Pumpkin In The Park

I was walking through Tompkins Square Park last week, when I saw this pumpkin plant growing behind the fence surrounding the center, grassy area:

Pumpkin plant.

You know what that means — Halloween is right around the corner!

#eastvillage #pumpkins #tompkinssquarepark #halloween

Avenue C Abides

High on the list of every East Villager's list of favorite movies is The Big Lebowski. One line from that movie is repeated throughout: "The Dude abides"!

In much the same way, Avenue C abides!

Everyone already knows how much cooler Avenue C is than Avenue A. As if further proof was necessary, here are pictures of the Halloween festivities at La Plaza Cultural, a community garden at East 9th Street:

Halloween festivities entrance.

Mr. Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man!

A spooky scary skeleton!

Rat Race Maze.

Ectoplasm Testing tent.

Yes, rather than set themselves up for being tricked, Avenue C'ers go all out to celebrate Halloween… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #9thstreet #avenuec #communitygardens #halloween #laplazacultural

Avenue A vs. Avenue C

On average, the East Village is very cool. Very cool!

But an average express the central or typical value in a set of data — degrees of coolness, in this case — and is calculated by dividing the sum of the values in the set by their number. In layman's terms it means some places in the East Village are cooler than others!

While taking pictures of the young'uns trick-or-treating along the mid-Avenue A corridor, I discovered that range of lesser-coolness! It is with no joy that I must report this to you.

The un-beloved Black Rose:

No candy.

The un-beloved Empellón al Pastor:

Sorry no candy.

The un-beloved Doc Holiday"s:

No candy. No under 21 entry.

(If someone tricked Doc Holiday's, would anyone notice?!)

Luster Photo & Digital Lab was dangerously close to being un-beloved — when I passed by, a young'un came out saying "Another fortune cookie!"

Trick or treat for fortune cookies!

To their credit, the beloved Ray's Candy Store not only did not decorate their front (thereby maintaining an already-scary appearance!), but delivered candy to the young'uns:

Young'uns outside of Ray's Candy Shop.

On Avenue C, however, restaurant and bar owners dressed up and went outside to greet the revellers!

The beloved Zum Schneider:

The beloved Marcha Cocina:

The beloved Summit Bar:

Yes, Avenue C is cooler than Avenue A, within the spectrum of extreme coolness that is… the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #avenuea #docholidays #empellonalpastor #halloween #lusterphotodigital #marchacocina #rayscandystore #signs #summitbar #theblackrose #zumschneider

Taqueria

Ask any East Villager what their favorite taqueria is, and with no hesitation they'll tell you the beloved Taqueria St. Marks Pl, on St. Mark's Place!

Here is a picture of the outside, complete with Halloween decorations:

Taqueria with Halloween decorations.

Chains! Red lights! Floating babies! Los Angeles Dodgers insignia!

Everything you need to guarantee a scary Halloween night… in the East Village Today! (A couple days ago).

#eastvillage #halloween #stmarksplace #taqueria

Too Much Too Soon

East Villagers love Halloween! It's the start of the holiday season that doesn't end until New Year's!

And while it's probably true that it's never too soon to start decorating, people should remember that perishable decorations should be used sparingly until, oh, about October 24!

Witness the result of… too much, too soon:

Too much, too soon.

Then again, these prematurely-decayed pumpkins were on St. Mark's Place — they could be an art project!

When life gives you pumpkins, make a sculpture — in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #halloween #pumpkins #sculptures #stmarksplace

25th Annual Halloween Dog Parade

It seems like only yesterday that the 24th Annual Halloween Dog Parade took place in Tompkins Square Park, and here we are only five short days away from the 25th Annual Halloween Dog Parade:

25th Annual Halloween Dog Parade.

The dog parade is probably the single-most popular event in the East Village social calendar! I think it's safe to say that not one sane person dislikes the dog parade (which means probably 5,000 East Villagers don't!).

Be that as it may, the sane ones among us will all be there to cheer the dogs on to victory!

Go, Dogs, Go… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #halloween #halloweendogparade #tompkinssquarepark #dogs

181 Days Until Halloween

There are only 181 days until Halloween!

The people of East 7th Street are already decorating:

Scary!

East Villagers love Halloween!

