Michelle Rick

Good morning, East Village.

Some new names and familiar faces will be added to the menu of restaurants in the East Village soon, with the eventual opening of Tre Scalini restaurant on St. Marks Place. Vegan restaurant Quintessence is due to reopen today after being shut for a health code violation on Wednesday. And finally, a neighborhood jokester plays on the gentrification fears of many in the neighborhood with a mock sign advertising just what everyone has been waiting for: a faux Chase bank and Starbucks location replacing Café Centosette on 10th Street and Second Avenue.

While the crusties may not have returned to Tompkins Square Park, the pianos have! The charity Sing for Hope, which benefits artists throughout the city, has retuned to the city this summer and plans to place 88 pianos around for public use (a jump from last years 60 pianos). One of the 88 was spotted in Tompkins Square Park, but will not be officially unveiled until tomorrow.

Continuing the park’s cinematic tradition, free movies will be shown every Thursday night this summer, starting in two weeks time with “Raging Bull.” The event will be sponsored by a number of neighborhood bars, Two Boots Pizza and Epix films.

Though the Marriage Equality Bill continues negotiations, Lady Gaga has turned into the ringleader of support, both inside and outside of the State Senate offices. The popstar was quoted in the State Assembly when they were debating the bill (which they eventually passed) and at the New York City Council’s Gay Pride event last night. She’s done her part as well, urging her little monsters to call undecided state senators.

People are getting excited about the rumor of a floating summer pool in the East River. Even though it is being heavily hinted at by developers, this isn’t the first time that the crowds began to talk, so who knows whether it will come to fruition or not.

This post has been changed to clarify an item; the note about the opening of a new Chase-Starbucks location has been modified to reflect that it is a hoax.