An East Village tribute to Flaco

Photos by Laura "Lulu" Reich 

Here's an in-progress look at a Flaco tribute mural going up outside the Second Avenue F stop on Houston.

The work is, appropriately enough, by Nite Owl, an Oakland, Calif.-based artist known for his expressive murals of owls. (Check out his work on Instagram.)

Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl, was found dead on Feb. 23 after apparently colliding with a building on the Upper West Side. As the Associated Press put it, "Flaco ... escaped from New York City's Central Park Zoo and became one of the city's most beloved celebrities as he flew around Manhattan." 

Flaco spent eight days in the East Village and Lower East Side this past November. Flaco was first spotted in the East Village on Nov. 6 at the Kenkeleba House Garden off Avenue B and Third Street. He was seen repeatedly over the next few days here and on the Lower East Side.

Updated 6/8: See the final mural here.

New applicants for Lucy's withdraw for this month

Anyone curious about the future of Lucy's at 135 Avenue A will have to wait at least another month.

Reps for the owners of Golden Age Hospitality, whose portfolio includes buzzy establishments like Le Dive, The Nines and Deux Chats, seek to take over Lucy's, the decades-old East Village favorite that has been closed since late November. 

As noted last week, Golden Age reps were on Community Board 3's SLA committee meeting docket for May 13. 

However, they have withdrawn their application...

This is not uncommon and can mean anything from the paperwork not being in yet to the applicant still negotiating a lease. (We do not know the reason here.) 

Several tipsters have told us that Golden Age Hospitality's Jon Neidich was a big fan of Lucy's and was interested in buying the bar. (We're told Neidich once lived in the apartments above the bar at 135 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.)

During several conversations in February, Ludwika "Lucy" Mickevicius told EVG contributor Stacie Joy that she had many potential suitors for the bar and may have a role in the new incarnation. 

Neidich did not respond to previous emails about taking over Lucy's. We also contacted Golden Hospitality partner Craig Atlas, whose name appears on the CB3 application. A rep for Golden Hospitality responded last week and said they don't have anything else to share about the application right now.

As we first reported, attorneys for the building's new landlord served her with a 30-day Notice of Termination in early February with a demand to vacate the space by the end of the month. 

Her lease expired in May 2015, and she was on a month-to-month arrangement with the previous landlord. Lucy told us that her last rent was $8,000 per month, and the new landlord, as of late December (West Lake 135-139 Avenue A LLC), is asking for $25,000, though there might be some willingness to negotiate. 

The bar (aka Blanche's Lucy's Tavern) has been closed since November when some paperwork issues forced what was to be a temporary closure.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Exclusive: Lucy discusses the future of her iconic East Village bar

Reader report: Why were our new trees canceled?

From the EVG inbox...

I live on Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue and we were so excited when the city posted we'd be getting two new trees on our block. But [last Thursday], our dreams were crushed when someone came and filled in the two freshly dug tree holes with cement again! I tried calling 311 but to no avail. Does anyone have an idea what happened to get our trees canceled? 

The reader is curious if any block associations or community gardens have had something similar happen.

Elsewhere, a reader points out that this tree well outside 521 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B has been inexplicably filled in with cement...

Fabano Florals returns to Avenue B, this time as a full-time shop

Photo by Stacie Joy

East Village resident Andrea Fabano has reopened her floral shop at 106 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street ... and it's now a full-time storefront. She debuted here last summer as a weekend pop-up business

Hours for Fabano Florals: 10 a.m.. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. She is also open on occasional Sundays, such as as Mother's Day.

On 3rd Avenue, Cutlets and the world's narrowest weed shop have closed

A for-lease sign hangs on the storefront at 99 Third Ave., marking the official end of Cutlets here between 12th Street and 13th Street. 

Richard Zaro of Zaro's Family Bakery was behind this quick-serve deli concept that touted "quality sandwiches made with premium ingredients." And they were pretty good. 

Cutlets launched as a delivery-only business in July 2020, expanding into a Flatiron District pop-up in late 2020 ... before opening a flagship location on West 35th Street. The EV location debuted on Dec. 1, 2021. (There was a Cutlets opening on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, but those plans were squashed.) 

