6 posts from November

A mini month in review... 

• A Thanksgiving feast for neighbors in need at the East Village Community Fridge (Nov. 26) 

• With gas shut off, Tompkins Square Bagels owner wonders why the city isn't helping small businesses during pandemic (Nov. 24) 

• Here's a look at the final RBG mural on 1st Avenue and 11th Street (Nov. 20) 

• A visit to Van Da on 4th Street (Nov. 19) 

• Scenes from a Biden-Harris victory (Nov. 8)

• A very East Village Halloween (Nov. 1)

Photo the other day on 10th Street

1st Avenue curbside dining structure is gone with the wind (again)

Today's high winds — reported at 40-plus mph at times during the gale warning — toppled this curbside dining setup on First Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street (thanks to Jeremiah Moss for the photos!)

Turns out the structure belongs to Panna II, which was not open at the time. Owner Boshir Khan told Curbed that this was the third time (as Curbed noted — !) that his structure has toppled over.

Per Curbed:

[H]e hasn’t been able to install a sturdier structure because of the expense; this one, he says, cost him $2,000, and more substantial ones can cost more than ten times that figure. "If you want to do it permanently, it's a lot of money,” he says. Even though he's already looking into putting it back up, Khan says he's still unsure about how plausible outdoor dining will be once the weather turns from chilly to flat-out cold: "We have a heater and everything, and people [still] don't want to sit down." Over the past two weeks, Khan says, no diner has wanted to eat outside. 

NYC restaurateurs have until Dec. 15 to fully adapt their structures to the winter, per city guidelines.

An EVG reader also reported a damaged curbside structure outside Takahachi/Drom on Avenue A near Sixth Street...

Tree down in Tompkins Square Park

The high winds today brought down a tree (updated: one of the grand American Elms) in Tompkins Square Park... EVG reader Eddie shared these photos, showing the fallen tree near the entrance on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place...

While this is the second large tree to fall during a storm this year ... workers did plant up to 20 new ones in the Park late last year.

Updated 5:30 p.m.

Steven shared these photos...

... and late this afternoon... crews were on the scene ... the St. Mark's Place entrance is currently closed...

Report: City drops plan for hotel special permit requirement south of Union Square

The de Blasio Administration has reportedly withdrawn its proposal to require special permits for new hotels in the area south of Union Square.

As The Real Deal reported on Nov. 20, "the city quietly withdrew an application to establish a 25-block area where any new hotel construction requires a special permit. The decision came at the urging of the City Council."

The City Planning Commission had approved the application prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

ouncilmember Francisco Moya, who chairs the body’s zoning subcommittee, said in a letter to Marisa Lago, the director of the Department of City Planning. “As we all know, the policy landscape has changed profoundly in the last seven months, and we believe it’s important to evaluate our efforts in a citywide context with respect to the regulation of hotels.”

The Hotel Special Permit plan was seen by elected officials as a way to provide protections for the surrounding neighborhood as a component of passing the upzoning for the tech hub (now Zero Irving pictured above on Saturday) on 14th Street at Irving Place back in 2018.

Critics of the plan had argued that the requirement of a special permit for hotels from Third Avenue to University Place would have little to no effect on the potential development that the tech hub might expedite.

Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation, which led the opposition to the plan, released this statement last week:

"Though presented as such, this plan would never have provided any meaningful protections to the area of Greenwich Village and the East Village south of Union Square, where historic and residential buildings are being destroyed to make way for soulless high-rises. Now that this deeply unpopular plan has been shelved, we urge Mayor de Blasio and Councilmember Carlina Rivera to truly address the need to protect this neighborhood, its history, and its character."

According to The Real Deal,  despite the withdrawal of this particular plan, the city remains committed to studying whether such a mandate would work citywide.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• The conversation continues on the now-approved tech hub for 14th Street

Signage arrives for Cadence, the latest Ravi DeRossi venture on 7th Street

The sign is now up for Cadence at 122 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue ... this latest vegan restaurant venture from the East Village-based Ravi DeRossi will be a take on southern soul food via chef Shenarri Freeman.

And this is one of several new restaurants that DeRossi's revamped Overthrow Hospitality group has planned in the coming months, a list that includes the pasta bar Soda Club on Avenue B and the Mexican-themed Spider in the Garden on Fifth Street.

He also recently expanded Amor y Amargo on Avenue A at Sixth Street, including opening a cocktail-general store in the corner retail space.

As Eater previously reported, each of his new restaurants is being led by "senior employees within the company who agreed to launch their own projects under DeRossi's new hospitality group."

Here's more from Eater:

Moving forward, DeRossi and [director of operations Drew] Brady wanted to shift the company to add more employee-first initiatives — like seeking out in-house talent first to launch new projects — and encourage more community involvement. 

At Overthrow Hospitality, employees will each be allotted 10 paid hours per month to take part in protests or volunteer at various community organizations. For those who participate, the logged hours convert into wellness credits that the employees can put towards things like buying a new bike or getting a gym membership.

The new direction comes as the group is still weathering the pandemic along with the rest of the city. DeRossi was able to negotiate favorable rent deals on the places that are opening, and he says that launching more vegan restaurants led by veteran team members at a time when environmental and economic crises are colliding is the right way to go.

Cadence will be DeRossi's fourth establishment on the block, joining Saramsam, a Filipino restaurant at 111 E. Seventh St. that opened in September, and Ladybird and Avant Garden. 

Desnuda, the 18-seat ceviche bar, was the previous tenant at 122 E. Seventh St, closing in January after 11-plus years. 

Amor Y Amargo photo last month by Vinny & O

Bagels — and a deli — for 9th Street

The for lease sign that was outside 105 E. Ninth St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue has been covered with a notice for a new business coming soon — Bagel Deli. 

