Baby hawks in Tompkins Square Park starting to branch out this spring

Another day, another milestone for Amelia and Christo's three red-tailed hawklets in Tompkins Square Park.

As Goggla documented, one of the adventurous chicks — possibly the youngest of the three and with what looks like a little white mohawk on its head — started branching this week.

The other two will likely follow their sibling very soon... the first step before fledging the nest. The three are six-plus-weeks old now.

Steven captured this action shot ...



... as well as the parents taking a spin over the Park...

San Loco is back open on Avenue C

San Loco reopened yesterday at 111 Avenue C between Seventh Street and Eighth Street. For now, the quick-serve Tex-Mex restaurant is open for takeout and delivery from 4-10 p.m. daily. (No alcohol here.)

San Loco, which made its East Village debut on Second Avenue in 1986, opened on Avenue C back in December. This location had been closed during the COVID-19 crisis, with their support of frontline workers happening from the Stanton Street outpost.

Explosion site condoplex shapes up

Here's a look from yesterday at 45 E. Seventh St. at Second Avenue, where work on the explosion site condoplex continues (the job is in the approved category at the Essential Active Construction Site).

One noticeable addition: the bracing for the perforated cornice parapet ...



... that was so prominent in the rendering...


[Rendering via Morris Adjmi]

As noted previously, this high-profile project is on two of the three lots destroyed during the deadly gas explosion here on March 26, 2015.

The Morris Adjmi-designed building will include 21 condo units as well as ground-floor retail. Residential units are one, two and three bedrooms. The Tavivian Team from Douglas Elliman will be responsible for the sales.

You can find all the background about this project and its history at this link.

Tuesday's parting shot

A mirror moment on Second Avenue today via Derek Berg...

Someone put out a box of free toilet paper

Bayou spotted this in-demand product on 10th Street and First Avenue ... and there is a note: "This is an abundant universe. Stop hoarding!"

When the Post Office is out to lunch

There was a lunchtime line today at the Peter Stuyvesant Retail Post Office on 14th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... turns out the branch was closed for lunch between noon and 1:30 p.m., something P.O. regulars here can't recall seeing before... the lobby doors were also locked, so patrons couldn't even drop off pre-paid mail or check their mailboxes...



Thanks to Sonya!

Chair notes

Some discarded chair signage from today on 10th Street and Second Avenue... some concern about the fate of this seat...



The first note reads: "Chair is for overnight security. Do not take it. Do not throw it away."

And the second note: "Security guards that use the chair, please put it back where it belongs!!!"

Thanks to Lola Saénz for the photos!

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 ...