Game, set, match: Thirty Love arrives on 3rd and 13th

Photo Saturday by EVG reader Seth Treiman 

The Memory Motel pop-up is now just a memory on the NW corner of Third Avenue and 13th Street.

Over the weekend, the two-story bar was transformed into Thirty Love Sports & Leisure, presumably another sports bar. 

This outpost of Montauk's Memory Motel arrived in the fall of 2023 as a pop-up bar running from Halloween to New Year’s Eve... before extending that stay by another year via a collaboration with "East Hamptons' party hot spot Common Ground." 

In an offer reminiscent of the old Continental a few blocks south on Third Avenue, MM offered five shots for $13 ("yes we're serious")...

The corner spot has been to various sports bars with animal names in the titles in previous years: the Brazen Fox, Ugly Duckling and blue bird. 

Our previous post provided more background on Montauk's Memory Motel and the Rolling Stones' role in its lore.

Signage alert: Chocolate DIP for St. Mark's Place

Signage arrived Friday for Chocolate DIP at 22 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

This will be the brand's third Manhattan outpost. The company describes itself as "New York's ultimate Belgian Chocolate dessert destination." 

The shop offers a variety of crêpes as well as waffles, pancakes and fruit sticks. Menu here. 

Chocolate Dip takes over for the short-lived Mr. Kim, a tattoo and piercing studio. Previously, WAGA, which sold handmade goods primarily from West Africa, was here for 22 years.

Sunday's parting shot

Photo by Peter Brownscombe 

Post-snow snow day today in Tompkins Square Park...

Week in Grieview

Posts from the past week included (with a pre-snow photo from St. Mark's Place last evening)...

• Neighbor steps up to care for dog injured in 2nd Avenue fire that claimed owner’s life (Monday ... Bella’s passing marks another sad chapter in East Village fire tragedy (Sunday) 

• Now Now NoHo set to debut its micro hotel rooms in April on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Terra Thai is closing this month for a revamp with a March return (Monday) 

• The return of The Chillmaster! (Friday)

• Checking in on 644 E. 14th St. (Wednesday) 

• "Caught Stealing" slides into theaters this August (Tuesday)

• Long empty 6th Street storefront finally hits the market (Wednesday)

• Did the Tompkins Square Park opossum see his or her shadow? (Tuesday) 

• Requiem for a Blue Man Group (Monday) 

• The former Brick Lane Curry House space is for rent on 2nd Avenue (Monday) 

• Signage alert: 'The Jonathan Larson Project' at the Orpheum Theatre (Tuesday) 

• Double Zero and Bar Verde combine space on 2nd Avenue (Tuesday) 

• Signage alert: Kobano on the Bowery (Monday)

• A full reveal at the Five Guys, opening this week on 2nd Avenue (Tuesday)

Bella’s passing marks another sad chapter in East Village fire tragedy

Bobby and Bella 

Bella, the miniature pinscher of late East Village resident Robert "Bobby" Bartolomey, has passed away following complications from the apartment fire that claimed her owner's life last Sunday. 

Bella succumbed Friday evening to an infection and neurological damage caused by smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning, according to a post from Dean Mann, the East Village resident who took Bella in after the FDNY found her in the apartment at 65 Second Ave. 

Here's more from Mann from the GoFundMe set up to help care for Bella: 

While this is certainly not the outcome we had all hoped for and supported, it is a grim reality of the circumstances that Bella experienced. It was a miracle that Bella survived the fire, as she was in the apartment while the fire burned for more than 30 minutes. The support from the community, first responders and the many veterinary medical professionals who treated her gave Bella a fighting chance; however, after almost 5 days of fighting for her life, Friday evening she joined her owner in heaven. Their legacy in the neighborhood will forever be remembered. 

My sister was kind enough to set up this GoFundMe and at the time we felt like Bella would be released from the hospital within a day or two; however, she remained in critical care and the decision to give her a fighting chance was made entirely possible by the support of the community and everyone who donated to help Bella. Your generosity allowed Bella the ability to receive the amazing care up until the very end. 

While this story is extremely sad, it also is very heartwarming to me as so many of the local people from the neighborhood reached out, contributed and stepped up to keep this person's legacy and the dog alive. ... I was so moved by the support and had no idea so many people knew Bobby (a retired veteran and certainly a staple of the neighborhood who was never seen without Bella). 

This is truly a remarkable NYC and East Village story, I cannot express enough my gratitude for the people I have met through this experience. I had visited Bella in the hospital everyday this week and though I am terribly saddened at this outcome, I am at peace knowing that she is no longer suffering. 

