Another holiday visit with Frankie Christmas

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

We last checked in with the undisputed king of East Village Christmas, Frank “Frankie Christmas” Bianco, at this time last year. 

This year Bianco, a Brooklyn native who has lived here since 1980, welcomed us back to his winter wonderland apartment on Avenue D with an update on the lighting schedule...   

“This year, I shattered my previous record and was able to put up a total of 11,875 lights, about 1,500 more than last year. To finish by Dec. 1, I usually start decorating as soon as the Labor Day weekend finishes. For the last couple of months, it took me about 200 hours to complete each room in my apartment. I usually spend an hour or two each night of the week decorating and get the bulk of it done on the weekends, where I may spend up to eight hours decorating.”

What else is new?

“It’s a tradition to get at least a half dozen Christmas tattoos every year since moving down to the LES. I have 11 new snowflake tattoos and the Grinch’s hand holding an ornament. Similar to my Christmas tattoos, I always make sure to add a few new decorations to my apartment as well. I purchased a Christmas Tree from Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, the largest Christmas store in the world located in Frankenmuth, Mich., and my favorite new addition, a Swarovski 2021 snowflake ornament.” 

...and now take a tour...

 

What can we look forward to next year? 

“In 2022, I’m somehow putting up more lights than I did this year! It’ll be tough, but I’m confident I’ll be able to [string more than] 12,000 lights. I’ll also be returning to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland to find new additions to my collection, and most important spread the Christmas Spirit!”

Read our Q&A with Frankie from last year at this link. 

The end of the East River amphitheater

The demolition of East River Park below Stanton Street continues as part of the $1.45-billion East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR).

Social media posts show that workers have been focusing on the amphitheater in recent days.

"I saw some photos online of the amphitheater tragically getting gutted earlier this week, and I wanted to say goodbye before it was completely gone," EVG reader Shane Fleming told me in an email.

So yesterday around sunset, Shane went in for a closer look and shared the following photos. As you can see, the trees surrounding the amphitheater have been cut down, and the seats have also been removed. Only the bandshell remains for now.

"I spent many wonderful afternoons growing up at this amphitheater, and it's crushing to see it go like this," he said.

Here's some history of the amphitheater via the Parks Department website:

In 1941, an amphitheater was built in the park, along with an adjacent limestone recreational building, as part of an urban renewal project for the Lower East Side. During the 1950s, the amphitheater was the site of frequent free Evening-in-the-Park concerts. Joseph Papp (1921-1991), founder of Shakespeare in the Park and the Public Theater, staged Julius Caesar there in 1956. Local schools held their graduation ceremonies there, and the Group of Ancient Drama staged free-of-charge performances of classic Greek plays...

The city is to replace the existing structure with a smaller one at the exact location. (The currently gutted space could seat an estimated 2,500; based on the renderings, the new one looks to hold 400.) In June, the city came up with $4.83 million to include a roof over the new amphitheater. 

The city has previously estimated that all work will be completed in East River Park by the end of 2026.

Our previous post has more about what's been happening with ESCR to date. 

Thursday's parting shot

A moment on Seventh Street this week... thanks to Daniel Efram for sharing the photo...

Because you've always wanted to know what the inside of the long-empty 6 Avenue B looks like

Photos by Stacie Joy

The 6-story building on the NW corner of Avenue B and Houston has been empty/abandoned for years.

Recapping some of what we know (and have reported) about 6 Avenue B. The liquor store in the retail space closed when the owner passed away in 2009 at age 89. (Chico created the tribute to her in February 2010.) 

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. 

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 sidewalk bridge has been up for YEARS. (Six? Seven?) 

However, there are newish work permits on file for the address, some related to the (AT&T?) antennas on the roof. Workers have been inside the building lately.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy looked inside the other day. In the photos below, you'll see the state of the place. 

"The old parquet wood floors are beautiful and the tile work is amazing," Stacie said. "Doubtful it will be preserved but it was something to see."

