10th Street Street Fair

Like so many East Villagers, I was away for at least part of the Memorial Day weekend. I missed the "Memorial Day Punk Show!!" in Tompkins Square Park. (Another East Villager told me he saw it from a distance and it looked "very generic" — I think he mispronounced "geriatric"!

I did go to the 10th Street Street Fair though:

Entering the fair from First Avenue.

The band wasn't playing when I passed through, just Led Zeppelin.

"All of my love…"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tricycle tractor appeared!

Tricycle tractor.

That's pretty much it! I walked to Second Avenue, where it ended, turned around and walked back, and then went home. At no point did I see a sausage and onions truck, or a zeppole truck.

A street fair isn't a street fair without traditional street fair fare!

Trash & Vaudeville Moves Again

East Villagers who follow the beloved Trash & Vaudeville on Twitter will certainly have noticed their Memorial Day Sale tweet:

***

15% off for the long weekend!!! Use code MD30 to get sum summer rockin goods!! https://t.co/9CHJkSJzLt 💥 pic.twitter.com/MU4g5cVnw5

— Trash and Vaudeville (@trashvaudeville) May 28, 2016

***

Two things to note: 1) This sale is through their web site only; and 2) This tweet was posted from sunny San Diego, California!

It would appear that the beloved Trash & Vaudeville has moved again!

#eastvillage #twitter #trashvaudeville #sandiego #memorialday

Memorial Day Punk Show!!

I was walking down Avenue B yesterday, when I saw this sign advertising a "Memorial Day Punk Show!!" (with two exclamation points!) in Tompkins Square Park:

Memorial Day Punk Show!!.

Aging East Villagers love punk shows!

Unfortunately, since it's Memorial Day, not too many people will there — most East Villagers go out of town for three-day weekends.

If you can't make it, post it on their Facebook page!

(For those of you too old to remember, the picture in the sign is of a character named Luther, from a 1970s movie called "The Warriors". Luther started some trouble, blamed someone else, and ran away!)

#eastvillage #avenueb #signs #tompkinssquarepark #memorialday #punkrock #facebook

Sidewalk Office

I was walking across East 2nd Street the other day, when I happened upon this matching chair and table set:

Matching chair and table.

The leaves of the table look like they need some support, but it's a start!

The owner wasn't in, as you can see, but he reserved his seat by placing a newspaper on it.

#eastvillage #2ndstreet #chairs

Soon To Be, Cakery

I was walking across East 2nd Street this past Tuesday, when I saw this blue ladder:

Blue ladder.

This is no ordinary blue ladder — this is outside the soon-to-be-beloved Sugar Sketch Italian Cakery!

Here is a picture of the work going on inside:

Work going on inside.

Make no mistakery, if there's anything East Villagers love more than a bakery, it's a cakery!

And that's no fakery!

#eastvillage #2ndstreet #constructionsites #sugarsketch

What Was That Again?

I was walking down Avenue B this past Tuesday, when I noticed construction plywood in front of a building:

Construction plywood.

On the right side (as you look at the picture) is the beloved Croxley's Ale House, on the left is the local Duane Reade, but in between them? No one remembers.

Something cool no doubt, to be replaced by something even cooler!

#eastvillage #avenueb #constructionsites #croxleysalehouse #plywood

The Human Silhouette

I was walking down the western frontier of the East Village about ten days ago, when I saw… a human silhouette:

A human silhouette.

Like a grin without a cat, the human silhouette is a shadow without light, or even an interposing body!

You never know what to expect at the edges… of the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #silhouette #thirdavenue

Praying for Pizza

I was walking down Avenue C recently, when I passed by the Eastside Tabernacle Prayer Station, outside the formerly-beloved Lebrini's Pizza, at the corner of East 3rd Street:

Eastside Tabernacle Prayer Station.

If you would like to join them in their prayer for pizza, click here!

It's only natural that there should be pizza at this location — before Lebrini's it was Moon Pie, and before that, it was a swamp!

