Checking in on the new East Village home of Gizmo, opening this month

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Updated: They are OPEN as of Oct. 15!

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It's starting to look like Gizmo in here. 

When we last checked in with Rosa Malmed and Hossein Amid, the husband-and-wife owners of Gizmo, they had just picked up the keys for their new storefront at 626 E. 14th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C... ending a months-long search. 

They've been busy these recent weeks putting together the space for their sewing supply and repair business...

Their opening-day goal is Oct. 15, though it could be a few days earlier. (As we reported, Hossein loves Halloween and wants to be open before then.) 

The hours will be Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday, although Rosa admits they may be open additional hours if needed. The phone number remains (212) 477-2773.

Until the end of February, Gizmo spent 32 years at 160 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street. Their landlord did not offer them a lease renewal. (No. 160 remains tenant-free, BTW.)

Paul's Bar no more for the movies, Double Down Saloon returns to service

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Top photo and text by EVG

After serving as a set for the Darren Aronofsky-helmed 1990s-based crime thriller "Caught Stealing" in recent weeks, the Double Down Saloon reopened on Oct. 2 here at 14 Avenue A between Houston and Second Street.

During the week of Sept. 9, we noticed a Pauls Bar marquee behind a temp-looking Double Down Saloon banner.

We thought someone uncovered ghost signage. (We recalled previous tenants like Julep and Mekka.) 

Then, an EVG reader told us this was for a set, and Zendaya would be filming here. Made some sense, as Dua Lipa and Miley Cyrus shot a music video here in October 2020. 

EVG's Stacie Joy stopped by the (suspiciously clean) bar on Sept. 14 and was told the DD would be closing for a few weeks for renovations and a refresh. A staffer told us, "We'll be back and better than ever," saying not to expect "big changes; most of the work will be in the basement and with the taps." And fear not, as the adult films would be back on the TVs, and the DD's infamous Ass Juice would still flow from wherever it flows from. Multiple DD staff at the time said they knew nothing about filming. 

Later, after the film notices arrived up and down Avenue A, DD management confirmed the movie part but wouldn't disclose any details. (We heard that locations had to sign a strict NDA. And DD didn't tell us that as it would break said NDA.) 

Anyway, these are photos from Sept. 14... the day before the bar temporarily closed on Sept. 15 so crews could set up for the interior filming ...

Here's how the place looked during late-night filming on Sept. 20...

Based on Charlie Huston's novel of the same name, "Caught Stealing" stars Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Will Brill, Bad Bunny, Griffin Dunne, Vincent D’Onofrio and Action Bronson. 

This outpost of the 24/7 Las Vegas fixture opened in 2006.

2 normal and useful businesses opening side by side on 14th Street

Signage arrived last week for Adonis Barbershop at 329 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Thanks to Pinch for the photo!) 

The barber shop is next door to the coming-soon Stuytown Pharmacy, which we mentioned in July. 

The Adonis space was most recently the smoke shop K&H Convenience, which had taken over the lease from the previous tenant, Marc's Barber Shop. 

So, we may be out of the era of every vacant storefront becoming a smoke shop.

The members-only Flyfish Club debuts at the former site of the Sunshine Cinema

The Flyfish Club, a "curated members club offering elevated dining and social experiences," debuted at 141 E. Houston St. between Eldridge and Forsyth on Sept. 17.

The club anchors the newish 9-story office building. 

When first announced in November 2022, the Flyfish Club was to be the city's first NFT restaurant. However, ownership (including Resy co-founder Gary Vaynerchuk) pivoted to a more traditional membership model. 

The pricing follows: a standard individual membership costs $3,500 annually (with a $1,500 initiation fee). 

And here's what you get: 

Nestled in the bustling heart of Manhattan's Lower East Side, Flyfish Club extends over three expansive levels, covering more than 11,000 square feet of meticulously designed space. Members enjoy private access to a variety of curated areas, rooted in elevated dining and social experiences. 

The club boasts a restaurant, a lounge, a private dining room, and for select members, an exclusive omakase counter. 

The club's interiors are the creation of Garrett Singer Design, a distinguished leader in the design industry. 

