'Americans in Paris' at the new Grey Art Museum on Cooper Square

The Grey Art Museum recently relocated from Washington Square East to 18 Cooper Square (roughly at Fifth Street). 

The inaugural show for NYU's fine art museum (fka, the Grey Art Gallery) opened on March 4 and is titled "Americans in Paris." 

A description: 

Following World War II, hundreds of artists from the United States flocked to the City of Light, which for centuries had been heralded as an artistic mecca and international cultural capital. Americans in Paris explores a vibrant community of expatriates who lived in France for a year or more during the period from 1946 to 1962. Many were ex-soldiers who took advantage of a newly enacted GI Bill, which covered tuition and living expenses; others, including women, financed their own sojourns. 

Showcased here are some 130 paintings, sculptures, photographs, films, textiles, and works on paper by nearly 70 artists, providing a fresh perspective on a creative ferment too often overshadowed by the contemporaneous ascendency of the New York art scene. 

And a brief look around...

This show runs through July 20. Related to the exhibit, there are also panel discussions and film screenings here (check the website). 

Hours: 

• Tuesday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
• Wednesday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. 
• Thursday-Friday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
• Saturday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

There isn't an admission fee... and the show is worth your time...

Friday's opening shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

As seen at Book Club on Third Street... "Some Strange Music Draws Me In," the first novel by East Village resident Griffin Hansbury. (Griffin also wrote the nonfiction "Feral City" and "Vanishing New York," both as Jeremiah Moss.) 

Griffin will speak this evening (March 15) at the Strand with Hugh Ryan. More information is here. 

As previously noted, Griffin/Jeremiah has been a longtime friend of EVG... and is really the reason the site exists today (as it almost went away in 2008).

Meet Belvedere, the Russian tortoise

Photo by Steven

Urban Park Rangers were in Tompkins Square Park today for an educational program... a special guest included this Russian tortoise that someone had abandoned in Central Park. 

The Park Rangers named it Belvedere after the iconic mini castle in Central Park.

This day on the Bowery in 2007

A new EVG reader, Ernst (of Oasis D'Neon Video Magazine), shared these photos that he took on March 14, 2007, outside the former CBGB at 315 Bowery. 

On this day, the country blues-turned-punk club had been closed for almost five months (Oct. 15, 2006). John Varvatos would open a store in the space some 13 months later. 

So here's a look at some more recent ghosts of the Bowery.

... at this time, 313 Bowery, the former CBGB Record Canteen and CB's 313 Gallery space, was still for rent ... before the Morrison Hotel Gallery arrived in 2008... (the first of several businesses here; it's now the gallery Amanita)...

And this all seems longer than 17 years ago...

Coming attractions: The 'Kim's Video' documentary debuts at the Quad on April 5

The "Kim's Video" documentary from award-winning filmmakers David Redmon and Ashley Sabin has an April 5 theatrical release date.

First, to the official description:

...an elegiac tribute to the iconic video store in New York City that inspired a generation of cinephiles before it mysteriously closed its doors and sent its legendary film archive to a small and slightly dubious Sicilian village for "safekeeping." But what starts as an homage to cinema quickly becomes a rescue mission to ensure the eternal preservation of the beloved video collection.

Meanwhile, the official trailer was dropped for it last week.

   

The Quad Cinema on 13th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue hosts the NYC theatrical premiere on April 5. Post-screening Q&As with Yongman Kim, the man, the myth, and the legend behind Kim's empire will also be held there. (Details here.)

"Kim's Video" opens April 12 at the Alamo Drafthouse in the Financial District. 

After Sundance last year, Deadline called the doc "a playful and intelligent film" ... while Variety said it's "a flaked-out, one-of-a-kind story of film obsession." On the other hand, IndieWire graded it a C+.

