Remembering International Bar owner Molly Fitch

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Molly Fitch, a longtime East Village resident and the owner of International Bar, died on Dec. 12. She was 51. 

Yesterday, her many friends gathered at the bar at 102 First Ave. near Sixth Street to honor her memory.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was there and shared these photos...

She is missed.

RIP Billy the Artist too.

Rev. Billy brings 'Earth Church' to this Avenue C storefront

Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir is hosting an Earth Church extravaganza (a "secular earthy gathering") early this evening at 36 Avenue C, a storefront on the NE corner of Third Street. 

The "Earth Service" starts at 5... with an after-party at 6. You can also watch from afar via Instagram Live @revbillytalen. 

Meanwhile, Rev. Billy and one other activist were arrested yesterday morning in Corlears Hook Park as workers prepared to cut down dozens of trees, including a stand of blossoming cherry trees. Work is now focusing on this area of East River Park as part of the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project.

Saturday's parting shot

A moment late this afternoon... with the rainbow coming down around 12th Street... thanks to Jeanne Krier for this view to the east from Fourth Avenue ...

In Tompkins Square Park, speaking out against the city's sweeps of unhoused encampments

Photos by Stacie Joy

More than a dozen community groups and mutual-aid networks joined forces for a rally in Tompkins Square Park yesterday to speak out against Mayor Adams' aggressive sweeps of unhoused encampments across the city, including one Wednesday on Ninth Street in the East Village. 

Speakers at the rally called for an end to the encampment sweeps ... while providing safe housing for New Yorkers living on the streets.

The rally, which drew 100-plus supporters, took place at the chess tables in the Park's SW corner. Before the event, several people removed the barricades from this space that the NYPD placed here late last summer after clearing out an encampment.
 

The speakers included Sinthia, one of the unhoused residents who was living on Ninth Street...

 

The rally came two days after the 7-hour standoff on Ninth Street outside the former P.S. 64 between a group of activists and unhoused residents and reps from several city agencies. 

The NYPD eventually arrested seven people while a sanitation crew tossed some of the residents' belongings. 

Since then, people have questioned the use of dozens of officers from the NYPD, including members of the Strategic Response Group and the Technical Assistance Response Unit, over four tents. 

As CBS 2 reported: 

"It was awful, it was stupid, and it was violent," said Helen Strom, director of homeless advocacy for Safety Net Project. 

Strom also said it was dehumanizing to watch homeless people and advocate in a seven-hour standoff with police and a Sanitation crew looking to clear up their encampment on an East Ninth Street sidewalk.  

"What the mayor should be doing is he should be sending out housing specialists to get people into apartments, instead of spending hundreds of thousands of tax payer money on police," she said. Strom said it was a total waste of resources, since the unhoused individuals refused to go to a shelter, fearing for their safety. 

As Politico noted: 

The new mayor will face an uphill battle in actually compelling people to leave the streets and go into the city’s shelter system, which is considered unsafe by many who have taken refuge under bridges, on sidewalks and in the subways. Elected officials and advocates for homeless people warn the city lacks capacity to offer people other options, and say the push is an unwelcome return to failed policies of the past. 

During an interview yesterday on WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer Show," Adams defended the sweeps," saying "he was working to preserve the 'dignity' of homeless New Yorkers," as Gothamist reported. 

"When I looked at some of those encampment sites...I saw people living in human waste," the mayor said. "Drug paraphernalia, no showers, no clean clothing. Living like that — that is not dignified." 

During a press conference with clergy members on Thursday, Adams said that the Four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, would have done the same thing. 

Yesterday's rally included a march to the former P.S. 64 ... and eventually to Washington Square Park...

... and then back to Ninth Street between B and C...

Meanwhile, a few of the residents who were the subject of Wednesday's sweep moved nearby along Avenue B...

The NYPD photographed the tents this morning... with another sweep likely in the days ahead...

NYPD seeks suspect accused of endangering the welfare of a minor

Updated: Police made an arrest in this case.

Police are searching for a suspect wanted in connection with endangering the welfare of a minor. 

The incident happened on March 16 just before 8 a.m. near Fifth Street and Avenue C. According to NYPD officials, the suspect approached a 12-year-old girl and asked her to accompany him. The man fled after a good Samaritan intervened.

WANTED for AN Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the v/o of E 5th Stand AveC . #Man @NYPD9pct on 3/16/22 @ 7: 49 AM Suspect approached the 12 y/o female victim asked her to accompany him, a good Samaritan intervened and the individual fled Reward up to Call 1-800-577-TIPS pic.twitter.com/pEPeKnLJQ2

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) April 9, 2022

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online. All calls are strictly confidential.

Checking out the reasonably priced art of Steve Keene at Public Gallery

Steve Keene's "SK Art Show" opened Thursday at Public Gallery. 

And a nice-sized crowd turned out to see what the prolific Brooklyn-based artist had for sale... most of the pieces are marked at a 2-for-$5 price point. (Thanks to EVG reader Kerri Savage for the pic!)

You can read our previous post here or here for more on Keene, whose work includes album covers for Pavement.

