Tree Riders NYC

Once again, the winner of the Best Christmas Trees At The Best Prices Award goes to the beloved Tree Riders NYC, on Second Avenue, in front of Saint Mark's Church:

The beloved Tree Riders NYC.

Despite ridiculously-high prices everywhere else in the East Village, I bought a 3-foot-plus tree here for the low, low price of $40!

I recommend Tree Riders NYC for all your Christmas tree needs.

That is all.

Syringe Alert

Life has become treacherous for East Villagers in the past couple of years. It's bad enough that we have to watch out for maskless junkies, we also have to watch out for their carelessly discarded syringes!

This one was discarded in Tompkins Square Park, in November:

Discarded syringe.

This one was jettisoned on Second Avenue, in early December:

Jettisoned syringe.

These were abandoned beside the beloved Abe Lebewohl Park, outside the beloved St. Mark's Church, also on Second Avenue, also in December:

Abandoned syringes.

Luckily, East Villagers all wear combat boots, and look down at their feet when they walk! 

Second Avenue Street Fair

If you think East Villagers love gyros, you're right!

We love them so much that at a recent Second Avenue Street Fair, that's almost all there was to eat!

Gyros on 14th Street.

Gyros on 13th Street.

Gyros on 12th Street.

Look at the fifth movie in the list: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner To Eat Gyros!

There was even a bodega-looking gyro stand:

Bodega gyros on 11th Street.

And finally:

Gyros on 10th Street.

But… what if the gyro doesn't fill you?

That's why they have sweet roasted corn!

Sweet roasted corn on 13th Street.

Sweet roasted corn on 11th Street.

$3 at both locations? I wonder if there's a sweet roasted corn cartel?

Not everyone comes to the Second Avenue Street Fair for the food though. Many come for locally-produced goods:

Locally-woven baskets.

More locally-woven baskets.

Some basket stands even had locally-produced masks and talismans:

Locally-produced masks and talismans.

The mask and talisman vendor said "No pictures" to the guy in the blue shirt.

"Oh, OK" he said.

Clearly, he's not a photographer!

Not a photographer.

There was even a stand where you could buy locally-woven rugs!

Locally-woven rugs.

As always, there were novelty items:

Novelty items.

Who doesn't hate thick wallets? All that money…

For some reason, many gyro vendors couldn't make it this year, as can be seen by all the empty spaces:

Empty space on 12th Street.

Empty space between 11th and 12th Street. 

Empty space in front of St. Mark's Church on The Bowery.

Empty space near 10th Street.

For that matter, many East Villagers didn't make it either:

Few and far between.

It was such a nice day, they probably went to the beach!

#eastvillage #10thstreet #11thstreet #12thstreet #13thstreet #14thstreet #photographers #secondavenue #stmarkschurch #streetfairs

Abandoned Pizza & Butter

I was walking down Second Avenue this past Saturday, when I saw this abandoned pizza and butter on a bench in the beloved Abe Lebewohl Park, outside the beloved St. Mark's Church on the Bowery:

Abandoned pizza and butter.

Who eats butter on their pizza? — no wonder they abandoned it!

#eastvillage #stmarkschurch #abelebewohlpark #abandonedfood #secondavenue

A Special Treat

Last night, I was walking down Second Avenue. Just as I passed by the beloved Saint Mark's Church-In-The-Bowery, the bells began to chime!

Fortunately, I was quick with my camera. So here, as a special treat to East Village Today readers, are the chiming bells of Saint Mark's Church-In-The-Bowery:

Chiming bells.

You're welcome.

#eastvillage #secondavenue #stmarkschurch

Outside the Cemetery

What would a ghost see, if he rose from the grave at St. Mark's Church and looked out toward Second Avenue? I think he might see something like this:


The ghosts have been interred in this cemetery for hundreds of years. They don't even know how cool the East Village has become — they still think it's a bunch of farm land!

Do ghosts care about coolness… in the East Village Today?

#eastvillage #stmarkschurch #secondavenue #cemetery #ghosts

Upright Sleeping Only

I took this picture on March 31, but I couldn't think of what to say about it, other that upright sleeping only is allowed on this bench in Abe Lebewohl Park, in front of St. Mark's Church, on Second Avenue:

Upright sleeping only.

#eastvillage #abelebewohlpark #benches #secondavenue #stmarkschurch

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Don't blink when you're passing through the East Village, or the thing you were looking at might be gone!

I was walking up Second Avenue a couple of weeks ago, when I saw this at St. Mark's Church:

T-shirt art installation.

Here is a close-up:

Close-up.

Then, within a week, it was gone:

Gone.

Just as this churchyard is a cemetery for people, the East Village is a cemetery for works of art.

Be careful you don't disturb a ghost… when walking through the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #secondavenue #stmarkschurch #art

Did Somebody Die?

I was walking up Second Avenue this morning, when I saw the flag in Abe Lebewohl Park, in front of St. Mark's Church, flying at half-mast:

Flag at half-mast.

Did somebody die? Is this some special anniversary? Is it because of SantaCon?

I just don't know!

#eastvillage #secondavenue #santacon #stmarkschurch

Christmas in the East Village

It's Christmastime in the East Village! East Villagers love Christmas; there are more places to buy Christmas trees, Christmas wreaths, tree stands and such, than you can shake a stick at!

Tonight, I passed by this line of Christmas trees on Second Avenue, just below East 11th Street:

It's like a pine forest.

The smell of pine was everywhere — it was like a pine forest!

In the plaza outside St. Mark's church were these ginormous trees:

Ginormous trees.

Christmas tree sellers will be around until December 24th, but it's better to get yours early, so you can have it longer!

#eastvillage #stmarkschurch #christmastrees #11thstreet #secondavenue

Park Closes at 1:00AM

New York City has a lot of rules! The East Village is no different. According to the sign, this park, outside St. Mark's Church on Second Avenue, closes at 1:00am:

This is a beautiful picture!

I wonder how the police enforce this? What if you cut across it at night, instead of walking to the corner on the sidewalk? Is that diagonal sidewalk considered part of the park, or regular sidewalk? What if you sit on a bench?

It's funny to think!

#eastvillage #signs #secondavenue #stmarkschurch #abelebewohlpark