Interesting new business opens on the Bowery and Houston

Over the weekend, the plywood came down on the SW corner of the Bowery and Houston to reveal the new business — Bank of America! 

This is the first tenant here in almost seven years ... the last at 284 Bowery was Cherche Midi, Keith McNally's French brasserie, which closed in June 2018. (Before this, McNally had unleased Pulino's Bar and Pizzeria.) 

This corner had also been a hot spot for street art these past six years, including a mural paying tribute to George Floyd by @fumeroism that arrived in early June 2020.

So much for bank branches being a thing of the past: A Wells Fargo opened one storefront to the south on the Bowery several years back. Now, if we can just get a psychic or nail salon to open in the space between, it will feel like 2008 or so...

Q&A with Steven Matrick, co-founder of the New Colossus Festival, taking place this week at East Village and Lower East Side music venues

Photos and interview by Stacie Joy 

Longtime Lower East Side resident Steven Matrick arrives at Pianos (158 Ludlow St.) excited to talk about music and bands — and I am excited to let him, as he details some acts he's especially keen on seeing (and hearing) at this year's New Colossus Festival.

Since he's the co-founder of the nearly weeklong event, which is rapidly approaching (today through Sunday), we take some photos at one of the fest's 11 venues and chat about the NYC music scene, what it takes to run a festival, and his favorite moments from previous ones.

What inspired you to start The New Colossus Festival, and how has it evolved since its inception? 

I was on a series of panels with the other bookers on the Lower East Side, and we kept talking about how much we all missed CMJ. This was in 2018. Festival Co-Founder Mike Bell approached me about the New Colossus Festival as the booker of Pianos, and then his partner quit, so we teamed up. He rightly pointed out the scattershot nature of bands coming to NYC on their way to SXSW and how we should centralize it in the neighborhood we love. We chose Lio Kanine from Kanine Records to help us with booking, as he always threw amazing parties at CMJ. 

We did a test run in 2018 on both floors at Pianos the week before SXSW, and it went extremely well, so we went full throttle in 2019. The festival lineup has gotten bigger (more bands) and better (more amazing bands) with each year. We’ve been able to rely on locals less and less with each edition, and our mission is to welcome international bands to NYC, so we’re very happy about this. We also have done 22 weeks of shows (with 5 bands at each one) at 18th Ward Brewery the last three years, so we’ve at this point worked with about 300 local bands and are able to figure out which ones we want to showcase every year. 

The festival name is derived from Emma Lazarus's poem about the Statue of Liberty. How does that symbolism influence the Festival’s identity? 

NYC has been one of the epicenters of music for a very long time, and we want to welcome artists from all over the world to play their first shows in March. This was Mike's idea, and I'm a very sentimental person, so I was and always have been really into it. 

It is really beautiful, and there is a way in which musical artists wash up to NYC looking to play: 

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she 

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, 

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, 

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, 

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

How do you see The New Colossus Festival contributing to NYC's cultural and artistic landscape? 

Well, we're an indie rock festival. The indie rock music scene started in the East Village with CBGB and Max's Kansas City, moved to the Lower East Side in the early 2000s (Mercury Lounge, Luna Lounge, Pianos, Cake Shop, Don Hills, etc.), moved to Williamsburg in the early 2010s, and then eastward to Bushwick. Now, there are a ton of venues in Ridgewood and BedStuy.

The move eastward has to do with artists finding affordable places to live. It is extremely important to us that we have this Festival in the Lower East Side/East Village to bring these kids back to playing in these historic venues. 

We're also functioning as an entry point for what will be 800 bands by the end of the Festival, and most of them gain a footing so that their next show in NYC has the capacity to have a good-sized audience at it. It's a wonderful thing.

Many artists are performing in New York City — or even the U.S. — for the first time. How does the Festival support them in making that leap? 

Well, when you go to SXSW, you're technically only supposed to play one show and certainly not more than one at night during official festival hours. This year, we’ve given all international bands two to three shows and many locals two shows. It is so excellent to provide multiple showcases for them during their trip. 

In the past, at Pianos, a band from Norway would showcase at 7 p.m., and sometimes the rooms were empty because nobody knew who they were yet. This is a much better way to play your first NYC shows. 

Are there any artists or performances you’re particularly excited about this year? 

Yes! I'm a punk rock guy and am throwing two label parties. All of the bands on those parties are amazing: Test Plan, Prostitute, Public Circuit, Peer Pleasure and Bucket (two bands I saw at Ireland Music Week), Joe & the Shitboys from the Faroe Islands, who are opening three shows for Iggy Pop soon, and some really excellent weird bands from Ohio: Big Fat Head, People in the Daytime and Touchdown Jesus, that Pons, who are on our label, sent over to me.