#eastvillage #halloween #9thstreet

Slow Demise of a Pumpkin

On November 4, a few short days after Halloween, I spied this deflated pumpkin inside a window grate:

Deflated pumpkin.

Well, yesterday, during the great Polar Vortex of 2014, I passed by this window again:

Seriously deflated pumpkin.

East Villagers don't like to tidy up — I wonder what the apartment looks like?!

#eastvillage #3rdstreet #halloween #polarvortex

Pumpkin Lights – On

Two days after Halloween (a holiday East Villagers love!) I passed by this restaurant, called Sushi Lounge, with its Halloween lights dangling down:

Dangling Halloween lights, and an ATM.

I thought they were just the remnants of the now-passed holiday, waiting to be boxed up and put on a shelf, until next year.

But no! Tonight I passed by again, only to see this:

Strung lights, at full extension.

I bet the pumpkin sushi here is excellent!

#eastvillage #halloween #sushilounge #stmarksplace

Local 7-Eleven Turns 1

I was walking up Avenue A yesterday and I realized the local 7-Eleven on Avenue A and East 11th Street just turned 1 recently! They opened just before Halloween last year.

I haven't taken a picture yet of this location, so here it is:

Local 7-Eleven on Avenue A.

I'm not sure if they're having any specials, but stop in and ask. It can't hurt!

+++

UPDATE

I stopped in on my way home from work and spoke to someone inside. He told me that ownership was transferred from the corporation to a franchisor, as of November 1. So there's no anniversary celerabration! Ugh.

#eastvillage #avenuea #11thstreet #7eleven #halloween #anniversary

Along East 13th Street

I was walking along East 13th Street the other morning, and I saw a couple of interesting-looking storefronts.

What does "interesting" mean in the East Village? I don't really know. Everything is interesting in the East Village. So to be interesting in the East Village means… to be in the East Village!

It makes perfect sense.

This place is called The Flower Stall. As with snowcone sellers, it was probably once run as an outdoor flower stall, before moving indoors.

No longer a flower stall.

It does look like a stall. A bit of paint on that rusty girder would help. And the gate. And the window and door frames. The door is nice!

This is a picture of the inside:

Inside The Flower Stall– no flowers at all.

Right next door is Apartment 141:

Apartment 141.

I don't know if they look this way all year 'round or if this was just for Halloween. It's a cool look. A bit dingy, but it shows effort.

You have to wonder how anyone would know it's a dress shop though.

#eastvillage #apartment141 #13thstreet #halloween #theflowerstall

Maybe the Last Halloween Post of 2014

I was walking across East 7th Street today when I saw this:

Alternative uses for scaffolding.

I said it once and I'll say it again: East Villagers love Halloween!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #halloween #scaffolding

Only 58 More Days Till Christmas!

East Villagers love Christmas! They decorate their buildings with lights, they buy trees and put them in their apartments, there's even one day when they all dress up like Santa Claus!

La Sirena, on East 3rd Street, is already getting into the spirit:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

And we haven't even reached Halloween yet!

This store sells Mexican stuff, so they're pretty festive already, what with Cinco de Mayo, and El Dia de Muertos, and Mexican wrestler masks!

#eastvillage #3rdstreet #lasirena #christmas #halloween

Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade, Part 3 of 3

Taking pictures at this event was not easy – I felt like a paparazzo!

I must say, this is definitely one of the high points of the East Village social calendar!

So with no further ado, I present dogs alone:

Start spreading the newspaper…

Dogs will be dogs!

Where's Shaggy?

The Korilla dog! "Pleased to meet you."

Happy birthday!

When good dogs go bad.

I've never seen this show.

Black dog, white tutu.

Cross-eyed lobster.

Roar!

Minions!

Peacock.

Hotdog! (It never gets old.)

Black dog, black hat.

Pants on the ground… pants on the ground…

Thing 1 and Thing 2.

I don't see the connection.

Tiny dog, tiny costume.

I'm looking for the man who shot my paw.

I'm blurry but I'm cute.

Oh heck, it's up to my neck.

Cerberus!

What about me?

Pikachu!

Pee-kachu!

With all of this going on, who had time to think about ebola?!

#eastvillage #tompkinssquarepark #halloween #dogparade