Public Access is at 105 Henry St. near Pike Street. Gallery hours this weekend — Saturday-Sunday noon to 6 p.m. 

Friday's parting shot

Spring finally in Tompkins Square Park earlier today... thanks to Sonya for the photo...

Headed for a breakdown

 

Francis of Delirium (an up-and-coming duo now living in Luxembourg!) recently released a new full-length release ... the video here is for "The Funhouse." 

And you can catch the band on their first North American tour... out at Warsaw on April 14 and Baby's All Right on April 27.

Learn the art of decorating Ukrainian Easter eggs

Tomorrow (Saturday, April 9) from noon to 6 p.m., the Ukrainian American Youth Association is hosting an event to help learn the art of decorating pysanky — Ukrainian Easter eggs. Dyes, beeswax and a stylus are used to decorate the eggs with traditional Ukrainian designs. You can take what you make home with you. 

The event takes place at the Ukrainian National Home, second floor, 140 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. Details are on the above flyer. All the proceeds will go toward humanitarian aid.

Noted

A message for the package thief here on Avenue B. 

Good morning! 

And thanks to the EVG reader for sharing this...

Inside the Blue Door

Photos by Stacie Joy

There has been some mystery/intrigue around longtime business Blue Door Video at 87 First Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street... maybe it's the goofy window displays. Like, what do they sell?

Apropos of nothing (Easter?), EVG contributor Stacie Joy decided to pop by for a visit. The friendly staff (no, they were — that wasn't sarcasm) said she could take photos as long as she didn't include any patrons or private areas, such as the viewing booths...

The shop has a healthy supply of cut-out DVDs of super-obscure titles spanning many genres (3 for $10!) ...  along with some forgotten Hollywood fare (we see you "Laws of Attraction" with Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore and your 18% Rotten Tomatoes score!) ... 

... and there are some VHS copies... (Dibs on that "Quantum Leap" episode!) ...

... and the adult titles...

There's a clothing section with lingerie ... and shoes (?)... 

... and various accessories... 

There's also a sale section...

This visit doesn't provide insights into everything that might go inside here, but hopefully, this will remove some of the mystery behind Blue Door Video...

Former Coyote Ugly space on 1st Avenue hits the rental market

A for-lease banner has arrived outside 153 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street. (Thanks to Steven for the photo!)

The space, a recent recipient of a gut renovation, is notable for being the home of the first Coyote Ugly, which held forth here with bartop dancing and body shots for 27 years. CU left this address in September 2020 ... for new digs on 14th Street. 

The KSR listing notes the CU connection here (but not the asking rent!)... 

As previously reported, there was a new tenant lined up for No. 153. 

Brooklyn Dumpling Shop founder Stratis Morfogen had plans to open a rock club here. (The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website from February listed the establishment's name as E. Village Bar, while the New York Post called it E.VIL Rock Club in an article last fall.)

This concept dates back to 2017 (another flashback here) when E.VIL had designs on 64 Third Ave. (later going to the Ainsworth). 

In any event, this application was withdrawn before the CB3-SLA committee meeting, per public records. And now, the space is on the rental market...

East Village vegan standby Organic Grill is moving to the West Village

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Organic Grill, the rustic health-food cafe with a vegan menu, is leaving its longtime home at 123 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place this month for a new home in the West Village. 

In an interview this past Friday, co-owner Vlad Grinberg said the Organic Grill has a new larger space opening later in April at 133 W. Third St., next to the Blue Note Jazz Club in the West Village.

While Grinberg had been planning to open a second outpost, their EV departure was not in the cards... and coming after their First Avenue building was sold twice during the pandemic. Organic Grill had until the end of the summer left on their lease, but the new landlord didn't want them to stay and negotiated for an early release from the lease. 

The First Avenue OG will close by the end of April, which will — hopefully — coincide with the debut of the West Village location. This WV spot will eventually feature refrigerated prepare-at-home foods like the OG's vegan burgers. The West Third Street space will also have several new menu items, including a variety of pasta dishes

Grinberg owns the restaurant with his wife, Olga Grinberg, and stepdaughter Julia Chebotar. 

The restaurant opened in August 2000 as an homage to Grinberg's mother, who turned to vegan and macrobiotic foods when diagnosed with cancer. Grinberg, a former social worker, said that a macrobiotic and vegan diet extended his mother's life by nearly 10 years. 

Grinberg called this a bittersweet moment as he wanted to stay in the East Village. However, he is actively looking for another space in the neighborhood. We hope to see them here again soon.

A Healthy Deli for 1st Avenue

Another day, another new deli!

Signage is up now at 158 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street for Healthy Deli. (Thanks to Steven for the photo!)

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Update! Wait! Per the comments, that looks like "Heathily" 

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The incoming shop will offer a variety of organic products, fresh juices, salads, etc. — similar to some of the other delis that have opened along Avenue A and at First Avenue and Ninth Street. And First Avenue and Seventh Street. 

First Avenue did lose two corner markets during the pandemic — on the SE corner of 10th Street and the SE corner of 12th Street.

No. 158 was previously the spa Yu's on First.