Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
New York Shitty Day Ender: BaNoNa Revisited
As I have previously noted the triangle created Banker Street, North 15th Street and Nassau Avenue (“BaNoNa” as I have named it) has pressed into service as a location for a film shoot. 
I later learned the film in question is “The Christmas Tree Project” (as seen at right). On March 26th, I spied a wonderful work of art featuring this quote from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf:
If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.
I really liked this. So you can imagine my delight when I happened upon a group of people painting the wall this missive graces with a great sense of purpose and urgency.
Are we getting another mural?
I thought to myself.
Naturally my curiosity got the best of me so asked (the woman in the above image at right) what gives. And she told me.
Apparently our fair city’s anti-graffiti squad, being unaware that apparently this imagery was crucial to this film’s premise, had seen fit to divest this wall of some of its “content”. And the folks at The Christmas Tree Project, in the interest of said film’s “continuity” were restoring it. You just read me correctly gentle readers: today I bore witness to Greenpoint graffiti restoration.
I noted this to the woman with whom I spoke. She too saw the humor in this strange (but very north Brooklyn) turn of events.
On a lark, I asked her if she knew what was going to happen to this parcel of land after they left. She stated that she had no idea— but opined that it would probably go back to being a trash-strewn lot. I told her that I and a number of other residents think it should be a community garden.
You should do that!
She replied enthusiastically.
Yes, we should. And given this film company apparently has the manpower and resources to restore graffiti, I have to ask myself— and this community— why shouldn’t they help with such an endeavor? Inasmuch as the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting likes to tout the revenue and jobs created by the film industry (with no solid figures to back it up) I still have to wonder:
What is in it for Greenpoint?
Little things mean a lot. I do not think asking film companies which elect to film in our community to give something back to our community is unreasonable. Is asking “The Christmas Tree Project” to partner with us so as to develop a community garden at this site it too much to ask?
Or am I just dreaming?
Reader Comment du Jour: An Agent Speaks About 239 Banker Street
CitySlicker24 writes in regards to this post:
I am a real estate salesperson and I just started working for a broker that’s representing the property owner, leasing out the building’s top three floors as residential units. I had not heard anything about this building being illegal until a couple of my prospective clients cancelled on me, citing your website.
A couple of things I wanted to raise with you: Oasisnyc.com shows that this is zoned as an office building, not as a manufacturing facility, as your article claims. Also, you fail to mention that the building was issued a certificate of occupancy in 1930, permitting up to 225 occupants on the upper three floors, though you do allude to the fact that NYC Department of Finance has this building classified as a hotel.
Furthermore, an application for legalization under the NYC loft law is pending, and indeed the building has undergone modernization, including new windows, floors, and fire sprinklers installed throughout each unit. I was in the units two days ago and saw that there have been significant projects intended to make the building appropriate for dwelling use.
Obvioulsy your efforts to keep everybody informed are laudable, and now that this story has been brought to my attention, I have the legal duty, which I will uphold, to advise my prospective tenant clients that the building is zoned as a commercial space, that the legal status of the building has yet to be determined, since the DOB has not yet resolved the active complaints, and that an application for coverage under the loft law is pending. And I will try to get the company’s listing agent to bring these issues up with the owner and the city in order to find out whether I should even be dealing with this property at all.
While I disagree with some of Cityslicker’s analysis, for example:
- the building in question is permissible as a hotel per the Department of Buildings because it is located in an Industrial Business Zone and
- of course there’s the fact this building is not legally allowable as residential property in the first place but is being represented as such
I’ll be very interested to see where this leads.
To be continued…?
Happy Easter From New York Shitty!
This bit of Easter cheer hails from Steve’s Meat Market on Nassau Avenue. While I am on the subject of kielbasa, the word on the street is a very popular purveyor of this foodstuff will be closing— SOON. Apparently the owner of this establishment wishes to retire and his children care not to follow in his footsteps. Hint: it was featured on this site recently.
Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Peeps!
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Stuff That Makes Miss Heather Happy
From (where else?) Peter Pan Bakery on Manhattan Avenue.
New York Shitty Day Starter: Capri Social Club
Filed under: 11211, 11222, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
Taken by M.A. Wright.
Greenpoint Photos du Jour: Special Good Friday Edition
Filed under: 11222, Advanced Life Forms, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
Today, not feeling particularly inclined to blog, I decided to take a stroll down Manhattan Avenue. One thing I wished to capture during my sojourn is what is and will probably always be “Good Friday” in the Garden Spot for yours truly: the 30-40 feet long lines of people patiently waiting to purchase their holiday kielbasa. It was after taking the above photo I spied some rather interesting (and ostensibly Easter-related) merrymaking right behind me!
This.
Note the rather large hunk of meat pressed into service as an incense holder. I found this rather nice (“fucking awesome” to be precise) and told its creator, Ziiggy, so.
His partner in this endeavor, Yusef (Yes two of Greenpoint’s more notable fellows have joined forces— god help us!), opted to ham it up for my kielbasa-capturing camera. I really liked his daring pairing of a suit with no footwear whatsoever. It is bold statements such as this which make Manhattan Avenue (in my humble opinion) the vanguard of fashion. But I digress. Ziiggy explained to me (after making it clear that humans were designed to be carnivores) that he was planning on rolling out an even more extensive display tomorrow, film it and post it online. Needless to say I can hardly wait to see this. That was when our conversation concluded, as passing a chap voiced interest in a guitar Ziiggy had for sale.
Not having the foresight to know where this exchange was headed, I turned off my camera. This is a shame because when I did, it started getting interesting. Follows is a synopsis what came to pass:
1. The man offers $50.00 for the guitar.
2. Ziiggy balks, demands more money and asserts what he needs to do is “play”.
3. The prospective purchaser asserts it is not worth a penny more than his offer.
4. Ziiggy terminated the haggling session with two words every New Yorker holds near and dear:
Fuck you!
Happy Good Friday, Greenpoint!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Nassau Avenue Reconstruction Community Meeting!
This comes courtesy of our Community Board ‘s Transportation Chair, Karen Nieves. She writes:
Please mark your calendar!!! Nassau Avenue Reconstruction Community Meeting is set for Monday, April 23rd 6:30pm at the Lutheran Church on Russell Street.
I have word a flyer will be distributed shortly. When I receive one I will pass it along here. In the meantime, those of you who have concerns and/or issues arising from this project (For example: having port–o-let stationed next to the front door of your residence which turns over and disperses its “contents” on your front yard.*) take note!
Nassau Avenue Construction Community Meeting
Monday, April 23, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
Lutheran Church of the Messiah
129 Russell Street
Brooklyn, New York 11222
*Yes, this really happened.
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Return To Sender
My buddy at the Brooklyn Imbecile writes:
Heather,
Since I know you’re such a fan of our local post office, I thought I would let you know that last week we sent out about a hundred wedding invitations to people all over the world, including San Francisco, Cleveland, Vancouver, Toronto, Hong Kong, New Zealand and England.
Everyone got their cards, even though the addresses were written in calligraphy, except for those living in the 11222 zip code.
Those were returned to our own mailbox yesterday. Why? Because everyone in the fucking world knows how to read and deliver an envelope except for the United States Post Office of Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Unbelievable! So frustrating!!
Feel free to share.
NYS Flickr Pool
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