A farewell parade through the East Village for Jack Finelli

On Saturday, friends and family came together to celebrate the life of longtime East Village resident Jack Finelli ... embarking on a tour of his favorite neighborhood places...

Joshua Weeks provided a snapshot of his father's life:

The East Village lost a longtime community member, John Robert ("Jack") Finelli, this past July. Jack was born Jan. 30, 1936, in Jackson Heights, Queens. He moved to the Lower East Side in 1968, where he stayed until September 2018.

With an accounting degree from New York University, Jack helped countless local residents and businesses with their taxes through tough times, including the famous Electric Circus, Whole Earth Bakery and the Theater for the New City. 

A lifelong student of health and spirituality, he traveled to Mexico and studied macrobiotics with pioneer Michio Kushi in 1983, and was known for making tofu in his East Fifth Street walk-up, where he lived for 43 years. Jack was also a lover of acting and music, and contributed to performances and workshops at many theaters and gardens around lower Manhattan. Jack helped produce the 2007 film "To My Great Chagrin" about his longtime friend, comedian Brother Theodore.

He was a beloved member of the De Colores and Campos community gardens, where he remained active until suffering a debilitating stroke in late 2018. Jack passed peacefully in his sleep on July 24, 2020. He is survived by his sister, Judith Finelli-Thomsen and his son, Joshua Weeks.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos...

Here are a few more photos courtesy of the De Colores Community Yard & Cultural Center on Eighth Street... including from outside Finelli's longtime apartment building on Fifth Street... 

This is the new building slated for the corner of 6th Street and Avenue C

We finally have a look at the new retail-residential building coming to the long-vacant northeast corner of Avenue C and Sixth Street... the rendering recently arrived on the plywood here... brace! There has been development talk for this lot dating to 2003. A former gas station, this corner has been vacant since the the early 1980s. 

According to DOB records, the 6-floor building will include 11 residential units, a storefront and space for an unspecified community facility. The city approved the application in May 2019 and issued a partial work permit in late July. The rendering shows an aggressive fall 2021 completion date. 

Meanwhile, the lot remains the same behind the plywood...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• At the Heap of Ruins Garden Party

Popeyes now open on 1st Avenue

As you may have noticed, the Popeyes debuted back on Saturday here at 39 First Ave. here between Second Street and Third Street. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy took this photo of the franchise owner (left) with his Popeyes team on opening day...

Anyone try this new outpost?

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Worldwide exclusive: Your first look inside the new Popeyes, opening soon on 1st Avenue

Glaze Teriyaki Grill closes on 4th Avenue

Glaze Teriyaki Grill is out of business on Fourth Avenue ... the latest quick-serve casualty here between 13th Street and 14th Street... joining Melt Shop (RIP February) and Liquiteria (RIP late 2019) ...

... and possibly Dig, which looks mighty closed on the southeast corner of Fourth Avenue and 13th Street...
Glaze opened here in August 2012. It is survived by two other locations in NYC as well as outposts in Chicago and San Francisco.

A full reveal at 202 Avenue A

Just noting that workers recently removed the sidewalk bridge from in front of 202 Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street ... providing a full reveal of the gut-renovated building called the Topanga.

As previously reported, workers added a horizontal and vertical enlargement of the existing 4-floor structure, doubling the total square footage from 5,334 to 10,920. There are 10 residences here, including a duplex penthouse with a private terrace. No word on pricing.

Highpoint Property Group bought No. 202 in a deal that closed in late 2017 for $6.75 million, according to public records. 

And next door, No. 204 will rise to seven stories, yielding 10 co-operative units for fixed-income housing.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Affordable housing planned for city-owned buildings at 204 Avenue A and 535 E. 12th St.

• 202 Avenue A has been gutted on its way to doubling in size to become the Topanga

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week include...

• NYPD releases surveillance footage of suspects in weekend murder on Avenue A (Friday) 

• City committee says no to air-rights transfer for 3 St. Mark's Place (Thursday) 

• An Art Attack at East River Park (Monday) 

• The East Village Community Fridge is out of order after someone tipped it over (Monday) 

• Checking in on Cafe Himalaya (Wednesday) 

• Halloween at Trash & Vaudeville (Friday) 

• Halloween at Economy Candy (Tuesday) 

• Outdoor comedy fundraisers continue for the Sixth Street Community Center (Tuesday) 

• This week's NY See panel (Thursday) 

• Factory Tamal reopens today on 4th Street after a short break (Wednesday) 

• A look back at Saturday's Avenue B flea (Tuesday) 

• The Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition looking for a few good volunteers (Friday) 

• Best Price Deli & Grocery is closing on 1st Avenue (Thursday) 

• Beard Papa's bringing the cream puffs to St. Mark's Place (Tuesday) 

• Openings: A10 Kitchen on Avenue A (Thursday) 

• 9 Avenue B is for rent for the first time in eons (Wednesday) 

• Saigon Market has closed on University Place (Monday) 

• The Bronx Brewery makes it official on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) 

... and sorry to hear about the passing of Jean Michaud, a longtime regular presence on First Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... the folks at City Lore on the block posted this tribute...

