Photo by Steven
As seen on Ninth Street today...
Friday, May 8, 2026
By the numbers
This Sunday afternoon marks the first FREE Show Brain show of the season in Tompkins Square Park.
The above video is for "2 or 3" by Long Island's own The Lemon Twigs, from their album Look For Your Mind! out TODAY.
And now! Your Sephora signage on 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place
Photo by Jacob Ford
Hoisted today here in the base of the all-new 1 St. Mark's Place.
Background here.
Genre is Death and the art of 'Noizz'
Photos by Stacie Joy
Bathed in deep red light inside Madame X on West Houston Street, Sunday night's "A Red Tie Nite of Noizz & Words" blurred the lines between concert, reading and art show — anchored by the debut LP release from Genre Is Death.
First, the guests of honor: Ty V and Tayler Lee, performing songs from their first full-length release, Attractive People, where the duo put their stamp on the lurching thump of no-wave dissonance.
They were joined on the bill by Sylvia Black, Skull Practitioners and Erica Mancini's Electronium.
The night drew a crowd of musicians, artists and familiar faces ... 
Between sets, there was spoken word from Stu Spasm, Martin Bisi (who produced the new GiD record), Bob Bert, Ron Ward and Liz Lamere.
We especially enjoyed hearing from veteran drummer Bob Bert, below, who shared stories about going to Japan with Pussy Galore in the late 1980s and touring out west with Tad. (Bert has a new record out next month.)
... while Feo (below left with partner Cat Cioper) and Jolie Dufrane presented a photo exhibit in the space.
Tacos Domingo bringing its first U.S. outpost to 1st Avenue and St. Mark’s Place
Photo via an EVG reader
Tacos Domingo is taking the SW corner of First Avenue and St. Mark’s Place — the former Brooklyn Dumpling Shop space — for its first U.S. outpost.
The concept, which has multiple locations in Mexico City (including Reforma and Pacheco), focuses on charcoal-grilled tacos, with an emphasis on carne asada and house-made salsas.
Per its Google description, Tacos Domingo aims to blend traditional technique with a more contemporary presentation — "a celebration of Mexican culture, hospitality and the ritual of gathering around exceptional tacos."
The brand is currently partnering with Esse Taco in Williamsburg for a pop-up through Sunday.
No word yet on an opening date.
Pick up plants (and pastries) this weekend at 6&B Garden
The fundraiser takes place Saturday and Sunday (May 9-10) from noon to 5 p.m. at the community garden on the SW corner of Sixth Street and Avenue B.
Organizers say the event helps support a season of free programming in the space.
On the tables: houseplants, veggie starts and a lineup of homemade baked goods.
Weather note: A little rain is in the forecast for Saturday, but organizers say the sale is expected to go on as planned.
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Man shot on 7th Street and Avenue D; suspect at large
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Police are investigating a shooting this morning at Seventh Street and Avenue D.
According to early reports, one man was shot in the abdomen and arm around 10 a.m. As of 11:30 a.m., police sources said the victim was being treated at a local hospital. His immediate condition wasn't known.
Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots and seeing a suspect flee the scene. The suspect was wearing a black hoodie.
"We heard maybe six shots — they were so loud," said one resident who was nearby at the time. "We ducked down and called 911. Afterward, we saw smoke from the gun, and the shooter hopped on a bike and took off."
A helicopter was seen circling overhead afterward as police searched the area.
Seventh Street at Avenue D was closed to traffic as the NYPD continued its canvass.
This is a developing story.
Report: 4 East Village buildings tied to foreclosure filings
441 E. 12th St. and 199 Avenue A
Two longtime East Village landlords are facing foreclosure actions tied to four buildings in the neighborhood.
According to Crain's, Santander Bank has filed lawsuits alleging that owners David Jacobson and Michael Ricatto defaulted on mortgages at 441 E. 12th St., 199 Avenue A, 346 E. 13th St. and 520 E. 14th St.
The suits claim the landlords have not made payments since mid-2024, with roughly $50 million in fees and interest. now owed
The prewar walkups collectively contain 118 apartments, some of them rent-stabilized.
Crain's reports that the loans were originally issued in 2017 by Signature Bank, and that Santander acquired the debt in 2024.
