Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Reminders: Hear the latest on the East River Park reconstruction at this CB3 committee meeting



As a reminder: Tomorrow (Jan. 16) night, CB3's Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency Committee will receive an update on the East River Park rebuild from officials at the Department of Design and Construction.

That committee meeting, which is open to the public, starts at 6:30 p.m. in the BRC Senior Services Center, 30 Delancey St. between Chrystie and Forsyth.

This past Nov. 14, City Council signed off on the hotly contested plan that will bury/elevate East River Park by eight feet as part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project. The phased-in construction is expected to begin in the spring. (A coalition of community groups who oppose the plan is expected to file a lawsuit. Read about that here.)

Also as previously reported: There's a petition in circulation to help save the Lower East Side Ecology Center's community compost program. You find the petition at this link.

Photo Saturday by Vinny & O.

Police searching for 2 suspects in knifepoint robbery at Anwar Grocery on Avenue B



Several EVG readers told us about a robbery late last Wednesday night at Anwar Grocery on Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street (next to Vazac's/7B/Horseshoe Bar). However, we didn't have much to go on — other than hearsay that one of the men pulled a knife when demanding the money.

Now come details via the NYPD, who released the following statement yesterday:

The New York City Police Department is asking the public's assistance identifying the two male individuals depicted in the photos [below] in connection to a commercial robbery that occurred within the confines of the 9 Precinct.

It was reported to police that on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 11:30 p.m. inside of the 106 Avenue B (Deli), two unknown male individuals entered the location. One displayed a knife and demanded cash from the 45-year-old store employee behind the register. One of the individuals removed approximately $200 cash from the register and they both fled the location on foot northbound on Avenue B. No injuries were reported.

The two individuals are described as follows:

Individual #1: male Black, 20-30 years of age, last seen wearing all dark clothing.

Individual #2: male Hispanic, 20-30 years of age, last seen wearing all dark clothing.

And the photos of the suspects...





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. All calls are strictly confidential.

First sign of the Pineapple Club on 6th Street



Signage is for the Pineapple Club over at 509 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B...



As previously noted, the Pineapple Club will be bringing American Polynesian cuisine to the former Out East space.

There's a teaser site up now for the two-level bar-restaurant. A message notes that the new website will be live in less than 12 days.

Meanwhile, the Pineapple Club's Facebook page describes the venture this way:

The ultimate East Village Restaurant & Signature Cocktail Bar experience. Elevated Rush tropical vibes, food & signature cocktail creations.

Out East went dark in December 2017 after eight months serving a seafood-centric menu from the proprietors behind places like Beauty & Essex and Stanton Social.

Lenwich giving University Place a roll



EVG reader Jeanne Krier is keeping us updated on the northwest corner of University Place and 13th Street... where Lenwich, the sandwich/deli chainlet, is opening an outpost...



Not sure exactly when Roast Kitchen, which opened here in 2014, vacated the space.

Latest Post 'exclusive' is a story we reported on 11 months ago



In an "exclusive," the Post reports:

A developer paid an ethically tarred City Hall lobbyist — and the law firm that defended Mayor Bill de Blasio against pay-to-play allegations — to press the administration for permission to expand a 10-story office tower in the East Village, The Post has learned.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission, whose 11 members are all mayoral appointees, approved plans by Real Estate Equities Corp. to enlarge a building at 3 St. Marks Place that’s 20% larger than limits allowed by the area’s current zoning laws.

The plan was approved in June, although the $200,000 the developer paid to de Blasio lobbyist James Capalino and the law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis and Frankel LLP, were not reported at the time.

Correct, it was not reported at the time in June 2019 — it was actually reported several months earlier, on Feb. 13, 2019 in an EVG piece titled "The lobbyists behind the air-rights transfer and zoning variance for 3 St. Mark's Place."

Anyway! The Post article includes several quotes about the project, now making its way through the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). Here's local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera, who holds the crucial vote on the special permit to transfer air rights from the landmarked 4 St. Marks Place to increase the size of this development:

“I continue to share the same concerns that many in our community have brought up, including Community Board 3, regarding this project and its impact on the surrounding area, and I have not seen anything new presented that would make me consider it favorably as it proceeds through ULURP.”

