Ray celebrates his 87th birthday

Ray Alvarez, the hard-working proprietor of Ray's Candy Store, turned 87 on Jan. 25.

And as is tradition dating to 2007, a group of Ray's friends/regulars hosted a birthday extravaganza inside the shop at 113 Avenue A last night. (The festivities were a little later this year after Ray's recent hospitalization.)

This year's theme: the golden age of burlesque. And on hand last night to help Ray celebrate (in order of appearance below):

• Pearls Daily
• Peekaboo Pointe
• Gal Friday
• Stormy Leather
• The Maine Attraction

EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos...





















... there was also a card and cake...





Happy birthday, Ray!

The Tuesday morning sky

Here's a view of the spectacular morning sky from around Fourth Avenue and 12th Street courtesy of Jeanne Krier.

As someone on Twitter said about today's sunrise: "I love when New York shows up."

130 E. 7th St. sells for more than $20 million

The 7-floor building on the southwest corner of Avenue A and Seventh Street has a new owner.

According to a news release, 130 E. Seventh St. (aka 109 Avenue A) sold to an undisclosed "overseas buyer" for $20.750 million.

The renovated building arrived on the market in September 2018 with an ask of $22.95 million.

As we noted back in August 2016, the building went through a luxury makeover, with residential rentals fetching up to $16,995 a month at that time. (Last August, the penthouse was rented for $20,000 per month, according to Streeteasy.)

The current retail tenants include Miss Lily's and Avenuea Pilates.

Public records show that the University of the Streets sold the building to Park Corner Development, LLC in September 2011 for $5 million.

[Updated] Bali Kitchen is back in action, but only on Saturdays and Sundays

[Reader photo from Saturday]

Several EVG readers happily noted that Bali Kitchen reopened on Saturday after a months-long renovation here at 128 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

No word at the moment about what upgrades were made at the quick-serve restaurant serving Indonesian cuisine.

In any event, the readers who shared the news were just glad that Bali Kitchen was back open.

Updated 3/11

Turns out that Bali Kitchen is only open on Saturday and Sunday now. Per the comments:

Hi everyone, I am a friend of the Bali Kitchen owners, Jazz and David. Jazz told me that Bali Kitchen is starting to open on Saturday and Sunday for now with a limited menu after they did some renovation back in February. During weekdays, Bali Kitchen offers catering for office or private parties. They noticed their walk-in traffic is only busy on the weekends, while their catering business is busy during weekdays so they pivoted their business model a little bit. Come support them on the weekends if you enjoy their food and can make it!

Their weekend hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to Bali Kitchen on 4th Street

Doctor, doctor: Medical office set for this 3rd Avenue storefront

Renovations continue at 111 Third Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street.

The DOB permits posted on the site note that the renovations are for medical offices...



With the arrival of a medical facility, you'll have to look elsewhere for a costume of a "Stranger Things" character: No. 111 served as a Spirit Halloween pop-up shop the past two years.

Until January 2018, this space was home to a Ricky's.

Xi'an Famous Foods has closed on St. Mark's Place

In a bit of a surprise, Xi'an Famous Foods has closed its outpost on St. Mark's Place near First Avenue.

There always seemed to be a crowd here for the shop's hand-pulled noodles, and it was the location where owner Jason Wang spent a lot of time as Xi'an continued to grow.

A note that arrived on the front door on Friday offered an explanation... turns out the lease was up, and Wang decided to move on... though it sounds as if a return to the East Village one day may be possible ...



Wang also tried a sit-down Chinese restaurant called Biang! at 157 Second Ave. (a doomed location) that closed after 15 months back in 2017.

Meanwhile, there are still 14 other Xi'an Famous Foods in the city to enjoy.

Land of Buddha now open on St. Mark's Place

[Photo by Steven]

Land of Buddha recently made its debut at 11 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

This is the second location for the shop that specializes in Buddhist-themed antiques, jewelry, textiles, crafts and religious items. (The original outpost is at 128 MacDougal St.)

