Friday, December 22, 2023
Friday's parting shot
Have yourself an etc., etc.
A version of a holiday song that maybe you aren't tired of yet (and isn't by, say, Wham, the Waitresses, Paul McCartney & Wings ... all fine classics, but.)
This is a cover of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by the Beths... (The Cat Power cover is great too.)
Hold your horses, we're posting these photos!
Top photo yesterday by Cecil Scheib; pic below by Steph
We received LOTSA photos of these horse sculptures ... first arriving on Sixth Street at Second Avenue... and now overnight on Sixth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...
One reader said these are the work of Deborah Butterfield ... updated: Franco Cuttica.
... and hopefully, we didn't just spoil someone's Christmas surprise!
Spiritualized: End of days for High Vibe on 3rd Street; 'I would like to stay open!'
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
The end is near for High Vibe after 30 years at 138 E. Third St. Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.
Robert "Bobby" Dagger, owner of the health/natural foods and goods store, plans to close on Dec. 31 after a rent hike courtesy of the landlord, the NYCHA, and an underwhelming response to a crowdfunding campaign.
Everything is marked to go inside the small, comfortable shop...
He tried local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office, though that didn't lead to anything.
"They were nice but didn’t provide any help," he said.
So now what?
"If I got $40,000, I can stay open. I would like to stay open! NYCHA raised my rent during COVID and only gave me three months of concession," Dagger said. "NYCHA doesn't care about small businesses. For 30 years, I paid taxes here. We're a link in the chain here, keeping America alive. I'm all for immigrants, but what about us? We're paying taxes for these people."
Previously on EV Grieve:
Thursday, December 21, 2023
Thursday's parting shot
Photo by Lola Sáenz
A favorite moment on Thursday evenings outside Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue and 12th Street — the changing of the letters on the marquee...
(Sweet??) 16
Above: A joke from Sophie's a few years back
ICYMI (and 99.999999999% of people did), the item was a cut-n-paste from Page Six about the possible sale of Sophie's (Fifth Street!) and Mona's (Avenue B) ... and before Josie's (Sixth Street) was part of the family.
I'd spent some time at Sophie's and couldn't imagine an EV world without it. So, like any once-a-week bar regular would do, I created a Blogger site called Sophie's Bar Blog blog (honest, that's what the name was)... as a way to chronicle the sale of Sophie's (sorry, Mona's) and the possible end of its several-decades existence.
After a few weeks of under-the-radar chronicling on a site that no one was reading, we learned that Bob, the owner of the bars, was selling them to his brother Richard and another friend (hi, Kirk!).
That was that, or so I thought. Now I've told this story a few times, so if you've already read it, I'll make some shit up to make it seem more interesting than it actually was.
I announced the end of Sophie's Bar Blog blog. [Crickets] Vanishing New York author/blogger Jeremiah Moss somehow had seen the site (thanks, Google!), and he encouraged me, just because Sophie's and Mona's were going to be OK, to keep the site going, covering other comings and goings.
So Sophie's Bar Blog blog was rebranded to EVG (I give this site six months!).
And here we are 16 years after the first post.
Two people recently told me they started reading the site in high school and were in their late 20s/early 30s. Which is really cool and obviously terrifying.
A sincere thank you to everyone who has read the site and continues to read it, sharing comments and tips and creating a sense of community.
A BIG thank you to everyone who contributes to the site, particularly Derek Berg and Steven, for their ongoing daily dispatches... and to Stacie Joy for her intrepid reporting from bell towers, abandoned schools or former motorcycle clubs.
May your holidays be filled with warmth, peace, and joy ... and had we created an Etsy account 16 years ago, Sophie's Bar Blog blog T-shirts, hoodies, and customizable tabletop beer pong games.
Home for the holidays: The East Village Community Cookbook is ready for pre-order
As EVG's Stacie Joy first reported in August, the cookbook was the idea of three East Villagers who bonded during the pandemic — Will Kroeze, pastor at Trinity Lower East Side, Dan Hyatt, a middle school teacher, and Will Horowitz, a chef and author who co-founded Ducks Eatery and Harry & Ida's Meat and Supply Co.
The final product includes more than 100 recipes from an array of local restaurants (C&B Café, Katz's, Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Russ & Daughters, SMØR, Superiority Burger, and Veselka, among many others) and residents (Alan Cumming and Richard Hell, to name two).
Donations for the East Village Community Cookbook start at $30. Proceeds will benefit Trinity Lower East Side Services and Food for the Homeless (SAFH) and community fridge on Ninth Street and Avenue B.
Per the organizers: "Each pre-order comes with a certificate of purchase to send as a quick holiday gift to a loved one!"
You can pre-order a copy here.
A mass and inauguration for the new bell tower at Most Holy Redeemer
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
There's a dedication ceremony this Saturday evening for the recently restored bell and clock tower at Most Holy Redeemer/Nativity Parish on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.
Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York, will preside over a 5:30 p.m. mass and ceremony that will feature a procession on Third Street (the block will be closed to traffic during this time).
Cardinal Dolan will bless the bell tower, which will be illuminated for the first time. The new electronic carillon system will also play a rendition of "Silent Night."
