Neighborhood Food Swap in action

Several community leaders recently launched the Neighborhood Food Swap to help feed families in need on the Lower East Side during the COVID-19 crisis.

To date, the group, which includes John M. Blasio, Alana Sivin and Aura Olavarria, have identified 31 multi-person families who could use a meal. They've also collaborated with two East Village restaurants, S'MAC on First Avenue at 12th Street, and Khiladi on Avenue B at 11th Street, to serve as partners and deliver the meals.

Thanks to $500 in donations to the Food Swap website, S'MAC owners Sarita and Caesar Ekya delivered meals for 90 NYCHA residents living in the Baruch Houses on Houston and Columbia Street this past Thursday evening. EVG contributor Stacie Joy was there as the volunteers distributed the meals ...








[Sarita and Caesar Ekya]

You can learn more about the Neighborhood Food Swap here.

Winter Flowers return this spring at La Plaza Cultural

[Photo Sunday by Dave on 7th]

Winter Flowers, the unique sculptures that adorned the fence at La Plaza Cultural for nearly 20 years, returned to part of the community garden/green space over the weekend.

Last spring-summer, La Plaza received a new fence here on Avenue C at Ninth Street. The previous chain-link fence was sagging in spots and in need of repair.

With that, the handmade sculptures from discarded materials that Rolando Politi started creating in 2000 had to be removed in the fall of 2018. The collection had grown to nearly 250.


[Photo from September 2018]

While GreenThumb community gardens operating on NYC Parks property are currently closed to the public (open to gardeners only for necessary maintenance) you can check out the Winter Flowers along the fence simply walking by... and we've already heard from several residents who said they were happy to see Rolando putting these colorful creations back along Avenue C...

Somos extends COVID-19 testing at St. Brigid

The temporary COVID-19 testing site has been extended by a few more weeks behind the former St. Brigid School at 119 Avenue B between Seventh Street and Eighth Street.

The site, run by Somos Community Care, also has new hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. As EVG contributor Stacie Joy reports, walk-ins are still possible but they would prefer that you make an appointment. Somos reps also promised better staffing of the phone lines. (Several readers reported that they couldn't get through to make an appointment.)

Both diagnostic and antibody tests are available.

Previously on EV Grieve:
At the COVID-19 testing site at St. Brigid

Cafe Himalaya is back open

Cafe Himalaya, the Tibetan/Nepalese restaurant at 78 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, recently reopened for takeout and delivery.

They are open from noon to 9 p.m. (or so) Tuesday through Sunday.

The restaurant, which opened in 2001, also recently started an Instagram account if you want to see their daily specials and/or menu items...

View this post on Instagram

#17 Tsel Gyathuk Ngopa • vegetarian sautéed noodles

A post shared by Cafe Himalaya (@cafehimalaya_nyc) on May 23, 2020 at 11:42am PDT

A Memorial Day Weekend pizza and mask giveaway on Avenue D

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

If you happened to be on Avenue D yesterday, then you may have been treated to free slices (courtesy of Avenue D Pizza), bottles of water, masks and gloves during a Memorial Day Weekend event for local residents...

















The giveaway was sponsored by Prison to the Streets, Lawyers & Labels, I'm Everywhere and LES Tha 6th Boro.

Re-openings: International Bar, Hearth

More and more restaurants and bars are reopening for take-home service. Notable reopenings include International Bar at 102 First Ave. at Sixth Street. Molly & Co. have set up a table at the front door to order drinks to take home daily from noon to 8 p.m.

--


[Hearth photos by Lola Saénz]

Hearth reopened yesterday on 12th Street at First Avenue ... for now, they're offering a take-home drink service from 2 p.m. until dark ...





Coming soon from Hearth: A new food menu with take-home and delivery service ... as well as some pantry items.

Other recent reopenings include the Bowery Electric on the Bowery and Kelly's on Avenue A (Thursday through Sundays)...

For more on what's open, check out this interactive EV map.

... word from the East Village

... word from the East Village

you asked me how things are.

I now live in a quiet, even for

a ghost town, streets walked

by the masked, all keep their

distance.

There are still the noise makers

and air breathers, mask sneerers.

There are no readings to attend,

books to buy, the Libraries

now empty rooms.

Yet the parks oasis upon oasis.

Still to enjoy the great Elms, the

summer bird migration and that

chance of catching a darling bird

with a shutters click.

Then home to walk my hallways,

read my own books, then sit before

this one eyed God, who lets me

share with ones too far away.

•

peter radley

Photos by peter radley

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Louise and Danny spotted this pine-fresh Christmas tree on 10th Street between and Avenue B and Avenue C today...



Happy Memorial Day!

Week in Grieview

['Kindly stay 6 feet away' on 4th Street by @beliza]

Posts from this past week include...

