Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Introducing Neighborhood Watch
No, not that Neighborhood Watch (as enjoyable as it can be). I’m talking about the new blog set up by Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (or NAG). I finally was able to give it a looksee last night and I have to confess that I found a number of very interesting items. Among my personal favorites are this post about the service industry encroaching upon north Brooklyn’s Industrial business zones and an update regarding the troubled Moore Street Market. If what they have written (regarding the latter) does indeed come to pass, it looks like it will get a reprieve!
Do add this site to your “to read” list. You will learn a lot about what’s going on here in north Brooklyn from it! I know I have.
Miss Heather
St. Cyrils & Me(thodius)
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Last weekend I strolled by one of my favorite buildings in north Greenpoint: the old St Cyril’s & Methodius Parochial School. Located on Dupont Street, it doesn’t really get a lot of attention. This is shame. It is a very lovely building.
My favorite details are to be found on the Romanesque columns gracing the main entrance. The little creature to the right appears to be a lion. With all the demolition that has come to pass in Greenpoint, I am glad this building has not met with the wrecking ball. If ever there was a structure crying out to become a(n AFFORDABLE) residential conversion, this one is the one folks. But I digress.
Curious to learn a little more about the history of this building, I did a little poking around online. I haven’t found much in the way of historical material (yet) but I did find an amusing story from the New York Times. It is entitled “The Mayor Looked for Problems, and He Found Him” and dates from June 8, 1967. Enjoy!
Poor Mayor Lindsay. The man really did have it rough. How many grown men do you know who have been dissed by precocious twelve year school children?
Ouch.
Miss Heather
Frivolous… But Fun!
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
If any of you happen to be near the intersection of Meserole and Manhattan Avenue (especially at night), here’s something fun to check out.
Nearby you will find this installation in the storefront window of 118 Meserole. I realize this photograph is difficult to make out, so I will describe what you are looking at. A bunch of extension cords with nightlights plugged into them have been suspended from the ceiling. Behind this installation there is an oscillating fan which makes these cords move ever so gently. It’s hard to describe, but pretty neat to watch. Go down and see for yourself!
Miss Heather
What’s Going On At 155 Freeman Street?
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
I have a confession to make: I have sort of a sweet spot for this building. Maybe it is the asymmetrical storefront or all the pierogi trucks parked next door. I honestly don’t know.
Bearing the previous in mind, you can imagine my interest when I discovered this poster adhered the security gate on the first floor. Well, I finally got around to doing a little research (thanks Google). Here’s the scoop, it comes from a web site called ARTCAL:
It’s About Time, Man!
John Delk, Patrick Doyle, Sean Glover, Carolyn Funk, Lara Kohl, Matthew Lusk, Melissa Barrett Lundquist, William McMillin, Leigh Ann Pahapill, Tim Saltarelli, Dave Shull, and Nikita Vishnevskiy
Using a derelict industrial building in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, an international group of artists reconstitute the Olafur Eliasson survey on their own terms.
‘It’s About Time, Man,’ responds to the unquestioned acclaim for Eliasson’s faux-natural creations, and inaugurates the future home for Repetti. 12 artists will each address a different Eliasson work, using the squalid state of this former carriage house as inspiration. The building will undergo major renovation in the fall, and become the new home for Repetti in late ’09 (!!! —Ed. Note).
Organized by William McMillin and Sam Farnsworth, this group of established and emerging artists has strong ties to the Greenpoint area, though also included are several foreign-based artists.
Now this has got to be some of the best news I have heard in a long time! I can only hope the folks renovating 155 Freeman will leave some of its architectural “quirks” intact. Those of you who are interested to see this show (I know I am) be advised it runs until August 24, 2008. For a sneak peak of what awaits your viewing pleasure, click here and you will directed to a rather comprehensive set of photos on Flickr taken by supremenything.
Miss Heather
And Then There Were Two
Filed under: Williamsburg
Illegal rooftop terraces, that is. After running errands today a most interesting email was awaiting me when I got home. M writes:
This is one of the owner(s — Andrea Drozd — Ed. Note) of studio B, I used to live one block from “the Delanceyâ€, seems that this is a habit of hers. And the sound proofing never happened.