Eater has more on the place here. 

Previously at this address: The five-screen Sunshine Cinema closed in January 2018 after 17 years in service. Landmark reportedly had the opportunity to buy the property but decided against it after CB3 voted down a proposal for a full liquor license for a cafe in the theater in 2012 for pre- and post-movie drinks and dinner. 

As The Lo-Down reported then, "residents in attendance ... expressed serious concerns about the application in an area already teeming with nightlife activity." Moviegoers out to see the latest from, say, Jim Jarmusch are well-known to get cranked on the craft beer.

Today, alcohol sales at multiplexes are as common as soda and popcorn, including at the AMC Village 7, Village East by Angelika, Regal Union Square, and Regal Essex Crossing. 

Built in 1898, the Sunshine Cinema building was formerly the Houston Hippodrome motion picture theatre and a Yiddish vaudeville house. After sitting abandoned for many years, it was renovated, and the Sunshine opened on Dec. 21, 2001.

Sunday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at Le Petit Versailles Community Garden today on Second Street between Avenue B and Avenue C for the "succulent sale" that we mentioned yesterday...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo on Fourth Street by Derek Berg) 

 

• Celebrating the life and work of longtime East Village artist Anton van Dalen (Tuesday) 

• Why Dan Perino has been plastering the East Village with his 'perfect woman' flyers (Wednesday) 

• Caravan of Dreams launches crowdfunding campaign to secure future (Monday) 

• No last rites for the Rite Aid on 1st Avenue (Friday) 

• The return of Hitchcocktober at the Village East by Angelika (Wednesday) 

• Cyber Cafe joins Kim's Video and Benny's Burritos in 1990s throwback for 'Caught Stealing' (Tuesday) ... And now, Austin Butler (in character) carrying a bag of laundry (Wednesday)

• Monsieur Vo has closed on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) 

• The silence of the lamb chops: Key Food's sound system takes another break (Saturday)

• Excavator spotted at 1st Avenue site as plans for 7-story residential building await city approval (Monday)

• At the Ukrainian Museum, conversation and connections about borders (Friday)

• Lights, camera, nostalgia: Orchard Street goes back to the 1950s for Timothée Chalamet film (Tuesday) 

• A 'Succulent Sale' to raise funds for Le Petit Versailles Community Garden on 2nd Street (Saturday)

• That's Mr. KEKE Ramen to you on Cooper Square (Monday) 

• Openings: Yawning Cobra, Potbelly, Love Mi (Monday) ... Nosh Up on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• Signage alert: Halal Bites Pizza on 1st Avenue (Thursday) 

• Are you Ready for a 24/7 self-service, autonomous golf simulator studio? (Wednesday)

A 'Succulent Sale' to raise funds for Le Petit Versailles Community Garden on 2nd Street

Happening tomorrow (Sunday) at Le Petit Versailles Community Garden on Second Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.

Via the EVG inbox:

For her Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence NYC novice project, lovely sister-wife Novice Sharin Stoned is holding a "succulent sale" at Le Petit Versailles Community Garden. 

All proceeds from the sale will be donated to the garden to help with its upkeep. Come down and support Sharin's lovely endeavor by buying a plant, donating a plant to be sold, or just hanging out and keeping us company. 

Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Check out some of the events at Le Petit here. 

EVG Etc.: What 69% of New Yorkers think the Mayor should do; when you stop for breakfast after robbing a bank

A summery fall day yesterday in Tompkins Square Park 

• Search for a suspect who bashed a 68-year-old woman in the head on 14th Street near First Avenue (The Post ... PIX 11 ... Patch)

WANTED-ASSAULT On 9/22/24, @ 6:15 PM @NYPD9Pct
in front of 334 East 14th St, the above male did strike a 68-year-old female victim in the back with an unknown metal object. Any info call us at 800-577-TIPS. Reward up to $3,500. pic.twitter.com/OeMN1TpcFy

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) October 1, 2024

• A 24-year-old man arrested after slashing a 67-year-old man near Astor Place and Eighth Street at around 2:45 a.m. early Tuesday (PIX 11... Daily News) 

