Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
From The New York Shitty Photo Pool, Part III: Jose
Filed under: Bronx, Hunts Point, Hunts Point Bronx, New York City, Stuff That Makes Miss Heather Happy
Chris Arnade (who took the above photograph) writes:
Last year I was in a desolate part of Hunts Point, talking to a friend. A group of about ten teenagers came down the street, loud, filled with energy, and seemingly marauding (kicking over cones, jumping on and over stationary cars, etc). I have never had a problem in my twenty years in New York City, but that does not mean I don’t stay aware. As they passed, out of the corner of my eye I spotted Jose, do a back flip over a hydrant. Amazed, I yelled out to him. He and his friends, who were also warily eyeing me and my friend, thinking we were cops, were planning to run away, but his friend Henry had a sprained ankle, so they stood their ground.
Since then I have come to grow very fond of Jose and his friends, and have done two proper photo shoots. Big fans of Parkour, Hip-hop, and Anime, they are fighting against an area where the pressures of poverty, drugs, and limitied opportunity weigh heavily.
For me it’s another lesson in expectations. All of my accumulated baggage from popular culture signaled for me to get away from these kids and their bad intentions, all theirs told them to get away from the cop who would treat them unfairly. Neither of us did that, and because of that I certainly have learned a bit more about the Bronx.
Groups of teenagers have thrown rocks at me from a distance (I just spread my arms and say “Give me your best shot, you arm aint that good.” So far that’s worked). I understand what the combination of boredom, energy, and hormones can do. Hell, I threw rocks at things when I was that age.
More of Jose here: Jose the amazing
From The New York Shitty Photo Pool: Astrid & Eileen
Chris Arnade (who took the above photograph) writes:
Astrid and Eileen were walking home with their parents, coming from a church party, when they stopped at the corner. Their father is from Guatemala, their mother from Honduras. The parents spoke little English but were very happy to have their two daughters’ picture taken. At the same corner three young prostitutes were actively looking for Johns.
The prostitution in Hunts Point is not confined to some dark corner, or some industrial region. It takes place on some of the busiest residential streets. The pimps and girls walk up and down the main streets, from sunset till sunrise. If you spend anytime in the neighborhood, or like Astrid and Eileen you live there, prostitutes, pimps, addicts, drug dealers and police are a constant presence.
New & Noteworthy: NYCStalled.com
Filed under: 11205, 11206, 11207, 11211, 11222, 11237, Bed-Stuy, Bed-Stuy Brooklyn, Bloomblight, Bronx, Brooklyn, Bushwick, Bushwick Brooklyn, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Manhattan, New York City, Queens, Staten Island, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
At long last, a site documenting the other side of the New York City real estate boom! As you can see in the above screencap, north Brooklynites, our area is quite red. The mad genius behind this endeavor writes (in an email entitled “Weekly updates of stalled construction sites in NYC”):
You may be interested in this website…
To wit I replied:
Ha! This is awesome!!! Who do I send updates/images to???
Check out this roster of Bloomblight for yourself, north Brooklynites—and perhaps bring it to the attention of your elected officials?
From The New York Shitty Photo Pool: Face Of Recovery
Chris Arnade (who took the above photograph) writes:
Andre had just gotten Essence’s Easter photo taken and was walking home when I met them. Andre, 40, is a former addict who has been in recovery for 12 years. He started using drugs at age 12, and was soon smoking and dealing crack. He was sent to jail twice and spent almost 7 years incarcerated. “I lost communication with my kids, burned a lot of bridges, and almost lost my wife of 22 years.”
He went into detox four times, but it his wife and three kids who finally gave him cause to make it stick. “My kids didn’t ask to come here. For me to make them and not take care of them isn’t a good thing. You have a choice. Drugs don’t jump up in your body. You either pick it up or walk away. I have walked away.”
When I asked him how he wanted to be described he said, “I am loving and sincere. I never forget my struggles because that’s where I come from” Of her father, Essence, age 3, said, “He makes me laugh, always tickling me!”
New York Shitty Day Ender: Faces Of Recovery
Chris Arnade writes (of his latest series):
I was invited by Debra Vizzi, the head of VIP Services, to attend their Friday Morning Breakfast Club, a weekly support/inspirational meeting for addicts in recovery. Tatiana, 24, from the Bronx and now in the women’s residence, was one of many to stand up and share; she recited a poem she had written.
Tatiana started using drugs in ’06, initially weed, mushrooms, and ecstasy, but she quickly moved to heroin. The drug abuse led to her selling herself, and constant thoughts of suicide. Twice before, she has been through detox and rehab, and has now been clean for 99 days. “This time I’m getting clean for me, not for my family. That’s a big difference.” When she leaves the program she is hoping to get the last four credits to complete college and go into nursing.
When I asked her how she wanted to be described she said, “I am an eccentric piece of work. Addicts are sensitive people who often don’t know how to deal with their emotions.”
Please take the time to read her poem here, Strolling craigslist avenue for drugs. Tatiana’s picture is the first in a companion series that I hope to shoot over next few months called Faces of Recovery.
Thanks to the writer Cassie Rodenberg for all the help, and please check out her blog…
From The New York Shitty Photo Pool: Ruben & Lefty
Chris Arnade (who took the above photo) writes:
Rubin called me this week and told me I had to come up and see something amazing. One of his pigeons had given birth to a baby with only one wing. Both Rubin and Vinny, life-long pigeon keepers, had never seen anything like it in over 40 years of flying and breeding pigeons.
They let me know that they were going to do everything they could to make sure the pigeon stayed healthy and safe. When the mothers start trying to push the babies out of the nest (in a few weeks) they will transfer this one to a special cage they built. They still haven’t come up with a name yet, although they are leaning towards “Lefty.” I suggested “Wingy” or “Uno,” but they are welcoming other suggestions.
NYS Flickr Pool
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