A lot of reasons to visit community gardens this weekend

The 4th Annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival is this weekend. Here are some highlights via the EVG inbox…

• Jack Hardy Songwriter's Exchange
Saturday, 1-7 p.m.
DeColores Garden, East Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C
--> In 1970's Greenwich Village, Jack Hardy wanted to write more songs, so he got a group of like-minded souls together. Everyone agreed to write a song a week. Decades of pasta dinners, a crop of legendary careers, and thousands of brand new songs later, the group continues to meet with an ever-shifting cast of wildly various characters aged 8 to 78, representing every genre of music.

• Martian Harvest Moon Annual Dance Party
Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
Dias y Flores Garden, East 13th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B
--> Live Afro-Cuban music by local musicians, Ray Santiago and Friends.



• Faith
Sunday, 7 p m.
Green Oasis Garden, East Eighth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D
--> "If Nina Simone had a power trio with a rock/soul and reggae flair, it would sound something like this." (Doug DeFalco, Talent Buyer, Southpaw).

• Hayes Greenfield and the Gravity Unplugged Trio
Sunday, 1-3 p.m.
6B Garden, East Sixth Street and Avenue B
--> Hayes Greenfield, the innovative jazz musician and long time East Village resident, brings his Gravity Unplugged trio back to celebrate the LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival. From inside to outside and everything in between, Hayes and Gravity Unplugged deliver an unpredictable journey through jazz.

The opening party for neighbors and community gardeners is tonight from 6:30-9, La Plaza Cultural Garden, East Ninth Street and Avenue C.

You can visit the LUNGS website here for the full listing of events and more details.

For lease signs arrive on the former Belgian Room and Hop Devil Grill spaces

[A few weeks ago]

A few weeks ago, we noticed that workers removed the wall that separated the former Ton-Up Cafe and Belgian Room on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Some St. Mark's Place empty storefront watchers thought this work might indicate a new tenant was on the way in…

Apparently not. For lease signs arrived on the spaces yesterday… as well as on the adjacent Hop Devil Grill front door…



This is the first time that we've seen any for lease signs on the Belgian Room and Hop Devil Grill since the State of New York seized the sister bars back in April. The Ton-Up space at No. 127 has been empty since May 2014. (The for lease sign here arrived, before disappearing, last October.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Belgian Room and Hop Devil Grill closed for nonpayment of taxes

Selling off the former Hop Devil Grill

Sitting empty on St. Mark's Place

DOH temporarily closes La Esquina Bar & Grill on 1st Avenue

A DOH inspector paid a visit to La Esquina Bar & Grill on First Avenue and East Sixth Street on Tuesday, and apparently didn't like what he or she saw… the restaurant is temporarily closed…



The inspector found 69 violation points … for things such as "Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas." (You can find the report at the DOH website here.)

Figaro Cafe Bistro Bar & Grill changed concepts/names to La Esquina Bar & Grill in March.

H/T Vinny & O

Some walls for Mother of Pearl

[EVG photo from July]

Well, in case anyone was curious how Mother of Pearl was going to weather the cold-weather months without any walls here at East Sixth Street and Avenue A… the bar that opened in July is now apparently getting some…





Thanks to EVG reader Dale MacDonald for the photos!

Previously on EV Grieve:
The 'Postmodern Polynesian' of Mother of Pearl replacing Gin Palace on Avenue A

Mother of Pearl softly opens on Avenue A and East 6th Street (31 comments)

EV Grieve Etc.: Bluestockings looking to make improvements and stay on the LES

[Photo by Derek Berg]

Some love for the underrated SenYa on First Avenue (Eater)

Help Bluestockings improve their space and thrive for another five years (Indie GoGo)

46 percent of P.S. 15 students on the LES lacked permanent housing during the previous school year (Chalkbeat)

Late-night fistfight(s) on Ludlow Street (BoweryBoogie)

Details on the Mental Health Film Festival at the Village East Cinema Saturday (Mental Health Film Festival site)

The Pizza Rat plushie (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Kossar’s Bialys on Grand Street closes for renovations (The Lo-Down … see our tour of the space here)

Turmoil at the Elizabeth Street Garden (The New York Times)

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton: "Let's get beyond the hyperbole, let's get beyond 'the good old days.' Mayor Bloomberg is gone. Commissioner Kelly is gone. Get over it." (Metro)

Reading Frank O’Hara's "Lunch Poems" (Ephemeral New York)

The Synagogues of East Sixth Street (Off the Grid)

A Johnny Ramone Rickenbacker is up for auction (Clash Magazine)

A performance by the Misguided at CBGB in 1983 (Flaming Pablum)

The NYC photography of Jill Freedman (The New York Times)

… and longtime East Village resident Michael Palladino has an art show/exhibition going on now through Jan. 4 at the NYPL Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 Fifth Ave. between 39th Street and 40th Street … here are details via the NYPL website:

The Art and Picture Collections present Vortex, two site-specific exhibitions of the same title, created by artist and designer Michael Palladino along time user of the Picture Collection. Palladino's Art Wall on Third exhibition features his wood relief murals with whitewash and encaustic wax leading to his Photo Walls in Picture Collection exhibition of enhanced digital photographs with encaustic wax, mounted on wooden trays.

