Residents eager to track down the source of this 'loud mechanical sound' in the East Village

A longtime resident shares this... 

Early last week we noticed a loud mechanical sound coming somewhere from the rear of the strip of buildings on Avenue A between 10th and 11th, 10th Street between A and 1st and 11th Street between A and 1st. 

Unlike most commercial AC units that cycle on and off, this sound is incessant, and it sounds like a cross between an AC unit and a refrigerator. Occasionally there is a mechanical grinding noise as well. The noise doesn't stop, is loud, and is making it impossible for us to have our windows open and is making it difficult to sleep. 

Unfortunately, we do not have a solid idea where the noise is coming from so, we can’t contact the business or landlord responsible. If we knew where the noise was coming from, we have some ideas on how to address it.

If you are experiencing the same issue or know where the noise is coming from, please reach out to us at LongtimeLesRes@gmail.com. We can work together to hopefully get this resolved.

Lower East Side venue Rockwood Music Hall crowdfunding to stay alive

Rosewood Music Hall, 196 Allen St., between Houston and Stanton, is in danger of closing after 18 years of providing multiple stages for independent and emerging musicians. 

As Variety reported, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles launched a #PreserveRockwood benefit concert series that begins on Friday. 

The venue also announced a GoFundMe campaign yesterday to help stay in business. 

Per the appeal: 

Like many small, independent music venues across the country, Rockwood is struggling to stay open. Without the support of artists, the music community and fans of music, Rockwood is in danger of permanently closing, shutting off a vital place for independent and up-and-coming musicians to develop their artistry and give fans the opportunity to discover new music in a live setting. 

You can find the campaign here. Find details on the benefit shows at this link.

Saturday's opening shot

A reader report of a downed limb on 12th Street just east of Avenue A... and on a tree with a notice for a pesticide application in recent days...

Sweetness and 'Light'

East Village-based duo The Acute just released a new video (world premiere!) for their track "Light Change" from last year's EP, Alien Theatre. 

Read our Q&A with the band here.

Headline H/T

About 'Hey, Queer!,' the Dyke March after party at the Bowery Electric

"Hey, Queer!" takes place tomorrow (Saturday) at the Bowery Electric ... billed as "the only live RockNRoll NYC Dyke March Afterparty." 

A host of bands (including the Queers of Noise Supergroup doing your favorite covers) and DJs are on the bill. 

The event is from 7:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Find ticket info at this link. The Bowery Electric is at 327 Bowery between Second Street and Third Street. 

This year, the 31st-annual NYC Dyke March steps off from Bryant Park at 5 p.m. tomorrow. Details here.

The Zine Fair has been rescheduled to July 8

The third-annual Zine Fair, organized by Printed Matter/St. Mark's and 8-Ball Community, has a new date — Saturday, July 8. 

Given the chance of rain tomorrow (June 24), the Zine Fair is moving from St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue to Performance Space 122 at 150 First Ave. and Ninth Street. 

Per the organizers: 

While we are disappointed that the Fair won't take place at its home on St Mark's Place, we cannot imagine a better alternative than Performance Space, a fellow arts nonprofit in the heart of the East Village. We are so grateful for their support and generosity in hosting the EVZF this year.

Printed Matter and 8-Ball Community will provide more specifics about what to expect on July 8 in the days ahead.

At MoRUS, a new exhibit explores the network of community fridges in NYC

Photos by Stacie Joy 

"Fridge Street: Bridging Sites of Mutual Aid," a new exhibit at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS), explores the community fridges that emerged in New York City amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

Here's more about the work, curated by (from left) Yiya Wang, Xiran Luo and Xiaoya Yuan...

"Fridge Street" dives into the network of community fridges across New York City as they work toward food security, community building and sustainable practices. 

With primary and secondary data gathered from volunteering, field trips, questionnaires, interviews, and literature over the past six months, "Fridge Street" archives the network of community fridges across New York City. 

