Photos by Stacie Joy Yesterday, two East Village residents celebrated their anniversary at the chess tables near the Seventh Street and Avenue A entrance to Tompkins Square Park. To mark the occasion, one surprised the other with a handmade chess set, sculpting each piece from cl … | Continue reading
Photos by Stacie JoyThis past Saturday afternoon's free Show Brain gathering in Tompkins Square Park featured a five-band bill, including Bonny, T!LT and Dallas Wax. We caught Pippy and the closing set from Star's Revenge, a project featuring Olive Faber (Sunflower Bean) and Emil … | Continue reading
Photo from 2021 by Stacie Joy Carlos "Chino" Garcia, a pioneering Lower East Side community organizer whose decades of activism helped shape the neighborhood through housing advocacy, community gardens, environmental initiatives and the arts, died last week.Garcia, who had been i … | Continue reading
Photo by Stacie Joy On Sixth and B, one last sit before sanitation arrives... | Continue reading
Spotted on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue today: a Christmas tree that's still committed to seeing this through... Thanks to Richard Liotta (top pic) and Robert Miner for the photos... | Continue reading
Photos and reporting by Stacie JoyBack in May, we reported that the city's planned reconstruction project for the Tompkins Square Park mini-pool, basketball courts and fitness area had prompted concerns among some park users. The proposal returned to the spotlight this past week … | Continue reading
The first of the coming-soon signage for Barnes & Noble is up at 181 Avenue A, between 11th and 12th Streets. The bookseller is expected to debut its 11,600-square-foot storefront here in November, per the Barnes & Noble website. B&N will be the first retail tenant in the bas … | Continue reading
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy If you've walked through Tompkins Square Park in the past week, you may have noticed a long row of new black metal enclosures lining a fence in the center. We're told that the enclosures are designed to keep garbage out of sight while helping re … | Continue reading
Photos by Stacie Joy Lerivez Coffee opened earlier this month at 515 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. The husband-and-wife team of Pedro Chavez (below) and Erika Chau, who both previously worked as baristas at other coffee shops, are now running their own neighborhood c … | Continue reading
Skinny Louie opened Friday at 141 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. The EV outpost marked the debut by giving away free burgers to the first 100 people in line starting at 6 p.m. (Based on what several EVG readers told us, the line stretched well beyond the 1 … | Continue reading
Posts this past week included (with a random skyline pic). Never miss a post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here. • Remembering Chino Garcia (July 26)• After 31 years, White Trash is closing on 5th Street (July 21) • How an East Village resident turns sour cherries in … | Continue reading
Photos by Stacie Joy Carlos "Chino" Garcia, the longtime Lower East Side community organizer and co-founder of CHARAS-El Bohio community center, has died. For decades, Garcia helped shape the neighborhood through housing advocacy, the arts, environmental initiatives, and countles … | Continue reading
Early morning Saturday view from 10th and A... | Continue reading
Photos by Stacie Joy An undisclosed East Village space hosted "Smell the Flowers" last evening, a one-night-only exhibition featuring mixed-media installations, a puppet show and a performance by a string musician. Here are a few scenes from the evening. | Continue reading
Photo by Stacie JoyICYMI: Rabbit Books and Bar has postponed its grand opening weekend after a leak caused by last Saturday's downpour. "With last weekend's rain came an unexpected water feature in our ceiling," the owners wrote on Instagram. "Sadly we have to do some repairs, so … | Continue reading
Five bands are on tomorrow's bill for the latest free Show Brain concert in Tompkins Square Park, closing out with Star's Revenge. Approximate set times: • 1:55 to 2:25 Bonny • 2:45 to 3:20 T!LT • 3:40 to 4:15 Pippy • 4:35 to 5:10 Dallas Wax• 5:25 to 6:00 Star's Revenge | Continue reading
It's unclear where this very dry Christmas tree has spent the past seven months (years?), but its journey appears to have ended on Fifth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. Thanks to EVG reader Reza Ruel for the photo from last evening! | Continue reading