[Michael Palladino]

[Updated] The Nite Owl has apparently closed

An EVG reader who lives on First Avenue notes that The Nite Owl, the cocktail lounge at 166 First Ave. near East 10th Street, has been dark all week.

There's an invite on the Nite Owl's Facebook page for a closing party last weekend...



The space went under a renovation and changed from North River to the Nite Owl back in March. North River, which served American-style comfort food from chef Adam Starowicz, opened in December 2013.

No word about the status of Dead Drop, the sorta hidden speakeasy in the basement.

Updated 4:11 p.m.

The for rent sign arrived today…

On the market: 120 E. 10th St., a single-family home or triplex with income

Here's the listing via M Woods & Associates:

120 East 10th Street is a well preserved six story Anglo Italianate townhouse on an historically significant block [between Second Avenue and Third Avenue] … The building’s foot print is 18 x 36 with a charming irregularly shaped garden within the sound of St Mark’s bells. The house is in good condition with most of the original flooring and lovely Italianate arched windows on first through third floors. The building is now configured as 3 apartments. All tenants are on month to month leases except one, whose lease runs through April 2016. The building can be delivered vacant as of May 2016 or vacant except for one unit within 90 days. This property offers the opportunity for a spacious single family or triplex with income.

Asking Price: $7.5 million

Construction watch: 95 Avenue B

Just checking in on the gut-renovation progress at 95 Avenue B near East Sixth Street... the scaffolding and construction netting recently came down...



The ground-floor (and basement) remains on the rental market. Here's how it's being pitched via Suzan Penzner:

Rare opportunity to rent prime avenue store in the heart of Alphabet City. Approx. 15ft of frontage with excellent visibility from the corner of 6th Street. Space will be delivered in shell condition.

Building undergoing extensive renovations, including new storefront and upgraded electric. Dry use.

Here's a look at the storefront rendering...



The rent is available upon request.

Part of the building was formerly home to Tu Casa, the recording studio that had been around since 1972. A lengthy list of musicians have played here through the years, including Butch Morris, Black Flag, the Bush Tetras, Dee Dee Ramone and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, to randomly name a few.


[EVG file photo from June 2013]

Today's double rainbow in Tompkins Square Park

Courtesy of the sprinklers (and sun).

Photo by Bobby Williams

Gummy bear carnage on East 10th Street

Photo today near Avenue A by Grant Shaffer...

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: Eva Dorsey
Occupation: Co-owner, Jane’s Exchange, Children’s Resale & Consignment Shop
Location: 191 East 3rd St. (between A and B)
Time: 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1

I was born on Jane Street in the West Village. I’m a native New Yorker but I didn’t stay long. My dad was a teacher and we had to move out to Connecticut. I came back several times for short periods before finally settling here in 1986. I decided to finish my degree in Theatre Criticism at the CUNY graduate center.

I moved to 7th Street and Avenue B because of the affordability. Heroin and cocaine were sold big time on 7th Street there. The big guy was right across the street from me and he got away with it for so long because he ran a dojo. What he’d do — it was really smart — was he kept all the kids off the street instead of going into gangs or this or that, but he was selling drugs at the same time. If my mother would come to visit in her car, he would carry her suitcases. He decorated the street for Christmas with the lights and did little parties. He kind of wined and dined the block and then at the same time was doing all this stuff.

I remember the big drug bust in the mid 1990s. I was right there. It was huge. They did it at midnight. They had helicopters light the street. It looked like it was three in the afternoon. There were so many helicopters and all the drug guys were lying down on the street. The Feds, I guess, came in from the roofs. It was a huge bust and pretty incredible how fast they did it and how well planned it was. That bust changed my street for years to come. The street was no longer protected by the drug dealers and ironically became more unsafe.

I became pregnant, which was a shock because I had been “diagnosed” as infertile after a number of attempts with invitro fertilization. I was very excited because I had wanted to have a child. I was adjunct teaching at Hunter College and working on my dissertation. I thought, I can have a child and work on my dissertation — of course I didn’t.

In preparation for my baby, I discovered consignment shopping because I didn’t have money. I discovered these consignment stores, but they were all on the Upper East Side — and they weren’t that cheap. It occurred to me that we could use a children’s consignment store downtown. There seemed to be so many families in the East Village. I thought that maybe I could start one as a single parent, be able to have my daughter with me, and make a living that way. That was 21 years ago. I was scared to death because I don’t come from a business family at all. When you enter the business world and know nothing about it, it’s a little overwhelming.

