Mondrianish Entrance

I was walking across East 7th Street recently, when I saw this imitation Piet Mondrian painting painted on the front wall of a building:

 

Imitation Mondrian.

I say "imitation" because it's not a reproduction of an actual Piet Mondrian painting. 

If I was going to paint the wall of a building in some Mondrianish way, I would copy an actual painting!

Authenticity, baby!

New Year’s Eve at Two Boots

The East Village was empty on New Year's Eve day this year, as so many of its residents had already flown, or taken a train, or driven home for the holidays.

I, however, am home, at the beloved Two Boots Pizza, on Avenue A and East 3rd Street! 

Sicilian slice!

Two Boots Pizza was also empty, so like a true East Village rebel, I took off my mask! 

Gas Meter Room

I was walking across East 7th Street on New Year's Eve day, when I saw these opened cellar doors leading down to… a door? a ventilation shaft? 

 

What is this thing?

Clearly, some East Village building owner does not want ConEd to read the gas meter!

Wet Paint

I was walking across East 7th Street recently, when I saw this Wet Paint sign taped to a tree: 

Taped to a tree.

It's time to paint the trees again!

Baby Christmas Trees

Whereas today is the sixth day of Christmas, the day of six geese a-laying, it is unlikely you will be able to purchase one of these baby Christmas trees, previously sold outside the beloved Village Farm Grocery, on Second Avenue:

Baby Christmas trees.

These are the sort of trees you buy, don't decorate, then throw away the day after Christmas, along with the stand, as can be seen in this picture, taken the day after Christmas, on the corner of Avenue B and East 7th Street:

Throw-away baby Christmas tree.

I'm not sure if the chair is from the same apartment or not. Probably, since anyone who throws away a perfectly good Christmas tree stand would probably throw away a perfectly good chair just because a wheel fell off!

Chess Tables Off-Limits

No one knows when this happened, but the chess tables in Tompkins Square Park, by the Avenue A and East 7th Street entrance, are off-limits: 

Off limits.

It probably has to do with Covid-19. Too many drug addicts and alcoholics were not wearing their masks! They're a libertarian bunch, after all.

Covid-19 Testing Tent

When you leave any other park in New York City, it is recommended that you wash your hands. When you leave Tompkins Square Park, it is recommended that you get tested for Covid-19!

As you can see from the picture, no one is waiting to be tested at this testing tent on East 7th Street:

No one waiting. 

I would not trust a Covid-19 testing tent outside of Tompkins Square Park!

Secret Messages

Whoa, Nelly — I've been away for a while!

Not away, exactly, just not posting. I have been taking pictures though, and even uploading them to this site, for future use.

This is one of them:

One of them.

It's a secret message, written on an envelope, and left in an unassuming place: beside a bicycle lock on a tree-guard railing on East 7th Street.

That's a pretty clever way of delivering a message!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #bicyclelocks #treeguards

Happy 4th Anniversary!

It's true! Today is the fourth anniversary of every East Villager's favorite blog: East Village Today!

To celebrate, here is a picture of a teeny-tiny steam roller, that I saw this morning on East 7th Street:

Teeny-tiny steam roller.

It's questionable whether this roller is actually powered by steam, but just as horsepower is a unit of power equal to 550 foot-pounds per second, even though we don't pull things with horses any more, that's just what it's called!

#eastvillage #steamroller #7thstreet #horsepower

Standing Room Only

Everywhere you go in the East Village these days, you'll be caught up in World Cup Mania!

Here at the beloved Zum Schneider, on the corner of Avenue C and East 7th Street, it was standing room only for the game:

Standing room only.

I guess there was sitting room too, it's just that the seats were all filled!

#eastvillage #avenuec #7thstreet #zumschneider #worldcup #soccer #standingroomonly

A Beautiful Puddle

When I first saw this puddle, on East 7th Street, I thought it was one of the most beautiful puddles I'd ever seen:

Beautiful puddle.

The picture doesn't do it justice, though — it just doesn't look the same.

(I should have moved that trash bag.)

#eastvillage #7thstreet #puddles #trashbags

Watch Everything

I was walking across East 7th Street this past Thursday, when I saw a flash of bright pink in my peripheral field of vision.

I looked down the cellar stairs from whence it came, and saw this:

"Watch Your Head, Please!"

"Watch Your Head Please!" (East Villagers are very polite.)

I think the sign is meant for people who aren't watching their feet: they trip over the trash bags at the bottom of the stairs, and hit their heads!

