Tree Riders NYC

Once again, the winner of the Best Christmas Trees At The Best Prices Award goes to the beloved Tree Riders NYC, on Second Avenue, in front of Saint Mark's Church:

The beloved Tree Riders NYC.

Despite ridiculously-high prices everywhere else in the East Village, I bought a 3-foot-plus tree here for the low, low price of $40!

I recommend Tree Riders NYC for all your Christmas tree needs.

That is all.

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!

Take Down Those Lights Update

When I posted the story "Take Down Those Lights" onto Twitter, for the benefit of my many Twitter followers, I @'d the New York City Parks Department, hoping to spur them into action:

Take Down Those Lights https://t.co/9hkULYIIG2 #EastVillage #TompkinsSquarePark #ChristmasTree @NYCParks @NYCParksDept pic.twitter.com/tBLOczOStH

— East Village Today (@zybkgex) February 21, 2017

Well, let me tell you, they wasted no time taking down those lights!

No more lights.

Next on the list: get them to replace this deformed tree with a nice one!

#eastvillage #christmaslights #tompkinssquarepark #christmastrees #parksdepartment #twitter

Take Down Those Lights

Don't adjust your monitor — the Tompkins Square Park Christmas Tree looks this way naturally!

Every year, the people who do these things decorate the pine tree in the middle area of Tompkins Square Park. It's a Fahoo Fores moment if ever there was one!

Fahoo Fores!

This year, however, those people forgot to take down the lights — they're still up!

Nothing ruins Christmas more than Christmas every day.

East Villagers say: Take down those lights!

#eastvillage #tompkinssquarepark #christmastrees #christmaslights

The Christmas Tree Artist

In the East Village, artists approach their Christmas Trees like they would a canvas.

Behold, on Second Avenue and East 6th Street, this past Saturday:

Standing back, mulling.

Adjusting the placement of a light.

Pretty soon he'll become disgusted, call himself an impostor, and head for the nearest bar — it's the East Village way!

#eastvillage #6thstreet #artists #christmastrees #secondavenue

Organic Christmas Trees

East Villagers are trendy eaters: gluten-free, vegan, fruitarian — you name it!

So it makes perfect sense that they would want their Christmas Trees to be organic too.

Observe, on Second Avenue and East 6th Street, this past weekend:

Organic Christmas Trees.

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

Genuine carbon-based Christmas Trees — accept no substitutes!

#eastvillage #christmastrees #secondavenue #6thstreet #organic

Christmas Tree Carting

Not everyone in the East Village lugs their Christmas Tree over to Tompkins Square Park for mulching.

Here is one enterprising idea, from the East 4th Street side of El Jardin del Paraiso:

Enterprising idea.

You may remember, from such posts as Shopping Carts, By George and No Dumping, what a popular location this stretch of sidewalk is for dumping!

This cart sure is a long way from Home… Depot!

#eastvillage #4thstreet #christmastrees #dumping #eljardindelparaiso #shoppingcarts

Recycling Christmas Trees

East Villagers love to recycle — they cycle, and they recycle!

Christmas trees are no exception, as seen yesterday at the Treecycle station in Tompkins Square Park:

Treecycle station.

I didn't bring my tree here though; I put it on the curb — it's easier!

#eastvillage #tompkinssquarepark #recycling #christmastrees

Christmas and Beer

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens…

Ask any East Villager what their favorites things are (after the Halloween Dog Parade, of course!), and they'll tell you "Beer and Christmas"!

So it should come as no surprise that the beloved East Village Farm, on Second Avenue and East 4th Street, had both on display this past Saturday:

Beer and Christmas trees.

If you're burly enough, you can carry them both home at the same time, one in each hand!

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When they're feeling sad
East Villagers drink up their favorite things
And then they don't feel… so bad…

When decorating their Christmas trees…

In the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #beer #christmas #christmastrees #secondavenue #eastvillagefarm 4thstreet

Christmas Corner

There was a time when the corner of First Avenue and East 1st Street was an eyesore — no one would have thought of selling Christmas trees in front of it!

Now, due to the beloved Mars Bar closing, and the beloved TD Bank opening, it's safe for holiday revellers to stroll past, and even purchase a Christmas Tree:

Strolling past the beloved TD Bank.

