New York Shitty Day Ender: Sweetpoint

September 8, 2009 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

To close on a more upbeat and food related note, today I spied a new bakery moving into 230 Calyer Street.

sweetpoint

Yes, I too cringed a little when I noticed this establishment is to be called “Sweetpoint”. But you know what? It has grown on me. Enough so that moving forward when people ask me where I live I am going to proclaim— with my little 11222 heart glowing with pride:

text

Miss Heather

P.S.: On a related note the long-awaited renovation of the Taco Bell/KFC across the street appears to be nearing completion. Liquid cheese, here I come!

Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: Birds

September 3, 2009 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Street Art 

birds

From McGuinness Boulevard.

Miss Heather

New York Shitty Day Ender: Holy Shit

Anonymous writes:

Miss Heather,

Well, Greenpoint drivers continue their reign of terror.

I’m writing to report a traffic crash at McGuinness Blvd and Huron Street at around 6:15PM. A driver, evidently speeding at what must have been way over the speed limit (50 mph?), hit a lightpole (knocking it clean off the sidewalk) and a parked car on the southwest corner. The driver appeared unharmed but shaken.  Of course he was not ticketed or arrested. Witnesses report that the driver almost hit several people on the sidewalk and in the crosswalk. One witness said that the driver was swerving to avoid another car, which fled the scene.

FDNY blocked off the intersection, but NYPD did not direct traffic. This encouraged stupid drivers to drive over the sidewalk to get down Huron. One driver got confrontational and threatened to assault pedestrians when they were “in their way” on the sidewalk.

Photos attached.

another view of the sceneNYS

Looks like Lofts 305 got an unexpected visitor.

FDNY clearing the debrisNYS

motorhead threatening pedestriansNYS

Apparently this is the motorist that was threatening pedestrians.

NYPD going to interview the driverNYS

An officer heads over to talk to the driver.

the driver being treated by FDNYnys

the sceneNYSjpg

Welcome to Huron Street!nys

Damn.

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: McGuinness Boulevard

mickey1

For those of you who are not in the know, McGuinness Boulevard (by the Pulaski) is a veritable paradise of street art.

404

It seems to rotate, but these big-eyed birds keep showing up. I’m not complaining: I adore them.

4042

What’s more they have a few friends…

thedude

and this formidable (but friendly looking) fella. Across the street you can find this.

RDL

A little Pulaski poetry…

LOVE

and indecipherable German-esque gibberish.*

ted

Scrawled in dirt (?).*

heart

With hearts.*

mickey2

And this.*

If anyone knows “Ted”, has expertise in Chicago zombies or can decipher the above missives please email me at:

missheather(at)thatgreenpointblog(dot)com

or leave your findings via comments. Thanks!

Miss Heather

UPDATE, 8:30 p.m.: Here are some ideas I received in my inbox!

Sean writes:

The German on the wall, I believe, basically says that love, to who ever wrote it, is that he cant be without a woman.

Jason writes:

I believe the last glyph that you posted was the Japanese character for Enter or Entry…  That would explain the arrow as well…

Griff notes:

That last pic looks suspiciously like a logo for Aphex Twin?

Aphex Twin

UPDATE, August 22, 1:30 p.m.: Here’s a few more!

Robert writes:

I saw that graffiti the other day while walking my dog.  I thought to myself that someone was copying the style of A.R. Penck.  A German artist whose work in the early 70’s was a mix of made up symbols and language.  I work at MoMA and we have a few examples on our website of his early 70’s work.

http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=86742

wiki say
Despite the anti-art aesthetic the rough and ready quality of their construction, they have the same symbolic, archetypal anthropomorphic forms as his flat symbolic paintings. The paintings are influenced by Paul Klee’s work and mix the flatness of Egyptian or Mayan writing with the crudity of the late black paintings by Jackson Pollock.

But who knows?

Not writes:

http://www.newyorkshitty.com/?p=24135

that’s the lowercase greek glyph, lambda..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda

context: it’s a usage popularized by the video game, half life..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-Life_(video_game)

Erik writes:

The “lambda” looking symbol with an arrow that you photographed is actually taken from the video game Half Life 2.  It is the symbol for the rebel/resistance organization fighting a conquering extraterrestrial species.  The lambda symbol appears throughout the game painted on walls, with arrow directing the player to a safe room stocked with weapons, health, etc.

See http://www.visualwalkthroughs.com/halflife2/routekanal1/31.jpg for an example.

*I had to do some Photoshopping to make these images easier to read.

New York Shitty Day Starter: The United Colors Of Greenpoint

August 11, 2009 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Vinyl Siding 

Sidingrainbow

Every so often I like to create assignments for myself. This, my latest one, came the way they usually do: via a flight of fancy. One day I wondered to myself if Greenpoint, the Garden Spot of the Universe— and patron par excellence to the aluminum siding industry— sported a rainbow assortment of siding products. What you have just seen, dear readers, is the result of one month’s worth of research. There is only one conclusion that can be drawn from the copious amount photographic evidence/data I have collected: yes!

