Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen reopens today

After its usual summer hiatus, Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen, the home of hearty and inexpensive Eastern European fare at 33 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square, reopens today. (The sign out front originally noted a Sept. 11 date. But that was scratched out and replaced with Sept. 25.)



The basement cafe, a fundraising arm of the St George Ukrainian Catholic Church just up East Seventh Street, is only open Friday through Sunday (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., give or take a few minutes).

Fork in the Road paid a visit last fall and sampled the beet borscht soup, boiled kielbasa and stuffed cabbage, among other items.

Previously on EV Grieve:
At the Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen


[EVG file photo]

10 Degrees Bistro won't be reopening on Avenue A

The for lease sign arrived on the front door yesterday.



As we first reported on Aug. 18, the landlord took legal possession of the restaurant at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street.

A sign arrived the next day noting that 10 Degrees was closed for maintenance…



Also on Aug. 19, 10 Degrees took to Facebook to explain the situation… renegotiating terms with the landlord…



The proprietors of Ten Degrees Bar around the corner on St. Mark's Place took over operations of the Flea Market Cafe in March 2013 ... changing the name to 10 Degrees Bistro in December 2013.

10 Degrees Bar remains open.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New-look Flea Market Cafe shows itself on Avenue A; reopens March 11

Flea Market Cafe reopens today, and here's the menu

Was the fire at Flea Market yesterday suspicious?

On Avenue A, Flea Market Cafe is now Ten Degrees Bistro

The Marshal seizes 10 Degrees Bistro on Avenue A

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...