Photo by Derek Berg
A moment on Astor Place today...
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Update: Repairs continue after water main break at 14th Street and 1st Avenue
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Work continued today at the site of yesterday afternoon's water main break at First Avenue and 14th Street, where crews have expanded the excavation area as repairs move forward.
Traffic remains restricted in the surrounding area, and the Department of Environmental Protection has set up a mobile "Water on the Go" station on 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A for residents and businesses affected by the water shutdown.
According to a DEP spokesperson:
DEP crews remain on the scene and are working with Con Edison to assess the infrastructure to make way for repairs. At this time the water is shut off for some consumers in the area, so DEP crews have set up a mobile water fountain on 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A.
DEP officials said the break prompted a temporary shutdown of water service to some buildings on the east side of First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street.
The cause of the break remains under investigation.
12 injured in early-morning subway work train fire at Astor Place station
The following info comes via the @FDNY X account...At approximately 2:15 a.m. Tuesday, the FDNY responded to reports of a fire involving a four-car MTA work train at the Astor Place subway station in Manhattan.
— FDNY (@FDNY) August 4, 2026
Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy smoke at both street and station level from the fully involved vacuum… pic.twitter.com/NxxG3I0KOG
Twelve people were injured early this morning after a fire involving a four-car MTA work train at the Astor Place station, according to the FDNY.
The FDNY said firefighters responded to the station at about 2:15 a.m., where they encountered heavy smoke from a fully involved vacuum train operating below ground.
A northbound passenger train entered the station during the fire... and was evacuated as crews battled what the FDNY described as a stubborn fire inside one of the vacuum train's filter compartments.
Officials said, 12 people were injured, including five firefighters and seven civilians.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The 4, 5 and 6 trains are now running without delays, per the MTA.
Salumeria Rosi eyes Labor Day reopening following building-related damage
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
"We had some damage from the building and we're fixing it," he said. "In fact, we're doing some nice updates to the space."
Loscalzo said the restaurant is targeting a reopening around Labor Day.
"We're not going anywhere," he said. "Everything's great with the business."
He added that Salumeria Rosi is working with the building's ownership and its insurance carrier to complete the repairs.
"We just want to be open," Loscalzo said. "We didn't want to close."
He also expressed gratitude for the neighborhood's response since the restaurant opened here in January.
"We've had such a good reception," he said. "We're really just so happy with how the project has been going so far with everybody in the neighborhood coming in for their coffee or lunch or dinner. I want people to remember us, and I want people to be excited for when we reopen."
This is the second Salumeria Rosi outpost, joining the one that opened on the UWS in 2008.
Across the Pond bringing European bakery and market to 7th Street
Photos by Derek Berg
Signage recently arrived for Across the Pond, a "European grocery store and bakery," in a lower retail space at 59 E. Seventh St. between First and Second Avenues...
The shop will serve, per its website: "Sausage rolls. Proper teas. British meal deals. Real imported European groceries."
No word on an opening date.
An Instagram post from June 22 noted:
Still a few weeks away from the full renovation, but we're working hard behind the scenes to bring the front entrance and shop to life. Every shelf, sign, and small detail is getting us one step closer. Can't wait to welcome everyone to a little taste of Europe right here in the East Village.
Monday, August 3, 2026
Monday's parting shot
Photo by Jason Newton
Sunset on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, capping off what turned out to be one fine day after the rain moved through.
Water main break floods section of 14th Street and 1st Avenue
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
A water main erupted late this afternoon at First Avenue and 14th Street, flooding the intersection and sending water into nearby basements as DEP crews worked to isolate the break.
The break prompted a temporary shutdown of water service to properties on the east side of First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street. (And not the first time there's been a water break here.)
EVG spoke on the scene earlier with Marty Fatooh, Manhattan Borough Commissioner for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.
"We were able to halt the leak," Fatooh said. "As of now, we have a shutdown to the city water main in order to address the leak, which is going to affect consumers on First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street."
Fatooh said DEP expects water service to be restored within the next few hours.
The cause of the break remains under investigation.
"We've got old pipes. Some of these water mains go back over 100 years," he said. "We're dealing with age-old infrastructure, but we get it fixed."
Despite the dramatic scene, Fatooh said there weren't any major impacts to subway service, though some buses were redirected.
"There was no water that came in on the tracks," he said. "The L train is running normally."
Crews will remain on-site to repair the broken water main and the roadway after service is restored.
We'll update this post as more information becomes available. (Update: The city activated its "Water on the Go" fountains on the southeast side of 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A.)
