My friends, one thing I have learned since starting this block association two months ago is that there is an entire local community out there that can all be yours for the low low price of a little bit of effort. Allow me to be an intermediary between you and that community today by introducing you to Eric Marcus, a Chelsea resident who started a very informative local newsletter in March 2020. His latest newsletter, which was distributed last Tuesday, is pasted in full below. You can subscribe to it by emailing him: eric@ericmarcus.com.

Unbeknownst to me before I started subscribing to Eric’s newsletter, the NY Daily News reported on it last year: Chelsea man's newsletter connects neighbors amid coronavirus - New York Daily News (nydailynews.com). Pretty cool. Eric also has a Wikipedia, which is how you know he’s made it: Eric Marcus - Wikipedia.

* * *

Neighborhood News

— March 23, 2021, Vol. 2, #2 —

300 West 20th Street Block Association

• Con Ed Steel Plates Cause Noise Nuisance

— Richard, who lives at the corner of 20th Street and 9th Avenue, just wrote to let me know that "noisier steel plates are in place at our intersection.” He didn’t need to tell me because the noise is driving me NUTS! Richard has filed a 311 complaint. You can file a complaint, too. If you do, here’s the case number that you should reference: 311-05760458

• Worthwild Restaurant Reopens!

— After hibernating for the past several months, Worthwild, one of my favorite local restaurants, reopens tomorrow, Wednesday, March 24. Congratulations to Ray (standing in photo below from last September), his partners, and his crew. Welcome back!

• Filthy Neighbor Award Goes To…

— On the 300 block of West 20th Street one house is often a mess with overflowing garbage cans and refuse that spills out onto the street. And we have the owners of 335 West 20th Street (and the building’s occupants) to thank for that. So this week’s “Filthy Neighbor” award goes to the owners and occupants of 335 West 20th Street. Congratulations! (Their sidewalk, which is a trip hazard, needs to be fixed, too, but that’s for another day’s complaints.

• New High Line 28 Block Association

— Brian, from way uptown on 28th Street (Northwest Chelsea?), wrote to let us know about a new block association: "I live on 28th Street & 10th Avenue, and I recently started a block association for residents of 28th & 29th Streets between 10th & 11th Avenues. It is called High Line 28 Block Association, and our website is here: High Line 28 Block Association. I also put a newsletter out periodically—you can see our latest one here: Proposal to turn the property at 29th Street & 10th Avenue into a community garden or dog park."

• On Grafitti Patrol

— Several neighbors have asked how much of a time commitment it is to adopt one of the green USPS relay mailboxes, most of which are covered with graffiti. Here’s what you can expect: 60-90 minutes to scrape and paint the first time—usually two coats required. After that, touch-ups every month or two take 15 minutes or less, including cleanup. I look after three mailboxes on the 300 block of West 20th Street and only two required touch-ups this past Sunday morning. I’ve included before and after photos below of one mailbox and my equipment. Total elapsed time: 15 minutes. I’ve also been asked if it’s legal. I haven’t been arrested yet!

• Ever Been to 13th Avenue?

— There’s a new plaque on the railing in Hudson River Park just south of the new Little Island Park, which shows the history of our waterfront. Have a close look at the image below to see the original shoreline (midway between 9th and 10th Avenues) and 19th century landfill (later removed) that added a 13th Avenue that ran from West 11th Street to West 23rd Street. Who knew?

• Spring On the High Line

— The purple crocuses have joined the white snow drops to announce that spring has arrived on the High Line.

• Appetite Killer?

— There’s a new pizza place on the northeast corner of 14th Street and 9th Avenue called Death By Pizza I don’t usually associate pizza with death, but perhaps it’s pizza to die for (I haven’t tried it yet).

• Vaccine Day at Hudson Guild

— Here’s the story behind the recent vaccination events at the Hudson Guild as reported in the Chelsea Community News.

-Walgreens staff with NY State Assembly Member Richard Gottfried (at far right) who sponsored the events -Photo credit: Matthew Tighe — -Walgreens staff with NY State Assembly Member Richard Gottfried (at far right) who sponsored the events
-Photo credit: Matthew Tighe

• For Only $25 Million…

— For only $25 million, you can live on the 300 block of West 20th Street in a fully renovated landmark townhouse. Really nice house (really nice!), although the price seems a little aspirational. But there’s a lot of crazy money around, so who knows? Click here for the listing. Click here for an article about the house in The Real Deal. If you decide to buy it, perhaps you can host a meeting of the Block Association?

• Troubled Rooftop Intruder

— Last week I heard from a neighbor on the block who encountered an intruder on the roof of her building (see photos below). Here’s what she reported about a man who entered the building next door (buzzed in or broke in): “He got on their roof, got locked out, and then somehow managed to climb onto our adjacent roof and was trapped there for several hours until a construction worker from the school knocked on our door to tell us someone was up there. I didn’t believe him because I thought that only we could access our roof. He apparently called for help and that’s when the construction worker came to our door.

"Thank goodness my sons and dog accompanied me to check. The man said he was visiting next door and got locked out. I wasn’t thinking clearly and didn’t want the situation to escalate, so I escorted him through our house and out the front door. He was wearing a blanket that he had taken from our roof, but returned it later—draped it over our gate with an AMC gift card. I probably should have called the police, but he was polite so I didn’t.”

Since the intrusion, the man in the gold-colored sneakers has been spotted hanging out on the corner of 8th Avenue and 20th Street.

• Village Preservation is Hiring

Village Preservation (formerly the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation) is hiring an East Village and Special Projects Director. For a complete description of the job and the required experience, click here.

• New Mini-Grocery Opens on 24th Street

— The R&L Grocery, a postage-stamp-size convenience store has opened on 24th Street in London Terrace just west of 9th Avenue. In the photo below, notice the campaign poster in the window for Erik Bottcher, my favorite candidate for City Council.

• Corner From Hell

— At long last the Department of Transportation (or perhaps it was Department of Environmental Protection?) re-set the drain cover on the northeast corner of 9th Avenue and 18th Street. The old drain cover had sunk so far into the ground that it threatened to swallow up (or at least trip) anyone who had the misfortune to step off the curb and into oblivion. But why (why!) didn’t anyone think to bring a steam roller or other device to compress the blacktop so it didn’t replace one trip hazard for another? And then there’s the garbage in the street next to the overflowing trash can, which has become a fixture on this corner. Does anyone hold the Department of Sanitation to account for this filthy corner and so many others? Is anyone home at City Hall? And, you might ask, why do I ask stupid questions?

_____________

Check out this weekly newsletter from Chelsea resident Eric Marcus.