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Saturday, December 23, 2023
Saturday's opening shot
You're in luck if you need a last minute 50-foot (or so!) tree... outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery this morning... where the Tree Riders are wrapping up another holiday season (no. 13!) on Second Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street.
I am a registered tree pruner with the Dept of Parks so needless to say I love trees. However this is an industry. These people plant and grow trees as their livelihood. They plant a tree for every one they cut down. Very few people are as respectful and in touch with nature as tree farmers.
Whatever part of town it might be, I don't understand the economics of a tree seller turning down a very reasonable cash offer on December 17th, only to be stuck with leftover trees on the 24th. Unless their ultimate Boss sets a minimum they dare not go below. My former EV family and I went to two stands in midtown East, and two delis, offering 60 bucks and asking for a narrow, 5-foot tree. Fine, if its not perfect. We don't have much room. One tree stand guy wouldn't go below 80. Deli guys wouldn't go below 80 for trees that were already browning. "You'll only need it for two weeks", he said. Finally 2 Greek Gentlemen at a stand agreed to $60, and we dressed it up just fine. I have little doubt there is some kind of business strategy in play. Can anyone explain it?
Am I the only one that gets irked every year when they lean thousands of pounds of trees against an antique cast iron fence? Wikipedia says it is from 1838. Isn't there a historical preservation organization nearby who can take care of this?
As a member of the congregation, I can assure you that just because something is from 1838 doesn't mean it's about to fall down. The fence is fine. The whole building is old, loved, and USED, as it was always meant to be.
6 comments:
what a waste of some beautiful trees
agree with @ 8:39, plus I don't have an extra $2,000 to spend right now.
I am a registered tree pruner with the Dept of Parks so needless to say I love trees.
However this is an industry. These people plant and grow trees as their livelihood. They plant a tree for every one they cut down. Very few people are as respectful and in touch with nature as tree farmers.
Whatever part of town it might be, I don't understand the economics of a tree seller turning down a very reasonable cash offer on December 17th, only to be stuck with leftover trees on the 24th. Unless their ultimate Boss sets a minimum they dare not go below. My former EV family and I went to two stands in midtown East, and two delis, offering 60 bucks and asking for a narrow, 5-foot tree. Fine, if its not perfect. We don't have much room. One tree stand guy wouldn't go below 80. Deli guys wouldn't go below 80 for trees that were already browning. "You'll only need it for two weeks", he said. Finally 2 Greek Gentlemen at a stand agreed to $60, and we dressed it up just fine.
I have little doubt there is some kind of business strategy in play. Can anyone explain it?
Am I the only one that gets irked every year when they lean thousands of pounds of trees against an antique cast iron fence? Wikipedia says it is from 1838. Isn't there a historical preservation organization nearby who can take care of this?
As a member of the congregation, I can assure you that just because something is from 1838 doesn't mean it's about to fall down. The fence is fine. The whole building is old, loved, and USED, as it was always meant to be.
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