Tag Archives: east village

Arts and Culture

Dress Up My Lindsay By Marika Thunder at Public Access Gallery

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dress up my lindsay photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Long-haul New Yorker’s (and East Villagers like me, especially) constantly bemoan the fact that Manhattan is becoming increasingly gentrified. The innumerable local-business closures caused by the pandemic have only exacerbated the loss of historical identity in an area that was once arguably the coolest neighborhood in NYC.  When the legendary Rock & Roll boutique Trash & Vaudeville was forced to relocate from St. Mark’s Place after four decades in the same location, it really felt like nothing is sacred. It is a small conciliation then that a new contemporary art gallery, Public Access, opened this past September in the downstairs storefront  formerly occupied by Trash. I recently had the chance to check out the gallery’s current exhibit, a solo show of paintings by artist Marika Thunder entitled Dress Up My Lindsay. The series has an interesting autobiographical backstory for the painter.

dress up my lindsay photo by gail worley

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Arts and Culture

Ceramic Mosaics on East 3rd Street

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united we stand mosaic photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Each day in NYC there is something to newly discover, no matter how long it’s been there.  I am rarely on the block of East 3rd Street between Avenues A and B, but I had occasion to walk that block during this past Sunday’s lovely snow storm. Because I always have an eye peeled for things that might be fun for the blog, I made the charming discovery that most of the buildings on the north side of the block (because that is the side I was on) have these cute and colorful ceramic tile mosaics on their facades, mostly around the doorways and near the steps.

letter g mosaic photo by gail worley
It’s a G Thing

I’m not positive, but my guess is that these are the work of Jim Powers, aka the Mosaic Man, since he is responsible for most of the ceramic mosaics in the East Village. The mosaics are made from bits of tiles, marbles, broken china, mirror shards, bottles and other assorted found objects. They are beautiful and amazing works of art.

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Gail's Radness

Pink Thing of The Day: Pink Snow!

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pink snow photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

When Winter Storm Gail hit the tri-state area in mid-December, people joked with me that the storm would surely bring with it some Pink Snow — because it shared my name, and everyone knows how much I love anything pink. Well, surprise (or not) — while exploring the neighborhood on the morning after the storm, I actually encountered Pink Snow!

pink snow on ave b photo by gail worley

The mysterious pink slush (which is what it had become by this point in the day) was found at the intersection of Avenue B and 9th Street, adjacent to a highly-trafficked bodega. I have no idea where the pink color came from, but I am glad I was lucky enough to document it before it melted and swirled down into the sewer and out to sea!

pink snow on ave b photo by gail worley
Pink Snow, Bitches!

Arts and Culture

Street Art By Ian Knife

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ian knife tag photo by gail worley
Photos By Gail Worley

The first time I saw the name “Ian Knife” it was gouged into the top of a tree stump on Avenue A that had been carefully carved and painted to resemble the head of an Alligator. Impressive.

alligator by ian knife photo but gail worleyalligator by ian knife photo by gail worley
alligator by ian knife photo by gail

I’m not sure how long the Alligator Stump has been there, but I swear I only noticed it for the first time this past summer, when I was doing more than my fair share of walking in the neighborhood because everything was closed due to the Covid (#CovidLife). I didn’t realize at the time that Ian Knife was the name of the artist; I just assumed it was a dick move by some inconsiderate ass taking delight in tagging the Alligator’s face by carving his name into it. Because that is what people do.

ian knife name tag 3 photo by gail worley
Say His Name

ian knife tag on box truck photo by gail worley

Some time later, I started seeing the tag Knife spray-painted literally fucking everywhere from the East River Park throughout the East Village. Curious, I looked-up Ian Knife on the Google and I found this pretty cool article about his work as a Tree Stump Artist. I’m glad he is getting his name out there because his work is unique and fun.

ian knife tree stump art photo by gail worley

Knife’s tree stump carvings, a few of which are described in the above article, are scattered all over the East Village, where he lives. This one of a ‘Man Behind Bars‘ is on First Avenue between St. Mark’s Place and Ninth Street.

ian knife tree stump art photo by gail worley

If I spot more of Ian’s tree stump carvings I’ll add them to this post! In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled!

ian knife tag photo by gail wortley

ian knife outdoor dining photo by gail worley

Arts and Culture

We Love New York Mural by Queen Andrea

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we love new york mural photo by gail
Photos By Gail

Living the Covid Life in its Manhattan epicenter is hardcore. New Yorkers are survivors though, and we still love our city. Queen Andrea wants to make sure we don’t forget how hard NYC rocks. She completed this beautiful mural on Avenue A between 3rd and 4th Streets on May 14th, 2020, which is why it still looks fresh!

 

we love new york mural by queen andrea photo by gail worley

Design

Pink Thing of The Day: Villainess Neon Sign

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villainess neon sign photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

Villainess, accord to their Instagram Page, is a “Secondhand designer black clothing store and events destination located in the East Village.” The exact address is 181 Avenue B, and they appear be temporarily shuttered due to the Covid Life. It seems appropriate then, that their glorious Pink Neon Sign glows on, behind bars, so to speak.

Gail's Radness

East Village Life: Photos of Storefronts From My Neighborhood Walks

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Savasana Station Yoga Photo By Gail Worley
Savasana Station Yoga Studio Security Gate Mural (All Photos By Gail)

When the only outdoor activity that’s still permitted is taking a walk, it’s important to give your walks a purpose. As the Covid Life hit us back in mid-March, I started collecting what you might call ‘mundane’ pictures on my iPhone camera roll during my afternoon jaunts; documenting things I see in the East Village in order to share the stories these photos tell about the people who live in my awesome neighborhood. For as long as this shit lasts, I’ll be publishing a thematic weekly series of photo-blog posts featuring snapshots from my East Village Life, so that we all might feel more connected. This week’s theme is Storefronts. Enjoy!

clash city tattoo photo by gail worley

Clash City Tattoo located at 273 E 10th Street, takes its name from the song “Clash City Rocker” which you can find on the 1977 debut album by, you guessed it, The Clash.

pyramid club avenue a photo by Gail Worley

This is the Pyramid Club, a nightclub on Avenue A that’s been open since 1979 — wow! Nirvana once played there before they got to be a big deal, and I interviewed a few rockers inside its walls back in my rock critic days. They still host weekly ’80s New Wave dance parties and shit like that. I believe Pyramid Club will survive the Covid crisis.

readings by honeybee photo by gail worley

The handwritten sign posted out front of Psychic Readings By Honeybee, which is also on Avenue A near 14th Street, indicates that, despite their storefront being closed for business, they are still conducting “Readings Over The Phone.” One wonders why their advance psychic knowledge of the upcoming shutdown did not provided ample time to have a more professional sign prepared.

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