About today's free show in Tompkins Square Park

Show Brain presents another solid slate of bands this afternoon (2-6) in Tompkins Square Park...

• Francie Moon, "garage psych & rock n roll," 5:20 

• Balaclava, NYC trash rock, 4:30 

• Chico Romano, bedroom pop meets '60s soul and R&B, 3:40 

• Draculas, "rock ‘n’ roll for the beach goth punks," 2:50 

• Teenage Halloween, power punk, 2 p.m.

 

Set times are approximate!

Saturday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

On 7th and B today, Geoff, Liza and (traveling along) Mongo...

About Bastille Day at Le Petit Versailles Garden (there will be cake)

If you want to celebrate Bastille Day and support a vibrant community garden, look no further than Le Petit Versailles.

The arts and performance space at 247 E. Second St. between Avenue B and Avenue C is hosting its annual Cake Sale tomorrow (Sunday!) to benefit Le Petit Versailles. Bakers include John Michael Swartz, WunderWolfe and M, Peewee Nyob and Shelley Persinger, among others.

The sale starts at 2 p.m., followed by two live music sets later in the day. Find more info here.

About the 'Sunday Arts and Crafternoon Social' at the Parkside Lounge

Some local residents started a "Sunday Arts and Crafternoon Social" earlier this summer at the Parkside Lounge on Houston at Attorney. 

Per the invite, every Sunday afternoon (5-8 p.m.), "we get together at Parkside Lounge and make art, crochet, write, and chat. We have free donated art supplies and it's free to get in. No drink minimum. All are welcome. Come make art and make friends."

The Parkside is at 317 E. Houston St.

Thanks to organizer Rufus Hickok for sharing these photos.

In the aftermath of yesterday's deadly shooting in Tompkins Square Park

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

After being shot near the chess tables in Tompkins Square Park yesterday morning, one of the two victims, a 44-year-old male, entered the Avenue A Deli and Grill between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, seeking help before collapsing, according to witnesses and police sources. 

EMTs took the man to Bellevue. He was out of surgery early last evening, though we have not heard an official update on his condition. 

The deli was expected to reopen after crime scene investigators finished their work last night. (These photos are from 6 p.m.)

The shooting occurred around 9:45 a.m., just inside the 7th and A entrance to Tompkins Square Park. One of the victims, a man in his 70s, died from his wounds. Police sources have said the shooting was drug-related. 

The suspect, who was seen in the area up to an hour before the shooting, ran toward Seventh Street and Avenue B after the gunfire. Police sources said he may have discarded the white gloves and hoodie he was wearing before fleeing. 

The NYPD has not yet released an official description of the suspect. 

The chess tables, a hot spot for criminal activity in recent years, will remain "closed until further notice," per an X post early yesterday afternoon from local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera...

My office is in contact w/@NYPD9Pct regarding the shooting at Tompkins Square Park. NYPD is investigating and multiple departments and city agencies are on notice to address ongoing and related criminal activity in this area. The chess area will be closed until further notice.

— NYC Council Member Carlina Rivera (@CMCarlinaRivera) July 12, 2024

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

Updated 9 a.m. 

The Seventh and A entrance to the Park was open early this morning, with access to the chess tables... crime scene tape remained up on the fences nearby...

Updated 3 p.m.: The barricades are now blocking the chess tables (photo below by Stacie Joy)

Over 'Easy'

 

This week, Cocteau Twins launched a new YouTube channel (and online store!) featuring high-res versions of all of their official music videos for the first time... such as "Love's Easy Tears" above from their 1986 EP of the same name.

They look and sound as relevant as ever.

[Updating] Two men shot, 1 fatally, at the chess tables in Tompkins Square Park this morning, police say

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

This is a developing story, and we will update you when more information becomes available. Find the latest info, as of July 19, here. Updated 7/27: Police reportedly arrested two men in connection with the shooting. We are verifying the information with the NYPD.

