Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

On the right, meet Moony — a rescue spending her first few minutes in Tompkins Square Park today with Jen Shorr, owner of Joyface and HiLot on Avenue C. 

Moony likely already became fast friends with Mellow on the left — one of the coolest, sweetest pups around.

Night 1 of the Lower East Side Film Festival

The 15th edition of the Lower East Side Film Festival is now underway at the Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue at 12th Street. (Other screenings are at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema on Lafayette.) 

Find festival info here. It runs through Monday. 

Read our Q&A with festival founders (and East Village residents) Tony Castle and Roxy Hunt at this link.

Happy Lower East Side History Month!

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. 

Find the full schedule of free events here. 

The event launched in 2014 "in the hope that a collective celebration of our neighborhood would strengthen our connection to each other and our shared sense of community," organizers said.

Celebrating the new ownership at the Phoenix

Photos by @jwilson77 

The Phoenix (b1999) celebrated its new ownership last Thursday night on 13th Street with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an appearance by RuPaul's "Drag Race" star Alaska Thunderfuck. 

Garrett Ford, who took over the gay dive bar at the start of 2024, first started working there in 2008. He previously worked alongside owner Brenda Breathnach, who purchased Phoenix in 2009 and now runs 3 Dollar Bill in Brooklyn. The celebration followed renovations and updates to the programming. 

Below is Ford with Breathnach...

... and the official ribbon-cutting...

Here's a collection of other pics from the evening...

Phoenix, located at 447 E. 13th St., just west of Avenue A, is open daily from 3 p.m. to 4 a.m. There's a daily happy hour from 3-7 p.m. Follow them on Instagram @phoenixbarnyc for updates.

Closings on 14th Street: Amara Coffee, Dua Kafe

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Dua Kafe has closed at 520 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

While Google states the Albanian restaurant is temporarily closed, the space has been cleared out. A tipster informed us that the landlord sought a larger rent increase than the owners could afford and that they hoped to relocate to a different location.

There is a sign on the door that says, "For all deliveries, please talk to Johnny, the socks guy next door." 

So I went next door and spoke to Johnny, the socks guy, who confirmed the permanent closure.

Dua Kafe opened here in 2018, offering a touch of homespun warmth amidst the impersonal chill of the EVGB retail-residential complex that flanks both sides of the address.

Meanwhile, closer to Avenue B, Amara Coffee closed several weeks ago...

From an Instagram post from April 7: 

Thank you to each and everyone who came and supported us on our journey. We met incredible people who supported us and cheered for us. Sadly, we encountered difficulties and decided to close our doors. 

The coffee shop, which debuted last May, also offered pastries and sandwiches and showcased the work of local artists.

The space was previously Perk Espresso & Coffee Bar. 

The Alchemist’s Kitchen is opening an outpost on the Bowery

The Alchemist’s Kitchen, the holistic café and shop on Crosby Street, is opening a kiosk inside the Bowery Market. 

Per the signage, this outpost will feature botanical coffees, teas and "seasonal state-changing elixirs that combine scientific crafting with indigenous wisdom."

This corner stall was previously home to Current Coffee, which moved on at the end of March; they are now in a larger space in Midtown.

Seasoned Vegan Real Quick has closed on 2nd Avenue

Photo by William Klayer 

After nearly 20 months in business, Seasoned Vegan Real Quick closed after service on Tuesday at 128 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

Per an Instagram post announcing the closure: 

Chef B poured her heart into every plate, every smile, every moment — and today, she shares her deepest gratitude with you all. Thank you for standing with us, for believing in us, for every dollar you donated, and for showing SO much love 💜💚 This is not the end. It’s the beginning of something even greater. We love you. Stay tuned for all updates… 

The restaurant was a new vegan concept from mother-and-son restaurateurs Brenda "Chef B" Beener and Aaron Beener, who closed their Harlem restaurant, Seasoned Vegan, in the spring of 2023 after nine years in service. According to a restaurant representative, they decided to relaunch as a quick-service takeout and delivery option, offering a few of their most popular dishes as sandwiches. 

Seasoned Vegan Real Quick had its share of fans. Unfortunately, this has been a tough spot to make work in recent years. Tony's Pizza, Nolita Pizza and Kati Roll Company have been the post-Stage tenants. The Stage, the 35-year-old lunch counter, closed in March 2016 following an ongoing legal/eviction battle with landlord Icon Realty.

