The 5-foot snow sculpture of a penis erected during the height of yesterday's blizzard in Tompkins Square Park is gone, as these photos from about 7:20 a.m. today show...
As several observers noted, it doesn't appear as it was knocked down as much as removed. Penis sculpture watchers in the Park this morning note that there weren't many snow chunks lying around the base here closest to the Avenue A and East Ninth Street entrance.
There are a few detailed remains, which show the great care and attention that went into this monument of [whatever you think of sculptured snow penises].
On Jan. 15, I interviewed founding editor (and East Village resident) John Holmstrom on East Village Radio. (Unfortunately, the show is not archived.) Holmstrom picked the playlist for the show, and included comments about each song... sharing it here now...
1. "You Drive Me Nervous" by the Alice Cooper Band
The first punk rock band I saw live and it changed my life forever...
2. "Kick Out The Jams" by Blue Oyster Cult
BOC was a truly twisted, crazed live heavy metal band that had Patti Smith and Helen Wheels as lyricists, and whose managers convinced CBS Records to sign The Dictators. And of course, the MC5 created punk rock by getting The Stooges signed to their record label.
3. "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by Iggy Pop and The Stooges
This was the prototype punk song, covered by so many punk rock bands over the years.
4. "Get Out of Denver" by Eddie and the Hot Rods
Eddie and the Hot Rods were the first band from England labeled "punk." Here's why. The pub rock scene was the biggest influence on the English punk scene.
5. "Riot In Cell Block No. 9 by Doctor Feelgood
Another "pub rock band from England. The Ramones opened for Dr. Feelgood at the Bottom Line in early 1976... Just the most amazing show.
6. "Bad Girls" by the New York Dolls
This was the first band I went to see at a small club: like Club 82, the drag club. Didn't like their fashion sense but love the music.
7. "My Generation" by The Patti Smith Group
Patti had a lot to do with putting CBGB on the map, she and her band made some great music, I need to give them props.
8. "(I Live For) Cars And Girls" by The Dictators
I picked up the first Dictators LP, loved it to death, played it for Ged Dunn Jr. and Mr. McNeil, and it inspired us to start a magazine. Oddly, enough, everyone in the band hates it!
9. "Judy Is a Punk" by the Ramones
I like the first Ramones best, it's very close to what they sounded like live at CBGB.
10. "New Rose" by The Damned
First punk band from England to release a record, tour the states, play at CBGB, etc. This was punk rock before it became formalized.
11. "Rocket USA" by Suicide
They often opened for the Ramones, and were the first-ever band to call themselves "punk." Even though people would now call this techno, Suicide was truly a punk rock band.
12. "I'm on E" by Blondie
I just love this song. It runs through my head whenever things are going bad and I am out of money, energy, whatever. Blondie were so much fun to work with, open to everything.
13. "Carbona Not Glue" by the Ramones
The best song by the Ramones, could have been a hit single if not for the lyrics.
14. "I Wanna Be Me" by the Sex Pistols
I always liked their B-sides better than the singles. The lyrics are brilliant, and aimed at people in the media (like me).
15. "Ready, Steady, Go" by Generation X
I always liked their debut album so much. "Purist" punks hated them: too pretty, too polished. In a way, they were the blueprint for pop-punk bands like Green Day, Blink 182, etc.
16. "Ain't Nothing To Do" by the Dead Boys
Great American punk rock band. Amazing live performances.
17. "Teenagers From Mars" by the Misfits
We planned a cover story on The Misfits, but couldn't do it: we were forced out of business unexpectedly.
18. "I Wanna Be Famous" by The Bullys
Great NYC punk band that still performs live.
20. "Against All Authority" by the Bullys
Brilliant song by them IMO.
Exhibition details:
Gallery Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
All events are free Howl! Happening: An Arturo Vega Project, 6 E. First St. between the Bowery and Second Avenue
Mr. Bloomberg, 73, has already taken concrete steps toward a possible campaign, and has indicated to friends and allies that he would be willing to spend at least $1 billion of his fortune on it, according to people briefed on his deliberations who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss his plans. He has set a deadline for making a final decision in early March, the latest point at which advisers believe Mr. Bloomberg could enter the race and still qualify to appear as an independent candidate on the ballot in all 50 states.
Went out for a little walk. (Periscoped for the first time. I remembered to talk on the next installment. Need to learn to not shake the iPhone so much.)
Some really random observations (or more random than usual?). The Avenues have been plowed. Side streets are a little hit and miss. Tompkins Square Park is picture perfect. There is one random Citi Bike on 7th and A. Umbrellas are useless. Two pairs of socks are a good idea. If I owned goggles, then I'd have put them on no matter how dumb I looked. People are nicer when it is snowing.
