Q-and-A with Andrew Stasiw, chairman of the St. George Ukrainian Festival

[Festival photo from 2012 by Bobby Williams]

The 39th annual St. George Ukrainian Festival, held on East Seventh Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square, starts this afternoon at 4.

In the aftermath of the deadly gas explosion on March 26 on Second Avenue at East Seventh Street, festival organizers decided to donate 10 percent of the profits to The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City (designated to the East Village building collapse fund). Organizers said that they will look to showcase the unity and the resilience of the East Village with the 2015 edition of the festival.

Here, Andrew Stasiw, chairman of St. George Ukrainian Festival, answered a few questions via email about this year's event.

Were there any conversations about canceling this year's festival?

Yes. Monday after the explosion, I met with key people on the festival committee. We were all horrified by the reality of the accident, and especially by the loss of life.

We determined to wait until I had a chance to reach out to OEM (NYC's Office of Emergency Management) and SAPPO (NYC's Street Activity Permit Office) to determine whether we would even be allowed to have a street closure so quickly. Both offices assured me that the street closure 1 1/2 months later would not be a problem.

Another consideration we discussed with the church committee was our "Grandfather Status" with the City of New York. Should we for moral reasons choose to not hold our festival, we would lose our status, and not be allowed to have a three-day closure again in the next year. The City no longer grants three-day closures, and has not for two decades.

Our festival has now been a 39-year tradition, and an integral part of our outreach to our surrounding community. Our community would be devastated if we lost our permit. Though we could have requested a reprieve from the city, we opted to move forward with the festival, and do something for our community as well.

Thus, the festival committee along with our pastor, Father Bernard Panczuk, agreed that we should proceed with the festival. We reached out to our performers and partners, and all agreed that we should do something to help our community. This is when we determined to utilize part of our net profit to donate to the East Village Relief Fund established by the City. This will benefit both merchants who lost their businesses trying to reboot, and tenants who lost their apartments.

To increase our revenues, all performers have agreed to perform for free in order to help our church, school and the East Village Relief Fund.

How will this year's festival showcase the unity and the resilience of the neighborhood?

There is a passion in the hearts of the people in our neighborhood that is now stronger then ever. We at St. George Church are so grateful, and proud of our neighbors who have reached out to us, offering support for our efforts.

More then ever, this year's festival feels more like a collaborative community event versus just a Ukrainian ethnic festival. The neighborhood is resilient because they are coming together to celebrate our Ukrainian heritage as well as to honor and assist those suffering because of the explosion.

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

What do you personally look forward to each year with the festival?

The kids! Yeah, we get amazing professional artists performing, but it is all about the children. Ukrainian dance schools exist all over the tri-state area, and this festival gives them and their families an opportunity to perform in the City. Through these schools, these children of Ukrainian descent get to learn about their heritage and then share it through song and dance with the people of New York.

As an educator, I see the value for children in these types of after-school activities — helping to build parametric connections in their brains through movement and counting, and also build friendships that last far into their adulthood.

For this year, we are very excited about our festival, but our hearts are broken for the loss of Moises Ismael Locón Yac and Nicholas Figueroa, two young men whose time was cut too short because of the explosion.

At St. George, we pray for them and pray that God comforts the weeping hearts of their families. Personally, I wish I could have done more during this tragic event. I witnessed [the explosion], and it was impossible to get back into the building and look for more potential victims. That day is still hard to talk about, but now we need to focus on what we can do to keep our community strong.

The festival hours are tonight, 4 to 9; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The 9th annual Dance Parade and DanceFest is tomorrow

[Photo from 2012 by Bobby Williams]

The annual Dance Parade is tomorrow. Let's head to the news release via the EVG inbox…

Four Grand Marshals will cut the ribbon at 12:45 pm on Saturday, releasing 10,000 dancers down Broadway as part of New York City’s 9th Annual Dance Parade and Festival. The four Grand Marshals span the diversity of dance – they are the renowned 84year old contemporary theater artist, choreographer and dancer of stage and screen Carmen de Lavallade, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle, Dancing Wheels founder Mary Verdi-Fletcher, and pioneer of Indian bhangra dance in North America, DJ Rekha.

