Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: DOB’d!

October 17, 2015 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

callforinspectionNYS

It would appear the Department of Buildings would like to have a look around 981 Manhattan Avenue. One has to wonder if the recent visit by the Fire Department 981 4 cropped nyshas anything to do with this. I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. As some of you may recall 981 Manhattan Avenue is where the Salvation Army, which has been closed since October 1st, was located. The premises proper has been for sale since September 15th. All of this is apparently news to the folks at Brownstoner. Go figure.

Cheers!

Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: Today at 981 Manhattan Avenue

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FACT: Our Bravest get quite angry when someone conceals a “hazard” marker they have seen fit to place on a building. In this case of course the building in question is 981 Manhattan Avenue. Well done, guys!

Quicklink: 981 Manhattan Is For Sale!

September 16, 2015 ·
Filed under: 11222, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

rains9162015SC

This tome was brought to my attention by my buddy over at Queens Crap. As you can imagine, gentle readers, I found it quite fascinating— but not exactly for the reasons one would (normally, presumably) think. You see, I spent a nice part of my morning dealing with 311 operators and actually making a trip to the local ladder company. I noticed something and quite frankly I found it disturbing. Read on, folks, as I suspect you will too.

Before I continue I want to direct attention to a photo I took of 981 Manhattan (and its neighbor, 977 Manhattan) on July 3rd.

977981july32015 nys

I was out of town from June 24th through June 30th. However, a concerned citizen brought it to my attention that while I was gone our Bravest paid 977 and 981 Manhattan a visit, inspected both properties thoroughly and, before departing, marked both buildings (as you see above).

What do these marks mean, you ask? Well, it is my understanding they indicate hazards within said building(s), say, a missing floor, stairs, etc., the FDNY should be aware of in the event they are called to fight a fire therein. Sounds kind of important, yes?

Now let’s jump to the photo I took when the for sale was being affixed to 981 Manhattan. This came to pass on the evening of September 14, 2015.

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A rather interesting choice of placement, yes? Especially when one considers what I noticed this morning, September 16th.

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The remainder of the FDNY’s “sign” has been painted over altogether has vanished! (See comments). This of course begs a number of questions. Thefirst and foremost one on my mind is:

Was this sanctioned by the FDNY?

To this end I called 311. It took about ten minutes and a couple of operators but I finally got the previous concerns across. I was advised to go in person to my local ladder company— and I did. Alas, they were out on some training/work-related exercise today. I was told by the fellow present (who did not appear to be very happy about my “discovery”) that I am to call the ladder officer tomorrow (September 17th) and bring this to his (?) attention.

On a lark, I decided to do a walk-by of the Salvation Army and see if one hazard (I am guessing) the FDNY spied during their inspection had been remediated: the lack of stairs between the first and second floors. My thinking was that, perhaps, if it was the removal of the FDNY’s sign would be “legit”. Here’s what I found:

981 Manhattan Avenue entrance to residential part of building 9162015 cropped nys

Nothing has changed. The only means of ingress and egress to and from the second floor is a ladder. Now let’s take a look at a particularly compelling passage from the above-linked Crain’s item:

…The nonprofit recently put the site at 981 Manhattan Ave., between India and Huron streets, up for sale. It has owned the three-story building since 1973. Earlier this year, the ground-floor retail shop suffered a fire and flood, according to a Salvation Army spokesman. The benefits of closing and selling the 3,000-square-foot building, which is in a trendy neighborhood growing in popularity with residents, outweighed the financial cost to fix it up, he said.

“It’s a big deal to do renovations,” he said, noting that the shop will close by the end of September. The two floors above the shop are residential. “We were constantly evaluating, as any business would do, our expenses versus the income…”

Complaint 3522940 Salvatuin Army nys

Here’s the deal, folks: I am rather surprised the Crain’s reporter did not catch one interesting detail. One which has been reported elsewhere. A simple web search and “point and click” would have revealed it. One need not have seen it in person (although I have).

977parcel nys 600

977 Manhattan Avenue wraps around 981 Manhattan on two sides (as I have indicated above). In fact, the 977 Manhattan Avenue parcel runs behind all its neighbors to the north all the way to Huron Street. That’s a pretty big parcel— which is probably why its owner wants to build 14 condos on it.

Bearing the previous in mind, exactly who (developer, investor, etc.) would want to trifle with, much less “renovate”, a mere three story residential building in such a location? Much less one which is, as even the Salvation Army representative conceded, in abysmal condition? It is pretty obvious to me who is going to want this property and will probably pay top dollar for it. Anyone care to guess?

In closing, I cannot think of one rational reason why someone saw fit to cover up this FDNY sign. All a potential buyer need do in order to ascertain that 981 Manhattan Avenue has “problems” is simply look for stairs servicing the first floor to the “residential” apartments above. They’re ain’t any.

So why bother doing this?

All this does is conceal a hazard our Bravest should be aware of in the event they have to fight a fire there. This is not a likely scenario, but the possibility is there. Anyone who was around here on May 2, 2006 knows fires can and do happen. Sort of fucked up, isn’t it?

