Greenpoint
Cafe Cito Bogota
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Raided?
Filed under: 11211, Crazy People, Criminal Activity, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
That’s right: today both the police and Department of Sanitation have raided 373 Graham Avenue. The word on the street, I have been told (but await confirmation*), is “Joe” physically and sexually assaulted his girlfriend. This is horrible folks.
Here’s what happened per the Commanding Officer of the 94th Precinct, D.I. Hurson:
We assisted the sanitation dept in removing the garbage he had placed in front of his building. In the past he had given the sanitation dept a hard time they also gave him several summonses today even though he wasn’t present this morning
Photo Credits: Robin Hagert and Melissa Kerwin respectively.
Williamsburg Photos Du Jour: Halloween Greetings From 373 Graham Avenue
Filed under: 11211, Crazy People, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Or: He’s Baaacck!
Contrary to reports that the police vacated north Brooklyn’s perennial haunted house last Friday, Joe (as he is known) is back. As for how Joe feels about his latest visit from the local constabulary, well, methinks the following missive (as well as the fact he appears to have erected a barricade as seen above) might be an indication.
It is interesting to note that after I took the above photographs a young man exited the apartment on the second floor. He told a neighbor he can no longer abide having Joe as a neighbor (and one would presume: landlord). I found this interesting for a number of reasons. Foremost among them: there is no Certificate of Occupancy for this building.
Yup.
To be continued (no doubt)…
Williamsburg Photo Du Jour: 373 Graham Avenue
Filed under: 11211, Crazy People, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Taken October 2, 2012.
Williamsburg Photos Du Jour: 373 Graham Avenue
Yes gentle readers, it would appear this is the latest “service” our Graham Avenue’s good friend has seen fit to offer the general public. My advice to any/all interested sun worshippers: you might want to take into consideration this fellow has chased someone with a chainsaw.*
*As it would happen, I had the dubious honor of pointing out this fact to a couple of ladies dancing with Joe earlier this summer. Follows is how I recounted it to a few of his beleaguered neighbors:
Hey, I thought you all would enjoy a little “fun” I had with Joe before (amusingly enough) this evening’s Public Safety Committee meeting.
I was quite hungry as it would happen my taco purveyor of choice is located one block away from 373 Graham Avenue. Well, “Joe” was in especially good form this evening. Not only did he have his music cranked up to some ungodly volume, but he was singing as well. Noting that the owner of the hardware store next door was sitting in a chair watching this shitshow unfold, I struck up a conversation with him. Very simply put, he is tired of his neighbor, has apparently brought this to Marie’s and Gerry’s attention repeatedly and has lodged a number of complaints. “Joe’s” response to all of this is that he is being harassed. That’s when I opined to my new friend:
Well, he does have a restraining order against him for chasing someone with a chainsaw so I suppose he would be an expert on harassment.
He found this really funny. Wanting to get food (because I was REALLY HUNGRY) I told this fellow we’d resume our conversation on my way back. I’m glad I did! On my way back “Joe” was out front dancing with not one but two 20-something women. The owner of the hardware found this as darkly amusing as I did. In fact, I told him:
If Joe goes inside I am going to tell these women about his affection for chainsaws.
Then by some act of divine providence, Joe’s CD player started malfunctioning. BADLY. So I skipped on over and very calmly/glibly (think like I was talking about the weather) said the following:
You know this guy has a restraining order against him for chasing someone with a chainsaw, yes?
Their initial response was to giggle like a couple 14 year olds. I said nothing more but gave them my “I am not joking” face. Not only did they stop laughing but they ran— RAN— as fast as they could around the corner. I was a couple doors away when Joe finally came back out. The look of confusion and disappointment on his face was priceless.
Quicklink: From The C-Town Tumblr Page
Filed under: 11211, Crazy People, Criminal Activity, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
For those of you who are not in the know, the C-Town located at 330 Graham Avenue has a tumblr page. And today it was brought to my attention by a fellow we’ll “T” that they too have had issues with the rather, um, eccentric fellow who calls 373 Graham Avenue his place of enjoyment. I can only wonder what 373 Scam Ave will have to say about this…
From The New York Shitty Inbox, Part II: Benefit Concert At 373 Graham Avenue?
