TOMORROW: Stoop Sale Round-up

This fall’s unseasonably warm weather is proving to be a real boon to stoop sale enthusiasts here in the Garden Spot. Here are a couple fliers I spied while running errands this morning.

132 NOBLE STREET

This is the first I have ever seen insulation offered at a stoop sale. Then again, given how expense heating oil is nowadays this may not be such an unwise purchase.

Stoop Sale Featuring Insulation
Saturday, October 11, 2008
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
132 Noble Street
Brooklyn, New York 11222

169 GREENPOINT AVENUE

This one is clearly geared more towards the stroller set. What the difference is between a baby girl car seat versus a “baby boy car seat” I do not know.

Stoop Sale Featuring Gender Specific Car Seat
Saturday, October 11, 2008
12:00  – 5:00 p.m.
169 Greenpoint Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222

Good thing this flier wasn’t posted in Park Slope. Down the F train way this would be considered an oppressive act of war (online war, that is).

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Porcelain Gets A Bad Rap!

Nope, I’m not talking about the above-depicted variety of porcelain (although we sport quite a lot of it). Rather, as Rutila wrote (regarding to this post about Greenpoint’s newly famous fireplace):

…We were there during the awesome Greenpoint walking tour in June. Did you know that the Garden Spot is the birthplace of American porcelain? Read all about it.

It’s true. Greenpoint used to manufacture world class pottery. Well, it was world class until people learned of its provenance —at which point they turned their respective noses up at it. As you will learn from this article from the August 29, 1886 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Enjoy!

You can read the rest of this tome (which at over 2,000 words is slightly lengthy) by clicking here.

Miss Heather

Photo Credits: Greenpoint Porcelain ca. 2008; The Professor

*We even had beach— it was called “Pottery Beach as they used sand from it to manufacture ceramic products! No joke.

Open Letter To A Neighbor

I will not lie to you: I was than pleased when I found this (whatever it is and I assure it is the subject of much debate among your neighbors) gracing the stairwell of our building. However, I understand that sometimes this area serves as a “transfer point” for articles destined for the garbage or (perhaps in this case) an art gallery. I do not really mind this. What’s more, the note you left on this item certainly seemed to indicate that this (arguably dangerous) situation was temporary.

will move in the morning…

Therein lies the fly in my proverbial ointment: the above photograph was taken October 3, 2008. Seven mornings have elapsed since I documented your ad hoc installation and yet it is still here. Perhaps the devil is in the details, e.g.; you’re talking about the next Mercurial morning (which comes every 58.6467 earth days). Somehow I doubt this. Methinks forgetfulness or sheer laziness is the real culprit. I realize the previous statement is a bit snide, but quite frankly I am getting very tired of looking at this every day. What’s more, I am not alone.

Having had the pleasure of sharing a roof with some real whackadoos in my time I consider myself very lucky to live in a building with great neighbors (and yes, this includes you). If you need help removing this item please ask your neighbors for help. We’ll be more than happy to obligue. Otherwise I imagine someone will either contact our landlord or the fire marchal’s office (who will, in turn, fine our landlord) and (after shitting some serious bricks) he will send each of us a terse memo admonishing us not place such objects in the public areas of this building. He’ll probably make everyone remove their bicycles from the hallway as well, thus subjecting them to the caprice of the numerous bike thieves who call Greenpoint their home. I have seen this happen before. Trust me, it isn’t pretty.

Lest I have not made my point clear: PLEASE REMOVE THIS FROM OUR APARTMENT BUILDING IMMEDIATELY. If not out of consideration for your neighbors, the fact that with each passing day it is becoming increasingly likely it will be removed for you should be sufficient motivation to do the right thing. We’re a pretty affable lot in this building, let’s keep it that way.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Your Neighbor

Halloween Photos du Jour: Siding & Skulls

Amusingly enough this display (on Diamond Street) is just a hop, skip and a jump from this*. Which is scarier? You make the call.

Miss Heather

*Which people have started moving into, by the way. Who the fuck would want to come home to this everyday?

Greenpoint Photos du Jour: The Professor

Anyone who has knocked around my corner of Greenpoint knows the Professor. If not, you should. He’s a rather interesting chap who takes some great photographs of the Garden Spot “when no one is around”. Here are a few.