Here's an aerial view via NBC 4...
ABC No Rio returns to Tompkins Square Park with a free afternoon of music
Photos by Stacie Joy
ABC No Rio hosted a free afternoon of music in Tompkins Square Park on Saturday as a fundraiser for its long-awaited new home on Rivington Street... part of a weekend that included the annual Riot Reunion show.
Five bands performed during the event. We caught sets by headliners, indie vets Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, and Crush Fund.
Organizers also passed the bucket to help fund a new PA system for the new ABC No Rio building, expected to open later this year.
From the day...starting with NYC's Crush Fund, who released a debut record on Friday...
... and Ted Leo, who played in the OG ABC No Rio space in the early 1990s...
Previously on EV Grieve:
Flamingos Vintage Pound to open another East Village shop
The retailer's latest location will be 199 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street, a former smoke shop-convenience store.
An opening date has not been announced.
The shop sells secondhand clothing by the pound — currently priced at $17.99 per pound — and frequently offers discounts on larger purchases.
This will be Flamingos' second East Village location. The company opened a shop at 4 St. Mark's Place in May 2025.
The opening also marks a return to First Avenue for Flamingos. Before the pandemic, the retailer operated stores near Ninth Street and on 11th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, as well as a location on Stanton Street. All three eventually closed, with the First Avenue shop being the last to shutter in the fall of 2021.
Flamingos now operates more than 40 locations in the United States and abroad.
The expansion comes as thrift and resale shopping continues to grow in popularity, with more shoppers seeking affordable clothing and one-of-a-kind vintage finds while extending the life of existing garments.
NY Copy Print & Ship Center has closed after 34 years on 7th Street
As we reported in June, owner Mousume Sarker said the family-owned business was preparing to close after unsuccessful lease renewal negotiations with the landlord. The shop had originally planned to close last summer but stayed open for one more year before ultimately deciding to call it a day.
The business, which opened in 1992, served generations of neighborhood residents with copying, printing, shipping, passport photos and other office services.
At the time, Sarker told us, "Thirty-four years in business — it's a milestone for me."
It was one of those neighborhood businesses that quietly helped people get things done for decades.
9 Bleecker St. returns to market with a $6.5 million ask
EVG photo from March 2025
Less than a year after changing hands, the historic townhouse at 9 Bleecker St., just west of the Bowery, is back on the market.
According to listing information, the three-story building is now asking $6.5 million after selling last summer for $5.7 million.
Per the listing, which went live on July 23:
With 2,743 square feet of unused FAR (subject to Landmarks approval), the property offers substantial expansion potential. Create a spectacular single-family residence or maximize its mixed-use zoning with flagship retail or gallery space at street level and residential or office space above.
As we've reported, an undisclosed buyer purchased the 1884 building last summer. Earlier this year, signage appeared on the facade, which became a near-constant canvas for flyers and ads, stating: "I have an owner who loves me very much!" and "I'm a HISTORICAL building, NOT your CANVAS!"
The address has a storied history. Best known as the longtime home of the Yippies, the building served as the movement's headquarters for more than four decades before its departure in 2014 following a lengthy legal battle.
More recently, it was home to Overthrow Boxing Club, which closed in late 2024 as the building was being marketed for sale.
Past lives also include stints as a cigar factory and publishing house before becoming associated with New York's activist and countercultural movements.
Mansion Global was first to report on the return to market for No. 9.
The townhouse next door at No. 7 recently sold for $6.2 million after four months on the market. (The transaction hasn't hit public records yet.) No. 7 was the longtime home of photographer Robert Frank and artist June Leaf.
Sunday, August 2, 2026
EV Grieve's East Village Week in Review
Posts this past week included (with a start of a fish tale on Third Avenue via Derek Berg). Never miss a post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here.
• RIP Carlos ‘Chino’ Garcia, co-founder of CHARAS and longtime Lower East Side activist (July 28)
• A quieter generator arrives at the 9th Precinct (July 29)
• Rush hour on 2nd Street (Aug. 2)
And King Geronimo in a retro Ken Griffey Jr./Mariners jersey Friday evening on Avenue A and Sixth Street (pic by Stacie Joy)
Scenes from the 46th annual Festival Calle 6
Photos by Stacie Joy
The annual Festival Calle 6 returned yesterday, celebrating its 46th anniversary with an afternoon of live music, dancing and community on Sixth Street between Avenue D and the FDR Drive.
Hosted by the Lower East Side Hispanic Committee, the festival also featured information tables from local community organizations... here's a look...
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