Thursday, April 30, 2015

Rolls on a Bike

I was walking down Avenue A yesterday evening, when I saw this:

Rolls on a bike.

It's really amazing how these things stay in place — the butter, it seems, did not fare so well!

#eastvillage #avenuea #bicycles #bread

Dead, But Secured

I would have sworn that I posted something once, of a dead tree chained up to something, but I couldn't find it. So I have nothing to link to when presenting this:

Dead tree chained to railing.

A dead tree, chained to a railing, on East 9th Street.

Bad kerning too, on the 425!

#eastvillage #trees #chains #9thstreet #kerning

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Freaky Tree with Leaves

Back in January, I posted a picture of the freaky tree near the avenue A and East 7th Street entrance to Tompkins Square Park.

I passed by this tree again the other day, to see that leaves do grow in it:

Leaves on the freaky tree.

One of these days I'm going to do an overview of all the bizarre trees of Tompkins Square Park!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #avenuea #freakytree #tompkinssquarepark #trees

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Exciting News!

East Villagers are beside themselves with excitement to learn that Violet, the code-name for A.K.A. Jessica Jones, starring Krysten Ritter, will be shooting again in the East Village!

Announcing: Violet!

To make sure they have clear shots, parking will be restricted between East 4th and East 6th Streets, from Avenue A to Avenue B.

No Parking sign.

It's a minor inconvenience, for the benefit of having the East Village as the backdrop to great TV shows and movies!

#eastvillage #4thstreet #5thstreet #6thstreet #jessicajones #avenuea #avenueb #krystenritter #parking #signs #violet

2nd-Coolest Bike Ever

The coolest bike ever was the Schwinn Sting-Ray with banana seat and sissy bar. So it makes perfect sense that an East Villager would adapt this coolest-ever bike for adult use:

Schwinn not-a-Sting-Ray, with banana seat and sissy bar.

Her shoes complement the color of the bike too!

Speaking of shoes, the man behind her is wearing sandals!
It's not far, not hard to reach
We can ride a bike to Rockaway Beach
Another cool morning… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #3rdstreet #firstavenue #bicycles

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Tink's Revisited

About a week ago, I posted some very cool nighttime pictures of the outdoor seating at Tink's, a popular restaurant on East 7th Street.

At the time, I asked: Who would sit there? Today, we're one step closer to knowing that answer:

Sitting outside at Tink's.

A second table with two chairs has been added, for those who want to sit outside, but not on top of the cellar doors! The wooden chairs are gone.

If you ever sit here, take a selfie and send it to me. I'll post it here… on East Village Today!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #outdoorseating #tinks

Some Kind of Performance Thing or Another

I was walking through Tompkins Square Park yesterday, when I happened upon some kind of performance thing or another:

Some kind of… etc.

The couple in front slowly walked to this position from opposite sides behind the pyramid group, who were already in place.

Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night…

I continued on my way through the East Village, taking more pictures. When I passed through the park again, on my way back home, they were engaged in a group hug:

Watch your hand there, mister!

A little bit of performing, a little bit of hugging, all in one convenient location: the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #performanceart #tompkinssquarepark

The Disappearing Squirrel

Seen yesterday in Tompkins Square Park. Now you see him:

Squirrel.

Now you see a little less of him:

A little less squirrel.

Now you don't:

No squirrel.

No hocus, no pocus, just genuine squirrel disappearance!

#eastvillage #tompkinssquarepark #squirrels

Low-Powered Fashion Shoot

Yesterday was certainly a day for recording events on the SD cards of cameras! From the mural documentary to this, in Tompkins Square Park:

Low-powered fashion shoot.

Even I was out taking pictures — but then, I'm always out taking pictures!

In fact, I'm going out right now! See you in the East Village… today!

#eastvillage #tompkinssquarepark #photographers #models

Still Life with Revellers

Now that it's Spring, filmmakers are everywhere to be found in the East Village! I saw this group yesterday, on Avenue C:

Making movies on Avenue C.