Two men were shot this morning around 9:45 at the chess tables near the entrance to Tompkins Square Park at Seventh Street and Avenue A, the NYPD has confirmed.

The condition of the two victims is not known at the moment. Updated 1:14 p.m. Police confirmed that one of the victims, a man in his 70s, has died. (EMTs took both shooting victims to Bellevue.)

Police sources tell us that the shooting was drug-related and that it involved "problematic people at the Park." The suspect, wearing a hoodie and mask, was seen fleeing down Seventh Street toward Avenue B. There are early reports of a white vehicle involved in a getaway. 

Police are canvassing the area and scrutinizing surveillance footage.

Updated: Police said the suspect was seen in and around the Park about 50 minutes prior to the shooting wearing gloves, a mask, and a hoodie. 

An EVG reader shared this with us: 

Around 9:45 a.m. I heard around 5-8 shots ring out (LOUD shots), followed by everyone fleeing the Park. I was in the dog run with a whole bunch of fellow owners, trying to get our very scared pups out of there in a hurry. I'm a 15-year resident [and this was the] first time I've been forced to flee like that.

This past March, there were two daytime shootings (by the same suspect who was later arrested) in the Park. In the first shooting on March 16, a bullet struck an innocent bystander, a 53-year-old tourist, in her right hip, which had to be surgically replaced. 

The chess tables have long been a problem, an area where there have been multiple reports of drug use and sales, fencing stolen property, and various fist/knife fights. 

The NYPD and Parks Enforcement Patrol barricaded the area for most of the summer of 2022. In October 2022, a delivery man was slashed in the face here in the afternoon. 

As we wrote in August 2022: "Eventually, the barricades are removed ... and nothing ever really changes." 

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

Previously on EV Grieve: 

City clears and closes the area around the chess tables in Tompkins Square Park (Sept. 1, 2021)

Happy trails to the 2-story dining structure that almost was on 4th Street

Yesterday, we bid farewell to the curbside dining structure outside Izakaya on Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. (Thanks to Sal Barone for the photo!) 

There were reports that someone had turned the space into a makeshift shelter complete with mattresses, etc., so ownership had it removed. 

Updated Friday morning look via Stacie Joy...

In a city full of curbside dining structures, this one was notable for making the cover of the Post and getting Steve Cuozzo in a lather in August 2021 when workers started to add a second level — complete with artificial turf. (Photo below by Stacie Joy from August 2021)

The addition was scrubbed after neighbor complaints — two-story structures are not allowed — led an inspector from the Department of Transportation to the site, who nixed the double-decker. 

Izakaya's owner told Curbed this: "I was basically looking for the best we could do under the restrictions by being more creative and ambitious."

Meanwhile, we've seen more of the pandemic-era curbside dining structures torn down in recent weeks... as we've entered a new era with "Dining Out NYC." 

As previously noted, the significant change with the new guidelines is that enclosed, year-round roadway dining structures will no longer be permitted. The revised regulations stipulate that roadway cafes must now be open-air, easily portable, and simple to assemble and dismantle. Additionally, these establishments are restricted to operating only from April through November. 

Per the new guidelines, if restaurants participating in the temporary program do not reapply for the permanent outdoor dining program, they will have to take down their streeteries by Aug. 3. And: "Outdoor dining setups will need to comply with the Dining Out NYC design requirements within 30 days of the approval of your application." 

Lastly, Nov. 29 marks the conclusion of the roadway dining season under the permanent program, and all roadway setups must be removed until the spring. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The 2-story dining structure that almost was on 4th Street

A new loading zone for the East Village

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

This past week, an attention-getting new No Parking sign appeared outside the 9th Precinct on Fifth Street between First and Second Avenues. The spot directly in front of the station house is now designated for "Prisoner Loading Only." 

An NYPD source explained that the space aims to "prevent an issue when a prisoner can escape." It is specifically intended for police use (sorry local residents!), facilitating the expeditious loading and unloading of prisoners. The goal is to have prisoners as close to the front doors as possible, minimizing "lollygagging" and reducing the risk of escape. 