Miss Heather

New York Shitty Day Ender: Juxtaposition

August 10, 2009 ·
Filed under: 11222, Brooklyn, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

somethingswrongwithesther

Greenpoint Avenue at McGuinness Boulevard, 11222

hemorrhoidal dreamsBESTVIEW

Fort Hamilton Parkway at 63rd Street, 11219

Miss Heather

Photo Credits: A very special New York Shitty thank you goes out to my buddy down at Best View In Brooklyn for forwarding me the latter photograph (which she thoughtfully entitled “Hemorrhoidal Dreams”). It made my day!

From The New York Shitty Inbox: Ad Hoc Rock

Last Sunday afternoon I happened to find myself in Williamsburg. As I was approaching Kent Avenue I began to hear music. LOUD MUSIC.

What the fuck?

I asked myself. Sure enough, when I reached East River State Park I found my answer: they were having a concert event. I don’t think I have ever seen this park crawling with as many people as I did that day. Naturally I got the hell out of dodge STAT.

It’s not that I do not like music or concerts. I do. I simply do not like large crowds of people. I prefer my entertainment to be on a more intimate  scale. “Unplugged”, if you will. Which brings me to the following.

guitar park 01NYS

guitar park 02NYS

guitar park 03NYS

guitar park 04NYS

guitar park 05NYS

Tony (who took the above photographs) writes:

On the way to the farmer’s market we found quite a post-video-game-rock-out mess at the little park on Driggs & McGuinness.

A lot of Polish dudes sleep on cardboard inside there, but I doubt these have anything to do with them.

I most emphatically disagree. For all we know among this gaggle of Garden Spot guydom is the next Eddie Van Halen, Ted Nugent, Randy Rhaods, or— if we’re really lucky— Pete Townshend!

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Street Art Du Jour: A Little Soul

July 22, 2009 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Street Art 

one

two

three

four

five

six

seven

eight

From McGuinness Boulevard & Clay Street.

Miss Heather

Yet More Fun At 184 Eagle Street: F**king FED UP!!!

July 10, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic 

184eaglethumb(Formerly known as the Luxe Guesthouse)

Anonymous writes (in an email entitled I’m F**cking FED UP!!!):

OMG, the fun REALLY just doesn’t stop here at 184 Eagle.

Apparently, Sam Fruchter (the owner of the building, Best On Eagle) and a few tenants got into a huge fight about his lack of a valid Certificate of Occupancy and his continued attempts to rent apartments to more people than the fire code allows. The building has been illegally occupied for over 1 year.

He’s been quietly negotiating rock bottom rents with most of us, offering better units etc., to keep people who know what’s happening silent and honestly the price offered is better, but NOW I’m concerned. While searching for greener pastures (aka a new legit apartment), I found his newest POSTING while searching for new space in the neighborhood.

What F***king gives!!! — No matter how much we complain, no matter how much he says otherwise -  He still continues to post ads on craigslist that CLEARLY and OPENLY state his willingness to SLEEP up to 6~ in a 2 bedroom apartment. ON CRAIGSLIST LONG TERM!!!!  LONG TERM Miss Heather!!!

THIS MAN JUST DOESN’T KNOW WHEN TO STOP!!!! You CANNOT sleep 6 in a 2 bedroom – it’s against fire code…….He’s not even hiding it ANYMORE!!! Also, can 6 people even legally sign a lease in a new building that does not have a Certificate of Occupancy???? (check out the 3rd paragraph).

The six people disturbs me a little bit, BUT what REALLY disturbs me more, is his willingness to post it on Craigslist – IMAGINE how many he’s REALLY willing to allow to “sleep”, if he’s comfortable posting that on craigslist.

I don’t trust this guy. Now, I know for sure that he simply doesn’t care about the quality of life of his tenants. It’s all about the money. Look @ this ad Ms. Heather !!!! This apartment looks mighty familiar!!!

He’s working with two new guys*, but it’s the same CRAP, but NOW it’s LONGTERM! PLEASE call the telephone #  and set-up your own “appointment” to fact-check.

vacation rentalREV

NOW I AM REALLY OUT OF HERE, any one willing to sign a “lease” is not looking at the bigger picture!!!!

Sincerely Furious.

mickeygs

I have written about this property time and time again.

http://www.newyorkshitty.com/?p=21336

http://www.newyorkshitty.com/?p=20064

http://www.newyorkshitty.com/?p=19306

http://www.newyorkshitty.com/?p=15568

http://www.newyorkshitty.com/?p=15479

Nothing happens.

Same song, different verse. I wonder how long it will take the Department of Buildings to pick up the tune?

Miss Heather

P.S.: Anonymous later wrote:

…forgot the copy of the link (screencap — Ed. Note), just in case they take it down (learned that from you).

This makes me proud. In my three years of hammering away at New York Shitty, the fact this person took a screencap of said advertisement (which I annotated) made my trials and tribulations totally worth it.

*Where did Kisha Richardson, AKA: fizzburg.com go? Don’t bother looking it up here, look up “Luxeguesthouse.com

Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: Like No Other Place In The World!

June 27, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic 

likenootherplace

mickeygs

From McGuinness Boulevard

Miss Heather

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