Top photo from the FDR Pedestrian Overpass at 10th Street

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Reader report: A gas leak and bureaucracy

An EVG reader shared details about a gas leak reported on Thursday afternoon at 91 First Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. 

From Thursday:

Workers came, dug a hole, turned off the gas set up a half-assed looking barricade and left.

ConEd on the phone said this is an "emergency situation" and therefore there were no notifications, no instructions. no information for residents.
 
Also said a replacement valve was "on order" and the job was in progress.

Residents (several elderly) and businesses are currently without hot water or gas for cooking.

And a weekend update:

There was a "pressure change" detected on the main line feeding into the building from the street. A gas smell was reported by someone either on the street or a resident.

Several years ago (3-4?) there was an un-regulated repair on the water/sewer lines leading into 93 First Avenue that exposed more than 4 feet of gas line for 91 First Ave., which then had to be emergency-repaired by ConEd/the City.

They replaced an entire block of gas line up from Fourth Street to Sixth Street at that time but left the OVER-100 year-old connector valves that actually feed into these 114-year old buildings.

So...Thursday afternoon there was a leak on our valve reported (No. 91) and ConEd came, dug a hole and said, "We're just here to dig the hole and turn it off."

Apparently, once the gas is shut off, it is no longer considered an "emergency" and since the valve "needed to be ordered" AND it happened on a Thursday work will not commence until Monday at the soonest IF they get the part delivered on time.

That means everyone in this building, during a pandemic, is currently without heat and hot water for bathing or working stoves for cooking for what will be at least four-five days.

With no notice, no support and no information from any agency involved. Residents had to call up multiple city offices to find out what was even happening.

Noted

As seen this morning on Avenue A at the Ninth Street entrance to Tompkins Square Park... this is latest in a series of messages posted around Tompkins that someone modeled after the "Keep This Far Apart" social distancing signs that the Parks Department unveiled in early April ... other messages have included "Stop Killing Black People" and "Justice for Breonna."

Saturday's parting shot

Longtime East Village resident Greg Masters (and a friend to this site) hosted a socially distant mini-book launch today in Tompkins Square Park. 

His new book of poems, "It Wasn’t Supposed to Be Like This," will officially be released in December. 

Greg is on the right in the photo above... with Gary Ray in the middle and Peter Bushyeager to the left.

 

Thanks to Steven for the photo!

At the XR Youth NYC flea market in Tompkins Square Park today

Members of the the XR Youth NYC hosted a flea market/clothing swap today in Tompkins Square Park (check out the group's Instagram account for info on upcoming events) ... EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos...

Happy No. 18 to Otto's Shrunken Head

Otto's Shrunken Head, the offbeat tiki bar at 538 E. 14th St., celebrates its 18th anniversary this weekend. 

To celebrate, Otto's has debuted a new T-shirt for sale. 

The bar is open today and tomorrow from 4-11 p.m. here between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

Photo via Instagram

EVG Etc.: Kim Gordon's new book; Luc Sante's East Village tour

An inside look at Rosella, now serving sushi on Avenue A (Eater ... previously on EVG)

NYC restaurants OK'd to use outdoor heaters this winter (Gothamist)

An interview with  Chloë Sevigny outside B&H Dairy (The New Yorker)

Not sure why, but Fat Buddha is currently without a liquor license (Instagram) 

Syringe-wielding man robs the Marhsalls on East Houston (BB)

Kim Gordon on her visual memoir "No Icon" (The Cut)

A look at "Wojnarowicz: F*** You F****t F***er," which pays homage to David Wojnarowicz (IndieWire)

Looking back at the last show — Patti Smith! — at CBGB (Far Out)

Keep Cozy Soup N Burger in your diner plans on Broadway at Astor Place (Instagram)

Diversions: An interview with the people who bought the diner from "Twin Peaks" (Grub Street)

And the story many people have been talking about in recent days: author Luc Sante's historical tour of the East Village (The New York Times)

We appreciated Sante's use of the Death Star in the interview to describe 51 Astor Place. And look who we roused!

LUC, HE IS MY FATHER!

— 51 Death Star (@51deathstar) October 15, 2020

U got the look

A Prince wheatpaste on First Street at Second Avenue courtesy of SacSix...

Put a spell on you

 

Pinc Louds have a new single and video out today ... the band describes "Spellbound" as "a bolero-tinged ode to classic harmony groups of the 50’s and 60’s."

And there's a dreamy summer-in-the-city vibe in this video filmed in Tompkins Square Park...

Previously on EV Grieve:

• An end-of-summer appreciation: Pinc Louds

Halloween at Trash & Vaudeville

The Halloween-themed windows recently went up at Trash & Vaudeville, 96 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue... EVG correspondent Stacie Joy stopped by for a closer look...

Manager Diane Zito invited Stacie into the shop, now in its 45th year in the East Village (four-plus years in this location), for a closer look...

.

Store hours:

Monday - Thursday noon to 8 p.m.