You can take a look around the shop via this Instagram clip...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Land Of Buddha NYC (@landofbuddha) on Feb 21, 2020 at 11:42am PST

St. Mark's Comics closed here after 36 years in business in February 2019.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Land of Buddha, a Himalayan gift shop, taking over the former St. Mark's Comics

Cantilevering condoplex finally reaches the top at 75 1st Ave.

The 8-floor (plus that bulkhead) cantilevering condoplex has topped out at 75 First Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street ... workers planted the flag atop the structure late last week...



This has been a long time coming. The ground breaking took place in September 2016. The build included nearly 14 months of inactivity.

And some blurbage via the 75 First Ave. website, which lists that 10 of the units are in contract:

The building lobby boasts a fumed glass door entrance, lava stone floors and walls, and a contrasting yellow travertine stone desk. Black stucco adorns the elevator walls, while the private residents lounge features a yellow travertine stone fireplace, white stucco walls with brass reveals, a pool table, and several areas of seating. Additional amenities include a full-time doorman, a landscaped rooftop, a fitness center, and bicycle storage.

Available units include 1 and 3-bedroom homes with several 1-bedrooms featuring sizeable home offices, and a dazzling selection of Penthouse residences crown the building. Each home of 75 First Ave blends a modern open layout with sleek finishes, Italian doors and hardware by Lualdi, and gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows. Kitchens are equipped with white and greige matte lacquered cabinets custom made in Italy by Arclinea, white Carrara marble countertops and backsplash, Fantini faucets, and top-of-the-line Miele appliances. Bathrooms are adorned with custom sinks and vanities, and Piasentina stone flooring.

The Colonnade Group developed the building, created by HTO Architect and designed by Stefano Pasqualetti.



Previously on EV Grieve:
• 2020 vision: New completion set for Rite Aid-adjacent condoplex on 1st Avenue

• High-rise for 75 First Avenue back in play

• Long-stalled First Avenue site now has a brand-new rendering

• Report: Long-dormant 1st Avenue development site changes hands

• Plywood report and the future of 75 1st Ave. (Spoiler: condos)

Sally Beauty is now open on 14th Street

Sally Beauty opened its doors Saturday at 524 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

EVG reader Michael Paul shared a few photos ...









As previously noted, this is in one of the retail spaces of the Extell-developed residential complex EVGB.

Per the brand's website: "Sally Beauty is the world's largest retailer of salon-quality hair color, hair care, nails, salon, and beauty supplies."

The global chain started with a shop in New Orleans in 1964.

Sally Beauty will join next-door neighbor Bright Horizons, the nationwide child-care provider.

On the CB3-SLA agenda tonight: A Chinese restaurant for the former Cucina Di Pesce space

Here are a few of the applicants on CB3's SLA committee docket tonight for new or expanded liquor licenses and methods of operation:

• Jadeite, 87 E. Fourth St.

A Chinese restaurant called Jadeite is in the works for the former Cucina Di Pesce space on Fourth Street just west of Second Avenue.

Here's a description of what to expect from chef-owner JinYu Zhong via the questionnaire at the CB3 website:

At Jadeite, we are dedicated to showcase you a new way to understand Chinese culture through Chef Zhong’s memories and love of food and her experiences at various fine dining restaurants. This is a set tasting menu of ten courses, marrying the best of both worlds.

And the sample menu...



The questionnaire notes that Zhong has extensive restaurant experience in her family's restaurant business in China. In NYC, she has cooked at 11 Madison Park and attended the Culinary Institute of America.

Plant-based celebrity chef Matthew Kenney was previously OK'd for another restaurant concept in this space. However, those plans never materialized.

Cucina Di Pesce closed in September 2018 after 32 years in business. (They have been hinting at a return to the East Village in a yet undisclosed location.)



• Nostro East Village, 75 Second Ave.

The low-key Italian restaurant opened on Second Avenue between Fourth Street and Fifth Street back in the fall.

They are now applying for a beer-wine license for the space. This outpost of the Brooklyn-based Nostro has been BYOB to date.



