Greenpoint
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Culture on the Cheap
It’s BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK: The Franklin Street Tower Of Fun Returns
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Like many of the people reading this I went out the evening of St. Patrick’s Day. I wanted to catch up over drinks with a good friend of mine. To this end we wanted a place that was nice and quiet to chat. Initially we went to t.b.d.— and although we had a good time— the din of merry making was not conducive to having a quality “one on one”. To this end we decided to see what was shaking at The River Barrel.
As we had hoped it had plenty of seating available and nice, quiet surroundings. Save of course the sonic hum of the giant NYPD issue spotlight gracing the front of their property. I struck up a conversation with the bartender (who is a very nice and very funny woman) to get her thoughts. She explained to me that the reason her establishment was almost empty had a lot to do with this rather noticeable fixture.
It scares away the customers.
She said. She then proceeded to tell me about a most amusing incident she witnessed the last time the “Tower of Fun” graced the frontage of her place of employment. It was in the wee hours of the morning when she noticed one of the local winos (of whom my fair burgh has quite a number of) pass by. Upon noticing this light fixture he paused for a moment. After assessing the situation he proceeded to kick it repeatedly. Not satisfied with this act of defiance he decided to cap things off by urinating on it.
Granted, the previous slice of Greenpoint is humorous— but the underlying issue with the “Tower of Fun” not. How can the Production Lounge be policed and public safety concerns be addressed without impacting adjacent eating and drinking establishments? There is no easy answer to this question— but I hope we find one soon. It doesn’t strike me as being very fair that a business which is not a nuisance to community* should bear the brunt of its neighbor’s lack of regard for its neighbors and the community as a whole.
That’s my two cents. Take ’em or leave ’em as you see fit.
Miss Heather
*As far as I know. If anyone disagrees with my assessment please speak up via comments.
A Supremely Shitty Public Service Announcement
All you irresponsible dog owners listen up:
If you’re looking for a place to deposit your doggie dumplings head on down to 45 India Street.
You will find yourself in good company.
So much for the city increasing fines in the hopes it would motive people to pick up their dog crap. NASTY.
Miss Heather
A Most Interesting Conversion
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
The fence is finally down at 946 Manhattan Avenue and although I am not too jazzed about the mismatched brick I have to confess: the finished product is much more tasteful than I had anticipated. My little voice told me that this looked like it was going to be an eating establishment so I headed over to check out the permits. It has been my experience that they can be an excellent source of information about such things. When I did I not only got confirmation that this space will in fact be a restaurant but I also got a little dark entertainment thrown in for good measure.
I am not by nature a superstitious person. As I walk through our hallowed streets I do not see dead people. Or if I do I cannot tell them apart from some of their living counterparts (who, it should be noted, usually call our local “Hotel” home). The previous having been written there are certain things that should not mix. Funeral parlors and eating establishments are among them. It’s sort of like converting a kennel into a Chinese restaurant.*
In any case I’ll be very interested to learn what is going to move into this space. If anyone reading this is “in the know” please share your scoop via comments. Thanks!
Miss Heather
*I do not believe Chinese restaurants serve up fur kids for food. In fact I find this urban legend pretty offensive. I am merely using it here to illustrate my point. No offense is intended nor should be taken.
Greenwick Photos Du Jour: More Urban Fur
Meserole Street
Maspeth Avenue
North 12 Street
Norman Avenue*
Manhattan Avenue
Franklin Street
Miss Heather
*This lovely photograph comes courtesy of Mugsniffer. He knows premium pussy when he sees it!
Reader Submission Du Jour: White People
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Ashley writes (in an email entitled “From the corner of Driggs and Leonard”):
Couldn’t resist sending you this one… have you seen it?
I must confess that no, I have not in fact seen this. However, it does remind me of something I saw recently on Keap Street.
WORD. WEIRD.
Miss Heather
Happenings At 978 Lorimer Street
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
There has been a lot of speculation about this converted storefront (whose address is 978 Lorimer Street but is actually located on Norman Avenue). Yesterday, after spying a recently-installed hood vent I asked the gentleman what was going on. He was more than happy to take a break from from his work and oblige. Here’s the scoop:
- The left-hand storefront will house a catering establishment which will serve box lunches.
- The right-hand storefront will be a coffee shop.
So there have you. While they still have a ways to go I will prognosticate that this will be a most welcome development for many a Greenpointer’s morning commute.
Miss Heather
The Pencil Factory Lofts Get A Very Greenpoint Welcome
I am certain a number of you (like the gentleman above) have noticed the new sales office for the Pencil Factory Lofts on Franklin Street. I know I have; I have been watching it manifest with rapt interest for the last three weeks.
I am pleased to announce as of last weekend (and perhaps a tad earlier) it is open for business on Franklin Street! A number of things interest me about this development. Purchasing one of said “lofts” is not one of them. I neither have the means of affording one nor do I have the desire to co-habitate with their target clientele base (which, from what I can deduce is affluent 20-somethings and 50-something men with 30-something trophy wives). It’s nothing personal; I am certain a number of the previous people are perfectly nice. Rather, it is a matter of class: I have none. Which brings me to this.
I understand (especially given the current state of the economy) that the wizards behind the Pencil Factory Lofts want to move as many units as possible. It is also very obvious that 122 West Street (as seen at the beginning of this post) is nowhere near completion. This requires that a sales office be located elsewhere. I suppose 131-135 Franklin Street is a nice enough building, but the overflowing garbage cans and detritus which perennially grace the front of this edifice do not strike me as putting a good “face” on their organization. Quite to the contrary: aside from being an eyesore the above tableau highlights the stark difference between the lives of the people actually live in Greenpoint and that of the kind of people businesses like The Pencil Factory Lofts want to live here.
The inequity of this (which is all too pervasive nowadays) has been nagging at me for sometime. And I’ll be perfectly frank: it makes me angry. Yesterday as I walked down West Street I learned I am not alone.
It would appear that 122 West Street has received a little “added value”. Somehow I do not think this was what the architect had in mind when he filed plans with the Department of Buildings.
Talk about your genuine, gritty “urban” experience. It doesn’t get much more authentic than this.
Or this.
Or this.
Now that I think about it maybe having a sales office at 135 Franklin Street (which is a healthy distance from the above hilarity) isn’t such a bad idea after all.
Miss Heather
Greenwick Photos Du Jour: The Word On The Street
Lorimer Street
Norman Avenue
Jewel Street
Meeker Avenue
Vandervoort Avenue
Powers Street
Grand Street
Meserole Street
White Street
Cook Street
Miss Heather
A Greenpoint Blind Item: Partying Like It’s 1959
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
This item comes from an anonymous tipster and although it will probably be a slam dunk for most of you my inner feminist demands I publish it here:
Which Greenpoint watering hole reduced one of its female bartender’s hours back to one shift a week after she refused to wear a bikini while slinging drinks Thursday night?
In 2009 we put a black man in the White House and yet expecting a woman to trot around in a bikini while serving drinks is considered a perfectly acceptable job requirement for one business establishment in the Garden Spot. Could someone please explain this to me?
Miss Heather
Reader Contribution Du Jour: Pretty Lady
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Sarah (the discoverer of the above items) writes:
I snapped the attached photo Friday night around 8pm. This garbage bag was out on the curb with a ripped piece of binder paper taped to it reading “PRETTY LADY.” No one else seemed phased, of course. This was on Manhattan near Norman.
What I want to know is whether “PRETTY LADY” is the intended recipient of this bag or a description of its contents.
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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