Not only can you purchase a tree from this corner, but you can even purchase one named after a famous celebrity! Here are some examples:

John [sic] Snow, and Gandalf.

Lieutenant Dan, and more!

The thing about Christmas trees named after famous celebrities is that you need to leave the sign hanging around it once you get it home, so people will know who it's named after! Guess which tree I bought?!

#eastvillage #1ststreet #christmastrees #firstavenue #gandalf #jonsnow #lieutenantdan #taylorswift #tdbank

Christmas Treecycling Comes Early

East Villagers all know the area in Tompkins Square Park where Christmas trees are taken to be mulched. It's almost as festive a ritual as buying the tree — helping it to rejoin the circle of life!

Here is a picture from this past January:

Treecycling area in January.

This year, however, the Parks Department has erected the fence early — fine months early, to be precise! This picture is from last week:

Treecycling area in July.

Last week, the Terrahawk Mobile Utility Surveillance Tower was parked here. It's gone now, but they left the fence.

It's never too soon to treecycle… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #christmastrees #tompkinssquarepark #recycling

Tompkins Square Park Christmas Tree

Last night was the official lighting of the Tompkins Square Park Christmas tree. I didn't attend the ceremony — I was making Christmas cookies! Sources say it was a sight to behold.

This morning I passed by the tree on my way to work. It's the first time I really paid any attention to it, and what I noticed was that this tree is seriously deformed.

Another deformed tree.

What is wrong with the trees in this park?! Did some old gypsy put a curse on them?

#eastvillage #christmastrees #tompkinssquarepark #gypsies

Christmas Tree Man Working

I was walking up Second Avenue this morning, when I spied this Christmas Tree man doing… something. I wasn't quite sure what he was dong, but after a moment I discovered that he was oiling his saw blade!

Oiling his saw blade.

You see? It's not all fun and games for the Christmas Tree men — they have to work too!

UPDATED 12/15

Today, I walked past the booth and saw this:

Wilkinson Sawed!

#eastvillage #christmastrees #thirdavenue

Not Just Any Bike – AnnieBike!

OK, this has nothing to do with the East Village today, except that I was riding an Annie Citibike down Second Avenue towards the East Village, but it's a cool story and I think you'll enjoy hearing it.
So here goes:

I was riding an Anniebike (my first!) home to the East Village, when I saw the bike lane ahead of me was blocked… by Christmas trees!

Since this isn't something you see every day, even at Christmastime, I got off the Anniebike and took this picture:

Bike lane blocked by Christmas trees.

Since I was now off the Anniebike, and since I didn't know if I'd ever get to ride another one, I took a picture of it too:

Anniebike and Christmas-tree-blocked bike lane.

So there it is. I hope you enjoyed this little Christmas story. It's all true!

#citibike #secondavenue #bicycles #christmastrees #bikelanes

Christmas in the East Village

It's Christmastime in the East Village! East Villagers love Christmas; there are more places to buy Christmas trees, Christmas wreaths, tree stands and such, than you can shake a stick at!

Tonight, I passed by this line of Christmas trees on Second Avenue, just below East 11th Street:

It's like a pine forest.

The smell of pine was everywhere — it was like a pine forest!

In the plaza outside St. Mark's church were these ginormous trees:

Ginormous trees.

Christmas tree sellers will be around until December 24th, but it's better to get yours early, so you can have it longer!

#eastvillage #stmarkschurch #christmastrees #11thstreet #secondavenue

Key Food Christmas Tree Rack Update

The other day, I wrote that a Christmas tree rack was assembled outside Key Food, on Avenue A and East 4th Street.

It didn't take long for them to fill it with Christmas trees:

At the same time, another Christmas tree rack was assembled and filled at the Bueno East Market, a block away, on East 3rd Street:

There's a lot of graffiti on Bueno East Mart.

Let the price war begin!

#3rd street #4thstreet #avenuea #buenoeastmart #christmastrees #keyfood

Christmas Tree Rack at Key Food

From some time in the near future until probably Christmas Day, you will be able to buy a Christmas Tree after your groceries, at Key Food on Avenue A at East 4th Street:

Setting up the Christmas Tree rack.

It might be a tight squeeze here for a while, but East Villagers don't mind — East Villagers love Christmas!

#eastvillage #christmastrees #keyfood #avenuea #4thstreet