While the parade celebrates more than 75 styles of dance, this year, we honor especially the genres of contemporary ballet, Physically Integrated Dance, and dance in the Indian bhangra dance music community.

This year’s Dance Parade New York will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the monumental civil rights legislation embodied in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ms. Verdi-Fletcher, whose physically integrated troupe was the first professional company in the U.S. to bring the talents of dancers with and without disabilities to the stage, will lead the parade while dancing in her wheelchair.

Find more info about the parade here.

The parade route eventually finds its way to St. Mark's Place… where the parade ends in Tompkins Square Park for … DanceFest.



Find the list for all the dancing and other activities in Park right here.

And now please join me to pray to the Lord to guide them in their endeavors.

Ben Shaoul now has until the end of July to demolish his illegal penthouse on East 5th Street

[Photo of 515 E. Fifth St. from May 4]

Landlord-developer Ben Shaoul now has yet another deadline to remove the illegal penthouse at 515 E. Fifth St., according to the building's tenants association.

As we've been seemingly cutting and pasting for years, the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) ruled in 2008 that Shaoul needed to remove the 6th and 7th floors here between Avenue A and Avenue B. However, his attorneys had requested that the city grant a zoning variance to "permit the constructed enlargement, minus the penthouse, to remain" here.

On Tuesday, there was another hearing on the matter … and as a rep for the tenants association told us, the BSA is giving Shaoul until the end of July to provide proof that the penthouse has been demolished … then the BSA will reopen hearings on the variances that Shaoul and Co. are requesting.

Last September, the BSA gave Shaoul 60 days to complete demolition … but that never happened.

Anyway, there is some demolition-related progress. As we pointed out, workers assembled a sidewalk bridge outside 515 on May 4. In addition, the city approved a permit to remove the penthouse on May 6. (There is also an approved permit on file to remove the sixth floor.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] 5 years later, another BSA hearing on illegal rooftop addition at 515 E. Fifth St.

Protest at 515 E. Fifth St. this morning, site of Ben Shaoul's illegal addition

The disappearing illegal penthouse of 514-516 E. 6th St.

Never-ending battle wages on over additional floors at 515 E. Fifth St.

Never-ending battle over additional floors at 515 E. Fifth St. promises to keep being never-ending

CB3 not into Ben Shaoul's zoning variance for 515 E. 5th St.

Another BSA hearing on Ben Shaoul's illegal rooftop addition; plus, rent 1 of the contested units!

BSA tells Ben Shaoul to remove the illegal penthouse on East 5th Street within 60 days

Sidewalk bridge arrives at 515 E. 5th St., site of Ben Shaoul's illegal penthouse conversion

The Black Rose is now open on Avenue A

[Photo via EVG reader JG]

The Black Rose, the new bar at 117 Avenue A between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, officially opened last night.

Several media outlets had previews yesterday, including Urban Daddy, which called Black Rose "an admirable mixture of a gritty Ave A bar of yore and a legit cocktail spot."

Bedford + Bowery had more details on the decor, noting that owners Joseph Daniele and Robert Payne redecorated the space with reclaimed objects, including recycled wood, metal and elements salvaged from film sets.

The photo gallery at Urban Daddy shows the bars rock roots, with framed photos of Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix, among other musicians/bands.

According to B + B, there will also be an occasional live act. "Musicians will stop by a couple times a month to play acoustic sets on nights with themes like disco, burlesque and LGBT."

The rock theme carries over to the cocktail menu, which includes drinks called "Light My Fire," Purple Haze" and "Personal Jesus."



Black Rose will eventually serve food, which DNAinfo reported on here.

The bar is open daily from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The previous tenant here, The Odessa Cafe & Bar, closed Aug. 31, 2013. Several suitors made a run for the space, but nothing ever materialized until The Black Rose came along.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Building that houses Odessa Cafe and Bar for sale on Avenue A

Former GM from Tribeca's Tiny's & the Bar Upstairs part of team to buy the Odessa Cafe

Reader report: Odessa Cafe and Bar will remain open through Sept. 6

Former Odessa Cafe and Bar will serve comfort food specializing in Nashville Hot Chicken

Now what for the Odessa Cafe and Bar?

