Free films at the Tompkins Square Park Library branch this month

As always, there are about 400000000 programs and events to take part in this month at the Tompkins Square Park Library branch on 10th Street. You can find their full listing at this link.

Here's just a look at the free film screenings... which includes the continuation of the Summer of JUDY! series marking the 50th anniversary of Judy Garland's death:

Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 5 p.m. — "In the Good Old Summertime"
Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 5 p.m. — "Summer Stock"
Saturday, Aug. 17 — DOUBLE FEATURE at noon: "A Star is Born," 3 p.m.: "I Could Go on Singing"

And two all-ages film screenings:
Friday, Aug. 16 at 1 p.m. — "The Wizard of Oz"
Friday, Aug. 23 at 1 p.m. — "Labyrinth" Starring David Bowie.

And two films on music:
Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 5 p.m. — "Standing in the Shadows of Motown"
Wednesday, August 28 at 5 p.m. — "The Devil and Daniel Johnston"

The library is at 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

RIP Lucien Bahaj

[Photo courtesy of Clayton Patterson]

Several EVG readers shared the sad news in recent days that Lucien Bahaj, the restaurateur behind Lucien on First Avenue, died last Monday in Florida. He was 74. A cause of death was not revealed.

Bahaj opened the French bistro at 14 First Ave. between First Street and Second Street in 1998.


[EVG photo from June]

Clayton Patterson wrote a feature obituary published at Document Journal:

Lucien was born in Morocco in 1945, and grew up in the South of France. By working at luxurious hotels and restaurants, he learned the etiquette, dress, and social mannerisms of their elite clientele. He refined his social skills in New York, becoming a player in the city’s ’70s and ’80’s nightlife scene by working at places like Indochine. It was always his New York dream to open a French-style restaurant, one that served quality food with sophisticated service, in his own idealized image.

And...

Lucien’s eatery was his art form and his performance space. Every day, he worked to perfect his art; tasting the food and wines, changing the spices and the mixtures, trying out different seating arrangements, and curating a selection of avant-garde reading material. To give the impression of an old-school establishment that had survived the test of time, the walls were given a distressed paint job, on top of which were hand-scripted poems painted by Rene Ricard. If Lucien wasn’t sitting inside, he would often be found by the entrance, always the gracious host who made sure his customers felt welcome.

Bahaj also operated the Pink Pony on Ludlow Street from 2001 to 2013, closing it after the landlord wanted a $6,000-per-month rent increase. Rent hike aside, as the Times noted then: "[H]is cafe had come to seem out of step in a neighborhood sprouting condominium towers, boutique hotels, mixologists and sports bars."

Lucien, whose walls are adorned with a variety of framed photos of artists, actors and filmmakers who have dined here, remains a timeless classic. Per a 2014 revisit at Serious Eats:

Lucien runs off an old, seemingly forgotten, formula from a time when nasturtium and nettles were just weeds. The food is reliable, seasoned well, and portioned with hunger in mind. It isn't necessarily progressive or trendy or challenging, but that's exactly why eating there is so great.

[EVG photo from June]

Patterson writes that Bahaj's son Zac has "the learned etiquette and special magic required to make Lucien hum along without his father."


[Lucien and Zac by Clayton Patterson]

Another Flamingos Vintage Pound opens in the East Village, this one on 11th Street

[Photo by Steven]

The second East Village outpost of Flamingos Vintage Pound opened on Saturday here on 11th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Seems like a good spot for the shop — on a corridor with like-minded businesses such as Buffalo Exchange and Tokyo Joe.

Another Flamingos debuted at 143 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street two weekends ago. Apparently they are opting for smaller storefronts as opposed to renting larger, more expensive space.

These are the latest locations for FVP, which as the name implies, sells vintage clothing by the pound. FVP opened on Stanton Street last summer. The company, now in its 10th year of business, has multiple stores in Europe, as well as in Los Angeles, Houston, Miami and Brooklyn.

Maison Kayser closes Union Square location

Maison Kayser has closed its outpost on Broadway between 13th Street and 14th Street. (Thanks to EVG reader Cecily Millen for the tip and photo!)

The Paris-based French bakery/bistro opened here in September 2016. As we noted at the time, EVG commenters were pleased by this arrival.

The door signage for customers, which includes an apology "for the inconvenience," lists five Manhattan Maison Kayser locations as well as news of a store coming to Hudson Yards.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Maison Kayser opening a large bakery on 13th and Broadway (25 comments)

Medina's Turkish Kitchen debuts on 2nd Avenue

[Photo by Steven]

Medina's Turkish Kitchen is up and running now at 166 Second Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street.

Back in December, we spotted a sign for a Korean restaurant opening in the space that was Dinah Hookah Lounge. Obviously those plans never materialized.

