East Village laments the loss of beloved Gem
Spa and their legendary egg creams
BY TEQUILA MINSKY
The East Village’s Gem Spa is one of
the many New York City businesses
that couldn’t survive the coronavirus
pandemic.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce
Gem Spa has poured its last legendary
egg cream and closed its doors forever,”
wrote owner Parul Patel in a social media
post last week. She who took the reins
from her father Ray who took ownership
in 1985.
Gem Spa opened in the 1920s under
another name, and received its current
name in 1957.
A cornerstone in the East Village at
the corner of East 8th Street at Second
Avenue, on the ground fl oor of a fi vestory
tenement built between 1899-1900,
this newsstand/candy store sold papers
and magazines, snacks, drinks, toiletries,
sunglasses and hats.
In 1966, the Village Voice called it the
offi cial oasis of the East Village. It was
famous for its egg creams.
More recently, Gem Spa tread the diffi
cult economics of changing demographics
and gentrifying real estate with particular
pressure from the landlord. COVID-19 was
the last straw.
Initially trying a take-out and delivery
model during the “New York PAUSE,”
Rupel ultimately closed shop hoping to
reopen — up until last week.
“Prior to the crisis, it had become
increasingly apparent that the evolving
character of the area was no longer able
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Park Association
BY THE VILLAGER
How do you experience
social distancing in the
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Waterside Park Association
is calling on its members to share
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Amid the pandemic, many are
fi nding solace in taking a daily
walk through one of New York
City’s many parks. Some parks
find themselves packed with
to sustain a corner creation like ours,” she
said in her statement to neighbors and fans.
“Coronavirus concerns closed our city,
cratered businesses, and ultimately sealed
the fate of our (close to) 100-year-old shop.”
Long-time East Village resident actress
Barbara Bova recalled how decades back,
the neighborhood streets at night could be
frightening, but the 24-hour corner shop
served as a safety sanctuary to duck into
if one felt at risk. She admitted it’s been a
while since she’s been in there.
Photographer David Godlis has a more
varied and ongoing relationship with his
corner store.
“It’s always been there,” said Godlis who
moved to the East Village around 1976.
“I’d buy New Musical Express and Mojo
Magazine there and follow the U.K. punk
people, some of whom are practicing
social distancing while many
others are not.
To see how others are coping
with the situation, the Chelsea
Waterside Park Association wants
to hear about your experiences
in nature during the COVID-19
pandemic.
Submissions can be sent to zazelloven@
yahoo.com.
For more information about the
Chelsea Waterside Park Association,
visit cwpark.org.
PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY
bands. They always had them,” he said of
his patronage and the magazines Gem Spa
carried from the 70s through the 90s.
“I always bought my Sunday Times
there,” he added. “People started subscribing
to magazines and that business
dropped.” Carrying periodicals because
unprofi table for Gem Spa as a result.
In the last few years, Patel noticed “patrons”
who seemed out-of-place showing up
The shop was busted for selling cigarettes
to a minor and lost its license. There were
monies owed to the New York Lottery, and
that operation stopped. The revenue stream
shrank further.
Almost beyond life support last year,
the neighborhood rallied. There was an
art show and other promotions to generate
income. Patel began trying various ideas to
transform the business —merchandizing,
selling postcards and images of Gem Spa
as a backdrop to some celebrities. Patel
put in a new counter and some stools. She
was trying to make it — but the margin
was very narrow.
Yet the shop faced unknowns about
when they could reopen, and they have a
$35,000 settlement due for back and current
rent and taxes — with the threat of
eviction looming overhead.
Thanking their public, the Patel family
wished everyone good health, to stay safe,
and sent their love to all.
“We are, and always will be, eternally
grateful to the historical artists, musicians,
designers and dedicated denizen’s who saw
us as much more than a beloved bodega but
an iconic East Village institution,” she wrote.
Patel added that the website will highlight
the Gem Spa history and iconic fi gures
that passed through and will continue
to sell Gem Spa branded merchandise as
well as art, books and photographs inspired
by the store.
As for Godlis, “It’s another level of hurt.”
He spoke about the northeast corner of
3rd Street and St. Mark’s Place, where four
buildings were recently razed for another
huge construction project, saying that it felt
like “an amputation” in the neighborhood.
And on the south side of St. Mark’s
Place, he rattled off the other iconic stores
that once thrived between 2nd and 3rd
Avenues and are now gone: Trash and
Vaudeville, Dojo, and Sounds.
“Gem Spa was the last man standing,”
he lamented.
PHOTO BY PETER KELLY
Schneps Media May 14, 2020 3
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