Hassan Memorial

I was walking down Avenue C this past Sunday, when I saw this makeshift memorial in front of the beloved Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space:

Makeshift memorial.

I didn't know who it was for, but when I saw this sign on the door leading into the beloved C-Squat, I knew I would soon find out.

C-Squat.

It was for Hassan, aka Jerrold Heiserman:

Don't shoot!

A close-up shows the inside of one of the squat rooms:

Inside a squat room.

It's not at all what I would expect a squat room to look like! Where are the bottle caps? Where are the nodded-out punks? And check out that office-style drop ceiling.

It's like the television commercial; It's not your father's squat room!

#eastvillage #avenuec #csquat #hassan #jerroldheiserman #memorials #museumofreclaimedurbanspace #signs #squatters

East Village Bikes Again

There's just no telling any more what's going on at the perhaps formerly-beloved, perhaps beloved, East Village Bikes on Avenue C!

Are they open? Are they closed? Are they… unclosed?

One thing for certain is that there was a lot of activity in August!

This is from August 10th — lots of bicycles outside!

"Don't steal my soul!"

By August 14th, the bicycles were gone and these window guards had taken their place:

Window guards.

By the 24th, the bicycles were back outside again!

Back outside again.

Maybe it's a squatter operation? How East Villagey!

#eastvillage #avenuec #eastvillagebikes #squatters #windowguards

Former Alphabets Under Destruction

As I mentioned back in December, there has been a lot of activity at the former Alphabets on Avenue A, and as I mentioned earlier today, there is construction work taking place at the former Odessa Cafe, just beside said former Alphabets.

However, not everything in this picture is rosy. Alphabets seems to be undergoing destruction. This is a picture through the gates, of a hole in the wall:

Hole in the wall.

Through the same gates, here is a picture of a big ol' mess:

Big ol' mess on the floor.

What's going on in there? Did a bunch of junkie squatters move in? Junkie squatters in the East Village? That's so 30 years ago!

This is the East Village… Today!

#eastvillage #avenuea #junkies #squatters #alphabets