Wednesday's parting shot

The late-afternoon light on First Street walking toward First Avenue...

Making headlines in ad shoots today

Photo by Derek Berg 

Shooting a spot today in Tompkins Square Park for Kiehl's... including a model with a prop newspaper titled The Pear Street Journal. (Wish we knew before that this wasn't a real journalistic enterprise. We pitched them several bylines, including "Why you should never out Avocado Eye Cream on toast.") 

P.S. 

You can read about the pear tree that was outside Kiehl's on 13th Street and Third Avenue right here.

Awakenings: A celebration of East Village community gardens this Saturday

On Earth Day this coming Saturday, Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens (LUNGS) is hosting its annual Spring Awakening to celebrate the neighborhood's community gardens.

Per the LUNGS website:

Spring Awakening kicks off with our parade led by Batalá, through the Streets beginning at 11 a.m. at El Sol Brillante, 522 E. 12th St. between Avenues A and B, walking east to Avenue C, south on Avenue C to Seventh Street, west on Seventh to Tompkins Square Park, meandering through the Park and ending at Avenue B and Ninth Street.

Some of the individual community gardens will be hosting events throughout the afternoon. Check this link for details.

Report: East Village gallery a no-show on opening night, leaving artists without their work

Photos yesterday by Steven 

Twenty-five artists set to participate in a group show this past Friday night arrived to find the East Village venue papered up and their art locked inside. 

The four-day event was to take place at the East Village Art Collection (EVAC) at 215 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. The artists reportedly have said they have yet to receive any notice from the gallery. Attendees who bought tickets for the event received notices and refunds from Eventbrite minutes before the start of the show, per comments on EVAC's Instagram account. 

Here's what some of the artists had to say to PIX 11, who first reported on the gallery ghosting:

"We came here with a purpose to get our work out there and to make something of ourselves, and they took advantage of that and they stole from us,” said Charlotte Art, a Flint, Michigan-based artist. "I had a lot riding on this. And I'm a mother of four. 'How dare you' is what I have to say." 

"We got a notification one minute before 7 p.m., and the event was at 7:30 last Friday," said Melissa Driscol, whose brother-in-law’s art was part of the exhibit. “Not an email, not a phone call, not a text, just to tell the artists, 'Hey, this event isn’t happening." 

"We've been calling and Instagramming and emailing and phone numbers have been disconnected," said Christine Ditolvo, whose friend from Vermont had art in the exhibit. "It's really sketchy."

The EVAC Instagram account described the event like this: 

The Immersive Art Experience is a 360º, digital, physical, and musical art exhibition in NYC with East Village Party Vibes. 

THE EVAC invites you to step foot into the expansive universe of art to be surrounded by paintings, canvases, holograms, photography, fractals, and sculptures. 

Live Music and drinks for this special night. 

You as the guest will be able to connect and experience art on a different level like never before. The East Village Art Collection is unlike any gallery in the world. We focus on quality and unique art experiences. We are the opposite of boring. Art is everywhere! 

VIP doors open at 7:30 PM VIP entitles you to a private viewing prior to doors opening to the general admission. Upon your entry, you will be greeted with a cocktail of your choice, where you will be able to interact with the artists in a more intimate setting. You will also have access to the downstairs VIP lounge area with a couch. 

After the weekend, a sign arrived on the EVAC's front door noting, "Due to an unforeseen medical emergency, the gallery is closed at this time."

The small print reads, "all artwork will be returned as soon as possible."

In an EVAC Instagram comment, one of the artists, who traveled here from Florida, said the other artists were also from all around the country — as well as one from South Africa. 

Per the artist in the comment: 

So now they have our art. Paintings and photographs ranging from $5,000-$10,000 each in value. The gallery's phone goes to a voice mail, and their personal cells have been disconnected. No one knows why. Did they go out of business? Did they have an emergency? Or are they just scum bags? All I know is there were lots of broken hearts and dreams last night mixed with embarrassment. We all had invited peers, friends, and art collectors to this event to see a mess of us just standing on the sidewalks, looking at each in disbelief.

The EVAC website features a ticker with daily cryptocurrency prices by market cap. It states that it is "dedicated to providing a quality gallery space for artists of all mediums while merging physical art with the rapidly growing digital world."

The venue debuted in April 2021 under the guidance of Steve Hirsch, whose LinkedIn profile described him as EVAC's director of operations, having a 25-plus-year career in apparel design and merchandising and being "an industry innovator."

