*Everyday Chatter

The Abominable Snow Penis, aka the Penistrator, has been caught in the act--and he's Haley Joel Osment. Maybe. [EVG]

With the "bad old days" returning, people are now scared to come to NYC. And what's left of the East Village may yet survive: "You're seeing empty drink bottles in the street, you're catching people urinating. They're 'tagging up' ...All that stuff is coming back." [NYP]

The return of grit may put a damper on Bloomberg and Burden's plan to turn NYC into a pristine European village. [AMNY]

But the Europeans still plan to turn the Flatiron Building into a hotel! [Curbed]

The Cheyenne lost its signage yesterday--bound now for Alabama. [Gothamist]

"Vanishing City" event sells out--even the investment bankers showed up. [CR]

Take a stroll along "four-shortened" 4th Avenue. [FNY]

"What, then, remains of that elusive American dream of having a country, rather than a country club, that offers something to everyone, and not just its most privileged members, even as the situation becomes progressively more dire?" --from Club Orlov

"Many people who stuck with the city through tougher times now feel that they have a stake in its continued prosperity, and...'are now sticking out their chests a little bit. ‘Yeah, I may be living in this little studio apartment, but I’m making it and I’m surviving here.'" [NYT]

Enjoy Chinese New Year in NYC before Giuliani banned traditional firecrackers. [NMNL]