Last week, to meet the demands of the continued renovations, workers put in a new sidewalk shed on the Eighth Street side of St. Brigid's... the structure takes up most of the sidewalk now...
During August, before the expanded sidewalk shed, several travelers would camp out here at night ...
Last month, I spoke with several regular East Village travelers... they all told me that the NYPD had suddenly cracked down on them like never before... and, according to them, the police said that this area by the under-renovation church was OK for them to sleep... and that Tompkins Square Park was "strictly forbidden."
There was some talk of increased gang activity... with the travelers being the target of the violence...
By now, though, most of the travelers have already moved on as usual this time of the year... just a handful remain.... In any event, the new sidewalk shed would keep them from sleeping alongside St. Brigid's...
Around the corner, same scaffolding, but on B alley spot-I can't stop thinking about the Irish woman that died there this winter during a heavy snow. There is a kind woman from Mamaroneck that sleeps there now named "Liz". I stop and make sure she is ok almost every night now.
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