Checking in on the former mucky tree well on Avenue A

Photos by Stacie Joy

Last Tuesday, we reported on longtime East Village resident Siobhan Meow taking care of the formerly mucky-smelly tree well on Avenue A just south of Sixth Street (now known as the Noel Reed Memorial Tree Pit).

We spotted Siobhan at work yesterday, putting in some early ground cover for the soil ...

We're looking forward to seeing this formerly soggy, bread-ridden plot come to life this spring.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• This spring, new life for the mucky tree well that smells like dead things on Avenue A

This spring, new life for the mucky tree well that smells like dead things on Avenue A

Prologue 

Text and photos by EVG

Since last summer, the tree well on Avenue A just south of Sixth Street has been a mucky cesspool of stagnant water, soggy bread, and other snacks for pigeons adjacent to the block-long Con Edison substation. 

On warm days, when the winds are just right, you can smell the fragrant pit nearly a block away — an aroma that smells like decaying rodents, sewer water, and stale bread.

Despite the muck, life found a way last summer ... 

On Dec. 31, we noticed something remarkable: someone had tilled the plot, turning the earth and providing hope. And after the most recent MulchFest in Tompkins Square Park in January, someone even put down a fresh bed of chips. 

We've never seen anyone drop off the pigeon smorgasbord, but we haven't spotted the person (or people?) tending to the plot either. 

Until last week. 

Hope Springs Eternal

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Last week, you may have noticed that someone had been giving the mucky tree well some TLC. I spotted East Village artist Siobhan Meow working here with a shovel and asked her about the project. 

"I decided to adopt a tree well!" she said. 

She has named it the Noel Reed Memorial Tree Pit after her friend Noel Reed, aka Leon Deer, aka Mr. Twilight, "who died much too young." He was a dancer with the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black and worked for Con Edison as a welder. 

"I noticed last summer that this amazing cornstalk is growing here. Just the one cornstalk. And then when it was gone, it smelled so bad here in the summer," she said. "All the pigeons…there was so much pigeon guano, which is really good for plants."

Carrying a shovel from her garden, she said, "I turned it over, added some compost from my rooftop garden, some soil from an abandoned outdoor restaurant shack planter, and then a layer of Christmas tree shavings, mulch from the park." 

What does she see for the tree pit? "Shrubs only. Nothing over 12 feet tall. I'd love to see a pussy willow in there. But don't feel too precious about what you put in it. It needs earthworms, too. Nightcrawlers. The best worms."

She's putting out an open call for plants, hoping someone will donate roses or shrubbery. "I don't want to be too controlling," she said

She plans to maintain the pit to be more "civically conscious and to get some exercise."

Epilogue

Farewell to the rat-infested tree pit of 5th Street

Workers tore up part of the sidewalk and the tree pit on Fifth Street just east of Avenue A along the Con Ed substation here...

Workers cut down the tree in recent months (last fall?). Not sure about the condition of the tree, but the roots had caused the concrete to lift. 

And anyone walking here at night likely saw the large rat population. We've spotted up to a dozen rats darting back and forth between the holes in the tree pit and underneath the fencing on the Con Ed building.

Hole lotta love: Checking in on the just-repaired 6th Street sinkhole

Here's a look at the now-former tree-pit sinkhole outside 338 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

As noted on Friday, city crews finally filled in the four-plus-month-old hole...

The sinkhole formed during the drenching rains from Tropical Storm Ida on Sept. 1.

Breaking! (so to speak): City finally repairing 6th Street sinkhole

Well! 

A city crew is on the scene this morning to make repairs on the tree-pit sinkhole outside 338 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Goggla shared the above photo and noted the work in progress.

As we've noted many times previously: The sinkhole formed during the drenching rains from Tropical Storm Ida on Sept. 1.

Since then, a makeshift barrier including parts of Awash's outdoor dining space and other found objects have been guarding/blocking the sidewalk. Pedestrians had to walk on Sixth Street on the south side of the street to bypass the sinkhole. The sinkhole claimed the tree here in early December. 

No word on why it took four-plus months to have this repaired ... even with numerous residents calling this in to 311 and other various city agencies. 

Sinkhole claims tree on 6th Street

The sidewalk- and tree pit-eating hole outside 338 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue has apparently claimed a victim — the small tree that was in the pit.

Several EVG readers have noted this latest development here in recent days... 

It's not known if, perhaps, workers removed the tree ahead of repair work ... or someone else decided to cut it down.

As we've noted four times previously: The sinkhole formed during the drenching rains from Tropical Storm Ida on Sept. 1.

Since then, a makeshift barrier including parts of Awash's outdoor dining space and other found objects have been guarding/blocking the sidewalk. Pedestrians must walk on Sixth Street on the south side of the street to bypass the sinkhole.

Several residents have told us that they have contacted 311, Community Board 3, Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office, the DOT, the 9th Precinct, etc., to report the sinkhole — and the swastikas someone added to the barrier a few weeks back.

Someone painted 2 swastikas on the barrier surrounding the 6th Street sinkhole

The sidewalk- and tree pit-eating hole remains unchecked outside 338 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The sinkhole formed during the drenching rains from Tropical Storm Ida on Sept. 1.

Since then, a makeshift barrier including parts of Awash's outdoor dining space and other found objects have been guarding/blocking the sidewalk. Pedestrians must walk on Sixth Street on the south side of the street to bypass the sinkhole...

Several residents have told us that they have contacted 311, Community Board 3, Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office, the DOT, the 9th Precinct, etc., to report the sinkhole. Repairs await. 

And now an EVG reader reports that someone recently drew two swastikas (as well as a comment about President Biden and Gov. Hochul) on the west-facing plywood. 

Over the weekend, someone covered the messages with a yoga mat...

Someone called the police about the 6th Street sinkhole

The heavy rains that Tropical Storm Ida brought on Sept. 1 caused a large sinkhole to form in the tree pit and sidewalk outside 338 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Previously: de Blasio Spider Hole.)

Yesterday, one month to the date that the sinkhole formed, someone called the police about the situation. The report showed up on the Citizen app...

We did receive confirmation that a squad car arrived on the scene... and apparently, the officers called this in to whatever city agency would need to get here to fix this. 

Top photo by Steven yesterday

Branding the tree pit sinkhole on 6th Street

As noted earlier this month, the heavy rains that Tropical Storm Ida produced caused a tree pit sinkhole on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... there's a partial sidewalk collapse as well outside Awash at No. 338.

The sidewalk is awaiting repairs... in the meantime, someone recently decided to brand this spot — welcome to the di [sic] Blasio Spider Hole!

Tree pit sinkhole on 6th Street

Beware of the tree pit sinkhole on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue that has caused a partial sidewalk collapse as well...

This is outside 338 E. Sixth St. (Awash Ethiopian Restaurant — try the shiro wat! — is the retail tenant) ... Not sure when this happened — during the Ida downpour on Wednesday night?