The filmmaker and her assistant were shooting the very popular "Alphabet City" mural at the corner of Avenue C and East 6th Street, when a group of East Village revellers passed by to add color to an otherwise static shot!

Spontaneity is the name of the game, in filmmaking and in life, in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #6thstreet #avenuec #filmmakers #murals

Tremors

I passed through Tompkins Square Park yesterday, when I saw this:

Rodent tunnels undermine structural integrity of sign.

These rodent (rats) tunnels are literally undermining the structural integrity of this fake Parks Department sign!

It might not be a situation quite like in the movie Tremors, but given that it's rats doing this, it might be worse than enormous man-eating worms with teeth!

I told you the East Village was one big movie set!

#eastvillage #rattunnels #rats #signs #tompkinssquarepark

The Chemistry Van

I was walking across St. Mark's Place yesterday, when I saw a seriously messed-up van:

Seriously messed-up van.

Suddenly, something stood out from the mess of black paint:

The chemical symbol for octane.

It was the chemical symbol for octane, straddling the fuel tank! Then, I noticed more chemical symbols, painted all over the van:

1,3-Butadiene.

1,3-butadiene, used in the production of synthetic rubber.

Ammonia.

Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide.

Sulpheric acid.

Nitric acid.

Hydrogen cyanide + water.

HCN + H2O = CN + H3O, or cyanide and hydronium — betcha didn't know that!

Channel 4. Ha ha, just kidding! It's methane.

Methane — what cows burp!

Theophylline.

Wikipedia lists three results for this compound. I'm going to go with theophylline, a methylxanthine drug used in therapy for respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

Methane again.

I read in a fortune cookie once: "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear". This van is out there, if you're ready to learn chemistry!

#eastvillage #chemistry #chemistryvan #graffiti #paint #stmarksplace

Friday, April 24, 2015

Cash Cod

A lot of people think that East Villagers are all artists, walking around with paint supplies in tow, looking for the nearest flat surface to decorate.

It's true! This wall on Avenue B and East 4th Street is an example:

One big canvas.

Cash Cod is my favorite!

It's one big painter's canvas here… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #avenuea #4thstreet #graffiti

Sir Gus Boor

I was walking across East 3rd Street last night, when I saw this:

Sir Gus Boor.

Sir Gus Boor, looking down through his Elton John sunglasses onto the East Village, while he twirls hoops on his wrists, and yodels!

Unfortunately, you can't hear the yodelling, since this is a photograph.

East Villagers go mad, simply mad, when they hear a yodel!

#eastvillage #3rdstree, #sirgusboor

The Velvet Rope

You know something special is going on when the velvet rope appears:

The velvet rope.

Where is this velvet rope, you ask?

Outside Iron & Silk Fitness Center.

It's outside Iron & Silk Fitness Center, on East 3rd Street!

It's early now, but just wait until later — people will be lined up down the block, anxious to get inside!

Glamour abounds… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #iron&silk, #3rdstreet, #velvetrope

Kale and Quinoa Salad

It was breezy in the East Village yesterday morning, as I walked down East 3rd Street toward toward the subway. So breezy that this bag, sitting on top of a garbage bin, was blown open:

Kale and quinoa salad.

Insoluble fiber and pseudocereal, in one convenient package! I'm sure the owner must have been close by, maybe looking for some dressing?

East Villagers love healthy food!

#eastvillage #3rdstreet #abandonedfood

Caution — Stack of Wood

I was walking past El Jardin del Paraiso, on East 4th Street, when I saw this large pile of tree branches, with caution tape around it:

Tree branches with caution tape.

It would appear that someone thinks this pile of tree branches is dangerous!

It's Safety First… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #4thstreet #eljardindelparaiso

Thursday, April 23, 2015

The Barbers

Don Juan is a barber who has operated out of this space on East 4th Street for at least ten years:

Don Juan, the barber.

You may notice the bicycle sculpture from an earlier post!

