RIP to the 'RIP ST MARKS' tag

The steel frame is going up on the NW corner of Third Avenue and St Mark's Place... where a 9-story building — 53,000 square feet of office space and some 8,000 square feet for retail — is slated for the all-new 1 St. Mark's Place. 

Soon to fade from view: the obituary on the west-facing wall of 5 St. Mark's Place that someone painted here in the summer of 2019 — RIP ST. MARK'S...

And while we're here, a progress check four blocks to the south... where 360 Bowery at Fourth Street recently topped off...

When the two buildings are complete, nearly 30 floors of office space will be added along the corridor. 

On this topic... New York magazine's current cover story explores how commercial landlords are scrambling to stave off a real-estate apocalypse as developers try to downsize their office space, from the Financial District to Hudson Yards.

Summer scheduling: Lucy's returns after Aug. 10

After service on Saturday night, Lucy's (aka Blanche's Lucy's Tavern) is now on its (customary) summer break...

See you back on Aug. 11 here at 135 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

P.S.

Liking that Spirograph-y lettering!

Pizza signage update on 9th Street

At last look, there was coming soon signage for an establishment called *******Pizza at 105 E. Ninth St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue. 

That was apparently just a pizza placeholder ... as there's now signage up for the actual business name — Nuovo York Pizza, aka "New York Style."

No word yet on an opening date.

This space has been vacant since Toasted Deli went dark at the end of 2022 after nearly 18 months in business. 

The DOH temporarily closes both East Village locations of Kavasutra Kava bar

All reader-submitted photos 

In the past week, at least a dozen readers have reached out about the temporary closures of the two East Village outposts of Kavasutra Kava bar. 

The above photo shows the storefront on First Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, where there are eight posted notices from the Department of Health...

According to public records, in a notice dated July 13, the following violations were logged against the Florida-based chain that serves drinks made with kava, a root that contains sedative and anesthetic properties:

1) Duties of an officer of the Department interfered with or obstructed. 

2) Food containing a prohibited substance held, kept, offered, prepared, processed, packaged, or served.

Kavasutra's first NYC outpost on 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue is also temporarily closed.

The DOH notice, dated July 12, lists the following:

1) Failure to comply with an order of the Board of Health, Commissioner or Department.

The DOH also cited this "failure to comply" in a visit on Jan. 4. 

We reached out to the DOH for more details about the closures. 

On 10th Street, there are also eight DOH notices on the front window ... along with various signs with messages ranging from "Enjoy Life Sober" to "Fight for Fiji" to "Defund the D.O.H." to some hand-drawn penises and breasts ...

There are also signs promising "Back soon" and "We will be back."

The 10th Street Kavasutra location opened in July 2015; the First Street outpost in December 2019.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Report: Kavasutra ownership blasts educators who teach remotely, 'pussy leftists' for wearing masks (March 14, 2021)

Sunday's parting shots

Photos by Steven 

AKA, Searching for members of the Nielson family... as seen outside the New York City Marble Cemetery on Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

If of interest, the cemetery's website has a list of interments by vault.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a "Barbieheimer"-era photo from the Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue ... Or "Barbenheimer" if you prefer)...

• RIP Big Lee (Tuesday) 

 • When a young red-tailed hawk gets stuck in the airshaft outside your kitchen window (Friday) 

•  The Cube returns to Astor Place — and ready to spin again (Tuesday) ... When the Cube returned to Astor Place late Monday night (Wednesday) 

• At the last night of Ink on A (Sunday) 

• A visit to Ella Funt on 4th Street (Friday) 

• Details about some upcoming shows via the Knitting Factory at Baker Falls on Avenue A (Thursday) 

• Report: Metropolitan Playhouse is closing after 30-plus years of productions (Wednesday) 

• 'Star Wars' parody at the Orpheum is joining the dark side after Sunday (Thursday)

• The Avenue C Laundromat has a new owner (Tuesday) 

• Suki Japanese Kitchen hasn't been open lately on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• Panda Express debuts on 14th Street and 1st Avenue (Monday) 

• The 1st Manhattan outpost of Ayat shapes up on 7th Street and Avenue C (Wednesday) 

• On the CB3-SLA docket: A new home for the Boiler Room; a pizzeria for Avenue B (Monday)

• So what's next for this block of 2nd Avenue? (Monday)

• Avant Garden reopens in new Avenue A home (Tuesday) 

• Target makes it signage official on Union Square (Thursday) 

• Openings: Tacombi on 12th Street (Monday) 

• PSA: The original Russ & Daughters Appetizers is closed for a few weeks for renovations (Thursday) 

• Say high to the latest retail tenant at this 2nd Avenue storefront (Tuesday) 

• Full reveals: 650 E. 6th St. (Thursday) 

... and in concert news... U.K.-based singer-songwriter Declan McKenna played a sold-out show at Webster Hall on Friday night... and the line on 11th Street started early... (photos by Stacie Joy)...

Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, local EVG faves Hello Mary played a sold-out Bowery Ballroom as the trio continues to tour in support of headliner Blondshell this summer...

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

Some Fun at Fun City

Photo by Derek Berg 

Madrid-based tattoo artist Skaisse (holding the poster above) is a guest through Wednesday at Fun City Tattoo, 94 St. Mark's Place. (Two more guest tattoo artists are on up next.) 

And today (Sunday) is the last day for the Fun City-Private Policy pop-up shop featuring T-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, pants, jackets and bags, etc. Noon to 8 p.m. at Fun City between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The annual Puke Island is upon us

If you looking for some melodic death metal and loud-ass punk today... Puke Island Part II is taking place today (Sunday) in Tompkins Square Park. 

On the bill: 

• Iconicide 
• Blackout Shoppers 
• Cash Bribe 
• Damn Your Eyes 
• Breath Of The Moor 

The free show is scheduled between 2-6 p.m.

Sunday's opening shot

This Sunday morning on 10th Street at Avenue A... the St. Nicholas of Myra Church (b. 1883).

Last week to see Warhol at the Brant Foundation on 6th Street

The career-spanning exhibit of 100-plus works by Andy Warhol closes next Sunday, July 30, at the Brant Foundation, 421 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

And they've been running ticket deals of late too (per an email from the Foundation): 

• Warhol Wednesdays 50% off tickets every Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. 
• Every Thursday $5 tickets are now available for ALL Thursday time slots! 

Otherwise, tickets are $20, $15 for East Village residents. (Proof of residency includes a punchcard to Funkiberry).

Find ticket info here.

As a reminder about the show, which opened on May 10:

... the survey spans the entirety of Warhol's illustrious career, from his early drawings and intimate Polaroids to instantly recognizable silkscreens and sculptures. "Thirty Are Better Than One" pulls in large part from the Brant Collections, which includes an expansive and coherent selection of Warhol's work. It is curated by Peter M. Brant, founder of The Brant Foundation and an early patron, collaborator, and close friend of the artist.

Saturday's opening shots

There's activity inside the vacant storefront at 2 St. Mark's Mark Place... adjacent to the St. Marks Hotel and just off the corner from Third Avenue. 

Inside, someone is touching up the new St. Marks Hotel signage...

Meanwhile, we're curious if any new business is slated for this space.

It has been empty since Eliza's Local closed late in September 2020.

The bar opened in December 2018 and was named for Elizabeth Hamilton (aka "Eliza"), co-founder and deputy director of the first private orphanage in New York City. She was the wife of Alexander Hamilton. She lived next door at 4 St. Mark's Place in what was later known as the Hamilton-Holly House.

This space adjacent to the hotel entrance was previously Ayios Greek Rotisserie, which quietly closed at the end of 2017 after 16 months in business. St. Mark's Ale House had a 21-year run until July 2016. And once upon a time, it was the second location of the Five Spot Cafe.

H/T @Unitof!

Friday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Today, when dinosaurs roamed St. Mark's Place...

Lifeguard on duty

 

The young Chicago band Lifeguard has a new EP out now on Matador... this video is for the track "17-18 Lovesong." 

They were on the Summerstage bill last night in Central Park with Horsegirl, Iceage and Water From Your Eyes.

When a young red-tailed hawk gets stuck in the airshaft outside your kitchen window

This morning, Kim, who lives on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, discovered that one of the juvenile red-tailed hawks from Tompkins Square Park was stuck in the airshaft of her building... just outside her kitchen. 

Oh hi.

The hawk appeared to be OK... just a little unsure how to get back out. 

With the assistance of her friend (and EVG correspondent) Steven, Kim contacted Ranger Rob — aka Rob Mastrianni, a Manhattan Ranger supervisor. 

Rob quickly captured (not his first airshaft rescue!) the young hawk, one of Amelia and Christo's 2023 offspring.

After examining the hawk and determining that it was not injured, Rob released the fledgling back into the park... where it likely met up with his two siblings.

   

And a little later... (photo by Steven)...

A visit to Ella Funt on 4th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Ella Funt debuted in late May at 78-80 E. Fourth St., just west of Second Avenue.

The stylish restaurant takes its name from drag artist Ella Funt, back when the legendary Club 82 was the place to be seen in the basement of this address. (One of the performers from that era has been involved with planning the new cabaret — more on that in a moment.) 

On a recent evening, I met co-owner Harry Nicolaou, whose family operates the classic Cinema Village on 12th Street between University and Fifth Avenue...

The staff was prepping for this evening's dinner service...

Marcus Jahmal painted the mural along the western wall in the dining room...

The most popular entree has been the whole fish (here was Dorado, but subject to change) with green-curry reduction and greens ...