• Poll: 69% of residents say Mayor Adams should resign (ABC 7)

• Who's next to resign from the mayor's cabinet? (The City) 

• Brooklyn bank robber busted after taking a breakfast break on the Lower East Side 👍 (Daily News via Yahoo! News) 

• The city gave the fabulous Elizabeth Street Garden a two-week eviction notice to make way for the start of a new senior housing development (Gothamist ... ARTnews) 

• A look at the city's new composting program (Inside Climate News, email reg. required)

• Gregory Gumucio, the founder and co-owner of Yoga to the People, formerly on St. Mark's Place, pleads guilty to tax evasion (The Associated Press ... previously on EVG)

• Late night filming with Austin B. and Zoë K. on Sixth and A (Just Jared ... previously on EVG) 

• The high-tech basketball hoop in Tompkins Square Park is no longer connected to the Net (The Post ... previously on EVG) 

• "Extreme" omakase on Avenue B (Grub Street) 

• Three "under-the-radar" bakeries in the East Village (Eater) 

• An art historian's 11th Street loft with pieces by Ai Weiwei asks $4.2M (6sqft) 

• Head into the sewers of NYC with these films (Metrograph) 

• Prom night: "Carrie" at Village East by Angelika on Monday (Official website)

The silence of the lamb chops: Key Food's sound system takes another break

Reporting by Stacie Joy

For the past week or more, the gloriously random songs from the 1980s and 1990s have sounded scratchy at Key Food on Avenue A and Fourth Street. 

It was scratchy, not in a remixed way, but rather like the PA system needed repairs. It was very noticeable.

Howard Jones, Mike + the Mechanics and Glass Tiger never sounded so bad. (Really.) 

And last night, there was just silence, like in August when the PA system went down. 

According to nighttime co-manager Nigel Swift (below), the machine that supplies the music and the intercom is again broken.

A new part is on order and they hope to have it repaired in less than a week. 

In the interim, enjoy "Songs in the Key of Silence."

Saturday's opening shot

A new mural for October outside the Second Avenue F stop... work by MOTOMICHI. 

P.S. 

There's a QR code on the wall if you want to try an AR-enhanced version.

Friday's parting shots

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Trinity Lower East Side (hello to Pastor Will above!) on Avenue B at Ninth Street is hosting its annual Blessing of the Animals on Sunday.

There will be a mass at 11 a.m. ... and a "brief" blessing in the garden afterward...

'Number' cruncher

 

Local trio Sunflower Bean is back with a new catchy EP titled Shake.

The video here is for "Lucky Number." 

You can catch the band live at the United Sounds NYC Festival on Oct. 25 in Red Hook. (The bill includes The Dismemberment Plan and Model/Actriz.)

At the Ukrainian Museum, conversation and connections about borders

This fall, New York-based artist Molly Gochman presents "UKR|RUS" and "Dispersed Geographies," which are "two sculptural multi-sited, city-wide installations accompanied by community events and activations, all meant to initiate conversation around borders and prompt reflection on the ongoing war, while simultaneously uniting the Ukrainian communities of NYC." 

Tomorrow (Saturday) from noon to 5 p.m., Gochman is hosting a Community Activation Event, a block party of sorts outside the Ukrainian Museum on Sixth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square "that will serve as an opportunity to engage with her new works as well as participate in protests, workshops, and more." 

Meanwhile, you may have seen white vinyl pieces situated on sidewalks around the East Village. EVG reader Jacob Ford shared the photo below. Before we heard about "Dispersed Geographies," he tracked down the source of the sidewalk markings. 

Per the organizers:

"'Dispersed Geographies' translates the Ukraine-Russia border into a two-dimensional form, cut from white vinyl into segments. Using the sidewalk as a canvas, Gochman invites the public to interact with the city as a microcosm of the larger world." 

Read more about the project here. Find a Google Map with the pieces here.

"UKR|RUS" will be at the museum through the end of the year.

Oct. 4

A happy holiday to you on this first Friday of October!

Thanks to the dear EVG reader for sharing this from Avenue C and Ninth Street.

P.S.

Not sure if the cap on top means this tree is fireproof.

