Monday, November 28, 2022
Monday's parting shot
Today in tight, dangerous turns
Generation next: Baker Falls will bring together a cafe, bar and the Knitting Factory at the former Pyramid Club on Avenue A
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Baker Falls is an ambitious new project that combines an all-day cafe, bar and live music via the Knitting Factory brand at the former Pyramid Club at 101 Avenue A.
East Village resident Nick Bodor, who has owned and operated several local businesses in the past 25-plus years, is behind this new concept that's expected to open in the first quarter of 2023. (He received approval from CB3 for a new liquor license in December 2021.)
"We plan to operate a café, with coffee service during the day, happy hour, live performances, DJs — all with a rock-n-roll feel," he said during an interview with EVG contributor Stacie Joy last week.
Bodor previously sought to revive and combine several of his former concepts, including the music venue, bar and cafe Cake Shop (2005-2016 on Ludlow Street) and alt-coffee (1995-2007 on Avenue A). However, CB3 did not approve this for the former Meatball Shop space on Stanton Street in the spring of 2021.
"Once I saw Pyramid Club was closing, I thought it would be great to just buy that. I sent around a letter looking for investors to my circle of friends and contacts," said Bodor, who's an owner of the Library on Avenue A. "Historically, my projects have been underfunded, and if I'm ready to do another project I wanted a cushion, a certain amount of money. So friends were willing to invest, and then Knitting Factory CEO Morgan Margolis reached out and said he was interested."
The Pyramid closed this past October after 40-plus years in business between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. The club ushered in an era of socially-conscious drag performances featuring Lady Bunny, Lypsinka and RuPaul, among many other trailblazers. As a music venue, the Pyramid hosted Nirvana's first NYC show in 1989.
Bodor outlined his plans for the two-level space in a building that dates to the 1870s and falls within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District... and provided Stacie with a tour of the former Pyramid before the renovations commenced.
"Upstairs, we aren't planning on making too many changes. The bar stays where it is," he said. "We want people who have been to the space in the last 40 years to recognize it. You will see the old 1987 Knitting Factory logo up in the back. Initial programming will be suggested by Knitting Factory Presents, but we also plan to have strong LGBTQ programming and emerging comics and hope to inspire young bands."
One change coming on this main level: "We are going to install a lot of soundproofing," Bodor said. "A big part of our budget will be for soundproofing."
Bodor is also planning on some all-ages Sunday matinees. And while there won't be an '80s Dance Party, a staple of the former Pyramid, he may host a Goth Night.
And on the lower level?
"Downstairs has a 68-seat capacity, and it's what I call a 'fever-dream' or manor house in terms of décor. Decrepit-looking wallpaper, vintage lamps and amps," he said. "We plan to have tables and chairs and great curated playlists."
Baker Falls will have an electric kitchen for food service and a non-alcoholic drinks program.
The business will also be a family affair. Bodor's 19-year-old son Angus will have a hand in the day-to-day activities here.
For the Knitting Factory's Margolis, the collaboration at Baker Falls is a homecoming of sorts. The first Knitting Factory opened in 1987 on Houston Street near Mulberry. In August, the Knitting Factory's only NYC outpost closed after 13 years of hosting live music and comedy on Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn.
"It felt like the right time to be back in Manhattan, and this location is and has always been a hotbed for artists, musicians, locals, students and community with a melting pot of so many different cultures," said Margolis, who was born and raised around the corner on Sixth Street, in an email to EVG.
"Plus, I saw some of the coolest shows at Pyramid decades ago, and I grew up in that area — a lot of memories of running the streets free as a kid. Way before cell phones and the internet. Way before it was 'cool,'" he said. "When I think about the roots of the Knitting Factory in New York, I think 'grit' and back to basics. So here we are."
For Bodor, he's excited about creating a new era with Baker Falls.
"We want to honor the history of the Pyramid Club but in a new way," he said. "This isn't just a club — it’s a communal gathering space. Food service, coffee, drinks — a community hub where you can meet and work. We want it to be multi-generational."
Previously on EV Grieve:
Why the area behind the fieldhouse in Tompkins Square Park has been locked
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
As previously reported, the area of Tompkins Square Park behind the fieldhouse/office has been locked to the public since Nov. 8. Since then, park-goers have not had access to the space that includes the Slocum Memorial Fountain as well as picnic tables, sprinklers (during the summer) and other less-traveled spaces.
There isn't any signage to explain why this part of Tompkins is no longer accessible to the public.
This past week, Parks employees told EVG contributor Stacie Joy that there is a broken pipe in the basement of the fieldhouse, which required them to shut down this part of the Park. The restrooms are currently closed back here.
