Sept. 9: The latest headlines on the water crisis at the Jacob Riis Houses

Photo by @decolorescommunityyard

Local media continues with solid coverage of the water crisis at the Jacob Riis Houses on Avenue D ... led by Greg B. Smith at The City and Gwynne Hogan at WNYC/Gothamist.

As previously reported, residents were told last Friday night not to drink or cook with tap water after tests revealed traces of arsenic. The City said that NYCHA officials learned about the contamination two weeks earlier and did not notify the nearly 2,600 residents in the complex between Sixth Street and 13th Street. NYCHA officials have denied that claim. 

 

• Arsenic-Free NYCHA water test results came after taps flushed for hours (The City) 

• East Village public housing tenants mystified as city claims no arsenic in water — but maybe Legionella (Gothamist) 

• Test results come back negative for arsenic at Jacob Riis Houses, but positive for traces of Legionnaires' disease bacteria (CBS New York)

Out here at Riis Houses, w/ @CarlinaRivera & @HarveyforNY, helping w/ hot meal distribution for tenants who are enduring yet another day without useable water.

We need this crisis resolved once and for all. And we need accountability for what residents here have endured. pic.twitter.com/FsgxLs0Tzx

— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) September 8, 2022

... and here's a flashback to a piece via PIX 11 about the water at Riis Houses from Aug. 12 titled, "Cloudy tap water has East Village NYCHA residents worried." 

Previously 

Updated 3 p.m. 

The Jacob Riis Tenant Association is hosting this meeting tonight at 6 at P.S. 34 on 12th Street and Avenue D...

CB3 wants your input on 2023 budget priorities

 Community Board 3 shared this information...

What parks need reconstruction? What programs need funding? Help us assess the needs of our community. 

Every year the Community Board submits a list of capital and expense budget priorities to city agencies. This hearing is your opportunity to have input into these district budget priorities. Tell us how money should be spent within Community Board 3. 

Organizations, groups and individuals representing all segments of the community are encouraged to participate. 

CB 3 Public Hearing — Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Priorities 

Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m. 

Click here to register for the Zoom meeting. (You must register to attend this Zoom meeting.)

The 10th Street Block Festival takes place tomorrow (Saturday!)

The 10th Street Block Festival returns tomorrow (Sept. 10!) ... on 10th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

This is one of the best block events around... you can find antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing (no tube socks or tube steaks!) and music... all on a lovely tree-lined block. 

If our counting is accurate, this marks the 51st edition of the Block Festival. 

Also! We've heard that the 9th Street A-1 Block Association Block Party returns on Sept. 17.

Reminders: It's weekend No. 2 of Keyapalooza

A reminder that needs no, uh, reminding. We're at the start of the second weekend-long grand reopening ("RE-GRAND Opening" on some signage) at Key Food on Avenue A and Fourth Street.

As previously reported, the grocery has completed a near-year-long interior renovation, including an expanded produce section plus new lights, floors, and freezers — and thankfully, the same shopping soundtrack heavy on fringe-y late 1980s alternative hits ... as well as some other chestnuts.

On that note, here's an EVG Key Food playlist for Keychella... based on songs we've actually heard while in Key through the more-recent years...

Otherwise, over the next three days, there'll be some giveaways, samples, and savings if you spend a certain amount of money. (Loyalty Club Card required!) The raffle drawing is today, so get your raffle ticket in TODAY. 

Check out scenes from Day 1 here.

Thursday's parting shot

Thank you to EVG reader Michael Kramer for this photo from last night... in which crews were testing the annual Tribute in Light ahead of 9/11. 

Background:

Assembled on the roof of the Battery Parking Garage south of the 9/11 Memorial, the twin beams reach up to four miles into the sky and are comprised of eighty-eight 7,000-watt xenon lightbulbs positioned into two 48-foot squares, echoing the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers. The installation can also be viewed from a 60-mile radius around lower Manhattan.

It's milling time

Here's a look at Seventh Street at Avenue A after the late-night milling this week. 

We can confirm that First Avenue between 12th Street and 15th Street has been milled (and it makes that stretch even nicer!) 

