Funky Trees

The life of every East Village tree is sacred, even stunted, deformed ones. East Villagers go to great lengths to preserve them, as seen here on East 9th Street:

Funky tree and railing.

The ring had to have been put around the tree when it was much smaller. I wonder if the trunk will ever reach that diameter? It'll destroy the sidewalk if it does!

Speaking of which, I saw this tree today on Avenue C:

As you can see, it outgrew the cement that had been poured over the roots (making it flush with the sidewalk) years ago. Today, that cement is at least six inches higher than the dirt beneath it!

Someone should take a sledgehammer to that cement!

#eastvillage #trees #dendrolatry #9thstreet, #avenuec #roots

Moishe's Bake Shop Open?

Yesterday, I wrote about Moishe's Bake Shop on Second Avenue.

The East Village has two looks: deteriorated-closed, and deteriorated-open. You could be forgiven for thinking Moishe's was abandoned:

The sign says they're open, and they are!

Close-up:

Oh my God! That looks so good!

Next time I go by that place, I'm going to have money on me! Who cares about DeRoberti's closing? Look at that!

#eastvillage #moishesbakeshop #secondavenue #deterioration #signs

Everything Black

Meg, on East 9th Street, a store that sells only black items, is having a sale on all black items:

Clever, no?

#eastvillage #9thstreet #meg #allblack

Window Junk Sculpture

Anything can be art in the East Village. All you have to do is say it is!

This mini-sculpture sits in the air conditioner bay of a window guard, on Second Avenue:

Junk sculpture.

If you look at the center/right of this picture, you will see a drawing of the ladder in the sculpture. Art imitates art, in the East Village!

#eastvillage #art #sculptures #secondavenue

Black Friday Weekend Extended

Black Friday Weekend? I thought it was a one-day event, but at Cloak & Dagger, on East 9th Street, it's a weekend-long event, that's been extended by one day:

There's still time to give them your money… I mean save!

East Villagers love to save money!

#eastvillage #9thstreet #cloak&dagger #blackfriday

Third Time's… Almost A Charm

At the beginning of November, I wrote a follow-up story on the 9th Street Haberdashery's need for paint.

Today, I passed by there again. As I noted in my follow-up, they had taken my advice, but in the wrong way. This time, they're coming around:

No more paint can.

One small step at a time — by this time next year this place will be in top form!

#eastvillage #9thstreet #9thstreethaberdashery #paint #disrepair

Ho Ho Ho!

I was walking up Avenue C this morning when I spotted this familiar site waving down:

Santa!

He looks a lot like Yukon Cornelius!

East Villagers love Christmas!

#eastvillage #avenuec #santaclaus #christmas

Salon Champu

We brought you some shampoo, because we couldn't find any real poo.

There is a salon on East 4th Street called Salon Champu:

Vegan hair care?  I guess that means no placenta!

How can you wash your hair without placenta? Your hair will not shine…

#eastvillage #salonchampu #4thstreet

Moishe's Bake Shop Closed?

I first wrote about Moishe's Bake Shop on Second Avenue last month.

You could be forgiven for thinking Moishe's was abandoned:

The sign says they're open, but they're not:

Even the pastries have been removed:

The East Village has two looks: deteriorated-open, and deteriorated-closed!

#eastvillage #moishesbakeshop #secondavenue #deterioration #signs

Drug Paraphernalia Store to Sell Liquor

St. Mark's Place between Second and Third Avenues isn't the only place in the East Village where you can buy drug paraphernalia. The 2nd Ave Smoke Shop on Second Avenue is another:

Shelf upon shelf of paraphernalia.

East Villagers also love to drink. So what would be better than a drug paraphernalia store that sold liquor as well?

Notice of application to sell liquor at retail.

Drug paraphernalia is to the East Village what slot machines are to Las Vegas!

#eastvillage #smokeshop #secondavenue #drugparaphernalia

Fence Painting

A couple of weeks ago, I passed by the Village View Apartments on First Avenue and East 3rd Street, only to find the corner of the fence missing:

Corner of fence missing.

Today, I passed by again, to discover the corner back, but the side missing:

On the First Avenue side was this:

Here's what I deduce: To avoid getting paint on the sidewalk, they're taking down the fence, painting it, and putting it back.

Now that's consideration… East Village style!

#first avenue #3rdstreet #villageviewapartments #paint

Bikes by George

For a long time, a rumor has circulated that Bikes By George, on East 4th Street, bought and sold stolen bicycles.

Bikes by George.

Today, I passed by, and saw these signs in the window:

Thieves beware!

That works for me!

#eastvillage #4thstreet #bikesbygeorge #bicycles

Benny's Burritos Reborn

In case you were worried that you would never eat another burrito like they made at Benny's Burritos, fear not! They're going to continue operations in a smaller location right next door on Avenue A, for take-out orders only.

Here's a picture of a ponytail guy helping to prepare the space:

Ponytail guy preparing a new Benny's Burritos space.

Maybe they'll add the Bay Burrito back onto the menu — keep your eye on seamless for any re-opening specials!

#eastvillage #bennysburritos #avenuea #seamless

The Final Day of Benny's Burritos

Today is the last day Benny's Burritos, a San Francisco-style, Cal-Mex restaurant on Avenue A and East 6th street, will be open.

Word of their closing spread quickly, and many people stopped by to take a picture while it was still open. This is one of them:

Final photo before closing… forever.

Those in the know had been speculating that they would close, ever since they took the Bay Burrito off the menu!

