Decrepitude Returns

Regular readers of this blog may remember a post I wrote back in December of 2014, about the beloved Lumé, on Avenue C, and how not even decrepitude and discounts for locals could save it from closing.

This is the picture I posted, from that time:

Picture from that time.

I passed by there again this past Saturday, and saw this:

Newly decrepit stairs.

Even though the bar has been closed for a year, someone saw fit to replace the stairs, which time and the elements saw fit to degrade again!

Everything tends toward entropy… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #avenuec #lumé #dilapidation #entropy

A New Name for a New Awning

Did I not say that this Summer would be the time of fixing up the East Village? Did I not say that?

Yes, I did — and it's coming along splendidly!

About a month ago, I wrote about the dilaptdated awning at the beloved Down Town Bakery II, on First Avenue just above East 4th Street. Today, I passed by there again, only to find… a new awning:

A new awning.

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

It's no longer called the beloved Down Town Bakery II either — now it's the beloved Downtown Bakery Cocina Mexicana!

Just looking at it makes me hungry! Olé!

#eastvillage #downtownbakeryii #downtownbakerycocinamexicana #firstavenue #dilapidation

13th Street Squalor Building

I was walking across East 13th Street this evening, when I decided to shoot a video of the building I've taken so many pictures of in the past, the dilapidated graffiti building:


Yeah, that's a good one!

#eastvillage #dilapidation #squalor #13thstreet #graffiti

Inside Black Seed Bagels

I was walking up First Avenue yesterday morning, when I saw the door open to the soon-to-be Black Seed Bagels. East Villagers may remember this as the once and famous DeRobertis Pasticceria.

I didn't take a picture because, even though it was an open door, I couldn't think of anything to say about it. By the time I got to work, I had thought of something, so I decided to take a picture the next time I passed. That day was today:

Inside the soon-to-be Black Seed Bagels.

Someone who was probably the construction manager asked me if I was from Eater, or some local blog. Not from Eater, I told him, but yes, I have a (very popular) blog. He said the owners didn't want pictures of their space on blogs.

I can understand why; the pictures I've seen have been pretty bad!

He was very polite, but I already had my picture and, more importantly, something to say about it, so… what could I do?

So here's what I have to say: When the news came that Black Seed Bagels was moving in, some people thought they would leave the inside as it was, that is, dilapidated. I knew then that the inside would require extensive renovation, and that little if anything would be salvaged. And besides, who wants a new bagel shop that looks like an old man's 19th-century social club?! Go to a museum!

That's why I took this picture, so I could say that… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #blackseedbagels #derobertis #dilapidation #firstavenue

Famous Last Words

The Vella Market, on East 4th Street, is one of those places that looks cool because it's so dilapidated. No one knows what they sell there, if anything. I don't think I've ever seen it open — but it looks cool!

Vella Market, looking cool.

But what's that? A Post-It note affixed to the door?

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

Yeah, Jan. Thanks for trying.

"It will show up by winter." Famous last words… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #vellamarket #4thstreet #signs

Moishe's Bake Shop Update

I was walking up Second Avenue yesterday, when I decided to pass by Moishe's Bake Shop again, to see if anything new was happening, after they took down their sign the other day.

They were open this time, so I went inside. While waiting to be served, I noticed this:

Ceiling collapsing.

Their ceiling is collapsing!

I asked what happened to their sign. The woman behind the counter said it was being fixed, but what is there to fix on that sign? It needs to be replaced:

Moishe's Bake Shop sign, before removal.

This building has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel!

#eastvillage #secondavenue #moishesbakeshop signs #dilapidation