Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Word Of The Day: Balconization
Filed under: Articles of Fedderization, Bed-Stuy, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg
bal’ke-ne-za-shen: n. a proliferation of galleries projecting from the front of luxury condominium buildings in gentrifying neighborhoods. While often little more than concealed fire escapes, balconized buildings usually are out of context with surrounding buildings and are festooned with such various and sundry items as laundry, bicycles, and satellite dishes. v. (balconized, balconizing, balconifies) See: Fedderize, crapification, Belvedere Realty, 156 Pulaski Street.
Note the institutional light fixtures. NICE.
Miss Heather
Bed $tuy Photo du Jour: Show Me The Money!
Filed under: Bed-Stuy
From LaFayette Avenue.
Miss Heather
A Little Something Neat
Last week I received an interesting tip from a reader. xdoobiex wrote:
check out the reveal over the wamu/ wizard electorics.
it looks like they’re finally going to fix the top of the building and is stripping off the old siding to reveal some nice old detail work.. which will be covered up by new vinyl 🙂
After the rain finally let up, I went down there and checked it out.
It’s pretty neat.
He failed to mention this classic old advertisement for a roofing and siding contractor. “Everlasting Beauty” indeed!
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photos du Jour: Vodka Or Veal?
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
From Green Street.
Miss Heather
How To Win Friends & Influence People In Greenpoint
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
AKA: Metallicans 1:3
KNOW YOUR METAL
Oh, Greenpoint! How I do love thee? Let me count the ways… Actually there are too damned many to count so here are two:
- Where else in New York City can you buy groceries on a Sunday morning while listening to “Unchained” by Van Halen? The Garden Spot’s very own Garden, that’s where!*
- What I witnessed last night at a certain wine store on Manhattan Avenue** after meeting a good friend for dinner.
I walked into the aforementioned establishment to hear the Manager (?) and two other chaps (employees???) singing along to the music playing in the store. Suffice it to say it was NOT Lawrence Welk. The fourth gent (rounding out this quartet) then proceeded to make a major faux pas by asking:
Who is this?
The singing stopped. An air of stifling silence (save the music) and breached etiquette overtook the room. I, the outsider, decided to break the ice:
It’s Metallica, isn’t it?
Metallicans #1-3 (in no particular order): (sighs of disgust) DUH! It dates from 1986.
Gent #4: (starts to sputter an explanation —but sensing futility —stops)
Me: I don’t know which album this is, but this is definitely Metallica.
Head Metallican (to me): You know those jokes they make about Polish people?
Me (getting a little nervous): Yeah.
Head Metallican: This man (pointing to Gent #4) is 110% Polish.
(laughter)
I’m not too sure what it takes to be Polish in Greenpoint anymore. My surname, I have been told, is “too Lithuanian” to make the grade. What’s more my knowledge of Metallica is apparently too good.
I had some trepidations at first about posting this incident but then I thought the better of it. If you can’t laugh at yourself and bust someone’s chops in good humor (over Metallica, no less) would life really be worth living? Think about it.
Miss Heather
*Which I took great delight in singing along the following passage (with the requisite Diamond David Lee Roth moves— inasmuch as is possible in a grocery store) much to Mr. Heather’s chagrin:
Woo-hoo! Take a look at this!
Hey man, that suit is you!
Whoo-whee! You’ll get some leg tonight for sure!
Tell us how you do! Hoo hoo hoo!
(Come on Dave, gimme a break)
Hey hey hey hey! One break, comin’ up!
**With features a certain VERY phallic vodka bottle in the window.
Subway Poster du Jour: All In One Day
Filed under: Area 51
While not as elegant as the work of Poster Boy, I felt this devilishly simple poster modification (which hails from the Queens-bound platform of the G train at Clinton-Washington) worth passing along. How could the designer of this poster NOT see this one coming? Seriously.
Miss Heather
Another Franklin Corner Store Bombshell?
First it was the news they sold the store and Andre would be leaving us. Next they remodeled and ceased (for all intensive purposes) carrying groceries —although to be fair the quality of the sandwiches has not suffered much if at all. Now I have yet another controversial development to pass along: no more Oreo! I met her charming temp (replacement? protege?) “Tiger” (as seen on the left) yesterday. Concerned, I asked what happened. Here’s the scoop:
Oreo is alive and well and living with a lady named Irene. For those of you who are not in the know this is the woman who gave her to the store in the first place; her cat had a little of kittens and one of which happened to be Oreo. What’s more, the word is Oreo is pregnant… again! Will she get paid maternity leave? Will she come back? Most importantly will Tiger be able to shoulder her many onerous responsibilities?
I suppose only time will tell.
In the meantime let’s make this little fella feel at home. Little Tiger has a huge some mighty big paw prints to fill!
Miss Heather
Williamsburg Photo du Jour: How Many?
Filed under: Williamsburg
Ever heard the adage “How many angels can dance on the head of pin”? It’s 2008 now and my updated question is of a less theological, more gustatory and distinctly north Brooklyn nature:
How many “Asian” restaurants can there be in a row on Bedford Avenue?
As of November 14, 2008 the answer is (or will soon be) FOUR:
- 212 Bedford: Wild Ginger, “Pan-Asian Vegan Cafe”
- 210 Bedford: Zen Tango, “Japanese & Malay Fusion”
- 208 Bedford: Red Bowl, what I presume to be Chinese
- 206 Bedford: Tai Thai, Thai Food.
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Finds Another Novel Use for Bicycle Lanes
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
One thing folks seem to forget about the newly “hip” neighborhood that is the Garden Spot of the Universe is it not only home to a young “affluent influx”, but it is also calls a rather substantial number of seniors as residents. A number of these elderly people have difficulty getting around so they employ scooters to help them go about their daily routine and live independently. I for one think this is fantastic. The only problem is some of our sidewalks do not necessarily make the best terrain for such vehicles (or pedestrians, for that matter).
But our newly-installed bike lanes fit the bill beautifully. This is the second person I have seen using the Manhattan Avenue bike lanes for some four-wheeling today. Follows is the third.
After I shot this video a passerby asked me why I was laughing. I assured her I was not laughing at this woman for having mobility problems and using a scooter. I explained to her that I have seen no less than five people employ the bike lanes on Manhattan Avenue in just such a manner this week alone.
Inasmuch as some might think to the contrary, this neighborhood is not just for the young and wealthy. It’s for everyone. Way to go my fellow Greenpointers. THIS is what I call “taking back the streets”!
Miss Heather
P.S.: Can anyone say “Critical Mass”?
Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Present
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
From Green Street.
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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