An East Williamsburg Public Service Announcement

March 2, 2009 ·
Filed under: Williamsburg 

gemdiscount

Yesterday I was busy doing what I imagine a number of my fellow New Yorkers were actively in engaged in doing: purchasing groceries and essentials before the big snowstorm hit. One stop on my itinerary was the Gem Super Value Store on Grand Street to purchase some boxer shorts.

notgoingout

Upon entering I noticed a most curious sign in this day and age of recession.A missive of “we are not going out of business” variety. Wanting to know what required its creation I took the matter up with the cashier. She was more than happy to give me the scoop.

geminterior

Apparently their establishment’s decision to do some remodelling has been a source of confusion to the community. A number of customers have approached the staff concerned that the store— a loved place to purchase housewares— was going to close. In addition a number of real estate agents have made inquiries for their own nefarious purpose: drumming up a little business. So it was decided a sign was in order to clear up any confusion as to what is going on at 695 Grand Street.

The Gem Store at 695 Grand Street is not— REPEAT— NOT going out of business. East Williamburgers your beloved housewares connection is safe and sound. What’s more, they are doing quite well. And as for all you real estate agents who have been pestering the staff: there’s plenty of recession-induced misery to go around. Just not here. Enough already.

Super Gem Discount Store
695 Grand Street
Brooklyn, New York 11211

Miss Heather

East Williamsburg Photos Du Jour: The Grand Street Toilet Seat

February 25, 2009 ·
Filed under: Williamsburg 

grandstreettoiletseat

toiletseat

This previous photographs illustrate perfectly what I love about New York City. You can walk down the same street a hundred times and always find something you never noticed before. In this case a permanent impression of a toilet seat rendered in cement.

Miss Heather

Williamspoint Photos Du Jour: The Word On The Street

February 22, 2009 ·
Filed under: Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Street Art, Williamsburg 

hellobrooklynnys

suckcocknys

sextime

From Keap Street.

empirecity

From Marcy Avenue.

imperialwalker

diaperservice

sloppymess

cat

From Grand Street.

incanadanys

From North 9th Street.

ohshit

From Meserole Avenue.

Miss Heather

P.S.: This one goes out to my ex-boyfriend Rich. Not only is he a married man now but he and his wife are expecting their first child. Congratulations Rich! You were (and still are) a real peach.

East Williamsburg Photo Du Jour: Trailer Trash

February 18, 2009 ·
Filed under: Bushwick, Williamsburg 

mobilehome

From Grand Street.

Miss Heather

Exxon Claus?

December 17, 2008 ·
Filed under: Bushwick, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg 

Many of you who have lamented over Manhattan Avenue’s lack of Yuletime wattage might have noticed the fancy energy efficient lights that were fired up last Friday, December 12. Well, as it would happen they have a very interesting benefactor (from the December 10th edition of the Greenpoint Gazette):

…Town Square still faces the daunting task of raising the funds for the lights. Companies like ExxonMobil, MetroFuel, and the New York Power Authority have pledged their support and Assemblymember Joe Lentol, Councilmember David Yassky, and Esposito have lent their voices to the call for community support. The Greenpoint Gazette, Greenpoint Lions, and North Brooklyn Development Corporation are helping with collections from local merchants.

Yup, you just read that Exxon is one of the folks ponying up the dough for these bad boys. I don’t know about you, but the given sheer environmental havoc this company has wreaked on our community and the fact that petrol is going for a pretty penny these days I would have expected our “neighbor” (Who some of you might remember co-sponsored Earth Day at McCarren Park this year!) to single-handedly fund a Dyker-fucking-Heightsesque spectacle bathing our main drag in retina-searing glory. Hell, it damned better be visible from outer space for that matter!

In other words, not something that looks like a raver’s glow wand or a swizzle stick gracing a Mai Tai at the local Tiki Club.

Call me a scrooge but this is insulting. Seriously.

Miss Heather

P.S.: The reason the usual lights were not up this year is because ponying up money for them is completely voluntary. And in a sour economy people clasp their wallets a little more tightly than usual. Had Manhattan Avenue created a Business Improvement District (thus spreading the financial burden equally among business owners) it is probable we would have had are usual garish show of holiday cheer this year. Several attempts have been made to start a B.I.D. here. All have failed. Mostly in part to one person who saw fit to engage in a campaign of misinformation about what creating a such an entity entails.

Grand Street has a B.I.D. They have Christmas lights.

Graham Avenue also has a B.I.D. They too have Christmas lights. (See where I’m going with this?)

They also have a holiday trolley to take you to see Santa Claus this weekend.

But the Garden Spot doesn’t have a B.I.D. So we get “Exxon Claus” instead. Lucky us. You can see last year’s lights (courtesy of our very own Bitchcakes) by pointing and clicking your way over to the New York Shitty photo pool.

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