The employees provided Stacie with access to the currently locked space...
Parks officials hope to have the pipe and building repaired and then will reopen the area. No set date, just "hopefully soon."
The Parks employees also said that people have been cutting through the netting and getting over the fence to access this space, which has interrupted/delayed the repair time.
The Parks Department is expected to rebuild the fieldhouse. According to the Parks Department website, the city has been awarded the contract to a contractor ... and is awaiting registration via the Comptroller's Office.
Once construction starts, work is expected to take 12-18 months, per the Parks Department.
About the ongoing removal of the former Kindred curbside dining structure
Top photo by Jefferson Siegel/2nd photo by Steven
This past Wednesday, workers continued removing the curbside dining structure from outside the former Kindred space on Sixth Street at First Avenue.
Workers took down one section starting in early November...and several weeks passed before the demolition resumed.
As previously noted, the Department of Transportation placed a termination notice here on Oct. 15... giving 24 hours' notice that the city would remove the structure, which never happened.
This is how the outdoors looked yesterday ...
We asked Kindred partner Moshe Schulman about what is happening here.
"The city did flag us and wanted to take down all of [the curbside dining], but we were in process of securing a new tenant, so I worked with DOT to hold off on taking anything down until we had a clearer idea of what the plan was," Schulman said via email. "The new tenant only wanted one patio so we took down the second portion and left one up for them to handle."
He was unaware that the (unnamed) incoming tenant had most of the remaining structure discarded.
Schulman, who also operates Ruffian on Seventh Street, said that it was in great condition "but they must have a plan."
Kindred's outdoor structure was one of the better spaces around... and during the day, starting in September 2020, they rented tables to remote workers for $25 per person, which included coffee, WiFi and bathroom access.
"[We] spent a lot of time detailing it and building it to be a great space," he said of the efforts to offer a remote work option to residents as well as create a revenue source for Kindred during the pandemic.
Kindred closed on Aug. 14 after two-plus years in service.
Meanwhile, in an op-ed for Streetsblog last week, local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera called for a more creative and bold outdoor dining program, and for another Council hearing on the matter.
An excerpt:
In order to get our bearings in our post-pandemic "new normal," a thoughtful reset of this program is necessary, with the allocation of the appropriate resources to protect safety and enforce rules. The City Council should hold a fair hearing to give the public the opportunity to weigh in on the future of the program, in a way that maximizes its potential for businesses and protects the quality of life of residents.The makeshift dining enclosures we see that are worn down and immovable are not reflective of the path forward. The lack of enforcement of the temporary program has led to excessive garbage and pests, narrowed sidewalks, and noise late into the night. These impacts on neighborhoods are undeniable, and can be addressed with meaningful reforms, strict enforcement, and straightforward guidelines that support small businesses without disrupting our communities.
Streetsblog noted that a second public hearing likely isn't happening.
Sunday, November 27, 2022
[Updated] Employee from Ray's Pizza in critical condition after an early morning hit and run
A 53 y/o employee from Ray’s Pizza in the East Village is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle at the corner of Third and St Marks Place. His coworkers say he went outside after his shift and was hit. Police are now investigating this as a hit and run @PIX11News
— Kiran Dhillon (@KiranDhillonTV) November 27, 2022
Updated 11/29
The employee, Lucas Jimenez-Aburto, has died from his injuries sustained in the hit and run, amNY reported.
Cops say Jimenez-Aburto was crossing 3rd Avenue against the signal when he was struck by a motorist traveling northbound with a green light, but well above the speed limit. The driver fled the scene, and police have not positively identified the perpetrator or their vehicle.
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We don't know anything more than what was already been reported.
According to the Daily News:
A hit-and-run driver struck and critically injured a man leaving work in the East Village early Sunday. Police found the 53-year-old victim unconscious about 5:45 a.m. on St. Mark's Place near Third Ave. with head injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle, police said.
PIX 11 reported the man worked at Ray's Pizza & Bagel Cafe on the SE corner of the block. Police do not yet have a description of the vehicle involved, per ABC 7.
The entry onto St. Mark's Place has been compressed with the new building construction on the NE corner.