The video empire had a modest start in Kim's dry-cleaning business at 99 Avenue A in 1986 ... there were also two locations at different points on St. Mark's Place, including the Mondo Kim's at 6 St. Mark's Place (pictured above). The last Kim's Video & Music closed in 2014.   

As you may know, Kim's massive collection of DVDs and videos is now available to rent from the Alamo Drafthouse in the Financial District. (Background on all this here.)

An update from G's Cheesesteaks, opening May 1 on Avenue B and Houston

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy

Renovations continue inside the storefront at 6 Avenue B on the NW corner at Houston.

As previously reported, this will be home to an outpost of G's Cheesesteaks. I ran into owner Giacomo Pisano (above) the other day. He said they'll be open on May 1, hopefully sooner if all goes well.

Pisano said he is looking for a local artist who can pay homage to Chico's current artwork on the gate. The liquor store, the last tenant in the retail space here, closed when the owner passed away in 2009 at age 89. Chico created her tribute mural in February 2010. (The building's landlord plans to paint over the well-worn art.)

He also said he'd like to preserve the "liquor" signage and, if possible, bring it inside. 

This will be the fourth location for the cheesesteak brand, which also has a food truck business. (On that note, he said he'd like to use a truck for free food distribution to the community.)

Pisano, whose family has been in the restaurant business for several generations, founded G's in Staten Island in 2015 at age 20. 

The residential portion of the building — now going as The B — is currently renting.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Here's a look at the renovated interior of the long-vacant 6 Avenue B

• Because you've always wanted to know what the inside of the long-empty 6 Avenue B looks like 

• Let's take another look at the eerie remains of the long-abandoned 6 Avenue B 

• Time passages: Check out the interior of the long-empty Mom's Liquor Store on Avenue B

Architectural sculpture digest: A look at some unique 'Houses and Hotels' at O’Flaherty's

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Longtime East Village resident Donna Dennis, part of the architectural sculpture movement of the early 1970s, is the subject of a new solo show at O’Flaherty's, 44 Avenue A at Third Street. 

"Houses and Hotels" spotlights a selection of the early sculptures that helped launch her career. Dennis created these pieces while living on St. Mark's Place (they were assembled elsewhere). She now lives in Germantown, N.Y.

Saturday was the opening-night reception... here's a look around (I was told that the roof/ceiling at 44 Avenue A may or may not have been cut open to transfer and install these pieces)...

Dennis also has a new book coming out, which will be launched on April 13 at Karma Bookstore on Third Street, co-hosted by O'Flaherty's.

We also spotted O'Flaherty's gallerist Billy Grant...

... and owner Jamian Juliano-Villani, here with her mom...

Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 2-7 p.m.; or by appointment. 

"Houses and Hotels" is up through April 28.

1 year after building fire, A&C Kitchen grandly reopens on Avenue C

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Great news for fans of A&C Kitchen — the longtime quick-serve and affordable Chinese restaurant reopened yesterday at 136 Avenue C after more than a year on the sidelines. (H/T Ryan John Lee for the first report.)

Mr. Li, who has owned the business for 30-plus years, was happy to see many returning customers...

It had been a rough 13 months here. 

On Feb. 27, 2023, a two-alarm fire broke out behind the building between Eighth Street and Ninth Street. Initial reports blamed a "lit object" discarded from a window down to the courtyard. 

The fire destroyed a ground-floor apartment. A&C Kitchen sustained some water damage — mostly in its basement. 

However, as we understand it, the gas was shut off as a precaution, and it took some time (and red-tape cutting) to get all the proper approvals in place ... and the various inspections.

We've mentioned this before: One of the original chefs from Dojo works here, and the menu includes such old favorites as the hijiki tofu burger. 

Find the restaurant's website here. For phone orders: (212) 677-8112. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The owner of A&C Kitchen on Avenue C would like to reopen his business now

A familiar face returns to Key Food

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

We were surprised to see a familiar employee face this week at Key Food. 