Friday 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

NYPD releases surveillance footage of suspects in weekend murder on Avenue A

Police are searching for three suspects wanted in connection with the murder late Saturday night of 26-year-old Tyrell Williams on Avenue A near 13th Street.

The video below shows the suspects in a nearby deli... and each of them receives hand sanitizer from the store clerk... the video then cuts to the shooting... police reportedly said that Williams was shot four times...

🚨WANTED🚨for a HOMICIDE in the vicinity of Ave A and East 13 Street #alphabetcity #Manhattan @NYPD9Pct on 10/11/20 @ 1:20 A.M.💰Reward UP TO $2500 👓Seen them?Know who they are? ☎️Call 1-800-577-TIPS or DM us!📞Calls are CONFIDENTIAL! #yourcityYourcall @NYPDShea @NYPDDetectives pic.twitter.com/R8OArsJQke

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) October 15, 2020

The NYPD also released this montage of the three suspects...

According to the Daily News, the shooting may have been gang-related. Williams was allegedly a member of the YG Bloods, and was wanted for questioning in a shooting two years ago.

Top photo by Michael Paul

The Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition looking for a few good volunteers

As we move further into fall, the Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition is seeking volunteers to help set up barricades in the mornings/evenings along Avenue B between Sixth Street and 14th Street. 

If you're interested in volunteering to be an Avenue B Open Streets Ambassador, then you can find a sign-up sheet here. 

The group, described as "a community-led program providing safe, socially distanced recreation for our neighborhood," formed back in the summer, and have led efforts to paint and repair the colorful barriers seen along the Avenue...

The group also has a Twitter and Instagram account that you can monitor for updates.

The city announced the Open Street plan in late May to help residents safely get some fresh air while social distancing.

Photos courtesy of the Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition

Noted

As seen on the front door of a building on Ninth Street... a "Notice to all Residents" about new legislation "that mandates that every resident of the Upper West Side born before July 23, 1996 is now required to listen to a minimum of 200 hours of Fiona Apple before the end of 2020 and every year afterwards."

And the photo is of Emmy Rossum, who used to play a character named Fiona Gallagher on Showtime's "Shameless."

🤔

Photo by William Klayer.

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's the latest NY See panel, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around NYC ... and, more recently, observations on current events...

City committee says no to air-rights transfer for 3 St. Mark's Place

It appears that the 10-story office building going in at 3 St. Mark's Place at Third Avenue will be 20-percent smaller than the developers had hoped. 

Yesterday, the City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee voted down the application by developer Real Estate Equities Corporation (REEC) seeking to transfer air rights from the landmarked 4 St. Marks Place to the new building across the street.

With the air-rights transfer, REEC would have been allowed to build 8,386 square feet larger than the current zoning allows on the northeast corner.

The Village Preservation, who had rallied support against the transfer, noted this denial via an enewsletter:

This more or less guarantees that the air rights transfer, which requires City Council approval, will not happen. Local Councilmember Carlina Rivera voted against the air rights transfer and urged her fellow Councilmembers to do the same. State Sen. Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Deborah Glick had joined us in testifying against the application and urging its rejection, and Borough President Brewer had recommended its rejection earlier in the year.  

As we've been reporting in recents months, work has already commenced on the northeast corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place, where the building has a February 2022 completion date. 

Regardless of an extra 8,000 square feet, construction will still happen. The project's architect, Morris Adjmi, has said a building of a similar height size would be built as of right.

REEC picked up the 99-year leasehold for the properties here for nearly $150 million in November 2017. 

Previously on EV Grieve:
• New building plans revealed for 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

• Concern over potential air-rights transfer for new office building on St. Mark's Place and 3rd Avenue 

Openings: A10 Kitchen on Avenue A

Photos by Stacie Joy 

A10 Kitchen debuted on Tuesday at 162 Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street... (we mentioned the restaurant seeking a liquor license back in February.)

Owner Enkeleda Kelmendi (below left) was all set for a March 15 grand opening... 

You can find the menu, featuring bistro fare — salads, sandwiches and main dishes such as steak frites and halibut — at the A10 website. You can find their Instagram account here. A10 is open daily from noon to 10 p.m.

Flinders Lane closed here in August 2018 after five-plus years in service. Before the Australian restaurant, this space was The Beagle ... and Orologio before that.

The Bronx Brewery makes it official on 2nd Avenue

Signage went up yesterday at 64 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street — the future home of a Bronx Brewery outpost.

We first reported on this back on March 12 a few days before the COVID-19 PAUSE. At the time, the Brewery was looking at a possible fall opening. Now we're told the opening status is TBD.

As this photo by Steven shows, the space has a ways to go... it will eventually house a pilot brewery and taphouse...

Reps for Bronx Brewery will (virtually) appear before CB3's SLA committee on Oct. 19 for a new liquor license for the address. (Questionnaire here.) 

No. 64's retail space has been vacant since NYC Velo moved next door to No. 66 in the spring of 2016.

Previously on EV Grieve:

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