Also gone: The world's narrowest weed shop that shared the address.

A look at Christo and Amelia's 2024 offspring in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Steven 

Amelia and Christo, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, have welcomed three bouncy baby fuzzballs to the nest this spring. 

Steven took these photos over the past week...

As we've seen in previous summers, the hawklets grow so quickly... by mid-June, they'll be surprisingly huge and learning to fly, hunt, pose for photos, etc. 

Visit Goggla's site for the back story on our local hawks.

Paying tribute to legendary photographer Saul Leiter on 10th Street

Top 2 photos by Derek Berg

Last Wednesday evening, Village Preservation unveiled a plaque honoring acclaimed American photographer and painter Saul Leiter at 111 E. 10th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, where he lived and worked from 1952 to his death in 2013. 

Speakers included critic and curator Vince Aletti, a longtime East Village resident who is the former art editor and photography critic for The Village Voice, photo exhibition reviewer for The New Yorker, and author of "A History of Photography in Fashion Magazines" (2019). (You can read a recent interview with him at Vanity Fair here.)

This marked Village Preservation's 24th plaque unveiling ... including markers on the homes of notable figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Allen Ginsberg and Charles Mingus. (Photo by Steven)

Joe's Wine Co. (NOT Trader Joe's) coming to 3rd Avenue

Signage is up for Joe's Wine Co. at 113 Third Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street...

The shop will sell wine and spirits, and its Instagram account promises a "huge selection" of wines for $12 and less. No word on an opening date. You can follow the shop here.

Several EVG readers shared photos of the storefront signage, and there was a discussion about the name and any possible confusion with Trader Joe's Wine Shop, which closed around the corner in August 2022. (That retail space now houses Trader Joe's Pronto.)

Joe's Wine Co. is an entirely separate entity from Trader Joe's. State Liquor Authority paperwork from July 2023 lists the ownership as Taste Wine LLC, a business previously located at 50 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street... (public records now list the name as Joe's Wine Inc.)

Gary Landsman opened Taste Wine in 2015 before closing in May 2020 to focus on raising awareness and finding a treatment for the fatal genetic disease that his two young sons have. At the time, he said he was hopeful about selling the business. 

Taste Wine reopened in the fall of 2020 under new ownership before shutting down in early 2021. According to the Post, someone stole the shop's entire $300,000 inventory of alcohol during that time.

And 50 Third Ave. is now part of the vacant assemblage that workers are demolishing to create a new mixed-use development.

[Updated] The Roost remains at rest

Photos by Stacie Joy

The Roost remains closed this spring at 222 Avenue B between 13th Street and 14th Street. 

A sign for patrons points to a temporary closure for a renovation and promises that "something special is coming."

A few readers asked if we knew what the plans are here ... we do not! 

The Roost's Yelp page points to a July 1 reopening. 

The venue — a cafe in the front and a speakeasy-style bar in the back — recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Updated

Thanks to the reader comment... we missed this from the March CB3-SLA committee meeting.

Andrew Loscaizo, who owns Salumeria Rosi, an Italian restaurant, deli, salami and cheese shop on the Upper West Side, is leasing the space. He plans to open an outpost here. You can read his application for the business here.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (plus the crowd watching the wisteria on Stuyvesant Street — photo by Steven)...

• When a Dodge Charger drove down the sidewalk on 2nd Street during a high-speed chase (Saturday) 

• D.A. Bragg: Landlord indicted for harassing rent-regulated tenants, including in the East Village (Thursday) 

• On the CB3-SLA docket: New operators for East Village classic Lucy's on Avenue A (Monday) 

• How to take part in Lower East Side History Month activities this May (Friday) 

• The Ukrainian Museum revisits the early work of East Village-based photographer Peter Hujar (Wednesday) 

• On Avenue B, a there-goes-the-neighborhood building sells for $43 million (Wednesday)

• EVG Etc.: NYPD arrests 56 in clearing NYU and New School protest encampments; Knickerbocker Village sells for $85 million (Friday) 