Through visual representations, individual narratives, and interactive displays, the exhibit showcases the resilience and resourcefulness of communities, providing visitors with an understanding of mutual aid within this grassroots movement. 

Ultimately, "Fridge Street" hopes to call attention to food insecurity as a systemic problem and inspire action that helps build more just and inclusive food systems.

 Here are a few photos from the opening last Saturday...

"Fridge Street" is open for viewing Friday-Sunday from 1-5 p.m. ... and here through July 30. Free admission.

MoRUS is at 155 Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

Coming to streets this summer: Dragon Fest, a Chinese food and culture festival

Several local businesses are participating in the first Dragon Fest, billed as NYC's largest Chinese food festival. 

Per organizers: "Its mission is to bring people and cultures together through food, music, and art. Dragon Fest provides a welcoming space for all to celebrate, share and connect."

The festival will take place on four dates this summer, starting tomorrow (Saturday) on Washington Square North between Fifth Avenue and University Place. Later in August, Dragon Fest will be on Broadway between 12th Street and 13th Street, and Fourth Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street.

Participating vendors include the MáLà Project, Nom Wah and Lady Wong.

Visit the Dragon Fest site for more details.

A Smoke House for Avenue A

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Updated: The shop opened on June 24

A weed-smoke shop called Smoke House is in the works for the smallish retail space on Avenue A between Third Street and Fourth Street... previously part of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater's East Village outpost, UCBeast.

The new shop is nestled between Two Boots and O'Flaherty's, the newish gallery-performance space. 

This arrival comes as New York State has ramped up cracking down on unlicensed cannabis shops in NYC.

More unlicensed cannabis shops busted in the East Village

Top photo by Derek Berg 

On the past two Wednesdays, a contingent of law enforcement officers has busted several unlicensed cannabis shops in the East Village. 

You may have noticed the "Illegal Cannabis Seized" posters affixed to the storefronts...

Last week's visits included a shop on Second Avenue near Fourth Street (photos by Stacie Joy) ... and First Avenue near Ninth Street. These businesses remain closed, though others that were fined in the past have reopened.

Yesterday's action targeted the dispensary on the SE corner of First Avenue and 11th Street (photos below by William Klayer) ...

More crackdown tactics are on the way. 

As Gothamist reported on June 13: "More than half of the City Council's members are sponsoring a bill that will lead to serious penalties for people who knowingly lease space to unlicensed sellers of marijuana, tobacco and other controlled substances." 

And fines for selling marijuana without a license could eventually hike up to $20,000 daily. 

From a June 8 press release from NY State:

"New York is proud to have undertaken the most equitable legal cannabis roll-out in the nation and the State will not stand idle as unlicensed operators break the law and sell untested products to underage New Yorkers," Gov. Hochul said. "These enforcement actions are critical steps to protect and help those individuals who were promised a shot to start a legal business and be successful. Additionally, these unlicensed operators undermine the State's efforts to generate substantial funds for a social equity fund that will go into the communities that have been hardest hit by over-prosecution of the cannabis laws in the past." 

This afternoon, Gov. Hochul announced that inspectors from the Cannabis Management and Department of Taxation and Finance issued violations to 21 stores in Manhattan and seized nearly $11 million worth of "illicit products" this month.

Hochul said that "some of the unregulated product was found to be marketed to kids and contain toxic chemicals, E. coli, and other contaminants," the Post reported. 

"I want to be aggressive; I want to get this done," she said. "I want to send a message loud and clear across this state that if you're operating illegally, you will be caught, and you will be stopped. We're going to work together and enforce the law quickly and aggressively and shut these bad actors down."

Previously on EV Grieve:

City's fight against unlicensed cannabis shops now targets landlords; 4 East Village shops busted

The arrival of the smart composting bins in the East Village

Photos: Salim, Stacie Joy and Garth Johnston 

Over the past week, the Sanitation Department has been placing the orange, solar-powered compost drop-off bins (aka Smart Bins) on sidewalks around the East Village and Lower East Side. 

