Greenpoint
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Greenpoint Photo du Jour: We Will Be Back!
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
From Manhattan Avenue.
Miss Heather
Nydia Velazquez Rocks!
This video (which I learned about via Queens Crap) does not pertain to Brooklyn per se, but it all too eloquently explains how eminent domain abuse and excessive (and contextually inappropriate) development harms working class neighborhoods and small business owners.
The building boom is over. How can this city’s officials honestly purport that ousting businesses at Willet’s Point and razing it to the ground (in the hopes that someone develops it) is progress? Really? What’s happening in my neighborhood and in Williamsburg* should be a sobering testament to the contrary.
Miss Heather
*Both of which are located in her district. See for yourself!
Happy Day of the Dead!
As I have mentioned in this and this post, there are events aplenty this weekend celebrating Dia de los Muertos in north Brooklyn. Check ’em out!
Miss Heather
P.S.: The above calaveras (and much more) can be found at Huitzilli (624 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn, 11211). These bad ass shopping bags also await your delectation.
Even the dead point and click nowadays. Death has, in fact, gone online!
Halloween In Greenpoint
Yesterday I had the pleasure dispensing fistfuls of teeth-rotting goodness to children of all ages at the junk shop. The zeal with which I took to executing this task seemed to surprise Larry da Junkman:
That’s really cute.
Me: What?
Larry: You handing out candy. You really like doing this, don’t you?
Me: Of course I do. It’s HALLOWEEN!
Who couldn’t enjoy giving the gift of refined sugar to a Jedi master as sweet as this one?
I like to call this guy “Chicken Little”.
This little Lion King’s make-up got a little discombobulated in transit.
No worries, mom repainted his whiskers and he was good as new! A curious dialog came to pass when I asked this little guy’s parents if I could take his picture.
Father: Are you going to put this online?
Me: Maybe. Probably on flickr.
Father: Do you have a web site?
Me: Yes.
Mother: Is it New York Shitty?
Me: Well actually it is.
Mother: You’re the lady who takes all the pictures!
Me: Whew! I was expecting you to say something a lot worse!
The above two photographs do not do this little fella justice. He was heart-wrenchingly adorable! But Halloween is not just about cherubic faced young ‘uns.
As you can see the guys at Papacitos* got into the Halloween spirit! The above gentleman gyrated for a good 20-30 seconds while exclaiming:
Can you see my junk?
I told him “yes” and gave him a lollipop. Very few things have the power to truly shock me anymore; this is because I was once a civil servant. That said, bipeds were not the only creatures wearing costumes today.
This poodle sported her finest fettle for the occasion.
And I even made the acquaintance of a pirate pup!
As I was handing out candy a woman I know, a bona fide Greenpoint old-timer, pulled me aside and said:
You realize a lot of these people (I was giving candy to) do not live here.
I had honestly not given the matter any thought. This is probably because I do not care.
Halloween is about dressing up, flauting the drudgery and conventions of everyday life and having fun. It is very much a collective experience —not unlike Christmas or New Year’s Eve. It is— in its strange way— about sharing. I am not going to ask for proof of residency before doling out lollipops or Hershey’s Kisses to children. There was more than enough confectioneries and fun to go around. For everyone.**
I suppose this makes me a candy-giving Commie —or a lollipop pimping populist.
Make that a newly zombified lollipop pandering populist —or carnivorous Commie!
BRAINS!!!
Miss “Living Undead” Heather
P.S.: You can see more pix of Halloween on Manhattan Avenue by clicking here.
*Who have made themselves near and dear to my heart by serving up vegan breakfast tacos. Thanks guys!
**Save a CONSTRUCTION WORKER from (where else?) the Viridian who snatched a lollipop from my tray without asking and then proceeded to laugh about it with his cronies (one of whom said “Hey lady, can I suck on a lollipop?”). This chap, dear readers, was a certifiable grade “A” ASSHOLE. The least this man could have done is ASKED FIRST —but I suppose he felt “entitled” to it. Clearly he was not taught good manners like the following child (I gave a heaping helping of candy to today):
Child #1 (after I gave him a fistful of candy): I want a Hershey’s Kiss.
Child #2: You shouldn’t tell people what you want. It’s not very nice.
Miss Heather (to child #2): You my friend have very good manners. For this reason you are getting a Hershey’s kiss.
Kindness and civility go a long way folks. Or at the very least you can show me your “junk” when pandering for junk food. Grabbing shit off my candy tray is just plain RUDE.
THIS WEEKEND: More Dia de los Muertos Fun
Once I recovered from the initial shock (the word “beaner” has a distinctly negative connotation where I come from) I realized that this is yet another event celebrating Dia de los Muertos this weekend. Things kicks off at noon on November 2 and include free drip coffee, a raffle and live jazz. They will also be serving up a $5.00 “Mexican plate” which includes a tamale, rice and beans and a sugar skull. All in all this sounds pretty interesting.
