Greenpoint
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Culture on the Cheap
New York Shitty Day Ender: A Tale Of Two Cities
As I have previously mentioned I spent today knocking around Little Neck and Douglaston with Kevin Walsh. One commenter, dc108, was concerned about Mr. Walsh’s welfare and wrote:
Did you really drag that poor man out while he’s recovering from heart surgery?
That “poor man” drug yours truly and the Mister for a three mile walk! I’m exhausted— but so much so to preclude sharing a slide show and a few thoughts.
1. Cherry Street, Greenpoint and Cherry Street, Douglaston are quite different.
2. In fact, Greenpoint and Douglaston are very different in a number of ways:
- Among other things Greenpoint has a lot less “green” in it than Douglaston. With greenery comes insects. I had the pleasure of being bitten by a number of them.
- But Douglaston, not being Greenpoint, I had the peace of mind to know my lesions were probably not bedbug induced.
- Douglaston smells good, Greenpoint nowadays not so much.
- Greenpoint has its fair share of dysfunctional pay phones. But when someone in Douglaston destroys a public pay phone he (or she) is thoughtful enough to put the receiver back on the hook.
But enough talk… on with the show!
All in all I found Douglaston to be a very nice place… but I wouldn’t want to live there. Sure it has trees, flowers aplenty, and a lovely waterfront but it is sorely lacking in other “amenities” like men perusing pornography in public parks and a nature walk which is located on the premises of the largest waste treatment plant on the eastern seaboard. It is appointments such as the previous that make living in the Garden Spot of the Universe so special.
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: Viridian
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
The one thing that has always struck me amusing about the The Viridian (AKA: 110 Green Street) is the fact it has no green in it or on it whatsoever. Had this building been located elsewhere I suspect this absurdity would have been noticed and commented upon. Often. But this is Greenpoint: a neighborhood that is decidedly short of one half of its namesake. That being, green. Just for fun I decided to look for some viridian in the Garden Spot of the Universe. I was not disappointed either. I merely had to look up instead of down.
Apollo Street
Cherry Street
Lorimer Street
Norman Avenue
Banker Street
Miss Heather
Williamspoint Photos Du Jour: Industriana
Cherry Street
Porter Avenue
Meadow Street
Bogart Street
Morgan Avenue
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Starter: “Shotgun”
Ordinarily this would qualify as a “person in my neighborhood” but “Shotgun” (as seen in the above photo at right) was so extraordinary I felt he deserved a post of his own. Here it is.
Yesterday and friend and I went for a walk. Just to mix things up I decided we would go to the “hinterlands” of the Garden Spot— in other words: east of Kingsland Avenue, due south to the on ramp to the Kosciuszko Bridge and beyond.
It was at the intersection of Vandervoort Avenue and Cherry Street— an area which can best be described as the “armpit” of Greenpoint— that we encountered a truck selling watermelons, potatoes, fruits, nuts and vegetables. And a very unexpected ray of sunshine.
Or would that be “Shotgun” Having interfaced with a number of gun nuts in my life— mostly from the south— I asked the proprietor what gives.
After striking a pose (actually two) he told me:
That’s my nickname! Are you a visitor?
Me: Yes, I’m a visitor… from THAT (pointing north) end of Greenpoint.
SHOTGUN: Greenpoint? That’s (pointing north) over there!
Me: But I am over here! I like to be a tourist in my own neighborhood…
(Laughter)
Me: I hope you have some earplugs or aspirin, Shotgun. How can you deal with all this noise?
SHOTGUN:
Hell, I’m 70 years old. I can take it!
(Even more laughter)
Anyone who can spend 8+ hours next to the:
- loudest
- filthiest and
- overall depressing
part of the Garden Spot and still have a sense humor, much less display a joie de vivre rarely seen by anyone nowadays, gets my infinite respect, admiration, and yes— affection.
I really like you, Shotgun. You rock!
Miss Heather
*Lest I have offended anyone by calling this area such, it was not intended. I use this term with tongue firmly placed in cheek.
Reader Contribution Du Jour: The Garden Spot Muffler Man
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
This weekend I posted an image of a rather impressive muffler man from Greenwood Heights. Not to be outdone I found an impressive specimen from our very own 11222 lurking in my inbox this morning. It comes courtesy of Thomas Bachman.
Those of you who wish to make this dapper chap’s* acquaintance can do so on Cherry Street which, as you can see, does not quite live up to the pastoral nature of its name nowadays— although a few weeds can be spied in the background. Great catch, Thomas!
Miss Heather
*Who appears to be wearing something resembling a diaper. Given the lack of public facilities in the area this is completely understandable.
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