
[Photo Saturday by Steven]
Workers from the Sanitation Department on Saturday reportedly removed the encampment beneath the sidewalk bridge on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street.
The action came on the same day that the Post criticized Mayor de Blasio for his non-action on such encampments — despite his calls to remove them around the city.
The Post spoke with people who were upset by the makeshift living quarters that had increased in size here between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place in recent weeks:
“It makes me feel uncomfortable. It makes our city dirty and noisy,” said neighborhood resident Olga, 78, who’s lived in the East Village for 33 years.
“There was one woman who was making pee-pee and caca by the bus stop. It was very dirty and disgusting. Nobody wanted to use the bus stop.”
The owner of an eatery across the street also said the situation appeared to be spiraling out of control.
“They started camping out there when the weather got warmer and recently it got bigger,” the restaurateur said.
“Some of them have mental issues. They drink a lot and fight with each other. They throw bottles.”
Although the Post posted a video showing city workers cleaning out the sidewalk on Saturday, people had returned by yesterday...

[Photo by Steven]
In recent years, this corner has been a gathering spot in the summer for travelers/crusties. In October 2018 (pre-sidewalk bridge), for instance, the NYPD set up a light tower here to deter anyone from congregating and camping out.
This corner is the site of the deadly gas explosion in March 2015.
Workers are currently wrapping up construction of a six-story, 21-unit condoplex for 45 E. Seventh St.
In recent months residents-readers have also expressed concerns about encampments popping up on other Second Avenue locations, including outside the former Starbucks on Ninth Street, the northeast corner at Sixth Street, the northeast corner at Fourth Street, the northeast corner at Third Street (at the former Bean) and along the former Church of the Nativity between Second Street and Third Street.