A memorial for Jack the cat on 7th Street

In recent days, several EVG readers (thank you!) have let us know about Jack the cat, "who was so super adorable and hung out on the fence between B and C on Seventh Street." 

Jack died in May, though the memorial arrived on the north side of Seventh Street at the start of the weekend...

A message at the memorial states that Jack died after an illness. "Many thanks to all his friends — he so looked forward to your visits... We all miss him."

Signage alerts: Hi-Note on Avenue B; Le Burger on 5th Street

From the EVG inbox... reader-submitted photos showing new signage... Annabelle shared the top pic from Hi-Note, opening soon at 188 Avenue B between 11th Street and 12th Street in space that was previously the jazz club Rue-B. 

This will be a coffee shop-cafe-karaoke bar (at night) combo from the team who ran Baby Grand, the now-closed karaoke bar on Lafayette. (Read our previous post on Hi-Note for more.)

You can follow the Hi-Note Instagram account for updates.

Meanwhile, signage is up (H/T JG!) for Le Burger at 540 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B... the former home of Black Iron Burger (RIP 2019).

According to the questionnaire from last month on the CB3 website, ownership ran the now-closed UES spots 1742 Wine Bar and Giorgio's Brick Over & Wine Bar.

The hours here are to be noon to midnight daily.

Tuesday's parting shot

A look at the clouds late this afternoon/early evening from Tompkins Square Park when it seemed as if we were in for a storm... photo by Steven...

Prince of the city, 9th Street edition

A recent arrival on Ninth Street at First Avenue ... Prince art courtesy of Billy Barnacles (in a collab with Dave Hogan)... Billy often leaves his art around town for people to find. 

Thanks to Steven for the photo!

A look at the remaining red-tailed hawk fledgling in Tompkins Square Park

Photos yesterday by Steven 

Amelia and Christo, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, welcomed three chicks to the nest this spring. 

Unfortunately, as you may have heard, two of them died last month. 

As Goggla first reported, a fledgling died on July 4 from what appeared to be frounce, "a naturally occurring illness that afflicts raptors."

On July 27, the second fledgling was found with its eyes closed and looking weak on a fire escape across from the Park on Seventh Street. Sgt Dan of the Urban Park Rangers was able to scoop up the unwell hawk, who died later that night at the Wild Bird Fund.

While a cause of death has not been determined, from what Goggla observed (and based on what happened in previous summers), she strongly speculates that it was rodenticide poisoning. 

Meanwhile, the third fledgling appears to be healthy, remaining active in the Park (despite this heat) ... and providing a thrill for onlookers... 

You can visit Goggla's site for more photos of Amelia, Christo and the fledgling.

TabeTomo owners have new venture planned for St. Mark's Place

The owners of TabeTomo at 131 Avenue A have plans for a new restaurant at 120 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

CB3 granted administrative approval for a beer-wine license for the space, a yet-to-be-named venture that will offer sushi and other Japanese cuisine. According to the questionnaire on file at the CB3 website, the restaurant will be open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight ... offering an "immersive dinner menu." 

As we understand, TabeTomo, which opened in December 2018 and is billed as NYC's first tsukemen-focused restaurant, will remain in operation. (They also run TomoTomo on West 52nd Street.) 

No. 120 previously housed the retail outlet for Squish Marshmallows. Owner Katherine Sprung's lease was up here after five years, and she now focuses on custom and catering orders.

Thanks to Steven for the photo!

Here's info about a Virtual Rat Academy for East Village business owners, gardeners and residents

Community Board 3, the Cooper Square Committee and the East Village Merchants Association are sponsoring a Virtual Rat Academy on Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 5-7 p.m.

You can register to learn about rat prevention methods (here come the curbside dining comments!) via this link.

Today in iconic hotel awning sightings

Photo by Lola Sáenz 

The iconic Hotel Chelsea awning made an appearance on 12th Street and Avenue A today... on the back of a truck for Five Start Awning in Ridgewood... 

Not sure if it's coming back. The Hotel Chelsea reopened in early summer after a decade of renovations. 

P.S.

Did anyone watch the documentary "Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel"????

Cafe Mocha, destroyed by fire in 2020, is reopening in a new East Village location

Cafe Mocha was wiped out by a three-alarm fire in February 2020 at 48 E. Seventh St./116 Second Ave. Any hopes for a reopening were dashed when another fire destroyed the corner building in December 2020.

However, the all-day cafe will be returning after all... with a new space at 111 First Ave. just south of Seventh Street.

Owner Ghasan Ballan received administrative approval from CB3 for a new beer-wine license for the address. (The previous Cafe Mocha also served beer and wine.) Paperwork filed with CB3 shows that the restaurant will be open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight, with nine tables for 30 diners.

No. 111 became available when Suki Japanese Kitchen relocated to St. Mark's Place earlier this summer.

Cafe Mocha first opened in the East Village in 2008. No word on when the new space will debut.  

East Village cafe AO Bowl closes, owner blames Sen. Schumer

Updated: See the comments for more from Zach the owner.

The Japanese health-food cafe AO Bowl has closed at 82 St. Mark's Place on the southwest corner of First Avenue. 

The quick-serve establishment, which offered a variety of bowls, smoothies and juices, opened in early 2021 (after a few delays). 

In a goodbye letter left on the door for patrons, ownership puts the blame on Sen. Charles Schumer...

The letter reads in part: 

Sen. Schumer stabbed us in the back after first promising and then failing to replenish the SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). This would have reimbursed us for costs we had to bear from the government-mandated closures. Many large restaurant chains got millions from the RRF while small businesses like us got nothing, even after being approved... 

