East Village-based singer-songwriter (and bar owner!) Jesse Malin releases his next record, Sad and Beautiful World, on Sept. 24.
The video here is for the single "State of the Art." (Relix has more on the song and video here.)
Friday, September 3, 2021
Take the jitney to 4th Street tomorrow!
Performances include:
• New Orleans jazz sax by Calvin Johnson
• Belly Dancing by Amanda
• Prohibition classics by Heidi and Benno
• Avant-garde performance by Dodi and Johnny
• HAIKUS ON DEMAND by LA Markuson and Ars Poetica!
• And more!
• Hosted by Tony PerrottetKGB Bar is at 85 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.
The new location of Cure Thrift Shop opens tomorrow
The new, larger location of Cure Thrift Shop opens tomorrow (Saturday!) at noon on the northeast corner of Third Avenue and 12th Street (officially 91 Third Ave.)
The shop is open daily from noon to 9 p.m.
Nexus Flea, Labor Day Weekend edition
Summer 2021
Because nothing says summer 2021 like a photo of Key Food!
A sampling of the 460 EVG posts from June through August as we head into the Labor Day Weekend...
• The East Village Neighbors Community Fridge is up and running again after vandal strikes (Aug. 24)
• Kestrel maneuvers to rescue this fledging along Avenue B (Aug. 17)
• At the LESUPA Reunion 2021 (Aug. 14)
• Thanks to Humans of New York, Mary O's will be making scones for the foreseeable future (Aug. 11)
• Former tenants of the fire-destroyed 48 E. 7th St. want to hear from landlord Faith Popcorn (Aug. 9)
• About Hi Noona, serving up unique Korean-influenced juices and smoothies on 12th Street (Aug. 4)
• Construction hell is consuming the intersection of 1st Avenue at 7th Street (Aug. 3)
• First sign of the B Bar & Grill-replacing 21-story office building on the Bowery (Aug. 2)
• Renovation watch: This is what the inside of the former Hells Angels HQ looks like now (July 29)
• Author Q&A: About the dystopian East Village future of 'Drained' (July 23)
• Local blog contributor tries the Kraft Mac-n-Cheese ice cream at Van Leeuwen (July 15)
• PJ O’Rourke regroups with a pop-up space on Broadway (July 14)
• Murder investigation on 1st Avenue (July 14)
• Attention Kmart shoppers: The Astor Place location is now closed after 25 years in business (July 12)
• A conversation with Lilly Dancyger, author of the East Village memoir 'Negative Space' (July 1)
• How you can help The Bowery Mission protect New Yorkers from summer heat (June 28)
• At the 27th annual Drag March (June 27)
• Mount Sinai Beth Israel decides against plans to relocate and downsize (June 21)
• At fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church, it's moving day for the historic New York Liberty Bell (June 17)
• RIP Hash Halper, aka New York Romantic (June 15)
• Portraits from the Park Prom (June 9)
• RIP Penny Rand (June 2)
• Tenants: Pigeons have made empty apartment a health hazard in this Steve Croman-owned building on 7th Street (June 1)
Thursday, September 2, 2021
Gardening in the East Village is 'a great way to meet your neighbors' — and other things
“Two Gardeners,” a watercolor sketch of El Sol Brillante gardeners Patrick McDonald and Barbara Augsburger courtesy of Kaley Roshitsh
By Kaley Roshitsh
For many, a community garden is a place for healing, a sanctuary amongst concrete — and a lifeline.
This holds true, especially for the gardeners of El Sol Brillante (ESB). Meaning “a brilliant sun,” ESB is a 1,000 square-foot community garden on 12th Street between Avenue A and B. The 29-plot garden is complete with managed plots, common space, compost and worm bins, a tended beehive and ample space for community members to interact.
A once broken lot, the community banded together to raise the garden from ashes in 1977 — and the space couldn’t be more sorely needed in strange times.
“I was here through the blackouts, riots, 9/11, floods, Hurricane Sandy, and as horrific as some of those [events] were, the [COVID-19] pandemic was a new level because the city just seemed so empty — and it was soul-crushing,” said Patrick McDonald, a resident on the block and chef for 35 years, speaking on the impact of the latest event.
