Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's this week's NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood.

In case the exterminator comes calling

An old #scam is returning to the #EastVillage involving exterminators. They say the landlord sent them & you allow them in. Only things leaving are your valuables.

If you did not call, check with the building management before allowing anyone inside. #NYPD #CrimePrevention pic.twitter.com/vZkPIgeq2C

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) February 8, 2019

Report: What happened to the donated money earmarked for St. Brigid School?

As noted on Friday, students, parents and local residents will gather this morning — at a mass at 10 or afterwards at the school — to show "support and solidarity in saving our beloved school."

This past Monday, the Archdiocese of New York took the community by surprise in announcing the school will close here on Seventh Street and Avenue B at the end of this academic year. (St. Brigid is one of seven NYC Catholic schools marked for closure by the Archdiocese.)

Meanwhile, parents and residents are now questioning where the money is from the anonymous donation that spared St. Brigid Church from demolition. As reported at the time in 2008:

"The donor also has given $2 million to establish an endowment to help the parish meet the spiritual needs of community residents. A separate gift of $8 million will support Saint Brigid School, and other Catholic schools in need."

To the Post today:

"There still was a significant amount of money left," said Edwin Torres, who formed an organization to save the church.

He said the cash went to the Archdiocese and there should have been at least $2 million for the school.

"They really haven’t shown an accounting for that," he said.

And the response from the Archdiocese of New York:

Joseph Zwilling, an Archdiocese spokesman, told the Post the school did have money left in its endowment fund — about $1.5 million.

But he said the school is losing $850,000 a year, a loss the Archdiocese has been covering.

"It is a sad reality that it is nearly impossible to run a school with only 119 students in Grades K-8," Zwilling said.

And the response from a parent:

Matthew Daloisio, a St. Brigid parent working to save the school, said the $1.5 million was "absolutely a lot of money" and parents would work to boost enrollment if that would keep the doors open.

"Then with our help, there should be no reason the school can't stay open," he said.

There is also a petition in circulation (link here) to help save the school.

And here's a look at some of the homemade signs that line the school...

A thrift-store podcast with Maegan Hayward of the East Village Vintage Collective

Jason Charles asked me to guest-host an East Village-based session for his podcast network.

For this episode, I talked with Maegan Hayward, the proprietor of the East Village Vintage Collective at 545 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The place started as a pop-up shop in August 2015. Along the way, the East Village Vintage Collective became a full-time endeavor now entering its fourth year.

Launching the business is among the topics that we cover in the 27-minute podcast, which you can access here. We also discuss thrift-shop culture, what people look for these days (spoiler: jeans) and the challenges of running a small shop in NYC.

(Also, nothing to do with the podcast but everything is 25-percent off in the store today. They are open from noon to 8 p.m.)

And the landing page with the East Village Vintage Collection podcast includes a two-part podcast that Delphine Blue did with me last fall.

Today's free book selections

Subjects in the pile of discarded books at the St. Mark's Place entrance to Tompkins Square Park include Ralph Waldo Emerson, the San Francisco Earthquake and Leonardo DiCaprio Da Vinci.

Thanks to Vinny & O for the photo this morning.

Go it alone

The audio clip here is for "Onkel," a recently released single by the Swedish post-punk band Makthaverskan.

Eye wash

A graffiti scrub team paid a visit to this spot next to the Big Bar on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue earlier today... and blasted that fish eye art that has been here for several years. (Four years? Three years? I know I did a post when it arrived.)

Not sure why someone decided to have this cleaned now... thanks to Derek Berg for these photos...





Updated 2/9

Despite the power-washing session yesterday...

EVG Etc.: CBD-infused food sales go up in smoke; L-train mystery smell revealed!

[Photo in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg]

Headlines and items of possible interest from the past few days...

