Greenpoint Pay Phone Du Jour: Huron Street

As some of you might be aware, my parents are visiting right now. Despite the weather being less than spectacular, the Queen Mother and Prince Consort of Crap are getting the true Greenpoint experience. Case in point: something we found on Huron Street this afternoon.

Sorry, your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please hang up and try again.

Reach out and touch someone.

Miss Heather

Astral Mattress du Jour: Happy Thanksgiving

Astral Apartments, November 21, 2007, 1:15 p.m. 

Miss Heather

Turkey Roasting : Part I

Since I am a vegetarian, I abstain from roasting fowl. Slaying an animal with two legs, wings and a brain the size of a pecan strikes me as being inhumane. However, I am perfectly at ease roasting FOUL: the delightful and very dysfunctional group of people (whose legume-sized brains are rife with greed) who manage the Astral Apartments:

1. Pistilli Realty
2. The ever-famous Porno Super

One would presume this delectable shit hole would merit some civic-oriented reporter’s (or television crew’s) attention. It has all the elements of a good story:

1. A beautiful building, a historic landmark no less, going to shit because…
2. the owner of said building (Pistilli Reality) has (in all likelihood) leveraged it in order to construct a shit heap of Co-ops that look like a Jawa Sandcrawler.
3. And under Pistilli’s employ is a Super who seems reluctant to fix anything. Probably because he is too busy doing softcore porn shoots on the premises*, drinking beer at the front of the building and schmoozing with his buddies.

Alas, it didn’t. Clearly the media cares not to be a watch dog in the public’s interest anymore: they prefer to alarm them about street sneakers instead. No worries, a myspace group has been formed for people afflicted by the malfeasance of Pistilli Realty. My informant writes:

I am one of the many tenants of the Astral. I have recently been forced out of my apartment due to bedbugs and I was hoping you could post this link on your blog. It is a group I’ve started for tenants of the Astral to talk about all of the problems we’ve been dealing with.

If you live in the Astral and are experiencing problems regarding maintenance, bedbugs, or dislike watching half naked chicks posing on the banister of your stairwell, please join this group. The only reason this situation has persisted as long as it has is because:

1. Lack of communication between landlord and tenant. As rent-stabilized tenants you have rights, they are outlined in your lease rider. What’s a rider you ask? It is a document outlining how the rent was calculated for your rent-stabilized apartment (in accordance to increases dictated by the state) and informs you as to what legal recourse you have in the event of:

A. Poor maintenance (HPD, DOB, DHCR)
B. Harassment (HPD, NYC Department of Human Rights)
C. Rental overcharge (DHCR)

Shortly after I saw this truck pumping heating oil into the Astral I learned from a tenant that she had been without hot water for two days. Not only is this disgusting, it is illegal: landlords are required to have hot water at all times. Period.

2. Lack of communication between tenants. The reason shitbags like Pistilli get away with this shit is because they count on ignorance and lack of communication between their tenants. Simple as that.

3. Educate yourself:

Division of Housing and Community Renewal

Department of Housing and Preservation and Development : all public housing and rent-stabilized apartments are (ostensibly) under their supervision. Don’t let the 311 operator bullshit you.

Department of Buildings: WORTHLESS.

The above (blurry) image is of 143 Huron Street. They were erecting scaffolding until 9:00 p.m. last night. I have called 311 repeatedly about after hours construction. My last complaint was October 16, 2007. It has yet to be investigated.

4. New York’s Bravest (F.D.N.Y): While I do not want to encourage people to call the fire department for housing-related stuff, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that the F.D.N.Y. has the authority to report safety hazards to the Department of Buildings. Last year I watched the dickhead behind my behind my building rip the roof off the first story of his building with nary a permit to be found. The Department of Buildings didn’t seem to care, so I called the Fire Department. Why? In so doing he eliminated a second means of egress for three of his tenants. Their fire escape lead into a 20 foot abyss. For 48+ hours.

It got followed up. FAST. Unlike the Department of Buildings, the F.D.N.Y. seems to care about people.

5. Communicate with your neighbors.

Who am I to write the previous, you ask? I have been there— and then some. Greenpoint is full of unscrupulous landlords. The Astral is the most notorious. Has been for a long time…

**********Studio Courtesy*********
Models Must Arrive on Time,with Clean Hair and Nails Done.
2-Please put your cell phone on vibrate during the shoot
3-Automatic Cancellation if I don’t receive a callback or confirmation call at least 24 hours before the shoot.

Miss Heather

Et Tu, Mother?

Before I go into today’s tome I would like to thank the fine folks at Fox Television and the New York Post for showcasing one of my recent finds yesterday. Yes, dear readers, you heard me right. You see, my parents are coming up soon and our apartment is in shambles. It’s downright disgusting, truth be told. One of the few times I will engage in housework is when I am seriously pissed. Since I am rarely in such a state, Chateau de Ghetto is usually dishevelled. Not anymore.