She sure likes that those rooftops!
Curious to see what “M” was talking about I checked out links she sent me.
And sure enough, Ms. Drozd is mentioned as one of the owners of Juliette. In fact, they have an entire photo set dedicated to their rooftop terrace which— just like its cousin up here in Greenpoint— is neither mentioned in their Certificate of Occupancy nor their Place of Assembly. Both of the previous cover the first floor only.
No wonder she got so disgusted at last week’s Public Safety Committee meeting and complained about how long the city takes to issue permits and conduct inspections; she got away with an illegal rooftop terrace in Williamsburg, why shouldn’t she get away with it here Greenpoint? Permits and waiting are for little people.
I wonder if Ken Fisher offers a bulk discount for his “services”? More importantly, he should be giving me some kind of commission for finding and/or posting this stuff. Seriously.
Miss Heather
Studio B Photo Credit: Neighborhood Threat
Williamsburg Photo du Jour: Cruzin’
Filed under: Williamsburg
From Humboldt Street.
Miss Heather
Happenings On India Street
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
I am pleased to announce that the park slated to grace site has gotten a thorough revamping. Not only has the wall has been lowered, but there will be no concrete! In the next couple of weeks we can look forward to the Parks Department unveiling this new and improved design. Next month the “India Street Enders” will be having a meeting to discuss these plans and get the 411 from Stephanie Thayer of the Open Space Alliance. So mark your calendar!
India Street Enders Meeting
Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
7: 00 p.m.
Location: tbd
Those of you who are concerned about the welfare of the feral cat colony will be pleased to know I will be helping to relocate them. Which reminds me: I need to contact Neighborhood Cats and sign up for one of their Trap-Neuter-Return workshops!
Miss Heather
Urban Gravestones, Greenpoint Style
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
This weekend I discovered— much to my chagrin— that Greenpoint is holding its own regarding the phenomenon that Bed-Stuy Banana so aptly named “urban gravestones”. Here they are.
Dupont Street
Frosty Freeze, R.I.P.
Java Street
A tribute to “Revzi” can be found the corner of Java and West Street. Revzi was only seven when the film Donnie Brasco was released. I mention this because part of the previous movie (the infamous parking meter scene) was shot in front of this very building. In any case, he died at eighteen.
McGuinness Boulevard
And lastly, this bouquet commemorates the senseless, sad death of Maria Piatkiewicz. She was hit by a van while crossing McGuinness Boulevard last month.
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photo du Jour: And The Winner Is!
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
On Green Street it is number 11 by a nose!
Miss Heather
THIS FRIDAY: Little Murders
Filed under: Area 51
As part of their series of films featuring one of my favorite actors, Elliot Gould, this month B.A.M. will be featuring a movie that has long been on my “to watch” list: Little Murders.
Why would this movie interest me, you ask? Well, I’ll let my colleague over at Self-Absorbed Boomer answer that question for me. He writes:
In Little Murders (1971), directed by Alan Arkin, with screenplay by Jules Feiffer, Elliott Gould… played Alfred Chamberlain, a successful but disillusioned commercial photographer who took to wandering the Upper West Side shooting photos of what, in those pre-pooper-scooper law days, could all too easily be found on the sidewalks. He explained this unusual avocation by saying that he’d received several awards for work he’d done–photographs of consumer products that were used in advertising–that he considered artistically without merit, and that this made him conclude that he might as well be taking pictures of shit. Eventually, he had mounted at a gallery a show of his excremental photos, and men in suits or sport jackets and women in cocktail dresses or pants suits were shown at the opening, sipping chardonnay and admiring his works. During the party, someone (as I recall, Alfred’s fiancee, Patsy) said she thought his photos were lovely, and added, “and they’re all …?” He nodded affirmatively.
Tickets for all three showing of this film can be had by clicking here or calling (718) 777- FILM (BAM’s theater id number is 545). General admission will set you back a modest $11.00. Tickets for seniors, students and children cost $7.50 (please see BAM’s web site for details).
Brooklyn Academy of Music
30 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11237
NOTE: After the 6:30 p.m. viewing they will have a Q & A session with Mr. Gould himself!
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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