Greenpoint Avenue.

Greenpoint and Manhattan Avenue, September 11, 2008.

The New Warsaw Bakery late at night.

I call this one “Conspicuous Consumption”.

Great pix, Prof!*

Miss Heather

*Listen to his answering machine MP3s they’re creepily (and guilt-inducingly) addictive!

Up In Smoke

BAD NEWS

You watched the last Presidential Debate: if left you cold. Your 401K is shot to shit because the economy is going to hell. The thought of Sarah Palin being the president of the United States terrifies the holy shit out of you (as it should— McCain ain’t getting any younger, gosh darn it).  Why not suffer in style by smoking a hookah?*

GOOD NEWS

The ever cool guys at the Greenpoint Grocery have ’em!

These “Paradise Hookahs” sell for $45.00 a pop including charcoal and tobacco. Smoke ’em if you got ’em and GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Greenpoint Grocery
1016 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222

Miss Heather

*What ingredients you see fit to put in said hookah is your own damned business. That said, I’d advise you load up on more exotic material (banana peels, sludge from Newtown Creek, etc.**) and smoke it the next time Sarah Palin opens her pie hole. It’ll probably make her pedagogical, e.g.; racist, sexist, classist cum “simple small town woman” shtick go down better.

**This is satire.

It Has Begun!

Total collapse of the world’s economic system, you ask?

No. This is much, much better. As I have often stated Halloween is my favorite holiday. The reasons for this are complex, but here are a few (in order of ascending importance):

1. I was married on Halloween.
2. October 31 is the only day I feel “normal”.
3. The folks down on Humboldt Street will be rolling out the best damned Halloween display in New York City— and perhaps the world!

When I walked by last week there was nothing. No so today. There were definite signs of progress. I struck up a conversation with their next door neighbor (the chap sweeping up leaves in the above photograph). Here’s his take on it:

It gets better every year.

Indeed.

The evil clowns are back!

With a few new friends like this black cat…

a big fat rat Greenpoint Retriever by the front door…

and a very scary (if a bit careworn) ghost…

and a couple of companions!

This image takes me back to my honeymoon.

The second floor is looking good.

There was one thing that bothered me. Fortunately I was lucky enough to meet the woman who lives at this two story house of pain and ask her about it.

Miss Heather: You’re going to bring back the guy puking up blood, aren’t you?
Woman/Wife (pointing to a chap wearing a G-Unit shirt): You’ll have to talk to him about that. (To chap in G-Unit shirt) Hey, this woman has a question for you.
Man/Husband: Yes?
Miss Heather: You’re not finished are you? I really want to see the guy barfing up blood. He’s my favorite.
Man/Husband (smiling): No, we’re not done yet.
Miss Heather: Thanks! I’ll be back. I’m going to film it this year. I was married on Halloween, you know— and now that I think about it my marriage is a lot like Halloween. EVERY DAY.

(laughter)

So there have you. No confirm as to whether the blood barfer will be part of this year’s ensemble but there is plenty more to come.

And I can hardly wait!

Miss Heather

P.S.: Be sure to check out my Flickr set to see more photographs of this awesome display of Halloween spirit! This one pretty much says it all!

Halloween Photo du Jour: Leonard Street Pumpkins

Halloween is by far my favorite holiday of the year. What’s more, my fellow Greenpointers step up to the occasion with a great deal of relish. For the previous two reasons I will be featuring some of my favorite Halloween decorations from the Garden Spot (and beyond) to get into the spirit of the season. These little fellas hail just a short distance from this headless chap. I wonder if one of these heads belongs to him?

Miss Heather

P.S.: I cannot resist posting this great offering from last year.

Will the fine folks from this house on Humboldt top this diabolically clever creation? I don’t know—but I am very eager to find out!

From The New York Shitty Photo Pool: Cello On Commercial

A walk around Greenpoint on any given day will offer up all manner and variety of delectable randomness. In the case of last Saturday this happened to be a little cello playing at the corner of Commercial and Clay Street. This photograph comes courtesy of Rowan5. Nice shot!

Miss Heather