[Updated] Gone but not forgotten

Remembering a few of our friends and neighbors who died in 2013...

Butch Morris, innovative jazz musician and conductor



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Alan Shenker, aka Yossarian/Yo, legendary figure in the underground comics world

[Photo by Patrick Rosenkranz]

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Saul Leiter, acclaimed street photographer


[Image via]

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Joel Pakela aka LES Jewels, "gutter pirate," poet


[Photo via MoRUS]

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Cesar Monico, longtime employee of Stromboli Pizza, father of three


[Photo by EVG reader Aizaz]

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Walter De Maria, noted sculptor, musician


[Photo by Patrick Rogers]

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Taylor Mead, "the quintessential Downtown figure"


[Photo from 1979, © Deborah Feingold/Corbis]

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Joey McGibbon, longtime East Village resident, "gentle spirit"

[Photo by James Maher]

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Walter Seda, happy hour aficionado


[Photo by Tim Finn]

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Arpad Miklos, gay porn superstar

[Image via Pitchfork]

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John Blanco, popular bouncer at Croxley Ales,


[Photo by Stacie Joy]

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Arturo Vega, artist, "the fifth Ramone"


[Photo by Curt Hoppe from March 2013]

These EV Grieve posts received the most reader comments in 2013

Amazingly, a Citi Bike post did not crack the top 10...



Incoming Empire Biscuit on Avenue A launches Kickstarter campaign (July 9, 121 comments)

A case against using the term 'crusty' (June 28, 105 comments)

RIP LES Jewels (Sept. 14, 80 comments)

Report: FDNY rescues partygoers from 2nd Avenue 'rooftop rager' after stairwell collapse injures 1 (Sept. 29, 74 comments)

Avenue A's anti-7-Eleven campaign now includes arsenal of 20,000 stickers (Jan. 8, 73 comments)

Report: The making of Empire Biscuit; plus, people drop biscuits on the floor but eat them anyway (Nov. 12, 72 comments)

Report: Empire Biscuit opens today (Oct. 30, 65 comments)

[Updated] Car smashes into East Village Farm & Grocery on Second Avenue; 6 reported injured (June 19, 62 comments)

Top cop's SantaCon endorsement: 'It's what makes New York, New York' (Nov. 24, 59 comments)

Reader report: 9th St. Bakery is closing after 87 years (Jan. 15, 59 comments)

Here is the future of East 14th Street and Avenue A: 7 stories of residential and retail (Oct. 18, 57 comments)

Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave (or read!) a comment.

The most-viewed EV Grieve posts of 2013

In case you are in the mood for one more year-end listicle…

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[Updated] Female diner decides to go topless last night at Verso, July 8



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Noted, Aug. 28



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RIP LES Jewels, Sept. 14


[Photo from 2011 by Bob Arihood]

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[Updated] The Joe Strummer mural is gone, Aug. 19


[Bobby Williams]

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Something Sweet space for rent on First Avenue, July 8


[Photo by Blue Glass]

A fearless visit to the roof during Hercules!

EVG reader John Speakman braved a familiar roof for this Hercules update…

Meanwhile on East Fifth Street…

Photo by Paul Kostabi via Instagram

On the front lines of Hercules

Pre-snowstorm #panicshopping in full effect in the East Village grocery stores! Shelves emptying out! Long lines! Dramatic sighs! #patience

— Duke Todd (@DukeToddIsAlive) January 3, 2014

Signs of the impending Storm of the Jan. 3®

Meanwhile, the aliens are ready to harvest our frozen bodies… or maybe it was just a photo shoot. Still!



Photos today in and around Tompkins Square Park by Bobby Williams

Sure, it looks nice now...

A postcardish early morning in Tompkins Square Park... but that will all change with this MAMMOTH Winter Storm headed right toward us...

Anyway, hope that the snow holds off until we figure out what happened here...

What is it a good restaurant year for the East Village in 2013?

Seems so … as far as the arrival (and return!) of some affordable/unpretentious restaurant options … For starters, there's the second outpost of Joe's Pizza on East 14th Street… and Archie & Sons on Third Avenue...



Not to mention all the new taco choices — an East Ninth Street storefront for Tacos Morelos … Otto's on Second Avenue … El Diablito Taqueria on East Third Street… There is also Taqueria Diana, which I haven't tried over on Second Avenue. (Ditto for Sembrado on East 13th Street.)

What else? The much-appreciated (by me, anyway) return of the original Nino's Pizza on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place… and the very happy return of Mee Noodle Shop and Grill on First Avenue…

What else? The new outpost of Papaya King on St. Mark's Place… Han Dynasty on Third Avenue?

Obviously there were many other openings … kept this to places that weren't selling, say, Bibb Lettuce Salads drizzled with cherimoya nectar for $39.

Anyway! Feel free to mention any other new places in the comments ... as long as it isn't a blatant shill.

Controversial halal food cart on Avenue A moves … a few feet around the corner

Well! The world's most controversial halal food cart that arrived last week on the southeast corner of Avenue A and East Second Street, quickly drawing the ire of some nearby residents, has moved… a few feet around the corner to a new spot on East Second Street…



Oh, if this helps…



A few neighbors had complained of noise, exhaust fumes, dumped ashes and a blocked sidewalk, among other things… someone even papered the block with flyers…

The move will now likely infuriate a whole new set of neighbors…



In another development, RyanAvenueA noted that the cart was gone by 9 last night ... several hours earlier than usual...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Angry residents don't want this food cart on Avenue A and East 2nd Street (42 comments)

Avenue A food-cart fight now with flyer campaign (21 comments)