The FDNY found Bartolomey, 75, in his apartment last Sunday morning after the fire broke out. The FDNY has not yet released a cause for the blaze.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Neighbor steps up to care for dog injured in 2nd Avenue fire that claimed owner's life

Saturday's parting shot

No snow or any precipitation as of 7:30 p.m. 

To paraphrase Special Agency Dale Cooper: "The weatherman said snow. If you could get paid that kind of money for being wrong sixty percent of the time, it'd beat working."

Saturday's opening shot

Good morning from the frozen ponds of Avenue A near Ninth Street.

The NYC metropolitan area is under a Winter Weather Advisory for later this afternoon into the morning. According to the National Weather Service, the snow will start late this afternoon and intensify this evening into early Sunday morning. By morning, we could see 3-5 inches of snow, which could mix with or change to sleet and freezing rain. 

And we will believe it when we post snow pics on our Instagram tomorrow!

Friday's parting shot

Only Rudolph remains from the Clint Mario Christmas display on Second Avenue at Seventh Street...

My 'Bloody' valentine

We continue to highlight indie acts performing at this year's New Colossus Festival, which will take place in East Village and LES venues from March 4 to 9. 

Here's Miami-based surf-punk duo Camp Blu with "Bloody Kisses" and a real creeper of a video 

Find Festival info here.

The return of The Chillmaster!

Photo and text by Stacie Joy

Renovations continue at First Houses, the city's first public housing complex along Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street. 

Many tenants were relocated to other city properties with the option to return. 

One returning resident is none other than The Chillmaster, known for cranking classic R&B from his open window. 

One recent day, I was walking along Third Street when I heard Doug E Fresh's "The Show" in the distance. 

Could it be?

Sure enough, there was The Chillmaster, doing what he does best (chilling). 

He happily agreed to a photo through the window, sharing that he's been home for about a month and couldn’t be happier to be back.

You can read more about The Chillmaster in this 2011 EVG post.

EVG Etc.: Long live St Mark's Place; this is radio Clash

Sky view from 2nd and A 

Local stories of interest from other sources this past week include... 

• 100 immigrants arrested in week 1 of ICE raids (The City) 

• At St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, rallying against the new federal directive that strips longstanding protections from immigrant New Yorkers (amNY)

• AG James says NY hospitals — including NYU Langone Health and the Mount Sinai Hospital System — must continue offering gender-affirming care to minors (The Associated Press ... City & State ... CBS News) 

• Cooper Union wins legal fight over the Chrysler Building (Gothamist) 

• NYCHA residents can apply for grants to fund resident-led community projects that promote a healthy environment (City Limits)

• Mayor Adams does not feel the need, the need for speed for NYC bike lanes (Streetsblog)

• Various folks — Lucy Sante, Tish and Snooky, Danny Orlin, Ada Calhoun, Jason Diamond, Barbara Sibley, (and EVG!) — talk about the past and present of St. Mark's Place (Punch)

• Opening Saturday at the Hole on the Bowery: tinyvices archive 20th-anniversary exhibition (Official site) 

• Thoughts on "Discrimi-NATION: Guerrilla Girls on Bias, Money, and Art," the mini-retrospective of posters by the Guerrilla Girls currently at Hannah Traore Gallery on Orchard Street (Hyperallergic) 

• Tickets remain for the David Lynch series at Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue at 12th Street (Offical site) 

• Checking out the Tex-Mex at Wayne & Sons on Second Avenue (Eater ... previously on EVG) 

• Inside Bar Kabawa, a Caribbean spot in Extra Place via team Momofuku (Robb Report ... previously on EVG)

Today (Feb. 7!) is the annual International Clash Day 2025 on KEXP. Stream it online here.

Wednesday's parting shots

Seems like old times on Seventh Street at First Avenue...

Previously

We're in for a wintry mix (and we don't mean music)

Photo Sunday by Cecil Scheib 

We are under a winter weather advisory ("we" as in NYC and the tri-state area). 

According to the National Weather Service, we could see ("we as in ... forget it!) up to two inches of snow... plus a "glazing" of ice for fun. 

Per the NWS on timing: 

Snow develops from southwest to northeast after midnight, mixing with sleet and freezing rain by mid to late morning, before tapering as plain rain by afternoon. The coast and NYC metro will change to rain by late morning. 

So there's a good chance of an ugly commute wherever you need to commute to.  

The top photo shows the light snowfall in Tompkins Square Park from Sunday night.

Equal time

Photo by Jose Garcia 

After yesterday's photos of the Tompkins Square opossum... here's Christo, the resident male red-tailed hawk in the park, looking as majestic as ever today.

Goggla recently had some updates on Christo and Amelia's nestorations in Tompkins Square Park. Check out the post here.

