The Jefferson

"Well we're moving on down
to the (Lower) East Side
to a dee-lux apartment
in the sky"
Theme from "The Jeffersons"

I was walking across East 13th street this morning, when I saw a building down the street that stood out from the others. The architecture was very nice, and by that I mean the materials and the design and such.

When I got closer, I saw that it was called The Jefferson:

The Jefferson.

Somebody left the light on on the 3rd Floor!

#eastvillage #thejefferson #13thstreet

Another East Village Morning

Where else would someone stand at what looks like a hitching post, eating their toast and coffee, alone, on top of the cellar doors, at a coffee shop with no name, with the ghost of Adam Yauch saying "Just me, my posse and… MCA!"

Table for one is ready.

Only in the East Village!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #coffeeshop #adamyauch

Something is Missing Here

I know something is missing here, at the corner of Avenue C and East 5th Street, but I don't know what!

Probably scaffolding that's been there forever.

Something is missing.

I'm not sure I've ever seen this without scaffolding in front of it!

#eastvillage #avenuec #6thstreet #scaffolding

Revolver Salon

I'm sure this is new (on East 7th Street):

Revolver Salon.

Opening soon: Rubber Soul Salon!

East Villagers love Beatlemania!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #beatlemania #revolversalon

Maybe the Last Halloween Post of 2014

I was walking across East 7th Street today when I saw this:

Alternative uses for scaffolding.

I said it once and I'll say it again: East Villagers love Halloween!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #halloween #scaffolding

Making Movies

She gets rock'n'roll
a rock'n'roll station
And a rock'n'roll dream
She's making movies on location…
"Skate Away", Dire Straits

Movie makers love the East Village, and East Villagers love having their neighborhood in the movies!

I was walking across East 7th Street this morning, past Tompkins Square Park. I felt almost like I was in a movie, and I almost was!

Setting up for another shoot.

It looks like the chess tables will be featured prominently in this one:

They had to take up part of the fence.

I wondered where all the drunks and drug addicts went, who usually sit there. I figured they were around somewhere – they never go too far.

I didn't have to wonder for long! Here they were already, on the next block:

Sitting in their own pew.

This looked to be a big day for the movie makers. They stretched all the way down East 7th Street:

East 7th Street.

and around the corner onto Second Avenue!

Second Avenue.

They were even using an apartment on the corner building:

"Second floor, right?"

And the best part is I won't even have to pay to see it in the theater — I lived it!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #tompkinssquarepark #movies #drunks #drugaddicts #shervinscafe #pew #secondavenue

Handsome Dan's

Sometimes, I think a store is new and it turns out to have been there for years. Other times, a store that's open for years closes, and I can't remember what was there, when I pass the vacant storefront.

I saw this for the first time today, walking up First Avenue. I think it's new, but I can't be sure:

Handsome Dan's Snocone & Candy Stand.

Snowcones are very popular in the East Village, and many former snowcone street vendors have taken to moving indoors.

R. H. Macy started that way too, not too far from this location. He used to sell things from a pushcart, then he moved inside.

Maybe someday Handsome Dan's will be in Herald Square, the biggest snowcone store in the world!

Handsome Dan's in Herald Square.

#eastvillage #firstavenue #handsomedans #heraldsquare #macys #snowcones

New Gimpy Tree Update

It's been a couple of weeks since I called 311 regarding the new gimpy tree in Tompkins Square Park, on the East 7th Street side. I received an email saying "The Department of Parks and Recreation has reviewed this request and will visit the location to investigate the condition".

Tonight, I passed by and noticed something I hadn't before: many of the branches are dead.

Many branches are dead.

This tree is worse off than I thought! I have to call 311 again and alert them of this new finding.

#eastvillage #tompkinssquarepark #gimpyelm #7thstreet #311

This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

I passed by this sidewalk on Second Avenue this morning, on my way to work. The sidewalk workers were hard at work, making a nice sidewalk for everyone!

Tonight, when I walked back down this way, this is what I found:

Defiled sidewalk.

Some graffiti is nice, and some is bad. Some sidewalk art is nice, an some is just bad graffiti in cement.

#eastvillage #secondavenue #graffiti #sidewalks

Art Around the Park

I was passing by Tompkins Square Park tonight, on my way home from work, when I saw this display on the Avenue A and East 7th Street corner:

Portrait display at Tompkins Square Park.

Wouldn't you know that the battery in my camera would die right after I took this picture! Luckily, I had two more in my bag, fully charged!