• Hayaty, 103 Avenue A

The Mediterranean restaurant and hookah bar between Sixth Street and Seventh Street is looking to expand its hours of operation to 4 a.m., according to the questionnaire online at the CB3 website.

Hayaty made headlines in early January. According to the NYPD and multiple published reports (such as the Post and NY1), a fight that started inside Hayaty ended up in a police-involved shooting on Avenue A that led to the death of two men.

The CB3 committee meeting is tonight at 6:30. Location: the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.

Mighty Quinn's remains close due to gas leak in building

[Photo by Derek Berg]

Mighty Quinn's Barbeque on Second Avenue at Sixth Street has been closed since the middle of last week... the sign for patrons blames the closure on a utility shut down in the building. A Facebook post more specifically states a closure due to a gas leak.

This location at 103 Second Ave. was the very first brick-and-mortar location for Mighty Quinn's back in December 2012. There are now 12 corporate locations in the NYC metro area, and ownership is franchising, having opened several outposts overseas, including in Dubai, Manila and Taipei.

Bank of America makes it official on East Houston

The Bank of America signage is up now on Eldridge and Houston.

This will be the latest branch from the Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C.

This BoA arrives at a time when other branches have been closing in the area, including the two Capital Ones in the East Village. In recent years, Citi, Chase and Santander all shuttered their outposts on Avenue A.

This address, 147 E. Houston St., was previously a Pay-O-Matic check-cashing center.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Bank of America checking into corner space on Houston and Eldridge

Week in Grieview

[Entrance to the 14th Street flea market via Bruce Beschner‎]

• Carlina Rivera states her opposition over plan to transfer air rights for new St. Mark's Place office building (Thursday)

• Officially on egg watch now in Tompkins Square Park (Saturday)

• Coffee time: New counter space coming to Gem Spa (Friday)

• A moment with Wayne Diamond as he checks out "The Wayne Diamond" at Russo's (Wednesday)

• Ralph's Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream coming to Avenue A (Tuesday)


[Photo on 2nd Avenue by Derek Berg]

• SMØR now open for dinner on 12th Street (Wednesday)

• Why the playground at P.S. 19 has been closed for community use (Friday)

• Another fire at 204 E. 13th St. (Monday)

• The state's plastic bag ban is NOW in effect (Sunday)

• Suki is moving to a larger space around the corner (Monday)

• Half Gallery debuts on 4th and B (Saturday)

• More of the explosion site condoplex comes into view at 45 E. 7th St. (Monday)

• Former PS 64 not subject to the city’s new crackdown on deteriorating buildings (Tuesday)

• Heavy lifting at the future tech hub (Monday)

• Breaking the internet 1995 style at the Anthology Film Archives (Thursday)

• "The Icon variable" (Friday)

• Queens of the Street group art show opens on 11th Street (Friday)

• Prince Tea House announces its arrival on 10th Street (Tuesday)

• Time for the Life Time signage on Cooper Square (Thursday)

• The Marshal seizes the former Hot Kitchen space (Monday)

• That Duane Reade by Walgreens closed on 10th and 3rd (Monday)


[Everyone's favorite Almodovar film]

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Time check

Houston and Norfolk this morning... several hours after Daylight Saving Time went into effect...

Saturday's parting shot

St. Mark's Place and Third Avenue tonight...

Half Gallery debuts on 4th and B

Half Gallery is now open on the northwest corner of Avenue B and Fourth Street.

The inaugural exhibit features the work of Tanya Merrill, which will be on display through March 28.

The gallery hours: Tuesday - Friday, noon to to 6 p.m.; until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

In mid-December, the gallery announced it was relocating from the Upper East Side to 235 E. Fourth St.

The gallery started on the Lower East Side in 2008 before heading north. Here's more via ARTnews:

Bill Powers, who founded Half Gallery, said that many of the artists the gallery has worked with “have a real connection to [the East Village] and that art scene,” adding that the move is “a little bit of a homecoming.”

With the Swiss Institute, the Brant Foundation, and other art institutions opening in the East Village recently, the neighborhood remains a hotspot for art, Powers said, adding, “We used to get a bigger crowd for openings when we were downtown because I think the gravity of the art world, spiritually, is downtown or in the outer boroughs.”