Checking in on 644 E. 14th St.

Here's our first look in a few months at 644 14th St., the 24-story residential building on the SW corner of Avenue C. 

Workers are putting in the façade of terracotta panels and staggered floor-to-ceiling windows...

The 234-foot-tall building from Madison Realty Capital, called 14+C, will include 197 residential units, "a state-of-the-art fitness room," a yoga studio, and a rooftop deck. Information about the number of "affordable" units included in 14+C, one of the stipulations for being allowed to build a more extensive (by nine floors) building, has not been made public. There will also be ground-floor retail. 

Here's a look at the final rendering via Fischer + Makooi Architects ...

There have also been no updates on the status of the residents of the neighboring 5-story building at 642 E. 14th St., many of whom were in rent-stabilized units. The building was abruptly vacated in November 2023 after foundation work next door reportedly destabilized it. 

The full demoliton order from 642's landlord remains on hold from last summer. (This Times feature has more info from November.)

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Workers reach the top of 644 E. 14th St.; future of building next door still in limbo

Long empty 6th Street storefront finally hits the market

A for-lease sign has arrived at 511 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

The last tenant here was Identity Bar and Lounge, which closed in the fall of 2013. 

Fast-forward a short 11-plus years. The Tri State Commercial Realty listing notes that the 1,200-foot space is "ideal for a bar, restaurant, cocktail bar, comedy club, jazz bar, or omakase." And! "This space has the perfect bones for executing your food & beverage vision." 

 No word on the asking rent.

About the Valentine's Day Zine Fair this Saturday

8-Ball Community, the volunteer-run art collective, is hosting its third-annual Valentine's Day Zine Fair ... taking place this Saturday (Feb. 8!) from noon to 6 p.m. at the Sixth Street Community Center, 638 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

There's also an after-zine-fair party at Beverly's, 297 Grand St., from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Did the Tompkins Square Park opossum see his or her shadow?

Photos today by Steven 

YES! Which means six more weeks of field house reconstruction!

Previous coverage of Opie, aka Nicodemus Punch Sugarpop (including this post), right here.

'Caught Stealing' slides into theaters this August

Pics from 2024 by Stacie Joy 

ICYMI: Sony announced that Darren Aronofsky's crime thriller "Caught Stealing" now has an Aug. 29 (2025!) release date, per the Hollywood trades. 

As we diligently noted, "Caught Stealing" was filmed throughout the neighborhood this past fall. 

There were multiple sightings of lead Austin Butler (below), whose character lived on the SW corner of Sixth Street and Avenue A. Also, on Avenue A, the Double Down Saloon subbed for Paul's Bar, the scene of a lot of action. (It was on Avenue B in the book.)

Charlie Huston adapted the screenplay from his 2004 book "Caught Stealing." The story finds Hank Thompson (Butler), a former baseball prodigy, now a binge-drinking bartender, being chased by a criminal element in the East Village of 2000. 

The cast includes Bad Bunny, Action Bronson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Zoë Kravitz, Liev Schreiber, Griffin Dunne, Matt Smith and Regina King. 

We're looking forward to seeing this because a) we read the book, b) we're curious to see the East Village as depicted in the film, and c) we generally really like Aronofsky's movies (and he also lives in the neighborhood).

Double Zero and Bar Verde combine space on 2nd Avenue

We weren't aware of this move until covering the fatal fire at 65 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street on Sunday.

Plantmade, the vegan pizzeria in the northern storefront, has merged with Bar Verde in the other retail space at the address. According to Vegan NYC, the business is now known as PlantMade By Bar Verde &  & Double Zero, which debuted on Jan. 21. 

The business website states: "PlantMade will feature Mexican and Italian favorites and inspired new creations." Ownership stated that "occupancy costs have tripled" since opening Double Zero, hence the merger. 

According to Vegan NYC, vegan restaurateur Matthew Kenney is not involved in PlantMade. Kenney previously had three establishments in a row here. The contents of Sestina, a pasta restaurant at 67 Second Ave. at Fourth Street, were auctioned off in the fall of 2022. (This marked the fourth Kenney concept in recent years in the corner space, following Plantmade, Plant Food + Wine, and Arata.)

Hours for PlantMade By Bar Verde & Double Zero: Sunday to Thursday from noon to 11 p.m., with a 1 a.m. close on Friday and Saturday. 

Sunday's fire likely damaged the now-empty storefront...

The longtime tenant who lived upstairs, a 75-year-old Vietnam veteran, died in the fire that broke out around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

A neighbor is caring for his dog, Bella, and is crowdfunding to cover her medical expenses.

Updated 2/10: Bella has passed away from the injuries sustained in the fire. Details here.