No more love for Cinnamon Girl on 2nd Avenue
Photo by Lola Sáenz
We're closing the book on Cinnamon Girl at 73 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.
The cafe-bakery has been closed since late summer... (we were keeping an eye on the gradually rotting apples in a refrigerated unit inside the front door) ... and most recently someone finally began to remove the contents of the interior. Google now lists them as Permanently Closed.
Opening in November 2021, this was the first Manhattan outpost for the Brooklyn-based business with several shops in that borough.
Openings: Chick-N-Smash on 1st Avenue
Photo by Pinch
The Chick-N-Smash outpost is open at 231 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street.
The quick-serve establishment is currently offering a spicy chicken sandwich, a smash cheeseburger, or chicken tenders plus fries, and a can of soda for $8.99. Posted hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Not sure who's behind Chick-N-Smash (it seems like a one-off place and not part of a chain) at the moment.
As previously noted, this is the latest business for the storefront in the past 12-plus months. Tony's Famous Pizza closed late last year ... then came signage for Deli Convenience in the spring... which turned into Dispensary ... before the same signage for Deli Convenience returned by late May. Their grand opening lasted a few months.
Vinny Vincenz had a solid run here for 18 years until the spring of 2021.
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Wednesday's parting shot
New Yorkers Foodmarket is closing soon on 2nd Avenue
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Updated 12/30: The grocery now appears to be closed.
New Yorkers Foodmarket will shut down in early January on Dec 31 now at 107 Second Ave., owner Michael Schumacher confirmed.
Schumacher, 63, who lives in the neighborhood, said that the grocery store's lease was up in August, and he has been operating without one since then. Although landlord NYU provided a six-month rent concession, he's not in any financial position to negotiate a new lease for the 38,000-square-foot space between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.
Business has dwindled recently, and new competition like the Wegmans nearby on Astor Place hasn't helped.
Schumacher, who teared up several times during our conversation, cited some ongoing health issues that have prevented him from putting in the hours necessary to make the business more profitable. He also doesn't have any money to hire staff. His cashier, Rosa, is the sole employee.
When a crowdfunding campaign is mentioned, Schumacher flatly refuses the idea.
He is vocal about the space staying as a supermarket, where one has been since 1974. He and his brother Steven bought the business in 1987 when it was an Associated before changing it to Met Food. (There were some tense moments in 2008 when Met Food's future was in jeopardy.) In 2014, it became New Yorkers Foodmarket following the bankruptcy of the previous food coop (White Rose) the Schumachers were part of.
"I'm here to give it back to the community. I have no personal guarantors, I have no more money," he said. "NYU has a commitment to the community to leave a supermarket on site. A younger person could come in and set up. It needs to be less transactional and more about the community."
For now, he's looking at a Jan. 4 closing date. Schumacher would like people to buy up whatever stock is left, and he believes he'll put merchandise at 50% off soon.
As we started our conversation at the store yesterday, an unhoused man approached Schumacher at the deli counter and asked him for some food, specifically milk or yogurt. Schumacher gave the man his change bags of coins — between $20 and $30 — and told him to buy whatever he needed.
"I put my life into this store," Schumacher said. "The community here has been my family."
A new name and expanded space for Downtown Threads on Avenue A
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
The recently opened Downtown Threads is ready to expand at 66 Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.
Owner Angel Ramirez has changed the name to Angels on A... and will move part of the operation to the space that was, most recently, the Halloween pop-up shop at 70 Avenue A.
No. 70 will be a buy, sell, and trade shop ... where you can bring your vintage, high-end luxury, one-of-a-kind thrift and designer stuff to be sold for cash or traded for store credit. (There isn't any consignment.) The new space is slated to open next week.
Meanwhile, Angel plans to create more room at 66 Avenue A by removing some walls.
He says he'll continue "to keep prices reasonable." New merchandise will be added daily.
You can also enter a free raffle at the store for a Chanel jacket, a Dior or Louis Vuitton suitcase or $500 in store credit...
Downtown Threads opened in the fall. Angel also runs Cafe Social 68 on the block.
Petopia close to reopening on Avenue A
Photos by Stacie Joy
After nearly four months of repairs, Petopia is expected to reopen at 29 Avenue A at Second Street next week. (Updated: Opening date is Dec. 26 at 11 a.m.)
Workers have been restocking the shelves here...
Signage on the storefront noted the closure was so "the landlord can perform emergency repairs to the ceiling in our store."
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 Petopia outposts on 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue and Third Avenue at 29th Street have remained open.
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
EV Loves NYC looks for support and a partnership with the city to aid in feeding asylum seekers
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Note: Faces of the asylum seekers have been blurred
The situation at the reticketing center at the former St. Brigid School hasn't improved since the last time we visited.
There are still almost 1,000 people being processed at the center on Seventh Street and Avenue B daily, and few shelter placements. Asylum seekers who have received their 30- or 60-day notice evicting them from their shelter wait in long lines, sometimes overnight, to be given a wristband and hopefully temporary placement or a cot assignment.