No last rites for the Rite Aid on 1st Avenue

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The Halloween displays at the Rite Aid on First Avenue and Fifth Street are a bit sparse...

As we've noted, the entire store is a little sparse... but this location will remain open...

Last month, Rite Aid emerged from bankruptcy. Per Reuters: 

Rite Aid will operate as a private company after it successfully completed its financial restructuring and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy... The pharmacy has used its bankruptcy to close hundreds of stores, sell its pharmacy benefit company Elixir, and negotiate settlements with its lenders, drug distribution partner McKesson and other creditors. 

There's signage in the pharmacy department about this... thanking customers and stating that Rite Aid is not going out of business...

Hopefully, they can afford a head for Santa this year!)

6&B Garden’s 41st annual Harvest Fest set for tomorrow (Saturday!)

The 6th Street and Avenue B Garden is hosting its 41st Harvest Festival tomorrow (Saturday!) at the SW corner of Sixth Street and Avenue B. 

Here's what to expect via the EVG inbox... 

 ...from 2-7pm, with free food + music for our community + an enormous list of fantastic raffle prizes from our beloved local businesses (raffle tickets are still just $1 and go on sale at 12:30 p.m. outside the garden on Saturday) with all proceeds going to support the garden. The full list of prize donors can be found on our website, with even more updates forthcoming today and tomorrow.

Thursday's parting shots

Photos by Steven

The milled roadways of Second Avenue and Third Avenue are rough rides for motorists and cyclists... Citi Bikes especially have little bump sensitivity.

Still, you'd think someone would have noticed their bike seat went missing on Second Avenue and Ninth Street today ...

A fall Friday of live music in Tompkins Square Park

Free live music continues this fall in Tompkins Square Park. 

Tomorrow (Friday) afternoon, see a four-band lineup via Show Brain. 

The tentative times:

• 2:10-2:40 — Genre Is Death 

• 3:05-3:40 — Giveth 

• 4:05-4:50 — A Cloud of Ravens 

• 5:15-6 — Ecce Shnak

Monsieur Vo has closed on 2nd Avenue

Monsieur Vo has closed its doors at 104 Second Ave. on the NE corner of Sixth Street. 

Google and Yelp list the well-regarded Vietnamese restaurant as permanently closed. A since-deleted Instagram post noted the following: 

We're bittersweetly announcing that Monsieur Vo Restaurant will be closing its doors after September 21st. If you've been wanting to try our unique menu or if you've been longing for one last visit, now's your chance! 

Come celebrate with us and savor your favorite dishes one last time. Your support has meant the world to us, and we'd love to see you before we say goodbye.

We were tipped off to the closure by an EVG reader who pointed out the Marshal's notice on the front gate dated Tuesday, noting that the landlord is now in possession of the storefront...

The husband-wife duo Chef Jimmy Ly and Yen Vo opened Monsieur Vo here in September 2022. A restaurant rep told us at the time that "Monsieur Vo is the team's love letter to the Vietnamese men in their lives — including fathers, uncles, brothers — and the dishes they love to eat." 

Last fall, Monsieur Vo was one of 11 new establishments added to New York's Michelin Guide. 

The Second Avenue address was previously their spinoff Madame Vo BBQ, which debuted in 2018 ... though it didn't reopen after the PAUSE of March 2020. Pandemic aside, they couldn't reopen while that block was closed following the devastating fire that destroyed Middle Collegiate Church in December 2020. 

The couple still operates Madame Vo at 212 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (It's excellent if you haven't tried it yet.)

Signage alert: Halal Bites Pizza on 1st Avenue

Signage is up now for Halal Bites Pizza at 59 First Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street. 

Per the awning (with the melty font and Pac-Man knock-offs), this establishment will offer slices for $1.50. 

The business takes over for Giggles Convenience, whose notable awning featured a hat-wearing skeleton smoking a bong. The unlicensed weed shop was busted more than a year ago. 

Gothamist published a piece last week about all the illegal cannabis places shuttered, leaving behind pockets of empty storefronts in neighborhoods with no apparent timelines for new leases. Perhaps cheap slicerias are the answer.