And more places are open than I expected. This is not at all a comprehensive list. Here are places that I saw open at 9 a.m.: Key Food, Croissanteria (A between 4th and 5th), Juicy Lucy (Avenue A between 5th and 6th), Ray's Candy Store (and the place next to it), the Odessa, Box Kite Coffee (115 St. Mark's Place), the International (First Avenue between 7th and St. Mark's), Saiffee Hardware (and they were getting a huge salt shipment), McDonald's, Starbucks (the one on First Avenue at 3rd), the Bean (the one on Second Avenue at 3rd), Downtown Bakery II (First Avenue between 4th and 3rd), Brickman & Sons (First Avenue between 4th and 3rd) ... all the corner delis were open. Ditto for laundromats/dry cleaners. The gate was going up at the liquor store on Avenue and 4th Street. There was a Twitter report that Black Seed Bagels is open on First Avenue.
And as I posted on Twitter, at the time I looked in the window at the International, there were more people inside there than the McDonald's and Starbucks combined.
To be continued...
Updated 11:25 a.m.
Ost Cafe on Avenue A at 12th Street is open ... ditto for Tompkins Square Bagels ... and the Remedy Diner on East Houston at Norfolk. The Wayland opens at noon on Avenue C and East 9th Street. Superiority Burger is open from 2-6 today on East Ninth Street between Avenue A and 1st Avenue...
Also: The Neptune on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street ... Hearth on First Avenue at 12th Street... Donnybrook on Clinton and Stanton...
Police looking for suspect who mugged woman in a residential elevator on East 12th Street and Third Avenue (Town & Village)
More details emerge about Adam Purple's long history of sexually abusing his daughters (The Villager)
Ippudo closed on Fourth Avenue through Jan. 30 for renovations (Eater)
An interview with Punk Magazine founding editor and East Village resident John Holmstrom (The Observer)
Christo watching in Tompkins Square Park (Gog in NYC)
The first installment in what will be a once-a-calendar tribute to innovative filmmaker Ken Jacobs (Anthology Film Archives) And here's a Jacobs profile today (The Wall Street Journal)
Listicle alert! The 50 Most Unacceptable Sentences in "City on Fire" (The Awl)
More about the Treasury Department's efforts "to pierce the veil of anonymity" in Manhattan real-estate transactions (The New Yorker)
And we are not alone: Giant snow penis terrorizes locals in Gothenburg, Sweden (Death & Taxes)
... and East Village resident Jenny Adams is spearheading a coat drive today for The Trinity Mission. Per Jenny: "Bring your gently used coats, scarves, mittens and hats to Boulton & Watt on Houston & Avenue A anytime today."
In case you were going to use a Citi Bike to get around tomorrow or to help transport home the pallet of bread from Key Food... here's some FYI via the CB people:
Due to heavy snow in the forecast, we will temporarily close the Citi Bike system starting at 11 tonight, Friday January 22. What does that mean for you? No bikes can be rented after the temporary closure has begun, though bikes that are in use can be returned to any Citi Bike station with an available dock.
The amount of snow and changing weather conditions will determine when it is safe to re-open. Stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as the nifty yellow alert banner on the Citi Bike website for updates and details on reopening the system.
Not sure if you heard this, but it might snow this weekend.
Anyway! Seems like a good time to share these photos via EVG Facebook friend Raphael Lasar ... a few shots via a Canon AE1 from the Blizzard of 1983 (the Megalopolitan Blizzard), which produced some 22 inches of snow on Feb. 11-12 ..
[1st Avenue near 5th Street]
[1st Avenue looking north toward 6th Street]
[1st Avenue at Sixth Street]
[1st Avenue at East 3rd Street]
[2nd Avenue between East 6th and East 7th streets]
[Astor Place]
[Astor Place]
[Astor Place and the Alamo]
[St. Mark's Place between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue]
He moved from Bleecker Street to East Fifth Street near Second Avenue in 1965 at age 5 ... and relocated in 1976 to Village View, where his mother still lives.
I asked Lasar if he had any particular memories from this time.
"I could go on at length about a recent college graduate, his ambitions and his new Canon AE1, but I think your readers are more interested in their own memories and musings of the neighborhood," he said. "I can only say what a privilege it was to grow up in such a place at the time I did."
Speaking of snow... Vinny & O saw a larger-than-usual crowd at Key Food on Avenue A last evening... "it was a lot crazier at the checkouts, creating that usual no-move zone. Everyone was talking in line about Jonas." (BTW, The Weather Channel came up with the name Jonas, so it's not really official.)
We were at Key on Wednesday night for a few non-Jonas supplies, and noted a run on Corn Pops.
Sober predictions see anywhere from 6 to 18 inches of snow hitting the NYC area — under a "blizzard watch" — starting Saturday morning. This is all subject to change, of course.
Meanwhile, the MTA has announced their possible blizzard emergency plans here.
We'll update throughout the day with any relevant, uh, updates at least until the power goes out.
And if you want some temporary work shoveling snow and helping grow beefy triceps at the same time, the city is hiring.
Updated 4:55 a.m.
The National Weather Service has upgraded the forecast to a blizzard warning. Scary graphics to follow. And exclamation points!!!!!
(Speaking of Whiteout, I always liked that Boss Hog record.)
And I'll be updating more often (probably!) at the @evgrieve Twitter thing.