Maybe there should be a sign on the steps that says: Watch Your Feet Please!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #trashbags #signs #cellarstairs

Labor Day LP

Walking down St. Mark's Place back in April, I spied with my little eye an abandoned cardboard box containing four long-playing records by East Village celebrity Spencer Breslin:

Long-playing records.

I wonder if he's related to Jimmy Breslin? I bet he is — it's not that common a name, Spencer.

A month later, I saw this, on East 7th Street:

On East 7th Street.

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

I wonder if these are the same records? Maybe someone took them from the box on St. Mark's Place, walked a block, and left them here.

It's certainly a much better background!

#eastvillage #spencerbreslin #stmarksplace #7thstreet #records #laborday #celebrities

The Stand

A long time ago, I wrote about an advertisement for an art gallery opening that was painted onto the side of a little stand at the corner of Avenue C and East 7th Street.

It turns out that stand is the art gallery! It's called The Stand.

This past Memorial Day weekend, I passed by there again, and saw this:

Flea market.

A flea market!

The woman seated in the picture above is the gallery curator. She was selling things to raise money to support the art classes she gives to adults with disabilities.

Here is another picture:

Another picture.

The mural in the back was painted by her students!

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

It just goes to show you: behind every closed door in the East Village… is probably an art gallery!

#eastvillage #6thstreet #artgalleries #avenuec #thestand #fleamarket

If It's Memorial Day, This Must Be A Punk Rock Concert – Part 1

I was walking up Avenue B yesterday, when I saw this sign taped to a lamppost, at East 7th Street:

Take the city back.

Take the city back? Take it back where? Hasn't it always been here?

There was also this sign, outside the beloved Vazac's:

Torn sign.

It looks like someone took a disliking to this sign.

This concert was to commemorate a riot that occurred around Tompkins Square Park, Memorial Day weekend, 1991. (Even East Villagers need a reason to grill!)

When I got to the park, the first band, Karnage, was already playing. There was someone on stage dressed as a super hero — Wonder Man, Flash, I don't know. I thought he was part of the band, so I didn't hurry to video tape him, but it turns out he wasn't!

This is Karnage, without Wonder Man:


The ever-present swag table was present:

Present!

There were not a lot of people, but it is Memorial Day weekend. East Villagers are notoriously late anyway.

I couldn't stay either. I had to go to Metro Bikes, on East 14th Street, to buy a new wheel for my bike. (You can read about that here.)

When I got back, the band Universal Truth Machine was finishing up:


After them came Sewage:


After Sewage, this woman got onto the stage, who had been going up onto the stage during each band's set. It seemed like she was going to speak, but then she didn't:


After that incident came Coach + Commando:


It was getting late, and I had a date at home with some tacos, so I wasn't able to see the last two bands: The Nihilistics and The Undead.

Here is a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Undead though:

Mr. and Mrs. Undead.

The organizers should put on the good bands first, and the… less-good bands after. That way, people could come see the good bands in the afternoon, and then go home and eat!

Continued…

#eastvillage #7thstreet #avenueb #chrisflash #coachandcommando #karnage #memorialdayweekend #punkrock #punkrockshow #sewage #signs #tompkinssquarepark #universaltruthmachine #vazacs

Cleaning Up The Cheese

It looks like someone finally started cleaning out the garbage left behind when the formerly-beloved East Village Cheese closed, back whenever that was:

Cleaning up the mess.

I wonder if they had to wear hazmat suits to protect themselves from the rotting cheese?

#eastvillage #eastvillagecheese #7thstreet #inside

Pointless Tree Supports

When walking around the East Village, oftentimes you see tree supports — poles driven into the ground that help keep a tree upright.

These three supports, on East 7th Street, serve no purpose whatsoever:

Whatsoever.

Seriously, what is the point?

#eastvillage #trees #treesupports #7thstreet

Abandoned Salad

I was walking across East 7th Street recently, when I saw this unopened container of salad on the sidewalk:

Salad on the sidewalk.

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

Who even orders a salad?

#eastvillage #7thstreet #salad #abandonedfood

Mr. Bones

I was walking across East 7th Street the other week or so, when I saw these paintings lining the fence at the corner of Avenue A, outside Tompkins Square Park:

Lining the fence.

The one that caught my eye is the one fourth from the left. It says

"Mr. Bones. I whent bakc to Ohio".

East Villagers never forget their midwestern roots!

#eastvillage #paintings #avenuea #7thstreet #ohioans #mrbones

Joke In-Waiting

I was walking across East 7th Street when I saw this joke waiting to happen:

Banana.

Most East Villagers don't think people slipping on banana peels is funny, but some do — the mean ones!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #bananas