Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo of the roomy new porta-potties in Tompkins by Derek Berg)...

• EARTHQUAKE (Friday) 

• Lower East Side legend Sammy's Roumanian Steak House announces its reopening dates (Tuesday) 

 

• Essex Card Shop robbed on Avenue A (Saturday) 

• Turn it up: East Village Radio returns this spring (Monday) 

• The porta-potties of Tompkins Square Park now have hours of operation (Saturday)

• Why the International Bar has been closed (Tuesday) 

• On the April CB3-SLA docket: a Rice Thief outpost for the East Village (Monday) ... The Onion Tree Pizza Co. (Wednesday) 

• Vacated 9th Street parking garage fetches $14 million for likely residential conversion (Tuesday) 

• The $24 million renovation of the Nuyorican Poets Café is officially underway (Thursday) 

• At Tabby Twitch's 'Prime' (Wednesday) 

• Weekday lunch service begins at Superiority Burger on Avenue A (Monday) 

• After 8 years in the East Village, Fortnight Institute has closed its doors (Thursday) 

• Mr. Throwback gets a spin-off on 9th Street (Wednesday) 

• The 'Kim's Video' documentary unreels at the Quad; Alamo Drafthouse next (Friday)

• On Avenue B, damaged façade shutters Gruppo (Thursday) 

• A new pizzeria for the former pizzeria at 36 St. Mark's Place (Monday) 

• A new awning for East Village classic Veniero's (Thursday)

• Openings: Yokox Omakase on Avenue B (Wednesday) 

• Let's look inside the Five Guys slated for 2nd Avenue and 12th Street (Thursday)

 

• Signage alert: Lilly's Shakes & Crepes on 1st Avenue (Monday) 

...and checking in with the St. Mark's Place Welcome Committee...

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Observing Ramadan with East Village Loves NYC

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

During the holy month of Ramadan, East Village Loves NYC, the volunteer group that provides meals to people in need, invited a group of chefs into their kitchen at the Sixth Street Community Center.

The chefs from Guinea created West African dishes to cook a series of iftars (the evening communal meal during Ramadan) alongside EV Love NYC volunteers. The chefs included Asmiou Sidibé, Alpha Orimar Barry, Ibrahim Diamy Bah, Amadou Konka Sow and Ismaila Barry. 

The chefs prepared an array of dishes, including Tigua Degué, also known as Mafé, a very spicy chicken dish in peanut sauce. They also cooked Fouti Lafidi, a flavorful eggplant stew, and for dessert, they served Bouillie de Mil, a rice pudding made with millet flour and peanut butter. 

The group also provided Ramadan to-go packs with pears, dates, walnuts, water and electrolytes, plus naan or pita bread.

Read more about how you can help East Village Loves NYC here.

Help for longtime LES photographer Marlis Momber

Image via GoFundMe 

Friends of longtime Lower East Side documentarian and activist Marlis Momber are raising funds as she continues to recover from cancer. You can read more about the campaign and her work at this GoFundMe link. 

Below is her 1978 documentary "that depicts the 'before gentrification occurrences' in the Lower East Side in the fall of October 1978 with Chino Garcia & Bimbo Rivas" ...

 

Today in giant Inflatables of Ice Spice on Astor Place

Photo by Derek Berg 

ICYMI: A super-sized replica of Ice Spice on Astor Place today to promote the rapper's Alexander Wang collection.

Essex Card Shop robbed on Avenue A

Photo by Salim 

On Thursday afternoon around 3, a man walked into Essex Card Shop, 47 Avenue A between Third Street and Fourth Street, pulled a gun, and demanded the money from the register, according to owner Muhammad Aslam. 

Aslam, who was not in the shop then, said the man left with $300. Police cordoned off the storefront for several hours and took possession of the shop's surveillance footage of the robbery. 

Sources tell us that the suspect has pulled similar jobs in the neighborhood. An official description of the suspect has not been released. 

If you're a fan of Essex Card Shop, consider stopping by over the weekend. They could use the business (the T-shirts are cool) and moral support.

The porta-potties of Tompkins Square Park now have hours of operation

Photos by Steven 

Heads up: If you need to use the facilities in Tompkins Square Park today, you must do it by 3:30 p.m. 

Today, signs on the toilet triplex note a 3:30 p.m. closing time (with an apology)...

We do not know if this is just for today or every day moving forward. 

The portable pots arrived here on Monday, providing the first makeshift, non-open-air toilet opp since the city carted off the previous commodes. 

Over the past week, it's been a challenge to predict when the facilities might be accessible. For instance, a few days ago, the water closets were locked at 5 p.m. Yesterday, they remained closed all day due to the absence of the key holder, as confirmed by a Parks worker.

Dragon Fest is coming to a street near you, starting today

Dragon Fest, the Chinese food and culture festival, returns TODAY (Saturday!). 

Per the EVG inbox: 

This year, visitors can expect over 100 varieties of traditional, popular, and rare Chinese foods, including soup dumplings, dragon's beard candy, lotus root sandwiches, sugar-coated chestnuts, grilled cold noodles, iron plate tofu, fried skewers, milk cap tea, among others. 