• RIP Frances Goldin (Tuesday)

• That long-empty corner lot at 14th Street and Avenue C has a new owner (Monday)

• McSorley's reopens today on 7th Street, and this is what you can expect (Friday) And an opening day visit (Saturday)

• At the COVID-19 testing site at St. Brigid (Saturday)

• Rossy's Bakery & Café is back open after making repairs caused by construction next door (Monday)

• Checking in on Jane's Exchange (Wednesday)

• A new oven, and a new era at C&B Cafe (Friday)

• B&H Dairy now accepting credit cards and mobile pay (Thursday)

• The 2020 [virtual] Loisaida Festival will take place on the next 2 Sunday afternoons (Friday)

• Someone vandalized the COVID-19 memorial on 10th Street and Avenue A (Sunday)

• Lori McLean Jewelry moving to Avenue A (Wednesday)


[Photo by Derek Berg]

• This week's NY See (Thursday)

• A depressing last look at Gem Spa (Monday)

• Lucien reopens the kitchen for takeout and delivery (Wednesday)

• Brick through the front door delays Bali Kitchen's reopening by a day (Saturday)

• Look at the baby hawks! (Thursday)

• Smash and grab at Caffé Bene on Avenue A (Tuesday)

• Mikey Likes It returns, and now with delivery (Saturday)

• Sen. Hoylman introduces legislation allowing bars and restaurants to continue offering drinks for takeout after COVID-19 (Friday)

• Demolition watch: 270 E. 2nd St. (Tuesday)

• 8 blocks of Avenue B are now open for pedestrians and bikers (Saturday)

• Terra Thai debuts on 6th Street (Tuesday)

• Construction watch: 302 E. 2nd St. (Thursday)

• Village Crêperie debuts on 9th Street (Monday)

• ICYMI: Momofuku's Ssäm Bar moving from the East Village to the Seaport (Monday)

• Brooklyn Dumpling Shop's automated approach to dining in the COVID-19 era (Thursday)

... and as the top link reported, Frances Goldin, the lifelong preservationist and community activist, died last Sunday. She was 95. Leslie McEachern shared these photos from 2016 from Angelica Kitchen...







---

Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

Mapping the wisteria

[EVG photo from early May]

The wisteria outside 35 Stuyvesant St. at 10th Street is a thing of beauty each spring...



And there are plenty more to take in... local artist Pixie Yates created this wisteria map for the East and West Village...



Something to file away for when they are in bloom again next spring — or you can still admire the greenery and architecture at these addresses .... you may find more of Pixie's art on her Instagram.

Sunday breakfast

Steven captures a moment with family this morning in Tompkins Square Park as red-tailed hawk father Christo delivers fresh food to the nest ... where he and Amelia's three baby hawks have grown quite larger since our last look a few days ago ...

Bowery-based gallery hosting online 'Collect For Cause' exhibition

Pop International Galleries, located at 195 Bowery, is hosting a group charity exhibition titled “Collect For Cause” through June 22.

Here are details via the EVG inbox...

Due to COVID-19, Team POP and its family of artists are taking all necessary precautions by working remotely and staying safe at home. Our hearts and gratitude go out to all essential workers, as well as all those brave frontline workers, doctors and nurses fighting the virus everywhere.

We deeply empathize with those who have been impacted and lost loved ones during this difficult time, and we are particularly mindful of the hunger and homelessness that this pandemic has wrought upon our country.

“Collect For Cause” will support and protect those experiencing hardship and hunger by donating 20 percent of all sales from this exhibition to Feeding America.

Below is the list of participating artists for the “Collect For Cause” exhibition:

Al Diaz

Antonio Reonegro

Boudro

Claw Money

Craig Alan

Dom Pattinson

Fernando “SKI” Romero

Gillie & Marc

Jenna Morello

Mike “2ESAE” Baca

Remi Rough

Robert Mars

Ron English

Sean Sullivan

SEN2

Solus

A special performance and discussion tonight for the Lower East Side Festival of the Arts

The Theater for the New City's 25th annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts is taking place online this weekend.

A highlight to note this evening at 8:

A live concert of performances by David Amram, William Electric Black, Phoebe Legere, F. Murray Abraham, Penny Arcade, Austin Pendleton and Charles Busch.

Following their performances, these major LES artists will do a virtual "sit around" and discuss theater, politics and “where we go from here.”

Find the Vimeo link for this program here. And find the full program (PDF) here.

Mikey Likes It returns, and now with delivery

[Photo the other day by Lola Saénz]

Mikey Likes It is back open on Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street ... today through Monday, you can order a pint of ice cream via the shop's website and pick it up in person... they are also offering deliveries in Manhattan.

Holiday weekend hours: 2-8 p.m. You can follow along on their Instagram account for updates.