Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: DISGRACE

October 13, 2009 ·
Filed under: 11222, Bloomblight, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

West1

west2

west3

west4

west5

west6

west7

west8

These photographs (which document the state of advanced decay and neglect to be found West Street between Green and Kent) were taken today, October 13, at around 2:30 p.m. I think they speak for themselves. This is inexcusable.

Miss Heather

New York Shitty Day Ender: Bedford Avenue Blight

October 12, 2009 ·
Filed under: 11211, Bloomblight, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

sixgun

it’s through this world I ramble
I see lots of men
some will rob you with a six gun
some with a fountain pen

Ballad of Pretty Boy Floyd by Woodie Guthrie

Amusingly enough, shortly after I stumbled upon this find I encountered a (poorly attended) press conference regarding 1015A.  All the north Brooklyn notables were present: Steve Levin (he’s really short), Rami Metal, Stephanie Thayer (the Executive Director of OSA and north Brooklyn’s Parks Poobah), a member of GWAPP was present, and so on and so forth. Sadly, I missed meeting Yassky (so as to tender some of my readers career advice to him).* While they had their face time with the media here’s what I found two blocks away:

ROEBLING STREET

roebling

NORTH 9 STREET

DOA

I fail to see the “logic” of 1015A. But then again, I am not lobbied, wined and dined by real estate interests. Simply put: 1015A seeks to “encourage” speculators/Bloomblighters (who have raped north Brooklyn six ways to Sunday) to “maintain” their fences in return for renewing their building permits. In true “fox guarding the hen house” tradition, the Department of Buildings will be entrusted to make sure these developers comply. Given what happened at 493 Myrtle Avenue earlier this year this is cold comfort.** In essence, the very people who are the biggest offenders to our quality of life will be rewarded for not breaking the law.

What is wrong with this picture? Does this mean if I have enough influence/lobbyists I can jaywalk whilst sipping a 40 for the next four years?

Miss Heather

P.S.: This one’s for you, Uncle Kent.

*Whose fashion malfeasance was not unnoticed by Aaron Short. My recommendation for a Yassky makeover: Tom of Finland.

**Whose incompetence enabled a three story building to be built (and occupied) on 95 Clay Street without permits.

Williamsburg Photos Du Jour: High Hopes on North 12 Street

highhopes

greed

mccarren

Taken October 8, 2009

Miss Heather

Bushwick Inlet Watch: Progress

This weekend the Mister and I took his parents to Pop’s Clothing— and in so doing I stumbled upon a most pleasant surprise.

oct3

The owner of this property has begun removing all the overgrowth and garbage. Sort of.

trash

The box with the dead rat is still there.

critter

And now he has a friend! I made it a point this out to my mother and father in law. When I brought the sorry state of Bushwick Inlet up with the owner of Pop’s he had a number of interesting observations to share. Among them:

  1. This is a chronic problem.
  2. He was once almost ticketed for littering when he attempted to clean up this property (because he couldn’t take it anymore). He was told in no uncertain terms that he cannot mow his neighbor’s yard.
  3. There is a homeless encampment on this site.

Sure enough, he was right.

tent

Curious to see if the clean-up at Bushwick Inlet was a fluke (or a figment of my imagination) I returned yesterday to see what’s shaking.

bwickinlet

Sure enough, they had cleared a little more. At this (glacial) pace I imagine they’ll be done in a week.

boxofun

The “box-o-fun” is still there— as is the dead rat. Albeit a little worse for wear.

deadthing

Yummy.

Miss Heather

*Which was recently the subject of a story by Aaron Short. I strongly recommend you read it.

From The New York Shitty Inbox: More Trouble For The Demolition Diva?

October 6, 2009 ·
Filed under: Bloomblight, Brooklyn 

DATEGIRthumbIt has been a while since I have thought about my good friend Marie Grasso, the Demoltion Diva behind MMG “Design”.  When I checked my email this morning, however, this changed. It would appear the city is not only not the only organization this woman owes money to. Cindy writes:

Hi – I came across your blog by researching MMG Construction (Marie Grasso). We are a local (Bushwick) container company who is owed money for work we did for MMG Construction – we have tried collection agencies and are now with a collection lawyer – this woman is as slippery as they come. The only chance we have of catching her is if we find out any current jobs she is working on and getting that info to our lawyer – I wonder if you can help by asking your readers to let me know if there are any “sightings” of her company info posted on any demo sights.

