Community Board 3 adds a special meeting on congestion pricing to June's agenda

3rd Avenue photo by deberarr 

Community Board 3 has added a special meeting this month to address Gov. Hochul's decision to indefinitely pause congestion pricing, which was set to go into effect at the end of June. 

Here's more via an email from CB3 Chair Andrea Gordillo: 

Community Boards 1-6 have discussed signing on to a letter to all parties involved with the MTA's Congestion Pricing Plan, asking to reverse course on the Governor's decision. Given the unprecedented nature of the abrupt policy shift, its potential cost to the MTA, and public trust in government, Community Board 3 will convene this special meeting after the public session of its June Full Board meeting to discuss and vote on the contents of the letter which would ask the Governor to proceed with congestion pricing. 

We encourage members of the public to attend the meeting and sign up to give public comment, and we ask for your support in reaching out to our communities to inform them of the opportunity to comment on this important decision. 

The full CB3 meeting is Tuesday, June 25, at P.S. 20, 166 Essex St., between Houston and Stanton. 

The item was also added to tonight's (June 11) meeting of CB3's Transportation, Public Safety, Sanitation, and Environment Committee. 

Per Gordillo's email: "This decision to add this to the agenda after the agenda was posted, while also unprecedented, was made to ensure the broadest base of public comment, and exceptions like this are not to be granted again." 

Tonight's hybrid committee meeting starts at 6:30 at the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. Limited seating is available to the first 15 people. Members of the public can also attend by Zoom here. 

In a statement last Wednesday, Hochul expressed concerns about the timing and state of the city's post-pandemic recovery. 

Under the congestion-pricing plan, most people driving passenger vehicles into Manhattan below 60th Street would need to pay a minimum of $15, with larger vehicles incurring higher charges. 

The MTA has already spent tens of millions of dollars to install cameras, sensors, license plate readers, and other equipment on city roadways in preparation for the plan's launch. The anticipated fee was projected to generate around $1 billion annually, benefiting subway and bus systems that serve approximately 4 million daily riders. 

The move also represents a dramatic reversal for public transit advocates, who had supported congestion pricing to raise money for NYC's struggling subway and commuter rail systems and reduce traffic on city streets.

Nearly 3 years later, city is finishing the Avenue C bike lanes

Top 2 photos by Dave on 7th 

DOT crews were out yesterday working on bike lanes on both sides of Avenue C between Eighth Street and Ninth Street.

This work comes nearly three years after the city first marked Avenue C for the new bike lanes. However, with the pandemic-era curbside dining structures still in place outside several establishments between Sixth Street and Ninth Street, cyclists were forced to enter into traffic for several blocks before the marked lanes picked up again in both directions at Ninth Street. 

However, earlier this spring, the remaining streetside structures were removed, and there is now a protected bike lane between Sixth and Ninth Street on the east side of the avenue. Here's a look at the buffer zones that will protect cyclists from cars and trucks ...

On the west side, despite the freshly painted bike lane, drivers were observed parking between Eighth Street and Ninth Street, posing a potential hazard for cyclists...

There are also a few mixing spots on Avenue C where the bike lane passes through a bus stop, like just below Eighth Street outside the Associated...

Several years in the planning stages, the DOT added the protected north/south bike lanes on Avenue C and East Houston Street to help offset the closure of the East River Park greenway. 

You can find many more details in the presentation that DOT officials made to CB3 in April 2021. (PDF here)

A new era for teen spirit at the Tompkins Square Library branch

The Tompkins Square Library branch recently (May 31!) celebrated the grand opening of a new-era Teen Center. 

A rep told us that this is part of the NYPL's larger initiative to meet the needs of this demographic.

"This library's newly expanded Teen Center is a space for teens to hone new tech skills and get creative," the rep said. "The center also comes equipped with video and photography tech, digital media tools, like a 3D printer, and other crafts."

Find more info here. 