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy Yesterday's final day at REI's NYC flagship brought plenty of discounted camping gear — and plenty of emotions. By day's end, the outdoor retailer had closed its only NYC location after 15 years in the Puck Building at Lafayette and Houston. The … | Continue reading
Bonny is a three-piece whose psych-tinged sound is fueled by dual lead vocals and classic-rock influences. The NYC band is up first tomorrow afternoon (1:55 pm) on the latest Show Brain bill in Tompkins Square Park. The video here is for "What Are You Doing?" | Continue reading
Photos and interview by Stacie Joy Every summer, there's a brief window — just a few weeks — to make sour-cherry jam. Because sour cherries are so delicate and their season is so fleeting, many home cooks wait all year for the opportunity. For longtime East Village resident Gab S … | Continue reading
The storefront at 157 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street — home to Stickett Inn since 2021 — has been cleared out. According to a reader, the cider bar closed on July 14 and plans to reopen around Sept. 1 in a new space on 10th Street between First Avenue and Avenue … | Continue reading
Two Cookies recently opened its East Village outpost at 149 First Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street. The bakery focuses on two cookie varieties: a signature chocolate chip cookie — available warm or chilled — and a classic sugar cookie. According to the company, the cooki … | Continue reading
Photo by Stacie Joy With the federal government no longer producing new pennies — the U.S. Mint struck its final batch in November — retailers continue to adjust. Shop Fair on Avenue C at Fourth Street has had posted notices explaining that cash totals will be rounded to the near … | Continue reading
Plywood arrived yesterday at the long-vacant lot at 89 First Ave., between Fifth and Sixth Streets, as construction is presumably set to begin at the site. Current approved permits call for a seven-story, six-unit (condos!?) mixed-use building with ground-floor retail. Th … | Continue reading
Photo by Stacie JoyA for-rent sign now hangs in the window at 235 E. Fourth St. near Avenue B. As we first reported, Stoned Gourmet Cannabis Pizza closed here at the end of June. Owner Chris Barrett told us the closure came after a combination of building issues and an impasse w … | Continue reading
A handroll bar called Rollcraft recently debuted at 77 E. 10th St. between Third and Fourth Avenues.The 20-seat, counter-only restaurant specializes in made-to-order handrolls. The menu includes bluefin tuna akami zuke, hiramasa yellowtail with sesame salt and a cherry tomato han … | Continue reading
Hour No. 12Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" is now playing on three screens at Village East by Angelika on Second Avenue at 12th Street.One of those screenings is in the theater's 440-seat Jaffe Theater, where the film is being presented in 70mm.The nearly 100-year-old Jaffe The … | Continue reading
Photos courtesy of Stuart Zamsky & @WhiteTrashNYC White Trash, the vintage furniture and home furnishings shop at 304 E. Fifth St. just east of Second Avenue, is closing next month after 31 years in business. Owner Stuart Zamsky said the shop's last day is expected to be around A … | Continue reading
Photos and reporting by Stacie JoyVolunteers with Backpacks for the Street gathered on the Lower East Side on Sunday to honor the nonprofit's two founders, Jayson Conner and Jeffrey Newman, who died within days of each other earlier this summer, according to The New York Times. C … | Continue reading
Photos by Stacie Joy Someone (or something) took out a panel at the southbound M9 bus stop on Avenue C between Second Street and Third Street. That's no small feat. And we suddenly feel like mentioning that "Shattered Glass" is a really good journalism-related movie. | Continue reading
Photos and reporting by Stacie JoyBarryville General, which opened last December on Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, is expanding into the storefront next door at 70 Avenue A. Co-owner Sean Naughton, an East Village resident for 32 years, said food and coffee have … | Continue reading
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy A colorful new mural is nearing completion on the side of Freedom Village, Barrier Free Living's new supportive housing building at 270 E. Second St. between Avenue C and Avenue D. East Village artist Scooter LaForge said the project took about … | Continue reading
