Abandoned Citibank

While everyone knows the plight of Chase Bank in the East Village, not as many are familiar with a similar situation going on with Citibank!

Here is an abandoned Citibank location, on Avenue A between East 3rd and 4th Streets:

Abandoned Citibank.

Unlike with Chase Bank, this was the only Citibank branch in the East Village, so its closing did not have the same impact as the closing of the Chases.

Still, added to the Chase closings, it's another step closer to becoming an under-served neighborhood… again!

#eastvillage avenuea #3rdstreet #4thstreet #citibank #underserved

New Experiences

I was walking down Avenue A recently, when I passed by the beloved New York Sports Club, with its still-vacant storefront:

Still vacant storefront.

East Villagers long for new shopping experiences!

Just down the avenue from this is this still-vacant former Chase Bank:

Still vacant bank.

East Villagers long for new banking experiences!:

#eastvillage #avenuea #chasebank #newyorksportsclub #underserved

Underserved

I was walking down Second Avenue this past Sunday, when I stopped a moment to remember the formerly-beloved Chase Bank branch, at St. Mark's Place:

Formerly-beloved Chase Bank branch.

This building has been a bank for as long as any East Villager can remember. Before there was a bank here, it was just swampland!

You can see by the crack in the façade (that's French for "facade") that the ground is still soft:

Crack in the façade.

After people stopped entering this site, rodents started to take over:

Rodent take-over.

This closed branch reminded me of another formerly-beloved Chase Bank branch, on Avenue A and East 2nd Street:

Another formerly-beloved Chase Bank branch.

This is a map of Chase Bank branches and ATMs in the East Village:

Chase Bank branches and ATMs.

Only D is a branch — C and E are ATMs at local Duane Reades, and A and B are outside the boundaries of the East Village!

It's time to start keeping our money in our mattresses!

=-=-=-=-=

Updated February 20, 2017

#eastvillage #avenuea #chasebank #duanereade #secondavenue #underserved #swamp

East Village Dilemma

For East Villagers standing at the corner of Second Avenue and East 9th Street, who need to go to a local Chase ATM, there is a real dilemma: which branch to use?!

To the left, there is the beloved branch at East 10th Street:

Beloved Chase branch at Second Avenue and East 10th Street.

To the right, there is the beloved branch at St. Mark's Place:

Beloved Chase branch at Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

It's like the Rebecca Black song: Which one do I choose?!

However, this dilemma won't exist for much longer — the beloved branch at St. Mark's Place is closing soon:

ATM screen inside beloved St. Mark's Place Chase branch.

The East Village is in danger of becoming an under-served neighborhood!

#eastvillage #10thstreet #9thstreet #atms #chase #secondavenue #stmarksplace #underserved