When my husband came home last night he noticed the hallway had been torn apart, swept and mopped and the bathroom got a going over that would make even Joan Crawford proud. He said:

What happened?

Me: The fucking Post stole my story and those fucking sneakers are going to be televised tonight on Fox News, that’s what!

Knowing full well of my predilection for rage-induced cleaning, he didn’t ask any more questions. Mr. Heather understood. He handed me a bottle of red wine and made himself scarce. My husband is a very wise man.

Anyway, I am back to my more or less usual beatific state today and want to kill two long overdue birds with one stone: writing the following post and letting my mother know that we picked up her package from the post office. Here we go.

My mother recently returned home from a trip to Sedona, Arizona. As is her habit, she called me to let me know she had arrived home safe and sound. Towards the end of our conversation she advised me that she had purchased something for Mr. Heather.

I just saw it and thought of Sam.

Make a note of this, dear readers, as it will become relevant later in the story.

Well, a week or so goes by and we get a notice from the Postal Service that a parcel was awaiting pick-up at the Post Office. Remembering what my mother had told me, I advised Mr. Heather this package was for him. Early Saturday afternoon he headed to the ever-delightful Greenpoint Post Office to pick it up. At 1:00 p.m. he arrives at the junk shop package in hand. It was a smallish thing, maybe 8″ by 4″ by 4″.

Wanting to know what was inside, he opened it right there while Larry da Junkman and I watched. It was the item featured at the beginning of this blog post, folks. A rather small, but nasty looking knife.

Larry: Why would your mother buy Mr. Heather a knife?
Mr. Heather: Yeah, what is this about?
Me: Beats the shit out of me. Ask my dad, maybe he’ll know.

Later, back at our manse of merde, I re-examined Mr. Heather’s new toy.

Me: So what do you use this for anyway?
Mr. Heather: I think it is a de-boning knife.
Me: Why would you need a de-boning knife? It’s not like you’re allowed to cook meat in the apartment. How do you use it?
Mr. Heather (grabbing my wrist): You see, you use it like this to cut the tendons…
Me: Stop that shit, you’re freaking me out! Do it on yourself.
Mr. Heather: Okay. As I was saying, you… (goes into a full mock demonstration on how to use the above instrument on himself).
Me: That’s more like it. Now I’m learning something.
Mr. Heather: What are you going to do with it?
Me: If you wake up late one night and see me standing over your side of the bed you’ll find out.
Mr. Heather: I wonder why she sent me this?
Me: I dunno. Did you tell her that you took a life insurance policy on me? Mr Heather: Actually, I did. I’m taking out another one too.
Me: That explains it.

Did I mention my parents are flying into New York City Thanksgiving Day?

Uh-oh.

Miss Heather

UPDATE, 11/21/07: Per my parents this instrument is used to remove skin from animals. They thought we could use it as a cheese knife. Yummy.

P.S.: No disrespect intended, mother. The reason we haven’t called to thank you is frankly because we do not know what to say. That said, thanks.

New York Shitty Photo Cavalcade

I used to work in corporate America. I found it cloying to my creativity and downright painful. Physically and emotionally. Sisyphus in a cubicle (or syphilis in a testicle) may be a cup of tea for many, but not me.

Fuck professionalism: as a former cubicle monkey I can assure you an asshole is just that. An asshole.

Fuck business attire: this basically entails making women look like men— and outlaying a lot of money to do so. I don’t think so. As long as my AA cups are erect I’ll wear tank tops. And out of pure spite, I’ll still wear tankies after they’ve tanked.

Fuck civility: whenever a man smiles or winks at me I know he is up to no good. And I tell him so. In the most base and explicit terms.

I mention the previous because I love sorting stuff at the junk shop. Not only can I be nasty as I see fit, but I also find gems like the following:

Anyone know where this was shot?

Or this?

Here’s a copper reading the newspaper at Central Park circa 1943.

And last, but not least, a burned out car from Red Hook/Carroll Gardens.

Miss Heather

Something Cool to Check Out This Weekend

Crane Street studios will be hosting an open studio tomorrow and Sunday from 12:00 -6:00 p.m. On top of getting a sneak peek at the work(spaces) of over 100 artists, a silent auction featuring work by the resident artists of Crane Street Studios will be conducted as well. All proceeds will be applied towards printing and advertising costs for their twice-yearly open studio events.

Crane Street Studios
46-23 Crane Street
Long Island City, New York 11101

It should be noted that Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales are sponsoring this event so maybe be BEER will be in the offering? I can only hope so. Check it out!

Miss Heather