The Last Three

As part of my series of Day Trips Outside the East Village, I ventured this morning to Astor Place, to see the new rhino sculpture called "The Last Three", by the artist duo Gillie and Marc.

Here is a picture:

The Last Three.

East Villagers have been flocking to this sculpture since it was unveiled yesterday — there hasn't been this much excitement since Basquiat was alive!

Here is a map showing how to get there from the East Village:

Directions from East Village.

Thankfully, it's not very far, and you get to exit from St. Mark's Place, the coolest street in the East Village!

#eastvillage #astorplace, #daytrips, #thelastthree, #stmarksplace, #sculptures, #gillieandmarc

Christmassy Standpipe

Bless me, readers, for I have sinned — it's been ten days since my last post!

Well, you know, East Villagers get all caught up in the Christmas thing.

Speaking of Christmas, check out this Christmassy standpipe, that I saw on one of my jaunts into the Lower East Side:

Christmassy standpipe.

Notice the way the sidewalk slants. That's something they have down there in the Lower East Side: slanty sidewalks.

Weird!

#lowereastside #christmasdecorations, #daytrips, #standpipes

Welcome to East River Park

Recently, I ventured over the Franklin Delano Roosevelt highway (the eastern-most border of the East Village) to the East River Park.

In recent years, the East River Park has undergone tremendous changes — it's such a great park now!

Here is the welcome sign that greets you at the East 6th Street entrance:

Welcome sign.

There are so many things to do in the new East River Park: there's an amphitheater, ball fields, comfort stations, a mini soccer field, more ball fields, tennis courts, more comfort stations, basketball courts, a track, more comfort stations, a children's playground, and a BBQ area!

There's so much to do, you can't possibly do it all in a single day!

Park closes at midnight.

#eastvillage #daytrips #eastriverpark #signs

Low Tech

As part of my series of Day Trips Outside the East Village, I ventured into the Lower East Side this past Saturday. Walking up Forsythe Street, I passed by the Mulherin art gallery.

The pictures near the window caught my eye. They were photographs of houses — nothing special, just drab houses. They looked exactly like the kind of pictures I take, so I stopped in!

It turns out they weren't photographs at all, but paintings! The show is called Low Tech, and the artist is Mike Bayne, from Canada!

As much as I liked the houses, this is the one I took a picture of:

The Enfield.

What I like most about this is the half-a-sign on the left. This is the kind of thing that drives me crazy when cropping photos: do I extend the frame to the left to bring in the rest of the sign, and shift the center leftwards, or do I Photoshop it out? In this case, I would Photoshop it out, but he left it in! Incredible!

East Villagers who appreciate the unadulterated mundane should make this day-trip to the Lower East Side! Here is a map showing how to get there from the East Village:

Directions from East Village.

The show will remain open until October 9!

#artgalleries #artists #daytrips #forsythestreet #lowtech #lowereastside #mikebayne #mulherin #painters

Jodo Bee Mural

Last night after work, I took a trip outside the East Village, to the Lower East Side!* I had been invited through Instagram to see the new mural by the illustrious JodoNYC!

It's not easy finding one's way around outside the East Village, but after putting my sleuthing skills to work I eventually found the beloved Stanton Social. I asked the greeter inside if she knew where the bee was, and she showed me — and now I will show you:

Giant Jodo Bee.

They grow so quickly — I remember when this bee was knee-high to a grasshopper!

______
* This is in an area known as Hello Square — people here are so friendly, they welcome you with a resounding Hello!

#daytrips #greeter #hellosquare #instagram #jodobee #lowereastside #murals #stantonsocial

Citibikes Outside the East Village

I don't usually take pictures outside the East Village — what is there to see?!

Recently, however, I had to venture outside the village limits, and saw something… interesting: The Citibike station outside the beloved K*Mart was gone!

Citibike station gone.

My business inside KMart was brief, thankfully.

On my way back, I discovered that the station didn't disappear — it moved, to the newly widened sidewalk outside The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art:

Citibike station moved.

It's further from KMart, but it's closer to the East Village!

#eastvillage #citibike #kmart #daytrips

Jacob Riis Houses

As part of my series of "Day Trips Outside (formerly Near) the East Village", I ventured way up North, to Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street, to the Museum of the City of New York!

Why, you ask? Why would I travel so far outside of the East Village? To see the exhibition on Jacob Riis!

East Villagers know the name Jacob Riis from the housing project by the same name, between Avenue D and FDR Drive, and East 8th and 13th Streets:

Location of Jacob Riis Houses.

Here is a picture:

Jacob Riis Houses, at East 10th Street.

In case you can't read the sign, here's a closeup:

Close-up.

According to the New York City Housing Authority web page, the Jacob Riis Houses are named after:

Jacob August Riis (1849-1914) – Danish-born American journalist and reformer whose reports on living conditions in city slums led to improvements in housing and education. His stories in newspapers about slum dwellings and abuses in lower class urban life were collected in "How the Other Half Lives (1890)." Riis dwelled on the city's slum tenements and how the people there lived. His vivid descriptions, often depicted on slides, caused audiences at his lectures to moan, shudder and even faint.

Today, East Villagers revel in the conditions that were once decried — but those who do have a lot more money!

21st-century slumming… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #10thstreet #avenued #daytrips #jacobriis #jacobriishouses #slumming

Day Trips Near the East Village

I am starting new feature today, called: Day Trips Near the East Village!

If you've ever been of the mind to take trips outside of the East Village, I have the perfect suggestion for you: Dairy Queen, on West 14th Street! (I had this idea yesterday, when I saw this abandoned DQ cup):

Abandoned Dairy Queen cup.

It's easy to get to by city bus from the East Village — just take a look at this map:

Bus map to Dairy Queen.

The circles are transfer points, if you take the M15 bus.

Get the Peanut Buster Parfait — it's an East Village favorite!

#eastvillage #14thstreet #dairyqueen #daytrips #peanutbusterparfait #citybus