Sale Over

The Great 50%-Off Sale at the beloved St. Mark's Bookshop, on East 3rd Street, is now finished. Yesterday was their last day open.

Sale signs.

East Villagers didn't really care for the books sold at St. Mark's Bookshop, that's why the discount was not increased to, oh, say, 90% — I don't think they could have given these books away!

Unsold books, on the last day.

Hopefully, once they're gone, this space will be occupied by something more popular:

16 Handles!

#eastvillage #3rdstreet #signs #stmarksbookshop

Goodbye To Trash & Vaudeville

I was walking across St. Mark's Place yesterday, when I saw a gaggle of shoppers outside the beloved Trash & Vaudeville, which made me think to myself: "Hey, East Village Today, isn't this the last day Trash & Vaudeville is open at this location?"

"Why yes, it is!" I responded, and I went inside to take some fare-thee-well pictures.

I haven't been inside Trash & Vaudeville since the mid-1980s, and let me tell you this: It hasn't changed a bit!

Behold, upstairs:

Upstairs/front.

Upstairs/back.

The sign on the back wall reads: Rock and Roll Kids Clothes — aren't these all kids clothes?!

Speaking of kids, a couple of teenagers were with their father, when one pointed to the t-shirt wall and said: "It's your shirt!"

Somewhere, a t-shirt printer has never changed the plates on his silkscreening machine.

Next stop, downstairs:

Downstairs/front.

Downstairs/back.

Do you know how Dr. Martens boots became so popular? The sound man at CBGB was being bitten on his ankles by fleas, so he went to an Army/Navy store and bought a pair of black boots. True fact!

A fun time was had by all, while The Stooges's "No Fun" blared from the speakers!

East Villagers can hardly wait for Trash & Vaudeville to re-open in their new location — maybe they'll sell newer clothes!

#eastvillage #drmartens #stmarksplace #thestooges #trashvaudeville

Waiting For the Bus

I was walking up Second Avenue this past Friday, when I saw this line of people waiting for the bus:

Waiting for the bus.

It made me think: If Lou Reed were alive today, and lived in the East Village instead of on the Upper West Side, he might have written a song something like this:

I'm waiting for my bus
A monthly bus pass, in my hand
It's always frequent, it's never late
First thing you learn is that the MTA is going your way!
I'm waiting for my bus 

By the way, if you're wondering what those numbers are on the right side of the picture, outside the beloved Professor Thom's bar, wonder no more!

#eastvillage #citybus #lost #loureed #mta #professorthoms #secondavenue

Pranksters

East Villagers are a fun-loving lot — they love a good prank!

This morning, I was walking across East 7th Street, past Tompkins Square Park, when I saw the remnants of a tree TP'ing:

Remnants of a tree TP'ing.

Not a lot of TP, to be sure, but it's possible there was more at an earlier time, and some exemplary East Villager cleaned it up, since when I passed the trash can across from the park, on Avenue A at St. Mark's Place, I saw this TP in a trash can:

TP in a trash can.

Having fun, and cleaning up after — that's the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #stmarksplace #tompkinssquarepark #trashcans #trees

Mystery Solved

If you've spent any time walking around the East Village, you've probably wondered: What's the deal with those green mailboxes?! Are they just olive-drab graffiti magnets?

Walking down Second Avenue this past Sunday, like Scooby-Doo, I solved the mystery:

Mystery is solved.

They're used to hold the items the letter carrier needs, like a cup of coffee!

This one got knocked over.

#eastvillage #graffiti #greenmailboxes #mysteries #secondavenue

Umphrey's Monday

If you're a fan of the jam band scene, like Phish and the Grateful Dead, influenced by progressive rock artists such as King Crimson, Yes, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and early Genesis, as well as heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Guns N' Roses, and it's a Monday, then Corlears on East 3rd Street is the place for you!

Check it:

Umphrey's Monday.

And their coctails are handmade!

* * *

Here's a video of Umphrey's McGee, the inspiration behind Umphrey's Monday — nothing too fancy!

#eastvillage #corlears #3rdstreet #signs #umphreysmcgee

Sewer Grates

I was walking through the intersection of East 4th Street and Avenue A this morning, when I saw this accumulation of trash on top of a sewer grate:

Accumulation of trash on top of sewer grate.

It's a good thing those sewer grates are there, or that trash would have gone into the sewer! And as East Villagers all know from the movie "Finding Nemo": All drains lead to the ocean.

Keeping the ocean clean… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #4thstreet #avenuea #sewergrates #sewers #trash

False Flag

People think of the East Village as home to a lot whacked-out conspiracy nuts, and it is!

Here is evidence, gleaned from the Generation X Community Garden sign, on East 4th Street:

Evidence.