#eastvillage #3rdstreet #avenuec #lebrinispizza #moonpie #eastsidetabernacle #swamp

The Yeti, Up Close

Every bit as elusive as a real yeti, the yeti graffito is difficult to spot. That is, it's easy to spot when it's there, but it's rarely there!

Which is why this green mailbox, on the corner of Avenue B and East 7th Street, is so special:

Special mailbox.

You may think: That's not the yeti — the yeti has a body!" but I would bet anything that this is a close-up of the yeti.

A funny thing happened when I took this picture: A couple was walking by, and the fellow asked me where I was from. He said he wondered where someone was from who would take a picture of nothing.

I showed him the graffito, and explained the yeti — and he took a picture of it himself!

Making something out of nothing… in the East Village Today!

UPDATED MINUTES LATER

I just learned that this is called "Frank Ape". Who knew?!

#eastvillage #yeti #graffiti #greenmailboxes #avenueb #7thstreet #frankape

Introducing: Alphabet City Deli & Grill

It seems like a life-time since the beloved Avenue C Deli Corp. (on Avenue C and East 4th Street) closed, leaving East Villagers to wonder what new shopping emporium would take its place.

Now, the wait is almost over!

Behold:

New signage.

The soon-to-be-beloved Alphabet City Deli & Grill's new signage was put up last night!

Not just a deli, but a deli & grill! And if you have any doubts about what that means, the fire on the signage should put those to rest!

Already forgotten are the blue awning and Hot & Cold Food Open 24 Hours sign that beset this corner in the past:

Already forgotten.

The blue awning is so forgotten that it's not even in a picture!

So if you're hankering for some ice cream, or fresh smoothies, or cold drinks, or hot&cold sandwiches, or hookah accessories, or cigarettes, or cigars, or phone cards, or EBT, or ATM, or organic products, or hot & cold sandwiches, then head on over to the beloved Alphabet City Deli & Grill.

It's the Wal*Mart of the East Village! (In that they have everything you could ever want. Except beer.)

Post Script:

East Villagers will notice that I mentioned "hot & cold sandwiches" twice in the description of items for purchase, above. That was no mistake!

Take a look:

East 4th Street side.

And:

Avenue C side.

It should be immediately noticeable that these are not the same items: one has a space before and after the ampersand, and the other has no spaces!

Post-Post Script:

The East Village Welcoming Committee has already left their calling card on the new sign:

Calling card.

It's like this sign has always been here!

#eastvillage #alphabetcitydeligrill #avenuec #4thstreet #signs

Rewards

There have been a lot of signs in the East Village recently, offering rewards for lost pets.

This one is from May 10:

$50 reward.

(Maybe AJ didn't want to be rescued?)

Then yesterday, I saw this sign, hidden on a No Parking Anytime sign:

$200 reward. 

It's not easy to read, but there is a $200 reward for this cat, who answers to the name Skitten. Or doesn't answer — you know how cats are!

Finally, this past Monday, I saw this sign:

$1,000 reward.

So if you're looking for some extra spending money, keep your eyes open for these lost animals — the record is still $10,000, set back in March, 2015!

#eastvillage #lostcat #lostdog #signs #rewards

The Piano

By now, East Villagers all know about the piano of East 4th Street.

It first appeared last Thursday, May 19:

First appearance.

By Friday, someone had put a pizza box in it:

Pizza box, innit.

Last night, I went to check to see if it was still there. It just so happens that the garbage men were there at the same time, taking away pieces of it. They told me the piano itself was too heavy though, and they were leaving it.

It looks like the East Village has a new landmark!

=-=-=-=-=

UPDATED MAY 26

It seems I spoke (wrote) too soon!

The piano is gone.

The piano is gone!

Nothing clears away an eyesore faster than declaring it a landmark!

#eastvillage #pianos #4thstreet #landmarks

Mischievous Adolescents

East Villager adolescents are a mischievous lot — like many kids their age, they enjoy a good prank!

One such prank is turning the seats around on Citibikes:

Seat turned around.

