Noted

Tompkins Square Park...

What's with all the cabs parked on Avenue A?

That's what a reader asked yesterday after seeing cabs lined up on Avenue A the past few days... EVG regular Creature noted this too with the following three photos...

[From Thursday via Bobby Williams]

I didn't see all this myself... and really have no idea. Anyone know?

Updated: Thanks. Answer in the comments.

NOW it feels like the holidays with the arrival of Trailer Park Santa

Oh, we knew something was missing from the holiday tree stand on East 14th Street at East First Street... the trailer just seemed so... bare.

Yes. Of course! Trailer Park Santa! He arrived this past week

Suitably grubby for this intersection.

So hang your stockings and say your prayers,
'Cause Trailer Park Santa Claus comes tonight.

Noted

East 10th Street and Fourth Avenue...

A scene from the L train platform

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Purple reign

They Might Be Giants with "Purple Toupee" from 1988.

Previously on EV Grieve:
On the phone with John Linnell of They Might Be Giants

'The future is unironed'

Photo from this afternoon on East Seventh Street and Avenue A... headline courtesy of Shawn Chittle via Facebook.

Relief supply giveaway tomorrow at Dry Dock Park

From the EV Grieve inbox...

American Red Cross contributes 50,000 new coats, scarves, boots and more in unprecedented partnership with churches and faith-based groups.

Who: Abounding Grace Ministries, Trinity Grace Church, Somebody Cares America, New York City Christian Resource Center, and American Red Cross

What: Pop-Up Relief Site Winter Clothes Giveaway

When: Saturday, December 1, 9 am - 5 pm while supplies last

Where: Dry Dock Park at Avenue D and 10th Street

Lower East Side churches and volunteers will distribute 5,000 coats, scarves, boots and other winter supplies at Dry Dock Park on Saturday, December 1, in the shadow of the power plant that darkened lower Manhattan during Super Storm Sandy. The only Manhattan location is one of eleven regional hubs created by a unique partnership between American Red Cross, Somebody Cares America, New York Christian Resource Center, and local faith-based groups that collectively will distribute 50,000 coats and more this weekend to communities most directly impacted by the storm.

On Friday afternoon the American Red Cross shipment will arrive in a 53’ tractor trailer which volunteers will unload, sort and prepare for distribution on Saturday. Dry Dock Park will open to the public on December 1 at 9am, and will remain open as long as supplies last. Recipients must be present at the park to receive supplies.

For more information about how and where to volunteer, and what happened in the days immediately following the storm, visit the ministries’ shared blog.

Prepping Adler for Wylie Dufresne

As you might have heard, noted LES chef Wylie Dufresne (of wd~50 on Clinton Street) is opening a place at the former Plum Pizzeria at 157 Second Avenue. As Grub Street first noted, the place will be called Adler, and serve "modern casual food and well-crafted cocktails."

Today, as you can see in the photo, workers continue to de-Plum Pizzeria the exterior...

This car blocked the Second Avenue bike lane for most of the morning

This morning, EVG reader John sent along a photo of a bike-lane obstruction on Second Avenue just below East 10th Street...

Two hours later, the car was still there...

The owner of the car has something apparently to do with the construction job at 154 Second Ave.

Here come the (unprotected?) East Houston bike lanes

Via a tweet by @felixsalmon this morning ... we see that the long-discussed East Houston Street bike lanes are on the way...

The $60 million Houston Street Corridor Reconstruction started in the fall of 2010, and is to include wider medians, bigger sidewalks, fewer traffic lanes and bike lanes... (Earlier this year, DNAinfo reported that the construction would now last through spring 2014...)

Back in 2009, Streetsblog pointed out that "instead of installing a physically protected path for cyclists, the city plans to paint a buffered, Class 2 lane" on East Houston...

From that Streetsblog article:

Currently, 70 percent of drivers on East Houston Street speed, according to studies conducted by Transportation Alternatives. "It's hard to imagine that paint will offer the kind of protection mainstream New Yorkers will need to feel safe biking on this crucial, yet dangerous corridor," said TA's Wiley Norvell. "The city has innovative physically-protected designs on hand, and to not use them on Houston would be a huge missed opportunity."

Based on the top photo, it appears that the bike lanes won't be protected...

This is the official word on the project via the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center:

To improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists along East Houston Street, DDC will be installing a number of traffic-calming measures. One significant measure is the neck-down. A neck-down is an extension of the curb that shortens the crosswalk distance while at the same time requiring motorists to reduce their speed to turn onto a sidestreet. In addition to the neck-downs, medians will be extended into the crosswalk creating a visible traffic-calming measure and safe refuge area for pedestrians. Other improvements include:

• Dedicated Bicycle Lanes and Bike Racks: The lanes will create a safer environment for bicyclists by calming traffic; while the bike racks will encourage bicycle use by providing users a safe storage option.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Coming soon to East Houston: Construction, hell, rodent control stations

Long-threatened East Houston reconstruction starting this month

Marta reunited with her family

Early Wednesday morning, the NYPD found a woman outside 145 Avenue A. She was disoriented and did not know her whereabouts, per the NYPD. An EMS crew took her to Beth Israel Hospital ...

A few minutes ago, the NYPD sent out this tweet...

twitpic.com/bhajpq - *Update* The woman has been re-united with her family.

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) November 30, 2012

We posted the original item on Facebook, where one EVG friend recognized the woman as Marta, her former neighbor on East Ninth Street...