The local lineup includes:

• April 6 — Broadway, 12th-13th Street

• April 21 — Second Avenue, 9th-10th Street 

• May 25 — Astor Place

Saturday's opening shot

Fresh Flowers arrived this past week outside the Second Avenue F stop. 

Mural by Mort and Paolo Tolentino.

Friday's parting shot

Major league: Seeking some comfort food at Ray's Candy Store, 113 Avenue A, late this afternoon...

Sound the 'Alarms'

Photo from 2022 by Stacie Joy

The Acute, the East Village-based duo of Viveca Butler and Stephen Cacouris, have just released a new single, "Year Old Alarms." 

Find the Acute's music on Bandcamp (and today is Bandcamp Friday!) ... and check out the new track below featuring artwork by EV resident Kenny Ray...

 

Today in earthquakes

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York.

My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day.

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) April 5, 2024

New York City just felt the impacts of a 4.8 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter of Lebanon, New Jersey. @NYCMayor is being briefed. While we do not have any reports of major impacts at this time, we’re still assessing the impact.

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) April 5, 2024

Head to the U.S. Geological Survey for credible information. 

I hope everyone is OK, especially our readers "west of Manhattan." The shaking seemed to last about 30-40 seconds at the EVG HQ. 

Updated noon:

Pulling this from NBC News...

This morning's earthquake occurred on a shallow fault system in New Jersey and shook for about 35 seconds, a Princeton seismologist said.

“The shallower or the closer it is, the more we feel it as humans,” said Frederik J. Simons, a professor of geosciences at Princeton University.

The quake originated at a depth of less than 3 miles, according to USGS. 

Earthquakes on the East Coast can be felt at a great distance and can cause more pronounced shaking in comparison to those on the West Coast because rocks in the region are often older, harder and more dense.  

Updated 4/6

A 3.8 magnitude aftershock hit 37 miles west of Manhattan near Gladstone, N.J., around 6 last night

The USGS has information here about the possibility of more aftershocks. According to the USGS, there is a 74% chance of a 3.0 magnitude or greater aftershock over the next week. The agency also offers advice on what to do during an earthquake.

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Flashback to Aug. 23, 2011. 

The 'Kim's Video' documentary unreels today at the Quad; Alamo Drafthouse next

The "Kim's Video" documentary, from award-winning filmmakers David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, opens today (April 5) at the Quad Cinema, 34 W. 13th St. between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue.

The plot!

...an elegiac tribute to the iconic video store in [the East Village!] 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.

The Quad will also host post-screening Q&As with Yongman Kim, the man, the myth, and the legend behind the business. (Details here.) The documentary is up next Friday (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 between Sixth Street and Seventh Street 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. The last Kim's Video & Music (on First Avenue) closed in 2014.   

And ICYMI: Kim's massive collection of DVDs and videos is now available to rent from the Alamo Drafthouse downtown. (Background on all this here.) It's not the same, but rooting through the titles is still fun.

Leaving you with the trailer...

 

On Avenue B, damaged façade shutters Gruppo

From the EVG tipline... the recent heavy rains apparently caused some of the façade tiles to fall outside 98 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

Ground-floor tenant Gruppo is now closed for emergency repairs ... as the city issued a full-vacate order on the two-level building...

Thin-crust fans can contact their sister restaurant, Posto, in Gramercy Park for deliveries.

A new awning for East Village classic Veniero's

Top photo by Steven; 2nd pic by William Klayer 

It's new-awning delivery day for Veniero’s Pasticceria and Caffe on 11th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

There's also a new era for the awning color, as the familiar red has been replaced with a midnight blue (NOT the Lou Gramm song). 

Veniero's is also celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2024. 

Updated: 

Here's a look at the awning in place... which looks more black than midnight blue in person...

The $24 million renovation of the Nuyorican Poets Café is officially underway

ICYMI: Last week, officials announced the start of the three-year, city-funded $24.1 million renovation project for the Nuyorican Poets Café on Third Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

The Nuyorican Poets Café, a space steeped in history and cultural significance, closed its doors this past fall after its 50th-anniversary celebration. The NYC Department of Design and Construction is now overseeing the project for the Department of Cultural Affairs that will not only renovate but also expand this iconic space, ensuring its legacy continues to thrive. 

About the work being done:

This project will renovate and expand the Café, with a new main lobby and performance space on the first floor, an additional dedicated performance space on the fourth floor, and a “flex” space on the second floor, which can be used as a classroom or rehearsal space. 

The project will also add a new elevator to the four-story building and office space for staff. These improvements will allow the organization to reach a wider audience by hosting multiple performances concurrently and providing local students with masterclasses and workshop opportunities. 

The project will also entail exterior work, including a new roof, extensive building envelope rehabilitation and waterproofing, a new ADA ramp for public access from the sidewalk level into the facility, new fire exit stairs as well as renovations to the plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems. 

Here's a look at two renderings (Rice+Lipka Architects is designing the project)...

The expected completion date is spring 2026.

Puerto Rican writer and poet Miguel Algarín founded Nuyorican in 1973 as a living-room salon on Sixth Street along with Lucky CienFuegos, Bimbo Rivas, Pedro Pietri and Miguel Piñero. Algarín died in December 2020 at age 79.

