Check out the black-and-white film classics at Village East by Angelika

Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue at 12th Street is introducing a new monthly film series — "Classics in Black & White." 

The series, happening on the third Monday of the month, starts tomorrow (Monday!) with "The Maltese Falcon" screening at 4 and 7 p.m. 

Upcoming films include "Sunset Boulevard" (May 15), "The Philadelphia Story (June 21) and "Double Indemnity" (July 17). You can find ticket info here.

Sunday's opening shot

A quiet Sunday morning (so far)... a view from Avenue A and Third Street.

Saturday's parting shot

Might be time to revive the Vans of the East Village series... as seen on Avenue B near 12th Street today...(thanks to Sonya for the shot!)

Cafe Mogador turns 40

Today, Rivka Orlin and her family celebrated 40 years of serving Moroccan-inspired cuisine at Cafe Mogador, 101 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue...

 

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2023 wisteria watch

The 2023 wisteria watch is on here outside 35 Stuyvesant St. at 10th Street... several readers have been sharing photos of the purple paradise of flowering beauty® ...

There were concerns going back to last spring, when the vines never came to a full bloom ... by the end of May, however, it was looking pretty lush. Then there was a major pruning session in October. 

A reader shared this thought on the jigsaw-puzzle-inspiring wisteria: "I know there were fears the plant wasn’t doing well but it has survived the winter and hopefully will soon thrive!"

Here are two more reader photos...

Saturday's opening shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Flashback to yesterday morning in Tompkins Square Park, where a Parks employee created a photogenic dust bowl ...

RIP Vivian Trimble

 

Using this Friday-at-5-video post to remember Vivian Trimble, a keyboardist and vocalist from Luscious Jackson. She died on April 4 of cancer treatment complications. She was 59. 

The video for "Citysong" is from the band's debut release from 1994. 

In recent years Trimble lived in New Hampshire with her husband and two sons. However, she was active in this community during her time in NYC, which Performance Space New York on First Avenue and Ninth Street acknowledged in a tribute on Instagram.... 

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When the city gives you a sidewalk bridge...

There's a sidewalk bridge and scaffolding outside 545 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B these days... so the owners of the retail tenant here, East Village Vintage Collective, decided to host a sidewalk pop-up tomorrow (Saturday!) featuring a handful of local vintage entrepreneurs. 

The sidewalk (and indoor) thrifting will occur from noon to 6 p.m.

Radio daze: This 1941 Zenith — featuring microstatic FM reception — needs a home

Photos by Stacie Joy

A building super rescued this Zenith Radio Corp. 1941 Model 10-H-573 from a basement on Avenue C.

It still works, and receives broadcast AM, "microstatic FM reception," and two shortwave bands all in an attractive spinet cabinet. But there's a but: it "smokes when you turn it on." (Who doesn't tbh?)

Take a look at this beauty ... and imagine cranking up the Glenn Miller... 

It's currently sitting in a bar on Avenue C while looking for a new home... drop us a line if you have a (serious) interest... 

P.S. 

Found this...

 

FULL storefront reveal of the future Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen on 14th and A

On Wednesday, workers removed the plywood from the renovated storefront at 442 E. 14th St., just west of Avenue A. (This photo by Edmund John Dunn; thanks to Pinch for taking a photo as well!)

As we noted in August 2022, this space is the future home of a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.

No word on an opening date.

This makes the second EV Popeyes: an outpost opened in October 2020 at 39 First Ave. between Second Street and Third Street.

The new Popeyes combined two storefronts — the Lower East Side Coffee Shop, which closed here after 13 years in February 2021 ... and New Herbal World, which offered a variety of herbs, teas and tonics, and acupuncture, moved to Lafayette Street in September 2019. 

Dim Sum Go Go signage arrives on 1st Avenue

Signage arrived yesterday for the Michelin- and Zagat-rated Dim Sum Go Go at 221 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street. (Thanks to Pinch for the photo!)

As we reported back in July 2021, this will be their second NYC location outside the flagship space at 5 E. Broadway in Chinatown. We reached out about details on an opening date. (Update: In a message, Dim Sum said they hope within the next few months.)

Thursday's parting shot

Early evening views of Tompkins Square Park (from Avenue B near 10th Street)...

Spring fever

The cherry blossoms are blooming on Third Avenue at Ninth Street on this lovely summer spring day...

A 'rat czar' for NYC; the East Village still in the rat pack

Our new Rat Czar Kathleen Corradi has so many strengths, but most importantly: she HATES rats.

