Times Square is the other direction!

Avenue A at 13th Street just now. Photo by Matt LES_Miserable

Breaking: On New Year's Eve, Duane Reade preps for Valentine's Day

Matt LES_Miserable notes that Valentine's Day hit the Duane Reade shelves on Avenue B at 3:30 p.m. today.

Reminders tomorrow: the 38th Annual New Year's Day Marathon Benefit Reading

From the EV Grieve inbox....

[Jonas Mekas in 2010 by Greg Fuchs via]

On Sunday, January 1, 2012 at 3:00 pm, The Poetry Project will host the 38th Annual New Year’s Day Marathon Benefit Reading at the St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, welcoming the New Year with over 140 writers, musicians, dancers and artists. Tickets at the door are $20, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for Poetry Project members. All proceeds benefit the continued existence of the Poetry Project, currently in its 46th season.

There will be about 140 performers, including Patti Smith, Thurston Moore, Steve Earle and Suzanne Vega ... Find all the details here.

Report: Roof-hopping robber busted on Christmas eve on East 12th Street

On Christmas Eve morning, Dec. 24, Jill told us about some "Spiderman" robbers apparently busted by the NYPD on East 12th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B ...

Yesterday, DNAinfo had more information on the incident, reporting that police arrested 19-year-old Reginald Qualls at 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 24.

Police reportedly found Qualls with bags filled with three laptops, two fur coats, an iPod, two digital cameras, among other items. As DNA noted, "Multiple residents told cops they spotted Qualls on fire escapes and rooftops of buildings on East 12th Street that night."

Police are eyeing Qualls and another man for a string of similar robberies in the West Village.

Also according to DNA, the NYPD arrested Qualls on Dec. 14 after allegedly striking a 76-year-old man with a metal pole on East 14th Street near Union Square. The man suffered a fractured rib and needed 12 stitches on a leg.

Crow house

Been meaning to post this shot by Bobby Williams from the other evening... Cooper Square near Sixth Street...

Nuble returns to Avenue C in time for New Year's Eve

Some friends of Nublu let us know earlier today that they will be back open tomorrow night at their old home on Avenue C ... Nublu had been renting space below Lucky Cheng's while they worked out issues with their liquor license...

Flashback to August...

Where you'll find me tomorrow night

Television from 1978 with "Foxhole."

The digging begins at the Mystery Lot

EV Grieve reader Spencer Elzey sends us these photos this morning from inside the Mystery Lot from the 14th Street side...

Perhaps digging for the new pool?

Previously.

Workers remove scaffolding behind St Brigid's

Thanks to this photo via @dens ... we can see even more of the progress at St. Brigid's on Eighth Street at Avenue B ...

Flashback to March ... when the workers erected the scaffolding back here ...

Those unnecessary new iPhone accessories

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Steve for this photo taken earlier in the morning at 10th Street and Broadway...

So it looks like we have:
• A pair of shoes
• A pair of pants
• A pint of whiskey
• A handful of toilet paper
• An empty iPhone case

I'm curious what happened next...