Bedbug Workshop Coming To Greenpoint!

You know we are living in desperate times when someone (in this case, me) is excited about HPD coming to his/her neighborhood to raise awareness about bedbugs. And this is exactly the news I received from Ann Kansfield (the Co-Pastor of the Greenpoint Reformed Church) this very afternoon. She writes:

Great news in the bedbug world. I called HPD and they are going to be doing their bedbug community seminar at the church on May 6th from 6:00 -8:00 p.m. They are going to provide me a bunch of fliers and I’m hopeful that we might be able to find some volunteers to help put them up and get the word out to the neighborhood. It isn’t for two months, but at least the city is going to be offering the seminar in Greenpoint.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering to help get the word out about this workshop (granted, it is a ways off still) or wishes to thank Ann for making this (finally) happen can contact the Greenpoint Reformed Church in person, via telephone or email at:

Greenpoint Reform Church
136 Milton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 383-5941
pastor (at) greenpointchurch (dot) org

To close on a related note, I’d like to remind everyone (Greenpointer and otherwise) that HPD’s upcoming workshop in Bushwick is just around the corner: Wednesday, March 12 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. For more details (including the phone number to R.S.V.P. for this event) please click here.

Miss Heather

Happenings On Franklin Street And Beyond

As anyone who has walked down Franklin Street lately will attest, there is a lot going on there nowadays. I did a little (and by “little” I mean just that) investigating. Here are my findings.

Jan & Aya is setting up shop 99 Franklin Street. This store is purported to sell housewares made by local artists. I have no word as to when they will open, but I have been told this establishment’s hours will be Wednesday – Sunday.

Being on of the drinkingest ‘nabes in New York Shitty, I suppose it should hardly be surprising that 153 Franklin Street is slated to be a wine store. No word on what it will be called but they look pretty far along in terms of outfitting the space so I imagine will learn soon enough.

While I am on the subject of alcohol, it looks like The Habitat at 988 Manhattan Avenue is well on its way to completion. Per their flier, the Grand Opening is slated for this month and micro brews, local wines, cocktails and spirits; good eats and happy hour specials will be in the offering.

The Habitat
988 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
(718) 383-5613
www.habitatbrooklyn.com (NOTE: this site appears to be parked at the moment)

Lastly, I noticed yesterday that the storefront at 126 Franklin Street has been vacated and is in the process of being gutted. Given the general trend on Franklin Street my educated guess is this space is being converted back to commercial use*. One can only hope it will not house (yet) another bar, as I suspect I speak for many when I say Greenpoint has enough of those already. I also suspect I echo the sentiments of many a Greenpointer when I say I am going to miss the residents who were ousted from this space. I always treasured the sight of the old shirtless man** who made it a practice to sit in the front window and sip tea, but I suppose such change is inevitable.

Miss Heather

*Word has it a pizzeria will occupy this space. 4/20/08: it will be an office for a contracting business. *sigh*

**Note: during the cold winter months he did wear an undershirt.

The Greenpoint Hotel, Revisited

Love it or hate it, there’s one thing we Greenpointers can agree about in regards to the Greenpoint Hotel: it never ceases to entertain. Last night as Mr. Heather and I were headed to Acapulco Restaurant, I spied something affixed to the front door.

Not wishing to miss out on another morsel of Greenpoint Hotel goodness, I simply had to take a look.