East Village artist and entrepreneur P.J. O'Rourke, with the help of Hirsch, had established his FlyeLyfe brand at this space. However, as we reported, O'Rourke found himself locked out of the space after one day in business, with the venue pivoting to the EVAC.

O'Rourke told EVG contributor Stacie Joy: "I went back to get my stuff ... Not only had they locked me out, but my belongings were also inside, and my partner told me it was his. They papered up the entire store, and a couple of weeks later, they are trying a fly-by-the-seat art gallery while leaving my livelihood at stake."

Hirsch would not comment on this sequence of events, stating at the time, "Mr. O'Rourke's statements are not facts." 

As for the canceled show this past weekend, the artists told PIX 11 that "they are now out thousands of dollars for their artwork and travel expenses, as well as a $500 submission fee."

"We just want the art back," Driscol told the station.

Aura Bar & Kitchen is back on 1st Avenue

Aura Bar & Kitchen returns to service today at 111 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

The restaurant, with various small plates and pasta dishes, debuted here in late December... before taking a break last month while awaiting a liquor license.

As previously noted, ownership here was behind Cafe Mocha, which was wiped out by a three-alarm fire in February 2020 at 48 E. Seventh St./116 Second Ave. Any hopes for a reopening were dashed when another fire destroyed the corner building in December 2020. 

Cafe Mocha first opened in the East Village in 2008.

Aura's hours are listed as 4 p.m.-midnight on Tuesday-Wednesday; until 1 a.m. Thursday; and 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The Aura website is at this link.

Tuesday's parting shot

As seen on Seventh Street today via Derek Berg...

Meanwhile in Syracuse...

Our post earlier today about the "Stomp" signage at the Orpheum Theatre on Second Avenue prompted EVG reader roflo to share this photo... from Syracuse, where "Stomp" just played there at the Landmark... and the show continues on tour. (Hello Lynchburg, Va. tonight!)

A new home on an avenue for East Village gallery-bookstore Ed. Varie

Ed. Varie (short for Edition Varie), a creative space that has hosted exhibits, book openings and other special events for the past nearly 15 years, is moving into a new home at 95 Avenue B.

The larger space is right around the corner from their previous home at 184 E. Seventh St. (Artist-curator Karen Schaupeter launched Ed. Varie in 2009.)

Per a recent Instagram post...

Our new home will allow us to revive and regenerate past programs that had been squeezed into such small spaces, they began bordering on non-existence.

Our new home will allow us to embrace and embark on all of the projects we put on the illusive back burner for the past 7 years.

Our new home will allow us to conjure and collaborate with our broad and growing community of artists, aligning with our mission to nurture the exploration of new concepts in artistic practice.

Ed. Varie will debut No. 95 on Thursday (4/20) with the ninth annual Pot Shop and Potluck from 6-9 p.m. here between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. 

And coming to Ed. Varie on weekends in May...

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The "Stomp" sign's 29-year run continues on 2nd Avenue

Photos by Steven 

Workers yesterday were fixing the wiring on the Orpheum Theatre's marquee... which required the removal of the (iconic? maybe?) "Stomp" signage.

We thought they might be tossing the panels... as the energetic percussion-based show closed here on Jan. 8 after a 29-year run... (we've seen other discarded "Stomp" goods around here on Second Avenue between St. Mark's Place and Seventh Street)...

At the end of the day, the workers returned the "Stomp" sign, albeit backward...

... and a little later...

As previously reported, a burlesque version of "Star Wars" is next for the Orpheum Theatre. Starting on May 10, "The Empire Strips Back" begins a limited run at the venue.

In the 1980s, the Orpheum was well-known for Off-Broadway productions such as "Little Shop of Horrors" in 1982, Sandra Bernhard's "Without You I'm Nothing" in 1988, Eric Bogosian's "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll" in 1990, John Leguizamo's "Mambo Mouth" in 1991, and David Mamet's "Oleanna" in 1992.

Openings: Honey Crepes on 13th Street

Honey Crepes debuted last month at 400 E. 13th St., just east of First Avenue. 

The woman-owned (Olga!) business offers a variety of crepes (including vegan and gluten-free options) as well as other breakfast items (omelets, bagels) and coffee/espresso drinks. 

Hours: 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (closed on Wednesdays). 

You can check out the shop's Instagram account here. 