Although there hasn't been an escape incident at the 9th Precinct, other station houses have experienced such issues, prompting this precautionary signage measure. 

Interestingly, while the space is designated for a specific loading zone, we spotted a marked squad car that didn't appear to be dropping off or picking up a prisoner. Our source acknowledged that police personnel will sometimes use it when stopping by the Precinct for errands. Officers in such cases are to monitor their radios to ensure the space is available when needed for its primary purpose.

H/T Carol From East 5th Street

Thursday's parting shots

A look at the Tompkins Square Park mini pool, closed for the second straight summer while the field house undergoes renovations. (The pool isn't part of the facility upgrades, though maybe someone can rake it before returning to service next summer.) 

And yes, Tompkins Square Park has a mini pool...

There is always Dry Dock and Hamilton Fish Park.

From the archives: A documentary short about the intersection of 14th Street and 1st Avenue

Given all the attention in recent weeks about the long-problematic intersection of 14th Street and First Avenue (background here), we're revisiting this EVG post from May 24, 2012...

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Karen Loew, who lives near 14th Street and First Avenue, passed along the above video ... which explores the chaotic crossroads in "Intersection: Babel." It premiered last Thursday at the LABA Festival at the 14th Street Y.

The video includes interviews with people on the street as well as community leaders to explain what is unique (and not!) about 14th and First. Per the description, "'Intersection: Babel' is a documentary short looking at a place that's all about leaving it."

Among other things, the video explores the hazardous transportation environment here... from the crisscrossing M14s and M15s (and placement of the bus stops) ... the access road to Stuy Town at the northeast corner ... the tricky left turn for autos (and pedestrians) from eastbound 14th onto northbound First ... the L entrance/exit that's pretty much in the intersection on the southeast corner...

Monsignor Kevin J. Nelan of the Immaculate Conception Parish says it's like "a mini Times Square." City Councilmember Dan Garodnick says that there's "a lot of activity but not a lot of personality" here.

Agreed!

Directed and produced by Karen Loew.
Videography and editing by Cory Antiel.
Dance by Julie Gayer Kris.

Report: Beth Israel closure on hold for now

Photo earlier this year by Pinch 

Mount Sinai will not be shutting down Beth Israel on Friday after all. 

As Crain's first reported yesterday, the closure has been postponed indefinitely, according to an internal memo sent to staff.

Per Crain's: 

The hospital has previously held firm on the original closure date, but two major challenges have foiled its plans for now: The state has yet to approve the closure plan, and a Manhattan judge has blocked the hospital from ceasing services after neighbors and advocates filed suit.

And! 

The hospital system did not give a new target closure date, saying that the situation now depends on state and legal forces.

Mount Sinai had been targeting July 12 since this past October. 

And from Gothamist:

In Wednesday's memo, hospital leaders said they have worked to recruit staff and hire temporary employees to keep the hospital functioning, but "have not been able to bring in all the staff that we would like to."

But community members who sued the hospital to keep it open alleged Mount Sinai officials intentionally manufactured a crisis by diminishing services and driving away staff.

Meanwhile, local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera applauded the news of the postponement.

"It is a relief that Mount Sinai’s indefinite postponement of the closure of Beth Israel will keep the hospital open for now, but their failure to make a long-term commitment puts the health care of over 400,000 Manhattan residents in jeopardy," she said in a statement. "It will take years for existing alternative health care providers to scale up their infrastructure to meet the demand that will be placed on them, and the State must intervene to halt Mount Sinai's hasty efforts to close the hospital down."

Our previous post has more background.

Mount Sinai officials have said Beth Israel lost $1 billion in the last decade and only $29 million remains in cash reserves. 

Beth Israel was founded 143 years ago on the Lower East Side and moved to its current location on 16th Street and First Avenue in 1929.

