[Updated] Today at Veselka

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Tuesday only. Buy one get one free! #soups #stews Everything on sale! Stay calm and get some #borscht or #pierogies #veselkanyc While supplies last!

A post shared by Veselka (@veselkanyc) on Mar 16, 2020 at 1:35pm PDT

Veselka is on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Ninth Street.

Updated 3/18: Veselka is now closed until further notice.

Monday's parting shot

A look at a darkened Sophie's tonight on Fifth Street ... the bar closed last evening... along with most other city bars tonight after Mayor de Blasio signed an executive order to temporary close nightclubs, movie theaters and concert venues.

The order also limits restaurants, bars and cafes to take-out and delivery. We're working on a list of East Village establishments that will have food available for pick up or delivery.

B&H Dairy is temporarily closing, and giving away all of its food

B&H Dairy, 127 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, is closing during the coronavirus outbreak.... but not before they're giving away their inventory.

Via the EVG inbox:

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 virus, B&H Dairy is temporarily closing. We are offering free food to all. Eat in or take it to go. Please come by for your favorites or to try something new! Free food from today, March 16, Noon until 10 PM and tomorrow March 17, from 9 AM until 4 PM.

With love, B&H Dairy.

Updated 3/17: Multiple readers have said this only applies to soup.

Noted

Spotted on Sixth Street and Second Avenue. Thanks to EVG reader Lora Ewing for the photo...

Line check

Russell K. notes the line to enter Trader Joe's on 14th Street near Avenue A stretches around the corner.

This photo is from 8:40 a.m. The store opens at 9.

There are other places to shop nearby too.

NYC shutting down: public schools, restaurants, bars and movie theaters

As you likely heard: New York City schools will close until at least April 20 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Read more about that here.

This morning, Mayor de Blasio is signing an executive order to temporary close nightclubs, movie theaters and concert venues. In addition, the order limits restaurants, bars and cafes to take-out and delivery orders.

All this goes into effect tomorrow morning at 9.

Meanwhile, we'll start compiling a post of East Village restaurants that are offering take-out and delivery.

Please let us know in the comments or via email.

Little Tong permanently closes East Village location

[Photo from May 2019]

After three years on the southwest corner of First Avenue and 11th Street, Little Tong shut its doors last night following dinner service.

In an Instagram post, Simone Tong, the chef and owner, cited the coronavirus outbreak as the driving force behind the closure.

The unfortunate reality is that the current public health climate has hit small businesses like ours to the extent that we cannot sustain the restaurant beyond this week. We are honored to have had the privilege to host so many of you in the East Village — and hope that we’ll have the opportunity to continue to do so at our other locations in the future.

The restaurant, which opened in March 2017, debuted to positive notices (the grandma chicken mixian was a standout dish), including two stars from Pete Wells at the Times.

The place was a big enough hit to open a second outpost in Midtown East. That location will remain open.

Sunday, March 15

EVG contributor Stacie Joy took a walk through the neighborhood on this spring-like day today... as more and more businesses were temporarily closing during this novel coronavirus outbreak... here are a few snapshots of the day...

Updating: Coronavirus-related closures and suspensions in the East Village

[Sanitizer shelves at Rite Aid on 1st Avenue via Stacie Joy]

Here's the start of a list (March 13) of coronavirus-related closures or suspended activities in the East Village. We'll continue to update as more announcements are made. Send any relevant info to this email. Find the bars-restaurants listing at this link.

Updated 5 a.m. 3/16: Mayor de Blasio has announced that restaurants, bars and cafes will only be allowed to serve only take-out and delivery starting 9 a.m. on 3/17.

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• All New York Public Library events and programs are cancelled through March 31. However, the neighborhood branches — Ottendorfer, Tompkins Square and Hamilton Fish — will remain open. Updated: All public libraries will now be closed from March 14 through at least March 31.

• The Cooper Union Library is now closed through March 22.

• The the 14th Street Y is now closed for at least a week.

• The Brant Foundation, 421 E. Sixth St., is closed indefinitely. More info here.

• The Pyramid Club, 101 Avenue A, is closed until further notice.

• Howl! Happening, 6 E. First St., is closed until further notice.

• The Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave., has suspended all screenings for the rest of March, effective immediately.

• New York Theatre Workshop, 79 E. Fourth St., is suspending all public programming for 31 days, effective immediately.