The Black Rose, 'a neighborhood rock and roll bar,' opening in the former Odessa Cafe and Bar space (71 comments)

Brewer-Mendez tenant notification bill passes Council

[Oh, by the way, we're working on your bathroom ceiling today]

From the EVG inbox…

Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer and Council Member Rosie Mendez today celebrated the Council’s passage of Int. 222, legislation requiring landlords provide tenants with advance notice for non-emergency repair work that will result in disruptions to building services.

The bill establishes a general baseline of 72 hours’ advance notice for most work. For work affecting elevators, the bill requires 10 business days’ notice for major alteration work and 24 hours’ notice for any other work that will suspend all elevator service for more than two hours.

This legislation, sponsored jointly by Mendez and Brewer, closes a gaping hole in the city’s tenant-protection laws, which currently provide no such advance-notice requirements.

“Tenants deserve fair warning and an opportunity to plan around disruptive maintenance work,” said Brewer. “It’s also no secret that no-notice quality-of-life disruptions labeled as ‘maintenance work’ are a frequent harassment tactic to push tenants out of rent-stabilized apartments. Our notice requirement will be easy for honest, everyday landlords and building managers to respect, but it will take another harassment tool away from abusive landlords.”

“This legislation codifies common sense and common courtesy,” said Councilwoman Rosie Mendez. “No longer will tenants come home from a hard days work to find out that work in their building is interrupting some basic service and/or possibly obstructing access to their apartment. This law requires that landlords notify tenants when such work will affect services and for how long.”

Many landlords and management companies already provide advance notice of planned repairs to tenants – but many do not. The reasonable notice requirements established by Int. 222 would help tenants plan ahead to minimize the impacts of these service disruptions on their lives, and also help tenants distinguish between disruptions for planned work on the one hand, and emergent service failures or landlord harassment tactics on the other.

Juice Press on East 10th Street (the one near Avenue A) closes for good

[EVG photo from March 1]

Back in early March, the Juice Press on East 10th Street near Avenue A closed for renovations … an employee at the Juice Press on East 10th Street near Second Avenue told us that this location would definitely be reopening in a few months.

Apparently those plans changed. An EVG reader shared this photo from yesterday, when a store for rent sign arrived in the front window…



A recent article at well + Good noted that Juice Press "is expanding faster than your body can absorb green juice nutrients." This is the first time that we actually heard about a JP closing.

Steve Croman's 9300 Realty is the landlord.

This Juice Press location opened in June 2011.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Juice Press on East 10th Street (the one near Avenue A) closes for renovations

Fat Sal's has closed on Avenue A; new owners to open another pizzeria

That's it for Fat Sal's, the pizzeria at 201 Avenue A between East 12th Street and 13th Street. Paper is up in the windows.

The owner sold the shop, and the new proprietor will keep the space as a pizzeria.

Meanwhile, neighbors upstairs are curious what, if anything, might happen with the ventilation duct that workers installed before Sal's opened…



As we understand it, the previous owner tried to little avail to reduce the fan noise that residents say would rattle their windows.

Fat Sal's opened in May 2011, taking over the space from APizzA.

Reader-submitted photos

Earthquake-compliant townhouse for sale on East 7th Street

[Image via Cushman & Wakefield]

There's a new listing for 203 E. Seventh St. We'll head to Cushman & Wakefield for the listing:

The subject is a 5-story townhouse located on the north side of East 7th Street between Avenues B & C. Completed in 2001, 203 East 7th Street is approximately 6,920 SF and consists of 4 spacious apartments with high-end finishes.

Of the 4 apartments, 1 is duplexed on the ground floor, 2 are floor-through units on the 2nd and 3rd floors and the 4th and 5th floor penthouse is a duplex with private rooftop access. In addition to the penthouse, the 1st floor duplex and 2nd floor apartment benefit from private outdoor space at the rear of the property. 203 East 7th Street is the perfect townhouse for an individual or family looking to live in one of Manhattan's most exciting neighborhoods.

Due to the rise in residential condominium prices citywide, renovated townhouses have become incredibly challenging to find. Each unit is separately metered for heat (gas), cooking gas and electric. Therefore the building would also be ideal for an investor looking for a turnkey opportunity. The building is located just a half-block east from bustling Tompkins Square Park.