On the nonpunk front, I can't wait to see Prism Shores, You Said Strange, Delivery, Hachiku, Cusp, World News, Dictator, Dutch Mustard, Snoozer (Alex G's band), Wax Jaw, Bleary Eyed … and I can go on and on and on! 

Looking back, what are the festival moments that stand out for you?

1. Lowly (Denmark) at Pianos in 2019 completely blew our minds. Think Stereolab. 

2. Paul Jacobs (Montreal) blew us away at Pianos in 2022. 

3. GIFT (Brooklyn) played Berlin in 2022 and were so great I wound up managing them.

4. Ducks Ltd. (Toronto) blessed us with three shows last year. Their album Harm's Way was the theme album for the Festival, so I enjoyed every moment of all three shows—as did everyone else who was there! 

5. Roost.World (Vermont) closed out the Festival last year at Baker Falls on Saturday Night, and it was a full-on amazing dance party. 

What are your long-term goals for The New Colossus Festival, and are there any new elements or expansions you’re considering for future editions? 

We'd like to continue holding it in small venues to keep it manageable for everyone and evolve the number of people who come out for the week. This year, we did six shows with Super Bock, three shows with Groover, and, again, 22 weeks of shows at 18th Ward Brewery, so the Festival has become more of a year-round thing. 

We'd like to continue expanding who we partner with for shows and throw great shows throughout the year.

Find the entire schedule and band info at this link.

Tompkins Square Park field house refurbished, reopening nears after final inspections

Photos and reporting yesterday by Stacie Joy 

At the start of 2025, NYC Parks officials told us that the nearly 20-month renovations of the Tompkins Square Park field house were expected to be completed by the end of January or early February. 

Now that we have entered March, and the fencing still surrounds the structure along the Ninth Street walkway, we asked for an update. 

An NYC Parks official told us that the construction has been completed, and the Park staff is conducting final inspections.

There is no word on when that might be. The official said they are still working on scheduling a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the upgraded facility. 

The reconstruction of the field house included a complete renovation of the building's interior and exterior, upgrading all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Accessibility improvements feature reconfigured layouts, new entryways, ADA-compliant ramps, and renovated restrooms and maintenance areas. 

The mayor's office funded the $5.6 million renovations, which were much needed because the field house rarely had heat or hot water. And you know what the restrooms looked like.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Tompkins Square Park upgrades: When will the field house and restrooms reopen?

Monday's parting shots

Workers today provided some long-needed tree care at the Tompkins Square Park dog runs... trimming back the cascading American Elms ...

Thnaks to Deb O'Nair for the photos!

At Night Club 101 with Hello Mary

Photos by Stacie Joy 

On Friday night, local faves Hello Mary headlined a sold-out Night Club 101 at 101 Avenue A. 

It was another solid show courtesy of (from left) drummer/vocalist Stella Wave, guitarist/vocalist Helena Straight and bassist Mikaela Oppenheimer ...

After opening acts You Bet and a solo 22° Halo, Hello Mary performed a nearly hour-long set featuring several choice tracks from their second full-length album, Emita Ox.

The band closed with arguably their best song, "0%." Stella, who sings lead on the track, ceded the drum kit to Cooper Ladomade from Rocket. She finished unleashing the punkish fury of "0%" from the floor alongside the crowd.

Next, Hello Mary opens three dates this week for Kim Deal (a dream opportunity for the band, they say), including Wednesday at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. The band has several festivals booked this summer. 

Keep tabs on the band via Instagram.

The new old Lucy's reopens tomorrow

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Lucy's officially begins a new era tomorrow at 135 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

Lucy's, now owned by Golden Age Hospitality, underwent renovations in recent months. Golden Age Hospitality CEO Jon Neidich, who previously lived upstairs and was a big Lucy's fan, promised to maintain the bar's look and feel and the same neighborhood bar vibes. (The renovations mainly included soundproofing in the ceiling and ADA bathrooms.) 

When the ownership change was presented to Community Board 3 last summer, Eater noted: "At least up until now, Neidich's businesses are just about the antithesis of Lucy's." A Times profile noted how he and Golden Age are swanking up millennial nightlife. (Who doesn't love a caviar-baked potato?) 

This past Thursday night, the new Lucy's debuted during a private party that included friends and neighbors, Golden Age associates, and a reporter or two. The place looks almost identical to the Lucy's you visited before closing in November 2023. (This EVG post will bring you up to date.) 

I have to say the bar looks pretty much like I remembered it — only a bit spiffier. It has a new jukebox featuring bands from Outkast to the Rolling Stones, new speakers, and a fresh coat of paint. 

Elsewhere, there is a new ADA-compliant restroom and a cleaned-up storage room (I did not get to go into the basement, but I was told it's an empty storage area now). A team of enthusiastic bartenders also makes some carefully crafted cocktails. However, there are no contraband bottles of you-take-the-first-shot 192-proof Spirytus behind the bar. 