Week in Grieview
• Middle Collegiate Church seeks permission to demolish the remaining façade of its fire-damaged structure on 2nd Avenue (Tuesday)
• The last days of Raul’s Barber Shop (Saturday)
• 96 Tears debuts on Avenue A as a tribute to Howie Pyro (Monday)
• The 2022 Cookie Walk has been canceled (Monday)
• Check out the crime noir 'The Crusaders,' filmed in the East Village (Saturday)
• Distributing free turkeys to local residents ahead of Thanksgiving (Thursday)
• A quick visit to Butterdose, now open on 13th Street (Tuesday)
• Report: City's first NFT restaurant slated for the former Sunshine Cinema location on Houston (Monday)
• An Instagram account to follow (Wednesday)
• Some of the very best of Donald Sutherland at Metrograph (Wednesday)
• A Snack Stop for St. Mark's Place (Monday)
• Shake Shack signage appears outside new Lower East Side outpost (Tuesday)
• Where you'll be able to find the Goodies on the Bowery (Monday)
... and the solar-powered lights via the Parks Department that arrived early last month on Seventh Street and Avenue A were recently moved inside Tompkins Square Park to the chess tables (night chess?) ... and we finally saw them in use Friday evening ... (thanks Stacie Joy for the pic!)... the regulars here decamped to nearby benches...
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Saturday, November 26, 2022
Check out the crime noir 'The Crusaders,' filmed in the East Village
This is the first film for Maxx Starr, co-owner of Fun City Tattoo on St. Mark's Place, who wrote and directed the short whose locations include International Bar on First Avenue and Nublu Classic on Avenue C.
You'll recognize some familiar East Village faces as well, including lead Tessa Gourin and veteran character actor Peter Greene.
You can watch it here.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Noted
Photos by Stacie Joy
A comfy chair without "bugs or badness" up for grabs on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...
The last days of Raul’s Barber Shop
Photos by Stacie Joy
After 60-plus years on Avenue B, Raul's Barber Shop has closed its doors.
First, a quick bit of positive news: Raul's already secured a new location nearby and will be up and running very soon.
As for 11 Avenue B between Houston and Second Street ... Steve Croman took over as landlord in 2020, and that's all you need to know.
Raul Velez Sr. has been at the head of his eponymous barber shop for 61 years...he and his son Junior still run the business.
EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by for a last look at the space, which includes murals created by Antonio "Chico" Garcia...
We will have more about Raul's new outpost in the days ahead... when it's going as Jay Joe's Classic Cuts at 256 E. Third St. between Avenue B and Avenue C...
Friday, November 25, 2022
Oh yeah
A Thanksgiving palate cleanser with the Osees... from a recent six-song performance on Seattle's KEXP.
The Los Angeles-based band will be out at Brooklyn Made on Dec. 16-17.
Enjoy the Tree Ride!
Revisit our feature on them here.
EVG Etc.: NYCHA residents demand repair reforms; The Drunken Canal announces last issue
• NYCHA residents from the East Village and Lower East Side call on the mayor and NYCHA officials to improve its repair process and how it maintains the city's aging government housing (ABC 7 ... amNY)
• The state's cannabis regulatory board approved 36 of potentially 175 pot-selling licenses Monday — with at least 13 of them to be based in NYC (The City)
• To honor World AIDS Day, the Anthology Film Archives in Second Avenue and Second Street will present two programs as part of Day With(out) Art (Details here)
• NYC theater on a budget with some EV options (Gothamist)
• Danny Fields is giving Iggy Pop history lessons (Page Six)
• Actress Spencer Grammer recalls trying to break up a fight in August 2020 outside Black Ant on Second Avenue (People... previously on EVG)
• Recently opened Broome Street gallery champions women artists of color (Artsy)
• Anna Sorokin self-promotion tour continues from her East Village apartment (Variety)
• NYC's best wine bars are on the LES says this article (Condé Nast Traveler) ... The Times has its own list, with some EV picks, right here.
• LES history as seen through Seward Park (The Bowery Boys)
• Christo, Amelia and raptor season (Laura Goggin Photography)
... and the editors of The Drunken Canal, conceived in the East Village, announced its final issue...
THE FINAL ISSUE IS HERE, and its none other than Lucky Number 13. In a gesture to thank you for all the love, support, submissions, hate, kisses, hugs, free drinks, we are giving our farewell issue to YOU. Starting tomorrow @ NOON, you have 48 hours to send us whatever you want❤️ pic.twitter.com/cShQtvyiSu
— the drunken canal (@thedrunkencanal) November 21, 2022
Thursday, November 24, 2022
Thursday's parting shot
Distributing free turkeys to local residents ahead of Thanksgiving
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
On Tuesday, community members came together to distribute 120 turkeys to area residents who might need a little help this holiday season during these financially challenging times.
The giveaway occurred at the CLLCTV.NYC art space on Third Street just east of Avenue B. As in previous years, the sponsors included Joey Aponte and Dennis Aponte, owners of the Cabin NYC on Fourth Street, the NYPD Hispanic Society, Johnny Marines and local entrepreneur Freaky Frige.