Wednesday's parting shot

March comes in like a lion, goes out April on the corner of First Avenue and Ninth Street...

6 posts from April

A mini month in review... (with a photo from Avenue A by Stacie Joy)

• In Tompkins Square Park, a creative pushback against tech's reach (April 27) 

• A look inside the former Fireboat House in East River Park as it faces an uncertain future (April 23) 

• Ongoing leadership turmoil at Sixth Street Community Center sparks tensions (April 18) 

• We know where Cookie Puss is at (April 16) 

• Tompkins Square Park Field House officially reopens after renovations (and you won't recognize the restrooms) (April 15) 

• The East Village is now home to Manhattan's first 2D restaurant (April 4)

'Casino Rat'

As National Poetry Month concludes ...from the Poetry Window at East Village Books (99 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue) ... featuring the work of Johnny H., an East Village poet...

"Casino Rat"

If I could use my comb

On your blood-matted hair I would

If I had been there to say the Words

Before you managed to limbo

Into the non-humane trap

Being defenseless and without sin

Why, I would have done everything

Even opened my jar of luck

And rubbed some on you

However

I have already spent my excess capital

Playing blackjack through the night

Running probabilities to the very end

Have thus concluded that all of us

Are either coming or going

Yet

Despite such knowledge of the flesh

I still bet even money on your dreams

Of slithering out from under your stars

Finding way home to your children

East Village mainstay Cafe Mogador celebrates its 42nd anniversary

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Above left: Jacob Ahiyon, Rivka Orlin and Danny Orlin

April 2025 marked the 42nd anniversary of the East Village institution Cafe Mogador, located at 101 St. Mark's Place.

I stopped by the all-day cafe between Avenue A and First Avenue as they were setting up for service the other day...

Rivka, a longtime neighborhood resident, still stops by regularly for lunch at the Moroccan-inspired cafe she opened with her brother, Josef Ohayon, back in April 1983. 

"Our customers are our family," said Rivka (above with Abdul Matin, the chef of 40 years).

That sense of family was a recurring theme throughout the day. 

"This is a family-run, family-oriented business," said Danny. "We’re grateful for our guests and the strong community of people who continue to support us."

Pop’s Pizza prepping for soft opening on Avenue B

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

A new pizza joint is getting ready to fire up its ovens on Avenue B. 

Pop's Pizza, led by chef and owner Salvatore Falcone, is aiming for a soft opening next week — possibly as early as Monday — at 223 Avenue B, between 13th and 14th Streets, in the former Saint Pizza space. 

Falcone (pictured above with his dog, Cookie) said he hopes to become an integral part of the community.

"We'd like to serve the neighborhood and get involved," he told us.

The idea for Pop's Pizza was born when a friend who lives nearby mentioned the lack of a good pizzeria in the area. So Falcone decided to open one. 

While the space was still mid-renovation during our visit ("It's a mess," Falcone admitted), we did get a shot of the Pop's team in the kitchen testing pies.

Expect classic pies, slices, garlic knots and a selection of soft drinks to start. Down the line, Falcone also plans to introduce Scaccia, a stuffed Sicilian bread roll. 

No website or social media yet, but stay tuned.

Adda Indian Canteen is set to debut on 1st Avenue

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Signage for Adda Indian Canteen went up on Monday evening as the Unapologetic Foods team is set for a soft opening here tomorrow at 5 p.m. at 107 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. (BTW, the storefront signage is expected to be completed today.) 

The soft opening will begin with walk-ins only for the first week. Reservations will open starting May 9, according to co-founder Roni Mazumdar. 

The arrival also marks the closure of the original Adda outpost that opened in Long Island City to great fanfare in 2018. Grub Street declared that Adda "could be the most exciting new Indian restaurant in New York." ("Unparalleled" and "thrilling" were other headline adjectives.) 

At the much larger EV Adda space, Unapologetic Foods will continue to showcase the rich tapestry of India's regional cuisines.

Unapologetic Foods, which includes chef-partner Chintan Pandya, also operates the fried-chicken outpost, Rowdy Rooster, at 149 First Ave. at Ninth Street and the Filipino restaurant Naks, 201 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. They recently moved on from a kebab concept at 82 Second Ave. 

