 p.m. Michael G Potter (singer/songwriter)
• 3 p.m. The Beatles @ Shea Stadium '65 revisited by The Meetles 
• 4 p.m. RAGA ensemble with Morgan Horowitz/Andru Cann/Jansen Bennet 
• 4:45 p.m. The Meetles & friends/52nd Anniversary of Woodstock

Saturday, August 14, 2021

Saturday's parting shot

A moment from the second Saturday of Summer Streets along Fourth Avenue today... thanks to Jeanne Krier for the photo!

At the LESUPA Reunion 2021

Going back to last Saturday for this photo feature by EVG contributor Stacie Joy, who has attended the reunion hosted by the Lower East Side Unity & Pride Association in recent years. 

This annual event is an opportunity for many longtime neighborhood residents — representing various local schools, clubs and organizations — and their families to gather in East River Park (at 10th Street). Here's a look at the 2021 edition...
You can find Stacie's photos from the 2020 reunion here ... and 2019 here.

A holiday break for B&H

In case you were thinking about going to B&H Dairy in the near future... may want to do it sooner rather than later: The kosher lunch counter will be going on an August break starting on Monday... returning to service on Aug. 25. 

B&H Dairy: 127 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. Phone: (212) 505-8065.

Also... Il Posto Accanto will be on a break after dinner service tomorrow, with a reopening date of Aug. 24.

Il Posto Accanto: 190 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. Phone: (212) 228-3562.

Summer in the City returns to 3rd and B'zaar TODAY

Summer in the City is back today at 3rd & B’Zaar.

The mixed-vendor market and event space at 191 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B is hosting another day-long pop-up today featuring more than 20 local artists, designers and vintage sellers indoors and out from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Jane's Exchange next door will be in on the action too!)

 Here are a few scenes from the first SITC on July 24 via EVG contributor Stacie Joy...
3rd & B’Zaar debuted late last year with a month-long Holiday Market ... followed by Sex, Love & Vintage in February and Spring Into Pride in May and June...  with several art shows along the way.

Friday, August 13, 2021

Friday's parting shot

Keeping cool on 11th Street today... thanks to Lola Sáenz for the photo...

One's own worst enema


Surfbort released a new single and video yesterday. Please enjoy "White Claw Enema Bong Hit."

This Friday the 13th is a lucky day for Lucy's reopening on Avenue A

After a two-week break (per usual this time of year), Blanche's Lucy's Tavern — aka Lucy's — reopens this evening here at 135 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. 

Happy Friday the 13th!

Photo from last summer by Stacie Joy

EVG Etc.: Analyzing NYC's Census data; protesting the mayor's plan to demolish East River Park

Photo on Seventh Street by Derek Berg 

• 2020 census shows NYC's diverse population grew (Daily News via MSN ... more analysis at The City)

• Supreme Court blocks part of New York's eviction moratorium (The Hill

• Speaking out against the current plan to demolish East River Park (The Indypendent ... previously on EVG

• Police make arrest in near-fatal stabbing on the LES (amNY

• Details on Pria Chouhan's Indian-Mexican concept at Desi Galli on Avenue B (Time Out ... previously on EVG)

• Updates on the debate over the city's Open Restaurants program, with a focus on the East Village (Gothamist

• Latest curbside-dining amenity: air conditioning (Eater)

• History of Hartman Triangle, the narrow park where Second Street, East Houston Street and Avenue C all meet (Off the Grid

• Trying the tasty tofu pockets at Yubu on Seventh Street (Gothamist ... previously on EVG)