Oddities of the human world

[womzilla]

I discovered this particular one several years ago as part of a "Greenwich Village Scavenger's Hunt" to which I was invited by sandial. One of the goals was 18 W 11th Street, which is the site of the famous Weathermen premature explosion in 1970. The building was rebuilt in 1978, and the facade of the new building protrudes out from the flat row of townhouses around it on either side, making it quite visible from some distance down the block; at just above ground level are two bay windows.

In the eastern window is a three-foot-tall stuffed Paddington bear; the owner change the clothes on the bear periodically to match the weather. (I guess this makes Paddington the new weatherman of W 11th.)

What made me think of this recently, I have no idea; but it occurred to me to wonder if Paddington is visible in the Google Street View image of the block. And lo,
Paddington is just barely. (Rotate once to the left to see the building.)

What a world.

Comments

[baldanders.livejournal.com]

The late poet James Merrill wrote a poem about (and called) 18 West 11th Street after the Weathermen blew it up. He had lived in the house till the age of five.