Photo by Derek Berg
Out with Valentine's Day on this Presidents Day... as seen on First Avenue and Seventh Street...
Monday, February 19, 2024
Flashbacks: A wedding at McSorley's Old Ale House!
Photos courtesy of Jason Sheehy
This past weekend, McSorley's celebrated 170 years at 15 E. Seventh St. near Cooper Square.
Here's but a piece of the bar's history, which EVG reader Jason Sheehy shared from late last summer. (You may recognize Jason as a proud owner of one of the Gem Spa signs.)
For starters, McSorley's is the favorite bar in the city for Jason and his girlfriend Regina.
"The communal tables bring everyone together, and we have met some of our best friends sitting at those tables," he said.
So when it came time for the wedding, they figured why not hold it in their favorite place.
The ceremony took place at 10 a.m. before the bar opened for the day this past Aug. 31. There were light and dark mugs of McSorley's and bagels from Tompkins Square Bagels for the 70-plus people from around the country in attendance...
"We've had a few of our family and close friends (regulars) get married inside. But only once in a blue moon will we allow [someone] to marry inside ... they must be true regulars — for years — like Jason and Regina," he said, adding with a laugh: Otherwise, we'd be officiating weddings at McSorley's every day."
Said Jason, in the Yankees cap in the photos: "This bar is rich in history, and we are more than excited to be just a tiny part of that."
Catch some emerging bands at the New Colossus Festival this March 6-10
This is a great (and budget-friendly) opportunity to catch a lot of local bands as well as emerging artists from the U.S. and abroad. Check out the schedule and find tickets here.
We've enjoyed finding new bands via these showcases, such as Lukka, fronted by East Village-based singer-songwriter-composer Franzi Szymkowiak. (Read our interview with her here.)
The New Colossus Festival started in 2019.
Sunday, February 18, 2024
Marking the 16th day that Sophie's has been blocked by oil tankers for Con Ed work
Week in Grieview
• Source: DA's office mulling charges against tow truck driver in the death of longtime East Village resident Merle Ratner (Thursday)
• 2 weeks left before Gizmo closes and relocates from longtime East Village home (Wednesday)
• Boris & Horton, NYC's first dog-friendly cafe, announces the 'devastating' decision to close on Feb. 26 (Thursday)
• On the CB3-SLA docket: Williamsburg’s Win Son Bakery plans East Village outpost (Monday)
• Peter Jarema Funeral Home ad comes back from the dead on 7th and B (Monday)
• Joey Bats Café making its Essex Market debut (Saturday)
• A Citi Bike docking station for 3rd and A (Monday)
• Storm center: Scenes from around the East Village after Nor’easter moves off the coast (Tuesday) ... more flurries! (Saturday)
• In case you Wonder what's coming to this Stuyvesant Street space (Monday)
• Signage alert: Dear Rufino on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)
• Closings: Emilia by Nai on 1st Ave. (Wednesday)
• We are now signage official with the new Bank of America Branch (Thursday)
• Yummy Hive announces itself on 2nd Avenue and 10th Street (Monday)
• Signage alert: N25 on St. Mark's Place; YGF Malatang on 3rd Avenue (Monday)
• Daniel's Bike Shop slated for this 14th Street storefront (Thursday)
• Now $1.50, 99¢ Fresh Pizza enters a new era (Wednesday)
... hoping this doesn't turn into a copycat crime wave ... as seen on the Citizen app...
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An annoying noise from an unknown source along this block of St. Mark's Place
February photo of St. Mark's Place looking east from Third Avenue
From the EVG inbox... a reader writes about a loud, constant ventilation noise outside the resident's building at 11 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue (north side of the street).
Some background:
I'm not sure of the source of the sound; I walked around the block from St Mark's past the new building [the 9-story 1 St. Mark's Place] almost finished on 3rd Avenue and down Stuyvesant north of 2nd Avenue. From the sidewalk, I couldn't hear the noise ...
The noise could be from the new building on 3rd Avenue but could be from one of the restaurants that line St Mark's or Stuyvesant. It's not an AC. It sounds much louder. It sounds like it's coming from the courtyard behind 11 St Mark's. It started a couple days ago.
Our guess was from the renovations for 8-14 Stuyvesant St., where the food-hall concept Wonder is on the way.