And that's all we know about it at the moment.

Yuba, the 9-year-old Japanese restaurant, closed here in the summer as business dwindled during the pandemic.

Thanksgiving weekend in review: SantaCon canceled; Max Fish finished at 120 Orchard St.

ICYMI: Posts from the holiday weekend included: 

• Giving thanks at the Mariana Bracetti Plaza (Wednesday) 

• Gallery Watch: NYNY2020 by Melissa Brown at Derek Eller Gallery (Wednesday) 

• Max Fish says farewell to 120 Orchard St.; new outpost planned (Wednesday) 

• A Thanksgiving feast for neighbors in need at the East Village Community Fridge (Thursday) 

• There won't be an official SantaCon this year (Friday) 

• A visit to Hello Banana Vintage (Friday) 

• The 3rd & B’Zaar Holiday Market is now open for the season (Saturday) 

Art by @dylanegon on Lafayette ...

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included... (and photo from Tomkins Square Park this morning)...

• With gas shut off, Tompkins Square Bagels owner wonders why the city isn't helping small businesses during pandemic (Tuesday) 

• A good hair day: Investors pitch in to save Astor Place Hairstylists from closure (Tuesday) 

• Toy story: The March Hare debuts on 9th Street (Monday) 

• Groups petition city officials to protect NYC's community gardens (Monday) 

• A Thanksgiving feast for neighbors in need at the East Village Community Fridge (Thursday) 

• Giving thanks at the Mariana Bracetti Plaza (Wednesday) 

• A Thanksgiving without Odessa (Wednesday) 

• A visit to Hello Banana Vintage (Friday) 

• A break in at B&H Dairy (Tuesday) 

• The Blind Pig's conversion into Coyote Ugly continues (Monday) 

• Here then, the full reveal at the explosion site condoplex (Monday) 

• Gallery Watch: NYNY2020 by Melissa Brown at Derek Eller Gallery (Wednesday) 

• It's virtual gala time for the Cooper Square Committee (Tuesday) 

• 3rd & B’Zaar Holiday Market now open for the season (Saturday) 

• This week's NY See panel (Friday) 

• Max Fish says farewell to 120 Orchard St.; new outpost planned (Wednesday) 

• There won't be an official SantaCon this year (Friday) 

• A car fire on 4th Street (Sunday) 

• Greenwich Marketplace coming to this 4th Avenue storefront (Wednesday) 

... and outside Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place ...workers continue building curbside seating for the William Barnacle Tavern ... 

And according to the video surveillance photos posted outside Theatre 80, the young man in the middle of the photo allegedly vandalized the unfinished space this past week. Per the sign: "We have enough trouble with developers in this neighborhood, do we need crap from their kids as well?"

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That Ginko tree in the Secret Garden on 4th Street and Avenue C

If you're interested in a last blast of fall foliage, then consider a walk by the Secret Garden on Fourth Street at Avenue C... where the Ginko there is looking specactular...

And if you are interested in seeing this... you may want to do it sooner rather than later: There's a gale warning for the area tomorrow.

Saturday's parting shot

A moment – featuring Dance to the People, as seen here — from another great show in Tompkins Square Park today via Pinc Louds... this was likely the band's last performance in the Park this year... photo by Derek Berg...

3rd & B’Zaar Holiday Market now open for the season

The 3rd & B’Zaar Holiday Market has opened its doors at 191 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B... offering "unique gifts at affordable prices." A group of local merchants, artists and designers are behind the venture, which will remain open through Dec. 24.

The Market, which debuted yesterday, is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m.  Guests are limited to a few at a time indoors (masks are required to enter).

Earlier in the week, Stacie Joy stopped by while some of the vendors were prepping the festive space...  (from left): Delia Anne Parker, Sara Ann Rutherford, Frank New, Delphine Le Goff, Maegan Hayward and Alex Carpenter...

And the list of artists, makers and merchants currently signed on to vend here:

• Maegan Hayward/East Village Vintage Collective 
• Delia Anne Parker/Delia Anne Art 
• Delphine Le Goff/Display By Delphine 
• Frank New/Man Your Style 
• Sara Ann Rutherford/Greenwell Goods
• Alex Carpenter/Art by Carpo 
• April Howard/Kingdom of Brooklyn
• Ariana Valdes/RiRiPurpose
• Chad Johnson/Tiki Billy
• Charles Branstool/Exit9 Gift Emporium 
• Cira Reyes/Cira Vintage Finds 
• Colton Ackerman 
• Corey Woods 
• Darkin Brown 
• Jackie Rivera/Jackie Hates You
• Jane’s Exchange 
• Kadidja Kabore Lamport/Kadidja Handmade Collection
• Kate Goldwater/AuH2O
• Kate Wollesen/K Styles)
• Katie Monahan/Found 
• Laura Texter/St Marks Masks 
• Lynn Freidus/Random Accessories
• Nora Balaban 
• PJ Cobbs Arts 
• Rebecca Duckert 
• Robert McIntyre/Robert Austin Designs 
• Ron Holtz/Printopia Gallery
• St Vincent 
• Stephanie Fleck/Grandmother Goods 
• Vanessa Monsalve/Eclectic Wolf Fashion 
• Vorachon Roongsri/Vintage Vorachon 

Another Book Swap on 10th Street

Back in the summer, some East Village residents started a Book Swap Saturday outside the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... the swap is making a return ... tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. you can find Book Swap Sunday.

Via the EVG inbox:

Let's share our used books to help us get through this pandemic together. Leave your donations, and take home some others. Reading is a safe survival tactic!

Photo from last summer by Stacie Joy