• All public events and performances of shows at La MaMa are suspended as of tomorrow (March 13) until further notice.

• Bowery Ballroom has is rescheduling its slate of shows through the end of the month.

• Webster Hall on 11th Street is closed until further notice.

• Mercury Lounge on East Houston is rescheduling its slate of shows though March.

• The annual Zoroastrian Fire Jumping Event, set to take place March 17 in Sarah Roosevelt Park, has been cancelled this year.

• The Swiss Institute on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place exhibitions has put a hold on all public programs and education workshops effective immediately.

• The Ukrainian Museum on Sixth Street is closing its galleries and discontinuing all programs until further notice.

• Events at the Third Street Music School are currently postponed.

• Nublu and Nublu Classic on Avenue C are closed for the weekend.

• The Bhakti Center at 25 First Ave. has suspended all public events, including weekly yoga classes and all other workshops, until March 27.

• Fun City Tattoo on St. Mark's Place is now closed through March 28.

• Alongside Abrons Arts Center, the East Village Dance Project has suspended group classes until at least March 29. They're experimenting now with holding virtual sessions.

• Academy Records at 415 12th St. closes indefinitely after 3/15. They'll still be selling records via Instagram and Discogs.

• Mast Books at 72 Avenue A is closed for now.


[Photo by Steven]

• Spark Pretty, 333 E. Ninth St.

• City Fun Shop, 45 First Ave.

• The Strand, 828 Broadway

• Exit9 Gift Emporium, 51 Avenue A

• Downtown Yarns, 45 Avenue A

• Turntable Lab, 84 E. 10th St. (You can shop online there!)

Week in Grieview

[Seen at Basics Plus on 3rd Avenue yesterday]

Posts this last week included...

• Updating: Coronavirus-related closures and suspensions in the East Village (Friday)

• Updating: Temporary East Village restaurant closings (Friday)

• The Archdiocese of New York cancels church service (Saturday)

• An East Village inventory check (Saturday)

• Checking in on Book Club Bar (Sunday)

• Report of a fire at 138 1st Ave. (Saturday)

• A visit to Russo’s Mozzarella & Pasta (Wednesday)

• Ray celebrates his 87th birthday (Tuesday)

• Bronx Brewery opening an East Village outpost on 2nd Avenue this fall (Thursday)

• Xi'an Famous Foods has closed on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

• First hint of future development at the current home of B Bar & Grill (Thursday)

• Bali Kitchen is back in action, but only on Saturdays and Sundays (Tuesday)

• 130 E. 7th St. sells for more than $20 million (Tuesday)

• More 99-cent pizza for Avenue A; plus hot dog (Wednesday)

• Sally Beauty is now open on 14th Street (Monday)

• Cantilevering condoplex finally reaches the top at 75 1st Ave. (Monday)

• The former Hot Kitchen space is for rent (Thursday)

• Sexyflow moves on from Avenue A (Thursday)

• Resurfacing the sullied sidewalk on 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

• The new-look 107 Avenue C (Wednesday)

• Doctor, doctor: Medical office set for this 3rd Avenue storefront (Tuesday)

• Land of Buddha now open on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

• Bank of America makes it official on East Houston (Monday)

... and longtime East Village resident Daniel Carlson shared these photos from Thursday...







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Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates

Updating: Temporary East Village bar-restaurant closings

Will continue to update a list — started on March 13 — of any bars-restaurants that are temporary closed due to the novel coronavirus. Updated 9 p.m. 3/15: The closures are coming in faster that we can update this post.

Updated 5 a.m. 3/16: Mayor de Blasio has announced that restaurants, bars and cafes will only be allowed to serve only take-out and delivery starting 9 a.m. on 3/17.

• Kikoo Sushi, 141 First Ave.


[Photo by Steven]

• The Bao, 13 St. Mark's Place


[Photo by Steven]

• Kyo Ya, 79 E. Seventh St., is closed until April 1.

• Kung Fu Tea, 28 St. Mark's Place



• Joyface, 104 Avenue C (read post here)

• Empellon Al Pastor, 132 St. Mark's Place, is closed until further notice


[Photo by Vinny & O]

• All Momofuku establishments — the Noodle Bar, Ko and Ssäm Bar — are closed until further notice.

• Superiority Burger, 430 E. Ninth St., has closed for now.

• Lucky, 168 Avenue B

• Sanpoutei, 92 Second Ave.