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

EVG Etc.: A new era for Bon Yagi's East Village restaurants; $40 billion needed for NYCHA repairs


[At Houston & Eldridge]

• How Sakura Yagi is helping modernize her father's East Village restaurant empire, which includes Curry-Ya, Hi-Collar and Rai Rai Ken (Eater)

• NYCHA CEO says agency now needs $40 billion for repairs (The Real Deal) ... NYCHA residents filed nearly 60,000 bedbug and roach work orders in 9 months (Gothamist)

• Another expose on the sudden closing of Eleven Consignment Boutique on First Avenue (CBS2 ... earlier on EVG)

• Victim discusses how she was attacked by a homeless man inside the CVS on East Houston at Orchard (PIX11)

• AG Letitia James investigates whether racial bias plays a role in the NYPD's fare evasion arrests (The New York Times)

• Target in the East Village was robbed of $1,200 worth of calculators (amNY)

• Developers plan to demolish 14-16 Fifth Ave. to build a 13-story luxury residential building; preservationist and local elected officials are holding a press conference Friday (Details via this PDF)

• Continuing at Howl! Happening through Feb. 23 on First Street: Jane Dickson’s series of "rarely seen and moody" paintings of Times Square peep shows from the 1980s (Official site)

• At the Anthology Film Archives Saturday: "Booyah! It's the 1990's Marathon!" What to expect? "if you like Hong Kong movies...just buy a ticket and prepare to get hella crunk." (Official site)

... and on Thursday evening, several formerly incarcerated writers are reading at MoRUS, 155 Avenue C... details below...

Arepa Factory closes up on Avenue A


[Photo yesterday by Steven]

After nearly five years on Avenue A, Arepa Factory has closed here between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

Ownership made the announcement via an email to customers (H/T John for the email!). They didn't offer a reason for the closure:

We are unfortunately closing our doors at the 147 Avenue A location in our beloved East Village and want to thank our amazing guests for the loyal support you have shown us over the past years.

Business overall must be OK as they also announced that they are opening two new locations soon. In addition, they have an outpost at the Turnstyle Underground Market in the Columbus Circle Subway Station.

The quick-serve Venezuelan restaurant opened in October 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Arepa Factory coming soon to Avenue A

Police searching for suspect in early morning stabbing in East River Park this past Dec. 24



The NYPD is looking for the above suspect for allegedly stabbing a man in the early morning hours of Dec. 24 in East River Park at 10th Street.

Here are details via the EVG inbox yesterday...

The New York City Police Department is asking for the public's assistance in identifying the individual in connection to an assault that occurred within the confines of the 9th Precinct.

It was reported to police that on Dec. 24, 2019, at approximately 4:30 a.m., inside of East River Park at East 10th Street and the FDR, the individual stabbed the 38-year-old male victim multiple times while he slept on a park bench.

When the victim woke up, the individual covered his face with a black ski mask and ran out of the park. The individual went over a footbridge, took his mask off and smiled at the victim as he fled into the Jacob Riis Housing Developments. The victim suffered stab wounds to his back and left arm; he was removed by EMS to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.

The individual is described as a male, black, 5'11", 170 lbs, 25 to 35 years old; last seen wearing a black hooded sweater, gray sweatpants and light colored sneakers.

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. All calls are strictly confidential.

Fast-casual bowl alert: Sweetgreen opens today on the Bowery


[Photo last week by Lola Sáenz]

That new outpost of Sweetgreen that we mentioned a few times (here and here) opens today (Jan. 14) at 347 Bowery.

Sweetgreen has opened nearby outposts on Astor Place and University Place in recent years.

The fast-casual restaurant is the first retail tenant in the ground floor of No. 347, the Annabelle Selldorf-designed 13-story luxury building that features five stacked town homes here at Third Street.

Update: Sweetgreen does accept cash.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Salvation Army's former East Village Residence will be demolished on the Bowery

Whatever happened to that really ugly hotel planned for the Bowery?

Looks like 347 Bowery will be home to a 13-floor mixed-use residential development

Monday, January 13, 2020

Baby Yoda arrives at the 2nd Avenue F stop



Artist Will Power finished his Baby Yoda mural yesterday at the Second Avenue F stop... Steven took these photos yesterday of the real star of the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian"...



This is the second Baby Yoda sighting in the East Village, joining the one put up for the Star Wars holiday windows at Two Boots on Avenue A.