The resident filed a noise complaint at 311. Are any nearby residents hearing this, too?
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Saturday's parting shot
EVG Etc.: Halting the closure of Beth Israel; watching '2001: A Space Odyssey' in 70mm
Photo from 9th Street at 1st Avenue this morning by Steven
• Judge tells Mount Sinai to halt closure of Beth Israel (DotMed ... Our Town) ... Mayor Adams warns NYC-run hospitals would be strained by Beth Israel closure (Daily News)
• Landlords kept an estimated 26,000 regulated units offline last year (The City)
• New York could become the 21st state to permanently allow bars and restaurants to sell to-go cocktails (Gothamist)
• The Earth Chxrch on Avenue C is serving as a warming center for asylum seekers (The Indypendent)
• ICYMI: The Market Line, the food hall located inside Essex Crossing, is closing on April 1 (Eater)
• East Village well repped in this best-coffee-in-NYC listicle (Eater)
• A trip to Mr. Throwback on Ninth Street (Fox 5)
• "Job" at the Connelly Theater on Fourth Street "is one of the best shows playing in NYC right now" (Time Out ... previously on EVG)
• "2001: A Space Odyssey" is showing in 70mm at the Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue and 12th Street (Official site)
• Support the Anthology Film Archives on Second Avenue and check out some Essential Cinema (Official site)
• See the final cut of "Blade Runner" (Metrograph)
• Elsewhere: The end of Village Cigars on Seventh Avenue South at Christopher (Village Preservation) ... landlord won't rent to a weed shop or bank (The Village Sun)
... and work from East Village-based photographer Daniel Root will be on display at Cozmos, 280 E. 10th St. just west of Avenue A, starting on Feb. 22...
Joey Bats Café making its Essex Market debut
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
The latest Joey Bats Café makes its soft-opening debut today... at the Essex Market.
Yesterday, I spotted founder Joey Batista and his mother, Isabel Fernandes, at the market's newest stall...
The Café only serves original-flavor pastéis de natas (aka, Portuguese custard tarts) and Portuguese coffee, with other flavors planned for the future.
Joey is aiming for daily hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. — except Sunday when the Market closes at 6 p.m. 
After visiting with Joey and Isabel, I went downstairs to see the Market Line, which sadly was pretty empty compared to the bustling Essex Market.
News broke earlier this month that the food hall inside Essex Crossing is closing on April 1.
The vendors I spoke with asked me to tell people they will be here for another month and a half...
The winter wonderland we've all been waiting for (we'll take it)
Top photo by William Klayer; the rest by EVG
The winter weather advisory is in effect until 10 this morning... with the flurries tapering off soon after...
Meanwhile, here's how it looked early today... 
And the streets are clear (of snow) ... in case driving on or crossing a street is in your future...
Saturday's opening shot
Friday, February 16, 2024
Friday's parting anniversary shot
There's live music today through Sunday... with cake from newbie Veniero's on 11th Street, which is only 130 years old.
Per the McSorley's Instagram account: "We look forward to seeing all of you. Stay well and 'Be Good.'"
Photo via @NYCGO
'Stuck' in a groove
NYC's dream-pop duo Phantom Handshakes is just one of the bands playing this year's New Colossus Festival in several LES-EV music venues. Check out the lineup for the festival, March 6-10, right here.
The above video is for "Stuck in a Fantasy."
P.S.
Phantom Handshakes play Arlene's Grocery on March 8 at 7:45 p.m.
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Boris & Horton, NYC's first dog-friendly cafe, announces the 'devastating' decision to close on Feb. 26
Photo by Claire Esparros via the Boris & Horton website
Updated 2/28: The cafe will remain open. Read more about it here.
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After six years anchoring the NW corner of Avenue A and 12th Street, Boris & Horton, the city's first dog-friendly cafe, announced today that it was closing effective Feb. 26.
The notice came via Instagram from daughter-father co-owners Logan Mikhly and Coppy Holzman... the brand is also closing the newer Williamsburg location...
Ownership did not offer a specific reason behind the closings and said they were opting to "celebrate the great times we've had as New York's first dog-friendly cafe."
For the next 11 days, Boris & Horton will sell merchandise and fixtures "at a deep discount."
Later in 2018, Boris & Horton expanded its footprint in the building along Avenue A.