Yes, it would appear that this venerable institution has been served a Stop Work Order. As a matter of fact, it has been hit with two. They are as follows:

February 5, 2008

CALLER STATES UNSAFE CONSTRCTION BEING DONE ON BUIDLING/TURNING THE BUILDING INTO SRO/BATHROOMS BEING WORKED ON FOR THE LAST 8 MONTHS/

February 25, 2008

CALLER STATES CONSTRUCTION WORK IN-PROGRESS CONTRARY TO STOP WORK ORDER

Here’s the deposition for the latter:

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH SWO. WORK OBSERVED; NEW SHEETROCK WALLS AT 2ND AND 3RD FLS IN REAR BATHROOMS ALSO PLASTERING

Some of you might remember this post I published February 26. Contained therein was a link to story from Metro New York dating from February 26, 2008 about the latest incident to transpire at this establishment. Follows is an excerpt to jog your memory:

A cop was injured yesterday after a man who had nearly set himself on fire got violent with rescuers. Employees at the Greenpoint Hotel in Brooklyn called cops at 10 a.m. after smelling smoke. Frank Johnson, 47, a custodian, kicked down the tenant’s door to find him passed out in the smokey room. Burning incense was singeing the bedsheets, he said. “There was feces all over him, and he started fighting me,” said Johnson.

It goes on to state that Mr. Johnson’s attacker was taken to Bellevue for psychiatric evaluation. Given the ineffectiveness of the Department of Buildings in serving —much less enforcing— Stop Work Orders in north Brooklyn, I have my doubts as to whether this man is indeed mentally imbalanced. Rather, I think he simply got tired of calling 311 and decided to have a s(h)it in.

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Green Street

Even I have to admit Green Street is look pretty brown nowadays.

Miss Heather

The Small Fluffy Dog Plot Thickens!

It would appear that the gentleman I wrote about in this post is now offering a reward for his lost pup. He has also seen fit to add a picture on his flier. This is a big, big improvement.

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Speaks Out About The Media

Today, dear readers, I have the pleasure of getting some dental work done. I’ll be upfront: I am no lover of needles, drills and the like. In fact, they terrify the bejesus out of me. Wishing to mitigate the anxiety I was already experiencing late yesterday afternoon, I popped out to purchase a bottle of wine. This is what I found as I was coming home.

It is moments like this that make me proud to be a Greenpointer. So much for the New York Post— they’re Garden Spot’s bitch now!

Miss Heather

Lost: Small White Fluffy Dog

Anyone who has walked down Manhattan Avenue today has probably noticed a large number of lost dog fliers have been posted. In fact, between Java Street and Greenpoint Avenue they can be found approximately every fifteen feet.

For those of you who have yet to see these missives they look like this…

this…

and this.

Before I proceed, let it be known that being an animal person myself, I have nothing but the utmost sympathy for someone who has lost a pet. The previous having been said (or in this case, written), I do have to wonder what kind of person would honestly believe the above illustration and descriptive phrase “fluffy white” is going to be helpful in getting his (or her) dog back. In any case as luck would have it the above question was answered when I made a right turn onto Greenpoint Avenue.

In all seriousness folks, there are people in this borough whose livelihood is stealing dogs (small pure breds) and selling them. Please do not leave your dog unattended. What you might (not) find when you come out from the laundromat or grocery store will be no laughing matter. Just ask this guy*.

Miss Heather

*If anyone has seen this small fluffy dog or know of its whereabouts (I am presuming he/she was taken Sunday, March 2), please contact his (or her) owner. He is clearly heartbroken. Thanks.

Public Service Announcement: Found

If any Greenpointers out there partied a little too hard last weekend and awoke to find his (or her) bail of hay and comb missing, I have some very good news.

You can pick them up on the east side of McGuinness Boulevard just north of the BQE.

Miss Heather

THIS WEEK: Forgotten NY

I am pleased to announce that Forgotten New York’s very own Kevin Walsh will be gracing the Garden Spot with this presence this week! He will be giving a presentation followed by a question and answer session at Word Books this Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. I’m not sure what Kevin has up his sleeve, but I have been told (by the man himself) he is going to float an idea for a new book and wants our take on it. Sounds intriguing.

Word Books
126 Franklin Street
Brooklyn, New York 11222
(718) 383-0096

As always this event is free to the public. Let’s give Kevin a heaping helping of good ol’ Greenpoint hospitality… so mark your calendar!

Miss Heather