RIP Matthew Maher, longtime owner of McSorley's


[Matthew Maher in 2016 by Steven]

Matthew "Matty" Maher, who started as a bartender at McSorley's in 1964 and later became owner of the East Village institution on Seventh Street, died on Saturday after a short illness. He was 80.

News of his passing was reported first in his native County Kilkenny in Ireland. Per the Kilkenny People:

He had a welcome for every person from Ireland and made life easier for many people who came to the U.S. to start a new life or to earn enough to set out on their own.

It is true that when the last owner of McSorley's before Matty, Harry Kirwan from Lisdowney came home on holiday to Ireland in 1964, his car broke down and that he was picked up on the road by Mattie.

Harry promised him a job in New York. Mattie went stateside to work as a waiter and bartender at McSorley’s. In 1977, Matty bought the premises from Harry Kirwan's son.


[Photo at McSorley's yesterday by Steven]

As for the bar's ownership since opening in 1854, we turn to McSorley's historian Bill Wander, who told this to 6sqft in 2015:

Depending on how you count, there have been seven owners of McSorley’s – John, his son Bill, then Dan O’Connell who bought the place. Daniel’s daughter Dorothy inherited McSorley’s at his death. Dot’s husband Harry managed the place and was the owner for the briefest time, a few months after his wife’s passing away. Some people don’t count Harry, as the estate was still in court when he died. Their son Danny owned it then, but decided to sell it to the current owner Matthew Maher, a trusted employee since the early 1960s. But in 161 years, that ownership covers only three families.

Maher is survived by his wife Tess and daughters, Ann Marie, Teresa, Kathy, Adrienne and Maeve.

In 1994, Maher’s daughter, Teresa Maher de la Haba, became the first woman to work behind the bar. She is now the owner, and will keep McSorley's as is moving forward along with her husband, bartender (and artist) Gregory de la Haba.

As previously reported, founder John McSorley owned the building at 15 East Seventh St. near Cooper Square. Since then, every time the bar changed hands, the building went with it.

"McSorley’s will be in good hands with Teresa and her husband Gregory," said former bartender Michael Quinn, whose Feltman hot dogs are sold at the bar.


[Teresa Maher de la Haba with Mike the bartender from 2016]

Farmwich pops up with speciality sandwiches at Ben's Deli on Avenue B



Farmwich, serving sandwiches "sourced entirely from local regenerative agriculture farms," is now open through Feb. 4 at Ben's Deli, 32 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street.

As EVG contributor Stacie Joy reports, Farmwich will offer one speciality sandwich a day during their limited hours of noon to 2:30 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday. All sandwiches are $9, which includes tax and tip.

And some Farmwich details via their website:

All our food is “vegan, organic, local, and fair trade” but we don’t call it that. Rather than focus on the imitation or absence of animal products, we celebrate the rich flavors of seasonal vegetables grown in polyculture soils. The season writes our menu anew each day. It is possible that we never serve the same sandwich twice.

We source almost all our produce from Lani’s Farm (Bordentown, NJ), extra-virgin sunflower oil from Hudson Valley Cold-Pressed Oils (Poughkeepsie, NY), sourdough bread from Hawthorne Valley Farm & Bakery (which grows and mills almost all its own grain on-site; Ghent, NY), heirloom beans from GrowNYC (mostly Caledonia, NY), pumpkin seeds from Stony Brook Wholehearted Foods (Geneva, NY), and fruits from Wilkow Orchards (Highland, NY).

With the exception of a few dry spices from the East Village’s Dual Specialties, we buy all ingredients directly from our farmers without a middleman or distributor.

They also offer a sample menu from a recent preview dinner:

#1: Sunchokes crisped in sunflower flour, mache greens, gremolata, pickled root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, rutabaga, beet)

#2: Honeynut squash, squash seed and Lani’s miso puree, pickled cabbage, mixed baby greens (mustards, kales, sorrel, tatsoi, arugula)

#3: Japanese sweet potato mash, caramelized shallot jam, sautéed broccoli rabe, Tokyo bekana, radish, cumin-coriander vinaigrette

Here are a few scenes from opening day yesterday ...





... and here's the opening day sandwich — "A Massion in Addis," Berbere sautéed red kale, sweet potato pomme frites, garlic sunflower aioli and root pickles root pickles...