Former August Laura space is on the rental market; building on the auction block

For lease signs arrived yesterday on the retail space on the NE corner of Avenue A and Sixth Street...

As noted last week, the bar-restaurant August Laura closed here last week.

The retail listing, which doesn't mention many particulars, such as asking rent, is right here. 

Meanwhile, a separate listing here states the recently renovated building is on the auction block starting on Jan. 31. The minimum bid for 94-96 Avenue, with nine residential units and the retail space, is $4.8 million.
 

August Laura opened here in October 2019. They seemed to have more irregular hours over the last few months, rarely open at the advertised 4 p.m. hour. Their ample outdoor space, including sidewalk seating and streetside dining structures on Avenue A and Sixth Street, sat unused on pleasant summer and fall afternoons and early evenings. 

August Laura took over the space from EV institution Sidewalk, the restaurant bar and live music venue (home of the Antifolk Festival) that closed in February 2019 after 34 years.

Pini Milstein, who retired, was the principal owner of the building and the operator of the Sidewalk. According to public records, Penn South Capital paid $9.6 million for the property in March 2019. The building's new owners added a one-floor extension here in 2020.

Activity at the former St. Brigid School on Avenue B and 7th Street

The St. Brigid School on Avenue B and Seventh Street has sat empty for two-plus years, ever since classes ended for the summer in June 2019.

As we first reported in February 2019, the Archdiocese of New York announced that St. Brigid School would cease operations at the end of the current academic year, a move that blindsided students, parents, and faculty alike. Founded in 1856, the Saint Brigid School was one of seven city Catholic schools marked for closure by the Archdiocese.

Nearby residents are curious about what might happen to the two-level building and subsequent property — prime East Village real estate with views of Tompkins Square Park.

EVG reader Robert Miner recently saw workers removing classroom furniture during the day... with a crew painting the interior in the evening... 

Per Robert: "Not sure if they're sprucing it up for sale or a reopening — but at least it's unlikely they're moving towards demolition if they're putting in this effort."

There's nothing on file with the Department of Buildings indication any future development here. 

The Archdiocese has seen sales of more than $80 million for two former East Village churches in recent years.

Developer Douglas Steiner bought the former Mary Help of Christians property on Avenue A at 12th Street in 2012 from the Archdiocese of New York for $41 million. During the summer of 2013, workers demolished the church, school and rectory to make way for Steiner East Village, the block-long condoplex.

In March 2020, Gemini Rosemont, an L.A.-based real-estate investor, bought the former Church of the Nativity property on Second Avenue between Second Street and Third Street for $40 million. 

The Church of St. Brigid-St. Emeric (and the rectory) remain in use next door. The church was spared from the wrecking ball, reopening in January 2013 after a renovation.

1st sign of Raíz Modern Mexican on 1st Avenue

The signage arrived yesterday for Raíz Modern Mexican, coming soon to 120 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

As previously noted, Raíz is a plant-based, fast-casual restaurant that will feature burritos, tacos, salads and bowls. 

No word on an opening date just yet. 

Thanks to Steven for the photo!

Bubbleology Tea has gone out of business on 1st Avenue

The East Village outpost of the London-based Bubbleology Tea chain has closed at 120 1/2 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

Steven shared these photos of the now-empty space, which closed without any notice... (apparently, this happened a few weeks back...)

The outpost opened in February 2019 in a crowded bubble-tea market.

Previously, the landlord here, convicted felon Steve Croman, didn't/wouldn't renew the lease of the International Bar ... which closed in November 2017 before merging with the Coal Yard, down the block.

RIP Molly.

Dec. 22's parting shot

Joe Strummer (aka John Graham Mellor) died on this day in 2002 at age 50. 

As always, a photo (from the other day) of Dr. Revolt's mural circa 2004 outside Niagara on Seventh Street and Avenue A. 

And now, enjoy this interview on CBS 2 with Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon from 1982...