The address has been home to several businesses just in the 12-year lifespan of EVG, starting with a Dunkin' Donuts ... then the pizzeria Pomodora ... then three open-and-shut hookah places — Entrez Bar & Grill, Farfasha and Dinah.

A new door for The Jones

A progress report of sorts to note at the former Great Jones Cafe space, where restaurateur Gabriel Stulman is opening The Jones.

Well, the under-renovation space has a new door. (H/T Steven for the photos!) The old door to the Great Jones Cafe was shown the curb back on Friday...



The Jones — on Great Jones between the Bowery and Lafayette — is expected to open this fall. The Stulman team describes the new venture this way: "An all-day bustling cafe and neighborhood joint with a focus on light, fresh and bright menu."



Stulman, under his Happy Cooking Hospitality, operates a handful of West Village establishments, including Joseph Leonard, Jeffrey's Grocery, Fedora, Fairfax and Bar Sardine.

Great Jones Cafe never reopened after Jim Moffett, the longtime owner, died in July 2018 at age 59. The Cafe, a popular yet low-key spot, first arrived in 1983.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Keeping up with the Joneses: Gabriel Stulman confirms plans for former Great Jones Cafe

Elvis has left Great Jones; 'seafood focused neighborhood restaurant' coming soon

[Updated] The future of the former Great Jones Cafe

Sunday's parting shot

Members of the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black enter Tompkins Square Park this afternoon... they were the headliners for Day 2 of the Tompkins Square Park Riot Reunion shows. Thanks to Steven for this photo. We'll have more tomorrow from Stacie Joy...

Week in Grieview

[Hot summer nights and pastrami]

Posts this past week included...

RIP Tim Schellenbaum (Friday)

3rd Avenue and 14th Street cited as one of the city's most dangerous intersections for cyclists (Wednesday)

New legislation aims to track vacant storefronts, monitor health of small businesses (Monday)

Partial boom collapse at 749 FDR Drive and 6th Street; no injuries reported (Tuesday)

At the Heap of Ruins Garden Party (Tuesday)

A "quick reboot" for Coney Island Baby on Avenue A (Monday)

Celebrating 32 years of Two Boots Pizza (Friday)

Police ID suspect in 12th Street home invasion (Friday)

This week's NY See panel (Thursday)

Plywood report: A big Dig renovation on 4th Avenue (Monday)

Eiyo Bowl confirmed for part of the former Foot Gear Plus space on 1st Avenue at St. Mark's Place (Monday)

The McDonald's on 1st Avenue is closed for a gut renovation (Tuesday)

Last day for A Repeat Performance (Wednesday)

"Continuing adjustments" at Tree Bistro (Monday)

The return of Summer Streets (Thursday)

Ho, ho, ho now there's a SantaCon lawsuit (Monday)

A new Indian restaurant for 11th and B (Monday)

... speaking of that new restaurant on 11th and B, EVG reader Annabelle shared this WIP shot of new murals outside...



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An annual reunion in East River Park

Yesterday, a group of longtime residents — past and present — from the East Village and Lower East Side gathered at East River Park near 10th Street for an annual reunion ... these friends and family members representing various local schools, clubs and organizations have been holding this celebration at East River Park for years.

It was a last hurrah of sorts on Saturday. As you likely know, the city plans to shut down East River Park in March for three-plus years to build flood protections along the East Side. (The controversial plan isn't sitting well with residents and some local elected officials, who'd like to see the work done in stages without losing access to the entire East River Park at once. And attendees here were busy signing petitions.)

EVG contributor Stacie Joy shares this photo essay of the residents enjoying their park... while highlighting what will be lost in the years ahead ...

About the new mural outside Key Food

If you've been by (or to!) Key Food on Avenue A in the past month then you've likely seen the mural on the Fourth Street wall...



Artolution — "a community-based public art organization that seeks to ignite positive social change through collaborative art making" — is behind this project.

A group of young artists from Central America created the various characters seen on the mural.



The mural was officially unveiled on July 20... and here's what's next for the work...

View this post on Instagram

A sneak peek of today’s big reveal. Each of the individual characters were created by youth who escaped ongoing violence in Central American countries to find refuge in the United States. Their characters and the movements they developed with @kj3t will come to life later in August through Augmented Reality technology. Today the youth will present their mural and performances to the community! The youth are excited, the artists are excited - Let’s get this party started New York City! Join us at Avenue A & 4th Street at 5 PM. With @joelartista @theremustbemorelight @weareroyale @supportkind @styledwithsubstance @rhythmloverevolution #asylumseekers #immigrantart #communityart #youthempowerment #eastvillage #les #joelartista #mascaras #artolution #muralunveiling #performance #youthart #centroamerica

A post shared by Artolution (@artolution) on Jul 19, 2019 at 11:13am PDT

Been waiting to get a photo of the completed work ... though there were always delivery trucks or cars parked on Fourth Street outside the grocery... finally got a shot...

