Check out the art by Count Slima today at Sophie's

If you were in the mood to stop by Sophie's later this afternoon... here's some more incentive. There's an art show featuring the work of longtime EV resident (and Sophie's regular!) Joseph "Count Slima" Williams from 4-6 (his art has also been featured at Max Fish through the years) ...

Slima also worked for the Two Boots family for 30-plus years, starting with helping build the original location at 37 Avenue A in 1987.

These days you can find him kicking some ass on the pool table at Sophie's, 507 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B...

Thank you to Odetta Hartman for the photos!

The Compost Yard in East River Park is on the move

In recent days workers have started to remove the contents from the Compost Yard in East River Park to make way for the East Side Coastal Resiliency project. (EVG photo from yesterday.)

The Lower East Side Ecology Center had been facing an uncertain future in trying to secure a suitable alternative for its 30-year-old composting program. In June, the city announced that the Compost Yard could return to its current location after the demolition/rebuild of East River Park over the next 3-5 years. 

Here's an update via the LES Ecology Center website on what is happening...

Our priority is to continue operating the existing drop-off sites during this transitional period. With the loss of the Compost Yard, we have begun hauling food scraps from our drop-off sites to the Staten Island Compost Site. This shift in our operations also means we’re using a new green bin at our drop-off sites. 

We are working with the City to build out a temporary compost site so that we can compost the food scraps we are collecting again in spring of 2022. 

Our compost yard volunteer workdays, compost donation appointments, and compost site tours are suspended until further notice. Our 24/7 Compost Yard drop-off will be moving. More details soon! 

You might be curious what is happening with all the compost currently at the Compost Yard. The freshest, active compost piles are being moved to the Staten Island Compost Site where they will finish their composting process. The finished compost will also be moved, we hope to donate as much of this material to neighborhood Parks as possible.

Meanwhile, the LES Ecology Center will be working from Seward Park over the next few years. 

Workers are expected to start razing the 57.5-acre East River Park in the weeks ahead, cutting down the 1,000 mature trees and eventually rebuilding the park atop eight feet of landfill.

East River Park Action and other advocates 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.

During a weeklong series of protests outside City Hall last week, the advocates (finally) got the attention of Council Speaker Corey Johnson to ask for him to hold an oversight hearing on the East Side Coastal Resiliency project. PIX11 and The Village Sun covered the advocates' impromptu meeting with Johnson.

You can also watch a video of the exchange right here... it's not clear what, if anything, might transpire from the conversation... 

 

Duo NYC now open in its new 9th Street storefront

Photos by Steven

Duo NYC opened its new home this past week at 324 E. Ninth St. — across the street from the former space between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The womenswear boutique, specializing in curated vintage and independent designers, debuted on the block in 2008.

Here (from the left) are co-founders and sisters LaRae and Wendy Kangas ...

Duo NYC is open Monday-Saturday from 1:30-6:30 p.m., with a 5 p.m. close on Sunday. The shop is closed on Tuesdays. You can follow Duo NYC on Instagram here.

Tom's Juice debuts TOMORROW on 4th Street

Tom's Juice, a made-to-order juice brand available for delivery around parts of NYC, opens its first retail outpost tomorrow (Friday!) at 75 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. (First reported here.)

Tom Wright started the business in 2019, and it gained popularity during the pandemic as he turned it into a full-time venture.

Hours: noon to 10 p.m. You can follow Tom's Juice on Instagram for updates. 

[Updated] Packing up the Urban Umbrella around Cooper Union

Photos by Steven

Updated 10/17: Turns out workers are expanding the sidewalk bridge to the west... there are NOT removing it.

Workers have started to remove the Urban Umbrella scaffolding from around Cooper Union's Foundation Building  ... 

It took several weeks back in the spring to get all this assembled around the landmarked building... it will likely take them just as long to pack up... 

Not sure how much work took place here. Permits pointed to a "renovation at the fourth floor."