No. 107 was previously Huertas, which closed here in August 2023 after 10 years of operation.

Tuesday's parting shot

The Daniel D. Tompkins monument as seen in the west churchyard at St. Mark's in-the-Bowery. 

Tompkins (June 21, 1774 – June 11, 1825) was the fourth governor of New York from 1807 to 1817 and the sixth vice president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. He is buried here in the west churchyard.

Our local park, opened in 1834, is named after Tompkins — as is, somewhat tangentially, a bagel shop.

Last splash? Getting the Tompkins Square Park mini pool prepped for 1 more summer

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

After an extended closure, the Tompkins Square Park mini pool (yes, Tompkins has a mini pool) is finally expected to reopen for the 2025 summer season, New York City Parks officials said. 

The pool initially closed during the pandemic and has remained out of service due to a lack of bathroom access while the park's field house was under renovation the past two summers. 

Now that the all-new field house is in operation, the pool is being prepared for use. Some scraping and leveling work has been done to address tilting issues, and a test run will be conducted to ensure it is safe for swimmers, according to Tricia Shimamura, Manhattan Borough Commissioner for NYC Parks & Recreation, during the April 14 field house ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

The pool for children and their guardians is anticipated to remain open through Labor Day.

Looking ahead, Tompkins Square Park is also slated for a significant upgrade. Last August, Gov. Hochul announced nearly $150 million in capital grants through the New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative. 

As part of that, Tompkins Square Park was awarded $6.1 million for a new in-ground pool, which will double the capacity of the current above-ground trailer park model. 

A start date for construction on the new pool has not been announced yet.

Reopneings: Fancy Juice on 1st Avenue

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Fancy Juice is now in a grand-opening mode in its new storefront at 160 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street. 

As we noted a few weeks ago, the shop specializing in açaí bowls, smoothies, and juices was relocating from 69 First Ave., between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, after 10 years in that space. 

Fancy Juice is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Openings: Irving Green on 9th Street

Image via @IrvingGreenNYC 

Irving Green debuted on Saturday at 321 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Per the Irving Green Instagram account, this is an "East Village destination for curated homeware and gifts with a touch of Irish charm." And it's a great fit along with the like-minded small shops on the block.

Opening hours are Tuesday through Friday from noon to 6:30 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m."

The shop takes over for the March Hare, which closed at the end of January. Read about that here.

A look inside Sunflower Cafe, which remains closed for a 'restructure'

The Sunflower East Village, located on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street, announced a closure for a "restructure" last fall, roughly four months after it opened following a lengthy renovation.

We haven't seen anyone inside since then, until last week, when someone removed all the tables and chairs...

... and even a kitchen sink...

Perhaps we have entered the restructuring phase? Google still lists the business, the sibling to the Sunflower Cafe in Gramercy, as "temporarily closed." (A legal notice on the front door last November stated that the tenant owed nearly $177,000 back rent.)

Sunflower is owned and operated by the same individuals as the previous tenant, Eros, the Greek restaurant that quietly closed in August 2022. Eros took over for their diner concept, The Kitchen Sink, in September 2021. 

Several readers have wondered how the place can remain closed for such long periods between concepts. 

Eric Drooker brings ‘Naked City’ to life with cartoon concert on May Day

Info via the EVG inbox...

Eric Drooker, a native of Manhattan's East Side, will give a slide lecture about the neighborhood's changing landscape. He will struggle to answer the question: "Can an artist survive in the 21st Century?" 

Drooker, renowned for his dozens of covers for The New Yorker, has released his latest book, "NAKED CITY: A Graphic Novel." Join us for a special May Day Cartoon Concert on Thursday, May 1, at 8 p.m. at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space, 155 Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street. This event is free and open to the public!

Today in discarded canoes

EVG reader Jackflashnyc shares this... 

This beautiful fiberglass canoe in good working condition appeared overnight on 14th Street in front of the soon-to-open Whole Foods, between First Avenue and Avenue A. The workers say it is not a store prop and is considered trash. 

It will make a great conversation piece mounted to the wall of a 250-square-foot studio apartment. Get it before it's gone oar live with regret.