Police kill knife-wielding man in Cherry Street apartment this morning (The Post)

Sabet Group buys 236 E. Fifth St. from Renaissance Properties (The Real Deal)

City is now cracking down on CBD-laced food and drink at cafes and restaurants (Eater) ... Fat Cat Kitchen on 14th Street is an early victim (Eater)

The LES is among the neighborhoods with small-street danger zones (Streetsblog)

The story behind the return of "Spaceman" at the Wild Project on Third Street (The New Yorker)

Fumes cause passengers to faint on the L (Gothamist) ... and here's the cause (Daily News)

Meanwhile! We're all still waiting on details regarding Gov. Cuomo's L fix (The Post)

The hawks wintering in the neighborhood (Laura Goggin Photography)

A film series that explores themes in Ivone Margulies's new book, "In Person: Reenactment in Postwar and Contemporary Cinema" (Anthology Film Archives)

Here are the Winter/Spring 2019 exhibitions opening today at the ICP Museum on the Bowery (Official site)

The new Essex Market names final four vendors (amNY)

Le Turtle, the self-proclaimed “French new wave” spot on Chrystie Street, has closed (The Lo-Down)

A feature on 787 Coffee's "farm to cup" approach in supporting their farm and roasters in Puerto Rico (Telemundo) The coffee shop opened on Seventh Street in October.

Gov. Cuomo announces the creation of a new portal, called NYS Rent Connect, that’s a one-stop shop for tenants of rent-regulated apartments (and their landlords) to deal with any potential issues that may arise with those apartments (Curbed)

And ahead of Valentine's Day, the Popup Florist is hosting a "Free Flower Friday event" this evening from 5-7 ... and in celebration of their one-year anniversary here at 63 Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.



Left Bank Books is reopening in a new Village location at 41 Perry St. (Instagram)

Diversions: Previously unpublished interview with Lux Interior of the Cramps (Dangerous Minds)

... and on Jan. 29, Steven spotted these two men holding American flags on Second Avenue at Ninth Street.



The men, both retired firefighters and 9/11 first responders, said that someone had vandalized the American flag on an ambulance that was parked near this spot.

The men said they were here to show respect for the flag and talk about what happened.

Now ABC 7 reports that the NYPD has made an arrest in the case.

The incident happened Jan. 25 around 2:30 p.m. in the East Village and was caught on video.

When paramedics returned to the vehicle, they found the flag had been cut in two pieces and was thrown on the street.

FDNY officials announced Wednesday that 50-year-old Nicholas Leobold has been charged with criminal mischief in connection to the crime.

A visit to Dumpling Man on St. Mark's Place

Photos and interview by Stacie Joy

I recently stopped by Dumpling Man — the first of the boutique dumpling spots in the East Village when it opened in 2004 here at 100 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.


[Co-owner and head chef Wu Feng Qun]

Dumpling Man changed hands two years ago from its original owner. Wu Yu Chou and Wu Feng Qun — who is the head chef — along with her husband and extended family run it as a family-owned and operated collective. Here, general manager Aaron Gallentine discusses the restaurant, its place in the neighborhood and what might be next for Dumpling Man.

What’s special to Dumpling Man about being in the East Village? How was this location chosen?

The original owner both worked and lived in the East Village so it only seemed natural to start in familiar territory. St. Mark's Place is the heart of the village and a good place for single-item restaurants to be highlighted.



How has the space changed since you opened?

We opened in 2004, and the space has not changed much. We used to have a refrigerator where the customer waiting bench is and our outdoor signage now lights up, and of course our customer database and popularity has grown but other than that ...

You were the first of the stylized dumpling places to open in the East Village. How have you persevered through the years with more and more competition?

Consistency! We have rarely made changes to our menu and recipes over the years — a couple of improvements but that’s it.

Also, by keeping our East Village attitude in place. People come to the village because it’s a unique place. We help to keep it that way.

And last but not least our lovely team who wraps and cooks the dumplings — Liang Ci Yan has been here since Day 1. Yan is the dumpling original and I am second in line to her. She is a widely recognized member of our team, many of the customers over the years come in for more than just dumplings, they come in to see the team, and we develop happy friendships with our fellow villagers.

Finally, the price has only changed twice over the years to keep up with inflation. Each time we renewed the lease, we try and keep it affordable.


[Dumpling makers Lin Bao Yu, left, and Yu]


[Wu Feng Hua]

What is the best-selling item?

The best seller is definitely the pork dumpling followed by veggie dumplings; pumpkin is the best-selling dessert.


[Seared pork dumplings]

How many of each dumpling do you make on a typical day?

We average about 2,000 dumplings per day counting all the flavors.



What is your personal favorite?

My personal favorites are the shrimp and the pork, but honestly, I love them all.

What’s next for the Dumpling Man?

Well, I can't speak for the owners, but I had a little plan in the making with the original owner to open a second location, perhaps in Brooklyn (this was only a plan in making). It’s something I still think about today and may bring up with the new owners soon, but other than that I think we are just gonna keep on making dumplings for at least eight more years — the remainder of this lease.

