A memorial for Dennis Edge in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Steven 

Today, friends of Dennis Edge came together in a place that he loved so much — Tompkins Square Park. 

Edge, an East Village resident since 1970, passed away last Friday after a short illness. 

For years, he documented the birds of Tompkins Square Park, even publishing a book on the subject...

Edge, a graphic designer by trade, picked up birding later in his life.

Throughout the afternoon, people stopped by and left tributes to Edge as well as homemade pieces of art...

We'll have more on Dennis and his life in a follow-up post. 

Multiple readers told me how much he will be missed...

Hold it now, hit it: Beastie Boys Square is finally becoming a reality on the Lower East Side

On Saturday afternoon, the corner of Rivington and Ludlow will officially be co-named Beastie Boys Square. 

This ends a nearly 10-year effort for this co-naming designation. City Council signed off on it last summer with the strong support of District 1 City Councilmember Christopher Marte.

LeRoy McCarthy has been behind this effort and kept with it even after Community Board 3 voted 24 to 1 to reject the Beastie Boys Square application in January 2014. CB3 also reportedly barred McCarthy from reapplying for the street naming for five years.

The former clothing store on the SW corner was the backdrop for the band's seminal sophomore release from 1989, "Paul's Boutique." 

The afternoon will feature appearances by Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz. (Adam "MCA" Yauch died in 2012.) There's also word of some pop-up shops...

As part of the unveiling, the 2-hour celebration features a special guest DJ set, A-1 Records & #BeastieBoys pop-up shops, live screen printing and more.

— Beastie Boys (@beastieboys) September 6, 2023

Brooklyn-based artist Danielle Mastrion created the original BB mural in 2014...

She started a new mural late yesterday... here's a work in progress...

Reader report: This tree could use some help on 4th Street

An EVG reader shared these photos from outside 203 E. Fourth St., a Kushner-owned Westminster Management property between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Here's more via the reader: "I passed by this poor tree ... There is a deep hole between the torn roots and paved sidewalk." 

The reader asks who to contact to add soil to the tree pit.

"The tree is very much alive and we should not lose another tree in this neighborhood."

Openings: Joey Bats on Avenue B

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Joey Bats Café recently debuted at 50 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street. (The space had previously offered sidewalk service here while renovations were underway inside.) 

Portugal native Joey Batista (aka Bats) is offering his signature pastéis de nata along with Portuguese coffee here during the day (there's an 11 a.m. open) with bar service in the late afternoons/evenings.

The space includes a foosball table... expect it to be a place to watch soccer (football!)... the rolldown gate features a mural of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The two-level space also sports a lounge featuring comedy and live music in the basement.

Batista started selling the Portuguese custard tarts several years before opening his first outpost at 129 Allen St. near Rivington. 

Raising Cane's is on the clock for opening day

You can almost count down the days with one set of (chicken) fingers (OK, that didn't really make sense) until Raising Cane's opens.

Anyway, signage outside the Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers at 10 Astor Place at Lafayette Street notes 7 days until the grand opening. Given Steven took that photo yesterday, we're down to 6 days.

As reported in April 2022, the Louisiana-based company specializing in fried chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries and Texas toast signed a 20-year lease for 4,300 square feet of space on the ground floor.

The quick-serve Raising Cane's has more than 600 restaurants in 32 states... including one that opened in late June in Times Square. 

No. 10 was, until August 2020, a Walgreens.

Wednesday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Cooling off on Ninth Street at First Avenue. 

About this weather, per PIX11: 

The heat wave should become official on Thursday as temperatures rise in the lower 90s. In the afternoon, a frontal boundary will start to move closer to the region and bring the chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. Some storms could end up being on the severe side with damaging winds and hail. 

The temperatures back off on Friday, with highs expected in the mid-80s. While it will not be as warm, it will still be humid. In the afternoon and evening, another round of showers and thunderstorms will develop as the front will remain near the region.

Openings: Cafe La Fe on 1st Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Cafe La Fe recently debuted at 70 E. First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Owner Yarissa Suarez was born and raised on the Lower East Side (Orchard Street) and lives on Norfolk Street. 

On the menu, the empanadas, with various fillings, are the main draw here... along with an assortment of coffee drinks (via La Colombe) and juices. 

In this family-owned business, Yarissa will receive part-time assistance from her son Yaslir, who would like to be billed as "entertainer, cleaner and sous chef."

Cafe La Fe is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, with a 9 a.m. start on Saturday and Sunday.

The storefront was previously home to Pinky's Space.

Vintage video shop 8 Bit and Up is closing in the East Village

Photo by Stacie Joy 

If you've been by 86 E. Third St. recently, you've likely seen the store-for-rent sign outside here between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Shop ownership has confirmed that the retail business is closing later this month after 15 years. 

