At the first Show Brain show of 2026 in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Sunday saw the first Show Brain show of the year in Tompkins Square Park. 

The bill featured headliners the Lemon Twigs (above) and Josephine Network...

... Fine Mess ...

... with tarot card readings by MamajoeVramajoe... (unfortunately, we missed the opening DJ set by Sarah Savannah)...

Here's Show Brain founder Ozzie...

... and in the crowd...

You can follow Show Brain on Instagram for updates on free shows here or in Washington Square Park or Maria Hernandez Park.

A 13-story mixed-use development is now in the works for this 3rd Avenue lot

Plans are in motion for a new mixed-use development on Third Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street. 

As first reported by Crain's, SK Development recently filed plans with the Department of Buildings for a 13-story building at 122 E. 11th St. 

According to DOB filings, the proposed structure would span roughly 136,400 square feet and include 69 residential units, about 12,000 square feet of commercial space, and a loading area for large vehicles.

The public records show that the Plan Examiner has issued objections related to the job filings on the first round.

Carlos Cardoso of Beyer Blinder Belle is listed as the architect of record.

Meanwhile, last week, a construction trailer arrived on the site... the first activity we've seen here since a soil sample was taken last summer. (H/T Steven.)

The lot has sat quiet since January 2025, when crews finished demolishing six buildings at 50-64 Third Ave. 

Here's a plot view from last year via the AMC Village 7 on the NW corner of Third Avenue and 11th Street...

Kinsmen Property Group — a joint venture between State Building Group and another Toronto company, Madison Group — bought the walk-up buildings over several years, paying more than $60 million for the parcel.

However, according to Crain's, SK Development filed the plans. Until now, we weren't aware of their involvement in this project.  

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Demolition watch: 50-64 3rd Avenue 

Double the Han Dynasty signage on 3rd Avenue

Top photo by Stacie Joy 

Signage is up for Han Dynasty at 98 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street... four storefronts to the north of its current home at 90 Third Ave. ...

The owners of the 13-year-old Sichuan restaurant that got its start in Philadelphia applied for a new liquor license for No. 90 way back in October 2023. 

No word on when they'll be making the move. 

No. 90 was previously Bar None, which closed in the spring of 2022 after nearly 17 years in service.

Signage alert: Tea Leaf and Creamery on St. Mark's Place

St. Mark's Place will soon have yet another choice for bubble tea. 

Signage is up for Tea Leaf and Creamery, which offers a variety of bubble teas, smoothies and desserts.

This will be the brand's first NYC location, with five branches in Georgia, Tucson, Ariz., and Miami. 

The space was previously occupied by Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea. 

Next door, the outpost of Joju, serving Vietnamese sandwiches and salad/rice bowls, recently opened...

Monday's parting shot

EVG reader-submitted photo 

There was a report of a fire this morning around 11:30 at 425 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, prompting a sizable FDNY response. 

Witnesses told us they didn't see any visible flames, though there was a noticeable smell of smoke in the air. 

According to reports on the Citizen app, there were no injuries, and the cause remains under investigation. 

The 5-story building currently has a sidewalk bridge and scaffolding out front for "repair of existing facade," per Department of Buildings records. 

H/T Creature!

Report: Judge keeps East Village intake center plan on hold

The city's plan to relocate the longtime Bellevue intake shelter and shift services to the East Village remains on hold after a Manhattan judge on Friday pushed a key hearing to May 28. 

As first reported by amNewYork, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Sabrina Kraus extended a temporary restraining order that blocks the city from relocating to the East Village facilities while legal challenges continue.

The lawsuit, filed by neighborhood coalition V.O.I.C.E. (Village Organization for the Integrity of Community Engagement), argues that the city rushed the approval process and improperly used emergency powers to move the intake center from Bellevue to the Project Renewal building between the Bowery and Second Avenue. (Public records list the V.O.I.C.E. members as Trisha Goff, Caleb Berger, David Bonnouvrier, Niki Donohue, Diane Nye, Michael Rayden and John Ruha.) 

