Gas-Powered WiFi

Many East Villagers are of the mind that the beloved LinkNYC kiosks spring up magically.

Au contraire, Pierre!

Here is a Consolidated Edison worker working on a LinkNYC installation, on the East Village side of Third Avenue, back in December:

Back in December.

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

At least we know there's no chance of this thing exploding!

#eastvillage #conedison #linknyc #thirdavenue #worker

Expanding

Back in June, the LinkNYC kiosk on Second Avenue between East 7th Street and St. Marks Place was cramped!

Today, the space has expanded!

Behold:

Expanded living area.

In a squat, you would have to knock down a wall to expand your living area!

#eastvillage #7thstreet #linknyc #secondavenue #crusties #stmarksplace #abandonedcouches

Sit And Charge

There are two things you should always do when you have the chance: pee; and sit down — you never know the next time you'll be able to again!

In 21st-century East Village, "charge your cell phone" has been been added to that list!

Here, at the LinkNYC kiosk on Second Avenue and East 4th Street, you can accomplish two of these at a time:

Two at a time.

All this corner needs now is an outhouse!

#eastvillage #secondavenue #4thstreet #linknyc #abandonedchairs

WTF Is This Update

It happened so quickly, if you'd have blinked, you'd have missed it!

I'm referring, of course, to the new LinkNYC kiosk on First Avenue and East 4th Street, beside the WTF Pac-Man mailbox.

Through it all, its expression never changed.

Two weeks ago, it was "Oh my God, what is this mess?!

This morning? Behold:

Oh my God, that thing is so cool!

Watch out, East Village — here comes the 21st century!

#eastvillage #firstavenue #graffiti #greenmailboxes #linknyc #pacman

Urban Campsites

LinkNYC kiosks draw crusties the way campsites draw campers!

Here is a group of crusties gathered around a LinkNYC kiosk on Second Avenue, strumming guitars, phoning home, and checking their Instagram accounts:

"Check this out – new pictures by East Village Today on Instagram!"

If my son or daughter was a crusty, I would provide them with a cell phone, both for them to stay in touch as well as to track their whereabouts!

Behind every kiosk-drawn crusty is a concerned parent!

#eastvillage #crusties #linknyc #secondavenue #parents

Having Fun

Sometimes people ask me, they say: "Hey East Village Today, you write all the time about what a cool, fun place the East Village is, why do we never see any pictures of people having fun?"

So for all of you, here is a picture of a group of people having fun, on Second Avenue:

Having fun.

The woman wearing mostly-black (dwarfed by the guy in the white shirt), is taking a picture of her friends while I take a picture of them!

I wonder if someone took a picture of me while I did this?

#eastvillage #secondavenue #linknyc #photographers

If You See Something, Take A Picture Of It

I was riding my Citibike down Second Avenue last night, when I saw this gold bag beside a LinkNYC station on East 10th Street:

Gold bag.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that there was an iPhone in the bag, plugged into the USB port on the LinkNYC:

Charging iPhone.

I looked all around for the owner, but she was nowhere to be found.

In the bad old days, some drug addict would have stolen not only the phone but the charger cord too!

#eastvillage #citibike #bikelanes #linknyc #iphones #10thstreet

LinkNYC

I was walking down Second Avenue recently, when I noticed this monolith:

Monolith.

No doubt on your own wanderings, you noticed them too, and even wondered what they are. Well, wonder no more!

These monoliths are called LinkNYCs!

LinkNYC is a first-of-its-kind communications network that will replace over 7,500 pay phones across the five boroughs! Each Link will provide super-fast, free public Wi-Fi, phone calls, device charging and a tablet for Internet browsing, access to city services, maps, and directions!

By the way, East Village Today first broke this story back in 2015!

East Villagers love LinkNYC!

#eastvillage #linknyc #monoliths #secondavenue #wifi