Per a message on its website: 

I am sad to inform you that 8 Bit And Up Video Games will be closing its retail doors on Sept. 23rd, 2023. After more than 15 years, it's time to retire! I want to thank everybody who has supported us all these years.

The shop, a fantastic time capsule for video games of the 1980s and 1990s, will have a presence on eBay. 

You can watch a short video about 8 Bit Up from 2011 — back when it was on the second floor of St. Mark's Place at Second Avenue.

Concerns about some basic playground amenities in Tompkins Square Park

The playground along Avenue A and Ninth Street in Tompkins Square Park has seen better days.

For starters, there's just a dusting of sand on the sandbox surface... which, at this point, resembles a cement bunker, and certainly not the first time ... (Thanks to Choresh Wald for the following 3 playground photos)

Meanwhile, the synthetic turf on the playground is peeling and cracked, creating potential tripping hazards...

We've talked with several parents/parkgoers who remain frustrated with the shoddy conditions in and around Tompkins... made worse with the field house renovations happening through the fall of 2024 that have closed the mini pool for two summers ... and the good times of the three porta potties.

The Tompkins Square playgrounds along Avenue B and Seventh Street were revamped in recent years (2019).

Storefront shuffle on Avenue A

Photos by Stacie Joy

Yesterday we noted that Whim Golf has closed after a summer pop-up at 66 Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. 

What's next? The vintage shop that has been at 70 Avenue A is making the move to two storefronts to the north.

And 70 Avenue A — now with brown paper covering the windows — will be home for the third consecutive year to a Halloween pop-up shop...

No word just yet on the opening dates for either storefront.

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Lola Sáenz 

A moment on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place today...

Indian hit masters Unapologetic Foods opening Filipino restaurant Naks on 1st Avenue

The Unapologetic Foods Group team — owner Roni Mazumdar and Chef Chintan Pandya — has announced details for its latest East Village restaurant. 

Reps for Unapologetic Foods describe Naks, 201 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street, as "a soulful heritage Filipino restaurant." Dhamaka Chef de Cuisine Eric Valdez, raised in the Philippines, will helm the kitchen at Naks.

A Naks rep shared this info about the restaurant expected to open this fall:

In Tagalog, Naks is slang for an expression of surprise and admiration. The menu and dining room will be divided into two sections: one serving regional dishes a la carte, and the other a tasting menu known as Kamayan, where the food is served family style on a banana leaf and eating with one's hands is encouraged. 

You can sign up for updates from Naks here. Grub Street has a preview of the restaurant here.

Last year, we heard that Unapologetic's acclaimed restaurant, Adda Indian Canteen, would relocate to No. 201 from its current Long Island City home. However, they decided to pivot to a different concept for the space.

No. 201 was previously home to Jeepney, the Filipino gastropub that closed in September 2021 after nine years at this location.

Unapologetic also operates the fried-chicken outpost, Rowdy Rooster, at 149 First Ave. at Ninth Street. They previously announced plans for the kebab-focused Kebabwala at 82 Second Ave.  

Hello to Hello, Yam! on 9th Street

Coming soon signage is up for Hello, Yam! at 443 E. Ninth St. at Avenue A (H/T Steven!) ...

The shop will specialize in Japanese sweet potatoes... seen in some quarters as the best sweet potatoes.

The business takes over the space, adjacent to Village Creperie, from Anine Eyelash Extensions, which relocated to Bond Street.

Whim Golf has closed on Avenue A

After a summer pop-up at 66 Avenue A, Whim Golf has closed fore good here between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. 

The golf-themed fashion brand had a well-attended wrap-up party last Thursday night with several jazz musicians, including longtime East Village resident William Parker. 

We also understand they were able to find a home for their putting greens.

We'll have a follow-up post on what's next for this storefront, located in a building that changed hands last fall for $64 million and is undergoing a gut renovation that saw the departure of longtime retail tenant Ink in this strip in July.

ICYMI: Petopia is temporarily closed on Avenue A

Several readers have mentioned this... so passing it along: Petopia is currently and temporarily closed on Avenue A at Second Street. 

Signage on the storefront notes the closure is so "the landlord can perform emergency repairs to the ceiling in our store." (Photos below by Stacie Joy)

The outposts on 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue and Third Avenue at 29th Street are open. 

Workers have been doing roofing and façade-repair work in the city-owned First Houses on Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street.

The J Crew on the Bowery is back open

After a nearly two-week closure, the J. Crew Men's Shop on the Bowery at Bleecker is back open as of late last week.