The building is steel and concrete in addition to being earthquake compliant and fire resistant.

Asking price: $7 million

Former St. Mark's Bookshop space still for rent on 3rd Avenue

[Photo from April 23]

Back in April, we noticed that someone had removed the for lease signs from the former St. Mark's Bookshop space at 31 Third Ave. … perhaps ahead of a new retail announcement?

Well, no.

There are just new signs up for the broker…

Now!



Last September!



Here's the description of the space via the listing at Jones Lang LaSalle:

• Neighbors include: Cooper Union, Organic Avenue, The Smith,The Standard Hotel, St. John’s University, New York University,TD Bank, Muji
• Surrounded by retailers, restaurants and corporate offices
• Manhattan’s hottest tech and educational hub
• Firms in the area include: J.Crew, Facebook, AOL, IBM Watson
• Over 65,000 undergraduate and graduate students in the surrounding area
• Consistent foot traffic with St. Mark’s Place, Astor Place and Cooper Square steps away

The rent is available by request. (St. Mark's Bookshop had been paying $23,500 a month here, according to the Times.)

St. Mark's Bookshop moved last summer to a new storefront on East Third Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former St. Mark's Bookshop for lease

MoRUS hosting photo exhibit, fundraiser for Peace Museum NY

Via the EVG inbox...

Photos by New York-based photographers that speak to the theme “Cycle of Peace” will be showcased and for sale at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) tonight through Sunday to raise funds for PEACE MUSEUM NY.

Curated by Catherine Talese, the exhibition opens tonight and run from 7 to 11 p.m. at MoRUS, 155 Avenue C between 9th and 10th Streets, with live entertainment by activist/musical duo Bethany Yarrow and Rufus Cappadocia at 9 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Cycle of Peace exhibit will be celebrated through the weekend at MoRUS with such live entertainment as Janet Restino, performing poetry on Sunday at 7 p.m. and Lorena Ambrosio performing on Friday at 9 p.m. While the exhibit remains on view at MoRUS on Saturday, Community Peace Events will be held at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden on 9th Street and Avenue C from noon to 6 p.m.

Co-sponsored by Times-Up!, a Peace Bike Ride will begin at the Gandhi Statue in Union Square on Sunday at 2 p.m.
visiting the East Village and its community gardens and ending at MoRUS.

Find more details at the Facebook event page.

Report: Equinox signs deal for Ben Shaoul's new retail-residential complex on East Houston

The fitness club has leased the entire second and third floors of Ben Shaoul's incoming development on East Houston and Orchard, the Post reports.

There's still 30,000 square feet of retail for the renting, per the Post.

Ben Shaoul and Real Estate Equities, a Midtown-based firm, paid $75 million for the one-level group of properties next to Katz's on East Houston and Orchard Street. Demolition is apparently underway.

Shaoul's 10-story building will include 83 residential units.

Your weekly Black Seed bagels post

The sidewalk bridge went up yesterday outside 174-176 First Ave., where workers are rehabbing the space for the new tenant — Black Seed bagels...

And here's a look inside yesterday at the interior renovations of the former DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe space...



Thanks to EVG reader William Klayer for the shots!

Previously

Rocky picture show

Animal-control officers from the NYPD responded to a report of a sick or wounded raccoon yesterday in Tompkins Square Park...





EVG contributor Derek Berg, who took these photos, said that the officers were gentle with the raccoon, which one of them named Rocky. After getting checked out, the officers said that Rocky would be released...

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Rineke
Occupation: Retired, 'Many Things'
Location: East Houston
Time: 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 11

I’m from Amsterdam. I moved to the city in 1991. Love brought me. I married my husband on New Year's Eve that year and we’re still married. Originally he’s from Philadelphia and he lived here.

He lived on 11th Street, next to an empty building that used to be The Ritz. Then Webster Hall opened. Things changed. The main ballroom, the techno was next to our kitchen. When they were really having a party the things that hold your pots on my stove would [vibrate]. When you sat on the toilet you could feel the vibrations in the water pipes.