The more aesthetically pleasing Urban Umbrella, made of recycled steel and translucent plastic panel, made its first NYC appearance in the fall of 2017.

LiveSounds return to the Third Street Music School Settlement

Live music returns for the public at the Third Street Music School Settlement on Friday evenings this fall.

The series begins this Friday with Third Street faculty member Chiu-Chen Liu and Grammy-nominated pianist Ilya Kazantsev.

While the program is free, you do need to RSVP for a ticket. You may do that here (that link includes details on the other musical guests this fall). You may also watch via livestream.

The Third Street Music School Settlement is at 235 E. 11th St, between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Thanks to the reader for the photo and tip!

Tracking an abandoned Citi Bike on 6th Street

In the past month or so, a derelict Citi Bike (a hard-to-find pedal-assist ebike) has been seemingly abandoned over at the docking station on Sixth Street and Avenue B. 

EVG regular Salim started taking photos of it in its various states... 

Per Salim: 

It's chained to the station itself, which often has valet staff. It moved around over the weeks and gradually lost some parts (but not been stripped entirely). The bike fascinates me: why hasn't Citi Bike reclaimed it? Who chained it in the first place? 

All good questions!

For anyone else keeping tabs on this... as of today, the Citi Bike is no longer chained to anything...

Updated 5:30 p.m.

Someone had removed the Citi Bike carcass...    

Demolition continues along 2nd Avenue to make way for an 11-story mixed-use building

Demolition recently got underway at Second Street and Second Avenue.

In total, three properties on the east side of Second Avenue between Second Street and Third Street are coming down. 

The former La Salle annex was first... 

As previously reported, Gemini Rosemont Development has plans for an 11-story mixed-use building for this newly created parcel.

According to the new building work permit still awaiting approval by the city, the development will feature 88 residences (condos?) and 9,600 square feet for retail. 

Last year, Gemini Rosemont bought the former La Salle annex at 38 Second Ave. and Second Street. The $14.5 million purchase of the four-story building was the third of three contiguous plots that they acquired. The Los Angeles-based commercial real estate investment company closed on 42-44 Second Ave. and 46-48 Second Ave. (the former Church of the Nativity) in March 2020 for $40 million.

The Church of the Nativity closed after service on July 31, 2015, merging with Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street. The Cooper Square Community Land Trust had explored buying the former Church of the Nativity to use as low-income housing.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Educator: Turning the former Church of the Nativity into luxury housing would be a 'sordid use' of the property

• The fight to keep Church of the Nativity from becoming luxury housing

Belse Restaurant makes it sign official on the Bowery

Belse Restaurant, self-described as "high-end plant cuisine at its finest," is opening an outpost on the Bowery just south of Houston... the coming-soon signage is now up here at the former home of Paulaner Bräuhaus...

Reps for Belse will appear before CB3's SLA committee on Monday night for a liquor license for the space. You can find their questionnaire online here. 

The restaurant comes via the owners of the plant-based Little Pine in Los Angeles, which Moby launched in 2015. (The restaurant reopened last year without Moby's involvement. As Eater reported, the Grammy-nominated musician "was accused by multiple former employees of not doing enough to protect staff during the shutdown." He later apologized to the staff.)

There's a Belse outpost in Dallas. You can find a Belse menu here.

On the Bowery, they look to be open for lunch during the week and brunch on weekends.

The storefront has sat empty since Paulaner shuttered in early 2018 after four years in service. 

David Flores next up for the Bowery Mural Wall

As noted on Sunday, workers recently buffed out the Bowery Mural Wall in anticipation of the next artist here at Houston. 

David Flores will be starting work this week for Goldman Global Arts...

A California native, Flores got his start as a graphic designer for several skateboard companies... and, per this bio, "is best known for his self-proclaimed stained glass and mosaic style." 

This video shows him working on a Bob Marley mural in Los Angeles back in 2019...

