At the grand opening of Le Freak Boutique on 12th Street

Photos by Stacie Joy

Le Freak Boutique is now officially open at 513 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

After a soft opening in mid-September, the shop celebrated its grand opening this past Friday.

The space is a combination hair salon and boutique, offering a mix of vintage clothing, jewelry, original designs, artwork, housewares and accessories from local artists. 

And to the grand opening celebration ...

Hours are Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. 

More info at the Le Freak Boutique website... and Instagram.

Signage alert: Blue People on 9th Street

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Blue People is opening a cafe at 443 E. Ninth St. at Avenue A. 

The new spot will serve coffee, tea and matcha, with an emphasis on creating a neighborhood gathering place, according to its website. 

The space previously housed Hello, Yam!, which closed in May. 

Perhaps there's room for another coffee option here, with both Blank Street and Starbucks closing around the corner in recent months. 

No word yet on an opening date.

At the Halloween Hellride in Tompkins Square Park (RIP Halloween Hellride)

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Text by EVG

The Halloween Hellride jam and skate competition took place on the Tompkins Square Park multipurpose courts (TF) Saturday afternoon ... in honor of the Hellride quarter-pipe ramp that famously appeared here back in July. (RIP!) 

The afternoon's lineup included a nine-stair best trick challenge, a Mini Hellride best trick contest and a one-minute full-park run. 

 There were rules, apparently. We're not entirely sure what they were. 

The degree of difficulty changed early and often, though, with skaters finding new ways to push things a little further.

Check it out.

Hell Ride skate at the Tompkins Square Park training field https://t.co/Ci3LYwz6Sj

— Stacie Joy (@Joy_of_photos) October 31, 2026

Postscript 

EVG reader NYvinster told us this morning that the Parks Department trashed a good number of the ramps on the multipurpose courts...

And later this morning... a few rails and ledges remain...

The Harry Styles pop-up shop wraps up its 2-month East Village run

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Above: The three-block-long line for Harry Styles merchandise on Saturday. 

The Together Together Store, the Harry Styles-themed pop-up at 22 E. Second St., has wrapped up its two-month East Village run. 

Sunday was the final day for the temporary shop, which opened on Aug. 26. 

Yesterday, we spotted workers dismantling the space.

The shop, open Wednesdays through Sundays, sold merchandise tied to Styles' tour, including his 30-night Madison Square Garden residency, which ended Saturday. 

The pop-up brought plenty of Harry Styles fans to the block, along with controversy. 

In an EVG exclusive, the shop made headlines in September when longtime East Village cookbook seller Bonnie Slotnick was arrested following a confrontation with a security worker outside the store. 

The next court date for Slotnick (photographed below last evening) is tomorrow, Nov. 4.

Neighboring merchants spoke about the pop-up's impact on the block, including long lines, crowded sidewalks and access to their storefronts. While some expressed frustration with the disruptions, others said the pop-up's staff had been helpful and responsive to their concerns. 

The post-pop-up experience wasn't entirely welcoming, either. A staff member yelled at me to leave when I entered through the open doors to take a photo late yesterday afternoon. After I retreated to the doorway and raised my camera, the staffer blocked my view of the mostly barren room with crates.

As the shop entered its final month in early October, a note (with flowers) was delivered to businesses on the block, thanking them for their hospitality: 

"As we enter our last month here, we wanted to take a moment to say how grateful we are to have been welcomed into your community and to share this space with you."

The note also encouraged neighbors to reach out with any issues, adding that the store wanted only "to be additive to your community." 

Another correspondence with a gift basket arrived as the Styles shop prepped to close: a final thank you and a wish for a happy holiday season. One merchant tore up the card in disgust.

The shop also donated a bench to Albert's Garden, according to its Instagram account. The 50-year-old community garden is directly next door to the one-level space used for the pop-up.

For her part, Slotnick made homemade cupcakes for her neighbors, including Adrian Rew of Ergot Records...

And now, after more than two months of Harry Styles mania, Second Street is going in one direction again: back to normal. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Checking in with Bonnie Slotnick after Friday's arrest outside the Harry Styles pop-up

An early winter break for the fruit vendor on 1st Avenue?

The longtime fruit vendor on the southeast corner of First Avenue and Sixth Street appears to have packed up for the season. 

A reader spotted the vendor clearing out over the weekend, presumably for the customary winter hiatus — though the departure comes a little earlier than usual. 

The stand has been a familiar presence on the corner for years. 

There's no word yet on when the vendor might return (usually March or April). 

For now, we'll hope this is just an early start to the winter break, and not a permanent departure.

La Linea has closed after 3-plus decades on 1st Avenue

La Linea shut down after service this past weekend, ending a 32-year run at 15 First Ave., between First Street and Second Street. 

However, the bar-lounge space won’t sit vacant for long. 