When that time is up well, we will find out then. Oh, and I have a new dumpling flavor in the making! We took a short break from the seasonal dumplings when the new owners took over so they could get a grasp on the place but it’s time to bring back our seasonal flavors.

---

You can visit Dumpling Man daily from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., except on Friday and Saturday when they are open until 12:30 a.m. This shop is cash only, but there is an ATM on premises.





Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street

A visit to Bali Kitchen on 4th Street

A visit to Eat’s Khao Man Gai on 6th Street

A visit to Yoli Restaurant on 3rd Street

Preparing for Saturday's dinner at Il Posto Accanto on 2nd Street

A visit to the Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen on 7th Street

A trip to the recently expanded Lancelotti Housewares on Avenue A

A visit to C&B Cafe on 7th Street

A visit to Rossy's Bakery & Café on 3rd Street

A visit to CAVAglass on 7th Street

A mass Sunday to show support for St. Brigid School

Flyers are up around the neighborhood about a mass Sunday morning at 10 at the Church of St. Brigid-St. Emeric on Avenue B at Eighth Street.

Per the sign: "Please join us as we gather to show the Church & School & Community our support and solidarity in saving our beloved school."

As first reported here, stunned students and parents learned Monday that the Archdiocese of New York will close the school on Seventh Street and Avenue B at the end of this academic year. (St. Brigid is one of seven NYC Catholic schools marked for closure by the Archdiocese.)

Parents were especially upset with how the Archdiocese relayed the news. Said one St. Brigid parent: "Receiving a letter home in a kid's backpack, like it was a field trip permission slip, is unacceptable. It gave no concrete reasons but claims that they did their best to keep the school open. It is not 'your best' if you did not include the community most affected."

After the mass on Sunday, interested parents will gather for a planning meeting.

Parents have already created a Twitter account — @BrigidSave ... and a Facebook group.



Thanks to Steven for the photos!

Breaking International news

Thanks to Eden for sharing the above photo yesterday on Twitter... showing that the International now opens at 10 a.m. each day... a change from its previous 8 a.m. start time here at 102 First Ave. near Sixth Street (and its previous iteration at 120 1/2 First Ave.) ...

All this breaking news led to a conversation about what bars in the area still open at 8 a.m. O'Hanlon's on 14th Street? Spring Lounge on Spring? (Milano's on East Houston opens at 9 a.m.) Where else?Anyone?

All tomorrow's rooftop parties

[EVE]

Hey! Ho! Let's Go ... look at this new marketing campaign for EVE, the 8-floor residential building at 433 E. 13th St. with a landscaped roof deck and BBQ pits (at the site of the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office property here between Avenue A and First Avenue).

Multiple EVG readers shared EVE's new ad, which notes "First we had the Ramones... and then the Velvet Underground... And now there’s Eve East Village: Designer studio, one and two bedroom rental residencies."



[Whistling]

Gothamist and SPIN both took note of the Ramones/Velvet Underground campaign this week.

Per Andy Cush at SPIN:

The problem — besides the idea that the kind of gentrification that killed the East Village as a fertile arts community is somehow actually a happy continuation of that community’s legacy — is that the Velvet Underground came first, releasing their first album in 1967, nine years before the Ramones’ self-titled debut in ’76. This is common knowledge for anyone with even a passing interest in this music: the Velvets, with their loud noises, daring subject matter, and repeatedly slammed guitar chords, are often cited as an important predecessor to the punk rock scene that the Ramones exemplified in the following decade.

In the grand scheme of things, this is a petty but pretty hilarious mixup, especially coming from a place that claims close association with the culture of the neighborhood.

And here's Ben Yakas writing at Gothamist:

At a time when there are so many horrible things happening in the world that deserve to be called out, the questionable aesthetic choices of a new East Village condominium really shouldn't amount to a hill of beans. Having said that: there is gross, capitalistic artistic appropriation, like how Target coopted CBGB or how developers have exhumed and defiled the corpse of 5 Pointz and steam-pressed its branding onto a new building in Long Island City. And then there is gross, capitalistic artistic appropriation that gets everything embarrassingly wrong.

This is a variation of a campaign that dropped late last summer...

