The Curse of Tompkins Square Park

You might think that being directly across from Tompkins Square Park would make that section of Avenue A desirable to people wanting to open a business worthy of beloving.

Two recently-empty storefronts, side-by-side, tell a different story!

Not so long ago, this was the beloved 100 Avenue A Sales Gallery:

100 Avenue A Sales Gallery.

Directly next door is the formerly-beloved The Black Rose:

The Black Rose.

This is what it now looks like inside:

Inside.

Someone left the lights on!

At least the crusties will have plenty of empty sidewalk space to loiter on!

#eastvillage #100avenueasalesgallery #avenuea #theblackrose #tompkinssquarepark #curse

Pokémon Go

East Villagers are very insular, but every now and then, something from the outside world breaks in and shakes them up like there's no tomorrow!

This time, it's the global phenomenon known as Pokémon Go, and East Villagers are GO-ing wild!

Naturally, East Village Today is on board!

East Village Today, Level 2.

If you're not familiar with how this game works, it's called augmented reality. It is the… coolest… thing… EVER!

Rather than try to explain it, let me show you. Here I am outside the beloved The Black Rose on Avenue A yesterday, trying to catch a Zubat (I was not successful):

Zubat on Avenue A.

Afterwards, I walked into Tompkins Square Park:

Tompkins Square Park.

Look how many Rattatas there were in that small area — Rattatas and Pidgeottos are the most common Pokémons here!

Here I am being confronted by a Rattata:

Confronted by a Rattata.

Unfortunately, I used up all my Poké Balls trying to catch that Zubat!

On a more serious note:

Pokémon Go improves the mental and physical health of players suffering from depression and social anxiety. The social nature of the game provides easy avenues for those with social anxiety to interact with people of all backgrounds.

Sounds like just the ticket for those old-time grievers!

So download the app and join the fun… in the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #insular #pokemongo #zubat #rattata #avenuea #tompkinssquarepark #blackrose #pidgeotto

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

Before and After

This is a picture of upper Avenue A, between East 7th Street and St. Mark's Place, taken back in November:

November.

Here is the same area taken this morning:

May.

The boarded-up windows are now part of the decor!

From real slum to faux slum… that's the East Village Today!

#eastvillage #avenuea #avenueaclassicfood #odessacafe #theblackrose

The Black Rose

UPDATED 4/19

East Villagers were excited to learn this past week that a genuine rock-and-roll bar, called The Black Rose, is going to open in what was once the very smelly Odessa Cafe, on Avenue A.

I passed by today while work was going on outside:

Working on The Black Rose.

The guy working invited me to take a picture of the inside. They fixed it up really well, he told me.

Nice-look interior.

East Villagers familiar with the old Odessa Cafe (that used to be here) will have to agree that this is much nicer — it's not as dismal, and it doesn't smell like stale beer!

East Villagers love rock-and-roll, so put another dime in the jukebox, baby!

#eastvillage #avenuea #odessacafe #theblackrose