New York Shitty Day Starter: In The Zone

May 6, 2010 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

From North 15 Street.

Miss Heather

New York Shitty Day Ender: Sincerity

May 5, 2010 ·
Filed under: 11211, Street Art, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

From North 10 Street.

Miss Heather

Williamsburg Street Art Du Jour: Heads

May 5, 2010 ·
Filed under: 11211, Street Art, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

From River Street.

Miss Heather

From The New York Shitty Inbox, Part III: Free Sunflowers!

May 5, 2010 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

Remember Project Sunflower? Well the man behind this endeavor, Matt Barbieri, will be giving away sunflowers this upcoming Saturday to any and all interested Garden Spotters. Here’s the 411 per his email:

Project Sunflower is a non-profit organization that I have started with one goal in mind, to beautify all 5 boroughs. I hope to start achieving this goal by giving away sunflowers that will then in turn be planted by you wherever you feel needs a bit more color or on a plot of land that needs a bit of love.  This Saturday from 10am to 12pm I will be giving away free, sprouted, mammoth sunflower plants. Come by, pick up a sunflower and grow your very own.

I look forward to seeing you between 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Saturday May 8, 2010

I will be on the sidewalk at 137 Dupont St, Brooklyn NY 11222 (easily accessible from the 7 and G trains)

First come, first served. One plant per person.

Sunflower Giveaway
May 8, 2010 10:00 a.m.  -12:00 p.m.
137 Dupont Street
Brooklyn, New York 11222

Miss Heather

From The New York Shitty Photo Pool: Pulaski By Night

By ravikjolly.

Miss Heather

Williamsburg Photos Du Jour: Corporate Creep

May 5, 2010 ·
Filed under: 11211, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

From Bedford Avenue.

Miss Heather

Reader Contribution Du Jour: Sunnyside Shines!

May 5, 2010 ·
Filed under: 11104, Sunnyside, Sunnyside Queens 

This magic moment has been brought to you courtesy of Rose Sol. Love it!!!

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: DADA

May 5, 2010 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

From Java Street.

Miss Heather

From The New York Shitty Inbox, Part II: Chez Toshi

May 5, 2010 ·
Filed under: 11211, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

Anonymous writes:

Hi Heather,

I hope it’s okay that I come to you when I have random questions about the neighborhood!  On my way home today I noticed that the building at 808 Driggs Ave., which earlier this year was advertised as a rental (I know, because I looked at the apartments.  Decent, but way overpriced), now seems to house another branch of Hotel Toshi.  It says “hotel toshi” on one of the buzzers, and there was a very makeshift-looking flier taped to the outside of the door with the Toshi “logo” on it.  How exactly does this guy run all of these “hotels” out of rental buildings?  I’m mostly curious because I live near this building, and when I googled Toshi it seems like everyone on the Internet is equally mystified by his real estate dealings.

Just curious if you had any thoughts on the guy 🙂

Well, for starters 808 Driggs Avenue has (ostensibly) been canvassed by the Department of Buildings. At least that is what this post over at Curbed would lead one to believe. Apparently they found nothing amiss.

Despite the fact that the buzzer, as you piquantly noted anonymous, clearly states a hotel is on the premises.

A litany of complaints that this building is being employed as a hotel. Follows is my personal favorite.

I want to personally commend the aforementioned complainant’s civility. Had someone entered my apartment I’d probably take our household Louisville slugger and discharge my own “Special Enforcement”.* The call to 311 (or 911 for that matter) would follow. But I digress.

808 Driggs Avenue’s Certificate of Occupancy makes it pretty clear that while it is technically a “mixed use” building it is, in fact, residential.

This begs many questions. Among them:

  1. How do the folks who are outlaying $2,500+ a month in rent at this “hotal” feel about this?
  2. Who would want to rent a room at a “hotel” whose “Welcome” sign is an inkjet print on a piece of office paper affixed with tape? To stucco?
  3. How can the Department of Buildings overlook his web site— which features one “vacation rental” which seems to be located in a rent-stabilized building?

The “Swiss Chalet on South 4 Street” is (in my humble opinion) a real pisser. As is this** which can be found on Toshi’s Flickr page.

Check it out!

Miss Heather

*Not that I advise this. I am for all intents and purposes a law abiding individual. I abhor violence. I do not, however, take kindly to people trying to gain entrance to my apartment for nefarious reasons. I write this as someone who once had a dude walk into our foyer at midnight – 1:00 in the morning one weekend while the Mister and I were watching movies in our living room. We forgot to lock the front door to our apartment. The chap in question was not a resident of our building. My shouting at the top of my lungs:

HELLO! HOW CAN I HELP YOU?

was a sufficient deterrent. He scrammed and we have been damned vigilant about locking down our apartment ever since. Had this chap persisted, well…

**For some serious Toshi partying down click here. CAVEAT: NSFW.

Happy Cinco De Mayo From New York Shitty!

May 5, 2010 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

Quite honestly I was hoping to honor Cinco de Mayo with an announcement that Vamos Al Tequila is open for business. But alas we will have to wait a little longer. This great ride (which I spied at last weekend’s 5 Boro Bike Tour) will have to suffice. Not that it is nothing to sniff at, mind you. It’s awesome!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Miss Heather

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