One item is missing: the well-worn poster for the 1997 teen drama Hurricane Streets, which filmed a scene in the bar. Neidich said a new one is on its way. 

Overall, it looks as if Neidich tried carefully to recreate the Lucy's of his earlier days.

Around 9:30, Ludwika "Lucy" Mickevicius, who opened the bar here in 1987, arrived on the scene after an outing with The New York Times to a very warm welcome...

Golden Age has said that Lucy will still have a presence here — even bartending. (Playing it cool, she told me she'll "be at the bar when I'm available.") 

Here is Lucy with Jon Neidich...

I asked her what she thought of the new look.

"It's good. It's nice. This is new, and it costs a lot of money. It was time to make a change. Mine was very old," she said. "This is just so nice. I still love it." 

And on her return to the bar to see so many people happy to see her? 

"I am surviving a long time because people care about me, and then people from all over the world come in to say hi, and they remember me."

The best part for me, personally, was seeing Lucy smile. She put down the cane she now uses, sat at a table by the front door, and looked around the bar at everyone enjoying the opening night private party.

She put her hand over mine and said, "You look tired, Stacie. Go home. I am staying maybe a little bit longer."

It was after midnight when I walked out, and she was still going strong.

Starting tomorrow (March 4), Lucy's is open seven days a week from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. You can follow Lucy's on Instagram here.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• A few more details on the future of East Village classic bar Lucy's 

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

Meet the new owner of Boris & Horton

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Carol Krakowski is the new owner of Boris & Horton, which was the city's first dog cafe when it debuted in 2018. 

Krakowski, who has a dog named Baja, said she is still a few weeks away from a grand reopening.

In the meantime, with the new ownership, Krakowski is applying for a beer-wine license for the space on the NW corner of Avenue A and 12th Street. (The previous cafe also served beer and wine.) 

Today (Monday), Krakowski will be at the cafe from 3 to 6 p.m. to gather signatures for the application. She said she's also happy to discuss her plans for Boris & Horton further. On Monday, March 10, she and her reps will appear before CB3's SLA committee. 

The previous owners, Logan Mikhly and Coppy Holzman, closed Boris & Horton in November before eventually finding a buyer for the business.

One-time studio home of Joey Ramone is for sale at the St. Mark

The modest studio that Joey Ramone lived in from the late 1980s until his death in 2001 is now for sale. 

As Curbed first reported, the unit in the St. Mark at 115 E. Ninth St. at Third Avenue asks $575,000, the going rate for the 20-floor doorman building. 

The Yoreevo listing does not mention Ramone by name but includes this in its lead: "This is your chance to literally live like a rockstar! This renovated studio in the heart of the East Village was once home to a punk legend!" 

Joey's brother Mickey Leigh reportedly inherited the studio in 2014 and sold it in 2018. When he renovated the apartment, the new owner found a stash of Joey's papers behind the kitchen cabinets. 

The broker told Curbed that the tenant would pass the memorabilia to the new owner.

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On 7th Street, the Instant Noodle Factory is closing; noodle liquidation sale commences

Photo by Stacie Joy

The Instant Noodle Factory is officially shutting down on Seventh Street.

The quick-serve spot had been dark this year.

Last week, ownership — the wife-husband team of Cierra Beck and Tat Lee — provided an update on Instagram:

Thanks, everyone, for your support these past 2 years! You might have noticed we've been a bit quiet on here these past few months. Cierra has been struggling with a health issue and needed to take some time away from the business. Combined with some additional setbacks, we made the bittersweet decision to close our stores! A huge thank you to our employees, past and present... Hope to see you guys next week at East Village for some noodle deals and a chance to win one of our noodle cook machines!  

Starting today, they will sell their remaining inventory — from noodles to glassware — at the shop, 130 E. Seventh St., just west of Avenue A. 

The EV outpost opened in December 2023, following the successful start of a popular DIY noodle shop in Long Island City.

The couple is launching an app, Noodlepedia, and Noodle Club, a monthly subscription box. Details are here.

Sunday's parting shot

View of the Ukrainian National Home on Second Avenue today. 