The branch is at 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Photo courtesy of the NYPL

Monday's parting shot

Photo by Cecil Scheib 

Tonight's sunset with a Tompkins Square Park view...

A cat's tale

For anyone wondering about this missing black kitty from earlier today around Seventh Street and First Avenue ... Nugget and her owner have been reunited...

That's all, folks: Tacos El Porky closes on Avenue A after 3-plus months

Photo by Steven 

Tacos El Porky has shut down after three-plus months at 151 Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street. 

On Saturday, the South Florida-based business announced via Instagram: "Our New York restaurant is closing its doors permanently. Thank You to all the people that came and tried our food; we’ll miss you! But… The Party continues in Miami!"

The taco shop debuted in late February ... taking over from its sibling El Primo Red Tacos, which came and went after four months. Owner Frank Neri previously told us they couldn't make enough money with the limited beef birria menu.

The closure comes after management appeared before CB3 for a beer-wine license last month and pitched to use the backyard space — a proposal with seven tables and 28 seats. (According to the minutes from the public meeting, they were also on the August 2020 docket for a similar ask but "refused to appear" before the committee.) 

While CB3 gave conditional consent last month for the beer-wine, the committee stated Tacos El Porky could not use the backyard space for dining. 

A lot of locals also spoke out against this applicant's quest to use the outdoor space. According to the minutes from the May meeting: 

We have received a petition in opposition to the backyard use, and late night/early morning hours, signed by 143 nearby residents. The neighbors state that the applicant has been using the backyard for staff use, including cleaning mats, pots and pans and other kitchen equipment late at night causing noise and disturbances, as well as letters in opposition from the church next door, and ...

We have received complaints about the applicant giving away and selling margaritas and shots. The applicant states that it was wine/agave-based tequila. We have photos of the applicant advertising these drinks, as well as a menu submitted that lists margaritas and shots, with no mention that it is agave-based. A resident asked the staff about the drinks and was told that it was real tequila and triple sec and shown a bottle of triple sec, and ...

Five residents, including a representative from the 9th St. A1 Block Association, a co-owner representing residents of 149 Avenue A, and a representative from a condo association at 272 E. 10th Street, appeared to speak in opposition to the late-night hours and any use of the backyard. 

As a reminder, tacos can work in these spaces (without the backyard). San Loco was in the south storefront at No. 151 for 15 years until February 2014.

The ongoing efforts to shutter unlicensed weed shops

Local law enforcement (under the New York City Sheriff's Joint Compliance Task Force) continues to crack down on unlicensed weed/smoke shops. 

For example, this past Thursday, authorities closed Smoke City Exotics at 166 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street...

...as well as the oft-busted storefront at 24 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street...

On May 7, Mayor Adams announced the launch of Operation Padlock to Protect "to hold illegal smoke and cannabis shops accountable." 

After the first week, City Hall said that they had closed and sealed 75 shops and issued nearly $6 million in penalties. (And in the first month, the closure tally passed the 300-store mark.) 

In the past, some businesses were back in operation a day or two later, or they used evasive tactics such as removing the signage and only opening late at night when ownership figured they were safe from raids. 

The Task Force closed Hi Society at 97 Second Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street on May 22. The shop, which had a velvet rope and doorman, was open the next day. The Task Force returned, and the shop has been shuttered ever since, with seven "seized" posters on the storefront.

Over the weekend, Colin Moynihan did a deep dive for the Times on the concern over the proliferation of unlicensed stores on the Lower East Side. The story includes local residents who "created a spreadsheet listing the locations of nearly three dozen unlicensed sellers, which they said they distributed to government officials, hoping to prompt enforcement." 

Some background from the article, which you can access here: 

Nearly 3,000 unlicensed cannabis stores are estimated to have opened across New York City since 2021, when a state bill was passed legalizing recreational marijuana and allowing for the distribution of retail cannabis licenses. There are 132 licensed adult-use dispensaries across the state, according to the Office of Cannabis Management, with 62 in the city. 