Give a man a needle, and he will sew buttons. Give a man a Sharpie pen, and he will sow confusion!

#eastvillage #generationx #communitygardens #graffiti

Hey There Hot Potato

East Villagers love Belgian fries — so when the beloved Pommes Frites closed and moved to Greenwich (the West) Village last year, a massive hole was left in the area's foodiness.

Fortunately, that hole was filled by Friterie Belgian Fries, on St. Mark's Place:

Friterie Belgian Fries.

Deep-fried potatoes lavished with salt and dipped in mayonnaise… make mine a double!

#eastvillage #belgianfries #friteriebelgianfries #stmarksplace

Trash & Vaudeville Moves East

The day is drawing near when the beloved Trash & Vaudeville will move from their current location, on the very cool St. Mark's Place, to their new location, on the very cool East 7th Street!

Here is the sign in their window, alerting people of the impending move:

Alerting the people.

"Hey Ho, Let's Go" is from a song by a band called The Ramones, that was very popular in the 80s. Trash & Vaudeville is itself very popular with the older, 80s-retro crowd.

Here is a Google® map showing how to get from where they are now to where they will be:

From here to there.

The dotted blue line makes the most sense to follow, because you get to stay on St. Mark's Place the longest! The gray line that runs across East 7th Street is second-best — you can stop by the beloved McSorley's Old Ale House on the way, and get a half dozen or so of their tiny beers! The gray line that runs across East 6th Street makes no sense at all, except that many people who shop at Trash & Vaudeville are high on drugs, and will go that way!

Finally, you'll be less than a block from Tompkins Square Park, where you can go to show off your new (old) fashions!

Whose fashionable park? Our fashionable park!

#eastvillage #6thstreet #7thstreet #mcsorleysoldalehouse #stmarksplace #theramones #tompkinssquarepark #trashvaudeville

New Wave in Outdoor Seating

I was walking up First Avenue recently, when I happened upon this interesting little enclave:

Interesting little enclave.

This belongs to the beloved MáLà Project, a Chinese restaurant (you can tell by the lanterns!)

Outdoor seating with no tables, that doesn't take up space on the sidewalk — what will they think of next?!

#eastvillage #malaproject #firstavenue #outdoorseating

The ATMs of St. Mark's Place

While taking the picture of the new signage outside the beloved St. Mark's E-Smoke & Beer this past Sunday, I noticed something peculiar. There were two — two! — ATMs outside the store!

This got me to thinking: Just how many ATMs are there on St. Mark's Place (between Second and Third Avenues)?

So I counted them:

The ATMs of St. Mark's Place.

Nine ATMS!

You will never be short of cash in the East Village, if you have it in your account to begin with, and don't mind paying the ATM fee, and the fee your bank charges for using a not-your-bank ATM!

It makes you wonder though: Are these tee-shirt, hat, sunglass, drug paraphernalia, e-smoke, and beer stores cash-only?

Hmmm…

#eastvillage #atms #stmarksplace

St. Mark's E-Smoke & Beer

I was walking across St. Mark's Place this past Sunday, when I noticed new signage outside the beloved St. Mark's E-Smoke & Beer:

New signage.

It's not just new signage, it's a whole new façade! This is what it looked like back when East Village Today explored St. Mark's Place:

Tee-shirts, hats, and sunglasses outside, drug paraphernalia inside.

The more things on St. Mark's Place change, the more they stay the same — with new signs!

#eastvillage #stmarksplace #drugparaphernalia #stmarksesmokebeer #signs

Look Sharp

I was walking across St. Mark's Place this past Sunday, when I saw this fellow gussying himself up in the reflection of a glass door, where once stood a beloved business that today no one remembers:

Gussying.

It's a good thing he used the door, otherwise he might have thought he had weird, squiggly tattoos on his face!

Keeping up appearances… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #stmarksplace #graffiti #deterioration

Be… Smiley

Regular readers of this blog will no doubt remember my coverage of the smiley-face-sticker putter, who puts smiley-face stickers on things.

Recently, I noticed signs of a campaign designed to encourage East Villagers to… be something! And on First Avenue this past weekend, what do you suppose I saw?

This:

Be smiley.

Here's a close-up:

Close-up.

What better than "smiley" to be… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #besomething #firstavenue #signs #smileyfaces

Safety Message

If you're walking down the street at night, and you see an open gate, leading into a dimly-lit garden or vacant lot, don't go in! It's not safe!

Do not enter.

This message was brought to you by East Village Today — keeping East Villagers safe since 2014!

#eastvillage #opendoors #communitygardens

Sales Galore

East Villagers love to shop, and they love to save money!

At the beloved St. Mark's Bookshop, on East 3rd Street, everything is 50% off:

50% off.