Post Script, 8:10 PM: When the Mister arrived home he asked about my day. I explained it to him. He pointed out the obvious:

So you can’t file a 311 complaint for someone concealing a FDNY marker?

No, apparently you cannot. Sure, I could have lodged a “complaint” with the Department of Buildings about hazards within 981 Manhattan Avenue— but there are no tenants. The only threat this poses is to the FDNY if a fire occurs— and apparently 311 cannot, will not handle THAT.

Update, 9/18/2015: I have personally brought this to the attention to the fellas at Engine 238/Ladder 106. They were not pleased either.

To be continued…

Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: For Sale

September 14, 2015 ·
Filed under: 11222, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

Building For Sale NYS

You can’t say I did not see this one coming, gentle readers. I did. Now let’s see if the owners of 977 Manhattan Avenue (next door, whose property surrounds 981 on two sides) make them an offer they can’t refuse. I would not bet against it anyway….

UPDATE: 9/15/2015 12:17 AM:

981 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11222 - Mid_High-Rise Property for Sale on LoopNet_Page_1
We have a listing!

Spotted At 981 Manhattan Avenue: Closed…

July 3, 2015 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

977 and 981 Manhattan Avenue July 3 2015 nys

Closed until further notice NYS

It would appear after a visit and thorough inspection courtesy of New York’s Bravest*, the Salvation Army is closed until further notice. UPDATE, 3:41 pm: word on the street is the Salvation Army’s space experienced flooding. Once this is remediated they will reopen. We’ll see…

*It is my understanding that 977 Manhattan Avenue was inspected as well. Why does this stuff always happen while I am on vacation?

Quicklink: And So It Goes…

January 5, 2015 ·
Filed under: 11222, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

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Yet another “news” item about the Salvation Army’s “boutique” store in “trendy” Greenpoint. I have refrained from blogging this “news” because quite frankly it is not. News.

It is gentrification porn. It is click-bait. It is easier than, say, writing about a beloved (and rare) water tower’s “character” being painted over. Or even a fatal stabbing on Dupont Street (Which DNA.info reported).

What seems to be lost by the various media outlets writing about this “news” is the fact the Salvation Army did not simply “pretty up” the space. They also saw fit to “pretty up” the staff. You know, so as to make the place more “palatable” for someone who would pay $3.00 for “curated” LPs.* $250.00 for a bookcase which could be easily had elsewhere. Cheaper.

Gone are the employees I loved bantering with/backing up in verbal disputes over prices from disgruntled “customers”. I guess they did not make the “boutique” cut. The former manager had such an elegant, beautifully Caribbean, slightly French-inflected; polite way of telling miscreants to, well, using my vocabulary:

Fuck off.

She was smart. Probably too smart.

The first person who really taught me the “value” of telling someone to fuck off was “Sammy”. He worked at this same Salvation Army store in 2000. Methinks the Village Voice (when they actually had balls) wrote a profile of him. What I do know is he once had to deal with two women disputing over who got to buy a certain a certain ceramic figurine. He resolved this problem employing Solomon-like wisdom by throwing it on the floor and rendering it into smithereens. Problem solved.

“Sammy” resided at the Greenpoint Hotel. Back then the “Greenpoint Hotel” had a very curious rule: you can stay there for three weeks only. The fourth you must leave. This was, of course, to skirt the four week rule of SRO residents being rent-stabilized.

When my grandmother and her sister died (within weeks of each other) who did I ask to “house sit” my apartment/cats? Sammy, of course. He confessed to me later he played his guitar and watched porn. So be it. I like honesty.

Sammy died a few years ago. I miss him.

*Skip the “curation fee”/”community tax” and head to The Thing.

The Word On The Street: Walt Whitman

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As anyone who lives/works near the Salvation Army Family Store on Manhattan Avenue can/will attest: Sundays are a pretty popular day for folks to leave “donations”. Given this establishment is closed on Sunday (as Christian institutions are known to do) the end result is essentially a free-for-all of free goods. Today it would seem Mr. Whitman did not make the “cut”…

Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: GP Flea

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Taken May 26, 2013.

UPDATE: Five hours later…

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From The New York Shitty Inbox: Closing For Renovations?

December 26, 2011 ·
Filed under: 11211, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

An anonymous tipster writes:

50% off everything at the Salvation Army on Bedford & North 7.   They are selling everything before they close for renovations!   Yes, the Sally’s is getting a facelift.   They are gonna reopen in 2013.   It will be 3 floors with an elevator taking people from the ground floor up to the long unused second floor and the unknown basement.  The employees will be transferred to other stores so no one is losing their jobs which is good to know…

Salvation Army 50% Off Sale
NOTE: They are closing shop January 2nd, 2012!
176 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11211

Williamsburg Photo Du Jour: Salvation Army

October 15, 2010 ·
Filed under: 11211, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

Form Bedford Avenue.

Miss Heather

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