News of the closing shocked regulars, with the Instagram post prompting hundreds of comments in less than 20 minutes.
Source: DA's office mulling charges against tow truck driver in the death of longtime East Village resident Merle Ratner
Photo by EVG
Reporting by Stacie Joy
Charges are pending against the tow truck driver who struck and killed a longtime East Village resident on Feb. 5 while crossing 10th Street at Avenue C.
NYPD sources told us that the incident remains under investigation, stating that the DA's office "is still going back and forth on it if they want to prosecute or not. The NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad thinks they might make an arrest."
When asked about the possible charges, the NYPD source stated, "That's what the ADA is going back and forth with. I don't think they are sure themselves, and that's probably why it's taking [so] long."
According to police and media reports, Merle Ratner was crossing 10th Street at Avenue C with the light at 7 p.m. to visit a friend when she was struck and killed by the driver of the tow truck who was traveling south on Avenue C before turning left onto 10th Street.
Police said Ratner, 67, died at the scene.
According to police and media reports, the 59-year-old driver of the tow truck, owned by Timmy's Automotive in East Harlem, remained at the scene and was given a breathalyzer test.
Meanwhile, the flatbed tow truck involved in the collision has been parked on Second Avenue near Sixth Street for the past week and a half. (Top photo.) Our police source was surprised to hear that the truck remained in this spot, located around the corner from the 9th Precinct on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
Journalist Liam Quigley pointed out the truck's rear license in an X post on Feb. 8.
According to the How's My Driving NYC account, the plate has 86 violations, including 18 school zone speed violations and six red light camera violations — with over $9,700 in fines.This is the tow truck in the crash that killed Merle Ratner earlier this week. The license plate is completely defaced — a common practice in the industry pic.twitter.com/15jL1hduD1
— Liam Quigley (@_elkue) February 9, 2024
Ratner grew up in the Bronx and lived in the East Village starting in the 1980s. She was a co-coordinator of the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign. She also worked as a labor rights organizer at the International Commission for Labor Rights ... and served on the board at the Laundry Workers Center, which organizes low-wage immigrant laundry and food service workers.
Here's more from Ratner in an EVG interview with James Maher in 2017:
My family has a history — my grandmother, when she came from Odessa, was the first woman business agent at the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, and my mother was a member of Local 1707 Day Care Workers. I have a picture in my house of my grandmother; it must have been in the 1920s, with a long skirt with a bustle, the very traditional thing that women wore, holding a picket sign with her friend that said, 'Don’t be a scab.'"
Ngô Thanh Nhàn talked with The Village Sun about his wife of 40 years.
"She loved life and was always thinking about ways to build a society that supports people, not profit," he said.
Daniel's Bike Shop slated for this 14th Street storefront
Photo by Pinch
Signage arrived Tuesday for Daniel's Bike Shop at 313 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
This appears to be the fifth store for the shop, which has outposts in the Bronx and Brooklyn.
The Daniel's Facebook page shows a variety of e-bikes for sale as well as biking accessories. The Facebook page also describes this as a bicycle repair shop.
The business takes over a storefront that was mostly recently a smoke shop called The Tree Shop (and previously Eyes on 14th).
Signage alert: Dear Rufino on 2nd Avenue
Photo by Steven
The Dear Rufino signage is up now at 221 Second Ave., just south of 14th Street.
As we noted a few weeks back, this is the taqueria — via Chef Iván García — taking over the former Chicken & the Egg space... the food establishment in front of the cocktail lounge Sincerely, Ophelia.
The taqueria from the owners of Zona Rosa out on Lorimer Street and Metropolitan Avenue is expected to open soon.
You can find the Dear Rufino Instagram account here.
We are now signage official with the new Bank of America Branch
Photos by Steven
The official BoA signage arrived yesterday at 119 Second Ave. at Seventh Street...
Read alllll the background about the first retail tenant for the building in this post.
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Wednesday's parting shot (part 2)
Photo by Stacie Joy
At Book Club on Third Street today, a pop-up featuring East Village-based florist Bloom Bloom ... pictured is Sophie Bromberg, the floral designer working for Bloom Bloom.
Best sellers were the Japanese sweet pea and the ranunculus (in various colors). Sorry, roses!
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