Before I started Jane’s Exchange, I created these silly little flyers saying, "If I open a store like this, would you bring me stuff and would you shop there?" I got very good feedback from people. I had little savings and was very fortunate when Anna Pastoressa, owner of Cassia, a vintage store named after her daughter, rented me half her store for a very reasonable amount on the corner of 7th and B. It was thrilling when people arrived with bags of clothes and toys – mostly donations to help open the store. Eventually Anna and I ran Jane’s Exchange together. This was 21 years ago. Then in 1999, I lost a lease but gained a great business partner, Gayle Raskin, who is still with me after 16 years.

We are a children’s and maternity consignment shop. People make an appointment to bring their things in, we sell them, and they get 30 percent of the sale to use as credit for the store. We don’t pay out. I used to pay out a long time ago but forget that. Our accountant said keep going with that and you’ll be out of business. It’s been a lovely way to raise my daughter and have it such a community-based place. I’ve met great, unbelievable people. We get all these different economic groups in, but just a lot of these lovely people who have been in the neighborhood for years.

The other nice thing is ... with environmental issues going on now, it helps kids to understand the idea of recycling, because they are literally bringing their own things in. Sometimes it’s not easy for a child to part with something, but we explain to them how it works and I think that’s a good thing to learn at a young age. You don’t throw out what can be used by other people.

Unfortunately, our current lease is up as of June 2016. We’re just announcing it now to our customers. This is our third location. We keep losing our leases. That’s the story. These stores can’t maintain anymore. Stores like this, it’s the end, period. Everyone asks why aren’t there more. There aren’t more because of real estate. I don’t know what’s going to happen, like everyone else, but it is highly unlikely that we can move again should our lease go up beyond our means. Like many small businesses, we simply may not make it. If this happens, I think it will be missed.

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

Dusty Buttons has a new home on East 9th Street

In July, the 6-year-old vintage boutique Dusty Buttons closed at 441 E. Ninth St. after newish landlord Icon Realty served them with a 125 percent rent increase.

After exploring possible locations in Philadelphia for the shop, owner Amanda Loureiro and her husband Peter were able to find a new space closer to home — in fact just one block away.

On Monday, Loureiro signed the lease for 324 E. Ninth St. (the storefront next to Sakaya) between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

"We are staying in the East Village," Loureiro posted on Facebook. "We have a lot of work to do on this old beauty but hope to be open for early October."

Previously on EV Grieve:
On East 9th Street Dusty Buttons is closing after 125% rent hike: 'Saying goodbye will hurt like hell'

Brookhill Properties launches chocolate offensive

Raphael Toledano's Brookhill Properties recently closed on a 16-building East Village portfolio.

An EVG reader who lives at one of the properties, 327 E. E. 12th St., passed along the welcome package that the Brookhill Property management team left yesterday for residents — a small box of chocolates… which accompanied a fairly innocuous letter about the change in ownership.

The letter points out that "We pride ourselves on our tenant relations department and will go to all lengths to make sure that you are satisfied with our services."

Beleaguered rent-regulated tenants at the Toledano-owned 444 E. 13th St. received wine and fruit baskets back in May after the continued lack of basic building services. Earlier in May, residents at No. 444 filed a lawsuit against Toledano and the management company, Goldmark Property Management, for "deplorable conditions" as well as for alleged ongoing threats and harassment. (Toledano later reportedly fired Goldmark Property Management after news of the lawsuit broke.)

In August, state officials served subpoenas on Goldmark Property Managmenet, investigating whether the company threatened tenants with police raids, prostitution stings, evictions and the shut off of essential service, according to The Real Deal.

According to an article on 444. E. 13th St. that City Limits published last Thursday, there were 244 open violations of the city's housing maintenance code for hazards such as cracks in the walls and ceilings and infestations of cockroaches, mice, and bedbugs at one point in June. Since then, City Limits reports that the number of open violations at the East 13th Street building has been reduced to 84.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Landlord of 444 E. 13th St. threatened 'to drop dynamite on the building'

Reader report: Large portfolio of East Village buildings ready to change hands

Report: State investigating East Village landlord Raphael Toledano

Report: Uncle suing nephew broker Raphael Toledano over $100 million East Village deal

Report: Raphael Toledano completes purchase of 16-building East Village portfolio

Updated: East Village Cheese opens Friday

[Photo yesterday by Derek Berg]

That's the word from workers here at 80 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue… where the East Village Cheese Shop relocated from Third Avenue earlier last month.

While the space had been under renovation in recent weeks, we hadn't heard about an opening date just yet.

The shop's lease at 40 Third Ave. between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street was up at the end of July, with its former neighbor Duane Reade eventually expected to expand into the adjacent storefronts.

Updated 9/25

Word is now Tuesday, Sept. 29 for the opening…

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rumors: Duane Reade expansion will take over adjacent storefronts, including East Village Cheese (74 comments)

[Updated] Confirmed: East Village Cheese will be moving to Avenue A later this year

East Village Cheese makes move to 7th Street official

[Updated] Work starts on new home of the East Village Cheese Shop

Looking at the incoming East Village Cheese shop on East 7th Street