Learn more about her and the Harlem Rat Mitigation Zone: https://t.co/Ufi410U5yF https://t.co/YgE4SLdGww pic.twitter.com/KTk9A2l5jm

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) April 12, 2023

The city announced yesterday that it has hired NYC's first-ever "Rat Czar." 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams ... appointed Kathleen Corradi as the city's first-ever citywide director of rodent mitigation, also known as the 'rat czar.' In this newly created role, Corradi will coordinate across city government agencies, community organizations, and the private sector to reduce the rat population in New York City — building a cleaner, more welcoming city and tackling a major quality-of-life and health issue. 

Corradi has experience in the field, previously working at the city education department, where she managed rat mitigation at public schools. According to Gothamist and other published reports, Corradi reports to Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack and will be paid an annual salary of $155,000. 

This news comes after last week's reports in which NYC named eight rat-prone neighborhoods as Mayor Adams seeks to control the rodent population. The East Village and Lower East Side were named one of the "rat mitigation zones" with "high levels of rat activity."

Per reports: 

"These neighborhoods were selected by the city based on a set of criteria that included the number of rat-related cleanup orders issued by NYC within the last year, rat-baiting visits by the city’s Health Department, rat-related 311 complaints, and NYC Parks-owned properties that have been considered susceptible to rat infestations." 

Of course, the East Village and Lower East Side were part of the city's $32-million rat cleanup efforts that then-Mayor de Blasio embarked on in the summer of 2017. Obviously, those efforts went well!

Love for Theatre 80 as auction looms next month

Top photo by Stacie Joy 

Several people have left messages of support for Genie and Lorcan Otway in the days after the owners of Theatre 80 were ordered off the property last week at 78-80 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

One message reads, "We love you & need you back," signed by "the NYC artists and activist community." Another note says, "wishing you the best possible outcome."

As previously reported, the Otways have been battling in recent years to save the space, which houses Theatre 80, a 199-seat theater, the William Barnacle Tavern and the Museum of the American Gangster. (Lorcan had lived here since age 9 when his father bought the buildings to create an Off-Broadway theater in 1964.)

The two-building property is set to be sold off to satisfy a $12 million loan that is in default via Maverick Real Estate Partners. (Our previous posts here and here have more background.)

And the virtual bankruptcy auction has been set for May 9. Bidders for the property, which includes several residences on the upper floors, must register by May 8 and supply a cashier's check for $950,000 payable to a Chapter 7 trustee.  (The auction signs arrived yesterday.)

Meanwhile, the Otways have a short window left to raise the rest of the money owed (roughly $6 million) ... and hope for an angel investor with deep pockets. (Lorcan has also said the IRS was being surprisingly helpful.)

New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs has supported the theater's survival efforts. The office expedited granting a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status to Historic 80 Saint Marks Inc., which opens the venue up to various grants.

Meanwhile, more than 7,000 people have signed a petition to save the space. Organizers have also asked supporters to contact Gov. Hochul to intervene.

Updated: There is a GoFundMe here.

Flag days: Ray's Candy Store repping the East Village with egg creams at Rockefeller Center

The egg cream from Ray's Candy Store on Avenue A is part of the 2023 edition of The Flag Project at Rockefeller Center ... celebrating iconic NYC food (and drinks!). 

The flags will be on view from April 3-12 (missed that) and April 17-30. You can read more about the flag project here. 

The flag features art created by Peach Tao — in conjunction with the East Village-based Lisa Project — in honor of Ray's 90th birthday. The mural was on the wall outside 50 Avenue A earlier this year...

Images via @rayscandystore

A new pizzeria coming to the former Solo Pizza space on Avenue B

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Gut renovations are underway inside the former Solo Pizza space on Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street. 

A group of partners originally from Northern Italy are behind the new establishment, Lollo Italian Restaurant. (Lollo is short for Lorenzo, the chef and one of the partners.) 

They are several months out from the opening. 

Solo closed last September for undisclosed reasons after 15 years in business.

Wednesday's parting shot (and sneak preview)

As seen on a LinkNYC kiosk on First Avenue... an ad for "Personality Crisis: One Night Only," the new documentary about New York Dolls founder David Johansen... co-directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi. 

It premieres Friday on Showtime.

 

April 12

The aftermath of today's spring cleaning took place on Avenue B near 10th Street. (Thanks to the reader for the photo!)

Basics Plus said to be closing on 3rd Avenue

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

According to store employees, Basics Plus will close at 91 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street at the end of the month. 

There are currently posted signs advertising "30% off entire store."

This isn't the first time that the EV location of the chainlet of houseware and hardware stores announced a closure. BP was set to shut down in March 2019 but instead downsized its space, giving up the corner storefront (now occupied by Cure Thrift Shop).

The Basics Plus outpost closed on University Plus in 2019 ... though several other NYC locations remain in business.

Basics Plus opened here in August 2014 ... taking over for old fave Surprise! Surprise!, which shuttered after 25 years in business in April 2014.