 

The previous work on the Bowery Mural Wall, titled "To Open a Portal," debuted in the fall of 2020.

Tuesday's parting shot

Amelia and Christo, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, seen on a break atop St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on 10th and A today... thanks to Steven for the photo!

Remembering William John Lopez

William John Lopez, better known as Sharpie to his friends in the East Village and in the hardcore community, recently died. 

According to his parents, he was a victim of cyberbullying, and he took his own life. He was 18. 

This past Saturday, his parents, Ronald and Jeanette Lopez, his sister Jenna and his fiance Sarah Fulton (left in the photo) spoke during a memorial before a free concert in Tompkins Square Park.

As EVG contributor Stacie Joy reports, his family talked frankly and freely about bullying, cyberbullying, and the East Village community that always supported Sharpie.

Here's part of an online tribute to Lopez, who was born and raised on Staten Island:

He was extremely talented and played the guitar and bass. William continually developed his artistic abilities all throughout his life and was a tattoo artist with the family-owned business. William traveled to London which heightened his interest in the punk scene. 

He found a life in the hardcore music scene and enjoyed a bit of celebrity status on the Lower East Side as the heart of the mosh pit. He befriended and was accepted by those with addiction issues and was known to have saved at least 3 lives with Narcan. 

He was a leader and wise beyond his years in many aspects. He was a kind and giving soul and always caring for others.

His family is hosting a celebration of his life on Oct. 17.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources. STOMP Out Bullying is a nonprofit resource for kids and teens.

A visit to Lovewild Design

Photos by Stacie Joy

This past December, East Village native and current resident Sierra Zamarripa realized a longtime dream — opening her own shop in the neighborhood. She did this with the arrival of Lovewild Design at 136 Avenue C between Eighth Street and Ninth Street. 

The sustainable gift shop relocated here from South Williamsburg, where it debuted in June 2017.

For starters, it's a legit family affair here with Sierra's daughter Cecilia and mother Thea Boyer helping run the business. (Sierra grew up as an entrepreneur, and her parents and grandmother were entrepreneurs, as she told us in this 2017 interview.)

EVG contributor Stacie Joy recently stopped by the warm, inviting shop full of handmade goods ... as well as a stationery line... 

Lovewild Design is open Tuesday-Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Follow the shop on Instagram for updates. And if you happen to be up in Woodstock, there's a new (as of April 2021) outpost there too.

Cinema Salons — 'a mini-festival of radical films' — coming to the Anthology

Starting on Wednesday night, the Anthology Film Archives will host a series of one-hour Cinema Salons dubbed "Cinesymposia."

Per the Anthology's website:

Each Salon is a mini-symposium organized around a specific theme. Each Salon features three short films and three rounds of arena discussion. Each Salon invites you to come prepared with thoughts, manifestoes, and democratic screeds. Each Salon invites you to engage in ideas and exchange in communion.

Host and curator cherry brice jr. described it this way in an email to EVG:

These Salons are a mini-festival of radical films: a screening and discussion series with rowdy, audience-led debate, moderated by a panel from film, community organizing, and philosophy backgrounds. 

 The first screening on Wednesday night (at 8) is free:

The Civic Cinema. The enclosure of the commons was a political project long before it was a public health one. Whatever happened to the ancient agora? What became of the public sphere? Can the film theater — especially one closed to the general public — fill the role of a community consciousness-raising space? Featuring three experiments in cross-cultural discourse, the films in this program beg the question of just what the nature of dialogue is. 

The subsequent screenings on Oct. 20 and Nov. 3 are each $7. Find more details here.

The Anthology Film Archives is at 32 Second Ave. at Second Street.

A for-rent sign at the renovated former home of Black & White on 10th Street

For anyone wondering who the next tenant might be at 86 E. 10th St. — the former home of Black & White down the steps here between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue...

Following gut renovations and an exterior paint job, a for rent sign arrived on the storefront last week.

The retail listing doesn't yield many details, save for "not vented for cooking" and "all uses considered."

