–A handful of community activists are talking up a plan to reopen Jing Fong, but the restaurant’s longtime owners say they have nothing to do with the proposal. [AMNY]
–The loss of the massive Chinese restaurant Jing Fong, “highlights the economic plight of one of the country’s most celebrated immigrant neighborhoods. Chinatown… (which) has been pummeled by the pandemic longer and harder than almost anywhere else in the city.” [The New York Times]
–The Museum of Chinese in America cancels an exhibition showcasing the work of the artist collective Godzilla after 19 members of the group withdrew from the show due to concerns about the museum’s position on the proposed new jail in Chinatown. [Artforum]
–The first resale at 215 Chrystie St. (the residences above the Public Hotel) sold for $18 million, a million bucks less than it went for in 2018. The penthouse unit, “was most recently on the market as a $50,000 a month rental. While this price might seem high for the Lower East Side, one broker familiar with the building said it is quite popular with a certain type of buyer. “People love the Lower East Side and the East Village,” the source said. ‘The grungier the better. It makes them feel alive.'” [New York Post]
–Julian Baczynsk of the East Village Meat Market has died at the age of 98. [EV Grieve]
–The beloved old school lunch counter, Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop has closed, but there are at least faint hopes that it will be revived in some fashion. [Grub Street]
–The San Francisco-based chain, Beloved Cafe, is entering the New York market with an outpost at 196 Allen St. [Commercial Observer]
–Robert Sietsema checks out the new Lower East Side branch of Peppa’s, the Brooklyn-based jerk Chicken specialist. [Eater]
