Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: Low Tide
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
From Franklin Street.
Miss Heather
BREAKING: 1043 & 1047 Manhattan Avenue Cordoned Off By Police
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
After receiving a partial vacate order last September 1043 Manhattan Avenue is continuing to lose its battle with gravity. For those of you who are not in the know the reason this building was deemed hazardous was in part due to structural instability arising from the (illegal) removal of a first floor wall between 1043 and its neighbor, 1047. A violation, I will add, that the Department of Buildings is well aware of; it was dismissed once last year only to become “pending” once again this year. Per a witness at the scene he walked by this building at noon today to find bricks had fallen from the building and landed on the sidewalk. Fortunately no one was in the path of this falling masonry— but that is immaterial— if also very fortuitous, given this came to pass on a Saturday afternoon. This debris could have seriously injured or killed someone.
If you live in Greenpoint I want you to look very carefully at the above photograph. This is what could have landed on your head had you been the wrong person at the wrong place at the wrong time. If this isn’t proof positive that whatever “enforcement” power the Department of Buildings is exercising is not working I do not know what will. Something needs to change.
Or will we have to wait until a(nother) person dies?
Miss Heather
UPDATE, 3:30 p.m.: The tape has been taken down.
More vacate orders and paperwork have been issued.
Life is back to normal at 1043 – 1047 Manhattan Avenue.
My advice to pedestrians:
walk on the other side of the street.
What’s Up At 999 Manhattan Avenue?
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Some of you might have noticed the rather abrupt departure of the psychic (as well as her rather adorable cat who can be seen above) who occupied the space adjacent to Papasitos. I have no idea as to her whereabouts (nor do I care to know: that woman was OBNOXIOUS).
However, I can tell you what’s taking her place: more Papasitos! Given how packed this restaurant gets (for a damned good reason: among other things their jalapeno poppers are amazing) doubling or tripling their seating capacity is stellar news for both Cody Utzman, this establishment’s owner, and diners alike. I can hardly wait to see what they do with the extra space!
Papasitos
999 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: Some Food For Thought At The Garden
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
The western model is not built for a world with limited resources.
—Jacques Cousteau
From Manhattan Avenue.
Miss Heather
A New York Post “Exclusive”
On May 7, 2009 Animal New York wrote:
The New York Post published a graffiti story in today’s paper that New York Shitty posted earlier in the week, simply confirming the Greenpoint-based blog’s observations and comments with an expert, then declaring the mysterious tags to be “Nazi cult graffiti.”
When this was brought to my attention yesterday (thanks Animal New York and Gothamist) I was literally speechless. When I noticed that Mr. Doyle and Mr. Sanderson had the temerity to call this sensationalist schlock an “exclusive” I got angry. Very. Angry. And thus I feel compelled to give these gentleman a refresher course in Journalism 101:
Culling previously published material from a web site— material, I will add, that was linked to by Gothamist and Brownstoner, among others— and trotting out an expert to verify “your” findings does not constitute an “exclusive”. It is plagiarism, plain and simple.
Those of you reading this who feel the same way and wish to remind Mr. Doyle of this fact can contact him via email at: john (dot) doyle (at) nypost (dot) com
Tell him New York Shitty sent you.
Miss Heather
UPDATE, 5/8/09: Mr. Doyle responds to a New York Shitty reader! Not only does he deny any plagiarism on his part, but it would appear he cannot spell the word for that matter. Whoops.
Greenpoint Street Art Du Jour: Little Apples In The Big Apple
This most unexpected find hails from a junction box on Dupont Street just east of Manhattan Avenue. While hardly the most stylish or refined example of street art to be found in the Garden Spot of the Universe these apples brought a smile to my face. I hope they did the same for you!
Miss Heather
More People In My Neighborhood: Springtime Edition
Now that the family has come and gone I am left with the daunting task of sorting all the photographs I have taken over the last week. Follows are a few select shots of my fellow Greenpointers. Enjoy!