Openings: Cafe Skye on 14th Street
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Cafe Skye just opened a second outpost ... this time in the East Village.
The neighborhood bar-café is now up and running at 520 E. 14th St., between Avenue A and Avenue B. The original Cafe Skye debuted in 2021 on Clinton Street on the Lower East Side.
Pictured above is owner Cameron Bean, who opened the concept with his wife, Caitlin.
Cafe Skye offers wines, beer, cocktails and bar food (menu), with a mix of public hours and private events.
Here's a look at the 14th Street space (formerly Dua Kafe)...
... and bartender Lexi Walicke
Public hours are Wednesday through Friday from 4-7 p.m., with additional hours reserved for private bookings.
Former Mark Rothko residence on 6th Street reemerges as luxury condo
According to Robb Report, the circa-1853 Greek Revival townhouse at 313 E. Sixth St. — where Mark Rothko once lived and worked — has been converted into a two-unit boutique condominium dubbed the "Rothko House," in case you didn't get it.
Rothko and his first wife, Edith Sachar, lived in a small apartment here in the 1930s. During that time, he created the painting "Thru the Window," even inscribing the back with the address, "313 E 6th."
The building between First Avenue and Second Avenue was later sold for $45,000 (!!!!) in the 1970s to filmmaker Emile de Antonio, known for his documentaries on the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War. Artist Alfred Leslie also used the garden level as a studio.
After a 2022 fire destroyed the top floor, the long-held property hit the market for the first time in decades. It was purchased in 2023 for nearly $3.7 million by a retired consultant, who undertook a full-scale renovation.
Now, the property has returned as a pair of high-end condo offerings.
The triplex penthouse is asking $6.2 million ... with a garden space for sale for $5.8 million.
You can find pics and more info at the Corcoran listing.
Rothko is more famously known to have lived in this Lenox Hill carriage house on East 69th Street.
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Wednesday's parting shot
A last Book Club Bar moment for a few weeks
Photos by Stacie Joy
From Sunday evening at Book Club Bar... a slideshow and conversation between musician (and owner of the former Avenue B space, the Lakeside Lounge) Eric Ambel and East Village photographer Daniel Root, who has a new book out: "The East Village Then and Now: Capturing the Changing Streets" (Abbeville Press).
From left: Ambel, Root, attendee Katie Hunt-Morr and artist-filmmaker Julius Klein.
Sunday night's event was also the last at the Book Club Bar for several weeks... the space is now closed as of Monday for a quick refresh, as reported here.
Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge closing amid rising competition in sober bar scene
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge is closing on Avenue B.
The cafe-bar at 167 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street opened in January 2022 as a sober-friendly space serving coffee, teas and "magical elixirs," along with hosting community events.
Hekate was at the forefront of the alcohol-free movement, more widely embraced today in NYC.
Owner Abby Ehmann (below), who also operates Lucky Bar across the street, said the closure is due to financial constraints.
"We aren't making enough money," she said, noting that more bars now offer low-ABV and nonalcoholic options, increasing competition in the space.
Ehmann said the lease runs through September, though the closing date is still TBD and could come sooner.
In the meantime, she is moving ahead with a new project: Ehmann said she is signing a lease for the multi-level B Scene at 50 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street, with work on the space — including cleaning, pest control, painting and soundproofing — set to begin.
All of Hekate's sober events will transition to the new venue, with team members Gene Almonte and Eliott Edge also making the move.
First signs of life at the former 7-Eleven on Avenue A
Photo Friday by Stacie Joy
There's ongoing activity at 170 Avenue A and 11th Street, the former 7-Eleven slated to become a café and bookstore.
Work permits approved in March call for interior renovations to prepare the space for a new retail tenant. The applicant was approved for a beer-and-wine license back in December. And someone recently cleared the tags/graffiti from the storefront — the most visible sign of movement here in a while.
As previously reported, plans on file with Community Board 3 describe a European-style book café — a gathering space for readings, book clubs and conversations around literature and current events.
The proposed setup included 34 seats (tables and a bar), a light café menu (pastries, sandwiches, charcuterie, desserts), and background music with occasional acoustic performances.
Owner Marianna Vaidman Stone has said she's aiming to create a welcoming neighborhood spot.
No timeline for an opening.