The gallery takes the space of Tapanju Turntable (and Kate's Joint until 2012!).

Previously on EV Grieve:
Here's a look at the new Half Gallery exterior on Avenue B and 4th Street

Officially on egg watch now in Tompkins Square Park

[Photos by Steven]

The egg watch clock (don't forget to set it ahead one hour tonight) is on in Tompkins Square Park for the resident red-tailed hawks, Amelia and Christo.

Goggla has been keeping tabs on the two. From a post earlier this week:

I wasn't positive of the situation until I returned to the park at sunrise this morning and found Christo laying down in the nest and Amelia perched nearby. He came out for a few minutes and they mated, then returned to the nest with tree bark. At that point, Amelia laid back down in the nest and remained there for most of the day. I saw them trade places twice, which is classic brooding behavior.

Hawks usually lay 1-3 eggs over the span of a few days. After the first egg is laid, they will continue to leave the nest to mate, but Amelia will stay in the nest through the night. Last year, Amelia appeared to lay her first egg March 13, so they are early this year. However, I'm not really surprised as they completed their nest in January and have been mating regularly over the last few weeks. Incubation will take about six weeks, so a hatch time would be mid to late April.

Meanwhile, here's a bonus shot from Steven of Christo gathering materials to fortify the nest...



Not sure of the enhancements in store for the nest — we didn't spot any posted work permits ...

'Onely' you

The Brooklyn-based Lightning Bug (aka Audrey Kang) have released a new song called "The Onely Ones," as seen in the above video.

In other Lightning Bug news, the band's second record will get a vinyl release next month via Fat Possum.

A new East Village walk of fame?

Workers yesterday were putting in a new sidewalk around the recently renovated storefront on the southwest corner of First Avenue and St. Mark's Place... and they left it unattended overnight.

And so this morning...





And obviously...



Anyway, workers have divided this former single-occupant storefront into three spaces. Eiyo Bowl, a vegan quick-serve restaurant specializing in acai and rice bowls, will be the first tenant here at 131 First Ave. (now going by 82 St. Mark's Place), as previously reported.

The previous tenant, Foot Gear Plus, closed in July 2018 after nearly 40 years in business.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• After nearly 40 years, Foot Gear Plus is closing on 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place

• What's next for 131 1st Ave., the former Foot Gear Plus space?

• A look at 131 1st Ave., currently being divided into 3 retail spaces

Mid-morning cloud break

A cloudy moment this morning ... view from Second Avenue via Goggla...

Coffee time: New counter space coming to Gem Spa

Work started yesterday on new counter space inside Gem Spa, the corner shop on Second Avenue at St. Mark's Place (thanks to Steven for the photos!) ...



With the incoming granite counter and retro stools, Parul Patel, who recently took over running the shop from her father Ray, is expanding Gem Spa's coffee and tea service and offering companion items like pastries, bagels and knishes. (FYI: the coffee will be from Porto Rico Importing Co.) You can also get one of their signature egg creams.

In addition to the counter service, Gem Spa continues to expand the merch line with some limited editions...

View this post on Instagram

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BODEGA 🥤💎 @StudmuffinNYC x @besteggcream is live at St. Marks and 2nd Avenue’s #GemSpa Bodega 💎 Shop Small- Support A Local Business- Buy Merch, Buy a Vegan Egg Cream and help keep Old School New York alive ☠️ or else you’ll end up with another #SchitiBank 💩💩 Send DM to order. #EastVillageStreetwear #EastVillage #NYC #streetwear #NYCstreetwear #eggcream #LES #EVNYC #EV #BodegaBoys

A post shared by Kyle Brincefield (@kylebrincefield) on Mar 2, 2020 at 3:05pm PST

Previously on EV Grieve:
• At the Gem Spa Cash Mob (Sept. 16)

• Get your Gem Spa t-shirts or photos of Madonna — at Gem Spa! (Aug. 16)

• Will you buy a Gem Spa T-shirt? (June 28)

• "Gem Spa is open!" (June 18)

• What is happening at Gem Spa? (June 11)

• A visit to Gem Spa (May 10)

Why the playground at P.S. 19 has been closed for community use

We've heard from several readers in recent weeks who've tried to use the playground behind P.S. 19 on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street after school hours. In one case, a custodian told a resident that the space was closed to the public "until further notice."