After a year of partial retirement, Arrman Mohammed returned to the supermarket on Avenue A and Fourth Street. 

Mohammed, a manager at Key Food, retired last April 29 after a 35-plus year career with the company, the last 10 in the East Village. (He started at Key Food in 1986 as a teenager on Long Island.) 

He said he "got bored of Florida and missed the excitement of NYC and decided to return to the place I know and the people I know." 

Now an NYC resident again, Mohammed is at 52 Avenue A until tomorrow before he heads to the Astoria Key Food on Newtown Avenue. 

He said he'll be back and forth at different stores but will return to the Avenue A location in two weeks. 

Mohammed doesn't have a direct answer about whether he'll be back permanently, offering with a smile: "Perhaps. I go where I am needed."

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Steven 

A pleasant surprise late this afternoon in Tompkins Square Park... with a set by Pinc Louds. 

BTW, the band is at Knitting Factory at Bakers Falls on Avenue A this coming Saturday...

Your faceless Charlie Brown mural update from 12th Street

The Faceless Charlie Brown(s) mural appears to be going, going ... here on the east-facing wall at 402 E. 12th St. near First Avenue.

As noted, a crew here is working on the bricks, though we don't know the extent of the project.

Jerkface created the wall-size mural back in the fall of 2014.

Thanks to EVG reader Charmaine for the photo!

The NYPL's archive of the legendary East Village Eye now available to the public

Images from the NYPL

The New York Public Library's extensive archive of the East Village Eye is now processed and available to researchers. 

In February 2023, the NYPL acquired the East Village Eye archive from founder and editor Leonard Abrams. The collection consists of documents, manuscripts, artworks, videos, ephemera, and a complete run of the original printed publication (72 issues in total), which was published from 1979 to 1987 and covered the neighborhood's arts, politics, and social currents during a transformative decade. 

The collection also documents the daily workings of a small publication – advertising, correspondence, datebooks, financial records, and more. Contributors included resident advice columnist Cookie Mueller, Richard Hell, and David Wojnarowicz, and the newspaper featured images from dozens of acclaimed photographers early in their careers.

"The Library's acquisition of the East Village Eye archive is the perfect outcome of our years-long search for the best home for these materials," Abrams said upon the purchase last year. 

"We are looking forward to seeing the creative ways that the collection will be used by scholars, students, educators, artists, activists, and anyone passionate about the history and culture of downtown New York City,"  said Julie Golia, associate director, manuscripts, archives, and rare books and Charles J. Liebman curator of manuscripts, in a statement.

Highlights of the collection include: 

• A full print run of all 72 issues of the East Village Eye in pristine condition (no other public institution possesses a complete print run of the periodical)
• Extensive administrative records and founding business documents for the magazine, including correspondence with staff, contributors, advertisers, and readers throughout the Eye's eight-year run
• Abrams' handwritten pocket planners showing his relationship with artists, musicians, businesses, and writers across the neighborhood and beyond
• Promotional materials created by the Eye, including maps and guides of the East Village and invitations and flyers for Eye-affiliated parties, openings, and events
• A collection of photography of the downtown scene by a roster of acclaimed photographers employed or engaged by the Eye, including Marcia Resnick, Eric Kroll, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, and others
• Candid and behind-the-scenes snapshots of Abrams and the Eye staff and contributors at work and as participants in the neighborhood's vibrant nightlife

Per the NYPL: "The records of the Eye will be essential to researchers studying the evolution of the punk movement, the growth of hip-hop, the rise of HIV/AIDS, and the early careers of artists like Basquiat, Mapplethorpe and Fab Five Freddy."

Researchers can access the East Village Eye records in the Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room for Rare Books and Manuscripts at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 476 Fifth Ave. at 42nd St. (Find more info here.)

You can learn more about the East Village Eye records from the collection guide and this blog post by the NYPL's Golia.

Sadly, Abrams (above left with Fab Five Freddy) died suddenly last April, only a few months after the collection came to the NYPL. He was 68. 