Black & White closed here in the fall of 2020 after 20 years of solid bar service. There was talk of a relocation this year, but that hasn't happened to date.

Monday's parting shot

A moment outside Universe Antiques on Broadway and 13th Street today... photo by Derek Berg...

Con Ed puts more energy into power washing its substation on Avenue A

Con Ed deployed another early morning power-washing crew to buff the graffiti-filled substation along Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. 

This was the second time in less than two weeks in which Con Ed decided to scrub the building, maybe about 80 percent effective as the tags are still visible. (And they missed the POTATO that was sprayed on here over the weekend.) 

After the last washing, the graffiti returned within 24 hours...

This isn't quite reminiscent of the brown paint wars that dominated local headlines from 2012-2014 at the Verizon building on 13th Street and Second Avenue. Tags would fill up the wall. Someone would cover them with brown paint. The tags would return. So did the brown paint. And so on. Eventually, Verizon just gave up.

Afternoon umbrella break

As seen in Tompkins Square Park today... I guess I wasn't the only person who thought it was supposed to rain all day. 

Thanks to Steven for the photo!

RIP Dee Pop

Photo from 2020 by Stacie Joy

Dee Pop, the longtime drummer for the seminal downtown band Bush Tetras, passed away on Oct. 9. According to an announcement by the band, he died in his sleep. He was 65.

Cynthia Sley and Pat Place, who started the acclaimed no-wave-post-punk band with Pop in 1979, released this statement:

Dee Pop was a quintessential New Yorker, growing up in Forest Hills, Queens and living in New York ever since. He was not only Bush Tetras drummer, but also our archivist, owning an original copy of every Bush Tetras release and t-shirt and also maintaining the band's masters. 

In addition to Bush Tetras, Dee Pop played with Richard Lloyd, Michael Karoli (Can), The Gun Club, Jayne County, and The Shams, William Parker, Eddie Gale, Roy Campbell, Freedomland, Hanuman Sextet, Radio I-Ching and 1000 Yard Stare. He will be sorely missed by his bandmates and the many people he touched throughout his life.

Bush Tetras had a box-set release party previously scheduled for Saturday night at Howl! Happening on First Street. The band decided to move forward with the event, stating in a Facebook post: "We think he would have wanted us to carry on ... with our Bush Tetra release event. The band meant everything to him." 

The evening became a memorial and celebration of his life and attracted many fans and longtime friends.

There were plenty of tributes to Pop on social media. Among them:  

Bob Bert, who has played drums with Pussy Galore, Sonic Youth and Lydia Lunch, among others, wrote this on Instagram: "Completely DEVASTATED over the passing of Dee Pop ... a good friend [and] an amazing drummer who was a big influence to me! Extremely sad day!"

From singer-songwriter Amy Rigby: "Very sad to learn of the sudden passing of brilliant drummer Dee Pop. What a genuinely sweet person, the best of NYC. My heart goes out to his family and friends & Cynthia and Pat/his band Bush Tetras."

And via writer Howard Phillips Rodman: "Saddened to hear that Dee Pop, drummer for the extraordinary Bush Tetras, died ... The BTs innovative, propulsive work represents the very best of post-punk/no wave, and Dee Pop's drumming was its driving force, its heartbeat."

Pop was born Dimitri Papadopoulos in 1956. As Pitchfork noted, he "grew up idolizing Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, and Keith Moon, but it was Tommy Ramone who would inspire him to start playing despite a lack of formal training."

Pop is survived by his son Charlie and daughter Nicole.

Souen reopens today after late-September kitchen fire

Photo from June 2020 via @souen_nyc 

Good news for fans of Souen. The macrobiotic restaurant at 326 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue reopens today after a kitchen fire on Sept. 26 shut them down for these past two weeks. 

Ownership was able to crowdfund more than $8,000 to help offset expenses. 

Souen is open daily from 1-9:30 p.m. Find their website here.