About a Jeopardy! trivia night at the Brindle Room

We received an email from John Tobin, a Brooklyn Heights resident who spends a lot of time in the East Village. 

"I'm a big fan of the show Jeopardy!, so I created my own clone of the game. Basically, I bought some replica buzzers and found a database of the real Jeopardy! questions online, then stitched it all together with a web-app I coded. It's a pretty realistic recreation of the show!"

You can play it yourself tomorrow (Monday) night, as Tobin is hosting a Jeopardy! night at the Brindle Room, 647 E. 11th Street at Avenue C. 

"My hope is that this is a differentiated trivia night," he said. 

Games will run every 20 minutes from 7-9 p.m., with a champions round at 9 p.m.

About the mini East Village food tour with 2 members of Everton FC

Two members of Everton FC in Liverpool were spotted in the East Village last week — and their visit wasn’t as random as it seemed. 

On Thursday, Dave on 7th caught a glimpse of Youssef Chermiti and Beto outside Tompkins Square Bagels on Avenue A near 10th Street. The English Premier League players were in town for the Premier League Summer Series, a set of friendlies at MetLife Stadium featuring Everton, Bournemouth, Manchester United, and West Ham United, which took place yesterday. 

As part of the visit, the two Everton strikers joined "NYC food aficionado" Matt James on a local tour, with stops including Bobwhite Counter on Avenue C and Danny and Coop’s on Avenue A. (Spoiler: The players said the Philly cheesesteaks were their favorites.) 

Here’s a clip from their bagel break...

 

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By the way, Everton lost 3-0 at MetLife.

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Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with an Ozzy tribute photo from Fourth Street by Derek Berg)...

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• Petition seeks to landmark Most Holy Redeemer ahead of possible closure (Tuesday, July 22) 

• Buddies Coffee, forced out of Williamsburg with a rent hike, still on track to open East Village location (Monday, July 21) 

• What's next for the Minca space on 5th Street? (Thursday, July 24) 

• The Rainbow is a new play and community space for kids, complete with a mini Ray's Candy Store (Monday, July 21) 

• Celebrating the life of Jason Goodrow (Saturday, July 27)

• East Village openings: Wait a Second on 11th Street (Thursday, July 24) 

• Checking in on Irving Green (Wednesday, July 23)

• Parks Department prunes drooping elm in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday, July 23) … Post-mortem on the freshly cut-back American elm in Tompkins Square Park (Friday, July 25) 

• When Black Sabbath played in the East Village (Tuesday, July 22)

• ICYMI: East Village Rite Aid sets closing dates (Monday, July 21) 

• An encore presentation for the cumgirl8 clothing and merch sale on 2nd Street (Friday, July 25) 

• Some more decade-spanning looks at 5th Street and Avenue B (Wednesday, July 23) 

• Beer & wine in the works for Danny & Coop's (Thursday, July 24)

• A pharmacy for 6th Street and Avenue C (Tuesday, July 22) 

• From a Food Market to a Swap Shop on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday, July 23)

• Signage alert: Village Bites on Avenue A (Monday, July 21) 

• Love, American 1990s style (Saturday, July 27)

... and keeping tabs on outdoor dining trends along Avenue B (photos by Stacie Joy)...

American elm chainsaw massacre

Parks workers chopped up and removed the remains of the stricken American elm in Tompkins Square Park. 

However, it wasn't easy. East Village resident Joe Kay shared this photo, noting "that elm ate one of their chainsaws!"

Saturday's parting shot

A well-attended Nettspend pop-up late this afternoon on 10th Street near Avenue A... (Thanks LJ for the pic!) 

Primer: "Every generation makes music that their parents just don't understand, but Nett's music seems custom-designed to irritate and alienate anyone over, say, 19, particularly seasoned hip-hop fans whose conception of the genre doesn't involve feral white children reared on Roblox."

Because we always post photos of mannequin parts

Thanks to Scuba Diva for this photo from Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Let them say we're crazy, I don't care about that...

Celebrating the life of Jason Goodrow

Friends and family will gather Sunday (tomorrow) from 3-8 p.m. at La Plaza Cultural to celebrate the life of Jason Goodrow, who passed away in May. 

Here's more about his life from a memorial page titled Jason Goodrow Forever: 

Jason Charles Samuel Goodrow was born to Garry Goodrow and Anne-Juliette Marlowe in NY City in 1959. A bright child of hippy beatnic parents who moved to San Francisco (father Garry a founding member of the Committee). 

Jason went to Berkeley High School, playing in many a punk band, and returned to NY to study at Hunter College. Rock and Roll took over his life, where he played guitar (bass, sitar, mandolin, and banjo) all over the Tri-State Area for the next 50 years. 