Mobile police lights arrive on St. Mark's Place



As you may have noticed, the NYPD has set up mobile lights outside 19-25 St Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Steven shared these photos from Friday night...





It's not immediately clear why the the NYPD placed the lights here. Typically the lights arrive after a highly publicized incident. For instance, in October 2018, the NYPD set up a light tower on the northwest corner of Seventh Street and Second Avenue after several published reports about the growing number of increasingly unruly travelers/crusties gathering on the sidewalk.

The sidewalk bridge has been up here for what, two to three years? Readers have noted a menacing undercurrent at times here.

Both businesses on the lower level here are closed, making it an appealing spot to gather without any repercussions from store management. St. Mark's Market vacated the premises back in October. Mi Tea next door is currently closed for renovations. Also, upstairs tenant Chipotle shut down in August 2018. A new restaurant is going in to the space in the months ahead.

Liquiteria has apparently closed on 4th Avenue



The Liquiteria on the northeast corner of Fourth Avenue and 13th Street is no longer in business...



EVG regular Laura pointed this out to us late last week, noting the store had been closed in recent days. It appears all three Liquiteria locations in the city shuttered. Their website is no longer active and the phone numbers are disconnected. (Perhaps this means that they'll be a liquidation for Liquiteria?)

The original Liquiteria opened on Second Avenue and East 11th Street in 1996, long before the juice/smoothie craze took hold. Founder Doug Green sold the business several years ago to a group of investors who then opened several more outposts.

The Second Avenue location closed in October 2018.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village-based Liquiteria taking over Gray's Papaya space

Liquiteria coming soon to former Blimpie space on 4th Avenue

A new look for the northeast corner of Fourth Avenue and East 13th Street

A new Citi Bike station arrives on 4th Avenue



From the EVG tipline — news of a new Citi Bike docking station on Fourth Avenue at 12th Street... this one holds 34 bikes...



A reader thought this one replaced the docking station on 12th Street west of Third Avenue. That one remains, however...

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Week in Grieview


[FDNY Godzilla yesterday on 2nd Avenue via Steven]

NYPD investigating early morning police-involved shooting on 7th and A; 2 men dead (Thursday)

Exclusive: Video shows chaotic moments after fatal shootings on Avenue A (Friday) Collateral damage at Hub Thai on Avenue A (Thursday)

More details about Zum Schneider's February closing date on Avenue C (Monday)

A Visit to Don Juan’s Barber Shop on 4th Street (Wednesday)

So you want to serve on your local Community Board (Tuesday)

A rally at the former Church of the Nativity as rumored sale of building spreads (Friday)

Trader Joe's opens on 14th and A (Monday) ...

Jiang Diner opening a second East Village outpost (Monday)

The Ottendorfer Library branch is now hosting a book swap on Saturdays (Friday)

C&B Cafe is no longer part of Paper Daisy on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

The Chippery bringing fish and chips to 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

Avenue C Restaurant has apparently closed on Avenue C (Tuesday)

Pizza pocket purveyors I Love Panzerotti coming to St. Mark's Place (Monday)

L-train construction fence finally comes down on 14th Street — 3 weeks after the Associated closed (Monday)

About Shaq's assist on East Houston Street today (Monday)

Hopes for a January opening at the all-new Baji Baji on 1st Avenue (Friday)

Happy Three Kings Day from Zaragoza (Monday)

Behold the Russo's-Black Seed bagel bread bomb (Wednesday)

Choice Cleaners 7 coming to Avenue A (Tuesday)

Space 194 has closed on 1st Avenue (Monday)

... and parting thoughts from the late Barnaby Hall in Tompkins Square Park... photo by Derek Berg...



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A new home for the A Repeat Performance sign



Back on Wednesday, we noted that the old A Repeat Performance sign from the now-closed bric-a-brac shop at 156 First Ave. needed a new home.

The fine folks who run the East Village Vintage Collective on 12th Street are now the proud new owners. No word yet what they have planned for the classic sign.

A Repeat Performance closed last July after 39 years in business.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Saturday's parting shot



Here's Amelia, one of the resident red-tailed hawks, enjoying this spring-like day today atop the St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on Avenue A and 10th Street ... thanks to Steven for the photo.

Sublet of the day



EVG reader Jackflashnyc shares this photo... showing a spacious sublet — 6 square feet — available on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. Price: a modest $3,750.