A Greenpoint Avenue grandma for lunch.
Nodding off in front of Mickey D’s.
Waiting for the bus with a smile and a song!
Love, Kent Street style.
Nap time at Java Car Service.
Picking a winner at Tommy’s Tavern.
Grabbing a handful at Dupont Street.
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Ender: CONFIRMED!
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Remember the post I wrote this weekend about 37 Commercial Street possibly being the site of a film shoot? This afternoon I received another inquiry about it from a reader we’ll call Christo (who took the above photograph). He writes:
Water feed. Building site? Movie set?
Most decidedly the latter! On a lark (and wishing to put the speculation to rest once and for all) I popped over to the Department of Buildings web site. Here’s what I found.
Yes folks it would appear the rumors are in fact true. HBO will filming what I would presume to be the upcoming miniseries Boardwalk Empire right here in Greenpoint. What’s more they will be building a boardwalk. Perhaps we should entrust these folks with building the manifold number of other “waterfront spaces” we have been promised? I’d wager they’ll get ’em knocked out faster than our city will!
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: What Is Wrong With This Picture?
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
During his stay at Chez Shitty my father got to witness firsthand the hilarity that is life in Greenpoint. Upon arriving he beheld the barricaded glory that is 110 Green Street and, appropriately enough, shortly before he departed we got a few chuckles courtesy of the following.
What is wrong with this picture? If you guessed the giant nondo to the left you are only half correct. If you look a little more closely you’ll notice…
this traffic sign. Note the direction the of the cars parked on this block. Now note the orientation of this sign. Now factor in that Green is a one way street and you get the idea.
For those of you who are not in the know there is a stop sign located on this block within eyeshot of the above-depicted sign.
Unfortunately it is located in the opposite direction. Whoops. It just goes to show there is no job, however small, this city cannot manage to bungle. Given that our municipal guardians had a 50/50 chance of getting it right this is no small feat. Way to go guys.
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: The Horror Of 200 Franklin Street
Many of you who have read this blog over the years are all too familiar with my fixation on an architect named Karl Fischer. There reasons for this are manifold but they all essentially boil down to the fact he is responsible for some of the more hideous (and enormous) structures that now pollute north Brooklyn’s landscape. Enough so that my good friend Bob Guskind named a strip of Bayard Street (which features a number of his “creations”) Karl Fischer Row.
Unfortunately what some seem to have overlooked is Mr. Fischer has also left an indelible imprint upon Williamsburg’s less famous sister: Greenpoint. 305 McGuinness Boulevard and 130 Diamond Street are two of the better known pieces of Karl’s handiwork to be found here. And then of course you have 200 Franklin Street.
When completed this— one of the most woeful examples of modification permit abuse and one of the ugliest things mankind has ever concocted— will be what the residents of the Astral, a landmark building, will have to look at every day. Lest I have not made myself perfectly clear already: I loathe this building. And this morning as I perused my inbox I learned I am not alone.
What’s more he (or she) decided to make his/her feelings known to this building’s creators.
Odin writes:
Dear Miss Heather,
I thought I would share something of my own pursuits as it is particularly relevant to the Franklin St. development discussion. Attached are images of a poster I made in response to the building going up at 200 Franklin St. It is disheartening that something even more gargantuan could be erected at 60 Commercial St which is now such a tranquil post industrial setting.
The screen printed posters were not received well and were quickly painted over. Not as many people saw them as I had hoped, but I may do a second run.
Your fellow neighbor
Follows is what the folks at 200 Franklin Street did not want you to see.
It came… a lurking twelve story behemoth that sought to devour the surrounding skyline. Can any force keep this monstrous edifice from casting its shadowy pall over the neighborhood or will this building become another…
ARCHITECTURAL DISASTER!!!
Excellent question, Odin. You can read more about how this poster came into being by clicking here.
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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