[Photo by Sheila]

• Bar Primi, 325 Bowery

• Virginia's, 647 E. 11th St.

• Red Gate Bakery, 68 E. First St.

• Death & Company, 433 E. Sixth St.

• Kindred, 342 E. Sixth St.

• Drexler's, Boulton & Watt, Paper Daisy and Mister Paradise are now closed

• Pouring Ribbons, 225 Avenue B, is closed and taking it "day by day."

• Snow Days, 241 E. 10th St.

• Professor Thom's, 219 Second Ave.

• Lavagna, 545 E. Fifth St.

• The Cabinet and Mace

• Caracas Arepa Bar, 91 E. Seventh St.

• Nowon, 507 E. Sixth St.

• Factory Tamal, 63 E. Fourth St.

• SMØR, 441 E. 12th St.

• Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, 28 E. First St.

• Juice Vitality, 192 First Ave.

• Ama Raw Bar, 190 Avenue B

• Sophie's, Mona's and Josie's

• The International, 102 First Ave.

• Sharaku, 14 Stuyvesant St.


[Photo by Steven]

• Doc Holliday's, 109 Avenue A

• Niagara, 112 Avenue A

• Tompkins Square Bar, 110 Avenue A

Want to help?

Several people have reached out to ask about volunteering in the neighborhood — such as shopping or running errands for those who may need help or don't feel comfortable being outside... spotted this flyer on Avenue A at Fourth Street...

Checking in on Book Club Bar

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

Updated 3/16 below

I stopped by Book Club Bar on Third Street yesterday to talk with Nat Esten, who runs the shop along with his wife Erin Neary, about how the small business is managing during the coronavirus outbreak.

Esten and Neary, who live nearby, are encouraging people who want to support the shop to buy books online, purchase gift cards or listen to audiobooks via Libro.fm.

Book Club is also offering coffee (via Mud) to go along with items from Eli Zabar’s bakery.

I asked Nat what books he recommends for people staying indoors. He offered two suggestions: For scary pertinent material, “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel, and for distraction enjoyment, “The Splendid and the Vile,” by Erik Larson.



Book Club Bar, 197 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, remains open for now with daily hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Updated 3/16

They are now only open for to-go coffee and pick-up book orders. You can still shop via their website.

March 2020 street art

Spotted on 11th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...



Artist unknown (at the moment) ...



Photos by Vinny & O

The Archdiocese of New York cancels church service

The Archdiocese of New York has canceled all masses this weekend and in the near future. Signs are posted outside Catholic churches in the East Village, including at Immaculate Conception on 14th Street (above) and Most Holy Redeemer-Church of the Nativity on Third Street...


[Photo by Stacie Joy]

This also means a closure for St. Brigid-St. Emeric on Avenue B at Eighth Street.

However, the churches will be open for prayer

Per the release we received:

All Public Masses Are Canceled Until Further Notice.

Church will be open for private prayer during usual hours only.

All obligation to attend mass is suspended.

This morning outside Key Food

EVG regular Lola Saénz points out the large delivery this morning at Key Food on Avenue A...for anyone concerned that stores are unable to restock their shelves...

An East Village inventory check

Yesterday (March 13) afternoon, EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by a variety of East Village shops to check on their inventory of food and cleaning supplies as residents prepare for the coronavirus outbreak.

The bigger stores (Target, Trader Joe's) had longer lines and emptier shelves of in-demand items, as you might expect. Some of the smaller shops, especially along First Avenue, still had ample products, such as Clorox wipes and ingredients for making your own hand sanitizer.

The first few photos of at Key Food, 52 Avenue A at Fourth Street...







All photos were of these store shelves as they appeared yesterday afternoon.

• H Brickman & Sons, 55 First Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street









• Rite Aid, 81 First Ave. at Fifth Street (had very little inventory upon Stacie's visit)





• Saifee Hardware & Garden, 114 First Ave. at Seventh Street (They had a great supply, per Stacie)











• Commodities Health Food, 165 First Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street





• NYC Pharmacy 206 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street





• David Halladay Hill, aka the Fix-it Fairy, at H&W Hardware, 220 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street







• Trader Joe's, 436 E. 14th St. near Avenue A











• Target, 500 E. 14th St. at Avenue A







• CTown Supermarket, 188 Avenue C between 11th Street and 12th Street