First sign of Christmas trees

The trees have arrived on 14th Street and First Avenue...in front of O'Hanlon's...




And the trees should be here any minute on Second Avenue in front of the St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery

Black Friday update: Live from the front lines

The Duane Reade on 14th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue was free of pesky shoppers...



Ample supplies of JLo and Halle Berry scents still available...

Get Local

But seriously...when it comes to shopping... The East Village Community Coalition has released the 3rd edition of its "Get Local" Shopping Guide. As the EVCC notes:

Remember, when you choose locally over mega-chains, you:

-Create local jobs with fair living wages

-Choose creativity and personality over uniformity

-Keep more money in the community

-Provide economic activity and stability

-Sustain small business owners who strengthen the local economy

-Defend our neighborhood's identity

-Fight the lie that low prices at chain stores make up for the loss of local business ownership

"The Brooklyn Heist" starts tonight at the Theatre 80

Movies return tonight to the Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place. Check their Web site for show times.

The Blarney Cove was not open last evening

And I recall the bar being open on previous Thanksgivings... Always a good place to spend the afternoon.

Giving thanks....

Just an appreciation of a few of the places that make the neighborhood what it is... There are plenty more places, of course...but to get us started...

St. Brigid's




Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen.




Lucy's.




Ray's.





and the free concerts in the Park...




The Odessa.




The Blarney Cove.

Live-blogging the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Finally. Hey. Who's hosting the parade this year?



Are you sure that the parade is on Channel 35?

Live-blogging the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Another commercial. Hmm.



Wow, NBC is desperate for advertisers.

Live-blogging the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

I did this last year. Jokingly! But I'm much more serious about things this year. So let's do it!



Oh. Commercial.

Because you're going to need a drink tomorrow

Jesus, why did your sister move there? A work-in-progress list of bars that will be open on Thanksgiving:

7B -- Noon to 4 a.m.

Mona's -- 6 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Parkside Lounge -- 4 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Mars Bar -- Noon to 4 a.m.

The Library -- 2 p.m. to 4 a.m. (potluck Thanksgiving feast at 6 p.m.)

Doc Holliday's -- 2 p.m. to close. Featuring an Orphans Thanksgiving with Miss Li.

The Pyramid -- Open per usual with '80s night

Also...at Odessa...

Where you won't be drinking tomorrow: Lucy's

Because she's on holiday...

Nothing better than the pre-holiday rush in the neighborhood...

...except maybe sitting at a bar watching it unfold over drinks...

Still. A few favorites.

At J. Baczynsky's East Village Meat Market...



Outside DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe on First Avenue...



Looking at the Thanksgiving pies at Something Sweet on First Avenue at 11th Street...