ICYMI: The Times interviewed Ukrainians in several neighborhoods, including the East Village, about their reactions to Friday's spectacle in the Oval Office.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo Thursday on Astor Place by Francine Lange) 

• Report of a fatal shooting at Tom & Jerry's on Elizabeth Street (Saturday) 

• More discussion on the future of the city-owned parking lot at 324 E. 5th St. (Tuesday) 

• Concern grows for Christo, Tompkins Square Park’s iconic red-tailed hawk, missing for 2 weeks (Friday) 

• Report: Judge orders temporary stay on Beth Israel's March 26 closure (Saturday) 

• RIP David Johansen (Saturday) 

• The New Museum, with a 60,000-square-foot expansion, will reopen this fall on the Bowery (Thursday) 

• A dog in distress (Sunday) 

• Flamingos Vintage Pound returns to the East Village with new St. Mark’s Place outpost (Monday) 

• A Taste of change for Joe's Wine Co. (Monday) 

• The Cinnabon/Carvel combo shop is now OPEN on 14th Street (Wednesday)

• This longtime convenience store has closed at 124 2nd Ave. (Thursday) ... Holy farewell: Saint Pizza is leaving Avenue B (Monday) 

• Another local Duane Reade by Walgreens closes (Wednesday) 

• Signage alert: Mr. Fish on 3rd Avenue (Monday) 

And this past week, workers removed the covered sidewalk extension outside Ray's Pizza & Bagel Cafe on Cooper Square and St. Mark's Place (thanks to Jacob Ford for the photos) ...

This sidewalk extension drew the ire of some EVG readers, who questioned its legality.

A closing sale at Jo Laurie Loves on 9th Street

Jo Laurie Loves is closing its retail space at 620 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

According to social media posts, the landlord is not renewing the lease for Jo Laurie, a longtime East Village resident who has had the space since 1988. 

Laurie operates a full-service architectural company and, in the fall of 2021, converted part of the design studio into a retail store. Her company is registered as a B-Corp, which allows her to distribute 8% of pre-tax profit to provide health and welfare benefits to women who manufacture her products. 

 Find her website here ... and on Instagram at this link.

 

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Sign of spring

Photo by William Klayer 

After a winter hiatus, the Ralph's Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream outpost reopened on the NW corner of Avenue A and Ninth Street this past week. 

The shop's hours are 2-10 p.m. daily (longer hours once it gets warmer). 

As previously noted, the business dates to 1928, when Ralph Silvestro started selling Italian ice (or water ice) from his truck around Staten Island. The first retail store opened in 1949 on Port Richmond Avenue in Staten Island. 

In recent years, the company has franchised, expanding to other parts of the NYC metropolitan area and Long Island. 

H/T Steven, who also shared the news of this reopening

Saturday's parting shot

Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle and Buddy "Cloudy" Russo tailing Salvatore "Sal" Boca and his wife Angie on Delancey Sreet after breakfast at Ratner's in "The French Connection."

RIP Gene Hackman.

RIP David Johansen

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Updating: Report of a fatal shooting at Tom & Jerry's on Elizabeth Street

Updated with reader photos from this morning 

The post has been updated as new information has become available

A 39-year-old man was reportedly shot and killed early this morning inside Tom & Jerry's on Elizabeth Street near Houston. 

The Daily News reports that the victim was a bouncer inside the bar. SILive reports that the victim, Anton Albert, lived on Staten Island. 

An updated version of the story claims that "the shooter was drunk and had just been ejected from the bar when the bullets started flying."

Per an updated News article:

"They kicked him out and he went outside, and just pulled out a gun," said Kevin Ames, who was visiting a friend who lives upstairs from the bar when the shooting occurred. "[He] shot in the window and killed one of the bouncers."

The gunman was last seen on Houston. No arrests have been made, police said. 

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.

Report: Judge orders temporary stay on Beth Israel's March 26 closure

Late yesterday, an appellate judge issued a new temporary stay on Mount Sinai's plans to shut down Beth Israel. 

This ruling arrived five days after a state Supreme Court judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to block the facility's closure. 

After Judge Jeffrey Pearlman tossed the lawsuit filed by a community coalition this past August, Mount Sinai announced Beth Israel's closing date of March 26. 

Mount Sinai reportedly moved quickly to empty the hospital on First Avenue and 16th Street. The coalition's pro-bono lawyer, Arthur Schwartz, claimed this week that "every one of the 80 or so admitted patients has either been discharged or transferred to other Mount Sinai facilities. The Intensive Care Unit has been closed. The Cardiac Catheterization Unit has been closed. Ambulances have been notified to not bring patients to Beth Israel because no one is being admitted," per Our Town. 

A Mount Sinai spokesperson confirmed to Gothamist that as of Thursday afternoon, "there were no in-patients at the hospital and all in-patient services had ended,” Riegelhaupt said. "As planned, our [emergency department] remains open and will remain open until closure." 

As Gothamist reported: "Justice John Higgit put the stay in place pending a determination on the case by a panel of judges." 

Mount Sinai officials have said Beth Israel lost $1 billion in the last decade due to dwindling cash reserves and reduced bed counts. 

Beth Israel was founded in 1890 on the Lower East Side and moved to its current location on 16th Street and First Avenue in 1929.

Saturday's opening shot

March getting underway today as seen from Seventh Street and First Avenue... the morning clouds will give way to mostly sunny skies with highs in the mid-to-upper 50s... enjoy, because its back to the 30s (temps) tomorrow.