Over the last year of hanging on, Sen. Schumer continues to use as as a bargaining chip and recently attempted to kill RRF replishment by taking it out of the budget to secure other projects. Small businesses and restaurants should not be political pawns. Business owners should not have to incur tons of debt and get thrown into bankruptcy territory because of government negligence and mismangement.

You can read the latest on the RRF funds here.

We first mentioned AO's arrival in July 2019 (previously going as 

Eiyō Bowl). The AO Instagram account listed an October 2020 opening, though that was pushed back several months. According to an announcement about AO, this was the "first-ever cafe in the U.S. to use vacuum blenders to create vacuum-pressed smoothies and juice on premise."

In 2019, workers gutted this single-level structure on the corner ... and divided the storefront into several retail spaces. The other new tenant here is the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop.

The former occupant, Foot Gear Plus, closed in July 2018 after nearly 40 years in business.

Manhattan Marketplace coming soon to 1st Avenue and 12th Street

Updated 8/10 — OPEN!

Manhattan Marketplace is expected to open as soon as today here on the SE corner of First Avenue and 12th Street. 

The corner market will be offering up the usual corner-market fare, with a variety of breakfast and lunch options and other grab-(pay)-and-go items. 

The Best Price Deli & Grocery closed here in the fall of 2020. 

H/T Lola Sáenz!

[solidcore] bringing the pilates to 14th Street

Described as "pilates on steroids," [solidcore] is opening a fitness studio at 500 E. 14th St. just east of Avenue A in the EVGB complex. (Thanks to EVG reader Jake for the photo!)

The national chain has multiple NYC locations, including at 250 Bowery. The EV location is scheduled to open at the end of the month.

This piece at PopSugar provides an overview of the [solidcore] workout.

And this is the latest business to join the EVGB retail landscape, which is anchored by the 4-year-old Target.   

Weekend parting shot

Steven spotted Christo, one of the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, taking off from St. Brigid's on Avenue B and Eighth Street early on Friday evening... 

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo via Carol from East 5th Street on 11th Street)...

 • Report explores East Village storefront trends from 2019-2021; vacancies on the rise (Monday) ... An idea for this 'vacancy hotspot' on Avenue A (Wednesday) 

• Filling the shelves as Essex Card Shop moves closer toward a reopening on Avenue A (Tuesday) 

• A visit with East Village singer-songwriter Jim Andralis (Thursday)

• A visit with Hemingway, the sleepy kitty in the window on 3rd Street (Friday) 

• Openings: SMØR Bakery on 12th Street (Wednesday) 

• A mural representing the Ukrainian spirit at the Standard East Village (Wednesday)

• The 34th annual Tompkins Square Park Riot reunion shows are happening this weekend (Friday) 

• Kindred is closing on Aug. 14 (Tuesday) ... 6th Street wine bar Grape and Grain is closing (Thursday) 

• Theater for the New City ready to take it to the streets with a new production (Friday) 

• Last day for Panera Bread on Union Square (Tuesday) 

• Summer Streets return on the first 3 Saturdays of the month (Friday) 

• Reader report: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen slated for the SW corner of 14th Street and Avenue A (Thursday) 

• Rock on: The memorial plaque is back outside the former Fillmore East on 2nd Avenue (Monday) 

• First sign of Davey's Ice Cream on 9th Street (Tuesday) 

• Came for 'Bullet Train,' stayed for Tara and Richie (Saturday) 

• Takahachi removes its curbside dining structure (Thursday) 

• On 9th Street, the former Central Bar is now an office space (Monday) 

... and be sure to visit the EVG Stories on Instagram for exclusive and crucial reader polls like this...

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The barricades return to block off the chess tables in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Steven

The barricades arrived once again (late last week) around the chess tables at the entrance to Tompkins Square Park at Seventh Street and Avenue A...

The city did this back in June, with a member of the Parks Enforcement Patrol saying that this section of the Park is "problematic." Eventually, the barricades are removed ... and nothing ever really changes.

This area was blocked off several times during the past two summers. During that time, there were reader reports about drug use, stolen property and fights. 

Sunday's opening shot

Summer Streets, early Sunday morning on First Avenue edition...

Saturday's parting shot

Photo today by Derek Berg... day 2 of the Tompkins Square Park Riot reunion shows happens tomorrow from 2-6 p.m.

Came for 'Bullet Train,' stayed for Tara and Richie

As seen today outside the Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue and 12th Street. 

Thanks to Goldie for the clip!

 

Search for bakeries near me

SMØR Bakery photo by Vinny & O 

As reported earlier this week, SMØR cafe owners Sebastian Perez and Sebastian Bangsgaard have opened SMØR Bakery ... offering a variety of bread and pastries at 437 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

And this is the latest bakery to open in the East Village. Earlier this summer, Nikita Richardson checked in with a piece for The New York Times titled A Three-Stop Bakery Crawl in the East Village.

She paid visits to 2022 newcomers Librae Bakery on Cooper Square and Lady Wong on Ninth Street ...  and La Cabra on Second Avenue (which opened this past Oct. 1). 

You can read the piece here for more on what these businesses have to offer.

Other newish (as of May) bakeries include Bake Culture, the Taiwan-based bakery chain that sells Asian and European pastries at 22 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

And you can always count on the sourdough and other items at C&B on Seventh Street... the baguettes and croissants at Le Fournil on Second Avenue... the croissants at Elisa's Love Bites on Ninth Street ... and wherever else you like.    

Saturday's opening shot

Still Life with Rotting Fruit on 14th Street

Courtesy of the EVG Masters Series