EV Grieve also spotted LD in a sling earlier in the day on Fourth Avenue.

In the late-evening heat of last Monday night, a group of over-jubilant Hare Krishnas was out singing their gospel and distributing flyers at the corner of First Avenue and First Street. The cymbals, accordian, and chanting penetrated the summertime air for just a short time, before the crew retired to the Bhakti Cafe at 25 First Avenue.

Not surprisingly, though, most people within earshot paid them no mind.

The Bhakti Cafe opened at 25 First Avenue in early June, and is part of the larger Bhakti Center.  Yoga classes and other events take place on the upper floors.

[via Runnin' Scared and Guest of a Guest]

In two weeks (June 28), the MTA overhaul will take effect.  The W and V lines will be phased out, with the M assuming more responsibilities along the IND line.  The subway (and bus) landscape will be completely different; the signage changes are already being implemented.  Out come the new decals.  So long, M.

[Photo Credit: EV Grieve]

On a related note, the track changes create a familiar internet acronym in the 14th Street station.  FML!  EV Grieve points us to the CNET article which brings this slice of hilarity to life.

This week, an alteration in New York City transit signs to address forthcoming route changes have placed an unfortunate Internet acronym on a heavily trafficked subway station: Displays that list the color-coded subway services running at the 14th Street-6th Avenue underground station now display a bold “FML.”

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA, may or may not have been aware that this is an acronym for “f*** my life,” a profane exclamation of disgruntlement that arose in Web forums, in text messages, and on a popular blog several years ago.

Now, it’s just the JZ line. So here’s some Jay-Z…

And, of course, that painful five-minute wait to exit is an eternity in city time.

Today promises to be a busy day for the television show, as production will occupy a generous chunk of Lower East Side territory.  All the requisite trailers and filming personnel are restricted to the square confines of East Houston/Stanton on the north/south and Suffolk/Allen on the east/west.

The serial crime drama centers on the unlikely partnership between a con artist and his watchful FBI agent. It was promoted from its Friday evening slot to Tuesday nights at 9 pm.  Season two begins July 13.

A handful of tear-tab flyers in the neighborhood implore those who participated in such apologies to contact the producers.  This particular one is located outside First Park on East Houston.

Here is more on the Apology Line, courtesy of the official film website:

In 1980 the experimental artist Alan Bridge began to cultivate a congregation centered around a then novel piece of technology; the answering machine. He plastered downtown Manhattan with posters inviting people to call “The Apology Line” and get whatever they wanted off their chests. The City’s bad old days were a fertile breeding ground for such a venture.

By 1995 he had recorded more than 500,000 phone calls and created a disembodied, anonymous community of followers. Many had known each other for years but never met. They shared secrets and false identities. And they told you everything about the darker aspects of human nature and urban society.

In 1995, Bridge died unexpectedly in a scuba-diving accident. And his line went the same way. The voices of a time, a city and a generation have been silent ever since. Until now. As part of a documentary on Mr. Apology and his project, we are retracing his footsteps and asking New York and beyond: did you call Mr. Apology?