Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
New York Shitty Day Ender: Turn Out The Lights
Filed under: 11222, Bloomblight, Culture War, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
(Or, 239 Banker Street Revisited)
Today on a lark I decided to swing by 239 Banker Street (formerly known as the Sweater Factory Lofts) to see what’s shaking. I was not disappointed.
After I shot the above photograph a gaggle of hipsters took notice and stopped. One of them (who I would presume to be their leader) initiated contact:
I’m guessing you broke that glass because the landlord ripped you off?
I turned around, pointed to the plywood gracing the entrance and replied:
Like I would live in a place like this? I don’t think so.
There was a pregnant pause and then my new friend told me about how the former tenants of this building were ordered out of the building, screwed out of their security deposits and so on and so forth. Although I know of all of this already I listened attentively as he gave me the whole run-down. After he concluded his speech out rolled the corker: he was one of the tenants vacated from this building! There is undoubtedly a life lesson to be had here, dear readers. I will leave it to you to ascertain what it is. But I digress.
When this gent finished his tale of woe I brought it to his attention that he and his neighbors were not the only people Max and his funky bunch owe money to:
(Insert punchline here.)
Miss Heather
P.S.: In (somewhat) related news it would appear that someone has egged the entrance to the Pencil Factory Lofts.
Long Island City Photos Du Jour: Dutch Kills Selections
Filed under: 11101, Bloomblight, Long Island City, Long Island City Queens, Recession
Taken April 4, 2010.
Miss Heather
Daily Bloomblight: Boerum Street
Filed under: 11206, 11237, Bloomblight, Bushwick, Bushwick Brooklyn, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn
Oops.
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: The North 11 Street Spycam!
K (who sent the above photo) writes:
Hi Miss Heather,
First off, thank you for your blog — i visit it daily and heart it SO much! I wanted to send you a pic of the toxic construction site on N11 and Bedford – specifically how precarious the sidewalk structure is. I work in a building that looks onto the site and have watched the construction/non-construction go on for what – almost a year now. In any case, a couple weeks ago I was walking on the sidewalk across from Turkey’s Nest and saw that the corner of the sidewalk had essentially fallen in. The resolution to the ‘hole’ was to just fill it up with concrete (geniuses!) and not actually consider the lack of foundation this sidewalk currently has. So, I thought – this is when I will finally make the move and take a picture of what is actually going on on the other side of the blue wall we all see on Bedford. The image is attached to this email – you will see that we are all walking on a falling wall of foundation that is being held up(?!) by metal columns…
If you’d like, I can continue to send you the slow moving construction as I have a perfect bird’s eye view.
As you can imagine, I took up K on her generous offer and I look forward to her bird’s eye view of this unfolding train wreck. In the meantime, you might want to watch where you step Williamsburgers!
Miss Heather
P.S.: Here’s a nice big shot of this wading pool provided by another reader, Langer!
Daily Bloomblight: Broken Windows
Filed under: 11206, Bloomblight, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
What had once started out as a rather ambitious (if by East Williamsburg standards) condominium building at 390 Lorimer Street appears to have fallen on hard times.
Very hard times. Among the niceties to be found here (and I do encourage each and every one of you to check this place out) are:
1. an incinerated cushion of some kind
2. a television set with “added value”
3. an open invitation for squatters
As a matter of fact, 390 Lorimer already has some residents. Pigeons have nested in this duct work. I would hazard to guess this may very well the most expensive aviary in New York City history. And to think some people have the temerity to think our fair Mayor doesn’t care about nature— who needs 1,000,000 trees when our feathered friends can have a luxury condo? Only the best for north Brooklyn!
I could go on and on about quality of life issues and how this administration has failed its constituents. I won’t. Instead I’ll leave you with this epitaph which someone has seen fit to thoughtfully inscribe on this failed piece of real estate speculation.
Indeed.
Miss Heather
Quicklink: Name This!
My buddy at Bad Advice (who took the above photograph) writes:
It’s been a while since I wrote about all the exciting new construction going on in my neighborhood (Williamsburg), but as the condos next door are finally on the market, I thought I’d give an update. That dirt patch there might look kind of crappy (more on that later), but it’s actually the backyard to the first-floor condo you see there—the stairs lead up to the spacious deck you can see in this shot:
When the buildings were being slapped up (and nearly destroying my building in the process), the project manager/foreman/whatever told me they were going to be rentals because the market was sucking it so hard. Apparently someone had a change of heart because not only are these condos—they’re pricey condos! The one you see there is listed for $660k!!! Sure, it’s under 900 square feet, but hey, it’s a pet-friendly building, so there’s that… the contest I’m running is to name the stretch of dirt that runs between my building and the fabulous new condo. I’ve already seen several people using it as a toilet, so I’m thinking something like “Pee-Pee Park” or “Crap Alley.” But as I’ve been under the weather, my naming faculties aren’t operating at peak capacity. So see what you can come up with—the scattier the better—and leave your entry in the comments. As for the prize—well, I think it’s only fair that the prize gives something back to the original(ish) inhabitants of the neighborhood. The ones who can’t afford to buy fancy new condos or $300 t-shirts at Bird. So I’ve decided that the prizewinner will get $50 donated to the Greenpoint Soup Kitchen in their name. I wish it could be more, but, unlike many of my new neighbors, I’m not exactly sitting on a trust fund over here.
Get cracking, Greenpointers and Williamsburgers! You can tender your submission(s) by clicking here.
Miss Heather
Photo Credits: Bad Advice
Daily Bloomblight: Falling Down
Today’s selection hails from 32 India Street in the Garden Spot of the Universe.
Anyone familiar with this site can and will attest it has been problematic for some time. Not only has it become a magnet for garbage, vandalism and dog shit, but it also has the dubious distinction of being the location of the most truly remarkable carbecques yours truly has ever laid one eyes upon.
Earlier today this panel (replete with rusty nails sticking out at precarious and tetanus-inducing angles) was laying on the sidewalk. A good Samaritan has seen fit place it against the fence. Maybe it will help support its sagging brethren? I doubt it. In any case, I spied no less than two hearing notices tucked under the manifold number of expired permits gracing this eyesore.
Here’s one.
Here’s the other. There may have been more but they have since decayed beyond recognition.
This is your city government at work, folks!
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Fun With Bloomblight
C writes:
I didn’t have my camera with me when I was out today, but I thought I’d give you a heads-up on something rather amusing. If you take a stroll over to Eckford Street and Greenpoint Avenue, you’ll notice that the construction fence around the vacant lot on the southwest corner has been replaced by a nice chain link number. You’ll also notice that this new fencing affords a superb view of two tall, yellow, black-tongued denizens of our fair neighborhood.
I nailed them to the inside of the construction fence about a year and a half ago, but moved out of the adjacent property shortly thereafter and figured that the next tenant had removed them. Now that the fence is gone, I can see that my replacements were lazy, not all that handy, or blessed with a decent sense of humor. In any event, I’m glad to see my pets looking healthy.
Naturally I headed down the aforementioned intersection without delay.
The creatures of which C wrote were not at all difficult to locate.
Genuine Greenpoint giraffes!
A big New York Shitty shout-out of gratitude goes out to C for tipping me off to this. It made my day! Well, after the Bushwick bunnies.
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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