This is part of the city's ongoing effort to expand organic waste collection. Residents can access the curbside bins 24/7 through one of two smartphone apps. (The apps include a map with all the bin locations.) 

So why the hassle of a QR code? Curbed explains: 

This extra step is an effort to prevent contamination — or when non-compostable materials wind up with organics in the containers. (The issue of mixed materials became such a problem for the street recycling program that DSNY removed many of those bins entirely.) When it comes to the Smart Bin, the agency believes that the app offers just the right amount of friction. 

"We want the bins to be simple enough so that people passing it on the street look at it and immediately know what it is," says sanitation commissioner Jessica Tisch. The city also, crucially, wants this piece of its composting program to succeed, and that means keeping busted umbrellas and the errant tall boy out of the bins. 

The bins are meant to complement the existing drop-off composting sites, such as at the Tompkins Square Park Greenmarket, the Down to Earth Garden on 12th Street, and La Plaza Cultural on Avenue C and Ninth Street. (There's a citywide map here.) 

Smart Bins have been spotted on Avenue B at 12th Street, First Avenue at Fourth Street, and Second Street at Second Avenue. (There are more! But you get the idea.)

The bins will likely look familiar — they are made by the same company that designed those Big Belly Solar trash cans. 

The Smart Bins first debuted in 2021 in Lower Manhattan and Astoria. This City Limits piece has more background.

Composting will reportedly be mandatory by October 2024, thanks to the recent passage of the Zero Waste Act. 

Thank you to everyone who sent in photos of the bins!

About The Pastry Box, now open on 12th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The Pastry Box had its soft opening on Monday at 515 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

Brooklyn native Tiara Bennett is the chef-owner...

"I spent my entire life in the kitchen in some way or another," she told us. "My love of combining food with art, adventure, culture, love, and family was why I decided to attend the International Culinary Center [formerly known as the French Culinary Institute]."

After graduation, she worked in several kitchens (Tao Group, Union Square Hospitality, and Cafe Boulud and Restaurant Daniel with the Dinex Group).

However, her affinity for "classic pastry" won out.

"I then decided to combine the complex flavor profiles I learned with my love for the basics, and The Pastry Box was formed." 

And on June 19, 2020, with her best friend in tow, Bennett started selling baked goods outside her Brooklyn apartment.

Bennett realized her dream of running her own brick-and-mortar shop earlier this year when she signed the lease for this space...

The shop offers a variety of muffins, cookies, tarts, scones, cupcakes, housemade jams and nut butter, granola, doughnuts ... and will eventually add bread into the rotation. They also serve Oval Coffee.

"The mission with The Pastry Box is to offer high-quality pastry and dessert products without the need to go to a fine dining restaurant," Bennett said. "Our motto is 'classic favorites, premium flavors.' We want to start programs educating the youth in our community on proper kitchen etiquette and simple baking techniques."

The Pastry Box hours: 

Thursday-Saturday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Monday: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday

You can follow the bakery on Instagram. The Pastry Box website is coming soon here.

Salter House bringing the sustainable housewares and clothing to 2nd Street

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Salter House, a shop offering sustainable housewares and clothing, is opening an outpost at 34 E. Second St. just west of Second Avenue.

Sandeep Salter and her husband, Carson, opened the first Salter House (which includes a tea shop) in 2018 in Brooklyn Heights.

No word on an opening date.

The previous tenant here, Anyway Cafe, closed this past February after 28 years of serving a lot of vodka.

H/T Garth

Chrissy's Pizza taking over the former Superiority Burger space on 9th Street for its first pizzeria

Chrissy's Pizza, which gained a large following last year through a unique system (DMs via Instagram and made in the kitchen of chef-owner Chris Hansell), is popping up in the East Village next month in a familiar space. 

