Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
New York Shitty Day Ender: Vandervoort Avenue
Filed under: 11211, 11222, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
East Williamsburg: it’s not for the feint of heart.
Miss Heather
Long Island City Gentrification Watch
I am certain a number of you have noticed I have been posting a lot of Long Island City material of late. I want it to be known there is a reason for this: yours truly is going to have a show of her photography at Creek & Cave next month!* Shortly after this deal was finalized with the curator (a very nice lady I would like to add) I came to the realization that if I am going to have a show in Long Island City it might behoove me to feature a photograph (or two) of Long Island City. To this end yesterday I bravely marched across the Pulaski Bridge in search of shutter bug fodder. What awaited me, however, was enough to make the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Before I proceed I want to make something abundantly clear: it takes a lot to truly disturb me. When I climbed down the stairs at 53rd Avenue I heard the most gut-wrenching coughing you can imagine. Did this faze me? No, it didn’t. If anything it made me feel right at home. Eventually I happened upon the source of said sound. It was a woman. She was coughing up blood on the street. She looked up at me and said.
Excuse me miss, would you happen to have a napkin?
I gave her what I had: one paltry little napkin. I apologized that it was all I had (because I really did feel bad about this given the situation). She replied:
Thank you very much.
And then went back coughing in the most blood curdling manner imaginable. The rest of the afternoon I thought about this exchange. One simply does not see this kind common courtesy much anymore. This is a shame as the way I see it, if a woman coughing up blood under the Pulaski Bridge can be bothered with such pleasantries as “please” and “thank you” there really isn’t any excuse for the rest of us. Then again, I suppose I should expect as much from Greenpoint’s tonier neighbor to the north. But I digress.
It was about fifteen feet from this woman that I encountered something which disturbed me at a fundamentally core level. Words failed me. Fortunately I had my camera.
Apparently drinking Olde English 800 with a straw is more common that I had previously suspected. God help us all.
Miss Heather
*When the opening date is finalized I will post the detail— but I have been told Creek & Cave will be providing free food. Hot damn!
East Williamsburg Photo Du Jour Jour: Fish & Chips
Filed under: 11211, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
From Metropolitan Avenue.
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: Question Of The Day
Have you ever asked yourself what is the difference between Greenpoint and the Ninth Ward of New Orleans other than, say, the latter was pulverized by a cataclysmic force of nature? If so, today I learned the answer.
According to a scouting agent for HBO, apparently nothing.
Miss Heather
P.S.: I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when I saw this.
UPDATE, March 11, 2010: It has been brought to my attention by several folks that Treme will be shooting footage in Greenpoint that will actually depict New York City. I know, I know. I’m just as surprised as you are. Especially in light of the fact a substantial part our fair nabe’s waterfront has been given a make-over so as to imitate Atlantic City and there are in fact parts of Greenpoint that look like they have been on the business end of the wrath of god. You can read more by clicking here and here.
Greenburg Photos Du Jour: Two Of A Kind
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Street Art, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
South 5 Street
Manhattan Avenue
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Starter: To Whom It May Concern
Filed under: 11101, Bloomblight, Criminal Activity, Long Island City, Long Island City Queens
Why is this gate open? Why hasn’t anyone seemed to notice this gate is open? I am hardly a criminally inclined person but when I see something like this I cannot help but think of bad things. Anyone seeking access to the Long Island Railroad need only simply waltz through this gate and lo, he (or she) can play Thomas The Tank Engine. Perhaps I am overreacting here— but I find this rather disturbing. It is a matter of no one noticing— or simply not caring?
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Ender: Nassau Avenue Crater Fixed!
Remember the crater/portal at the intersection of Newel Street and Nassau Avenue that Jay Lombard brought to my attention January 28, 2010? It took six weeks— but it has been repaired! 
He writes:
This isn’t earth shattering-ly amazing news BUT it was nice to see. Remember that photo I sent a few weeks ago of the large hole in the street on Nassau? Well, it was repaired recently and I like to think that calling 311 helped get it fixed a little faster than not reporting it at all. Won’t know the answer to that, but they did a damn fine job patching it up! Now if only we could stop drivers (and pedestrians) from texting when they should be watching where they’re going then the streets of NYC will be safe for EVERY body.
I even saw a dude texting while riding his bike down manhattan ave – at least he was in the bike lane.
Ha
As it would happen I spent a great deal of my time today communicating with a buddy of mine who is a community liaison for our State Assemblyman: Joe Lentol. First we discussed the lack of proper sanitation on Eagle Street. Then we went over the chicken feet at the American Playground. What does it say about our city when it takes six weeks to fix a pothole and a State Assemblyman feels compelled to raise said city’s awareness of quality of life issues in Greenpoint? The answer is very simple: not much.
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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