 

EVG Etc.: Appreciating the photography of Alex Harsley; visiting a new Chinatown bookstore

Photo of a visiting Cooper's hawk in Tompkins Square Park by Steven 

• Staffing shortages temporarily shutter multiple CityMD sites, including the one on East 14th Street (The Associated Press)

• The latest on the rising number of positive COVID cases in NYC (NBC 4) 

• Teen who survived last Thursday's deadly fire in the Riis Houses recounts his journey to safety down the side of the building (Daily News ... previously on EVG) 

• Restaurant workers rally for better pay and benefits. It took place outside someplace that has done it right: La Palapa on St. Mark's Place, where owner Barbara Sibley pays a base salary of $15 an hour plus tips. "You can't put a value on morale," she told PIX 11. "Having a good morale and taking care of people is priceless." (PIX11 ... amNY) 

• An interview with Alex Harsley, the 83-year-old proprietor of 4th Street Photo Gallery (The Indypendent ... previously on EVG) 

• RIP Ed Higgins III, a longtime Ludlow Street resident and a founding member of the Rivington School collective (BoweryBoogie) 

• Remembering artist and curator Jenni Crain of the Gordon Robichaux gallery on Union Square West. She died from sudden complications related to COVID-19. She was 30. (Hyperallergic) 

• Yu and Me Books, a new bookstore in Chinatown at 44 Mulberry St., highlights works by immigrant authors (NPR) 

• An Amazon outage took out the Citi Bike system this morning (Gothamist) 

• Amelia and Christo keep busy in Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography) 

• MANY people have asked if EVG knows what EV pizzeria is talking about in this Ryan Reynolds interview anecdote: "There's a pizza place in the East Village in New York that I've been going to for years. They believe I'm Ben Affleck and I've never corrected them." I have no idea! (NBC News)

RIP Robert J. Giurdanella

Robert J. Giurdanella, a fixture in this neighborhood where he was born and raised, died on Dec. 6. He was 89. 

He helped run family businesses Giurdanella Bros. Inc. on Bond Street and Bella Tiles, whose showroom on First Avenue at 11th Street closed in 2018 after 35 years in business. The warehouse remains around the corner on 11th Street. (The family also owns these buildings, among others in the neighborhood.)

Here are some passages from a colorful online obituary:

He was one of a kind and a true legend. He wanted things His Way. "My Way" by Frank Sinatra was his song. He was tough, yet compassionate. He was arrogant, yet humble. He liked to scream to get his point across (though always denied he was yelling), but he loved to laugh and smile more. 

He loved to be surrounded by family and friends and enjoyed nothing more than the holidays to visit with all our friends and have home-cooked meals. When he "helped" in the kitchen, he used no less than 4 bowls, 5 pots and pans, 20 utensils and 3 dish towels, not to mention the counter mess.

And...

While attending elementary and high school, he worked as a carpenter with his father and uncle at Giurdanella Bros. Inc. on 12th Street in Manhattan. Most notable to him was that he constructed incubators for the Board of Health so they could study snails. 

Robert loved photography and developed his own film in his own darkroom. He started Five Star Photos and was a wedding photographer for a couple of years. He also made Gold and Bronze shoes as mementos from baby shoes. When home on leave, he would hang out on 14th St & 3rd Ave with his friends. 

He is survived by his wife Ann (Fodera) Giurdanella of 64 years; children, Christine Giurdanella-Renzi and husband Peter Renzi, son, Carlo Giurdanella; grandchildren, Nicholas Anthony and wife Margaret (Thibadeau) Renzi, Alexandra Nicole Renzi, and Robert Jake Renzi.

Driver fleeing police charged in the hit-and-run death of delivery worker on Houston Street

The DA's office has indicted the hit-and-run driver who killed delivery worker Borkot Ullah as he crossed Houston Street at Clinton/Avenue B this past July.

According to the DA's office and published reports, 23-year-old Bronx resident Kenrick Cowan has been charged with manslaughter in the second degree, assault in the second degree, and leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death without reporting, among other charges, for fatally striking Ullah. According to Streetsblog, who first reported on this indictment, the top charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years.