If you can’t fight them, join them. So I went to work there as a receptionist. There were so many interesting people, weird people, wonderful people, but it was clear we needed to move because I couldn’t live like that. We had friends who wanted to buy something instead of paying rent, so I looked for a year and a half until we found something that we could afford and that was this house.

We bought it in 1994. It was an interesting period of time. My husband and the other person had [9-5] jobs, so they went to work. My husband was sometimes terrorized when he went to work because he had to wear a suit. But for women people were polite and respectful.

I came home once and I [noticed] a cleaver leaning against the front door. I thought, ‘that’s weird. I know if you have a fish head that’s not so good news if you find that.’ So I called the police and asked, ‘What does it mean if you find a cleaver leaning against your home?’ They asked me, ‘Do you want to be connected to lost and found?’ ‘No, I just want to find out if it means anything.’ ‘Oh, well hold on to it for a week because it might be evidence. If we don’t come back to you, just throw it away.’ The first year was full of these weird things.

I worked at the Amato Opera, but it’s closed now. It was funny because I was teaching arts and my husband retired. I wanted to do something and I discovered only then that there was this opera theater and they needed help in the costume department. I always made the costumes for school plays and we did Shakespeare. They said that I could come and help.

So the first season I did things and little projects and after the first season, the owner Anthony Amato asked, ‘Can you take over the costume department?’ I was scared to hell. When I started I didn’t like opera that much, but he changed that. When you’re exposed to something so intensely, you either run away or you develop a love for it. I worked until they closed in 2009.

Anthony was 89, I think, when he actually closed. He hoped his family could take over but it went different from what he imagined. There was nobody who really… it was impossible. He did everything, the auditions, the rehearsals, kept an eye on the finances, the scheduling, plus he would do the lights. He would install a new show every five weeks. He would direct; he was really amazing. Nobody can do that.

He wanted to help educate young singers. He was like a platform for young singers to experience and do a full opera. The big opera houses — you only get a chance when you are already there, but how do you get the experience? And sometimes people made it big and would happily come back to him and do a role, do a whole opera just for fun. That was a wonderful period.

Anthony was a short man, slightly taller than I am, but he was grand in everything he was doing. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to work with somebody like that. It was such an inspiration. He was very old. Who still works from early morning to late at night with all the things he was doing? He had a passion.

The funny thing is that everybody wants a long life but nobody wants to grow old. He was an old man but he kept doing what he wanted to do. He just went for it. That was inspiring to see that you don’t have to become a boring person. His energy… I’m jealous.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

Another setback for B&H's return on 2nd Avenue

[Photo last week by Derek Berg]

B&H Dairy owners Fawzy and Ola Abdelwahed hoped to have their small lunch counter at 127 Second Ave. back open by now … and they were apparently a few inspections away from reopening.

However, this past Saturday during an inspection, the FDNY said that the B&H needs a new fire suppression system … which will push the opening back at least three weeks.

Fawzy and Ola have now taken to Kiva Zip, a crowdlending site for small-business loans to raise $10,000. The loan will go to repairs and renovations, employee salary and groceries when it is time for reopening.

On Kiva Zip, Ola writes that their 12-year-old son "is already looking forward to helping us, which makes me so happy! Maybe in the future he can continue the work like his parents, and continue to be the proud owner of B&H like his parents."

B&H, between St. Mark's Place and East Seventh Street, has been closed since the deadly gas explosion on March 26.

Previously on EV Grieve:
How to help 73-year-old East Village mainstay B&H Dairy get up and running again

Your chance to (legally) ride a Citi Bike for free tomorrow

[Citi Bike photo by Derek Berg]

Here are the details via the EVG inbox...

On Thursday May 14, Switzerland Tourism invites New Yorkers to experience the fun and freedom of bicycling in honor of Bike-to-Work Week. From 12:01 am to 11:59 pm, Citi Bike day-passes will be available for free at any Citi Bike station kiosk. This is the first time a partner has provided a free day of Citi Bike passes.

What makes Switzerland the perfect partner for Citi Bike? Easy: Switzerland offers 5,600 miles of cycling routes and 2,800 miles of biking trails as part of a program called SwitzerlandMobility. Switzerland is the place to go for anyone who wants to swap NYC's high-rise buildings for stunning mountain scenery and city bike lanes for well-marked cycling and mountain bike routes which crisscross a land full of surprises.