Image via @honey.crepes

Monday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Coming soon: jackets of the East Village... as seen on Third Street near Avenue C...

A look at Poetica Coffee, opening soon on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Poetica Coffee is set to officially open next Monday, April 24, on the SW corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place (don't be surprised if the doors open a few days earlier for a sneak preview).

Owner Parviz Mukhamadkulov and his two-and-a-half-year-old son Noor invited me inside to look at the latest location for the Brooklyn-based coffee shop... 

Parviz was quick to credit Kegeyan Interior Designs for the look and feel...

There's a free lending library with books to browse and read. You can also drop a book off or take a book home with you...

All the artwork and books were picked up at thrifts except for this mosaic that Parviz brought back from a trip to his native Uzbekistan ...

The storefront was the longtime home of Gem Spa, the iconic newsstand-candy shop that closed in May 2020. Despite her best efforts, Parul Patel, who had been running the store that her father Ray has owned since 1986, could not withstand the mounting financial challenges coupled with the pandemic.

As previously reported, Parviz said he was unaware of the previous tenant (there wasn't any mention of the last tenant in the marketing materials) when he signed the lease. Since then, he has studied up on Gem Spa and seemed to be in awe of its long history.

Parviz said he's contacted Parul several times and will try again when they open. His offer to sell Gem Spa merchandise for the family remains open. And he's currently working on selling a Gem Spa-inspired egg cream, which he admitted is a challenge to perfect. He said that he wanted to honor the location's legacy.

Poetica currently has a few photos of Gem Spa on display...

Poetica Coffee will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. to start. The café will serve housemade pastries, including croissants and several varieties of baked pierogies, which are more prevalent in central Asia than boiled or fried dumplings. 

Follow Poetica Coffee on Instagram for updates. 

Collapsed portion of sidewalk whole again on 7th Street

After nearly two months, Con Ed workers finally repaired a collapsed portion of the sidewalk outside 84 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The work took two days and forced the closure of the businesses here — Studio Duarte, a jewelry brand, and AuH20 Thriftique, a vintage shop — on the summery spring days of last Wednesday and Thursday. (Photo below by Steven)... 

Despite a hole in the sidewalk and numerous Con Ed barricades, the folks at AuH20 Thriftique made the best of it these past two months with their business hours and strategically placed rack of clothes... (abandoned couch not part of set up)...

Fingers crossed there isn't another setback to return the block to the ConEd/DEP Hell Summer of 2021.

On the CB3-SLA docket: A Pig & Butter sibling on Avenue B

Just a handful of applicants will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this evening. (See below for info on watching online.)

New Liquor License Applications 

• Pig & Butter Ave B (The SohoPig Collective LLC), 42 Ave B (op)

Pig & Butter, which serves breakfast-inspired dishes all day long from 134 Ludlow St., has plans for a sibling at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.

Chef-owner Sherry Grimes, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, will be serving comfort food and cocktails from the small space with six tables and a bar with nine seats.

The proposed hours: Wednesday (2-10 p.m.), Thursday (2-11 p.m.), Friday (2 p.m.-1.am.), Saturday (10 a.m.-2 a.m.), and Sunday (10 a.m.-10 p.m.) You can find the application here.

Looker, which served vegan bar food and cocktails, closed here early last year after nine months in business.

The Pig & Butter outpost would break up five consecutive storefronts that are for lease...

• Cantina Cubana Latin Food (Cantina Cubana LLC), 210 E 2nd St (aka 17 Ave B) (op)

As previously reported, Ricardo Arias and Patricia Valencia, the husband-and-wife owners of the now-closed Café Cortadito on Third Street near Avenue B, plan to open a similar concept here in the former home of the Cornerstone Cafe.

While there won't be a bar on the premises for patrons, Arias and Valencia are applying for a liquor license for their mojitos and other drink specials.

You can read the application here.

• Shiso (Shiso LLC), 214 E 9th St (op)

The owners of Moko on Second Avenue are behind Shiso, a high-end concept featuring a tasting menu of French and Japanese cuisine.

According to the questionnaire on file at the CB3 website, they plan on a daily service from 5-10 p.m. The space on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue was previously the Dumpling Lab, which closed last fall after receiving a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

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Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link at this link. 

Signage alert: Deli Convenience on 1st Avenue; Partea on 14th Street

Pinch shares these new signage photos for two coming-soon retail establishments... for starters, the generic yet descriptive-sounding Deli Convenience is opening on the west side of First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street. 