• What happened to the famous East Village (replacement) pear tree on 3rd Avenue? (Thursday) 

• An extension for 'Houses and Hotels' at O'Flaherty's on Avenue A (Wednesday)

• Iconic East Village gay bar Boiler Room has closed ahead of move to a new location on 2nd Avenue (Monday) 

• A Link5G tower for Avenue C (Monday) 

• The fellow "looking for a girlfriend" is now "looking for the perfect woman" (Thursday)

• Spin-offs: Throwback Two debuts on 9th Street (Saturday) 

• The Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks returning to the Hudson River for some reason (Thursday)

• Friday at 5: The great new track by Pretty Sick (Friday) 

• Watch a large raccoon climb down a tree on 10th Street (Monday) 

• Openings: Hidden Grounds Chai & Coffee House on 3rd Avenue (Monday) 

• Coming attractions: The Oasis Cafe on Avenue A (Monday) 

• Tea Dealers & Ceramics is leaving Avenue B (Friday) 

• A Luscious new market option on 2nd Avenue (Monday) 

• Kōbo by Nai has not been open lately (Wednesday) 

• Today in thieving squirrels in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday) ... Today in makeshift fire pits by the Hare Krishna tree in Tompkins Square Park (Monday) 

... and we had several readers spot a (presumably) pet parakeet in Tompkins Square Park... in case of an escape from your home...

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Follow EVG on Instagram or X for more frequent updates and pics.

Sunday's opening shot

A new arrival this past week outside the Second Avenue F stop at Houston ... a Knicks tribute by Jappy Agoncillo. 

Apparently this will only be up through the weekend... and ahead of Game 1 between the Knicks and Pacers tomorrow evening. 

Check back later for our analysis on how the Knicks contain Tyrese Haliburton.

[Updated] When a Dodge Charger drove down the sidewalk on 2nd Street during a high-speed chase

With reporting by Stacie Joy 

Updated below with info from the NYPD

We heard about a high-speed car chase through parts of the East Village today just after noon. We haven't been able to piece it all together just yet. 

We received reader reports of a Dodge Charger tearing down Second Avenue, turning on Second Street, and driving up on the sidewalk on the south side of the street to avoid the vehicles stopped at the light.

The car exits the sidewalk, sending pedestrians scurrying, crossing First Avenue, and heading the wrong way eastbound on Second Street. There is one eyewitness report of the driver abruptly abandoning the car on Avenue C, sparking a foot chase.

A TikTok user captured 11 seconds of the chase from the SE corner of First Avenue and Second Street. (Unfortunately, the embed code isn't working. The link is here.) 

[Updated] 

The clip is now on Instagram, too...

 

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A second clip includes an ending showing the NYPD towing the car on the Lower East Side. There is no word yet on what happened to the driver (and any occupants in the vehicle).

 

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A post shared by New Yorkers (@newyorkers)

We reached out to the NYPD for more information about what transpired today... (see below)

Two NYPD sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the case, told EVG's Stacie Joy that the driver "stole" his own car from the impound lot in Brooklyn. 

Officers spotted the car in the 5th Precinct, which serves Little Italy, Chinatown and the Bowery. The car continued into the 9th Precinct and the 7th Precinct before the driver was apprehended with assistance from the NYPD Aviation Unit back in the 5th Precinct. 

The chase remains under investigation, and the sources said the narrative could change.

You can visit the New York Marble Cemetery this weekend on 2nd Avenue

The historic New York Marble Cemetery is open today (Saturday!) from noon to 4 p.m. ... as part of Lower East Side History Month. 

The cemetery, incorporated in 1831, is at 41 1/2 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street...

The gates are usually open once a month from April through October. You can check the schedule here. 

As of now, it's set to be open tomorrow too, though that can change if it rains.

Spin-offs: Throwback Two debuts on 9th Street

Photo by Steven

Welcome back to the south side of Ninth Street, Mr. Throwback.

Throwback Two has its soft opening today at 428 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

The shop, which sells vintage clothes and accessories for men, women, and children, is directly across the street from Mr. Throwback, the retro sports apparel specialist. (Plot twist: No. 428 was the original Mr. Throwback space.)