Authorities said that Cowan was arrested last month by the NYPD's Bronx Warrants Squad for an unrelated shooting in the Bronx and was later charged with killing Ullah, who was 24.

Around 10 p.m. on July 8, an unmarked police car pursued Cowan. Per the DA's statement:

NYPD officers attempted to pull Cowan over for speeding and committing other traffic violations as he drove his Subaru Outback eastbound on East Houston Street ... Cowan led the police officers on a high-speed chase, weaved through traffic, and drove through a red light at the corner of East Houston and Clinton Streets, where he struck Ullah — who was riding his bicycle north on Clinton Street — and then fled the scene.

As Streetsblog previously reported, a police chase preceded the collision, though the NYPD declined to comment on the case. 

Ullah is reportedly one of 13 delivery workers who have died this year in NYC — with at least 10 in crashes while on the job.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. said this in a statement from this past Thursday:

"Today we remember Borkot Ullah, a young immigrant and workers' rights advocate who worked tirelessly to support his family here in New York City and in Bangladesh. Food delivery workers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the City thanks to reckless drivers who tear through our streets. We are committed to ensuring accountability for drivers that kill or injure cyclists and pedestrians ..."

A GoFundMe campaign raised more than $30,000 to help Ullah's family both here and in Bangladesh with expenses. His body was returned to Bangladesh, where he was buried on July 15.

This fall, a ghost bike was installed outside 8-10 Avenue B in Ullah's memory.

No. 14

Here's your annual reminder that EVG is another year older.

The very first post arrived on this site on this date in 2007. It was about Sophie's, which is why I posted the top pic. 

I explained the origins of this news site in our gala 13th-anniversary post right here. 

So let's use the rest of the allotted time in this post to thank you for reading the site, leaving comments, sharing tips, commiserating about the loss of a business and celebrating the best neighborhood around. As I've said before, this site doesn't work without you.

A big thanks to all the frequent contributors, especially Derek Berg and Steven, for their ongoing photo and tip submissions. And a special shout-out to Stacie Joy for her tireless work in documenting the businesses and residents of the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, a happy and healthy holiday season to you!

Seasonal stump art

'Tis the season for some holiday stump art here at the Seventh and B entrance to Tompkins Square Park. 

In recent months, someone has been creating installations atop the stump of the English Elm that came down in August 2020 during Tropical Storm Isaias. 

EVG reader Robert Minder shared this photo from October...

There's usually a "Twin Peaks" vibe to the art... which we appreciate.

Cornerstone Cafe calls it quits

The East Village has lost a solid breakfast spot. 

Yesterday, the owners of Cornerstone Cafe on the NE corner of Avenue B and Second Street announced its closure after 10-plus years in business. 

In an Instagram post, the Cornerstone cited the ongoing pandemic and the city's related mandates and restrictions for the closure...

The restaurant opened in the early summer of 2011. 

Cornerstone Cafe made headlines in August 2017 after a member of the waitstaff used an Asian slur about a customer on a printed receipt. Management fired the employee and issued an apology.

H/T Salim!

Reports: Did SantaCon contribute to NYC's current COVID-19 surge?

Photo on Dec. 11 along Avenue A by Derek Berg

In recent days, several published reports have suggested that SantaCon, held on Dec. 11 in bars and venues in parts of Midtown and in the East Village, played a role in the current surge of positive COVID-19 cases in Manhattan. (It's also a topic brought up in the EVG comments.)

City Councilmember Mark Levine, chair of the Health Committee and Manhattan Borough president-elect, helped bolster this case when he tweeted Saturday about the high numbers in the city: "And yes SantaCon may partly be to blame."

Manhattan unfortunately now has highest covid rate in NYC.