According to court filings, the city has since proposed scaling back the planned capacity from roughly 175 beds to 117, while adding security measures and indoor processing. 

Josh Goldfein, a staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society, told amNewYork that he didn't see anything new in V.O.I.C.E.'s arguments, calling them similar to other efforts to block shelters, which he said are often rooted in racist assumptions.

"I've been in this business a very long time," Goldfein told the outlet. "I've seen a lot of cases like this. They are all the same. They raise all the same issues. There is no merit to any of these issues. The petition will eventually be dismissed and the [intake center] will open." 

Housing advocates, including the Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless, have defended the site's use at 8 E. Third St. as a shelter while also raising accessibility concerns about the accelerated timeline. 

The two groups released this statement after the V.O.I.C.E. lawsuit was filed last month.

Project Renewal was founded in 1967, and the organization has used the spaces at 8 E. Third St. and 333 Bowery for decades.

On tonight's CB3-SLA docket: The return of Kotobuki East Village; a Georgian-inspired bakery and café for 6th Street

Here are a few items of interest on tonight's CB3-SLA committee docket (find the full calendar here) ... 

• Kotobuki East Village (Soundview Horizons LLC), 8 Stuyvesant St (op) 

The Japanese restaurant is returning to the neighborhood with a new space at 8 Stuyvesant St. at Ninth Street, which has been vacant for six years since Sharaku closed in the early days of the pandemic. 

Eric Kim and Bon Koo manage three Kotobuki restaurants on Long Island, in Babylon, Hauppauge and Roslyn. They previously owned Kotibuki at 56 3rd Ave., which closed in 2024, as developers bought up the parcels between 10th Street and 11th Street for a new residential building. 

The mall-like Wonder is the main tenant in the Stuyvesant space, which makes us curious whether Kotobuki will also use part of the upper level. 

In any event, people will be pleased that Kotobuki is on the way back.

• Lanna Cafe Inc, 164 1st Ave (op) 

The owner of Bib Gourmand recipient Zaab Zaab in Queens and Zen Yai in Brooklyn is bringing Isan-Thai cuisine to 164 First Ave. at 10th Street. 

According to its questionnaire on the CB3 website, Lanna Café will offer a morning coffee service before its lunch and dinner offerings. (The questionnaire has a sample menu.)

The previous tenant here, Beron Beron, closed on Dec. 31 after the death of its owner, Yuji Umeki.

• Wild Project (Wild Project Productions Inc), 195 E 3rd St (op)

The wild project has applied to upgrade its existing beer and wine license to full liquor for sale before and during performances at the 89-seat theater venue. (Pictured above: Chris Moseley, operations manager.)

Last fall, management purchased the building that houses the long-running indie performance space here between Avenues A and B. 

• Prosciutto LLC, 435 E 9th St (wb) 

We first mentioned this pending arrival between Avenue A and First Avenue here. 

The operators, Gabriele Tosi and Mattia Casarin, previously worked as chefs at Fiaschetteria Pistoia on 11th Street near Avenue C.

Per the CB3 questionnaire, Prosciutto will have eight tables for 20 guests with proposed daily hours of noon to midnight.

• Thoné NYC LLC, 501 E 6th St (wb) 

This item will NOT be heard at tonight's committee meeting. 

Thoné is a Georgian-inspired bakery, café, and wine bar located in the space directly behind Corner Bistro on Sixth Street, steps away from Avenue A. 

Per the questionnaire: 

The concept focuses on freshly baked traditional Georgian breads, breakfast offerings, sandwiches, shareable plates, desserts, coffee, beer, and Georgian natural wines. Food service will be available throughout all operating hours. The establishment will operate as a full-service café and wine bar with prepared food available during all business hours.

----- 

CB3's SLA meeting is tonight at 6:30. The Zoom link is here. This is a hybrid meeting, and limited public seating is available. The first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery, will be accommodated.

Photos of 164 First Ave. and 195 E. Third St. by Stacie Joy

Regina's Grocery & Deli debuts on 1st Avenue

Photos by Stacie Joy

Regina's Grocery & Deli officially debuted Saturday at 111 First Ave., between Sixth and Seventh streets.