#eastvillage #avenuea #bennysburritos #6thstreet #restaurants

Gin Palace Collapsing

Back in August, I wrote about a place on Avenue A and East 6th Street called Gin Palace. Today, I walked past only to find that the building's walls are being shored up with braces:

I don't know if the braces are preventative, since work is being done on the sidewalk there on East 6th Street, or if the walls are buckling as a result of the sidewalk work.

The East Village is built on a swamp, after all!

#eastvillage #ginpalace #avenuea #6thstreet #sidewalks #construction #swamp

Pizza $1.00

No, this was not a Black Friday special at 2 Bros. Pizza on St. Mark's Place yesterday, this is always their price!

East Villagers do not want to spend a lot of money on pizza!

#eastvillage #stmarksplace #2brospizza #blackfriday

Black Friday Traffic Jam

While there was very little traffic in the rest of the East Village yesterday during Black Friday, East 3rd Street saw this traffic jam, caused in part by double-parked cars during alternate-side parking hours, and a passing garbage truck:

Traffic jam on East 3rd Street.

Cars were backed up all the way to Avenue B! There were no reported incidents of road rage though — East Villagers tend to remain calm during such occurrences.

#eastvillage #avenueb #3rdstreet #blackfriday #trafficjam

Photo Shoot on East 7th Street

As I passed by the intersection of Avenue A and East 7th Street yesterday (Black Friday), I spied this group of photographer/models setting up for a photo shoot:

Setting up.

Artists of all types love the East Village for its edgy backdrop!

#eastvillage #avenuea #7thstreet #photographers #artists #models

Key Food Christmas Tree Rack Update

The other day, I wrote that a Christmas tree rack was assembled outside Key Food, on Avenue A and East 4th Street.

It didn't take long for them to fill it with Christmas trees:

At the same time, another Christmas tree rack was assembled and filled at the Bueno East Market, a block away, on East 3rd Street:

There's a lot of graffiti on Bueno East Mart.

Let the price war begin!

#3rd street #4thstreet #avenuea #buenoeastmart #christmastrees #keyfood

Phebe's

This is a faux-dive bar on The Bowery and East 4th Street, called Phebe's (pronounced Feeb's):

Is that the Doritos truck reflection in the window?

They closed a while ago for renovations. When they open again, they will no longer be a faux-dive, but will join the trendy new restaurants of the trendy new Bowery. They'll keep their mural as it is though, in homage to their faux-dive past.

East Villagers love to pay homage to the past!

#eastvillage #phebes #bowery #4thstreet

New Building?

I hadn't noticed this building, on East 4th Street, before yesterday (Black Friday):

New buildings are popping up all over the place, in the East Village!

#eastvillage #4thstreet

Coco

These pictures are still from yesterday, Black Friday. I took too many!

This is outside Coco, a fresh tea and juice place on St. Mark's Place, nestled in among tattoo and body mutilation shops:

I like that Totoro dust sprite.

On the sidewalk leading to Coco from Third Avenue, there's this:

John 3:16?

John 3:16 refers to a passage in the Bible, that reads:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

It's very popular among Christians, who make up the majority of East Village residents.

I always think of this guy when I see "John 3:16":

Rollen Stewart.

I wonder if he bought that wig on St. Mark's Place?!

#eastvillage #coco #stmarksplace #blackfriday

Sahara Deli

I've mentioned before that East Villagers like to take drugs. Here is a picture of a window at Sahara Deli/Grocery on Avenue A:

Sahara Deli window display.

Where else but in the East Village does a deli sell drug paraphernalia?!

#eastvillage #saharadeli #avenuea #drugparaphernalia

Avenue A Rises from the Dead

There's been some work going on at the former Odessa Cafe building, on Avenue A:

Close-up, inside.

It's about time! This derelict stretch of Avenue A had been growing for a while — now it's finally turning around.

I wonder what new delights will delight us here?!

#eastvillage #odessacafe #avenuea #constructionsites

Pastelheart

There is an artist — Pastelheart? — who paints the same mural, more or less, on the riot gates of restaurants around the East Village.

Here is one example, at D-Lish Pita, on Avenue A:

Here is another, at Meskel Ethiopian Restaurant, on East 3rd Street:

Don't the owners of these restaurants want to distinguish themselves from one another?

Maybe this is the future of all restaurants… in the East Village!

#eastvillage #artists #murals #restaurants #dlishpita #meskelethiopianrestaurant #avenuea #3rdstreet

More Cool Cars

Black Friday is the day people drive their cool cars around the East Village. Instead of giving each car its own page, since there are so many of them today, I'll put them all on one page:

Front-right fender has been replaced.

Fairlane 500, not to be confused with Galaxie 500.

GTS Dart

A penguin was driving a car across the desert…

It's cool because it's true.

Cool car and motorcycle.

There you have it! When I can get pictures of the fronts/backs of the cars, I will. Most times, something is parked too closely.

#eastvillage #coolcars

Black Friday in the East Village

Today (well, yesterday at this point) was Black Friday, the day that East Villagers go out looking for bargains on the things that are sold here.

I went out to take some pictures of this event:

Black Friday on St. Mark's Place.

Black Friday deals at a drug paraphernalia store.

Lining up for Black Friday deals on hats and sunglasses.

Black Friday on East 9th Street.

Black Friday on Avenue A.

Black Friday on Avenue B.

As you can see, it was another calm Black Friday in the East Village.

I hope you enjoyed this Black Friday trip around the East Village, and remember: buy local!

#eastvillage #blackfriday #stmarksplace #9thstreet #avenuea #avenueb #drugparaphernalia