The length of Seventh Street between Avenue D and Cooper Square was supposed to be fully milled by now. (If anyone can confirm, aside from Seventh between A and First. The EVG Milling & Paving Team is at a softball tournament upstate.) 

Third Street from Avenue D to the Bowery is/was set to be milled last night and tonight. 

Anyway, a few people asked. Yes, the Citi Bike docking stations will return to Seventh and A, Seventh and B, Seventh and C, etc. And: No, the city does NOT remove curbside-dining structures for the milling and paving. 

And no word yet when the paving will commence.

Here's a look at the proposed designs for the new East River Park amphitheater

The first preliminary design review is set for this month for the new East River Park amphitheater. (You can find the 25-page PDF with all the design elements here.) 

The new design embraces "a classic arch shape." 

Per the document at the Department of Design and Construction: 

An arch shape pays homage to both the original structure and classic bandshells while creating opportunities for physical access and sight lines to the waterfront.

Other design points include: 

• Clearly Address the Main Seating Area:

The front arch is on the axis with the main seating area and is scaled to provide a sense of arrival as one enters from the Corlears Hook bridge. 

• Engage the Waterfront: 

Views to the waterfront are framed by an arch parallel to the esplanade. This arch is lower than the front, creating a more intimate experience near the water. An accessible path and stairs connect the stage to the esplanade and reinforce this design as a multi-purpose bandshell and waterfront pavilion. 

• Create a Sense of Lightness and Openness: 

An open-arch scheme allows for greater visibility and connectivity at the stage level. This approach also creates separation between the overlapping arches above, allowing light and air to enter while keeping the rain out. 

• Perform Acoustically: 

 The structure is designed to direct sound toward the seating and landscape. This will improve the sound quality for small, un-amplified events while mitigating sound projections toward the upland neighborhood.

The proposal includes potential amphitheater usage, from a "hangout spot" to "take a break and sit in the shade" to "larger events and performances for 1000+ spectators." 

There's a Public Design Commission hearing on Monday at 11:30 a.m. about the proposed new amphitheater. The commission is accepting public comments. Find info on attending in person or via Zoom at this link.

Workers finished demolishing the previous amphitheater, which dated to 1941, in late December. (Meanwhile, asbestos abatement continues at the site near Corlears Hook.)

In June 2021, the city came up with $4.83 million to include a roof over the new amphitheater. (Previous renderings did not have a roof.)

The new amphitheater is part of the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project in East River Park. Workers will bury the 57.5-acre land under fill and elevate it by 8-to-10 feet above sea level to protect the area from future storm surges. The city has said they will maintain public access to a minimum of 42 percent of the park throughout construction, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2026.  

H/T @tfine & @ChrisRyanAction 

The East Village outpost of the Mermaid Inn reopens TODAY; take a look inside

Photos by Stacie Joy/HT Steven!

The Mermaid Inn reopens later today (4:30 p.m.) at 96 Second Ave. (Note: This is the soft opening. The official opening is Sept. 15.)

EVG contributor Stacie Joy got a look inside yesterday as workers were gearing up for the grand reopening...

Per Stacie: "The end-of-meal chocolate pudding/pot de creme dessert will still be there but the fortune-telling fish will not be coming back (due to plastic)."

Mermaid Inn closed here between Fifth Street and Sixth Street during the pandemic. Co-owner Daniel Abrams and partner Cindy Smith decided to shut down the seafood restaurant in the wake of failed attempts to reach a workable rent deal, Eater reported at the time. 

There were later issues with a stringent State Liquor Authority that was delaying the reopening.

The Mermaid Inn arrived in the East Village back in 2003. There are also locations in Greenwich Village, Chelsea and the Upper West Side... with Mermaid Mexicana opening in the spring on MacDougal Street.

The EV hours moving forward: Wednesday-Saturday: 4:30-10:30 p.m. ... with a 10 p.m. close on Sundays. 

Wednesday's parting shot

Photo in Tompkins Square Park today by Derek Berg...

Today in civic duty

As seen on Ninth Street and Avenue A — a squished spotted lanternfly. (Thanks to Steven for the photo!) 