Revisiting Curt Hoppe's Downtown Portraits

James Chance by Curt Hoppe via Howl! Arts 

The work of Curt Hoppe, a longtime resident of the Bowery, is getting an encore presentation at Howl! Happening starting tonight. 

Via the EVG inbox:

Howl! Arts | Howl! Archive is pleased to present "Downtown Portraits Revisited," an exhibition featuring Curt Hoppe's large-scale realist paintings and black-and-white photographs of New York City artist friends. These were first exhibited five years ago at Howl! Happening in conjunction with Frank Bernarducci Gallery. Since then, we've experienced not only the loss of some of the artists who are subjects in his series but significant changes in our daily lives due to the pandemic. 

James Chance, the no-wave saxophonist seen above, passed away on June 18. 

The opening reception for "Downtown Portraits Revisited" is tonight (Thursday!) from 5 to 8. 

Howl! Happening is at 6 E. First St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. Hours: noon to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Q-and-A with Curt Hoppe: Living on the Bowery, finding inspiration and shooting Mr. Softee

Openings: SourAji on Avenue B

Photo by Stacie Joy

SourAji has debuted at 23 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street. 

According to its Resy page, the restaurant offers a $98 omakase set "along with unlimited add-on sushi, sake, and Japanese beer!" 

There are multiple seatings per evening, from 5 to 9:30. SourAji is closed on Sundays. 

SourAji takes over the space from an unrelated omakase joint called Domakase.

On 2nd Avenue and 2nd Street, an empty lot and lots of questions about what's next

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Rumors are circulating that Gemini Rosemont will proceed with the development company's original plans to build an 11-story mixed-use building on the vacant NE corner of Second Avenue and Second Street.

In 2020, Gemini Rosemont spent more than $50 million to assemble the development ... buying the former La Salle annex at 38 Second Ave. and Second Street. The $14.5 million purchase of the four-story building was the third of three contiguous plots they acquired. The commercial real estate investment company closed on 42-44 Second Ave. and 46-48 Second Ave. (the former Church of the Nativity) in March 2020 for $40 million. 

However, as The Real Deal first reported last August, the city revoked the building permits after Robert Proto, who owns 50 Second Ave. at Third Street, raised concerns about the development. Per TRD: "Proto made unceasing calls to officials for weeks, triggering an audit by the Department of Buildings that found code and zoning issues that had initially slipped past the agency." 

The property hit the sales market last fall and is no longer available. Sources told us there weren't any takers. We contacted a Gemini Rosemont spokesperson for comment and will update you if they respond.

Proto recently provided EVG with a tour of the building he co-owns with his wife. His son and his son's girlfriend live in the building now. While Robert Proto and his wife live in New Jersey now, they have their office at No. 50. 

Surveying the rubble-strewn property next door, which previously housed the Church of the Nativity and LaSalle Annex, Proto said he "doesn't like a vacant lot" and that his building, which is now "covered in graffiti," isn't protected from vandals enough.

Proto has owned the landmarked 1899 Renaissance Revival-style tenement for 12 years and has maintained its pre-war charms.

Proto has been a vocal opponent of the mega-developer. As detailed in the TRD article, the adjacent construction site posed a significant risk of undermining his 10-unit building. 

This led to a legal battle with Gemini (the litigation continues), as the company needed a permit to drill through his basement to check the depth of the footings. Proto emphasized the need for "access agreements with all the surrounding buildings in order to build on the site."

"It's paramount to me to protect my tenants," Proto said, noting that "the status quo helps no one."

A look at 14th Street and 1st Avenue — 'a New York Block No One Can Fix'

The New York Times checked in yesterday with a look at the long-problematic stretch of 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue in a piece titled "A Street Brawl, a Stabbing Spree and a New York Block No One Can Fix" ... following the triple stabbing left one man dead on June 23. 

As the paper notes, "East 14th Street also embodies New York City’s struggles with a web of interconnected ills that have defied attempts to rein them in and have flared since the pandemic in parts of Manhattan: homelessness and mental illness, addiction and rampant shoplifting and seesaw battles for control of public space." 