The overwhelming majority do not get placed and can opt to go to Bathgate in the Bronx, where they may be able to sleep on the floor, or, if it’s a Code Blue or weather event, a center in Gramercy, where they can stay but are only offered chairs overnight. They can also opt for oneway reticketing anywhere else in the world, but this does not seem to be a popular choice.
Meals are also an ongoing crisis for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, with city no-bid contract providers often offering spoiled or moldy food or items that can't be eaten by Muslims.
Last week, The New York Times reported that DocGo, which has a $432 million no-bid contract with the city, discarded more than 70,000 uneaten meals between Oct. 22 and Nov. 22. The Post spoke with asylum seekers who said the meals — which DocGo charges the city $11 each for — were unhealthy and inedible.
"The breakfast and lunch is so cold we can't eat it, so it gets thrown in the trash," said one mother.
Mutual aid groups like the volunteer-run East Village Loves NYC have been working to provide hot meals as often as possible, with Sunday's distribution providing a choice of vegan sweet potato curry, balsamic-glazed chicken or beef meatball stew with side slaw Halal meals to just shy of 600 people at the site. Also available are hot coffee, snacks, and socks — desperately needed in the cold weather. (Although fewer than the last time I attended a distribution, many people still wore chancletas or sandals.)
Almost everyone I spoke to mentioned being hungry, often pantomiming by rubbing their stomachs and gesturing for food. In Spanish, women gathered around me and asked for help with shoes, underwear, warm clothes, blankets, or tents.
A group of 20 women were escorted to the nearby Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C, where they were offered donated clothing.
Sasha Allenby, co-founder of East Village Loves New York, explained the numbers game of fundraising to provide food to those in need. Since the long lines at the reticketing center at St Brigid's started three weeks ago, the nonprofit has already delivered 3,300 free meals plus fruit and coffee, costing them over $10,000.
"This would have cost the city over $40,000 considering they pay their contractors between $11 to $14 to provide a sub-par meal," Allenby said. "Since the asylum seekers began arriving last year, we've spent around $60,000 on providing free meals. We care about every asylum seeker and want to keep helping. Still, at the end of the day, we're the little guy on a shoestring budget raised by small donations from the community, and we can only continue helping if we are supported by the City."
Aside from feeding the asylum seekers on Sunday, East Village Loves NYC partnered with multiple organizations this week to help provide hungry New Yorkers with meals in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. (Find a list here.)
We contacted David Schmid, deputy commissioner of external affairs of the NYC Office of Emergency Management. He said that "the guests were extremely appreciative (as are we)" of the meals and assistance East Village Loves NYC provided.
Schmid said they have a meeting set up with Mammad Mahmoodi, co-founder of the group, tomorrow for the city to discuss how they can continue the partnership.
"We'll walk him through the Strengthening Communities program in the hopes that they'll apply for our next cohort in 2024," Schmid said. "In the meantime, we've also discussed using some private funds that we've raised internally to make a monetary donation to EV Loves NYC to recognize their contribution and ongoing support. It will be a modest donation for now, but we certainly want to acknowledge their incredible work while we explore how to best formalize and sustain the relationship going forward."
NYCEM Commissioner Zach Iscol mentioned the partnership in the Dec. 15 public safety update at City Hall, and you can hear his remarks about EV Loves NYC and the Strengthening Communities program around the 16:30-minute mark here.
Curious about how you can help? EV Loves NYC is hosting a sock drive. Details here.
Previously on EV Grieve:
ICYMI: Cacio e Vino has closed on 2nd Ave.; new cafe on the way
There wasn't any mention of a closure on the Italian restaurant's Instagram page. (The last post about a speed dating brunch was from September.)
In any event, the restaurant will not be reopening.
New operators were granted administrative approval for a beer-wine license from Community Board 3 last month. The unnamed establishment looks to be an all-day cafe/restaurant (proposed hours were 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.).
You can find the questionnaire, which includes a sample menu, here. The new owners were also behind Fillup Coffee on the Upper West Side and in Sunset Park in Brooklyn. No word on an opening date.
H/T Steven
The new smoke shops of lower Avenue B
Photos by Stacie Joy
Grab & Go Convenience is now open at 23 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street.
It's a full-service smoke shop offering flower, cartridges, edibles, prerolls, lozenges/candies, etc. Plus, tobacco products. And, uh, sex toys. (We said full service!)
Meanwhile, a smoke shop is also in the works for 9-11 Avenue B, one block to the south... in space that was, for six decades, Raul's Barber Shop.
These shops will compete with Green Line, which opened in late October at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street...
The 9-11 Avenue B and 42 Avenue B spaces are in buildings owned by Steve Croman.
Monday, December 18, 2023
Plywood down on 2nd Avenue
Top photo by Steven; 2nd pic by Gabriel Sommer
Emergency responders were spotted this morning on the NW corner of Second Avenue at Ninth Street... where the plywood along the under-renovation storefront apparently fell over onto the sidewalk ... likely due to the wind and rain...
There weren't any reports of injuries.
As previously mentioned, a fast-casual restaurant, Balkan StrEAT, was in the works for the space (the former Starbucks). We're not sure what the status of this project is. The site has been dormant recently, and the Balkan StrEAT on Sixth Avenue closed in October.
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