Hansell will make pies from the former Superiority Burger (and Salads Days!) space at 430 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. (SB's Brooks Headley kept the lease on the storefront after the move to 119 Avenue A.) 

Hansell reportedly started making about 20 pies per week from his Bushwick apartment in late 2021.

The results, per The Infatuation: 

The crust is impossibly crisp, the sauce is rich and sweet, and the cheese ratio is ideal. There's also some secret ingredient that gives this pizza a little something extra. Love? Magic? You’ll have to try it for yourself. 

Follow the Chrissy's Pizza IG account for updates.

Closings: Sauced Up! on 2nd Avenue

After two-and-a-half years of serving wings, sandwiches, fries, etc., Sauced Up! has gone belly up at 77 Second Ave.

The gate has been down here between Fourth Street and Fifth Street in recent weeks. Google lists them as "permanently closed," and the phone is out of service.

Sauced Up! opened in December 2020 and was a welcome presence for some readers tired of the many empty storefronts along this corridor. 

Watch Kim Petras (or her stand-in!) walk around the East Village in medieval-style armor

Top photo from June 10 by Eden 

As we noted on June 10, history-making Grammy winner Kim Petras filmed a video in the East Village to promote her upcoming world tour. 

Locations included Tompkins Square Park and Ben's Deli, 32 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street. 

Check out the video, which features Kim's body armor stand-in Cait ... and a generous supporting role for Haas behind the counter at Ben's...

   

The "Feed the Beast" tour is in support of Petras' debut studio album of the same name ... which will be released on Friday.

Mid-morning juvenile hawk watch

Photos by Derek Berg 

One of Amelia and Christo's 2023 kids was out and about in Tompkins Square Park this morning...

See our previous post for more background on the red-tailed hawks.

Openings: Caffe Corretto on 12th Street

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Caffe Corretto debuted at 511 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B last Wednesday. 

East Village residents Colin Vickery and Leah Blewett, partners in business and life, are behind this project that they say is inspired by the all-day cafes of Rome.

Caffe Corretto serves breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week, Wednesday through Monday (closed on Tuesdays).

Chef Nicole Dakwar prepares the breakfast pastries and lunchtime pizza al taglio ... while the evening menu features a variety of pasta dishes, seasonal salads, and other entrees via Chef Alessandro Urbisci. You can find menus here.

Hours: 8 a.m. to midnight. You can keep tabs on Caffe Corretto via Instagram.

1 St. Mark's Place looking a little close to beaming up

Photos by Steven

Yesterday's post on 360 Bowery at Fourth Street reaching the 21st floor prompted questions about the new office building slated for four blocks to the north... on Third Avenue at St. Mark's Place. 

Well, still no sign of the 9-story structure above the plywood just yet. 

As these photos (through the plywood blogger portals) from yesterday show, the foundation work is still coming along, with a steel beam looking ready to ascend the street level...

Real Estate Equities Corp. plans on 53,000 square feet of office space and some 7,700 square feet for retail here at 1 St. Mark's Place. 

Workers started on the foundation for each project last summer.

Previously

About the new tenant at 37 Avenue A

Photos by Stacie Joy

In recent weeks we've seen activity in one of the long-empty storefronts in the retail spaces of the city-owned First Houses on Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street.

The new tenant is the project management team behind the renovations on Avenue A at Second Street... in a space that looks restaurant ready with the kitchen hood, countertop, and stools...

They say they are doing roofing and façade-repair work and will only be in the space until the project is finished... (and if you were looking for the taco cart) ...

The storefront, 37 Avenue A, has been vacant since Angelina Cafe closed in the spring of 2019 when Rafik Bouzgarrou opened Bin 141 on the next block.

While this stretch has been considered a "vacancy hotspot," East Village Buyers moved to 39 Avenue A in April. Perhaps a cafe or restaurant could take over 37 Avenue A after the construction wraps up.