Looking forward to seeing more of @nineperfectlives … caught their fourth show ever last Saturday @irvingplaza on a great bill with @televisionoverdose and @thingthething .
Helena & Stella (on hiatus from @hellomary ), Cooper Ladomade (@rockettheband ) and Jeanne Hill delivered an immersive set that shifted between hazy Shoegaze textures and punchier guitar- driven hooks.
They’ll be playing their first shows outside NYC next month with @horsegirlmusic .
📷 for EVG by Stacie Joy
#nycmusic
We’re sorry to hear about the recent passing of Albert Fabozzi. He was 85.
Many knew Albert as the founder of the annual holiday tree-lighting ceremony in Tompkins Square Park, a tradition he started in 1992 in memory of his longtime partner, Glenn Barnett, and others lost during the AIDS crisis.
A celebration of Albert’s life will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at the holiday tree in Tompkins Square Park. Attendees are encouraged to bring flowers for the base of Albert and Glenn’s tree. Coffee and cookies will be provided by Veselka and C&B Cafe.
We have more about Albert at EVGrieve.com.
📷 Stacie Joy
#eastvillage
Two Boots Pizza (@twobootspizza ) in the East Village is leaving its longtime corner at Avenue A and 3rd Street after lease talks stalled.
Owner Phil Hartman says they’ll stay in the neighborhood, with a new location in the works. The current shop will close at the end of May.
More details at evgrieve.com today
📷 for EVG by Stacie Joy
#eastvillage
Congrats to @erin.neary & @natesten for the expansion of @bookclubbar to Bushwick over the weekend. Meanwhile, the EV location (shown above) is now closed as of today for a refresh over the next few weeks.
More details at evgrieve.com today.
The 3rd Street outpost opened in November 2019.
📷 for EVG by Stacie Joy
#eastvillage
#bookstores
Friends and neighbors are mourning Abdul Saleh, 28, who was shot and killed late Saturday night outside Sal’s Deli & Grocery on 13th Street and Avenue B, where he worked.
Police say an argument inside the deli spilled into the street. The NYPD said today that a suspect is in custody.
Neighbors remembered Saleh as a kind, steady presence.
“To me, Abdul was family,” East Village resident Edy Castro told EVG’s Stacie Joy. “He looked out for absolutely everyone here… He had a way of making every person feel seen.”
Castro said Saleh quietly helped neighbors in need: “He simply wouldn’t let us go hungry.”
Saleh, who lived nearby, is survived by his wife and two children.
#rip
#eastvillage
Rossy’s Bakery & Café (242 E. Third St.) has closed after 16 years in the neighborhood.
Owner Roselia “Rossy” Caba said trying to stay affordable while covering costs was no longer sustainable. Her mother, Norma Ortiz — who started the business baking cakes from a Second Street apartment — is also retiring. The pair opened the storefront between Avenue B and Avenue C in 2010.
Rossy’s became a go-to for home-style Dominican and Spanish food — BBQ ribs, baked chicken, rice-and-beans plates, plus empanadas, smoothies and coffee.
The business had been on the market, but no qualified buyer stepped forward.
“With the way things are, it makes no sense for us to continue… We can’t keep trying to be affordable to the community and still make money anymore,” Caba said.
Also pictured, Caba’s brother Gabriel Escalante, was part of the family business.
📷 and reporting by Stacie Joy
#eastvillage
#momandpopshop
“Liberty” lives!
Workers painting the building this past week at Ninth Street and Avenue A sparked concern about the fate of the “Liberty” mural.
Good news: A building rep confirmed to EVG’s Stacie Joy that the north-facing @stik mural will remain.
“The importance to the community is what did it,” the rep said. “We will paint around it in some form.” They added they were surprised by the outpouring of support.
STIK also confirmed on Instagram that the 13-year-old, four-story work will be spared — and thanked neighbors who spoke up.
The mural arrived in September 2013, a gift from the now-closed Dorian Grey Gallery, honoring the history of Tompkins Square.
For context: Entities tied to landlord Nuchem Obstfeld bought a five-building East Village portfolio here in December 2022.
Chico’s Doc Holliday’s mural was not part of this painting project.
#eastvillage
#streetsrt
If you’ve spent any time inside the Key Food on Avenue A and Fourth Street, then you already know: the soundtrack leans heavily ’80s — synths, power ballads and the occasional deep cut drifting down from the ceiling speakers.
After years of “wait, what song is this?” moments, we decided to take this more seriously.
So… we made a playlist.
🎧 EVG Loves Key Food is now live on Spotify — 183 songs (about 13 hours), all inspired by what’s been playing in the aisles.
A quick note: inclusion ≠ endorsement. Some of these songs… haven’t aged well. But they’re part of the experience.
As Brooks Headley @superiorityburger (Key Food regular and soundtrack enthusiast) puts it, the music is “a pastiche of ’80s hits with an emphasis on deep cuts” — the kind that might have you lingering to finish out a song.
We’ll keep adding as new-to-Key tracks surface.
Find the list at evgrieve.com or Spotify.
Coming tomorrow: just who’s behind the playlist.
EVG reader Bettina shared this view from last Sunday — looking north from the Williamsburg Bridge.
In frame: the northern section of East River Park — now stripped of trees and grass and currently a wide-open construction zone as Phase 2 work continues. This stretch — from Houston Street to 15th Street — has been closed since last September, including East Village access points over the FDR, the track and field area, and the esplanade.
As we previously reported, the timeline for this portion of the project has been extended to the end of 2027.
The work is part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project, which aims to elevate sections of the park to help protect the neighborhood from future storm surges.
#eastriverpark
#eastvillage