I couldn't identify this person:

Do you like green eyes and ham?

Was it a green-eyed Rasputin? Mel Gibson? I still don't know.

As I finished, the painter (?) passed by and said "Any donation would be appreciated."

"Likewise," I told him!

#eastvillage #tompkinssquarepark #7thstreet #avenuea #art

I Am a Camera

Tonight, as I was walking down Second Avenue, I saw this East Village video artist taping the woman with the cart.

Smile, you're on Candid Camera!

She was looking through the trash can at the time he started, but then crossed the street. He followed her with his camera.

Look for his video on YouTube!

#eastvillage #secondavenue #video #artist

Park Closes at 1:00AM

New York City has a lot of rules! The East Village is no different. According to the sign, this park, outside St. Mark's Church on Second Avenue, closes at 1:00am:

This is a beautiful picture!

I wonder how the police enforce this? What if you cut across it at night, instead of walking to the corner on the sidewalk? Is that diagonal sidewalk considered part of the park, or regular sidewalk? What if you sit on a bench?

It's funny to think!

#eastvillage #signs #secondavenue #stmarkschurch #abelebewohlpark

Return of the 7th Street Art Project / Big Mess Thing

A couple of months ago, I was writing about an art project/big mess on East 7th Street. Eventually, the mess was cleaned up (although there's still orange paint on the sidewalk in front of the building). Not much happened for since then.

Tonight, I found myself there again, and what did I behold but what is no doubt the beginning of a new art project/mess!

A new mess, coming your way!

I can't wait to see what this will become! No doubt it's already there! I have to go this way again tonight.

Remember, you saw this report first here, on East Village Today!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #art

The Church Lady

I was walking home through Tompkins Square Park tonight when I saw this gathering of people, and heard a woman's voice telling her listeners that terrorist attacks were not terrorism, they were war, and that this was to be expected in… The End Times™.

I approached them with my camera ready, just to get a crowd shot, when the guy with his hand up started telling me I couldn't take pictures.

No paparazzi, please.

"Sure I can," I said. "It's a public space, I can take pictures."

"No you can't," he said. "She said no pictures."

I moved to the right and took this picture, as he told to people to stop me (who didn't, of course):

Jesus love you. This I know. For the Bible tells me so.

I continued on my way after that. She was going on about how they would be protected, the way God protected Noah. Pretty slim chances there! It was all Old Testament stuff — the angry, vengeful God. I heard her tell someone "Put out that cigarette," in a stern voice.

I was going to head home, and then I thought I'd get another shot from the other angle, without anyone waving canes at me.

When I got to the other side I heard her say "What? Who's taking pictures? Put out that camera."

She went back into her spiel — she didn't seem at all concerned that anyone was taking pictures, and I left with this:

"Am I too late for the dog parade?"

Tree worshipers! Punk rockers! End-Timers! It's all one big party here in the East Village!

Murphy's Brother Park is the New BLAQ

An early-morning scene from the top of Avenue C:

Murphy's Brother Park.

Technically, it's not in the East Village, but it might as well be.

By the way, this park really is named Murphy's Brother's Park!

#eastvillage #avenuec #murphysbrotherpark

Another Long Staircase

These should probably be put in a book called "Unseen East Village," eh?

This staircase is inside the Iglesia Alianza Cristiana y Misionera, on Second Avenue, just above East 4th Street:

Iglesia Alianza Cristiana y Misionera staircase.

They have locations all over the world!

I wonder if they're all in cool neighborhoods? And I wonder if they all have these long staircases?

#eastvillage #iglesiaalianzacristiana #secondavenue #4thstreet

Almost Famous

Four musicians walking up The Bowery, this past weekend:

On their way to Bowery Electric.

Musicians still play at clubs on The Bowery. The spirit of the East Village lives on!

#eastvillage #musicians #thebowery #boweryelectric

Farm-to-Sidewalk

The East Village is very rustic, in many ways. One of these ways is in trendy restaurant decór!

It's farm-to-sidewalk at Bar Primi!

Getting into Fall on The Bowery!

#eastvillage #bowery #2ndstreet #restaurants #fall

Spiders on a Skull

The other night I was walking down East 6th Street when I saw:

Spiders on a skull.

Interesting name, Elsewhere Espresso. Do they serve cappuccino?

More to the point: I wonder if you have to inflate the spiders separately, or if they're connected to the skull? I'll bet they're connected.

It's probably pretty spooky at night!

