DanceFest reinforcements

Photos by Steven 

In case you are attending or participating in today's DanceFest in Tompkins Square Park ... the city did bring in some additional porta-potties to handle the overflow (sorry) crowd...

We counted seven extra toilets, which, with the three existing comfort stations, brings the grand total to 10 for the day. 

As previously reported, the restrooms in the Tompkins Square Park field house are now closed as part of an 18-month renovation that has now reached the one-year mark.

Noted

For anyone keeping tabs on how many different Key Food aisles this Scotch® Magic™ Tape display has been on... we've spotted it by the cereal, chips and detergent.

Taco Bell grandly opens on 3rd Avenue and 13th Street

Photo by Jefferson Siegel 

Taco Bell has debuted on the SW corner of Third Avenue and 13th Street ... a pending arrival we pointed out here and here ... and, heh, here. 

Posted hours: 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. "or later."

As previously noted, there was a Taco Bell at 58 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street until sometime in late 2007 or early 2008. Welcome back? [Ducking]

[Updated OMG] An Avenue A product available on Avenue A: an investigation

The other day, EVG reader Nancy shared a photo of Avenue A napkins, which she said she purchased at Key Food on Avenue A.

This email caused some confusion in the EVG Newsroom. As far as we knew, Avenue A products — some 370 strong (for real) — were sold exclusively at Associated.

We thought Nancy was confused... perhaps she was at Associated on Avenue C and Eighth Street. (We make this mistake all the time and only realize it when we don't hear any Mike + the Mechanics or Glass Tiger playing via the store sound system.) 

So we headed over to Key to see for ourselves. 

We don't recall ever seeing Avenue A products here. (Then again, we never realized that Key sold firewood, which was upfront by the birdseed and those big tins of Keebler Export Sodas that no one has bought since 1994.) 

Sure enough, one pack of Avenue A napkins was left this morning ...

... seemingly a popular pick at $2.99...

So we don't know why (at the moment) an Avenue A product reserved for Associated, Met, Pioneer and Compare Foods brands ended up here. 

Meanwhile, the firewood is nearby now...

Updated 7:33 p.m. 

Thankfully, EVG Senior Key Food Correspondent Stacie Joy is on the case now... 

An explanation: According to the store, the issue is that this brand has just become available at the distribution warehouse. So the warehouse is where KeyFood/ManDell shops, and you can select/order anything listed as available at the warehouse. This brand is now listed as "available," so Key bought it and stocked it. 

There are three products from this line now at Key: the napkins, paper towels and, oddly, crackers.

Not April Fool's Day

Thanks to everyone who sent this along via Instagram... a free Kraft Macaroni & Cheese-flavored ice cream mashup with Van Leeuwen today (somewhere) on Union Square starting at 11 a.m. ...

Mysteries: Who placed these pink gumball machines along Avenue A?

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Updated below

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You may have seen these pink gumball machines fastened to light poles along Avenue A... there are at least two — one at 13th Street and one at Seventh Street...



As far as anyone can recall, they showed up some time between Saturday night and Tuesday morning, though no one seems to know for sure.

And the machines accept quarters (thank you Jason Charles for lending me a quarter!) ... and for that price, the machine dispenses one pink gumball (I remember when these were a nickel!) ...


[Gumball or palm not actual size]

Not immediately trusting of mysterious pink gumball machines dispensing pink gumballs, a careful analysis was conducted of the sphere...



Preliminary results show that this is, indeed, a ball of chewing gum in a candied shell.

No word just at the moment who might have placed these here... and, more important, why.

Updated 1/18

Thanks to tbar in the comments... turns this is a promo related to Machinegum, a new side project from Fab Moretti of the Strokes. (It's a good record BTW.)

More from the press release about the machines:

Pink gumball machines have been distributed throughout the city hung on lampposts, the color and multiplicity of which will symbolize the saccharine, lustful quality of commercialism. A single machine is also included in an unceremonious corner of a Sotheby's gallery during an exhibit of old master paintings. The machines dispense either bubblegum or clear capsules carrying pink painted quarters, depending on the luck of the draw. These capsules will also include a QR code that when scanned will direct the user to a security footage webpage that will give them exclusive content from machinegum.