Ladybird, the vegetarian restaurant at 111 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, will close at the end of the year. The announcement came late last week via Instagram, when ownership said they have decided not to renew the lease after nearly a decade in the neighborho … | Continue reading
Photos and reporting by Stacie JoyDim Sum Bloom has opened at 228 First Ave., between 13th and 14th Streets. The fast-casual restaurant specializes in dumplings, noodles, fried rice and other Chinese comfort-food favorites. This is the brand's latest outpost, following its 2023 d … | Continue reading
Photos by Stacie Joy Around the neighborhood today, where plenty of bars, restaurants and other gathering spots were tuned to the World Cup final, won by Spain, 1-0, over Argentina... | Continue reading
From the last time we saw a longtime favorite, L7 — October 2022 at the Irving Plaza, 15th Street and Irving Place. Adding to the chorus of tributes to Jennifer Finch (upper right), the band's bassist, singer and songwriter, who died yesterday from an aggressive form of brain can … | Continue reading
A$AP Rocky at A1 Records on 6th Street Friday to celebrate SNEEZE Magazine's new issue (he's on the cover that was shot in the shop). Pic by @a1recordshop• The Aurea: Affordable housing planned for NYPD lot on 5th Street (July 14) • The most colorful building in the East Village … | Continue reading
A view of Buenos Aires, the Argentinian restaurant at 513 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B... and where you know who they will be rooting for in this afternoon's World Cup final... | Continue reading
As Sophie's, 507 E. 5th St., opened the other day Today's weather looks Grim. Per Accuweather: "A few t-storms, some severe; smoke will lead to poor air quality in the morning, storms can bring downpours, damaging winds and even a tornado in the afternoon." And there's this "dirt … | Continue reading
A summer scene on 10th Street between Avenue A and B... | Continue reading
The debut EP from Mouth Ulcers, a London-based four-piece, delivers a strong set of dark, gothic-tinged tracks. The video here is for "Silent Pictures."Listening to it, it's easy to imagine Dave Kendall introducing the band on "120 Minutes" back in the day before sending viewers … | Continue reading
After a sold-out premiere in June, the original play "Metal Soul Mercy" returns to the Slipper Room on the Lower East Side for an encore performance on Wednesday, July 22. Written by Maci Zakarin and co-directed by Zakarin and Hana Lauer, the hourlong production follows four show … | Continue reading
Multiple readers shared this video, shot by @michael_ohara00 and viewed more than 7 million times on X alone, from St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue on Wednesday afternoon.Based on what we've been told and what appears in the clip, the current narrative is t … | Continue reading
Another reader-submitted photo from last evening... Houston at Norfolk... The air quality is again deemed "unhealthy". Per reports: Air quality is expected to improve gradually by the weekend as shifting winds help disperse wildfire smoke. However, periodic smoke episodes may co … | Continue reading
An EVG reader shared this Midtown view this evening... showing the wildfire smoke from Canada and Northern Minnesota covering the city... Per Gothamist: "The worst of the Canadian wildfire smoke should clear out of the city by Friday afternoon." BUT! The bad news is that some of … | Continue reading
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy Some neighbors have expressed concern about the sudden disappearance of the familiar colors at the southeast corner of Avenue B and Fourth Street. Not to worry: The white exterior is only primer. Antonio Echeverri, who has owned the building at … | Continue reading
The city's heat emergency plan has been extended through today as another day of 90-degree temperatures coincides with smoke from Canadian wildfires drifting into the region.The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is forecasting an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 2 … | Continue reading
Photo and reporting by Stacie JoyRabbit Books and Bar, the incoming independent bookstore and café at 170 Avenue A at 11th Street, has set its grand opening weekend for July 24-26. Owners Marianna Vaidman Stone (above right) and her daughter Emily Samara Stone announced the dates … | Continue reading