At first, there was a handwritten sign stating that the J. Crew Men's Shop was "temporarily closed."  Then a more formal sign on the storefront at 316 Bowery noted that the shop was "experiencing technical difficulties." 

The reopening has a notable absence: a reader said the coffee bar has been removed, per a reader.

This men's-concept outpost debuted last September. A J. Crew outpost is expected to open in the months ahead on Lafayette and Bond.

Flashback to 2011, when the Big Gay Ice Cream shop opened on 7th Street; and today's current legal battle

Labor Day 2011 saw the grand opening of the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

It was a memorable shitshow with an entertainment lineup that featured an all-bassoon band, Bea Arthur lookalikes, Roller Derby stars and Anthony Bourdain dressed as a priest blessing the shop.

This was the very first storefront for the business that started with an ice cream truck. In the years that followed, the good-natured brand grew in popularity, and co-founders Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff (seen above in 2011) authored a cookbook on frozen treats, opened multiple outposts and launched a pint-sized product line in grocery stores. 

Today, however, just one shop remains in business ... and the future of the brand is in jeopardy. (The EV location never reopened after the Pause of 2020.)

This past week, The New York Times reported on a story we'll continue to follow:

On Friday, a founder and partner, Doug Quint, filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court accusing another partner, Jon Chapski, of mismanaging the company and fraudulently collecting government loans during the pandemic.

And...

During the pandemic, though, the good vibes evaporated. Today, after multiple missteps, unpaid debts and evictions, the company's future is murky. Mr. Quint is working in a Walgreens pharmacy in Pittsfield, Maine, where he grew up. Mr. Petroff works in human resources for a New York restaurant chain.

Both men say they hope to pull the company back from the brink and continue without Mr. Chapski, whom they hired as a financial adviser in 2011 and made a partner in 2016. The founders continued to develop new products and marketing efforts, but Mr. Chapski effectively ran the business.

Mr. Quint is seeking at least $4 million, claiming damages arising from breach of contract, fiduciary irresponsibility and "willful misconduct" by Mr. Chapski. (Mr. Petroff, who like Mr. Quint still retains a 35 percent ownership stake, has declined to be a party to the suit, citing the expense of legal representation, but said Mr. Quint had his "full support.")

In his lawsuit, Mr. Quint accuses Mr. Chapski of failing to pay landlords, vendors and the I.R.S.; concealing legal proceedings and business moves from him and Mr. Petroff; and collecting government loans during the pandemic while the stores remained closed and employees went unpaid. Public records show that the four New York City stores — each of which is a separate limited-liability corporation — received loans totaling more than $500,000.

Through a spokesperson, Chapski told the Times he'd respond to the lawsuit "when appropriate."

In an email to us over the weekend, Quint referred to the current situation as a "disaster." 

Reports of smashed car windows on East Village side streets

East Village residents woke up yesterday to find several cars vandalized overnight. 

Mammad Mahmoodi, co-founder and executive director of East Village Loves NYC, came to his car yesterday morning to find that someone smashed in his rear window and the passenger side window and door. 

The thief made off with some shoes Mahmoodi planned to donate yesterday at the Sixth Street Community Center, the home base for East Village Loves NYC. There were other reports of smash-and-grabs on Fifth Street and Avenue D and Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B (and likely more).

Mahmoodi filed a report with the 9th Precinct, which apparently has turned this into a felony case.

Sunday's parting shot

This evening on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo from Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg)...

• Asylum seekers are no longer staying at the former St. Brigid School in the East Village (Monday) 

• The Tompkins Square Library branch reopens; a conversation with Lenny Kaye on deck (Monday) 

• The long-neglected 6 Avenue B is for sale (Thursday) 

• A Fresh new look for CTown on Avenue C (Wednesday) 

• Ayat signage alert on 7th and C (Monday) 

• After 2 bagel shops, Cuban cuisine is next for 238 E. 14th St. (Wednesday) 

• Openings: Salter House on 2nd Street (Thursday) 

• A new Indian restaurant for the former Little India on 6th Street (Friday)

• Someone Barbified Basquiat's former space on Great Jones (Monday)

• Dim sum joint looking closer to being a go (go) on 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

• 7 floors of steel for 1 St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• The New Up & Up Laundromat has closed on Avenue A (Friday) 

• Plywood report: The Commodore at 14 Avenue C (Thursday) ... El Pulpo at 51 Avenue B (Thursday) 

• About the VIP portable toilet in Tompkins Square Park (Friday) 

• Tompkins Finest Deli & Grill is now the East Village Mini Market (Saturday) 

• Smoke shop comings and goings (Wednesday) 

• Bong World is officially cashed on 14th Street (Saturday)

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