Employees Only

I was walking up Avenue C the other day, when I saw an open cellar door in front of the beloved Perfection barbershop. Nothing special about that, I said to myself, until I got closer!

Behold:

Beyond the cellar door.

Have you ever seen such a tidy cellar?! — and a door, like the one you had growing up as a kid!

In case you can't read the sign on the door, it says Employees Only.

It's important to let people who enter your cellar know which areas are restricted… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #avenuec #cellardoors #doors #perfection #signs

Massive Kitty Litter Spill

East Village riders of the uptown F train were surprised as ever yesterday morning to see this massive kitty litter spill on the formerly-beloved V-train side of the platform:

Kitty litter spill.

No one knows how this happened, but the rats had better stay away from here — there's sure to be a lot of cat goings-on!

#eastvillage #ftrain #vtrain #kittylitter

…In With The New

As I wrote about a minute ago, the new East 7th Street location of the beloved Trash & Vaudeville will be free from the stair hazard that plagued their St. Mark's Place location all those years!

No stair hazard.

There are still stairs, but not the sort that make people fall and bash their shin!

They've already started preparing for their Grand Re-Opening, by painting their riot gates pink!

Pink riot gates.

As East Villagers all know, black and pink is the most fashionable of the 1980s color combinations, only slightly more fashionable than black and cyan, or leopard-skin!

Some things never go out of style… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #stairs #trashvaudeville #7thstreet #blackandpink #blackandcyan

Out With The Old…

As I wrote before, the beloved Trash & Vaudeville is moving to East 7th Street!

East Villagers are excited as all get out to be able to purchase their 1980s rock-and-roll clothes at a new location, one without the dangerous stairs that existed at the St. Mark's Place location!

Dangerous stairs leading up.

Here's another view:

Another view.

These were the stairs leading to the sidewalk from the downstairs area:

Dangerous stairs leading to the sidewalk.

They even painted a warning on them:

Watch Your Step.

Check out how the kids wearing Dr. Martens boots assemble on one side, leaving the sneaker-wearer isolated!

#eastvillage #stmarksplace #stairs #trashvaudeville #drmartens

Yummy Asian Food

I was walking across East 3rd Street the other morning, when I saw this newly-beloved purveyor of Take Out Chinese Food – Dumpling & Noodle:

Yummy Asian Food, Inc.

It seems like only last year that this location was home to the beloved Lord Hamm's. Maybe if Yummy was in the name, it still would be!

East Villagers love yummy food!

#eastvillage #yummyasianfood #3rdstreet #lordhamms

Sudzy

The other day, I received this email, via YouTube:

Email via YouTube.

East Villagers love competent laudromats, and they love smartphones — this could very well be… a winning combination!

* * *

Aside 1: Sudzy is a name I would have chosen; it's right up there with reflecty!

Aside 2: Sudzy contacted me through my YouTube account — they must love those Jessica Jones videos! Who doesn't?!

#eastvillage #email #jessicajones #laundromats #sudzy #youtube

Exit… Stage

Rumor has it that the beloved Stage Restaurant is closing for good, after being closed since last year, when Consolidated Edison discovered that the gas lines had been "inappropriately accessed"  and shut off their gas. This was followed by the Department of Buildings issuing a Full Stop Work order.

This was the scene outside yesterday evening:

Outside Stage Restaurant yesterday evening.

Stage was not that popular with East Villagers. First of all, there were no tables — only a line of stools at a counter! Also, the food was not very good.

Oh yes, and they didn't take debit/credit cards!

Hopefully, something will open here with better food, and a safer space!

#eastvillage #conedison #secondavenue #signs #stagerestaurant

New Line

I was walking up Second Avenue this past Sunday, when I saw this sign, taped to a lamp post:

New Line Productions, Inc.

As you know, East Villagers are always excited when this neighborhood is used to film TV shows, and films! Drivers move their cars hours in advance — tow-truck drivers rarely have to move anything!

True to their word, the film crew was set up along East 4th Street, Monday morning:

Set up Monday morning. 

I think it's a film about the new Second Avenue subway line, hence: New Line Productions!

Second Avenue subway line.

It's done with CGI… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #cgi #filmmakers #movies #secondavenue #subway

Re-Parcelling Second Avenue

Ever since the aftermath of the Second Avenue explosion and fire around this time last year, the vacant lot that was left behind was undifferentiated; it was a single lot.

A little while ago, it was re-parcelled:

Re-parcelling fence, view 1.

Re-parcelling fence, view 2.

It's important to know where the property lines are, so you know where to position the rat traps!

It looks like the rats come from the property on the corner (the left side of the picture) — the traps all point that way!

#eastvillage #secondavenue #fir, #eastvillageexplosion #fences #rattraps

The First Crusties of Spring

Leonardo DiCaprio was right about the effects of global warming, not only on movie production but on the migration of species!

Witness this, seen last Sunday on Second Avenue — the crusties returned early:

Crusties returned early.

Many crusties like to spend their days loitering on St. Mark's Place. The formerly-beloved JAS Mart has already prepared for their return:

Prepared for crusties' return.

Here's a close-up:

Close-up.

East Villagers welcome the crusties with open arms — which is another way of saying they like to keep them at arm's length!

#eastvillage #crusties #jasmart #signs #stmarksplace