This is partly because we test more. But this should serve as a warning about how much omicron is out there. Be especially cautious about indoor gatherings where masks come off. (And yes SantaCon may partly be to blame.) pic.twitter.com/DoSOidFhkq

— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) December 18, 2021

In a story published Sunday, The Daily Mail noted, "The SantaCon surge: Covid cases in Manhattan QUADRUPLE in the six days since notorious costumed bar crawl." The article builds its case on the Levine tweet and other social media posts where people said they tested positive after attending the annual bar crawl that was postponed in 2020.

Here's more from The Cut at New York magazine from Thursday:

Last year, SantaCon was thankfully canceled due to the pandemic. This year, there's still a pandemic — not to mention a highly contagious variant spreading — but like many other holiday gatherings that now seem ill-advised, it happened anyway despite fears it had all the makings of a super-spreader event. And now, surprise: #santacon TikTok is flooded with people who attended and have since tested positive for COVID-19.

The Cut assembled a collection of the SantaCon-COVID clips on TikTok.  

Meanwhile, Business Insider also pointed the finger at SantaCon for this current uptick in a piece titled "The SantaCon surge has hit NYC" from Saturday.

Per their report:

[S]ince last weekend — which saw the return of SantaCon, NYC's biggest event of debauchery and drunken revelry — many a New Yorker's phones have blown up with texts from friends saying they'd been exposed to Covid. Positivity rates have doubled in the past three days, with cases in the city up more than 40 percent in one day, recording the highest one-day total since January 14. 

Later, the piece backs off a bit from the headline:

To be sure, SantaCon isn't entirely to blame for the Omicron wave. Companies have been holding in-person holiday parties and NYC nightlife has been back to normal for quite some time. Health restrictions, like mask mandates and social distancing, have been increasingly disregarded. 

In a post published yesterday at Bushwick Daily, three residents who tested positive and work at bars-restaurants in the East Village or Lower Manhattan blamed SantaCon for spreading COVID.

East Village bartender Iseult James told the site that "the event might have been a super spreader and is largely to blame for the uptick in positive tests. So now, instead of spending Christmas with her husband's parents in Fort Greene, the couple must stay at home."

As multiple news outlets have already reported, average daily case counts in New York City more than doubled over the week ending Dec. 17, according to the latest data available on the city's health department website. NYC is reporting a seven-day average of more than 7,200 cases per day, up from about 3,200 the week prior, a 127-percent increase.

According to the NYC Health site, neighborhoods including the East Village and Murray Hill, where SantaConners mingled on Dec. 11, have among the highest positivity rates in the five boroughs for the week ending Dec. 17. The citywide positivity rate is at 7.68 percent.

Here are the two zip codes that include parts of the East Village... 10009 had a positivity rate of 9.79 percent while 10003 had a rate of 11.81 percent (click on the image for more detail) ... 

The zip code encompassing Kips Bay/Murray Hill is at 11.14 percent ...

Of course, SantaCon participants or bar employees who have tested positive don't necessarily live in these zip codes. (Also, these zip codes also have high rates of fully vaccinated adults, above the city's 71 percent.)

Meanwhile, Mayor de Blasio addressed the rise in COVID cases during a press conference yesterday.

"It's going to be a very challenging few weeks. But the good news is based on what our healthcare leadership understands, at this moment, we are talking about a matter of weeks," de Blasio said, as CNBC reported.  

The mayor went on to say that New Yorkers infected with omicron are experiencing mild symptoms so far, though many unanswered questions remain about the variant.

"We're going to see a really fast upsurge in cases; we're going to see a lot of New Yorkers affected by omicron," de Blasio said. "So far, thank God based on everything we've seen, the cases are milder than what we've experienced previously." 

Gov. Hochul reemphasized yesterday that there would not be any new shutdowns.

"It's not March of 2020. It's not even December of 2020. Just to keep things in perspective, it is milder than delta," Hochul said of omicron, per NBC 4. "We are avoiding a government shutdown because we now have the tools available to all of us — vaccinations, booster shots, masks — particularly for the variant we're dealing with."

You can find information on vaccines and boosters via the city at this link. Find a city-affiliated testing site here.