... and... 

... the rollout of the licensed shops has stumbled, tripped up by lawsuits, bureaucratic delays and a lack of financial assistance for retailers. At one point, policymakers promised to provide turnkey storefronts for new business owners. Those promises never came through. 

The article quotes Jeffrey Hoffman, a cannabis lawyer and legalization advocate who supports closing the unlicensed shops. Given their numbers and the clandestine actions of some of the operators, he predicted it would take months or longer to shut down all the unlicensed shops.

Meanwhile, what will happen to all the storefronts that landlords previously leased to illegal cannabis businesses? 

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Credit:

Photos 1 & 3 — Salim

Photo 2 — Steven

Photos 4 & 5 — EVG

Updated: What might be next for this 2nd Avenue storefront?

In recent months, the gate has been down in the north storefront at 128 Second Ave., and it appeared that Roasted NYC was, well, toasted. (We also spotted an eviction notice taped to the gate in March.)

Fast-forward to the other day... when the gate was (finally) up, and the space appears to either be ready for a new tenant or a for-lease sign here between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

The coffee shop opened last summer, pivoting from the weed-related NYC Kind Cafe ... which took over for the short-lived Paint Puff "N" Peace in 2022 — one of the early unlicensed shops to arrive in the neighborhood. 

Updated 5 p.m. 

A for-lease sign arrived today... photo by Steven

Openings: Cafe 2BY2 on 10th Street

Cafe 2BY2 is in soft-open mode now in the upper storefront at 84 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue. 

The shop features homemade desserts (tiramisu, cream brûlée taro puff) and coffee, tea and matcha lattes. 

Posted daily hours: Noon to 10 p.m. 

The space was previously Avenues, the real-estate office-coffee bar combo... and before that, EVG fave Turntable Lab, which lives on online.

Sunday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Along St. Mark's Place today...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo along St. Mark's Place)... 

• Man slashed in an unprovoked attack on Astor Place (Friday... Saturday) 

• After 25 Years on Avenue A, Juicy Lucy will move following vandal attack (Thursday) 

• The former St. Emeric property could yield a 570-unit affordable housing complex on Avenue D (Wednesday)

• Carnitas Ramirez sets its opening date for new East Village taqueria (Wednesday) 

• From parked cars to luxury condos on 9th Street (Monday) 

• Mapping the public restrooms in the East Village (Thursday) 

• Asian Taste looks to be reopening this month (Tuesday)

• Plywood free, you can now walk along the all-new 360 Bowery and its 22-floor office building (Thursday)

• Opening up Jennifer's Cafe on the NW corner of 4th Street and 1st Avenue (Wednesday) 

• After 36 years in business, Ise Restaurant is closing its doors this month (Tuesday) 

• Greenmarket season begins on Astor Place (Tuesday)

• 40 years gone! Revisiting a classic New York magazine cover story from 1984 (Monday)

• Garage Sale Vintage bringing its nostalgic vibes to the Bowery (Monday) 

• Looking at two recent storefront reveals on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Storefront renovations commence on the SW corner of the Bowery and Houston (Monday) 

• At the reopening of longtime East Village staple Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen (Friday)

• Openings: Kyuubi Omakase on St. Mark's Place (Thursday) 

• Friday night with The Damned at Hammerstein Ballroom (Sunday) 

... and this past week, we spotted workers inoculating trees in Tompkins Square Park to help protect them from Dutch Elm Disease (photo by Steven)...

We'll always have St. Mark's Place

As we noted this past Tuesday, workers removed the roof and walls of the entryway to the empty storefront at 22 St. Mark's Place, which briefly housed Mr. Kim, the tattoo and piercing studio between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

In the above recent photo, Ed Yoo captured a mosh-pit moment at the previous crash pad spot...

Saturday's parting shot

A Pride Month mural outside the Second Avenue F stop... art by David Puck. This is the seventh Pride mural curated by photographer-filmmaker Daniel "Dusty" Albanese.

