East Village Parents Respond

Back in December of 2016, I was walking down First Avenue, when I saw this graffiti message:

Graffiti message.

Well, East Village parents beg to differ!

East Village parents know that no matter what else anyone might think about it, it's illegal. They don't want to have to go pick up their kid from the police precinct, or the morgue!, for something like doodling on a wall.

East Village parents also know that most graffiti is like the stuff above: scribbles — it looks bad.

Most importantly, East Village parents know that the propellants in spray cans, and the compounds in paint pens, are toxic. One of the biggest problems graffitiers face is becoming addicted to the fumes, and later, when the fumes no longer do the job, to stronger drugs like heroin.

In conclusion, East Village parents do understand street art, and say: "You kids be safe — and don't make a mess!"

#eastvillage #firstavenue #graffiti #heroin #paintpens #propellants #spraycans #graffitiwall

Bittersweet

As excieted as East Villagers were to wake up to snow, all around us now are reminders that the holiday time is over.

Starting with Halloween, moving through Thanksgiving, Santa Con, and New Year's, the East Village holiday season is finally coming to a close with the discarding of the Christmas trees.

Behold, on First Avenue:

Snow-covered, discarded Christmas trees.

Maybe these two on East 3rd Street have bedbugs?

Bedbuggy discarded Christmas trees.

Even owners of artificial trees get into the act!

Discarded artificial Christmas tree.

But fear not, Spring is already on its way — even today, I saw my first robin!

It's the circle of life… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #firstavenue #discardedchristmastrees #3rdstreet

The First Snowfall of 2017

East Villagers were excited to wake up this morning to the first snowfall of 2017!

Here is a picture:

Some kind of snow-covered sculpture thing.

It's some kind of snow-covered sculpture thing, in First Park, on East 1st Street.

Pictures of the East Village covered in snow remind me of… the last time it snowed!

Here is a picture from the last time it snowed, back in mid-December:

A snowman.

It's a snowman! This was also taken in First Park.

East Villagers hope for more snow days, with lots of snow — it's a Winter wonderland!

#eastvillage #1ststreet #firstpark #houstonstreet #sculptures #snow #snowman

Petrus Stuyvesant's Pear Tree

As you probably already know, East Villagers love trees — they're crazy about them! This is nothing new.

I was walking down Third Avenue recently, when I saw this plaque on the wall outside the beloved Kiehl's, dedicated to a tree:

Plaque.

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

But what's that?!

Poorly placed quotation mark.

What a poorly-placed quotation mark!

There needs to be a Typesetting Society, that fixes other Society's bad plaques!

#eastvillage #kiehls #plaques #signs #thehollandsociety #thirdavenue #kerning

Jewman Update

Regular readers of this blog are already familiar with the Jewman controversy.

Based on my source, I'm pretty sure this is just regular old graffiti. Here is another example that I saw a few weeks ago, on the side of the beloved Verizon building on Second Avenue:

More Jewman.

Who could mistake that smiley face for evil?

#eastvillage #secondavenue #graffiti #jewman #verizon

Visitor Ralph

The East Village is full of murals. Here is one by Shepard Fairey, on First Avenue, above the formerly-beloved Schnitz:

Shepard Fairey mural.

But it wasn't the mural that caught my eye, while walking down the avenue — it was this Visitor sticker below the mural:

Visitor Ralph.

We hope you had a good visit — come again soon, Ralph!

#eastvillage #firstavenue #kerning #murals #schnitz #shepardfairey #stickers #visitorralph

Wheelbarrow Full of Water

I was walking across East 4th Street a couple of weeks ago, when I saw these orange cones and orange barrels, warning East Villagers of the the danger ahead:

Danger ahead.

I crossed the street to safety, which is where I saw this:

A wheelbarrow full of water.

No hoses, no buckets… it wasn't raining — how did the water get in there?

Who even carries water in a wheelbarrow? It could spill!

#eastvillage #4thstreet #avenuea #orangebarrels #orangecones #wheelbarrow

Bed Frame Tree Guard

Tree guards in the East Village are a never-ending source of wonder.

Here is one I was wondering about, that I saw on First Avenue a couple of weeks ago:

Add caption

My guess is that some artist got rid of their kid's bed frame, and made an art project out of it — what's up with all that litter, though?!

#eastvillage #firstavenue #treeguards #litter #artproject

Nike Comes to Avenue C

I was walking down Avenue C last year (two weeks ago!) when I saw this "store for rent" sign:

Store for rent.

I suspect the store isn't really for rent though, since there's all sorts of Nike insignia in it:

Nike insignia.

Even the wall is tag-lined:

Tag-lined wall.

Here is another view:

Another view.

East Villagers are excited to have a new shoe store to belove — Who runs these streets?! We run these streets!

#eastvillage #signs #avenuec #nike