Given the lack of marijuana leaves or weed puns on the sign, it looks like it will be a market-type shop instead of a smoke shop.

Tony's Famous Pizza closed here (No. 231) at the start of the year after 18 months in business. Tony's took over the storefront from Vinny Vincenz, which quietly closed in April 2021 after 18 years of service.

And at 220 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue ... the Partea signage is up...

As previously noted, this will be the second location for Partea, which started in Flushing. The concept: "Street eats, bubble tea and games in an energetic restaurant inspired by Taiwanese night markets."

As such, the sign highlights claw machines, bubble tea and fried chicken.

The renovated storefront here previously housed Kent's Dumpling House, which went dark last summer.  

Sunday's parting teddy bear shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

As seen today on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... 

#HumiliatingTeddyBears

April 16

A reader-submitted photo today on Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue... seems a little early to be tossing a space-saving Christmas tree (unless you need the space for Halloween decorations)...

A Sunday drive on 7th Street

Late this morning, this minivan was pulling over by St. Stanislaus on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue... when the front right tire went over the manhole cover ... which apparently was not secure, and it flipped up, trapping the tire inside... (thanks to Drew for the pics!)

No word on how long it took to free the van.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (and enjoying the summery spring outside 3rd & B'zaar by Stacie Joy)... 

• Renovations will close the Tompkins Square Library branch for 3 months (Wednesday) 

• What you need to know about the 17th edition of the Dance Parade, happening on May 20 (Tuesday) 

• Hemingway, the sleepy window kitty of 3rd Street, has been priced out of the East Village (Monday)

• RIP Vivian Trimble of Luscious Jackson (Friday) 

• Mighty Quinn's has closed its East Village outpost (Monday) 

• The historic 64 E. 7th St. is for sale (Tuesday) 

• Basics Plus said to be closing on 3rd Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Spicy Moon preps new Bowery space with some hot pink (Monday) 

• The Village Works Yard Sale continues on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• Love for Theatre 80 as auction looms next month (Thursday) ... City issues curbside dining structure removal to Theatre 80 2 days after its owners were forced from the property (Monday) 

• Radio daze: This 1941 Zenith — featuring microstatic FM reception — needs a home (Friday) 

• Cafe Mogador turns 40 (Saturday) 

• A "rat czar" for NYC; the East Village still in the rat pack (Thursday) 

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

 

• Black and white film classics at Village East by Angelika (Sunday)

• 2023 wisteria watch (Saturday) 

• A new pizzeria coming to the former Solo Pizza space on Avenue B (Thursday) 

• FULL storefront reveal of the future Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen on 14th and A (Friday)

• Hospitality vet Curt Huegel appears to be taking the former Dallas BBQ space on 2nd Avenue (Tuesday) 

• Dim Sum Go Go signage arrives on 1st Avenue (Friday) 

 ... and on Thursday, @dirtcobain and @outersource returned to freshen up their 5-year-old mural on 69 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue ...

... and added this ...

Thanks Lola Sáenz for the tip! 

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Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

EVG Etc.: More concerns at the Jacob Riis Houses; tributes for East Village Eye founder Leonard Abrams

Recent headlines in other media outlets include (with a spring in Tompkins photo by Stacie Joy)...

• Jacob Riis Houses residents concerned about soil contamination after arsenic scare (PIX 11) 

• Bob Perl, president of East Village-based Tower Brokerage, started the Ukrainian Habitat Fund to help war refugees find apartments in NYC at reduced rents (NPR)

• Remembering Leonard Abrams, founder of the East Village Eye (The New York Times... THE CITY ... previously on EVG) 

• Marking the one-year anniversary of the Sunset Park subway shooting (NY1) ... suspect Frank James was later arrested on First Avenue) 

• Superbueno, a new Mexican-American bar from Ignacio Jimenez and Greg Boehm, opens on Friday in the former Boilermaker space on First Avenue and First Street (The New York Times) 

• Brooklyn's Thief Bar opening an outpost on Ludlow Street this Thursday (Thrillist) 

• A series of documentaries that involve their subjects in the filmmaking process (Anthology Film Archives) 

• Take a virtual tour of the Fillmore East on Second Avenue circa 1970 (Far Out Magazine) 

• The bands of Dimes Square (Nylon) 

• The return of the "Miss Subways" contest (6sqft) 

• People are apparently hating food influencers more these days (NY Post)