Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Williamspoint Photo Du Jour: Don’t U Want Me Baby?
This bit of Greenpoint “gudness” hails from Leonard Street.
Miss Heather
Bushwick Photo Du Jour: Arizona
Filed under: Bushwick
From Flushing Avenue.
Miss Heather
Calling All Disgruntled North Brooklyn Renters!
Your golden silver parachute has come! Jenny wrote:
I’m trying to forward you a cool email that I got from the Working Families party about a video contest to tell stories of “renters’ hell,” but it keeps being labeled “spam.” Any workaround?
We worked it out and here’s the deal. Per the Working Families Party website:
We’re holding our first ever video contest, where you have a chance to win a month’s free rent just by telling your rental hell story on camera. You’ll also be raising awareness about an important issue that affects millions of New Yorkers: the need for stronger rent laws.
Everyone who has ever rented has a story: rent increases, broken heating and cold showers, new owners trying to break your lease, that one bedroom next door rented to four budget conscious students, or waking up to discover that you(r) building is turning into an illegal hotel.
We know it was awful, and we’re sorry. But guess what? There could be a silver-lining! The Working Families Party is teaming up with millions of renters across New York City for the first ever video contest highlighting Rental Hell.
Entering the contest is easy:
1. Tell your story on camera.
2. Upload it to Youtube and tag it with “Rental Hellâ€.
3. Fill out our entry form.
What’s more, you can win one month’s free rent up to $1,999— or whatever your monthly rent is! Be advised your video must be between 30 seconds and five minutes. You can peruse the complete rules and regulations for this contest by clicking here. The deadline is June 6th— so start grousing!
To close on a distinctly Greenpoint note, I would strongly advise anyone who resided at 156 India Street (or resided at 95 Clay Street for that matter) to enter this contest.
Miss Heather
A Modest Proposal
Yesterday my buddy down at Brooklyn11211 wrote (in regards to this post):
Heather found these fliers posted on a telephone pole on Dupont Street. The flyer is right – these zoning changes should have happened three to four years ago. But since there are still a lot of horses in the barn, better than never closing the barn door now.
What my friend down south fails to mention is the reason for this “new” zoning: to redress the abuse and excesses of the now infamous 2005 re-zoning. Had the previous been better thought out, more appreciative of community input and “loop-hole” proof there would be no proverbial “barn door” left open to close. The previous having been written my opinion about the new “down-zone” is as follows:
Too little, too late.
Nonetheless I have little doubt it will be passed. The shoddy economy has done its part to slow— if not halt— the construction of super-sized luxuriana in Greenpoint for the time being. This measure is nothing more than a convenient rubber stamp that attests to what the market has already made all too clear: there are too many “developments” in north Brooklyn no one can (or cares to) afford. What’s more, nowadays the developers can’t afford them either.
- 110 Green (AKA: The Viridian) has declared bankruptcy and has been put on the market for— get this— $65,000,000!
- The Pencil Lofts recently halted work because the developer, one Baruch Singer of slumlord fame, defaulted on the loan.
- And now we have Warehouse 11. Built atop what my good friend Bob Guskind called the “Roebling Oil Field” this super-sized development defaulted on its mortgage and is now in the process of foreclosure.
Call me cynical, but given:
- The implications of the new zoning measure and
- the substantial number of vacant lots and half-built “nondos” in Greenpoint
I cannot help but ask the question:
What about 200 Franklin Street?
Will it become a nondo or be lanced by rezoning? Only time will tell. Either way it will probably look worse than its designer, Greenpoint’s good friend Karl Fischer, ever imagined. Taking into account that the original design looks something like a cross between an ionic air purifier and a butt plug that’s pretty damned ugly! All I ask— as a humble citizen— is this: if we have to live with an architectural behemoth sorely out of context with its surroundings could it at least be interesting?
Which brings me back community input— and my modest (and admittedly haphazardly Photoshopped) proposal for 200 Franklin Street: cap it and tap it.
To give credit where credit is due Mister Heather got the ball rolling on this one. He suggested a pagoda be placed atop the existing structure at 200 Franklin Street. I told him it was the best idea he ever had. While flattered, the Mister was slightly disturbed at the thought that I thought this was the best idea he ever had. But it is! Just use your imagination.
Instead of retail space and luxury condos— of which Greenpoint has too many already— why not have mixed use hepa filter/Buddhist Monastery? By exploiting the various and sundry petroleum products under our own feet we could fuel an air freshener like no other. Toss in a few monks chanting, some sandalwood burning and Greenpoint will smell good in no time! Not only will we clean our air, but we’ll also cleanse our karma. Fuck 421a, this is the ultimate added value!
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Starter: Existentialism, East Williamsburg Style
Jean-Paul Sartre a la Meserole Street.