To ride New York City free on May 14 from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM, riders just need to swipe a credit card and select the 24-Hour Access Pass option. No promo code is needed. A $101 security hold may be placed on the card. Standard overtime fees apply to trips that last longer than 30 minutes.

Gut renovations underway at interesting new business opening on East 14th Street

[440 E. 14th St., at last look]

At last look, workers had stripped away the facade at 440 E. 14th St. near Avenue A, where a Domino's Pizza is being delivered…

Yesterday, an EVG reader noted that the interior demolition is underway…



The space was previously home to the 99-Cent Discount Center.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Interesting new business opening on East 14th Street

Work continues at interesting new business coming to East 14th Street

[Updated] A group exhibition at 190 Bowery opens Saturday

[That same photo of 190 Bowery that we always post]

If you ever wanted to see the inside of 190 Bowery, then here's your chance.

Developer (and art collector!) Aby Rosen, who purchased the landmarked Germania Bank Building at Spring Street from photographer Jay Maisel for $55 million, is putting on an art show that opens Saturday night here along with Vito Schnabel.

Per the invite:

Vito Schnabel is pleased to announce the opening of First Show / Last Show, a group exhibition at 190 Bowery on May 16, 2015. Featured artists include Joe Bradley, Dan Colen, Jeff Elrod, Ron Gorchov, Mark Grotjahn, Harmony Korine, and Julian Schnabel.

“The artists included in First Show / Last Show are seven of my favorite painters. I have had the privilege of living with some of their works and have long wanted to show them together. There are very few artists whose work immediately conveys its significance, like each of these seven. They represent three generations of great American contemporary art, ranging in age from 35 to 85.

I grew up in New York City, walking by the former Germania Bank countless times. I always wanted to go inside, thinking it might be a perfect place for an exhibition. This is the first time this 1899 landmark building will be open to the public since the bank closed in 1966 and it became a private residence.

The show runs through May 31. (We updated the post because we had it completely wrong!)

As previously reported, some sort of still-unnamed creative agency has leased floors 2-6. The groundfloor retail remains on the market.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission — or a group pretending to be them — recently praised the owner's decision to keep the exterior graffiti, according to Curbed.

Updated 5-17

The opening was cancelled … it's now invite-only…

H/T The Lo-Down!

Key Food is out of flowers

Raymond and company apparently did a brisk business selling flowers Sunday in honor of Bono's birthday Mother's Day...

So if you want flowers, then maybe you can come back here on Avenue A and East Fourth Street tonight at 11...



Photos by Stacie Joy

[Updated] Police hunt for suspect in Union Square hammer attacks

The NYPD has released a sketch of a suspect accused of two hammer attacks in and around Union Square last evening between 7:36 and 7:46.

According to NBC 4 New York, one of the victims was sitting on a bench in Union Square "when she saw the suspect looking at her, police said. When she looked back, he took out a silver hammer and struck her."

The second victim on West 17th Street didn't see the hammer but felt the impact, per NBC 4.

The women, ages 28 and 33, were taken to Lenox Hill HealthPlex with minor injuries, and have been treated and released. The man is also suspected of a third attack on a 20-year-old man earlier in the day on Sixth Avenue and 35th Street.

The NYPD released the above sketch, describing the suspect as having a medium build and wearing a black waist length jacket with a black backpack, dark-colored baseball hat, dark jeans, and black sneakers.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.

Updated 1:04 p.m.

The Wall Street Journal has more details about the attacks:

A 28-year-old East Village woman leaving Union Square Park was struck by a man who she said had been sitting across from her on a bench in Union Square moments earlier, a law-enforcement official said.

She told police that the suspect had been smoking Newport cigarettes, the official said. The woman said that as she left the park, she was hit on the head from behind by the man with a hammer.

Updated 5/13

The NYPD has released a photo of the suspect...



Updated 11:17 a.m.

According to DNAinfo, the police shot the suspect as he tried to attack an officer with a hammer near Port Authority this morning. No word just yet on the condition of the victim.

