Ray's Candy Store Awning

The awning of the beloved Ray's Candy Store, on Avenue A, must have been cursed by a gypsy!

This is what the awning looked like after its renovation, back in July:

Clean and new.

This is what it looked like yesterday:

Grimy — paint peeling off.

I thought maybe the grime was running down the fire escape ladder, but then I remembered that there's a hole in the top of the awning, to allow the ladder to extend down to the sidewalk, and any drippings would pass through it:

Fire escape ladder hole.

Hmmm.

It looks like this curse is worse than I suspected.

At least the curse doesn't extend to their Department of Health Sanitation Inspection grade!

Grade A.

#eastvillage #rayscandystore #firehazard #fireescapes #awnings #sanitationinspectiongrade

Tut Tut

I was walking across East 3rd Street this past Saturday, when I saw this "Store For Rent" sign hanging on the front of the formerly-beloved Tut:

Store For Rent.

It even comes with an A rating — East Villagers love A ratings!

#eastvillage #3rdstreet #forrent #signs #tut #sanitationinspectiongrade

The Local McDonald's

England is about as far away as you can get from the East Village, but that is where you will have to look to fully understand why East Villagers love their local McDonald's!

There are three McDonald'ses in the East Village: the beloved East 14th Street McDonald's:

East 14th Street McDonald's.

…the beloved First Avenue McDonald's:

First Avenue McDonald's.

…and the beloved Third Avenue McDonald's:

Third Avenue McDonald's.

One thing you can always count on is that McDonald's will have a Sanitation Inspection Grade of "A":

"A".

McDonald's — it's the glue that holds the East Village together!

#eastvillage #14thstreet #firstavenue #mcdonalds #sanitationinspectiongrade #thirdavenue

"A" Christmas Stencil

I was walking past the beloved Vazac's bar on the corner of Avenue B and East 7th Street recently, when I saw their Christmas window stencils:

Christmas window stencils.

Vazac's is known for their stencils, which are defaced almost immediately by their customers, who write their names or clever slogans in the Ice Crystals Aerosol Spray!

They won't be able to deface that "A" rating though!

It's comforting to know that the bags of pretzels you can buy at the bar are kept at the right temperature!

#eastvillage #christmasdecorations #icecrystalsaerosolspray #vazacs #avenueb #7thstreet #pretzels #sanitationinspectiongrade