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

It was once rumored that a turned-around seat meant that the Citibike was not functioning, but East Villagers know it for what it really means: adolescents having a good laugh… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #citibike #adolescents

New Windows

Did I tell you that the beloved Los Muchachos Supermarket on Avenue C and East 4th Street now has new glass windows?

No?

Behold:

New glass windows.

One day it's a new ventilation duct, the next day it's new glass windows — the progress train just won't stop going, no way to slow down… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #losmuchachossupermarket #avenuec #4thstreet #windows #renovations

TV Eye

I was riding my Citibike across East 6th Street recently, when I saw a news reporter from none other than Eyewitness News!

What had they witnessed, I wondered? I got off my Citibike to find out.

They were on the sidewalk in front of The Creative Little Garden, but the camera was facing away from it:

Camera facing away.

What was it aimed at?

The building across the street?

It was the building across the street — I was sure of it! I walked over to see what was so newsworthy.

I was not prepared for what I saw:

Apartments for rent.

East Villagers love apartments for rent!

#eastvillage #6thstreet #eyewitnessnews #forrent #creativelittlegarden

Busking for Dollars

As I wrote once before, busking is a time-honored tradition in the East Village.

I was walking down Second Avenue one afternoon somewhat recently, when I saw this fellow outside the formerly-beloved Chase bank, on St. Mark's Place:

Busker dude.

Nothing gets East Villagers grooving, and reaching into their pockets for dollars, like a good bongo riff!

#eastvillage #bongos #buskers #chasebank #secondavenue #stmarksplace

No Mosaic, Man

I was walking across St. Mark's Place recently, when I noticed the remains of a mosaic at the bottom of a lamp post on Avenue A:

Remains of a mosaic.

Normally, I would assume an art-loving East Villager made off with the mosaic, to decorate their apartment with! However, DNAInfo is reporting that the mosaics removed from Astor Place during the re-make/re-model are going to be re-placed.

Well, that's fine for Midtown South, but what about the East Village?

East Villagers cry foul!

#eastvillage #astorplace #avenuea #midtownsouth #mosaictrail #mosaics #stmarksplace

Celebrity Visit

I was walking down Avenue C, oh, round about last Wednesday, when I spotted what looked like possibly the most interesting man in the world!

He was carrying his guitar, some paintings, and a surf board, but when I asked him if he would mind posing for a picture, he said "No problem, kemosabe!"

Cheers!

I asked him what he thought about the East Village, and he said "The East Village today is cool."

Truer words were never spoken!

#eastvillage #avenuec #themostinterestingmanintheworld #5thstreet

Sidewalk Art Gallery

Exactly two weeks ago today, I was walking across East 6th Street, when I saw this art gallery set up on the sidewalk at the corner of Avenue A:

Sidewalk gallery.

It even has its own built-in spotlight, for nighttime viewing.

East Villagers love nighttime art-shopping!

#eastvillage #art #artgalleries #6thstreet #avenuea

COOL-OOOO

Sometimes, East Villagers are so busy doing one cool thing, that they don't have time for other cool things, like keeping up with their blog, for instance!

Such is the case with East Village Today. I can't say I was doing something cooler than this blog — in the East Village, there are no degrees of coolness: there is cool, and there is the abyss!

Fortunately, I took some pictures during this period of awayness, to help keep people grounded:

Co…

You know what's coming next, don't you?!

OL…OOOO

Woah, what's that? Cool…oooo?

The East Village is cool-oooo!

#eastvillage #eastvillagetoday #cool

Gallery Opening

I was walking down Avenue C recently, when I noticed that the poster for the gallery opening "A Number of Names" changed since January 2015:

A new poster.

I say, I do like that bottom picture! I like a blank, empty wall as much as the next East Villager, but there's something about that fence in the bottom one, and that snow, and the color of those houses!

Oh, I almost forgot! This show is opening Sunday, May 8 — Mother's Day!

Bring your Mom — she'll love it!

UPDATED

I was walking down Avenue C yesterday evening, when I saw that the poster changed again!

Poster changed again.

You could even say it's changed… A Number of Times!