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Ender: Contrast
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
From Norman Avenue.
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: Old Meets New
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
As rents continue to be prohibitively out-of-reach for small businesses we can anticipate more and more chain stores and franchises gracing Manhattan Avenue. Like this new Subway slated for 650 Manhattan Avenue. My advice: if you want a sandwich go to Boneshakers, The God Bless Deli or the Franklin Corner Store. They’re well worth it.
Miss Heather
Presenting “The McCarren Park”
One thing Mr. Heather has really been getting into of late is the art of mixology. I suspect it appeals to his meticulous nature. What’s more, if the past two months of being the Mister’s guinea pig are any indication I’d go so far as to say he is well on his way to becoming a true cocktailian. His take on Singapore Slings, Martinis and Manhattans have all been tested on yours truly. I cannot honestly say I cared much for any of them.* Give me tonic water and decent bottle of gin and I am content. I like to keep things simple.
I mention the previous because I have been racking my brain to come up with a cocktail honoring the glory that is the Garden Spot of the Universe. The “Greenpoint”, “Greenpoint Oil Spill” and “Newtown Creek” are all eagerly waiting manifestation from someone’s creative ether. Unfortunately I am not that someone: I possess neither the expertise nor wherewithal to make this happen.
Luckily as I was walking down Lorimer Street this afternoon I spied a concoction which I have dubbed “The McCarren Park”. Not only are its ingredients easily found in many of our local stores but it is also very easy to make! You can create your own McCarren Park by following these simple steps:
1. Get one bottle of Sobieski vodka.
2. Add one bottle of Gatorade (fruit punch is featured in the above photograph but feel free to use your imagination)
3. Drink the previous until you pass out.
4. Wake up.
5. Repeat steps #1 – #5
Miss Heather
*Okay, I have to confess: I like Aviations.
New York Shitty Slide Show Du Jour: Memorial Day In The Bronx Part 2
Filed under: Bronx
As I have mentioned previously after checking out my old digs in Morris Park the Mister and I headed to Little Italy. Initially we attempted to do so on foot and ended up at the Bronx Zoo. We backpedaled and decided to let the BX 12 bus do the walking for us. If anyone from Not For Tourists is reading this could you please publish a Bronx guide? I am making this recommendation because although I enjoyed our (not so) little detour tremendously the fact of the matter is my feet most decidedly did not. I learned this the following day. But I digress.
For the previous reason today’s slide show will be a mixed bag. It includes not only photographs of Little Italy, but also Pelham Parkway, Boston Road and several other thoroughfares we happened to find ourselves. Before we proceed I am going to share some highlights from our journey.
I found this lovely old call box on Pelham Parkway outside one of the many Art Deco apartment buildings to be found there. They simply do not make them like this anymore. What’s more, this piece of public property sports one of the most cryptic missives I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
You took a pic of me with a diture camara to wash me and love 1 ones.
Uh-huh. Methinks somewhere in 10462 walks a budding e. e. cummings. Armed with a felt tip marker and unencumbered spellchecker.
The first thing that struck me about “Little Italy” was the presence of a rather sizable Albanian community. This first came to my attention when I spied one of the following piece of religious kitsch.
A clock featuring Mother Theresa praying over a solitary Albanian rose. Not having enough weird crap cluttering up our home I went inside to inquire about this item. I suspect my enthusiasm made me suspect in the shopkeeper’s eyes. He stated it was sun damaged and refused to sell it to me. However, I think he was impressed that I was able to identify a portrait of King Zog. Why would I— not being Albanian— even know who King Zog is, you ask? Well, for starters:
- I read a lot.
- Any country which brought us Enver Hoxha and his manifold contributions to the field of architecture is of particular interest to yours truly. As far as I’m concerned Karl Fischer wouldn’t have a pot to piss in if it were not for this man.
- Anyone named “Zog” is most assuredly someone I will make it a point to know about.
It was also on Arthur Avenue where I found what is easily the most stunning urban gravestone I have beheld to this day.
This bad boy needs to be seen to be believed folks. Simply amazing.
In addition to Albanians this neighborhood also sports a rather sizable Latino community. It was in one bodega on Hughes Avenue that I found the above assortment of pinatas…
and this fragrant assortment of sweets. Before you get the urge to make cruller run I feel compelled to share with you one of the most effective advertising campaigns for weight loss ever concocted.
It hails from this unisex salon on Crescent Avenue…
and is anything but sexy.
I could go on and on about the many interesting things I saw on Arthur Avenue and beyond but I have written far too much already. Instead I’ll leave you with this slide show. Enjoy!
This concludes our virtual tour of the Bronx. Now if you don’t mind I am off to explore the wilderness of north Brooklyn!
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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