Friday's parting shot

Downed tree this afternoon on First Avenue between Second Street and Third Street — photo via EVG reader Danimal... was it a victim of today's high winds ... or a car/truck...?

Workers are removing an elm tree from Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Steven 

Workers this morning are cutting down one of the grand elm trees in Tompkins Square Park.

This one, located behind the under-renovation field house, was said to be dead for the past 18-plus months...

We're coming up on the 1-year-anniversary of the renovations. 

The Parks Department website lists a September 2024 competition date for the $5.6-million project. The work is 61% complete, per the Parks website.

City cuts down this tree — said to be rotting — in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Steven 

The city cut down a tree — said to be an American elm — today in Tompkins Square Park...

We're told that a good part of the tree, located near Temperance Fountain, was hollowed out and rotting... and in danger of falling... 

Here's a look at the tree last week... 

... which was a popular spot for squirrels... 

H/T to EVG reader Bobby G. for also sending along a few photos...

Workers get to the root of the matter at downed tree in Tompkins Square Park

Workers this morning removed the remaining portion — stump and root structure — of the large, centuries-old tree that fell on May 7 at the Seventh Street and Avenue A entrance to Tompkins Square Park. (Earlier in the month, someone wrote a message on the stump about Jesus arriving. Probably not what they had in mind.) 

Derek Berg shared these first two photos of this excavation project...

And Felton Davis took these shots...

Workers remove this elm in Tompkins Square Park

Workers today removed an elm tree said to be dead (or dying) in Tompkins Square Park... (first two photos by Steven)...

The tree is between the dog run and the entrance at Avenue B and Ninth Street, as this photo by Mark Cyr shows...

This is the second large tree that the Park has lost this year.

Workers removing damaged Elm tree in Tompkins Square Park

A crew was out early this morning in Tompkins Square Park... cutting up parts of the majestic Elm tree that came down on the southeast corner at the entrance on Seventh Street and Avenue B on Aug. 3 during Tropical Storm Isaias ... Goggla shared these photos...



Unfortunately, the rest of the tree must be removed — workers said that the Elm has tree rot...

Updated 12:45 p.m.

A reader shared this photo...



Per the reader: "Sad we're losing another one. But it will be a sunnier corner now. Maybe more flowers..."

Updated 3 p.m.

RIP East River Park

Dave on 7th shared this photo from yesterday from along the East River Park promenade. Someone placed memorial ribbons commemorating the life of East River Park: "We will miss your breeze, your trees, your plants and flowers and your birds and bees."

This is all in reaction to the details that emerged last fall (city press release here) about the updated construction phase to protect the East Side against catastrophic flooding along the East River.

As previously reported, the city plans to "lift" East River Park by up to 10 feet when work starts in March 2020. However, to do this, the city will need to close East River Park for up to three and a half years, bulldozing all the current amenities and chopping down many of the trees.

The East Side Coastal Resiliency Project is currently (and quietly) undergoing environmental review. This link goes to the notice of the public review and request for comments.

Per the notice:

"All interested persons, groups, and agencies are invited to submit written comments regarding the proposed use of federal funds to support the construction of the proposed project in a floodplain and / or wetland. The City is interested in alternatives and public perceptions of possible adverse impacts that could result from the project as well as potential mitigation measures."

Write to Calvin Johnson
Assistant Director CDBG-DR New York City Office of Management and Budget
255 Greenwich Street, 8th Floor
New York, New York 10007

Here's the email address.

Meanwhile, a community group called the East River Alliance formed at the end of 2018 to help organize various East River Park stakeholders and to ensure that the design and reconstruction "reflects our community’s needs and values."

You can read more about the Alliance in this article at Patch.

Tree down on Clinton and Stanton

This is the scene this morning on Clinton Street just south of Stanton... EVG reader @artisanmatters shared these photos. Not sure what happened just yet (other than that it fell some time last night and remains blocking the street this a.m) ... and this Bud Light rig took one on the cab...



And two more views via EVG reader @Section215 ...

[Updated] Tree casualty in Tompkins Square Park from yesterday's storm

One of the trees (a Pin Oak?) along the Ninth Street entrance and the ballfields became uprooted during yesterday's storm ... workers will need to remove this...



Thanks to Steven for the photos...

Updated 3/4

A crew is in the Park this morning to remove the tree...

Workers remove American Elm in Tompkins Square Park

As we understand it, part of the tree broke off about 10 days ago... apparently the trunk was rotting, and workers had to take it down, per Park sources...

EVG correspondent Steven shared these photos...









For reference purposes, the tree was in the Sandra Turner Garden... between Temperance Fountain and the ping-pong table...

[Updated] Neighbors ask Con Ed to water this tree 'dying of thirst'

Someone has placed a homemade sign in this dusty tree pit outside the Con Ed substation on Sixth Street at Avenue A...

"Dear Con Ed,

I am dying of thirst

Please... when you get a chance"

Updated 11:39 am

@evgrieve Hello. It might be a good idea to reach out to either the Parks Department or 311. ~RO

— Con Edison (@ConEdison) June 24, 2016

Avenue A, now with fewer trees

Multiple EVG readers came across this scene this morning just before 9 on Avenue A between East Second Street and East Third Street… where workers were mulching up a fallen tree…



Unfortunately, no one (yet!) has passed along what happened to the tree on the west side of the street… How did it fall? Did it crack? Was it struck? Pushed? Bitten? Karate chopped?



Thanks to the EVG reader for the photos!

Updated:
Per the comments, three trees on this block had to be removed...

Tree down at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery

Workers today had to remove the last of the majestic willows from St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery… along the eastern edge of the property at Second Avenue between East 10th Street and East 11th Street… EVG reader Daniel, who shared these photos, said that the tree was diseased (there was yellow tape around it for the past week or so) …











We're curious how old the tree was… here's a photo circa 1905 via the New York Cemetery Project…