5th Street still life

Photo by Carol from East 5th Street

[Updated] NYPD releases images of suspect in Astor Place slashing Thursday evening

Updated 6/9

Police have arrested a 35-year-old homeless man, identified as Steven Johnson, in connection with the slashing, the Daily News reports

Updated 6/10

According to the Post, Johnson hit a deli worker on St. Mark's Place in the head with a chain after he was asked to leave the store for blocking the entrance, per ADA Robert Wirtz. This happened the day before the slashing on Astor Place. 

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The NYPD has released images of the suspect they are searching for in connection with the random slashing on Astor Place early Thursday evening.

Police said a 30-year-old man was slashed with an unknown object in the back of the neck. According to published reports, the victim is in stable condition at Bellevue.

The attack happened just before 5:30 p.m. on the busy plaza that houses the Cube and the food and beverage kiosk. Passersby said nothing precipitated the slashing between the suspect and the victim. 

The suspect, who police described as 6 feet tall with a medium build, was last seen heading toward St. Mark's Place. He was wearing a dark-hooded sweatshirt, camouflage pants and black boots at the time of the attack. 

Anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit tips online. All calls are confidential.

Tompkins Square basketball courts remain closed for mural installation

As of Wednesday evening, the basketball courts in Tompkins Square Park have been fenced off ahead of a mural installation.

 

Na Chainkua Reindorf will create "Gaze" — "a stylized eye which is a recurring symbol" in her work.

There is no word on the timeline for the project.

The fitness area here along 10th Street and Avenue B remains open...

H/T to the EVG reader for the initial tip and to Steven for the photos...

Masato Okano's punk poster exhibit at MoRUS ends this weekend

Photos by Stacie Joy 

"Art Speaks More Than Words," a hand-painted punk poster exhibition by illustrator-musician Masato Okano, remains up at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) through tomorrow (Sunday!).

You can check out the large canvas banners, including the matinees by NYHC Chronicles at Niagara and Bowery Electric, today and tomorrow from 1-5 p.m. (There's no admission charge.) 

Here's a look at some of the work...

MoRUS is at 155 Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

Friday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

From beneath the Hare Krishna Tree in Tompkins Square Park today... the start of the annual Hare Krishna Festival weekend in NYC.

Get the balance right

 

Shoegaze legend Miki Berenyi (of Lush fame) is back with new music and a new band — the Miki Berenyi Trio. 

The video here is for "Vertigo." 

You can catch the band tomorrow (Saturday night) at Webster Hall on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue  ... with a great opening act — Lol Tolhurst x Budgie (the drummers of the Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees).

At the reopening of longtime East Village staple Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen

Photos from May 31 

Reporting by Stacie Joy 

A refurbished Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen reopened last Friday in the basement space it has used for the past 50 years at 33 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square. 

Several people were waiting in line to enter before the announced 11 a.m. opening time. 

Rev. Father Johan Lubiv, the administrator of St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church for the past four years, greeted me inside.

In the days before the reopening, the space received a deep clean and fresh coat of paint. While a new volunteer staff runs operations, Streecha features the same menu items and prices, with funds going to St. George down the block. (Streecha has long served as a fundraising arm for the church.)

Ahead of the reopening, there was some confusion over Streecha's future. On May 23, Dima Kovalenko, who the church hired to be its chef and run the kitchen nine years ago, announced on Instagram that Streecha had permanently closed and that the "property owner" had other plans for the basement space. (Kovalenko, meanwhile, found a backer and will be opening a pop-up space under a new name nearby offering a similar fare.) 

In a previous interview, Father Johan explained some of the misunderstandings. "I said to Dima to say, 'I am not working at Streecha, but Streecha continues to function.' This is misleading information that Streecha is closed." 

Father Johan said St. George hired Kovalenko to run Streecha, though he claims he had "turned it into a private business, and that is not what this space is for." 

Streecha will be open Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.