Throwback Two is open Wednesday-Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., with a 6 p.m. close on Sundays. Throwback 2 has an Instagram account here.

Michael Spitz opened Mr. Throwback in November 2012 and took business across Ninth to No. 437 in late 2017.

About the Rock Against Racism show [Updated: Postponed]

Updated 5/5: Due to the rain, the show has been postponed...

EVG's Stacie Joy spotted longtime East Village resident Chris Flash the other day with flyers for the Rock Against Racism concert on Sunday (May 5).

The free show is now set for Washington Square Park (it was once slated for Tompkins).

From 2-6 p.m., the featured bands will be Lake Lanier... Butter Brain... Rebelmatic ... Paragnosis ... and a "special guest band"...

Brought to you by RAR NYC and The Shadow.

Taking it to the streets

 

Pretty Sick has just released the eponymous single from the band's forthcoming (June 27!) EP, Streetwise. 

On the track, Sabrina Fuentes introduces some new electronic elements, adding a fresh twist to Pretty Sick's sound. (Check out Paper's interview with her here.) 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Catching up with Sabrina Fuentes of Pretty Sick

Tea Dealers & Ceramics is leaving Avenue B

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

After seven years at 29 Avenue B, Tea Dealers & Ceramics is moving away from its storefront here between Second Street and Third Street. 

Owner Stefan Ramirez (pictured) said they have a great relationship with their landlord, but they need more space. (They will be staying in NYC, though no word on the new address just yet.)

So, there is a moving sale for the rest of today and tomorrow (noon to 6 p.m.).

One request: Please bring a tote or shopping bag, as none are available.

EVG Etc.: NYPD arrests 56 in clearing NYU and New School protest encampments; Knickerbocker Village sells for $85 million

Sky view from St. Mark's Place 

• The NYPD clears protestors at NYU and The New School; 56 arrested (NBC News ... ABC News ... ABC 7 ... The Guardian) 

• Mayor Adams and top NYPD officials continued to blame "outside agitators" for the campus protests (The City) 

• The number of homeless New Yorkers moving into city public housing under the Adams administration has dropped to the lowest number in a decade (Gothamist) 

• Multiple NYCHA buildings going under renovation, part of the agency's PACT/RAD program, which converts Section 9 public housing into Section 8 housing operated by private landlords (Arch Paper)

• L+M buys Knickerbocker Village for $85 million (The Real Deal) 

• Assemblymember Harvey Epstein unveils pilot program legalizing basement apartments (NY1) 

• Cafe Mogador on St. Mark's Place — same as it ever was (Grub Street) 

• A new book celebrates Lee Quiñones, subway graffiti pioneer (Vanity Fair) 

• "NYC 2000-2005" at WHAMM! on Elizabeth Street features the photos of Alain Levitt (PAPER) 

• What your NYC tourist recommendations really say about you (McSweeney's) 

• Eva's Kitchen, an all-day cafe, debuts on Grand Street (The Lo-Down) 

• A collection of rarely seen work by Marguerite Duras (Anthology Film Archives) 

• Classics coming to Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue and 12th Street include "The Third Man" and "Metropolis" (Official site) 

• The new shop on Canal called Fugazi has nothing to do with the band (Brooklyn Vegan) 

• Diversions: About the new reality fashion series featuring (former EV resident) Julia Fox (Variety)

How to take part in Lower East Side History Month activities this May

Flyer photo by Q. Sakamaki at Tompkins Square Park

Lower East Side History Month is underway, and more than 60 Lower East Side cultural and community groups, small businesses, and residents are hosting a variety of public events, exhibits, tours, and festivals.

There are activities planned for just about every day this May. Check out the calendar here. And find a list of this weekend's events below...

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He has risen

Top photo by Stacie Joy; second pic by Steven 

The fellow "looking for a girlfriend" is now "looking for the perfect woman." And the flyers seem to be posted about every five feet along Avenue A.

(What the &*&^%&* we are talking about here)...