There's also an art opening related to all this on Jan. 28.

Off to La La land for this Avenue B laundromat

[Top photos by Steven]

In laundromat news, Spin City is now the lyrical-sounding La La Laundry on Avenue B at 11th Street...



Not sure at the moment if the place is under new ownership... or if they just decided on a name change.

Meanwhile, La La Laundry might have just overtaken Bubbles N Go on Second Street as the neighborhood's wackiest-named laundromat...

Noted

Derek Berg shares this Urban Dog Etiquette Sign from Seventh Street: "Stop putting your dog shit on our garbage cans!!!!!"

You had mail

So long to the tagged and broken postal relay box that was on St. Mark's Place and Avenue A ... workers hauled it off this morning.

Photo by Derek Berg

Today in double spills on 14th Street

Actually this unfortunate double spill likely happened last night as the KFC on 14th Street and Second Avenue wasn't open yet today.

Meanwhile, we will work to recreate how this occurred. It doesn't appear to be a drop, given the position of the cups and the integrity of the structure... the spill tracks also suggest a more gentle flow as opposed to a splat (scientifically speaking).

And we'll sample to see if this was, in fact, Tropicana® Fruit Punch ...

24 hours in the life of a pumpkin in Tompkins Square Park

Yesterday...



... and today...



Photos by Steven

A new meaning for bank fishing

EVG regular Jose Garcia spotted this on Ninth Street near First Avenue... and part of our ongoing found fish-heads-on-sidewalk series (like here and here).

P.S.
What is bank fishing?

A winter in the life of an abandoned salt spreader on Avenue A

In other important stories... this winter, a salt spreader has been locked up on the east side of Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street



Even during the rare snowfall this winter, the salt spreader remained locked in place...



Then last week, the salt spreader made a brief appearance above the van that had been parked on Fourth Street at Avenue A...



... and now the salt spreader has returned to the street, though this time locked up on the west side of Avenue A opposite of its former home...

Key Food has a sale on Sno Balls

Perfect for today's weather...

1 more year for the phone book, apparently

I recalled reading last summer that Verizon was ending the print distribution of its business directory (aka telephone books) in New York.

According to published reports, "the company delivered 6.3 million business directories [in 2015]. Verizon estimates that by eliminating the printing of massive phone books it will save 13,600 tons of paper per year from entering the waste system."

In any event, as you may have noticed in recent days, Verizon has dropped a few tons of phone books off around the neighborhood...


[3rd Street between C and D]


[7th Street between A and 1st]


[6th Street between A and B]

In one case, I noticed that someone actually took one of the books...


[3rd Street between A and 1st]

I took one too — just to see if they listed EVG correctly... oh well — maybe next year...

Going cold turkey on Avenue A

Last night, EVG reader Daniel noted the presence of a still-frozen Butterball turkey on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place...

As of this morning, it's still there... though slightly thawed, as Derek Berg noted...



Looks to be about a 9-pounder...

A-Paving We Go!

And in other Christmas miracles noteworthy items... Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C now has a new surface... this after Con Ed had been replacing gas mains on the block the past three months.

1 month (or so) after the Blizzard of Jan. 23, this snow refuses to leave East 1st Street

Oh... sorry. This snow...



At least I think it's snow... Didn't taste like any snow that I recall tasting... (likely just the tar crust...)

In case someone approaches you selling diapers today

Not mentioning this for any reason, really.

Photo on East 10th Street near Avenue A yesterday by Michael Sean Edwards.

1st Avenue McDonald's replaces $1 menu signage; new emphasis placed on the Big Mac, large fries

[Image via Google]

Longtime McDonald's signage watchers were treated yesterday to something new… as workers replaced the familiar (and colorful and at least 7-year-old) "Dollar Menu" on the marquee here on First Avenue near East Sixth Street…


[Photo by Vinny and O]

[Photo by EVG reader Rainer]

… to an admittedly more staid look featuring a pretty big Big Mac and more fries than can actually fit into the fry box…



McDonald's is reportedly moving away from its Dollar Menu, and emphasizing new, mid-priced items.

Please leave your comments on McDonald's new approach in the comments. (Sample discussion starters: Why is the box of fries upside down?)