Dirt Bikes

If there's one thing East Villagers love, it's loading their dirt bike into their pickup truck and heading out for some extreme dirt bike racing!

Here you can see one such example, on East 5th Street:

Loaded up.

Here is a close-up of the dirt bike:

Close-up.

In case you were thinking this was a fluke, that this was the only East Villager into dirt biking, here is another picture taken the very same day, on East 8th Street:

The very same day.

Here, likewise, is a close-up of the dirt bike:

Close-up.

There's nothing like a day at the dirt bike track to shake off those avant garde blues!

#eastvillage #5thstreet #8thstreet #dirtbikes #pickuptrucks

Inside A Call Box

Have you ever seen inside an East Village call box?

Me neither!

Until now.

Behold, the inside of a call box, on Avenue B and East 8th Street:

Inside a call box.

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

Is it what you expected?

Me neither!

#eastvillage #8thstreet #avenueb #callboxes #inside

Step Right Up

I was walking down Avenue C this past Saturday, when I noticed that the once empty storefront at the corner of East 8th Street was now occupied by the beloved bar Loverboy:

Loverboy.

No doubt, you will remember that this was the place where someone saw fit to replace one set of dilapidated steps with another set of dilapidated steps, even while the store was unoccupied!

The current occupants will have none of that.

Behold:

No steps.

If you want to drink at Loverboy, you need to be able to mount the step in a single bound!

Either that, or use the wheelchair ramp, which… I don't see. I'm sure they would be pleased to provide assistance — if you need help, please ask!

#eastvillage #8thstreet #avenuec #loverboy #

Trash Can From The Sky

East Villagers were surprised to wake up one morning last week to discover that a trash can fell out of the sky and landed in Tompkins Square Park!

It was soon cordoned off by… someone. Parks Department people probably:

Cordoned off.

The sign says the entrance is closed "due to repair", but in all honesty, I'd say the entrance is closed due to a massive hole in the sidewalk!

Entrance closed.

Here is what most people see, from behind the barricade:

From behind the barricade.

Here is what East Village Today sees, from past the barricade:

From past the barricade.

I measured the diameter — 50 inches — which would make the circumference approximately 157 inches, give or take a few inches for irregularities in the shape.

It's hard to know how the trash can got so high up in the air that it could make such a big hole when it hit. They usually stay close to the ground, like this one:

Close to the ground.

#eastvillage #8thstreet #avenueb #tompkinssquarepark #trashcans #trashcanholeofdoom

Visit The Rat Farm

I was walking across East 8th Street — oh, about eight days ago — when I saw something (not all that) unusual: a slanty building!

Slanty building.

When I positioned myself straight across from it, to get a better picture of its curvature, I noticed a sign hanging above their door:

Visit The Rat Farm.

Visit the rat farm!

Here is close-up:

Close-up.

Apparently, the beloved De Colores Garden is infested with rats! I went in to see them, but alas… there were none.

Maybe the gardeners of De Colores Garden should put up a sign that points back and says: Visit The Slanty Building!

#eastvillage #8thstreet #communitygardens #decoloresgarden #rats #signs #slantybuildings

Christodora Shroud

The Christodora House, on the corner of Avenue B and East 8th Street, is probably the most beloved apartment building in the East Village.

And why not? Michigan-born musician Iggy Pop once lived here!

I was walking through Tompkins Square Park this past Thursday evening, when I saw that the Christodora House was being enshrouded:

Enshrouded.

It's nice to see when things are being taken care of — preserving the past, for future generations to admire!

#eastvillage #8thstreet #avenueb #christodorahouse #iggypop #renovations #shroud #tompkinssquarepark

Av. D & 8 St. Deli Corp. Update

It seems like it was just yesterday I was writing about the beloved Av. D & 8 St. Deli Corp., at the corner of Avenue D and East 8th Street, and their recent awning renovation!

Last night, while riding my Citibike down Avenue D, I saw the outcome — and now you can too!

The outcome.

It makes me want to rush right in and buy some cold beer, sodas, cold cuts, snacks, candies, groceries, fruits and vegetables, cigarettes, ATM and EBT!

#eastvillage #8thstreet #avd8stdelicorp #avenued #awnings #renovations

Before and After

People say to me, they say: "East Village Today, what do you do when you're out and see some wrong that needs to be righted?

Well, the answer is: I fix it!

Today, when I was out, I saw this traffic cone and sign face down on Avenue C at East 8th Street:

Traffic cone and sign, face down.

So I picked it up:

Traffic cone and sign, face up.

It's hard to know, in situations like these, if the fix is accurate. For instance, the sign is pointing in a direction against the flow of bicycle traffic. Was it meant to be this way?

Further up the street were other such traffic cones and signs:

Traffic cone and sign, facing the right way.

There's only so much you can do… in the East Village!

#eastvillage #avenuec #8thstreet #bikelanes

Balcony Tents

As you already know, balconies are very cool, and everyone should have one.

This morning, I was walking across East 8th Street when I saw this:

A tent on a balcony!

Someone erected a tent on their balcony! I wonder if this is a new Air-BnB strategy?

East Villagers are really imaginative!

#eastvillage #8thstreet #balconies #tents

Avenue A

More pictures from previous outings, along Avenue A. This should cheer up the old-timers!

Between 7th and 8th Streets.

On the corner of 8th Street.

Meanwhile, on the next block:

Between 8th and 9th Streets.

Teeny-Tiny Building

On East 8th Street, just in from Second Avenue, there is a teeny-tiny building:

It's hard to know how such a small building came to be built. Why is it only three stories? Why is it so thin? It looks like people live in it.

The East Village is crazy!

#eastvillage #3rdstreet #8thstreet #secondavenue #stmarksplace