Last month, Community Board 3 approved an application for a still-unnamed tavern here as part of a sale of assets. 

The new ownership has hospitality backgrounds that include the now-closed McKenna's Pub on West 14th Street as well as The Mayfly on Houston and Suffolk. 

La Linea said goodbye and thanked its longtime patrons on Saturday via this Instagram post.

Mondays parting shot

Reader-submitted pic... as seen on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

Effort to bring lighting to East River Park running track gains support from elected officials

The grassroots campaign to bring permanent lighting to the East River Park running track has gained the backing of five local elected officials, who are urging the city to incorporate the improvements into the ongoing East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project. 

In an Oct. 27 letter to Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Paul Ochoa and Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura, Assembly Member Keith Powers, Council Member Harvey Epstein, State Sen. Brian Kavanagh, Assembly Member Grace Lee and Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal expressed their support for the proposal.

As we first reported in March 2025, the grassroots Light the Track campaign has been pushing for lighting that would allow runners and other park users to use the facility safely after dark.

In their letter, the elected officials noted that the track lacked lighting even before the ESCR project began, limiting its use and raising safety concerns. 

"With construction underway and no plans to address the lack of lighting, we believe the city is missing an opportunity to improve the new track and make it safer for track users and parkgoers," the letter states. 

The officials also pointed out that lighting would benefit New Yorkers whose schedules leave them with only early mornings or evenings for recreation. They offered to discuss how their offices could support the project's capital funding needs. 

Jason Froimowitz, organizer of the Light the Track campaign, told EVG the letter represents an important step, though securing funding remains the next hurdle. 

"Now that we have the elected officials' support, our next step is securing dedicated funding commitments in the annual city and/or state budgets," Froimowitz said. "This letter sets a critical foundation for including lighting in that budgeting process." 

Once funding is secured, the Parks Department and Department of Design and Construction would need to issue a change request to incorporate the lighting into the ESCR project. According to Froimowitz, both agencies have previously expressed support for the proposal, provided funding becomes available. 

"We're hopeful this can all come together as a part of the ESCR project," he said. "But depending on timing, we might be looking at a separate capital improvement project." 

Work on the northern section of East River Park is expected to wrap up at the end of 2027.

The Throne report: A look inside the neighborhood's new public toilets

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The city's new public bathrooms arrived in the area this past week— on Delancey Street and Cooper Square. 

The solar-powered bathrooms, operated by a company called (heh) Throne, were installed Thursday afternoon as part of the city's effort to expand access to public restrooms. 

The two locations — at Delancey and Suffolk streets and Cooper Square at Fifth Street — are part of a $4 million, one-year pilot program that will bring 17 public bathrooms to neighborhoods across the city. 

Here's a look at the Delancey outpost.

The bathrooms are free to use and open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

And the early reviews from the people maintaining them? So far, so good. 

I found workers stationed at both locations, ready to clean and maintain the facilities. The bathrooms themselves were immaculate.

Here's how they work: Users scan a QR code and send a text to unlock the door. Those without a phone can get an access card from local community partners.

Once inside, you have 10 minutes to take care of business. Instructions are provided in English and Spanish, with warnings at the five-minute and two-minute marks.

New free public Throne toilets have arrived at two locations in the East Village and LES of Manhattan: a video from inside, with a surprise warning announcement https://t.co/ioYqkeGYry

— Stacie Joy (@Joy_of_photos) October 30, 2026

As time runs out, flashing lights and an increasingly urgent message remind users to finish up and exit.

And we do mean URGENT (we're calling this the Throne Ultimatum) ...

New Throne toilets have arrived in Manhattan's East Village and LES. This is the "time's up, doors about to open" warning when your 10-minute time slot's due to expire https://t.co/pEdT6CFBe4

— Stacie Joy (@Joy_of_photos) October 30, 2026

There's also a warning if someone attempts to enter behind another user. 

The bathrooms feature touchless controls, free menstrual products, baby-changing stations and sharps-disposal containers. Other features include smoke detectors, accessibility ramps, anti-graffiti materials and information on where to seek medical assistance.

According to the company, staff clean the facilities after about every 11 to 15 uses. 

I also got a look inside the cleaning closet, where supplies are stored.

The workers travel between locations on scooters to service the bathrooms. 

The cleaners said they had encountered no problems at either new local location. Both also independently mentioned that the Throne bathrooms have been particularly popular with MTA bus drivers, who often have difficulty finding public restrooms along their routes. 

The workers said sharps containers at some other locations have filled up, though they do not handle their contents themselves. 

Throne co-founder and COO Jess Heinzelman explained the company's approach to public restrooms at a recent Community Board 3 meeting.

"We are toilet nerds at our core," Heinzelman told board members. 

And for anyone wondering how the new facilities are holding up after their first days, the initial report from Delancey Street and Cooper Square (below) is encouraging: clean, functioning and staffed by workers keeping a close eye on things.