A fixture of the Lower East Side of Manhattan, playing in too many bands to mention, but a few of note: musical director and guitarist for 25 years for the Jive 5, Episonic, Slow Poke, Dum Dum Project, Spy Vs Spy (then Two Spy Guys), Rogue's March, Seanchai and many gigs with Adam Roth. Mixing and producing countless musical projects at Context Studios on Avenue A for many years... 

He is survived by his wife, Satoko; his sons, Ichiro and Tadashi; and his sister, Georgia.

Jason will be remembered for his musical talent, his deep ties to the Lower East Side, and the community he built through decades of performing, mixing, and mentoring.

There's also a "Life Celebration Jam" on Tuesday evening at Revision Lounge on Avenue B.

H/T Steven

Love, American 1990s style

Film crews descending upon the East Village this week, Wednesday, and last night for a vague "ABC Studios" shoot... (thanks to Jacob Ford for these two pics along St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue)...

This is for Ryan Murphy's 2026 series "American Love Story," which will chronicle the (love) lives of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. 

Last night, they were back on St. Mark's Place, as well as on 10th Street at Second Avenue outside St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery (thanks to the EVG reader for these)...

There were some early 1990s props...

... and a fleet of dated cars...

The crews were also here in June (with film notices marked "White Plains"). 

And why the East Village? Bessette Kennedy reportedly lived in the East Village when she first moved to NYC in 1989... the two started dating in 1994. 

The cast includes Naomi Watts as Jackie Kennedy.

Friday's parting shot

Photo by Robert Miner 

Sunset cloud action from Seventh Street...

All and 'Some'

 

Avishag Cohen Rodrigues, part of the cumgirl8 collective, also has a promising solo career. 

You can see for yourself tomorrow afternoon as Cohen Rodrigues is part of the free Show Brain show in Tompkins Square Park. 

The video here is for her latest single, "Some Are."

About tomorrow's Show Brain-sponsored concert in Tompkins Square Park

Tomorrow (Saturday!) afternoon, Show Brain is presenting another free show in Tompkins Square Park with the following bands (set times are approximate!):

• 1:55 to 2:25 — Torture and The Desert Spiders 

• 2:40 to 3:15 — Joudy 

• 3:30 to 4:05 — Two Man Giant Squid 

• 4:25 to 5:05 — Avishag Cohen Rodrigues 

• 5:20 to 6 — P.H.0. 

And next weekend (Aug. 2-3) — The free concerts commemorating the 37th anniversary of the Tompkins Square Police Riot of Aug. 6, 1988. Bands are scheduled for both days. We'll share more info in the days ahead.

Post-mortem on the freshly cutback American elm in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by and reporting by Stacie Joy 

On Tuesday, the Parks Department cut back the drooping American elm inside the Seventh Street entrance to Tompkins Square Park between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

Before this happened, I had reached out to urban forestry expert Georgia Silvera Seamans, founder of Local Nature Lab. (Read her initial response here.) 

As she's out of town, I sent her several of the photos of the trimmed back tree. Her response: "Looks like there was a major crack in a large branch. It also looks like staining from Dutch Elm Disease on the left front branch."

An encore presentation for the cumgirl8 clothing and merch sale on 2nd Street

This weekend (today through Sunday), the members of the neon punk band cumgirl8 will be continuing their sale from the basement of 51 E. Second St., just east of Second Avenue. 

The band is offering records, test pressings, cumgirl8 collectibles, shoes, clothing, accessories, one-of-a-kind merch, and musical equipment from noon to 7 p.m. each day. 

Revisit weekend No. 1 of the sale from two weeks ago here.

Thursday's parting shot

Sorry if you missed the five-star sex advice today in Tompkins Square Park... (thanks to Sonya for the photo!)

What's next for the Minca space on 5th Street?

With reporting by Stacie Joy

Minca closed out a 21-year run in the East Village on July 14. 

Shigeto Kamada, owner of the Tokyo-style ramen parlor at 536 E. Fifth St., is set for retirement. 

However, the small space between Avenue A and Avenue B won't be empty for too long. According to Minca staff, Hiroki Odo, the chef at odo, the acclaimed Japanese restaurant on West 20th Street, is taking over for Minca with plans for a yakitori concept. 

We're told that renovations will take place over the next few months. 

From ramen to yakitori, the torch is already being passed.  

