Greenpoint
Cafe Cito Bogota
New York Shitty Day Ender: Sunset
From Gantry State Park, Long Island City.
Miss Heather
Williamspoint Photos Du Jour: Rides
North 1st Street
Manhattan Avenue
44th Drive*
Miss Heather
*Yes, this item hails from Long Island City. But I couldn’t resist posting it in the hope it will inspire someone to trick out a Yugo.
Introducing The Newtown Pentacle
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic, Long Island City, Maspeth, Newtown Creek, Queens, Sunnyside
Last night I had the damnedest time falling asleep. At 2:00 a.m. I found myself tossing and turning so I decided to get a glass of milk and poke around on the computer. I am glad I did because I came across a pingback from a new site called The Newtown Pentacle. Intrigued I checked it out. Although only a handful of posts strong I have to admit this site looks very promising. As for what it is about I’ll let the author, Mitch Waxman, do the talking (from his inaugural post dating from May 29, 2009):
The colonial era towns of Green Point, Brooklyn and the Queens towns of Astoria, Ravenswood, Hunter’s Point, Bowery Bay, and Middletown were called Newtown in Dutch and English times. In the early 19th century, the Queens villages combined to form Long Island City. The industrial center of the area was and still is Newtown Creek. The most polluted body of water on earth, this ancient inlet was once home to the Maspaetche Indians. Dutch Orchards and English farms gave way to Yankee rail and then Standard Oil as time went by. Today, its waters are a curious shade of copper green, and the largest oil spill in history gurgles back and forth through deep subterranean channels between Green Point and Long Island City. The architecture of the place is disturbingly heterogeneous. A rough tumble of styles are represented in this area — 19th century wrought iron row houses predominate, but 18th century warehouses are still on active duty in some places. Near Hunter’s Point and in Old Astoria, Antebellum mansions abut hideous Le Corbusier-influenced modernism. To the south and the east can be found some of the most interesting stone work in New York City as one explores the cemetery belt along the Brooklyn and Queens border.
Three million New Yorkers lie in Calvary cemetery alone. In this, the Necropolis of New York City, the living population of Queens is outnumbered three to one.
After a health scare a couple of years ago, my doctors recommended a course of clean living and regimen of physical exercise as the best curative. An amateur antiquarian and connoisseur of odd information, I elected to use my prescriptive exertions as an opportunity to explore and record. I toured crumbling Long Island City, the tree lined lanes of Victorian Astoria, and rusty coastlines of foetid Newtown Creek. Headphones on, camera in hand. The journey has taken me to many odd and forgotten places, and led me to discover a fascinating group of people. Follow me on these long walks, I promise you’ll see something amazing.
The previous isn’t just a bunch of verbiage either: Mr. Waxman delivers. Do give this site a whirl. It’s fascinating.
Miss Heather
Photo Credit: Mitch Waxman
New York Shitty Videos Du Jour: And Baby Makes Three
Yesterday evening the Mister and I paid a visit to Gantry State Park. It was lovely as always; the roses were in bloom, the tide was rolling in and the sunset cast shadows from the gantries which were absolutely gorgeous. Although you can anticipate more photographs from our sojourn later (so stay tuned!) the star of the evening was this little guy. Here are some videos I shot of baby learning the ropes— under the careful watch of mom and dad, of course— enjoy!
Shortly after shooting the above footage I learned the story about this, Long Island City’s cutest family, from a most interesting source: a couple of rather tough looking chaps watching with rapt interest was they swam by.
Tough Dude #1: There used to be three of them but the others didn’t make it.
Tough Dude #2: Aw, man! I hope he does.
It just goes to show it’s always the ones you least expect. What a couple of softies!
Miss Heather
Real Estate Rhetoric Explained: One Hunters Point
I have long wrestled with exactly what the fuck the advertising wizard were getting at with this advertising campaign (as shown to the left).
Commute like a rocket
might seem pretty snappy on paper, but in reality it sounds kind of stupid. I suppose they’re were trying to get at how fast one can get into Manhattan from this location. Or are they? Being from a particular generation whose memories of space travel are less than cheerful I have my doubts.
On that note I am pleased to announce that I walked by One Hunter’s Point yesterday evening. And I think I have finally found the answer.
Meet the on-site sales office for One Hunter’s Point.
Now meet the rather unconventional sales tool located across the street.
I wonder if a defective O ring was to blame?
Damn.
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Starter: Couples
Gantry State Park, Long Island City
Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Ender: Saturday Night On The G
From the Smith – 9th bound Crosstown Local at Court Square.
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: The #1 Ugliest Building In Queens?
Remember that phlegm-colored condominium a bong’s toss from the Pulaski Bridge in Long Island City called the L Haus? Well, I almost forgot about it. Thankfully we have Autumn Sol to thank for reminding us that this nondo-in-the-making received a very dubious distinction this morning.
She writes:
I know this is LIC, but is so, so close to GPT.
Place: Lhaus, 11-02 49th Ave., LIC
Time: 9:00 am, Thur, May 28th
They even rolled out the scab-busting rat. Good times!
Miss Heather
Photo Credits: Autumn Sol
This Is Why I Like Teenagers
(Or, The G Train Strikes Back)
This morning my parents made their return to the Land of Enchantment. Our week long vacation seeing the sights of this fair city (the fun stuff, not the offal shilled in travel brochures) was pretty uneventful. That is until we decided to go to Manducatis last night for dinner. Or more accurately when we decided to come home via (you guessed it) the G train. For a Tuesday evening the train was curiously crowded. Mostly with teenagers in a very lively mood. I chose to sit next to them. My parents— not being acclimatized to such shenanigans (as are most retirees)— kept their distance. In hindsight this was an excellent decision on their part, as you will learn.
After we got off at Greenpoint Avenue we dropped by the local wine store and headed home. It was as I was headed up the stairs of our apartment building that the Mister spied something nested in the hood of my jacket. Upon closer inspection he told me what it was. Follows is my reply:
You’re kidding, right?
No. He wasn’t.
After we established that the prophylactic in question was indeed unused I ceased to care. My mother (who can be seen recoiling in horror in the background of the above photograph which was taken by Mister Heather*) felt differently. Now that I have had time to think about it, it isn’t so much the fact that someone saw fit to use me as some kind of walking advertisement for safe sex that troubles me. I’ve had lit cigarettes flung at my person with amazing accuracy. And worse. Public humiliation no longer fazes me. Rather, it’s the fact that I walked 2-3 city blocks with this hilarious item in tow and no one seemed to notice. Or care.
In closing I’d like to give a heaping helping of New York Shitty gratitude to those mischievous youths on the Smith – 9th bound G train. You gave my parents the quintessential Crosstown Local experience. Thanks guys!
Miss Heather
*Who then proceeded to tell my parents:
She comes home with condoms stuck to her all the time.
Photos Du Jour: Long Island City Shots
Now that the Mac Off* is behind me I have had the time to upload some really lovely photographs from my latest sojourn to Long Island City. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them!
Footage from this evening’s Mac Off will be forthcoming tomorrow!
Miss Heather
*Which was not without controversy. For starters Mizz Greenpoint does not in fact live in Greenpoint: she lives in Park Slope. In addition Red Star saw fit to put bacon in their mac and cheese thus precluding me from eating it. Not that this made any real difference; we immediately and unanimously agreed The Habitat deserved props. Way to go guys (and gals)!
NYS Flickr Pool