The programming here has included poetry slams, open mics, Latin and contemporary jazz and hip-hop shows, theatrical performances, educational programs, and visual art exhibits.

During the renovation, the Nuyorican staff is staging pop-ups and collaborating with other New York institutions. For updates, check Instagram or the Café website.

After 8 years in the East Village, Fortnight Institute has closed its doors

Fortnight Institute, an art gallery that billed itself as a public salon, closed on Tuesday. 

Founders Fabiola Alondra and Jane Harmon made the announcement on Instagram: 

We deeply appreciate and are thankful to our gallery team, to the artists, supporters, visitors, curators, collectors, writers, and interns throughout the years, for their contributions and involvement in Fortnight Institute's life. Fortnight Institute was established in 2016, and now, eight years later, its journey has completed its full circle with its closure in 2024, reminiscent of the cyclic nature of the ouroboros. 

At the heart of our gallery's inception was the desire to experiment and collaborate closely with artists. Keeping this priority in mind, we, as advocates for creative expression, engaged in numerous discussions. We questioned whether we would need to adopt a more market-oriented approach and further expand the gallery to support our artists. Amidst these conversations, we reflected on the most enjoyable and valuable aspects of running this space. 

Ultimately, these discussions led us to reaffirm our commitment to a mission centered on creativity and artist-driven endeavors — a mission that resonates deeply within us and one that we aspire to nurture in our future endeavors. With this pursuit in mind, after eight fulfilling years, Fortnight Institute is concluding this chapter of our lives with gratitude and fulfillment. 

What turned out to be Fortnight's final exhibition featured paintings by Cheri Smith. It had been scheduled to run through April 20. 

Per artnet: "The gallery was instrumental in launching and supporting the careers of numerous figures who went on to fame, such as the London-based figurative painter Somaya Critchlow and New York's Chris Oh, a creator of beguiling sculptural paintings."

Fortnight Institute opened on Fourth Street Second Avenue and the Bowery in April 2016 ... before relocating a block away to 31 E. Third St.

Let's look inside the Five Guys slated for 2nd Avenue and 12th Street

We've been receiving numerous inquiries about the Five Guys setting up a new outpost on the SE corner of Second Avenue and 12th Street (188 Second Ave.). 

The coming-soon signage arrived on Nov. 13. This outpost is on the Five Guys website, though no other info is available. 

Looking inside reveals a lot of work is left to do before a grand opening...

The burger chain, which started in Washington, D.C., in the 1980s, now has 1,700 outposts worldwide, including 30-plus locations around NYC.

Five Guys takes over the space from Strings Ramen, which closed in April 2022 after two years in business, opening just before the start of the pandemic. (Signage remained up for Strings, giving the impression they were still in business.)

As previously noted, the restaurants at 188 Second Ave. haven't fared well since old-timer Shima got rent-hiked out of here in January 2014. Lumos Kitchen lasted three months in 2018. Others that made quick departures in the past five years were Hot Pot Central, DumplingGuo and Dumpling Go.

Wednesday's parting shot

Taking shelter today from the rain at St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on 10th Street and Avenue A... thanks to Drew for the photo!

At Tabby Twitch's 'Prime'

Photos and text by Stacie Joy 

Since last summer, an unexpected performance has been taking place in a space better known for watching sports.

Tabby Twitch's live burlesque show "Prime" has found a home in the back room at the Gray Mare, the pub at 61 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street. (The next quarterly show happens on May 2 Thursday, April 4. See the end of the post for info.)

Twitch dubs herself the "friskiest feline in burlesque." Twitch, also known as actor Jane Cortney and a longtime local resident of Ninth Street, produces and performs in "Prime."

She describes it this way: a "racy romp set in an elegant East Village tavern, featuring a ravishing array of burlesque performers at the height of their powers. Not a canter, not a gallop, this show is a sultry yet invigorating trot featuring libidinous libations, the raffle of your dreams and more rhinestones than a room can hold." 

I attended the January show featuring Amanda Poise, Ella Blu, Maria Bartolotta and Queerly Femmetastic.

Here are a few scenes from the evening...

"Prime focuses on performers at the height of their powers because I came to burlesque later in life. I want to show what it means to be 'in your prime,' with all the richness and experience that entails," Cortney said. "Though I highlight burlesque performers, there is a salon feel to the evening. A vocalist performs, and I weave poetry throughout the night. My goal is for the audience to leave my show feeling relaxed and reinvigorated, in their prime regardless of their actual age."

The next "Prime" is this Thursday (April 4) at 8 p.m. now scheduled for May 2. Keep tabs on the shows here.

Mr. Throwback gets a spin-off on 9th Street

Photo by Steven

Mr. Throwback is going old-school on Ninth Street.

The retro sports apparel shop at 437 E. Ninth St. is opening a second outpost — at the spot of its original storefront at 428 E. Ninth St. here between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

The new (old space) will sell non-sports-related vintage items. Throwback 2, which has an Instagram account here, is opening soon. 

Mr. Throwback debuted here in November 2012 and took business across Ninth in late 2017.