Despite the recent pandemic-induced surge in green spaces and outdoor park visits, many long-standing garden members can attribute their joining to a friendly neighbor.
McDonald first joined ESB in 2012 and received his plot the following year. He describes the influence of the late Ken Bond, who counts many friends among the current members, in joining the garden. Bond’s mother Florence, or “Flo,” was referred to as a “block historian” by many on the block and was “instrumental in starting the garden,” according to McDonald. Both Bond and his mother served as president of ESB.
“For me, it’s a little slice of heaven in the middle of the concrete jungle,” said McDonald on the importance of the garden. Describing his front-facing plot, he added: “I like its location. As you come into the garden, it’s one of the first ones you see. I always try to have something fun going on.”
Taking the right pathway tracing the edge of McDonald’s tended plot, on-lookers find pumpkins, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes — the evidence of a chef (and gardener) at work.
A Place for Love, Healing — and Democracy
“It was such a great way to meet your neighbors,” chimed in Barbara Augsburger, a Swiss native who moved to New York in the 1980s (following a then-boyfriend who was a musician). She would join the garden in 1983 and meet her husband only five years later.
Music is a central theme. “There was a guy in the store [on the block] who used to play Latin music and I would be sitting on the stoop [listening],” described Augsburger nodding along, “and that’s how I met my husband.”
Like the roses twisting atop the lover’s arch between her and her husband’s neighboring plot, Augsburger finds unity at ESB. “I learned how to be in fusion with nature,” she shared. “I mean, I knew already because I hiked a lot in the Alps, and I was always in nature, but this made it even in a more intimate way.”
In Augsburger’s plot, there are fresh healing herbs like lavender or lemon verbena, as well as oregano and fragrant rose geraniums.
“I think that every block should have a garden and life would be — for mental health — so much better,” said Augsburger calling the garden her “lifeline” and a space for “healing,” which is fitting given her energy work.
The garden is also rightly “a place of democracy,” in the words of Augsburger, as no communal space can be free of heated discussions where plot politics, fresh harvests and lingering branches are concerned.
A Fresh Take
Austin Frankel joined the garden in winter 2017 to meet new people and soon rose the ranks from friendly neighbor to key holder to plot holder to influential board member.
“In my plot, I’m making a space for myself, and it’s very organic. What I’m developing is coming along from what I’ve set there, and what I’ve inherited, and that’s a very cathartic experience,” described Frankel.
Cucumbers and shishito peppers are the stars of Frankel’s first harvest. But as is true of East Village — one can expect the unexpected to sprout up. When clearing his plot, Frankel discovered of all things a red stiletto boot nestled amid the weeds. (The other shoe to the pair was recovered in the garden common space for those curious. A bent spade atop the garden fence gives reason to suspect midnight stiletto-clad climbers).
His plans are to make a planter from the found shoe and continue providing a fresh take to garden meetings.
The Arts, Alive
Greeting amblers on the block is the 100-foot long fence that was created in 1993 by artist Julie Dermansky using scrap metal and speaks to the artistic presence at ESB that is still kept strong by members like Alejandro “Kuki” Gomez, among others.
“All of a sudden, I decided to start helping and working with the garden and getting dirty. There’s something about touching the dirt, the sticks, the leaves,” said Gomez, drawing the inspiration back to his work as a graphic designer, artist (known by the neighborhood for his tape designs), and now, events director, where an amalgamation of creative talents come together.
He joined over five years ago after first seeking solace in the garden as a guest. Gomez’s mother — an avid gardener — inspired his passion.
On Aug. 25, Gomez helped put on a free jazz event in association with The Jazz Foundation of America and Ariana’s List as part of the City Parks Foundation’s 28th annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. A strong turnout despite the heat, “Jazz in the Garden: with Willie Martinez and His Latin Jazz Collective,” drew newcomers and regulars in for a night of swirling sounds.
Along with summer jazz, Gomez organized a watercolor painting night in the garden. Like many in the garden, his tended plot takes on a distinctive flair, with Gomez’s shady corner plot taking on a heart shape among rectangles. Close to heart, “safety” is what ESB provides to Gomez.