... another in-demand dish has been the raviolo with spinach and ricotta, garlic scapes and confit egg yolk ...

The well-appointed space filled up quickly with an upbeat crowd...

Management appreciates the space's history and is creating a cabaret-theater in the basement that pays homage to the original Club 82. (We hope to have images of the space and info on the plans later in the summer as it's still under construction downstairs.)

The cabaret will be a nice addition to this Fourth Street corridor, which includes La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, the Duo Multicultural Arts Center, the Kraine Theater and the New York Theatre Workshop. 

And from my personal collection... a postcard from the original Club 82...

Ella Funt is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Find more info here. And if you're on Instagram, you can follow their account here.

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Given that the owners are so keen on the history of the address... here's a little more about it...

In the early 1970s, Club 82 became a rock club featuring the New York Dolls, Teenage Lust, Suicide and Another Pretty Face.

The subsequent iterations of the space included a movie theater and an all-male strip club. Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones tried to make a go of it as a music club again in 1990 with Woody's. The basement space reopened as the Bijou Cinema around 1992, per Cinema Treasures, operating in different capacities until 2018. 

Stillwater Bar & Grill was a ground-floor tenant, shutting down in the spring of 2019 after 15 years in service.

Target makes it signage official on Union Square

Workers today are putting up the coming-soon signage for Target at 10 Union Square East in the base of the Zeckendorf Towers. (Thanks to @AshmiNYC for sharing via Twitter!)

No word on an opening date... though this location is hiring for various positions.

And to recap... in February 2020, news broke (via the Post) that Target had signed a lease for a 33,000-square-foot store here. The current tenant, Food Emporium, had a lease until April 2023. Ultimately, the grocer shut down early — in May 2021. 

As previously noted, the space that was once pub-crawl hotspot SideBar on the SW corner of 15th Street and Irving Place is now part of this Target footprint... where demolition got underway in the summer of 2021. 

Meanwhile, the Target on 14th Street and Avenue A turns 5 this month.

Details about some upcoming shows via the Knitting Factory at Baker Falls on Avenue A

Baker Falls had its soft opening last week at 101 Avenue A ... first with a release party for Jesse Rifkin's book "This Must Be the Place: Music, Community and Vanished Spaces in New York City" as well as Lach and Friends Anti-Folk/Anti-Hoot, a nod to the now-closed Sidewalk Bar and Restaurant. 

Starting tonight, the performance space — Knitting Factory New York at Baker Falls — will ramp up with the first of many concerts to come... Sunflower Bean (below) headlines a bill with GIFT and Slow Fiction. 

Steve Gunn (and friends!) performs on Friday...  and there's an all-ages matinee on Sunday featuring a handful of bands, including EVG favorite Jade Tourniquet (photo below by Stacie Joy)...

Other upcoming shows include cumgirl8 on July 28...

There are several bands — local, national and international — a week on the calendar now. Check it out here.

These select shows at Knitting Factory New York at Baker Falls are curated by Knitting Factory Talent Buyer Carson Ehlert with support from Senior Talent Buyer James Irvine. The duo is reprising their roles from Knitting Factory Brooklyn in Williamsburg, which closed last August.

As previously reported, East Village resident Nick Bodor, whose past and current establishments have included the Library bar, alt.coffee and the Cake Shop music venue, serves as the managing partner and creative director of Baker Falls.

In the weeks ahead, you can expect a coffee shop, all-day cafe, bar and community events at the two-level space between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Generation next: Baker Falls will bring together a cafe, bar and the Knitting Factory at the former Pyramid Club on Avenue A (Nov. 28, 2022)

• The next iteration of the Knitting Factory coming to the East Village (Aug. 24, 2022) 

• Baker Falls set to debut this week on Avenue A (July 10)  

Sunflower Bean and cumgirl8 photos courtesy of Knitting Factory at Baker Falls

'Star Wars' parody at the Orpheum is joining the dark side after Sunday

The farce may not have been strong with this one. 

After two-plus months at the Orpheum Theatre on Second Avenue, the burlesque "Star Wars" parody "The Empire Strips Back" closes on Sunday, July 20. 

Per Ticketmaster, there were shows scheduled through Aug. 20. While this was said to be a limited production, it's not a good sign that the last month of shows had to be canceled...

 

Originally from Australia, this "Empire" has been touring around the globe since it first opened in 2011. 

The production started here on May 10. (A blown opportunity not to debut on May 4, per some "Star Wars" nerds fans.) 

BTW, did anyone see it here? Let us know in the comments! 

"Stomp" ended its 29-year run at the Orpheum between St. Mark's Place and Seventh Street in early January. 

No word on what production might be next for the Orpheum, reportedly owned by Liberty Theatres, a subsidiary of Reading International, which also owns Minetta Lane Theatre.