#eastvillage, #6thstreet #elsewhereespresso #spiders #skull

Only 58 More Days Till Christmas!

East Villagers love Christmas! They decorate their buildings with lights, they buy trees and put them in their apartments, there's even one day when they all dress up like Santa Claus!

La Sirena, on East 3rd Street, is already getting into the spirit:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

And we haven't even reached Halloween yet!

This store sells Mexican stuff, so they're pretty festive already, what with Cinco de Mayo, and El Dia de Muertos, and Mexican wrestler masks!

#eastvillage #3rdstreet #lasirena #christmas #halloween

John Varvatos Store

The John Varvatos store on The Bowery at Bleecker Street is a very cool, but very expensive clothes store in the East Village.

John Varvatos store.

There used to be a bar in this space, called CBGB. Back in the 1970s (40 years ago!) a lot of popular bands played here. You might have heard of some of them: Talking Heads, Blondie, The Ramones, to name a few.

These bands played in other bars and theaters too, not just CBGB. I don't think it can be said that any of them became famous for having played there. It's more the other way around — CBGB became famous because of them. The owner made millions, setting up stores in other cities, and with his on-line store. I think there's even a store in Las Vegas! Eventually, he got old and closed the bar.

Anyway, that's all in the past now, and this is the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #bowery #johnvarvatos #bleeckerstreet #cbgb #talkingheads #blondie #theramones

Haunted House

Halloween is almost here — it's only 3 days away!

This has all the looks of a haunted house:

Haunted house entrance.

The "Vacate" sign adds the necessary sense of danger!

#eastvillage #hauntedhouse #signs #6thstreet

The Long Staircase

As part of the "inside open doors" series, I present to you… the long staircase:

The long staircase.

This staircase leads to the CHKA (pronounced Ch-Ka) Karate school, on Avenue A.

Climbing these stairs is the first initiation into the school!

#eastvillage #avenuea #chka

Mama's Bar

Has this ever happened to you? You're lugging around a heap of lacrosse equipment, and you get thirsty, and you want to stop and get a beer. What do you do with the lacrosse equipment?

At Mama's Bar, on Avenue B and East 3rd Street, it's no problem!

Lacrosse equipment storage at Mama's Bar.

You can even watch football while you quench your thirst. If it's a Sunday. And there's a game on TV.

#eastvillage #mamasbar #avenueb #3rdstreet #lacrosse

$28 Brunch

Not too long ago, I wrote about this restaurant, Poco, on Avenue B and East 3rd Street, and how it was so popular that people stood waiting on the sidewalk to get in.

Lining up for a $28 brunch.

Why would people line up to pay $28 for brunch? I think I know what it is. Take a look at the fork on their sign:

Poco sign.

It has five prongs!

Now you know… the rest of the story.

#eastvillage #poco #restaurants #signs #brunch #avenueb #3rdstreet

Major Capital Improvements at Duane Reade

Taking advantage of the street work going on outside their door, there have been some major capital improvements at the Duane Reade on Avenue B and East 2nd Street lately. I passed by there today and saw this:

Major capital improvement.

I don't know what the intention is, but the consequence of this new barrier is that you will now have to take at least two more steps when exiting Duane Reade, before turning left to head up Avenue B, if that's where you're going.

Also, around the corner on East 2nd Street, they've done some painting. (This isn't that new, but it's not that old either):

Multi-colored cityscape.

It looks better than it did before.

#eastvillage #duanereade #avenueb, #2ndstreet

Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade, Part 3 of 3

Taking pictures at this event was not easy – I felt like a paparazzo!

I must say, this is definitely one of the high points of the East Village social calendar!

So with no further ado, I present dogs alone:

Start spreading the newspaper…

Dogs will be dogs!

Where's Shaggy?

The Korilla dog! "Pleased to meet you."

Happy birthday!

When good dogs go bad.

I've never seen this show.

Black dog, white tutu.

Cross-eyed lobster.

Roar!

Minions!

Peacock.

Hotdog! (It never gets old.)

Black dog, black hat.

Pants on the ground… pants on the ground…

Thing 1 and Thing 2.

I don't see the connection.

Tiny dog, tiny costume.

I'm looking for the man who shot my paw.

I'm blurry but I'm cute.

Oh heck, it's up to my neck.

Cerberus!

What about me?

Pikachu!

Pee-kachu!

With all of this going on, who had time to think about ebola?!

#eastvillage #tompkinssquarepark #halloween #dogparade