Amid what he felt was an abandoned state of the city on the onset of the pandemic, Gomez reiterated that “this was heaven for us.”
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Kaley Roshitsh is the first-ever sustainable fashion journalist at WWD. Her work appears on U.N. Women USA NY, Her Campus Media and the independent magazine she founded called ThriftEd Mag. You can find her on Instagram ranting about her latest thrift finds or the importance of knowing your neighbors at @KaleyRoshitsh.
50-58 E. Third St. sold again
EVG file photo
Gaia Real Estate is the new owner of 50-58 E. Third St., the 78-unit, three-building parcel between First Avenue and Second Avenue. This marks the third owner for the properties in nine years.
As The Real Deal reported, Gaia picked up the properties for $49.5 million — "14 percent less than when the portfolio last changed hands in 2016 for $58 million."
Per TRD: "The purchase is part of Gaia's three-year strategy to snap up distressed residential buildings in a long-term bet on the city's recovery."
Let's step back several years.
In early 2012, GRJ, a fund co-founded and co-managed by brothers Graham and Gregory Jones, bought the buildings for $23.5 million.
There was plenty of drama in subsequent months as several longtime tenants lost their leases. The residents formed a tenants group; local politicians offered support during a rally in May 2012. However, as one former resident put it, the Big Real Estate Machine was too great to overcome.
After extensive gut renovations, the buildings were later rebranded the "East Village3" (aka "EV3"), where the newly renovated apartments were fetching from $4,900 to $11,000 per month.
Per Gregory Jones in the news release announcing the sale: "We see a real opportunity to reposition the buildings. We'll invest significant capital and we look forward to creating the most desirable walk-ups in the East Village."
All the capital improvements paid off for GRJ. As The Real Deal reported in the spring of 2016, GRJ sold the buildings to developer Anbau Enterprises for $58 million.
In 2016, a broker on the deal said that about 25 percent of the apartments remain as rent-stabilized units.
The new TRD article notes that the buildings "have historically housed college students and young professionals."
Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Three apartment buildings sold on East Third Street
More drama at 50-58 E. Third St.; 'heavy construction' awaits tenants who stay
And now the renovations really begin at 50-58 E. Third St.
The 'East Village3' is ready for you; for that 'Industrial Chic feel'
Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Three apartment buildings sold on East Third Street
More drama at 50-58 E. Third St.; 'heavy construction' awaits tenants who stay
And now the renovations really begin at 50-58 E. Third St.
The 'East Village3' is ready for you; for that 'Industrial Chic feel'
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Wednesday's parting shot
And Hitchcocktober returns to 12th Street and Second Avenue!
To be clear... this particular warning for NYC is the second time we've ever issued a Flash Flood Emergency (It's the first one for NYC). The first time we've issued a Flash Flood Emergency was for Northeast New Jersey a an hour ago. https://t.co/7k55jeXbpb
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) September 2, 2021
In a New York Groove
The Silk War were the headliners with a record release party. (Singer-songwriter Alexandra Blair is on the left in the top pic).
EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by for part of the evening, which included a set by local singer-songwriter Fiona Silver and her band, guitarist Guy Fiumarelli, bassist Steve Salerno and drummer Sonny Ratcliff ...
Stacie had another commitment and couldn't stay for the whole show... but she did catch DJ Bailey Leiter's turn in the DJ booth (you may know her from her Hello Banana vintage shop on First Avenue) ...
... and captured a few other moments ...
City clears and closes the area around the chess tables in Tompkins Square Park
Photos by Steven
After clearing out the people living here, the city blocked off the area at the Park entrance at Seventh Street and Avenue A with barricades and police tape... 
There's also signage that now notes "NYC Parks Personnel Only."
Some residents complained about the activity around the chess tables, including drug use, stolen goods and knife fights.
The city had cleared out this space several times this summer, starting back in June. The people staying here return fairly quickly. Last evening, several people who were here moved to park benches a short distance away.
In an article from The New York Times on Aug. 2, the city's homeless services department claimed that the cleanup crews do not throw away people's belongings.