It likely won't be on the market long — Rainer Turim reports that there's already plenty of interest in the space...




Sweet Generation celebrating 5 years on 1st Avenue


Sweet Generation, the bakery at 130 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, is celebrating its 5th anniversary this weekend ... on this occasion, they are giving out free mini cupcakes [while supplies last].

Sweet Generation partners with several nonprofit organizations and local high schools to create an internship program that teaches baking, food safety, customer service, work readiness, and entrepreneurship to teens and young adults from low-income communities.

Today is MulchFest Part 2 in Tompkins Square Park



As a reminder... today marks the second round of MulchFest 2020. Head over to Tompkins Square Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the metal mulching machine.

The above photo, depicting a creative way to haul a discarded Christmas tree, is from Tompkins Square Park Thursday via Derek Berg. (P.S. Please do not attempt to throw a carpet into the mulcher.)

Friday, January 10, 2020

Friday's parting shot



An EVG tipster shared this tribute to David Bowie from outside the Broadway-Lafayette station. Today marks the fourth anniversary of the death of Bowie, who lived nearby with his wife Iman.

Station to Station was Bowie's 10th studio album, which included the single "Golden Years."

Heroes



David Bowie died on this day in 2016. The video here is a live version of "Life on Mars?" — one of my all-time favorite songs.

Exclusive: Video shows chaotic moments after fatal shootings on Avenue A



Early Thursday morning, two men, identified as Earl Facey and Richard Reid, reportedly got into an argument inside the Hayaty Hookah Bar at 103 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

The fight escalated outside the club, when the two men — each reportedly carrying a .22 caliber handgun — exchanged gunfire. Surveillance footage obtained by NBC 4 shows the two men "shooting at each other as they dance around a parked car," per the report, outside Hayaty.

The chase ended in front of 113 Avenue A, the address of Ray's Candy Store, where Facey was said by police to fatally shoot Reid in the torso. Two uniformed officers who were on patrol nearby shot Facey on the northwest corner of Avenue A and Seventh Street as he walked away, refusing multiple commands to drop his weapon and lie on the ground, according to police accounts and media reports. One officer fired his weapon twice, the other one time. Facey later died at Bellevue.

Francisco Valera, a photographer and photojournalist/videographer, lives in a front-facing apartment on Avenue A at Seventh Street.

"It was 3:38 a.m. I was awake, writing in my computer in my living room. It was pretty quiet. Suddenly I heard the shouts of what appeared to be men, nothing unusual for this crazy corner. Then I heard the shots — like three or four times," he said in an email. "I knew right away they were from guns. My dog ran toward
the window and I panicked, thinking the bullets could hit him. I turned the lights off and looked out the window to see a men laying in the middle of Avenue A."

He shared this two-minute video that shows the moments after both men were shot. (The first 15 seconds of the video were filmed sideways.) In the clip below, two officers have their guns drawn, crouching behind a trashcan, looking toward Facey, in the green jacket lying in the intersection of Seventh Street at Avenue A.

An unidentified voice can be heard yelling "two shooters down" and telling officers to "holster up." Officers can also be heard commanding passersby to "back off" multiple times.

In the street outside 113 Avenue A, officers are performing CPR on Reid, on his back in the white jacket. An unidentified man is seen pleading with the police. "Officer, please put him in a car. Put him in the car — you don't have a fucking second!" The sounds of an ambulance can be heard in the distance. The man turns to the north on Avenue A toward the approaching ambulance. He pleads with the officers again to take Reid to a hospital in an NYPD vehicle: "There's traffic because of this! What the fuck are you all doing!"

The video contains disturbing images — viewer discretion is advised.



Police said both men were reputed gang members and have been linked to prior shootings.

Previously.

A rally at the former Church of the Nativity as rumored sale of building spreads



Rumors started late last year that the Archdiocese of New York had sold the former Church of the Nativity on Second Avenue between Second Street and Third Street for use as luxury housing. (There's nothing in public records yet to confirm the rumors.)

This afternoon at 3, the Cooper Square Committee and the Nativity Committee are holding a rally in front of the property at 44 Second Ave. ... per the flyers, "the $40 million sale of the Nativity Church/Rectory is coming."



The Church closed after a service on July 31, 2015, merging with Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street.