It was a way for these residents to give back to their LES community...
EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by to take in some of the Thanksgiving cheer...
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Wednesday's parting shot
Some of the very best of Donald Sutherland at Metrograph
Per the Metrograph:
Sutherland brought a contemporary counterculture sensibility to two period war films of 1970— Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H and Brian G. Hutton’s Kelly’s Heroes — and he hasn’t been long out of work since, racking up a list of credits that’s rich with classic films and unforgettable performances.
Find more info on the retrospective here.
P.S.
Not included in this series... his fine supporting role as Professor Jennings in "Animal House" ...
An Instagram account to follow
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Middle Collegiate Church seeks permission to demolish the remaining façade of its fire-damaged structure on 2nd Avenue
This morning, reps for Middle Collegiate Church will appear before the Landmarks Preservation Commission to seek approval to demolish what's left of the fire-damaged façade at 122 Second Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. (Find meeting details here. There is a livestream via the LPC's YouTube channel.)
On Dec. 6, 2020, a six-alarm fire, which started in the residential building next door, destroyed the church that dates to the 1890s.
In a 46-page report (PDF here), presented jointly by several architectural and engineering firms, church leaders say they must remove what remains on the property that lies within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District. According to the report, the culmination of a review over 18 months, there is too much damage to the existing structure to integrate it into Middle Collegiate's new home, that it wouldn't withstand a full-scale rebuild on the property.
"This makes me feel heartbroken"
During a phone call last week with EVG, Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister at the Middle Collegiate Church, said they spent $4 million to reinforce, stabilize and weatherproof the façade in the months after the fire.
"The six-alarm fire was devastating, and the façade was badly damaged. But when something like that survives, you think, 'Well, OK — it's telling us that the structure is good and strong,'" Lewis said. "We love our church."
She said that despite these efforts, the façade has deteriorated over time. And then, their engineering report showed that it would be best to remove what was left before building a new church.
"It felt like something died," Lewis said of hearing this news. "The building burning felt like a death — a big death. This makes me feel heartbroken. It feels like a second loss. But if we let it go, we could get back on site, get back in the space and build something."
She now wants to focus on working with the Landmarks Preservation Commission to build something appropriate that honors their history and gives Middle Church a ministry for the 22nd Century in the East Village — and not in a new location in another neighborhood.
We've talked with several residents who expressed disappointment that the remains — with approval — would need to come down. Residents said that the bell tower was a sign of resilience for the neighborhood.
"We're disappointed too. And [the remaining façade] is a sign of resilience," she said. "It is a symbol that this fire couldn't conquer the building."
Disappointment aside, there is also opposition to the request for demolition.
The Village Preservation is urging the Landmarks Preservation Commission not to grant permission for demolition — at least for now.
According to Village Preservation:
We don’t believe there is sufficient documentation that alternatives to preserve the historic façade have been fully explored, nor that there is sufficient evidence at this time to justify the permanent and irreversible removal.We are calling for further examination and documentation before such a decision would be appropriate to render. We want to see the church rebuild and flourish at this location, and know that they have been through incredible hardship. But we also believe that this process must be extremely carefully considered, to ensure unchangeable decisions that could have been avoided are not made, and harmful precedents are not set for allowing demolition of historically significant structures without reasonable and achievable proof of the necessity of doing so.
In addition, Richard Moses, president of the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative, released this statement: "We're sympathetic to the very real challenges the congregation faces here. But this building has been a beacon for the neighborhood for over 100 years. It's one of the most important sites in the historic district. We just want to make sure that the Landmarks Commissioners have the best information and all the options spelled out before deciding on the building’s fate."
Lewis said that she understands the opposition. She has also seen a report from an engineer hired by the Landmarks Preservation Commission who paid two recent visits to the site. That report states that the structure is stable.
"We relive the fire daily and try to think about what to do with it. It's that kind of grief that just keeps coming in waves," Lewis said. "At some point, two years in, I want to be able to say to my community: We did the very best we could with this. This is not a willy-nilly, hurry-up decision. The engineer says we can't keep it, and we're heartbroken."
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You can read more about the Middle Church Rising campaign here.
Previously on EV Grieve:
A quick visit to Butterdose, now open on 13th Street
Photos by Stacie Joy
We've heard good things about Butterdose, a family-owned bakery-cafe that opened earlier this fall at 236 E. 13th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.
EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the space the other day... and checked out the variety of cream puffs, egg tarts and muffins... not to mention various coffee drinks and teas...
The shop is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can follow them on Instagram here.
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