The 7-Eleven closed in November 2024 after 11 years. The owner told EVG's Stacie Joy that rampant theft was the cause of the closure.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Allan Dabrio Marrero released from ICE custody, reunited with husband at Middle Church on 7th Street
Photos by Stacie Joy
Allan Dabrio Marrero stood beside his husband, Matthew, inside Middle Collegiate Church this afternoon, thanking him for "not allowing me to give up on myself" during an emotional homecoming after nearly five months in ICE detention.
"I want to thank my husband Matthew for not allowing me to give up on myself — thank you, I love you," Allan told the audience.
Allan had been detained on Nov. 24, 2025, during a routine green card interview at 26 Federal Plaza.
According to media accounts, the couple learned there that a removal order had been issued for Allan in 2022, based on a notice he missed while he was between addresses. The Department of Homeland Security said the order stemmed from his overstaying a tourist visa years earlier.
But Allan, who is from the Cayman Islands, had already begun an asylum process before that visa expired. He and Matthew have been married for 10 years.
Marrero, who has no criminal record, was held at five facilities over the past six months, including the infamous "Alligator Alcatraz" in Florida.
His case drew support from advocates and local organizations, including Middle Collegiate Church, where the two are parishioners here on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
In January, a judge granted Allan release on bond, but he remained in ICE custody for months afterward.
"ICE refused to accept the bond payment," Alexandra Rizio, supervising immigration attorney for Make the Road New York, said today. "Despite the judge's order, he was not released."
"They purposely, I feel, do that to you for the fact of mentally trying to break you down into signing a self-deportation," Allen said. "'Alligator Alcatraz' was by far the worst."
Today's press conference featured Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams, the Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister of Middle Collegiate (below), and other local elected officials.
Said Williams: "Allan Dabrio Marrero is free — and it was so moving to welcome him home. But it's bittersweet. It shouldn't take around-the-clock work to keep one of our neighbors from being jailed illegally. We're going to use this pain to free others and prevent wrongful detention in the first place."
In an Instagram post, Lewis wrote: "Today we celebrate. Tomorrow we fight with love."
Two Boots Pizza is moving — but staying in the East Village
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
5/8 update — message from Phil Hartman
Dear EV Community — reading your beautiful comments has meant so much to me. Let's stay connected through my personal IG (@philhartman41), where I'll be providing updates on the search for a new space (opinions wanted!) and backstories about the artifacts we'll be bringing with us from Ave. A, and plans for our "farewell-for-now" event. Thank you, EV Grieve, for your accurate & compassionate reporting!
P.S. This will be my debut on social media (😳)…but I feel like the time has come!
------
Two Boots Pizza will soon have a new home in the East Village.
Owner Phil Hartman said the decades-spanning pizzeria is relocating from its longtime home on the corner of Avenue A and Third Street due to a rent increase he said he can't make work.
This will be the pizzeria's last month in this space, with a final day expected by the end of May. UPDATED: The last day is now May 29.
"The landlord rejected our final offer this past Friday," Hartman said. "We are moving."
Hartman said he is eyeing a couple of other East Village storefronts but did not disclose locations.
"We will still be in the neighborhood," he said. "We will build something great. We're going to build a pizzeria together."
He added that both potential spaces would include beer and wine service, and that he's hoping for community input as plans take shape.
Hartman noted he has a cordial relationship with the landlord, but the numbers ultimately didn't add up after lease negotiations stalled.
"Emotions are high," he said, adding that he's trying to adapt as best he can.
Two Boots — named for the shapes of Italy and Louisiana — got its start in the East Village in 1987, when Hartman, Doris Kornish and developer John Touhey opened the original outpost at 37 Avenue A. A slice shop later opened across the street before moving to the current corner location.
Known for its Cajun-Italian mashups and offbeat slice names, Two Boots has long been a staple of the neighborhood's pizza scene, with additional locations opening in NYC and beyond over the years.
Hartman said elements of the current space — including the artwork and mosaics — will move with the pizzeria. The counter is expected to be preserved for a future "Two Boots Museum."
He also expressed particular attachment to the painted windows, which will be recreated in the new space.
The Avenue A and Third Street space also once housed the Two Boots video store, Den of Cin and the Pioneer Theater, known for its eclectic indie programming.
A lot of East Village history packed into one corner.
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