As previously reported, the Cooper Square Community Land Trust had explored buying the former Church of the Nativity to use as low-income housing.

However, the Archdiocese of New York reportedly didn't seem too keen on that idea, perhaps intent on garnering top dollar for the prime real estate for luxury housing.

In April 2019, Catholic Homes New York, the affordable housing unit of Catholic Charities and the Archdiocese of New York, announced plans to redevelop several existing properties to provide 2,000 affordable units in NYC over the next 10 years. Not on the affordable-housing list: Church of the Nativity and the Church of Saint Emeric on 13th Street near Avenue D.

This wouldn't be the first time that a former Catholic church was demolished for upscale housing in this neighborhood. Developer Douglas Steiner bought the former Mary Help of Christians property in 2012 from the Archdiocese of New York for $41 million.

During the summer of 2013, workers demolished the church, school and rectory to make way for Steiner East Village, the block-long condoplex where a penthouse unit is currently renting for $19,000 per month.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Educator: Turning the former Church of the Nativity into luxury housing would be a 'sordid use' of the property

The fight to keep Church of the Nativity from becoming luxury housing

Report: Archdiocese of New York announces affordable-housing projects; fate of 2 East Village churches unknown

The Ottendorfer Library branch is now hosting a book swap on Saturdays


[File photo via Steven]

Last Saturday, we mentioned that the Tompkins Square Library branch was giving away extra books ... via the comments, an EVG reader mentioned that the Ottendorfer Library, 135 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, is once again hosting a book swap on Saturdays.

Here are details via the library's website:

By popular demand, Ottendorfer now hosts a Book Swap every Saturday! Please bring your books, DVDs, CDs and miscellaneous trinkets to trade with others.

Saturday, Jan. 11, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 25, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Hopes for a January opening at the all-new Baji Baji on 1st Avenue



Good news for Jay Yang, owner of the recently revamped China Star at 145 First Ave. near Ninth Street.

EVG regular Lola Sáenz shared this photo yesterday — after Con Ed signed off on all the work following a second inspection.

Starting last summer, Yang set out to upgrade his quick-serve restaurant. He unveiled Baji Baji in the space this past fall. However, the renovations got bogged down, and there was a wait time with various kitchen inspections, including the FDNY and Con Ed, who asked him to make some changes following the first pass late last year.

Now Yang is hiring staff with hopes of being open in two weeks.

You can read our interview from October 2017 with Yang at this link.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Thursday's parting shot



Tossing everything including the kitchen sink today on Seventh Street ... captured by Derek Berg.

Collateral damage at Hub Thai on Avenue A



An EVG reader shared these photos this evening... the front windows at Hub Thai on Avenue A were hit during the early morning shootout on Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

The restaurant is adjacent to the Hayaty Hookah Bar at 103 Avenue A, where a fight between Earl Facey and Richard Reid started. According to the Post, the altercation began after the women they were with bumped into each other.

Outside the bar, the two men reportedly shot at each other during a chase, per NBC 4. Both men were said to be carrying a .22 caliber handgun. Two uniformed officers who were on patrol nearby shot Facey on the northwest corner of Avenue A and Seventh Street after he refused multiple times to drop his weapon and lie on the ground, according to police accounts and media reports. Both men later died at Bellevue.



Per the reader: "I'm not an expert, but that doesn't look like a .22 shot — looks like a service revolver shot, perhaps 9mm or .45?"



Hub Thai was expected to reopen soon after the windows were repaired. Thankfully, the restaurant was closed at the time of the shooting.

A look at Avenue A and 7th Street this evening



Avenue A opened up again for vehicular traffic late this afternoon around 5 ... this after the NYPD finished their crime scene investigation following the deadly shooting early this morning.

An NYPD light tower remains on Seventh Street and Avenue A...





According to the NYPD, an argument that started inside the Hayaty Hookah Bar at 103 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, spilled out into the street around 3:30 a.m.

One man, identified as Earl Facey, reportedly shot Richard Reid. Two officers from the 9th Precinct, on patrol nearby, responded to the scene. Police say the officers shot Facey, who was holding a weapon, three times after he refused to get on the ground. EMTs took Facey and Reid to Bellevue, where hospital officials pronounced them dead.

Police said that both men were in gangs and each had prison records.

Read more at this link.