Q What’s up with the Christmasy “Welcome to Greenwich Village” sign above Bleecker Street at MacDougal Street? It has snowflakes on it and is red and green, but it was put up mid-July.—Richard J., East Village

A According to Judith Callet, the resident chair for the Bleecker Area Merchants’ and Residents’ Association, the sign was intended to “cheer up the neighborhood and attract tourists, to encourage business—especially during the gray, wintry months.” Due to laws governing how many consecutive days such signs can be hung, the sign was taken down in the spring for 60 days and went back up over the summer. BAMRA had planned to have the icons on the sides of the sign change with the seasons, but instead has simply removed the snowflakes until November; the red, green and gold colors remain.—Sara Brady