Rather, they "carefully assess" a site while noting the "number and type of possessions," remove items to protect "valuable property" and "quality-of-life for the client," and provide "details about how they can obtain the property."
Witnesses to yesterday's action said workers tossed everything into a garbage truck.
Max Goren, who has been living in Tompkins Square Park, said the same thing in the article in the Times.
"At least once a week, a sanitation truck rolls up," Mr. Goren, 34, said in July. "If you're not there to say, 'Hey, that's mine,' everything goes in the back."He said his possessions had been trashed three times — each time because he left them to go to a methadone clinic."Do I want to risk losing all of my clothes and all my bedding, or do I miss my clinic appointment?" he said. "I think it's an effort to get us to leave," he said."But where are we going to go? If I had some place to go, I wouldn't be here."
The city posted at least one notice about the Aug. 31 clean-up, as seen here on Seventh Street...
Yesterday, this group moved about 30 yards to the east.
It takes a court order to clean out the long-empty 89 1st Ave.
In the spring, a nearby tenant told us that "the rat situation in the courtyards behind the building is dire." Some surveillance signage went up along the fence, though that didn't deter anyone, such as a nearby business, from using the space as a dump.
Apparently, it took a court order to clean out the lot... legal documents affixed to the fence state that the city has a legal right to enter the property "for the purpose of inspecting and abating the nuisance existing thereupon in violation of the health and safety requirements of the New York City health code."
Some recent history here. In May 2020, another set of new building permits were filed with the city for the lot. According to the DOB, the proposed building is six floors with eight residential units and ground-floor retail. In total, the structure is 8,183 square feet. The plans were disapproved last fall.
This is the second time in recent years that plans have been filed for a new building for the address. In 2017, the city never approved plans for a similar-sized structure — eight units, six floors.
As previously reported, Florence Toledano was the owner of this lot. In 2013, public records show that the deed for the property was transferred from the Florence Toledano Living Trust to 89 First Avenue LLC. The DOB permit lists Daniel Toledano as the manager of the property. (We do not know the relationship between Daniel Toledano and Florence Toledano. One reader said Daniel is a nephew of Florence.)
Daniel Toledano is still listed as the property owner and developer of the project. (Toledano is also listed as the lot owner that housed the 2Bn2C sculpture garden at 231 E. Second St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.)
In December 2017, workers dismantled the sculpture fence that lined the First Avenue lot for years (since the late 1980s, per one estimate). The fence was created at the former Gas Station (aka Art Gallery Space 2B) on Avenue B and Second Street by Claire Kalemkeris and Johnny Swing in collaboration with Linus Coraggio.
Previously on EV Grieve:
• Will this long-empty lot on 1st Avenue yield affordable housing?
• Drilling and soil testing commence at the long-empty lot at 89 1st Ave.
• Workers remove the sculpture fence and prep lot at 89 1st Ave.
• Will this long-empty lot on 1st Avenue yield affordable housing?
• Drilling and soil testing commence at the long-empty lot at 89 1st Ave.
• Workers remove the sculpture fence and prep lot at 89 1st Ave.
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Tuesday's parting shot
BTW: The fee for a missing Citi Bike runs $1,200 (plus tax).
Photo by Steven
A time-lapse East Village sunset
In case you missed last evening's sunset... @jensenstidham22 shared this time-lapse clip...
A live look at the pedestrian passageway outside 3 St. Mark's Place
Read more about this ongoing game of barrier accordion outside this construction site right here.
Updated 3:45
Here's another view via Steven...
Bon voyage to The Baroness
This past Thursday evening, The Baroness welcomed some friends, customers and fellow local business owners into her shop for a farewell toast on its last day here on 13th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.
EVG contributor Stacie Joy was there and shared these photos of the closing festivities...
6 Avenue B doesn't appear to be part of a new (and rumored) Houston Street development
There was some speculation that the long-vacant 6 Avenue B on the NW corner might be part of a new residential project.
A little digging in public records (courtesy of Upper West Sider — thank you!) reveals that work has been filed in recent months to upgrade antennas and add new FDNY access signs at No. 6. Seems doubtful, as Upper West Side noted, that AT&T would spend the money to upgrade the equipment if the building was about to be demolished.
