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From The New York Shitty Inbox: Gentrification?!?
Filed under: 11206, 11211, 11222, 11237, Bed-Stuy, Bloomblight, Brooklyn, Bushwick, Culture War, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Ft. Greene, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Kensington, Long Island City, New York City, Queens, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Interesting things happen when I stay up late. Mind you, they are not usually good things. But this case may very well be an exception: in the wee hours of the morning today the following found its way into my inbox.
Anni Atkinson of Earthsharing.org.au (Yes kids, that’s Australia) writes:
have you ever heard of GENTRIFICATION?
well, not many people have which is surprising as it effects us all.
so, I am attempting to do something about this! well, me and the team at Earthsharing Australia! I work with a not-for-profit called Earthsharing that offers free education services on economics and we focus on economic justice for all.
Currently we are working on an international film competition with the theme of ‘Gentrification’ which looks at issues of gentrification and how such cycles effect creative communities and artists in our cities. First Prize is $3000, with runner up prizes from Madman and Crumpler.
your blog is rad and we would be honored if you could throw a little love our way and mention the film competition to your readers!
Please contact me for more details including a press release or an e-flyer.
In the mean time, check out our website for more details!
The first line of this email made me erupt into fits of uncontrollable (and demented) laughter. Have I heard of gentrification? Feeling more than a little raffish, I wrote back:
You are asking ME, a resident of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, USA (which is located pretty much halfway around the globe from you), to inform my readership about film competition about GENTRIFICATION?!? Greenpoint: a neighborhood where a “luxury” condos proliferate in the shadow of the east coast’s largest WASTE TREATMENT PLANT? Where environmental issues the likes of which you cannot begin to comprehend remain unabated. And yet artists are being pushed out because there are people willing to dole out $2,000+ USD rent for a one bedroom/studio for this?
Give me the fuggin’ flier, your creds and press release— STAT.
Well, she did.
I’ve done some poking around and this contest is 100% legit. Let’s show our friends down under how our fair city treats the creative community and everyone else who cannot a condo or $2,000 a month rent? You can get the 411 on how to enter this contest by checking out Earthsharing’s web site or by emailing them at: timmah (at) earthsharing (dot) org (dot) au
NOTE: they are currently requiring that entries be mails. I have suggested they accept submissions via YouTube as mailing matter overseas can be both costly and dicey. They are looking into it.
Otherwise, you can play the Gentrification Game by clicking here. Simply put you are a landlord/speculator and your goal is to kick out tenants. Play it. It’s a fucking HOOT!
Miss Heather
P.S.: Earthsharing also has a number of interesting videos on YouTube. Check ’em out. You’ll find the tales contained therein eerily familiar.
New York Shitty Day Ender: Flushing Avenue
Although this lass had clearly seen better days I think the wear and tear only adds to her beauty. In any case she’s a nice way to kick off the weekend (yes, I am calling it an early day— hey, even “bloggers” like a little time off every now and then!).
Miss Heather
Adoptable Cutie Cavalcade!
Filed under: 11206, 11211, 11222, 11237, Brooklyn, Bushwick, Crazy Cat Lady, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Long Island City, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
I imagine if you’re reading this you’re not one of the fortunate many who are headed out of town for vacation this upcoming week— or you’re taking a vacation from your vacation. Either way I cannot think of a better way to while away this evening than to watch some very cute (and adoptable) kittens from none other than north Brooklyn!
Meet The Wire Kittens. First up, the ladies in the cast:
Rhonda.
Kima.
Zenobia.
Here’s some footage of them in action.
Rhonda was shy around me when I paid her a visit— but she was not so coy with Tigger! As you will see in the following video.
Lisacat writes:
Rhonda, Kima and Zenobia were named after characters from the HBO series “The Wire” – see insets. I hope my next litter of bottle-babies are boys because there just aren’t that many prominent women on the show! These tricolor sisters were rescued as part of a TNR project in downtown Brooklyn and will be up for adoption soon.
Sure enough, this came to pass. Meet D’Angelo Barksdale
and Russell “Stringer” Bell.
These two boys hail from Bushwick. They were found at two days of age helpless and covered in flies. They have since been nursed back to health (hence the fat tummies— they just hit the bottle. Of milk, that is.)
And last— but hardly least— Greenpoint’s very own quintet of cute: “The Bountys”.
Although I have written about these fetching felines before I had never had the pleasure of making their acquaintance until recently. I was not disappointed.
By far the real show stoppers in this crew are Hunter (as seen at left) and Bounty. Do not let Bounty’s diminutive stature fool you: dynamite comes in small packages.
Anyone interested in giving any of the wonderful kittens the life-long vacation of a loving home can contact their foster mom, Shawn at: shawnandkenny (at) earthlink (dot) net
Other details:
- All these kittens have been vaccinated, treated for parasites and test negative for F.I.V. and feline leukemia.
- Upon adoption they will be spayed or neutered before going to their new forever homes.
- Lastly, these kittens will be adopted out in pairs unless there is already another cat in the home. That way they will be less lonely (and likely to get into trouble) when you’re not home!
You can see more photographs and video footage of these kittens by clicking here and here.
Miss Heather
East Williamsburg Street Art Du Jour: Mixed Bag
Filed under: 11206, 11237, Bushwick, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Street Art, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
From Vandervoort Street.
Miss Heather
A Choice Tidbit From The New York Times Archives
Speaking as someone who has lived in north Brooklyn for ten years I remember a time when Williamsburg was more or less defined as the first four stops on the L train— no “ifs” “ands” or “buts”. Over the ensuing years this has been expanded to include pretty much anything short of Ridgewood and given current trends they may very well be next. Only time will tell if my fair burgh will be rechristened “Williamsburg(h) Heights”. Lest the first three sentences of this post have not made it clear I have found a heaping help of black humor to be immensely helpful when living in the shadow such a capacious and rapacious giant. And what a shadow it is! Case in point:
I found this bad boy outside the Morgan Avenue stop of the L. Per the ad copy (which can be seen in larger format by clicking on the above image*) this Valhalla is located off the DeKalb Avenue stop of the L. Apparently eight stops out of Manhattan now qualifies as “East Williamsburg”. Albeit with a significantly smaller typeface.
Imagine if you will, dear readers, a time when real estate agents were not so fast and loose about “branding” a neighborhood “Williamsburg”. A time when Williamsburgers didn’t even want to be called Williamsburgers; they wanted to be simple Brooklynites. There was such a time. What’s more, the New York Times documented it on February 23, 1896. Enjoy!
Found In Brooklyn, who took the above photograph, writes:
And this Toll Brothers monolith on the other side. Ewwwww. Can you imagine being one of the numbers living in there? This would fit in better in a business district of a city such as Phoenix or Miami but whatever it’s here and they are not selling like hotcakes.
Welcome to the newer conditions of society.
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Ender: Diversification
Troutman Street
Irving Avenue
It would appear that someone in Bushwick belongs to the James Danforth Qualye school of spelling.
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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