Rumor: Moonstruck Diner opening location on Avenue A

Ethos Meze East Village closed for renovations at 167 Avenue A back in late March... and there hasn't been much activity in the space here between East 10th Street and East 11th Street ... except for someone removing the Ethos Meze sign.

The restaurant is owned by the same folks who run the Moonstruck Diner chainlet in the city. Now comes word via the rumor mill that the owners will convert the space into another Moonstruck, similar to the one on Second Avenue and East Fifth Street.

The space remains on the market, however.

1st activity at 500 E. 14th St. since the demolition phase, and when the standing water froze

There's finally some activity to note at the southeast corner of 14th Street and Avenue A, home one day to a 7-floor retail-residential building from Extell Development.

Last week, workers erected some fencing and plywood …





Workers have put a temporary sidewalk in place on East 14th Street for pedestrian use once the construction begins...



Perhaps this is a sign that approved permits are on the way? The city has yet to OK the new building (the DOB disapproved the last round of plans back in November, according to city records). Meanwhile, the only thing happening here in previous months is the standing water on the lot freezing and thawing.

As a reminder of what the new development will look like… here's the conceptual rendering… 500 E. 14th St. will have 106 residential units.



And further to the east, 524 E. 14th St. will house 44 residential units…



The demolition of the one-level row of buildings along East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B wrapped up last August.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development

New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

[Updated] Will proposed taxi stand on Avenue A bring relief to Punjabi Grocery & Deli?

[East Houston]

As previously reported, the ongoing East Houston Reconstruction Project is having a major impact on Punjabi Grocery & Deli's business.

Through the years, cab drivers made up a sizable portion of Punjabi's business. The reconstruction, however, has prevented drivers from being able to stop by for an inexpensive vegetarian meal here at 114 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. (Owner Jashon Singh told BoweryBoogie a few weeks ago that his sales are down some 60 percent in the past five years during the roadwork.)

Some relief might be on the way.

Tonight, CB3's Transportation & Public Safety/Environment Committee will hear a proposal for a taxi relief stand on the west side of Avenue A between East Second Street and East Houston. The proposal calls for four parking spaces for cabs.


[Avenue A]

Last summer, Punjabi started an online petition asking the city to approve a taxi relief stand — seven parking spaces on East Houston and two additional spots on the bend of East First Street. (There's currently a No Standing sign on East Houston, where there used to be metered parking.)

According to BoweryBoogie, "the DOT has been unwilling to talk to, or meet with Singh, according to their lawyer/advocate Ali Najmi."

EVG reader Jim Duffy, a Punjabi fan, has been in contact with the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. A rep there told him via email that the Department of Transportation "sent a team out to do a field study and determine a good location for this relief stand." The DOT proposed the west side of Avenue A, which they say is about 150 feet from Punjabi.

The meeting tonight starts at 6:30 (there are several other items ahead of this on the agenda). The meeting is at the University Settlement, Houston Street Center at 273 Bowery.

Also, “#SAVEPUNJABIDELI,” a short directed by filmmaker Adeel Ahmed, debuted online yesterday at the the Tribeca Film Festival site. Per the film notes, the short "gives a glimpse into the unique hospitality that has made Punjabi Deli a cheap and delicious food staple in the neighborhood for over two decades and why it’s not just a cabbie stand, but an appreciated NYC icon worth saving."



Updated

The CB3 committee voted to support the cab stand. But! Per The Lo-Down:

The city says a decision on an exact location must wait until the end of the summer, when a long-delayed construction project on East Houston Street is expected to be completed. In the meantime, the city’s Department of Transportation has agreed to set up a temporary taxi stand on the west side of Avenue A, just above East Houston.

BoweryBoogie and Gothamist have coverage from the meeting too.

Previously on EV Grieve:
How you can help Punjabi Grocery & Deli stay in business

Never-ending construction continues to hurt Punjabi Grocery & Deli

Enz's Boutique returns to 2nd Avenue

[Photo yesterday via Jimmy Carbone]

Enz's at 125 Second Ave. has reopened … The rockabilly boutique between St. Mark's Place and East Seventh Street was badly damaged in the deadly gas explosion on March 26 that destroyed the adjacent buildings at 119-123 Second Ave.

