Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
This Sounds Like A Lot Of Fun
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
If any of you are wondering what to do this upcoming Saturday afternoon this might be worth checking out. Interested registrants (or people simply interested in getting more information about this event) should email the organizers of this event at brooklynrace (at) gmail (dot) com.
Be advised that this event costs $10.00 per person.
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Yankee Troll
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
From Humboldt Street.
Miss Heather
Would You Buy A Condo From This Man?
This is 68 Meserole Street. It was once the site of an enormous bottle recycling facility. Now it has been razed. Surprised and a little disappointed (I found the stench of stale beer that used to hang over this intersection strangely endearing) I took the above photograph.
Shortly after doing so I was confronted by a worker at this site. Not liking where his line of questioning was going, e.g.; Is there a problem here… (If I want to take pictures of a street corner it isn’t anyone’s damned business but my own) I took the liberty of filming our little interaction. Hilarity ensued. (WARNING: Contains “language”. In other words, NSFW!)
After shooting the above film the gentlemen of “MAJ Construction Services” heckled and took pictures of me on their cell phones. One even bothered to drive by and scream at me as I was walking down the street fifty feet away.
Take my advice: unless you want some goon to shove your camera where the sun don’t shine (and I have lived in this city long enough to know there are people here who will pay serious money for this kind of experience, lest any of you are reading, consider this a tip), avoid the corner of Meserole and Leonard Street like the plague. These chaps are real professionals.
Miss Heather
P.S.: Be sure to check out the recent complaints on the Department of Buildings online database. “MAJ Construction” was issued demolition permits June 5, 2008. But that didn’t stop them from getting a head start!
Four complaints called in over a mere 48 hours. That has to be a record! Here’s my personal favorite:
CLR STS COVERS 68-72 AND ILLEGAL CONSTRCTION IS CAUSING BUILDING NEXT DOOR AT 117 LEONARD ST TO SHAKE AND CLR IS CONCERNED ABT BLDG STABILITY CLR ALSO STS SHAKING HAS CAUSED FALLING BRICKS
Apparently the Building Inspector tried twice to get access to 68 Meserole to no avail. May I recommend he (or she) pull out a camera and pretend to take photographs? As we have seen, this is quite effective in getting their attention.
Anyone Want To Adopt A Rat?
Filed under: Crazy Cat Lady
No I am not talking about this rat (which can be found on Mott Street in Chinatown).
No, I am not talking about New York City’s ubiquitous scab busting rat either
While amusing, this Rattus Norvegicus is clearly deceased. Not a very fun pet!
I’m talking about these guys who now call Empty Cages Collective their home. Empty Cage’s Co-Founder, Lisacat, writes:
I can speak from experience, rats make awesome companions. They are affectionate, playful and very intelligent. These albino rats were going to be killed after being “used” for a semester’s class of vet tech students.
So if any of you out there want to give one of these little fellas a home (it IS the year of rat, you know) please contact Lisa at Empty Cages Collective via email at emptycagescollective (at) gmail (dot) com.
Squeak!
Miss Heather
P.S.: The more conventional among you will be pleased to know they also have plenty of cats and kittens for adoption!
Merde De Chien Avec Le Glaçage
Filed under: Williamsburg
Some may see fit to fling dog doo on some miscreant jerk’s car down south but we North Brooklynites are civilized people.
With all the gentrification that is coming to pass here even our doggie dumpings are getting the gourmet treatment nowadays. Our shit may very well stink but one has to admit the presentation is impeccable.
Bon Appetit!
Miss Heather
Wanna Be In Pictures?
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
The pay is nil but you get free beer and a listing in the film credits! Here’s the scoop per Filming in Brooklyn:
This afternoon Filming In Brooklyn stopped by the Manhattan Ave. shoot of Satan Hates You, an independent horror film shooting in Brooklyn. Written and directed by James Felix McKenney, Satan Hates You is still looking for people to be in some party and bar scenes this coming weekend and next.
When FIB (not to be confused with Found In Brooklyn— Ed. Note) got there they were getting ready to shoot a scene where actress Christine Spencer runs into the street and screams – at what, we don’t know. An oncoming car? Someone trying to kill her? Rising real estate prices? We’ll have to see the movie to find out.
Apparently the folks at Satan Hates You need some help with a few remaining shoots:
- June 22 they will be doing a “Halloween Party” shoot. Costumes are encouraged.
- June 27 will be bar scenes. Given that many of us Greenpointers are barflies, I suspect that we, the community, could lend this film a certain Cinéma vérité quality mere professional actors could not begin to comprehend.
Anyone interested in participating should contact the peeps at monsterpants by clicking here.
And did I forget to mention you get free beer?
Miss Heather
Photo Credit: Filming In Brooklyn.
Southside Photo du Jour: Blowing Sunshine
Filed under: Williamsburg
From South 3rd Street.
Miss Heather
Pile Drivin’
Filed under: Williamsburg
Most people who have the free time to enjoy a beautiful day (such as this one) would go to the park, do a spot of shopping or worship the sun under the auspices of 30+ SPF sunblock. Not me. I am not “most people”. When I received the following missive from my buddy over at Bad Advice this morning (after reading this over at the Gowanus Lounge) I knew what I had to do:
This piledriver is driving me CRAZY!!! The building is bouncing. Good times. Just thought I’d share!
It’s been awhile since I have had the pleasure of listening to a pile driver go about its nefarious business. I even found myself wondering if what I experienced at the hands of the Viridian last year was indeed as bad as I remembered. Faced with option of either getting a headache at the hands of National Grid or 5 Roebling, I chose the latter. Variety is the spice of my life masochism.
Follows is a sampling of my experience. Enjoy!
The acoustics of the area were very conducive to disseminating this din. Here is a map indicating where this pile driver could be heard. And by “heard” I mean not as mere “background noise”.
I found myself walking in time to the sound of 5 Roebling’s ground getting pounded. It was eerily reminiscent of this scene from Ben Hur. You can read more pile drivin’ hilarity from Bad Advice by clicking here.
Miss Heather
In Other News…
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Casa Mon Amour has new hours for summer! Here they are:
Monday – Thursday: 5:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
And that’s all she wrote.
Miss Heather
The Glue Wars, Part II
(In order to understand this post, I strongly recommend you read Part I — Miss Heather)
What was then called “The Glue Wars” raged well into 1895. During the four preceding years police raids were conducted, carters hauling offal into Brooklyn were arrested and much legal maneuvering was done by both sides. But as with all things— both good and bad— it came to an end. Perhaps the Coopers tired of the constant litigation and controversy? Only they would know and they’re not exactly in a position to talk. What is known for certain is they sold the glue factory to the City of Brooklyn for the princely sum of $55,000. Follows is The City of New York’s* description of what happened next:
Within a year the site… was outfitted with a playground and landscaping. By 1905 the limestone and brick shelter pavilion had been erected. In the late 1930s construction carried out by the Works Progress Administration transformed Cooper Park into a modern recreational facility. New features included a roller-skating track, sitting area, horseshoe and shuffleboard courts, wading pool, play areas for children and tots, and two softball diamonds with bleachers…
And that, dear readers, is how Cooper Park was born!
Let this be a lesson to all of you out there who think the interests of the people cannot prevail over deeply entrenched business interests and governmental apathy. It can be done. One only needs a lot of tenacity and patience.
Miss Heather
*Which curiously fails to make mention of all the litigation leading up to the sale of this parcel of land.
NYS Flickr Pool
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