The "invasive pests" recently made an NYC return... prompting (reluctant?) kill/squish orders from city officials ... and fun headlines, like! 

 • Sex-crazed lanternfly invasion ramps up in NYC as insects look for mates (The Post — naturally!) 

 • In the Lanternfly War, Some Take the Bug’s Side (The Times) 

• On the hunt with New York’s spotted lanternfly squishers: ‘I came to kill’ (The Guardian)  

Read less tabloid-y ways to squish and dispose of these sex-crazed invaders (just another weekend night!) at the Parks Department site.

The latest headlines on the water crisis at the Jacob Riis Houses

Image via @PIX11News 

Here are the latest headlines on the water crisis at the Jacob Riis Houses on Avenue D. 

As previously reported, residents were told Friday night not to drink or cook with tap water after tests revealed traces of arsenic. The City said that NYCHA officials learned about the contamination two weeks earlier and did not notify residents. NYCHA officials have vehemently denied that claim. NYC has distributed bottled water to the nearly 2,600 residents in the complex between Sixth Street and 13th Street. 

• NYCHA Water Mess Stretches Into 5th Day as Arsenic Test Results Pend (NBC New York) 

• Mayor Adams Promises ‘Thorough’ Look at How His Team Handled Riis Arsenic Discovery (The City)

• East Village Public Housing Residents Want Answers After Arsenic Found in Water (Gothamist) 

• Carlina Rivera Discusses Jacob Riis Houses Water Issues (NY1) 

• NYCHA Must Rebuild Trust After Arsenic Found in Water: Jumaane Williams (PIX11)

Caleta will offer small plates and Bad Habit ice cream on Avenue A

After 18 months of making ice cream from their Bushwick apartment, real-life couple Jesse Merchant Zuñiga and Javier Zuñiga are opening their own storefront in the East Village, they announced in an Instagram post last week. (H/T Vinny & O!)

Caleta — with a tagline of "not a wine bar" — has an anticipated late-fall opening at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. 

During the day, they will serve cartons of their Bad Habit ice cream (a business created during the pandemic). And by night, as Eater reported, Caleta "will offer a New American small plates menu to pair with wine, cartons of their ice cream, as well as desserts that use Bad Habit product like baked Alaska." 

The space was previously Thai Direct, which closed following a COVID-related rent dispute with the landlord, per the restaurant's ownership.

The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space turns 10

The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) is marking its 10th anniversary over the next few days.

Via the EVG inbox...

To celebrate this landmark year, MoRUS, along with partners The Anarchist Book Fair, The Emma Goldman Film Festival, Green Oasis Community Garden/Gilbert’s Garden, La Plaza Cultural Community Garden, Nublu, and Time's Up, is set to present a four-day slate of events revisiting some of the museum's most gripping films, in-demand workshops, beloved walking tours and dynamic speakers.

There are a lot of events. You can find more info at this link. 

Originally slated to open in mid-November 2012, MoRUS was forced to push back its grand opening date by a month due to flood damage from Hurricane Sandy. In the days following the storm, MoRUS created a cell phone charging station for the community using a bike generator lent to the museum by Time's Up!

MoRUS, which chronicles the East Village community's history of grassroots action and activism, is located at 155 Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street. 

Classic Odessa Restaurant signage gone for now on Avenue A; 'It's in a safe place'

Several readers noted over the weekend that the classic Odessa Restaurant signage — • Seafood • Steaks • Chops • Cocktails — has been removed (or covered!) at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

As you probably know, Superiority Burger is moving into the space... with an anticipated opening one of these days. 

Brooks Headley, owner of the all-vegetarian quick-serve spot that was on Ninth Street, told Grub Street in August 2021 how much he loved Odessa's interior. "I find it completely beautiful — the soda counter, the satellite bar, the cash register station. I don't plan to change it at all." 

We asked SB what became of the old sign. Perhaps it will be refurbished and returned? (After all, the Seafood and Steaks lettering was peeling off.) The response via Instagram: "Don't worry. It's in a safe place!"

Odessa Restaurant opened in this space in April 1995 before a July 2020 closure. The original Odessa, the longtime favorite that dated to the mid-1960s, closed next door at 115 Avenue in August 2013.