Dia de los Muertos
November 2, 2008 starting at noon
Beaner* Bar
447 Graham Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
I also have word Huitzilli will be celebrating the Day of the Dead this weekend as well. Once I get all the details I will pass them along to you!
Miss Heather
*Do you know how much it pains me to type this? Seriously. It’s almost up there with “coon”, “kike”, “wop”, “chink”, “gook” and of course the almighty “n-bomb”.
Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Calyer Street
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
…Took her out and tried to win her
had a laugh and over dinner
Told her I would really like to see her again
Got the bill and Rita paid it
Took her home and nearly made it
Sitting on a sofa with a sister or twoLovely Rita meter maid
where would I be without you
give us a wink and make me think of youLovely meter maid
Rita meter maid
oh, Lovely Rita meter, meter maid
Some people will do anything to get out of a parking ticket.
Miss Heather
TODAY: Ghoulish Greenpoint Fun
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
The list of Halloween events going down today are far too many to relate here. There’s a costume party (with a $100 prize!) at The Habitat starting at sundown. Cafecito Bogota (at 1015 Manhattan Avenue) will be getting festive as well. Then of course there is the Zombie Crawl and East Coast Aliens appears to be hosting a haunted dungeon. Or something. Dandy wine will be hosting a pared down wine tasting tonight starting at 6:00 p.m.:
I didn’t invite a wine rep this week, because Greenpoint can get pretty scary around Halloween time, you dig?… I didn’t want to trick them away for good, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have wine and cheese available as treats for you. I personally scanned my shelves this morning for some frightening good wine.
Ghost Pines Chardonnay and Baroncelli “Note di Sole” will be among the offerings. The store’s incredibly friendly and helpful proprietress, Lily, will be dressed up as a bottle of champange but don’t tell her I told you so!
Dandy Wine
153 Franklin Street
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Just down from the street from Dandy Wine Casa Mon Amour will be offering up $5.00 absinthe cocktails from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. The list goes on and on. Which brings me to this.
The following missive found its way into my inbox recently. Given that I am a Misfits fan I feel compelled (or would that be forced) to pass it along.
Denise wrote:
Do you remember…dead cats hanging from poles, little dead out in groves?*
Because we do!
Josh and Denise are throwing a scary
Halloween Party
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The scary part is that it’s at Tommy’s Tavern!
In Greenpoint!
Friday Night
9/10 on.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*Yes, there will be a massive Misfits/Samhain/Danzig block.
How the hell can you argue with that? Although to be perfectly frank I am more of a Die, Die My Darling kind of gal.
Josh & Denise’s Halloween Party
Tommy’s Tavern
1041 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Happy haunting and zombie crawling Greenpointers!
Miss Heather
Vollies Needed
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Bad News: Lest you are not already aware this upcoming Sunday the NYC Marathon will plough its way through our neighborhood leaving yet another layer of debris on our already less than tidy streets.
Good News: The Greenpoint Reformed Church will be hosting a bake sale whose proceeds will benefit their increasingly popular Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry.
Ann Kansfield writes:
We are taking advantage of the fact that the New York City marathon runs virtually in front of the church by hosting a bake sale to benefit our hunger programs on Sunday from 10am to 2pm. Greenpoint is a popular marathon watching spot and we plan on a significant turn out. Someone has generously offered to loan us a booth tent, so we will be there rain or shine.
Here’s how you can help:
Come to the church on Saturday 3- 5pm to help us ice and bag the 200 or so cookies we will have made for the bake sale.
Bake something yourself and drop off your donation on Saturday 3-5pm or early Sunday morning at the church.
Work the bake sale booth. We need two people for each of the following shifts: 9-11am (set up will happen between 9 and 10), 11am-12:30pm, 12:30-2pm. Of course, those of us who are a part of a church community that worships on Sundays will have a hard time working the 10am to 12pm shift, so we are particularly in need of volunteers for that shift.
Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Ann at pastor (at) greenpointreformedchurch (dot) org.
Miss Heather
Fedders Friday: Short & Sweet
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
When I walked by this house something struck me as being odd.
If you guessed two McCain * Palin posters you are only half correct.
If you noticed this shabbily chic vintage Fedders box, mazel tov! You are a true Fedderista! It has been my observation that Fedders boxes bear an uncanny likeness to their owners. As you can clearly see here this one leans distinctly to the right.
Miss Heather
Happy Halloween From New York Shitty!
I can think of no better way to celebrate this —my favorite day of the year— than to share some very special Halloween decor from good ol’ North Brooklyn.
WILLIAMSBURG
Chairman Mao a la Metropolitan Avenue.
Ad hoc Abu Ghraib re-enactment: South 2nd Street.
GREENPOINT
Barack Obama spreading hope on Lorimer Street.
Dismembered dolls, body parts and Teletubbies (!) courtesy of Noble Street.
And last but hardly least this choice specimen from Guernsey Street.
A “hot kielbasa” lovin’ pumpkin! I wonder what kind of candy these folks will be handing out tonight — Pixie Stix, perhaps?
Happy Halloween folks!
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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