Updated: Odo is on the August CB3 SLA committee docket for a new liquor license. There's a sample menu for what will be odo East Village here.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• After 20-plus years, Minca on 5th Street will close its doors for good after service tonight 

• At the last night of Minca

East Village openings: Wait a Second on 11th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Wait a Second debuted earlier this month at 520 E. 11th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Owner Meca Chung explained that this is an artist-run collective space rooted in sustainable fashion. 

We are a hybrid of curated pre-loved designer and vintage clothing and artistic works. We specialize in pieces that span a wide range of styles, from timeless classics to avant-garde statements.

Here's a look at the shop...

This is the first storefront for the business that started in an art studio building in Long Island City. This past spring, Chung held a pop-up in the East Village.

"We immediately fell for this neighborhood," Chung said. "And our neighbor friends wanted us to be here, so we're back with our first permanent store. And we're already seeing a lot of old friends and have met many new friends."

Chung hopes the space will continue to foster that sense of connection. 

"In the future, we'll host activities like an art market and movie night and more, so we can get to know our neighborhood better and have more fun together," she said.

Current hours during this soft-open mode are Thursday through Sunday, noon to 7 p.m. or by appointment at other times. You can follow the shop on Instagram here. 

Beer & wine in the works for Danny & Coop's

EVG file photo

One day, you might be able to have a beer or glass of wine with your 97-pound cheesesteak from Danny & Coop's. 

A review of Community Board 3's recently released SLA Licensing & Outdoor Dining Committee agenda for August reveals that the popular cheesesteak shop is applying for a beer and wine license for the space, which has only a handful of seating spots. (It's mostly a takeout operation.) 

Actor-filmmaker Bradley Cooper and Danny DiGiampietro, the owner of Angelo's Pizzeria in South Philadelphia, teamed up for this venture, which began on a part-time basis last December at 151 Avenue A, between Ninth Street and 10th Street. 

The quick-serve establishment only serves a (very large) classic cheesesteak for $18 (it will feed several people), bottles of water and cans of soda. 

At the start of the summer, Danny & Coop's extended their hours to noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. There can be a line at noon, but it moves quickly, we're told. (We've never tried it.) 

151 Avenue A was previously home to Tacos El Porky and its sibling El Primo Red Tacos, which both closed quickly. The previous owners received approval for a beer and wine license, although not for the backyard space. 

In May 2024, nearly 150 residents signed a petition opposing the use of the backyard by Tacos El Porky. 

It's not immediately known if Danny & Coop's have any intentions to inhabit the outdoor space. 

San Loco was located in the south storefront at No. 151 for 15 years, until February 2014, without ever deciding to open up the back.

Some more decade-spanning looks at 5th Street and Avenue B

On Monday, we shared a post from Ephemeral New York about the Loew's Avenue B Theater, a grand movie palace that was on the SW corner of Fifth Street and Avenue B from 1913 to the late 1950s. 

The 1,750-seat theater was demolished in 1968. Julius Klein shared all the photos on this page, a collection he assembled while living with Raken Leaves next door to the old theater at 60 Avenue B from 1982 to 1994. 

The top photo is dated 1917, and the one below is from 1920 (the arrow points to where he lived decades later at No. 60 between Fourth Street and Fifth Street).

... 1965...

Klein told us that during 10 years of his time at No. 60, he served as the head of the tenant association, where rent strikes became common...

Parks Department prunes drooping elm in Tompkins Square Park

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Top pic Sunday by EVG 

7/25 — Update here.

-----

Visitors to Tompkins Square Park over the weekend noticed something amiss with one of its older residents: a large American elm just inside the Seventh Street entrance between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Several low-hanging branches appeared drooped or stressed, prompting speculation among locals about whether the tree might be suffering from Sudden Branch Drop (SBD), a phenomenon that can affect mature trees in the summer months. 

But not so fast, says urban forestry expert Georgia Silvera Seamans. 

"From the photos on EVG, it looks like there is some kind of torsion on the leftmost branch from the trunk," said Silvera Seamans, founder of Local Nature Lab and an expert in urban tree health. "This could have been caused by an imbalance in weight on the left side of the tree compared to the overall tree. The crotch — the gap between the branches where they split from the trunk — could be weak." 

Without examining the elm in person, she cautioned against jumping to conclusions but suggested the issue may be more structural than seasonal. 

"It also looks like two branches are rubbing together," she added. "My bet is something structural, which could be related to weight, age, or disease." 

As for whether the elm can be saved, Silvera Seamans said that it depends on what a professional arborist finds during an in-person inspection. 

"Branches could be pruned to lighten the load, heavier branches supported with tree braces, upper branches could be cabled," she said. 

Following our conversation, I walked by the tree to find that the Parks Department had cut it back yesterday — hopefully a sign that the elm will remain a healthy fixture in the park for years to come.