Thanks for taking the time to read this

Cynthia Bayley
Quick Containers, Inc.

If anyone reading this knows of any construction sites where Ms. Grasso and her merry men are working their magic Ms. Bayley and Quick Containers legal counsel would very much like to know about them. She can be contacted via email at: cynbay (at) aol (dot) com.

Thanks!

Miss Heather

P.S.: No post about MMG would be complete without passing along some select firsthand accounts of their handiwork. You can read my buddy Dategirl’s (whose photograph graces the beginning of this post— shortly after it was taken MMG managed to tear out her telephone lines) tales of MMG Demo-induced woe by clicking here, here, here and here.

New York Shitty Day Starter: MAMMA MIA!

mammamia

Taken on October 4, 2009  at 10:30 a.m. at the Greenpoint Avenue stop of the Crosstown Local.

Miss Heather

New York Shitty Day Ender: North 4th Street

October 4, 2009 ·
Filed under: 11211, Bloomblight, Street Art, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

north4

Taken October 3, 2009.

Miss Heather

Crosstown Local Photo Du Jour: Fulton Street

burns

This post goes out to the campaign worker who hit my buzzer at 7:00 p.m. this evening and asked me (by my legal name— which indicates she culled it from the voter registration rolls):

Hi, (my legal name) I’m a campaign worker for Michael Bloomberg. Do you plan on voting for him this November?

Me:

No, Thank you.

My buddy at Queens Crap thought I was showing traces of my Texas upbringing: humble hospitality. Hardly. I have made up my mind who I want for mayor…

burnsNYS

and it is Montgomery Burns!

I suspect I speak for many of my fellow Greenpointers when I write that I have given up on decent (not exceptional, above average or even average) representation (for our taxation). Many candidates (and the self-appointed pillars of our community who backed them— you know who you are) cloaked themselves in the sanctimonious cloth of reform in the months leading up to the Democratic primary and run-off. And these same people, the reformers, engaged in some of the sleaziest campaign practices, tricks, duplicity, chicanery and outright intimidation I have ever beheld. Probably because they were seeking sinecures— but that’s my humble opinion.

If I stated, for example— and this is totally hypothetical— that the McCarren Park Soccer League’s email list was used to solicit votes David Yassky or Bill DeBlasio I’d be totally out of line. If I stated (once again, for example— hypothetical) that youths 18 years and older in said soccer league were hired to canvass for Evan Thies before the Democratic primary I have no doubt it would net me a nastygram from a lawyer.

But I am not suggesting either of the previous came to pass. I’m just hypothesizing. I have a very active imagination. The pillars of my community have reminded me of this. Often.

James “Jimmy” John Walker, one of our fair city’s more corrupt (if charming, dapper and loquacious) Mayors summed my cynicism when he said:

A reformer is a guy who rides through the sewer in a glass bottom boat.

What does “reform” mean when we are forced to choose among candidates whose records REEK? Candidates who have clearly dipped their tootsies into the sewer of New York City real politik and will promise anything to anyone in order to get elected?

For this reason I am backing Burns. Burns is honest about his corruption. He promises nothing. He does not claim to be a reformer and as such I can anticipate being screwed six ways to Sunday under his regime. In this regard Bloomberg is much more circumspect. The true hallmark of a masochist is the anticipation of punishment. I am not a masochist. It’s a matter of control.

I prefer to take my medicine upfront— and make Mike my bitch.

Miss “Sorry Staten Island, you’re on your own*” Heather

P.S.: For more information about how Montgomery Burns Bloomberg will lead this city into 21st 19th Century click here. Caveat: be ready to laugh your ass off. Who knew plutocracy and political disenfranchisement could be so fun(ny)?

*This is satire.

Williamsburg Photos Du Jour: Brought To You By…

October 3, 2009 ·
Filed under: 11211, Bloomblight, Street Art, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

GREED

HRHMike

Bedford Avenue.

Miss Heather

Williamsburg Photos Du Jour: Southside Selections

September 30, 2009 ·
Filed under: 11211, Bloomblight, Street Art, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn 

lonewolf

Berry Street

shipwreck

South 5 Street

ben

hearts

South 6 Street

freakshow

Dunham Place

Miss Heather

  • NYS Flickr Pool

    The One CrewSnowy SeagullsWalking the Dog in the Snow
  • Ads