A concerned neighbor writes on the evening of July 27, 2012:
Considering I had to make noise complaints in the wee hours of the morning the past two days, I am super not looking forward to this so called concert tonight. Sorry for the poor photo, am trying to fly under the radar here and didn’t want to spend too much time lingering!
Williamsburg Photo Du Jour: And Now A Word From 373 Graham Avenue
Filed under: 11211, Crazy People, Criminal Activity, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
To Complain
94 Percint 1 718-Fuck-U
In NYC.
Or mind your own business.— Taken July 7, 2012.
New York Shitty Day Starter: 373 Graham Avenue, Revisited
As is often the case the story behind a photograph is often as compelling— if not more so— than the image itself. This was certainly the case yesterday after I took this one. “Joe”, as he is known both in the neighborhood and online— saw fit to come out the front door and shout at me. He wanted me to stop taking photos of his establishment.
Given this very same fellow wanted to make my acquaintance not too long ago while playing “air guitar” with a mop to Van Halen (“Dance the Night Away”, I would have preferred “Unchained”) I was a mite bit surprised— but unshaken.
I informed “Joe” that I was perfectly within my rights to take photos of his establishment. Believe it or not, this reasonable (and legally nuanced) response seemed to make an impression on him. This is the only reason I can muster as to why it took him a few seconds to shout another inquiry at me:
What are you going to do with these photos?
Post them online
I replied and walked off. I was once told by a very wise man named Tim* that all a man (or woman) has is his (or her) word. And that I have just kept.
A few closing thoughts:
- The assorted detritus on the sidewalk (including a chair with a half-smoked cigar on it) falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Consumer Affairs and possibly the Department of Transportation (as it involves obstructing our city’s sidewalks).
- The material obstructing the entrance to the apartments upstairs is blocking the primary means of egress. This is a violation of fire code provided (what I have heard is true) that someone is residing in any/all of the apartments upstairs. Which brings me to…
- This building, per the Department of Buildings Building Information System, does not have a Certificate of Occupancy, thus (theoretically**) no one should be residing here in the first place.
Nuance your 311 complaints accordingly, folks.
*There are many wise men named Tim.
**Note that I wrote “theoretically”.
New York Shitty Videos Du Jour: Live From The B62
Filed under: 11222, Asshole, Crazy People, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
To preface: Today yours truly decided a walk across the Williamsburg Bridge (this is one of my favorite leisure time activities) was in order. Since I was running late I decided to take the B62 bus to the Southside in order to make up for lost time. It didn’t exactly work out that way. In my guesstimation my travel time (from Greenpoint Avenue) was one hour. How did this happen, you ask? Read on and find out!
Let me explain to you, dear readers, what you have just watched. Our intrepid bus driver, frustrated that a motorist elected to parallel park in front of his vehicle in a manner which precluded him from performing his duty (READ: driving)— and upon discovering honking his horn was useless— prevailed upon a police officer for help. First, I’ll tender the good news: our finest prevailed! And now the bad news…
Clearly displeased with the outcome of this exchange our motorist (being insane, an asshole or some combination thereof) decided running to the next bus stop and resuming (t)his altercation was in order. If you listen very carefully at the end he says (and I quote):
You want to kill me? You want to kill me? Let’s do it!
The next time you, gentle readers, get angry at a member of our Transit Authority for being gruff or downright rude I want to think about what you have just watched. I for one commend this bus driver’s restraint. I for one cannot fathom what it would be like to deal with this shit every day.
I suspect I speak for a number of my fellow mass transit patrons this afternoon when I write I had the utmost desire to take this fellow up on his offer. In closing, I would like to humbly suggest— moving forward— that if/when this chap wants a fight he should stick his head up his ass and fight for air. The rest of us have lives.
P.S.: If anyone from the M.T.A. is reading this give this bus driver a raise. Yesterday. He is an absolute prince— and I told him so!
NYS Flickr Pool