Recently, Perfection opened around the corner from Don Juan, on Avenue C, between the drug building and the bodega:

Perfection.

Perfection used to be located a block away, near East 3rd Street, but moved out when the building they were in was condemned by the Department of Buildings.

Can two barbers share a corner, without driving each other crazy?!

#eastvillage #4thstreet #avenuec donjuanbarbershop #perfection

Sidewalk Situps

I was walking across East 2nd Street a couple of weeks ago, when I saw this:

East Villager doing sit-ups.

When I first saw him, he was doing push-ups! He was still too far away for me to take a picture, though.

East Villagers love to exercise!

#eastvillage #2ndstreet

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Double Header

I have 21 posts in my Drafts folder! Yikes! I have to start posting these.

Back in early March, I was walking up Second Avenue, when I saw this fence-piece chained to this signpost:

Fence-piece chained to signpost.

Directly behind where I stood when taking this picture was this open door:

Open door.

It was a double-header!

I miss the snow… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #chains #mamakshop #opendoors #secondavenue #snow

Stage Restaurant

I took this picture of Stage Restaurant, on Second Avenue, back in early January:

Stage Restaurant.

Stage suffers from poor feng shui, being so small and under a fire escape. These days, they suffer from being shut down by the Department of Buildings! It seems someone was tampering with the gas lines, the very situation that led to the explosion and fire across the street from them!

East Villagers love gas lines being worked on by licensed, professional plumbers only!

#eastvillage #secondavenue #stagerestaurant

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Tink's Outdoor Seating

I don't have anything to say about these pictures I took on East 7th Street ten days ago:

Tinks.

I just liked them.

Here's a close-up:

Close-up.

OK, now I have something to say: Who would sit there?

No one, I guess — no one is!

#eastvillage #tinks 7thstreet #outdoorseating

Inside a Consolidated Edison Truck

I was walking across East 6th Street on my way home from work tonight, when I passed by this Consolidated Edison truck, where it looks like someone forgot to close the door:

Consolidated Edison truck door open.

Some kind of machinery or another inside, it looks like.

Yup.

#eastvillage #conedison 6thstreet trucks

Three Signs

I was walking across East 6th Street this evening after work, when I saw this collection of signs:

Collection of signs.

The bicycle sign looks like what you'd see in the country!

There are two others, both of them somewhat curious. The first:

Get off my lawn!

Do people loiter in this… courtyard area? Do they enter the gate, and just stand around, or sit on the garbage cans and drink an ice-cold soda pop? Maybe they do! East Villagers are very neighborly people!

The second sign is curious also:

Dear John.

What you may not know is that this sign is always hanging here — I've seen it many times when passing. Does John really need reminding, every day, to sweep the sidewalk and the yard? If he forgets to sweep the sidewalk and the yard, he's just as likely to forget to read the sign, or even show up to work!

East Villagers do love their signs though!

#eastvillage #6thstreet #signs

Meseritz Synagogue Implodes Slightly

Three weeks ago, I wrote about a fashionable art party that was about to take place on East 6th Street.

While I was over there taking pictures of the venue, I took this picture, of the decrepit Meseritz Synagogue:

Decrepit Meseritz Synagogue.

As with many pictures I take, I held on to it, knowing that it wouldn't be long before I found a use for it, and now I have: to introduce this picture of the same synagogue, with a boarded-up window collapsed:

Imploded board.

Here's a close-up:

Close-up of imploded board.

I wonder if there was a low-pressure condition inside? There are a lot of microclimates… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #6thstreet, #meseritzsynagogue

Moishe's Stained Glass

East Villagers are very excited about the renovations taking place at Moishe's Bake Shop on Second Avenue!

I passed by tonight, after work, and saw they've made a lot of progress:

A lot of progress.

An amazing discover was made while stripping away the decayed building materials. On the far right side, there is a stained glass window.

Here is a close-up:

Close-up of stained glass window.

It's like an archeological site… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #secondavenue #moishesbakeshop #stainedglass