Got an email this morning for a new building opening in the EV. It reads:

First the East Village had The Velvet Underground

Then The Ramones

Coming Soon
EVE
Designer Studio, One and Two Bedroom Rental Residences

I'll just leave that there and cc: @evgrieve

— John Norris (@Jonnynono) September 1, 2018

And we can all remember when they played at TRGT just down 14th Street.

Anyway, EVE isn't the first luxury rental around here of late to cash in on any rock history to move units. Ben Shaoul's Bloom 62 on Avenue B featured framed photos of Joey Ramone, Grace Jones and Debbie Harry in its model homes in 2017. Then there was this copy from the Bloom website:

It sounds impossible: a fully-appointed luxury building has sprouted in the beating heart of the East Village. A 24-hour doorman greets you before work in the morning, after returning from a cafe in the evening and when heading out to Tompkins Square Park on the weekends. You'll have every modern convenience, from a gym to a roof deck to in-unit laundry, on the same streets where names like The Ramones, Warhol and Hendrix and [sic] paved the history of this neighborhood for years to come.

Shaoul sold the building last fall for $85 million.

Previously on EV Grieve:
All about EVE, the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office-replacing rentals on 14th Street

EVErything about the new luxury rentals at the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office

Looks like there's a Trader Joe's coming to 432-438 E. 14th St. after all

Thursday's parting shot

Alternative headline: As the _ _ _ _ flies.

Crow pic on Avenue A today by Steven.

Noted

Admittedly the #NYPD has some excellent photographers, but this isn’t a glamour shot.
We are asking your assistance in identifying this man #wanted for an assault that occurred on Wed 1/23.
If you have any information please call #800577Tip @NYPDTips pic.twitter.com/EP0RcOQf1B

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) February 6, 2019

The 9th Precinct used a suspect's modeling headshot for a wanted tweet sent out Tuesday night.

The Post got more on the back story:

Police are looking for a square-jawed male model who allegedly choked another man in the East Village during a dispute over a woman, cops said Thursday.

Suspect Mike Jeffery allegedly launched his romantic attack at the 32-year-old victim’s home on Avenue B around 7 p.m. on Jan. 23, police said.

Jeffery allegedly placed the man in a chokehold and said: “Don’t talk to my girl. I should have done this before.”

The victim suffered pain to his hands and back and refused medical attention.

[Updated] After 43 years in business, Raul Candy Store is closing on Avenue B

"Going out of business" signs now hang in the front window at Rauls Candy Store, bringing an end to the one-of-a-kind shop's nearly 43 years in the neighborhood.

EVG reader Jenny Dembrow shared the photo here from yesterday. Raul closes at the end of the month. No word at the moment why the candy shop/neighborhood hangout/junk shop is closing. (See below for update.)

Raul opened in 1976. The shop has been at No. 205 between 12th Street and 13th Street since 1981.

In a September 2012 interview with The Local, Petra Olivieri, wife of owner Raul Santiago, said that their rent was $100 a month on Avenue D. "Then it started going up: $200, $300. Here, we now pay $2,400. So we have to sell a lot more."

Here's more from the Q&A:

Q. You manage all that selling candy?

A. We sell “chucherias” (knick-knacks), candy and sodas. Raul also sells books and other stuff. There’s not that many of these type of stores around anymore.

Q. Are you both from Puerto Rico?

A. 100 percent. I was born in Las Marias and grew up in Mayagüez. Raul is from… I can’t remember where he’s from. Humacao, maybe. I met him here. He used to go to the island every year. I don’t.

Q. Is it mostly Puerto Ricans who buy things here?

A. We get people from all classes, no matter the race or color. Some come in to look and take pictures. Others come to hang out. It’s like in Puerto Rico, where there are “kioskos,” small businesses where neighborhood people get together. We play dominos out here and we have a good time between people of the old guard.

Updated 4:30 p.m.

Stacie Joy stopped by the shop today. Raul says he's "tired and needs to rest." She asked what if anything the community could do and he said nothing. He just wants to stop. He says it's time.


[EVG photo from June 2010]

The storefront that houses St. Mark's Comics is now for rent

[Photo yesterday by Steven]

As we first noted last week, St. Mark's Comics is closing at the end of February here at 11 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Longtime owner Mitch Cutler said that a variety of factors, from increasing rents to changing consumer shopping habits, were among the reasons behind the closure.

A large "for rent" sign is now posted outside, as you can see in the above photo. (We didn't spot a listing for the space just yet.)

