Trash Wars

East Villagers are famous for guarding their trash, and protecting it from contamination by other trash.

Here is one example, seen on East 9th Street yesterday:

One example.

How is this trash protected, you ask?

No 435 Trash.

My first thought was that the superintendent was identifying these trashcans as for exclusive use by residents of building 435, using the traditional abbreviation for "number" (No.), but forgetting the period.

However, this building is not 435 East 9th Street, but rather 447 East 9th Street, as can be seen in this close-up of the numbers above the door:

Numbers above the door.

My curiosity aroused, I set out to find building 435.

My search did not take long — I found it here, a quarter of a block away:

A quarter of a block away.

It's the beloved Pat Crystal Shop!

Evidence of 435ness:

The number 435.

Is building 447 afraid of gypsies?

East Villagers are superstitious people!

#eastvillage #9thstreet #gypsies #patcrystalshop #superstition #trashcans

Sidewalk Psychics

Gypsy psychics are very common in the East Village. People here are anxious to know if they're going to come into money, or who they will fall in love with.

Most psychics operate out of small storefronts, but times must be getting tough, because yesterday, on the corner of First Avenue and East 1st Street, I saw this:

Sidewalk psychic.

I've never seen a psychic operate on the sidewalk, except for directly outside their storefront.

If she's there again today, I'm going to ask her: When will the construction on East Houston Street be finished?!

#eastvillage #gypsies #psychics #firstavenue #1ststreet #houstonstreet

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

Foretold is Forearmed

One of the amazing benefits of being a gypsy is that you can see into the future!

On East 3rd Street, this psychic foretold that her signs would blow away during Winter Storm Cato, so she chained them up:

Guarding against Cato.

The chairs, on the other hand, either won't blow away or she doesn't care if they do.

Such are the vagaries of gypsy life… during a winter storm in the East Village!

#eastvillage #3rdstreet #signs #gypsies #psychics #chains

Village Life

There's something about dead leaves, rusty metal, peeling paint, and a chair in front that makes me think of life in a village:

Village life.

Just add a gypsy psychic, and it's the East Village!

It reminds me of a song:


#eastvillage #4thstreet #gypsies, #psychics