At the grand reopening of Essex Card Shop

Photos by Stacie Joy 

This morning saw the grand reopening of Essex Card Shop. 

As you know, the storefront at 47 Avenue A between Third Street and Fourth Street was destroyed in a fire this past Jan. 10. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by and found a happy owner, Muhammad Aslam, and his daughter, Mehnaz Noreen, the retail sales manager...

Some locals were there to support the shop's first day back and pick up some office or school supplies, greeting cards, etc.

Stacie also had the chance to check out a fully stocked store...

Because people will ask: Longtime manager Jayant "Jay" Patel is currently traveling in India and will return soon.

Reminders: Essex Card Shop reopens today!

Photo by Stacie Joy

As we first reported on Thursday, Essex Card Shop reopens today (Sept. 6!) at 10 a.m.

The new awning arrived over the weekend ahead of the big day here at 47 Avenue A between Third Street and Fourth Street.

A fire destroyed the storefront this past Jan. 10. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Filling the shelves as Essex Card Shop moves closer toward a reopening on Avenue A (Aug. 2)

• Cleaning out and preparing to rebuild Essex Card Shop on Avenue A (Feb. 22)

• Assessing the fire damage at Essex Card Shop (Jan. 13)

• Information about a crowdfunding campaign to help the fire-damaged Essex Card Shop (Jan. 11) 

State seizes Sestina for nonpayment of taxes; owners cite 'technical difficulties'

Photos by Stacie Joy

Late last week, the state seized Sestina, the pasta restaurant at 67 Second Ave. for "nonpayment of taxes," according to the legal documents affixed to the storefront here at Fourth Street...

Plant-based celebrity chef Matthew Kenney opened Sestina in the fall of 2020, one of several restaurants he operates in the East Village.

The restaurant's Instagram account notes the following about the closure: "We apologize for the inconvenience for our technical difficulties. We will be back open very soon! We thank you for your understanding."

Meanwhile, Kenney just opened a Sestina in Culver City, Calif. 

J. Crew confirmed for the Bowery; opening scheduled on Sept. 13

A J. Crew men's shop is opening at 316 Bowery on Sept. 13... the location arrived over the weekend on the brand's website... 

As previously reported, renovations have been quickly taking place inside the former restaurant space in recent weeks.

A Bowery Boogie informant first heard that a J. Crew was in the works, though there hadn't been anything official from the company about the new location here at Bleecker. 

In addition, contractors at the scene professed to not know anything about who the tenant was. Meanwhile, other tipsters came forward, stating that this will be a JPress outpost (not true, the brand said) or a Rowing Blazers shop (also not true — they are opening at 8 Rivington St. on Thursday).

As these interior photos by EVG contributor Stacie Joy from late last week show, the shop will apparently offer a coffee service... as seen on the front counter...

After filing for Chapter 11 in May 2020, J. Crew exited bankruptcy that fall. Per Retail Dive:

Lenders have taken over controlling ownership after a federal bankruptcy court approved J. Crew's reorganization plan. That deal left investment firm Anchorage Capital Group as the retailer's current majority owner. Kevin Ulrich, Anchorage's CEO, said in the release that his firm sees "an immense opportunity for growth and expansion at each brand," which includes the J. Crew and Madewell banners.

The company must be doing better financially — they're paying a 24/7 security detail to prevent people from tagging the 316 Bowery storefront. 

There's also a J. Crew men's shop not too far away on Broadway at Broome. 

The restaurant Saxon + Parole, which never reopened after the PAUSE of March 2020, was the last retail tenant in this space.

This week in milling and paving East Village streets

Several East Village streets are scheduled for nighttime milling and paving this coming week. (H/T Steven!) 

On the schedule (see the website here): 

• First Avenue between 12th Street and 15th Street (Tuesday)

• Seventh Street from Avenue D to Cooper Square (Tuesday and Wednesday) 

• Taras Shevchenko Place from Sixth Street to Seventh Street (Wednesday)

• Third Street from Avenue D to the Bowery (Wednesday and Thursday)

Monday's parting parallel parking shots

As seen yesterday (top pic) and today on St. Mark's Place...