As for No. 6 ... the liquor store in the retail space has been closed since the owner passed away in the fall of 2009 at age 89. (Chico created the tribute to her on the gate in February 2010.)
In January 2013, workers were spotted hauling out some junk from the building... in December 2014, bricks fell from the building, breaking the foot of a passerby, as the Lo-Down reported at the time. And an SUV took out part of the sidewalk bridge in November 2018. And that's about it.
And as previously noted, this is one of the abandoned buildings owned by the estate of the mysterious team of Arthur and Abraham Blasof, now both deceased.
Updated 10:30 a.m.
Thanks to the commenter who did a little digging in the archives. There was a question about the windowless lot line at 6 Avenue B. Here's a tax photo dated 1939-1941 showing a building identified as 2-4 Avenue B (with a Circulating Library storefront!) ... that corner structure was likely demolished when the city widened East Houston... and No. 6 became the new corner building...
... and the old NW corner... you can see No. 6 in the background...
Openings: Mochinut on 2nd Avenue, Little Rebel on 2nd Avenue
• Mochinut, 124 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place
The quickly expanding company known for its mochi doughnuts and Korean-style hot dogs is up and running (H/T Steven). This is location No. 31 for the California-born chain with 90 more U.S. outposts in the works.
You can find the menu here. Mochinut opens daily at noon with a 10 p.m. close; 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
• Little Rebel, 219 Second Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street
The two-level bar-restaurant, run by hospitality vets Dermont Lynch and Jarek Krukow, features a bar and booths on the first floor with "a Victorian-style room with high ceilings, crown molding, chandeliers and balcony" upstairs that's currently open on weekends and for brunch
The concept-y drinks menu via Brooke Smith of the Dead Rabbit includes the Charlie's Angel — a rum, Cointreau combo "topped with 'Angel Dust' glitter."
You can find the food-drinks menu here. Little Rebel opens daily at 11 a.m. with a midnight close Sunday and Monday; 2 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday; and 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Report: Employee allegations made against Local 92 for underpaying staff, skimping on COVID protocols
In addition, the employees allege that Shai Zvibak, the former chef and co-owner of Local 92, "characterized Mexican staffers as thieves and referred to them as members of the 'mafia.'"
Assante denied the allegations of the former employees, claiming that three friends working at the restaurants fabricated the stories. "It's completely a lie," he told Eater. "It never happened."
The story also includes a list of alleged misdeeds at Local 92 from the early winter, including that outdoor gas heaters for sidewalk dining were moved inside the restaurant to heat its dining room. Assante also denied those claims, saying the restaurant followed all city- and state-mandated COVID requirements.
Unrelated, Assante had been looking to open a cafe-cinema at 44 Avenue A, the former home of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater's East Village outpost, UCBeast, as well as the Pioneer Theater. He appeared in May and June before CB3's SLA committee.
Given the UCBeast bar's poor reputation and unanswered questions about Assante's business plan, CB3 said they'd only approve a full liquor license for drinks before and during a movie or event. Alcohol sales would not be allowed during other times — thus nixing a bar-cafe service when a film isn't playing.
Assante later said he would no longer pursue this venture for Avenue A, stating that alcohol sales before and during screenings weren't commercially viable given the rent.
Monday, August 30, 2021
Monday's parting archival shot
I took this on the second-to-last night of the old Odessa, 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. This space dated to the mid-1960s.
The Odessa Restaurant next door (circa 1995) remained open until July 2020. Superiority Burger is taking over that space.
Here is the trailer for the Velvet Underground documentary
The doc debuts on Oct. 15 on Apple+. Here's more about it:
The film features in-depth interviews with the key players of that time combined with a treasure trove of never-before-seen performances and a rich collection of recordings, Warhol films, and other experimental art that creates an immersive experience into what founding member John Cale describes as the band's creative ethos: "how to be elegant and how to be brutal."Before Apple+, the film will play at the New York Film Festival on Sept. 30. (Tix on sale Sept. 7.)
The reviews were quite positive following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
Anyway, here's the trailer for the band whose birthplace is traced to the LES...
Top image via Apple+
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