This playground, featuring a synthetic turf field and painted track, debuted in June 2018 ... and was open to the community after school and on weekends and holidays — just not when in use by P.S. 19 or any of their after-school programs.

Turns out that the school is no longer receiving funds from the Department of Education to cover the costs of staff opening and maintaining the playground during non-school hours and weekends. (Despite the mysterious lack of funding, we're told that custodians were continuing to open the playground in response to "to the community’s love of this space.")

You can learn more about the situation here today from 10 a.m. to noon at the Sirovich Center, 331 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, where reps for the Trust for Public Land will be on hand. They're collecting signatures in support of funding to keep the playground open for community use.

We'll have more about the situation in another post... along with ways that you can possibly help and have your voice heard about the funding.

Since 1996, the Trust for Public Land has helped revamp 200 playgrounds at New York City public schools through a public-private partnership. Aside from P.S. 19, they've worked on playgrounds in the East Village at P.S. 15 The Roberto Clemente School and the Children’s Workshop School/East Village Community School.

H/T Choresh Wald!

Queens of the Street group art show opens tonight on 11th Street

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by we are all weird (@iheartgraffiti) on Mar 2, 2020 at 10:32pm PST

Starting tonight, Come Back Daily, the CBD shop on 11th Street, is playing host to Queens of the Street, an all-female group street-art show curated by Iheartgraffiti.

Per the invite: "From local muralists and wheatpaste artists to typographic and mixed media designers, Queens of the Street will bring together 12 women to showcase their groundbreaking work."

The roster of artists (with links to their work):
• My Life in Yellow
• Stephibones
• Hissxx
• Keli Lucas
• Marzipan Physics
• Stephanie Grajales
• WORM
• Chi Chi Paintz
• Glxy Gal
• Sara Lynne Leo
• Soulthundre

The show kicks off with an opening reception from 6-8 tonight ... followed by a panel discussion with the artists this coming Wednesday from 6:30-8 p.m.

You can see the work on view through March 20. The hours are noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; until 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Come Back Daily is at 516 E. 11th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

'The Icon variable'

Been meaning to note this long read from Curbed titled "The story of a store."

The piece explores the city's retail vacancy or the "luxury blight" crisis ... with a focus 0n 441-445 E. Ninth St. (aka 145 Avenue A), the six-story building that Icon Realty bought in 2014 for $10.1 million.

As we documented at the time, the existing retail tenants that made up the charming row of storefronts on the Ninth Street side were either not offered lease renewals or given massive rent hikes.

Meanwhile, all but one of the new tenants (four of five) who rented the Icon-renovated retail spaces were gone within a year. The casualties included BeetleBug, the floral design shop, Mahalo New York Bakery and Gelarto.

Writer Neil deMause talked with one of those tenants, Isiah Michael, who opened the Classic Man Barber Lounge in 2018. Per the article:

An investment banker who’d gone to barbering school, Michael thought he could make a go of it in the paired storefronts, even if the rent was a bit higher than he’d anticipated.

"What we didn’t expect was the Icon variable," he says. A series of mishaps — malfunctioning air conditioning, a continually flooding basement, and an unannounced electrical upgrade that Michael claims cost him and his partner $30,000 in lost equipment and inventory — led to legal battles with his landlord, and ultimately an eviction notice last February.

When Michael offered to bring over a lease payment he had been withholding in a dispute over repair costs, he says, Icon “responded saying they were terminating the lease.”

You can read the post at this link.

As for this building, there are three new tenants on the way in: Ralph's Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream ... Village Crêperie ... and Social Tees.

Hopefully they won't suffer from the "Icon variable."

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

• The Upper Rust is moving away from East 9th Street and the East Village