(Aside: Take a look at the "A" in "Clearance", above. That is not the same font as the other letters in that word. What's up with that?!)

Oddly enough, even at 50% off, they're not selling many books:

Lots of books still on the shelves.

If books are not your thing, and hats are, you're in luck — there's a great sale at the beloved Pork Pie Hatters, on East 9th Street:

Another great sale.

There's never been a better time to live… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage 3rdstreet #9thstreet #porkpiehatters #signs #stmarksbookshop

Wet Paint

I was walking across East 3rd street the other day, when I saw this Wet Paint sign:

Wet Paint sign.

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

It was certainly considerate (and East Villagers are nothing if not considerate!) to put up this sign, warning people of the paint hazard, but who would stand on cellar doors and lean against the bottom of a storefront, anyway?!

In case you were wondering what the inside of this formerly-beloved store looks like, it looks like this:

Inside the formerly-beloved store.

White is the new black… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #signs #3rdstreet #inside #paint

New York Village Deli

The beloved New York Village Deli on First Avenue was home to some of the East Village's finest confections, but no longer:

New York Village Deli no longer.

In the end, two things did them in: 1) they had a ridiculously-high minimum on debit/credit card purchases; and 2) they stopped selling bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll at noon!

East Village Today has one piece of advice to the owners of the new deli, if that's what opens here: Don't stop selling bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll at noon!

#eastvillage #firstavenue #newyorkvillagedeli #closed

Fixing East 2nd Street

Residents of East 2nd Street between Second Avenue and The Bowery have yet another reason to cheer: construction work is taking place to mend the deplorable condition of that stretch of street:

Construction on East 2nd Street.

What was their first reason to cheer, you ask? Having a Citibike station on their block!

East Villagers know that having a Citibike station nearby improves the appeal of that location — it's only natural that fixing the street would follow!

#eastvillage #2ndstreet #citibike #constructionsites #secondavenue #thebowery

Children Crossing

East Villagers all love the very groovy Earth School (and associated Tompkins Square Middle School) on Avenue B — it's where East Village kids learn to be so cool!

Here is an example of why it's so beloved:

Children Crossing Ahead.

East Villagers love irony!

#eastvillage #avenueb #earthschool #signs #tompkinssquaremiddleschool

The Many Uses of Plywood

Back in December, I found myself walking across East 9th Street. Passing by the former East 9th Street West Virginia Building^®, I saw this:

Building permits attached to makeshift plywood tree stand.

"How unusual", I thought to myself. "You don't usually see building permits attached to a makeshift plywood tree stand!" (I talk to myself in the second person.)

Today, I passed by there again. The tree stand was gone, and in its place was an elevated plywood sidewalk:

Elevated plywood sidewalk.

"How unusual", I thought to myself. "You don't usually see an elevated plywood sidewalk!"

And the tree stand is gone!

And the building permits are attached to the balconies!

A lot has happened this Winter… you know where.

#eastvillage #9thstreet #constructionsites #renovations #plywood

Abandoned Jacket

It was really warm in the East Village this morning!

(How warm was it?!)

It was so warm, an East Villager took off his pleather jacket and threw it on the ground:

Pleather jacket on the ground.

I don't know why he threw it on the ground — now it's dirty!

#eastvillage #abandonedclothes

Watch Your Step

Regular readers of this blog will no doubt remember the beloved Uliana on East 9th Street, that I wrote about back in 2014.

Things have not improved there, I'm sorry to report. Today, while walking past the salon, I saw this sign:

A sign.

On closer inspection, you can see what it says:

Last two steps are broken!

Here is a close-up of the last two steps:

Close-up of the last two steps.

Weeding out the infirm… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #uliana #9thstreet #signs

Cat Adoptions Collection Box

East Villagers are not proud; if they want money, they will come right out and ask for it!

The beloved St. Mark's Bookstore is one example: here, here, and here!

The beloved Cat Adoptions, on East 9th Street, is another — they even have a collection box by the sidewalk!

Collection box by sidewalk.

It's like the St. Vincent de Paw Society… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #catadoptions #9thstreet #stvincentdepaulsociety

Feeling The Bern at Manitoba's

People usually associate punk-rock music with right-wing politics, and with one notable exception, they're right!

This is why East Villagers were surprised to see signs advertising a fund raiser for Bernie Sanders held at the beloved Manitoba's, on Avenue B:

Fundraiser for Bernie Sanders at Manitoba's.

Manitoba's is owned by Handsome Dick Manitoba, who was in the punk-rock band The Dictators.

I wonder if anyone went? East Villagers are notoriously right-wing in their politics!

#eastvillage #avenueb #manitobas #berniesanders #signs