The NYPL "is proud to provide access to the archive that represents Abrams' important cultural and journalistic legacy."

Previously on EVG:

• Q-and-A with Leonard Abrams, publisher of the East Village Eye

Boris & Horton reopens on Avenue A

Boris & Horton returned to service yesterday on Avenue A. 

The business was closed for the previous 10-plus days for a deep clean, new AC installation, and reorganization following a successful crowdfunding and subscription plan that kept the city's first dog-friendly cafe (as well as the Williamsburg outpost) open.

Ahead of the return, daughter-father co-owners Logan Mikhly and Coppy Holzman emailed patrons with a few of the changes:

• We brought on a General Manager to ensure the smooth running of both locations and an Events Manager to expand our dog-friendly programming 

• We started a loyalty program for guests to earn cafe discounts and rewards

• We're now laptop-free on weekends after 10 a.m.

• We're offering tableside ordering during busy times

On Feb. 16, Mikhly and Holzman announced that the cafe was closing on Feb. 26 after six years of anchoring the NW corner of Avenue A and 12th Street. 

They weren't making enough money, and as Holzman told NY1, "It's expensive to maintain top safety measures for a dog-friendly restaurant required by the Department of Health." 

However, the unwavering support of the cafe's fans turned the tide. They devised ideas to keep the business going, such as selling subscription boxes filled with dog treats and merchandise from Boris & Horton's line of products.

Boris & Horton hit their $250,000 goal from Feb. 23-25.

Openings: Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao on St. Mark's Place

Top photo by William Klayer; 2nd photo by Steven

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao debuts today at 15 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... (there was a private event last evening that included a ribbon-cutting ceremony for invited guests)... 

As previously noted, the Michelin-recommended soup-dumpling specialists first opened in Flushing in 2006 and later expanded to include restaurants in Koreatown, New Jersey, and Long Island. You can check out their menu here. 

Daily hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao takes over the space from April 2023 casualty Boxed To-Go (or BT), which offered bento boxes. 

Openings: Not as Bitter brings the fresh fruit lattes to 10th Street

A new venture called Not as Bitter debuts today at 241 E. 10th St., just west of First Avenue. 

According to its website, the coffee shop specializes in coffee and lattes with fresh fruit. ("Yes, you heard that right. Fresh fruit, espresso, and milk? It's pretty darn unique if we say so ourselves.")

NAB is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can check them out on Instagram here. 

The previous retail space here was the dessert shop Snowdays.

Awash in debt, Body Shop shuts down operations

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The Body Shop announced that its U.S. operations would shut down immediately. According to published reports, it filed for Chapter 7 insolvency on Saturday, under which assets are sold to clear debts.

The outpost on Broadway at Astor Place was said to have closed on Sunday...

Some background via The Associated Press: 

The Body Shop, founded by Anita Roddick and her husband in 1976, is often hailed as an early champion of ethical practices in business. The retailer of soaps, creams and makeup has promoted fair-trading practices and products that were not tested on animals.

The brand became hugely popular in the 1980s ... and grew to have stores in some 80 countries, including many operated through franchises.

(A show of hands who bought the bath pearls collection as a gift sometime between 1987 and 1993.)

In 2006, Roddick sold the business to L’Oreal ... and the brand changed hands several times in recent years, first to Brazilian cosmetics business Natura and then to Aurelius, a private equity firm specializing in buying and turning around troubled companies.

Good grief! Is this the end of the faceless Charlie Brown mural on 12th Street

From the tipline... a crew has been doing brick on the east-facing wall at 402 E. 12th St. near First Avenue.

We didn't spot any work permits on file with the city, so we're unsure of the project's scope... and whether this might mean the end of the Faceless Charlie Brown(s) on a pitcher's mound. TBD. 

Jerkface created the wall-size mural back in the fall of 2014.