The shop marks the fifth outpost for the Italian-American sandwich spot run by Bensonhurst native Roman Grandinetti. Regina's is built on the concept of family, with sandwiches named after relatives like Uncle Jimmy and Grandma Lucy. (Menu.) 

If you've been to the outpost down on Orchard Street, then you know the interior leans old-school ... like someone's well-loved kitchen, with family photos and keepsakes lining the walls.

Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A new dining room for Katz's?

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

There's been some chatter about a possible dining-room expansion at Katz's on Ludlow and Houston. 

Food writer Robert Sietsema flagged it on X last week ...

Looks like Katz's is building a new dining room. pic.twitter.com/QGTHOiFiAN

— Robert Sietsema (@robertsietsema) May 4, 2026

... and there are DOB permits on file for interior work on "a designated partial area" of the ground floor, along with plans to create two new restrooms.

Several workers on site confirmed that a space is in the works, though they didn't specify that it would be for dining. One source simply said it would be a storage and kitchen area.

For now, it's still the same classic Katz's — lines, tickets and all.

Sunday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Great turnout this afternoon for the first Show Brain show of the season in Tompkins Square Park... more photos soon!

Parting shot for Mother's Day

Photo by Stacie Joy 

"Thank you, Mom," in chalk in Tompkins today...

May 10

A Mother's Day discovery today on Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... thanks to EVG reader Richard Hutt for the photo!

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a spring look on 7th Street by Derek Berg)...

Never miss an EVG post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here. 

• Allan Dabrio Marrero released from ICE custody, reunited with husband at Middle Church on 7th Street (May 5) 

• Two Boots Pizza is moving — but staying in the East Village (May 5) 

• Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge closing amid rising competition in sober bar scene (May 6) 

• Sal's Deli & Grocery reopens on 13th and B (May 4) 

• Man shot on 7th Street and Avenue D; suspect at large (May 7) 

• Woman unharmed after reported domestic hostage situation on 8th Street (May 4) 

• Report: 4 East Village buildings tied to foreclosure filings (May 7) 

• Book Club Bar closing briefly for refresh as Bushwick location opens (May 4) 

• Genre is Death and the art of 'Noizz' (May 8) 

• Tacos Domingo is bringing its first U.S. outpost to 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place (May 8) 

• Openings: Café Skye on 14th Street (May 7) … Taqueria Emilio 4 on Avenue B (May 5) … Singapore Social NYC on Avenue A (May 4) 

• Remembering a familiar presence on Broadway and Astor Place (May 4) 

• First signs of life at the former 7-Eleven on Avenue A (May 6) 

• Former Mark Rothko residence on 6th Street reemerges as luxury condo (May 7) 

• A new exhibition draws on the spirit of the juke joint at March gallery on Avenue A (May 9) 

• And now! Your Sephora signage on 3rd Avenue and St. Mark’s Place (May 8) 

• As the chain stores turn on Astor Place (May 4) 

• Double Zero returns to 2nd Avenue (May 4) 

... and from Cinco de Mayo, San Loco owners Jill and Kimo Hing outside the Avenue C location... (photo by Stacie Joy)

Miami vice: Avenue B shop shuttered for alleged unlicensed cannabis and tobacco sales

Photos by Stacie Joy 

There's less on the shelves these days at Miami Convenience and More, 106 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. 

On Friday, law enforcement shuttered the business and issued a stack of summonses for allegedly selling cannabis products without a license ... not to mention cigarettes, "other tobacco products," vapes and flavored vapes.

Miami Convenience opened in February, taking over for the it-closed-quickly Saba Candy & Groceries.

About the first Show Brain show in Tompkins Square Park this year

This afternoon marks the first FREE Show Brain show of the season in Tompkins Square Park.

On the bill: Headliners The Lemon Twigs ... Josephine Network and Fine Mess. There is also a DJ set by Sarah Savannah. Music is expected to start around 2 p.m.

Unfortunately, The Shadow's show yesterday, headlined by Non Residents, got rained out.