The piece has more about the suspect, Alejandro Piedra, a 30-year-old man "with a history of serious mental illness who now faces charges of murder and attempted murder," and one of the stabbing victims, who has returned to 14th Street — his "stomping grounds." 

Since the stabbings, the NYPD has been a regular presence on the block, both on foot patrols and in patrol cars. Last week, Mayor Adams reportedly allocated $1 million to place a police mobile command center there. 

You can read the full article here. (The piece also mentions some previous EVG coverage.) 

Meanwhile, on Monday, local elected officials took part in a meeting with various city agencies...

We must keep working together as a community to tackle our toughest issues, and I remain committed to securing more resources for 14th Street as public safety concerns persist. I'm grateful for today's multi-agency meeting and will keep fighting to improve our neighborhood. pic.twitter.com/WTYWX289hQ

— Carlina Rivera (@CarlinaRivera) July 8, 2024

On way to an all hands on deck meeting with city agencies & elected officials re: 14th Street.

Conditions this AM looking good. The way it should be everyday. pic.twitter.com/4SdntSNwNS

— Keith Powers (@KeithPowersNYC) July 8, 2024

We all want to be safe. That is why I Joined my colleagues and representatives from City agencies to discuss how to improve the 14th street corridor, which we have long raised concerns about. We had a good conversation with @NYPDnews @NYCSanitation w/ @NYCDHS and @GoddardRiv. pic.twitter.com/SKcCtwTFsy

— Harvey Epstein (@HarveyforNY) July 8, 2024

Since June 23, several residents and readers have said they've noticed a positive difference along this corridor, though each has asked: Will it last?

A Radhika and Saman pop-up on 9th Street this week

Photo and text by Stacie Joy 

Saman Mahmood of Radhika and Saman is hosting another pop-up shop this summer ... taking place this week at 616 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

This year, the boutique owner is joined by her daughters, one of whom is vending handmade lip oils and the other lemonade, plus an artist who sells Muslim/Palestine-inspired products. 

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sunday. 

Mahmood sells dresses (which can be custom-ordered), skirts, tops, and other accessories handcrafted by women in Pakistan and India. 

Mahmood's business partner, Radhika Khanna, whom she met while a student at FIT in 2001, died of lupus in February 2022 at age 47. Part of the shop's proceeds go to the Lupus and aHUS Foundation.

Pakistani bakery chain bringing Layers Bakeshop to 14th Street

Photo by Pinch

Signage is up at 209 E. 14th St. for Layers Bakeshop between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The bakery chain started in Lahore, the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Punjab. In 2022, Layers opened several locations on Long Island and has been expanding to Astoria, Williamsburg, and now here.

They offer a variety of baked items, including cakes, cupcakes and brownies, as well as homemade ice cream and sundaes.

And Layers marks the fourth cafe-bakery outfit to open around here in recent months.

The retail space was previously The Whale Tea shop. 

Tuesday's parting shot

As seen on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... "It's painted carefully." 

Caution sign or a proud worker? 

Thanks to Robert Miner for the photo and text.

What comes around: How about a Beastie Boys Square street sign for your home?

Updated 2:03 p.m.: Ugh, that was fast — the site says the item is sold out. Given the interest, maybe the city can make more than 75.

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The DOT announced today that the city is selling commemorative Beastie Boys Square street signs to mark Paul's Boutique's 35th anniversary. 

Per the EVG inbox: 

As part of the agency's monthly "sign drops," the Beastie Boys Square signs are hand-made at the NYC DOT Sign Shop, which produces over 70,000 signs each year. A limited edition of 75 signs will be sold online for $75 each and are available one per customer. All signs will be sold via the CityStore ... and proceeds will benefit the city's general fund. 

Paul's Boutique dropped on July 25, 1989.

Last September, the city (finally, after a long campaign) co-named Rivington and Ludlow, which played a starring role on the cover, Beastie Boys Square... (photo below by Stacie Joy)