Meanwhile, the sale continues...

Continuing the Farewell Tour through February as we dig up more and more from the Endless Basement! #strangeadventures #supergirl #wolverine #weirdwar #transformers #strangetales #nickfury #shield #silveragecomics pic.twitter.com/eUuAXP78dO

— St. Mark's Comics (@StMarksComicsNY) February 4, 2019

A call this morning for the city to take action on the former P.S. 64

[Photo yesterday by Steven]

A 311 call yesterday morning about a crack on an east-facing exterior wall brought city inspectors to the long-empty P.S. 64 (aka CHARAS/El Bohio) at 350 E. 10th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. Several nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution before the city gave the all clear.

However, according to the DOB website, the city issued a violation to owner Gregg Singer for failure to maintain the exterior facade for cracks observed on the corner of the building ... plus: "loose decorative stone and cracks throughout building."

The embattled developer told Curbed: "It’s all political. This is part of a concerted effort to put pressure on us. I was just at the building. There’s definitely cracks — that we were already aware of — that will be pointed and repaired, but there’s no immediate danger."

Speaking of politics, a group of residents and local elected officials, including Sen. Brad Hoylman, Assembly member Harvey Epstein, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council District 2 member Carlina Rivera, will gather this morning at 10:30 outside the school on 10th Street to ask the city to take action on the property.

Per Rivera's office...

Following [yesterday] morning’s emergency evacuation of two residential buildings adjacent to CHARAS/El Bohio, Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, elected officials, community leaders, and neighbors will gather ... to call on Mayor Bill de Blasio to immediately take action in light of these new, potential structural and safety concerns.

CHARAS/El Bohio, also known as the old P.S. 64, was auctioned off by Mayor Rudy Giuliani 20 [21] years ago and has remained vacant ever since. Singer, the purchaser and current owner has not adequately maintained this landmark building, allowing it to deteriorate to its current condition. At a Council District 2 Town Hall in 2017, Mayor de Blasio announced that his administration would take steps to re-acquire this building. No substantive updates have been provided on this issue since then.

Sushi coming to the former 10Below Ice Cream space on St. Mark's Place

10Below Ice Cream closed earlier last month. Paper went up on the front windows here at 42 1/2 St. Mark's Place, and the address was removed from the 10Below Ice Cream website.

Now, a handmade sign reading Zoku arrived on the door this week...



EVG correspondent Steven, who shared the top two photos, found a listing for Zoku Sushi coming to this address here between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



Zoku looks to have been in the catering business in recent months. More about them later.

10Below, billed as the first establishment serving Thai-inspired ice cream rolls in NYC, opened on St. Mark's in September 2016.

Another rolled ice cream shop, Lab -321, opened at 27 St. Mark's Place in June 2016. They closed six months later.

169 and 171 1st Ave. (home to Momofuku) are for sale

Several EVG tipsters have shared the brief details that 169 and 171 First Ave., located between 10th Street and 11th Street, are now on the sales market.

Here's part of the email that was in circulation late last week:

Two Contiguous Mixed-Use Walk-up Buildings
Home to Momofuku Noodle Bar!

Compass is pleased to offer for sale two contiguous mixed-use walkup buildings located at 169 First Ave. and 171 First Ave. The buildings contain a total of 2 retail stores and 5 free market residential units. The Property can be sold separately or as a package.

The listing doesn't appear to be online just yet. Streeteasy has one listing for a rental at No. 171, a floor-through loft-like space now asking $9,300 (and a recent $2k price chop).

Meltdown expected

Derek Berg spotted this discarded iMac G3 on Fourth Street ... with London Calling written across it...



Speaking of the Clash ... International Clash Day is tomorrow. John Richards, morning-show host of KEXP in Seattle, started the event on a whim in 2013 to pay tribute to the band's "message of inclusion, multiculturalism, pro-immigration, anti-hate, anti-racism, and anti-fascism." Now in its seventh year, communities in 16 countries over six continents participate.

Richards and other KEXP DJs have been in London this week for a live broadcast and online event leading up to tomorrow ... you can listen online here. You can find other International Clash Day activities here.

This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the Clash's London Calling.


[EVG file photo from 7th and A]

Truck takes out tree on 6th Street

EVG reader Sylvia G. shared these photos... showing a downed tree on the south side of Sixth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D...



According to the Citizen app, a truck struck the tree early this afternoon...