One of our first apartments was across the street from the Hell’s Angels “block” or clubhouse. It was one of the safest streets in the neighborhood – at a time when safety on the streets of new york wasn’t something you took for granted.  A friend of ours had a Vespa, and basically they wouldn’t let him park it nearby, because they didn’t want anyone thinking it was theirs. They relented slightly when it was explained that they were Italian scooters. Not mopeds or ‘rice grinders’. He still parked it down the street. They were always pretty polite to us.  I mean all that radicalism and racial intolerance has cooled a bit since the clubs heyday in the 70s and 80s. In fact, we now wonder if Curbed has actually met any Angels or ever really witnessed them beat anyone up. I never did.

doesn’t it say more about the changing East Village that the bikers would make this sign instead of just beating the crap out of anyone who sat on that bench? [EV Grieve]

It should say ‘changed east village’. where are they supposed to drink their Mojitos if people are sitting on their damn benches?!

via Curbed: East Village Tourists Pissing Off Hell’s Angels.

Originally posted by EV Grieve, pretty good rant.