This weekend: Tompkins Square Park Riot Reunion shows

There are free shows Saturday and Sunday afternoon commemorating the 31st anniversary of the Tompkins Square Police Riot of Aug. 6, 1988.

Here are the lineups:

Aug. 3:
• Dryclean (new band by a member of Straight To Hell)
• Drones
• Rapid Deployment Force
• Nihilistics
• Locked in a Vacancy
• Disassociate

Aug. 4:
• Jennifer Blowdryer Soul Band
• Ruckus Interruptus
• Blackout Shoppers
• Hammerbrain
• Young Headlight
• The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black

... and the flyers...







Find more details at the Shows in Tompkins Square Park page on Facebook.

For your ears only

Iggy Pop this week released the first single off of his forthcoming record Free, out Sept. 6. The audio track here is for "James Bond," which NME described as: "something between the trashy horror-rock of The Cramps, the restraint of Talking Heads, the naivety of Modern Lovers and the clattering fun of a bog-standard garage rock band who’d be called something like The Paisley Ghouls and would have released one single before splitting up in 1968."

EVG Etc.: More debate over stormproofing East River Park; coming-of-age series at the Anthology

[Heads up in Tompkins Square Park via Derek Berg]

• Recaps of the City Planning Commission's heated hearing on the East River Park flood protection plan (Curbed ... Patch ... previously on EVG)

• Two programs to help small businesses are coming to the East Village (Patch)

• Good samaritans swarm man who shoved commuter onto the tracks at Broadway-Lafayette (The Post)

• Resident of the Lillian Wald Houses on Avenue D robbed by two men in NYCHA uniforms (ABC 7)

• Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer and professor/author Caroline Weber are the new owners of the 10th Street townhouse once owned by Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy (The Post ... previously on EVG)

• 72-year-old man mugged for his plastic bottles outside the Associated on 14th Street (Town & Village)

• Judge rules that the towers for the Two Bridges development must go through city land use review process (amNY)

• A showcase of films that present young women entering adulthood (Anthology Film Archives)

• Remembering Jim Carroll on what would have been his 70th birthday yesterday (Off the Grid)

• The history of a fabled farm-like homestead on 14th Street (Ephemeral New York)

• Birds you'll find around NYC (Laura Goggin Photography)

• The next Musical Monday selection at the Village East is... "The Bodyguard" (Official site)

• A look at Essex Crossing’s rooftop farm (B&B)

• You can find Katz's this month at the Met (6sqft)

... and EVG reader Michelle shared this photo from yesterday on 22nd Street at First Avenue...



At first glance we thought this bear migrated north from Fifth Street, though it's likely just a relative...


[Photo by Jonathan Michael Fung from July 3]

[Updated] Police ID suspect in 12th Street home invasion

The NYPD is offering a reward on Tyler Lockett, the suspect they say followed a woman into an East Village apartment building and then pushed his way into her residence early last Friday. (Reported here last Saturday.)

Here's the narrative via the NYPD...

On Friday, July 26 at 1:45 a.m., the individual followed a 21-year-old female victim into her apartment building within the vicinity of Avenue A and East 12 Street and forcefully pushed his way into her apartment. The male individual then grabbed the victim, told her to, "shut up," threw her to the ground and covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming.

The victim's 22-year-old female roommate, who was home at the time, awoke and encountered the individual, who then fled the apartment and was last observed fleeing, on foot, within the vicinity of 11th Street and 1st Avenue. No property was taken and the victim was not seriously injured as a result of the incident.

The individual is identified as Tyler Lockett, 22-year-old male, 5'5" tall, weighing 130 lbs., with brown eyes and black hair; he was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt and grey sweatpants. Tyler Lockett is known to frequent areas within the confines of the 90 Precinct.

In January, Lockett was arrested for a similar robbery-home invasion in the 90th Precinct in Williamsburg. In that incident, police say he forced his way into a 23-year-old woman's apartment, locked the door, grabbed her purse and fought with the victim.

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. There's a $2,500 reward for information that leads to Lockett's arrest.

Updated 8/5

The NYPD made an arrest...

Thanks to the work of @NYPDDetectives in @NYPDSVU and sharp-eyed officers of the @NYPD90Pct, TYLER LOCKETT was apprehended! Thanks too to the community for its help sharing this! #NYPDConnecting #NYPDProtecting pic.twitter.com/M6xByGGT7y

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) August 4, 2019