#eastvillage #anumberofnames #artgalleries #avenuec #thestand

Cinco de Mayo

Today is one of the biggest holidays in the East Village: Cinco de Mayo!

If you didn't already know, Cinco de Mayo is the day that East Villagers put on festive party hats and drink margaritas!

There are many fine Mexican restaurants in the East Village to go to for this celebration — the beloved Paquitos, on First Avenue, is one of them!

The beloved Paquitos.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, from the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #firstavenue #paquitos #cincodemayo

Out of Place

I was walking down First Avenue this past Saturday, when for some reason I looked across the avenue at the other side:

Across Second Avenue.

I never noticed this building before — it looks so out of place! Also, when you try to zoom in on it in Google maps, you're taken either to the right or left, but never to this building itself.

Mysterious? You bet! So much so that I had to make a trip back, to find out what it is.

Slavic Evangelical Christian Church sign.

The Slavic Evangelical Christian Church is part of a worldwide, trans-denominational movement within Protestant Christianity, maintaining that the essence of the gospel consists in the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ's atonement.

No wonder they're so hidden — the East Village is nothing if not a bastion of Eastern Orthodoxy, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission to the apostles, practicing the original faith passed down from the Apostles!

East Villagers love Wikipedia.

#eastvillage #secondavenue #slavicevangelicalchristianchurch #signs 

Coming Soon

When last we checked in on the beloved Tompkins Square Bagels (July/2015), the construction fence at their second location (on Second Avenue) had just gone up.

There hasn't been much progress since then. I passed by recently, and saw that there is now a banner up stating that they're coming soon:

Coming Soon banner.

"Rolling into town sometime before the 2nd Ave. Subway. We promise!"

That's promising!

#eastvillage #tompkinssquarebagels #secondavenue #signs #constructionsites

Abandoned Couches

I was walking across East 9th Street this past Saturday, when I saw this abandoned couch outside the beloved Doc Holiday's:

Abandone couch.

As I was taking this picture, an unkempt East Villager walked by and said "Haven't you ever seen an abandoned couch before?"

"Well, no" I thought to myself, "I haven't."

And this got me to thinking: what an exciting life this fellow must lead — all the abandoned couches he's seen! And not just couches, but ottomans too!

And then it happened.

I was walking across St. Mark's Place, when I saw… well, see for yourself:

Second abandoned couch.

A second abandoned couch!

Good things come to those who wait… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #9thstreet #abandoned #docholidays #stmarksplace #couches

The Ugliest Building

I think it is safe to say that this building on East 4th Street is probably the ugliest building in the East Village today:

The ugliest building.

Yesterday, I did observe a woman kick the front door open instead of using a key, which means either the lock is broken, so anyone can enter, or the door doesn't close properly, so anyone can enter!

Shortly after that, I did observe a child of about 14, carrying two grocery bags, ring a buzzer to gain entrance, which means at least one kid lives in this building with no properly-locking front door!

It was then that I did observe this:

Citation.

If you observe closely, you will see that the building owner was cited for having cardboard boxes not flattened, and recyclables mixed with non-recyclables. Not for being an eyesore! Not for having so many trash cans on the sidewalk!

Add caption

There, that's better!

Kunta Strikes Again

I was walking up Avenue A this past Saturday, when out of nowhere…

Kunta!

Kunta.

That is all.

#eastvillage #avenuea #graffiti #kunta

OCDumpster Again

One thing that happens when you use the same path getting into and out of the East Village is that you begin to notice changes to things that some people might say are downright insignificant!

One such change is that of the contents of the OCDumpster, on St. Mark's Place:

Now filled with sand.

Soon after, the sand was gone:

Out with the sand, in with the rubble.

But what's that? Concrete?!

Concrete.

How did that get there? How did someone roll wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow up that mound of rubble?

Insignificant my eye!

#eastvillage #stmarksplace #dumpsters

The Mysterious Floating Chair

What is there to say about the mysterious, floating chair, outside the beloved The Cut Barber Shop on East 7th Street?

Levitating chair.

Another day, another incident of levity… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #thecutbarbershop #7thstreet #chairs