While rebuilding her storefront, owner Mariann Marlowe was able to do business from several different pop-up locations in the neighborhood.

When she was able to get back into the storefront earlier last month, "she found extensive water damage … The basement was flooded, the floors buckled and black mold had begun growing on the walls," according to DNAinfo. "It's a raw space right now. It's down to the beams," Marlowe said in a story published on April 21.

Here's a photo of the new-look shop via Enz's Facebook page from yesterday…



Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to Enz's Boutique

Out with Lunasa and in with The Grafton on 1st Avenue

The bar-restaurant at 126 First Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place will close as Lunasa after service tonight. But the place will remain the same, except for the name.

The owners offer this explanation on Facebook:

We have some really sad news, today is the last day of Lunasa. After almost 12 years in the East Village, Lunasa will cease to exist from closing time tonight forth. We want to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal customers, our not so loyal customers and even the irregulars that have graced our door over this time. You all mean so much to us and you are the reason we have managed to stay open for more than a decade. We feel so blessed to have met you all and we will cherish the memories (well some of them anyway).

The truth is very few of you could pronounce the bloody name so you lot are partially responsible for its demise, we never thought for a second all that time ago that 6 letters would be so difficult to say properly, it's only 3 syllables for feck sake! Now we know why so many immigrants changed their names after arriving in this beautiful new world.

Well now is the time for us to do the same (this is not all bad news), while the name Lunasa is getting buried, a new name has been carefully chosen with pronunciation as the primary element in the rebranding process. It is a 7 letter word but the key is it only has two syllables, so we are mildly confident that we won't hear similar abominations we heard with our beloved Lunasa.

Ladies and gentlemen we'd like to introduce you to The Grafton. Named after one of Dublin's most famous streets, The Grafton will be very much like Lunasa, except you just won't have to repeat yourself four times to your friends when your telling them where you are.

Tonight is Lunasa's last night and we'd love to see you, swing on by to say so long and tomorrow is the first day of a new era as The Grafton, so swing on by to say hello.

The V-Spot coming soon to St. Mark's Place

Here are more details about the new restaurant opening at 12 St. Mark's Place.

The V-Spot, with a location in Park Slope, offers Latin vegan cuisine. Here's a description via their website:

For people who eat vegan or kosher, or both, it's not always easy to enjoy tasty Latin dishes, but a one-of-it's-kind restaurant in Park Slope is changing that. The V Spot is a vegan restaurant specializing in Latin cuisine that is Kosher certified under IKC Kosher. We serve delicious meatless and dairy-free dishes that use traditional Latin seasonings, like adobo & sazon made from scratch. Instead of meat, we use our homemade seitan, which is wheat-based, full of protein but doesn't contain any carbohydrates. Our menu is full of flavor, cholesterol-free & no animals were harmed in the making of your dish.

We also offer gluten-free options such as Kale Tostadas or our Quinoa Curried Kale. If you have a sweet tooth you can try one of our soy milkshakes, fresh vegetable juice, fruit smoothies & vegan desserts. ​Our empanadas are famous through out New York City & also available via FreshDirect's online delivery system. Our current flavors are Colombian style, Black Bean, Jamaican Jerk, Philly Cheese Style & Breakfast Scramble.

The V-Spot menu is here.

No word on an opening date, though they are hiring now... the signs arrived yesterday...



The address here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue was previously home to Hanjoo, which closed in February after nearly three years. No. 12 has also been home to a number of bars-restaurants in recent years, including Hirai Mong, Gama, San Marcos, Siren and @Cafe.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Organic omnivore, vegetarian or vegan restaurant wanted at 12 St. Mark's Place

The St. George Ukrainian Festival is this weekend

It's the 39th year for the festival, held on East Seventh Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.

Here are a few highlights for 2015 (via the EVG inbox):

• A portion of the festivals profit will be donated to the victims of the deadly gas explosion on March 26

• Street vendors from the community will be selling a range of Ukrainian food and merchandize to support the local church and community

• More than 100 performances from professional Ukrainian dance ensembles, singers and musicians.

Look for an interview here with Andrew Stasiw, chairman of St. George Ukrainian Festival, later this week.