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Culture on the Cheap
Williamsburg Photo du Jour: The Billyburg Banana
This fantastic piece of fruit (which is actually located on Hope Street) is dedicated to the immensely talented proprietress of Bed Stuy Banana. As many of you know she has decided (with the exception of this post) to take a much-needed break from the utter insanity that is blogosphere. You might be a self-professed curmudgeon, Banana but your incisive, piquant and yes, occasionally cranky words and pictures are very much missed by yours truly. I hope to see more of you next month!
Miss Heather
P.S.: On a totally UNRELATED note, I am currently piecing together an utterly fabulous film/slide presenation of my Mermaid Parade experience, so stay tuned!
Williamsburg Photo du Jour: Obama, Joseph and Kingsford
Filed under: Williamsburg
From Grand Street.
Miss Heather
East Williamsburg Photo du Jour: WMD
From the intersection of Maujer and Leonard Street.
Miss Heather
Photo Credit: Rebecca11211’s buddy Pam.
Williamsburg Photo du Jour: Walk, Don’t Climb
Filed under: Williamsburg
From Grand Street.
Miss Heather
Williamsburg Photo du Jour: Hard Hat Hydrant
Filed under: Williamsburg
From Manhattan Avenue.
Miss Heather
Attention MTA
I suspect I speak for many when I say we really like the new bus shelters you have been erecting in north Brooklyn.
However, you might want your proofreaders to pay a little more attention to annoying little gaffes such as this. Jackson Avenue is in Long Island City, Jackson Street is in Brooklyn. When a transit authority botches street names it doesn’t exactly foster much faith with the bus-going public.
Just a suggestion.
Miss Heather
Photo Credit: Will Nunziata of Collars Up. The same people who created this hilarious film about the Ikea opening in Red Hook. Check it out!
Southside Paradise
Filed under: Williamsburg
Earlier this week I knocked around the Southside. I didn’t have any reason for doing so, I just felt like going there. Not unlike Greenpoint, the gardening options are very limited in this neighborhood. There are no spacious lawns to exploit, at best there is a tree pit (or two) and 80 square feet of frontage to make one’s own. And the people of Williamsburg’s Southside do. Magnificently!
This poignant reminder of man’s best friend can be found at South 2nd and Berry Street. The stone at the base of the tree reads:
In memory of a faithful friend.
As it would happen when I was taking the above photograph the owner of the house came out. I told him that I thought this was a very touching tribute. He thanked me and told me he still misses his best friend to this day.
Further down the block (heading towards the Domino Sugar Factory) you can find a wild assortment of (what I am guessing are) wildflowers gracing the frontage of a parking lot for the Department of Transportation.
If you have the time and/or inclination, you really should check this out. It is quite beautiful and no amount of picture taking can truly do it justice. Plants jutting out at all angles and flowers— vividly colored all— beg for your attention. It has the feel of an English garden and is a curiously pleasant respite from all the construction and destruction surrounding it.
Of course a lot of people are not afforded the luxury of having garden space. If so, why not take a page from this building on Marcy Avenue and create your own seaside paradise?
On the same, albeit ominous —yet cute— note, this piece of man-made foliage can be found at the Domino Sugar Factory on Kent Street between South 2nd and 3rd Street. Anyone out there care to feed it?
To wrap up I will take you back to South 2nd Street where this festively decorated stoop can be found. When it comes to beautifying one’s surroundings size does not matter. All it takes is a little ingenuity and some elbow grease. This post is for you, Southside Williamsburg! You never cease to make me smile.
Miss Heather
Would You Buy A Condo From This Man?
This is 68 Meserole Street. It was once the site of an enormous bottle recycling facility. Now it has been razed. Surprised and a little disappointed (I found the stench of stale beer that used to hang over this intersection strangely endearing) I took the above photograph.
Shortly after doing so I was confronted by a worker at this site. Not liking where his line of questioning was going, e.g.; Is there a problem here… (If I want to take pictures of a street corner it isn’t anyone’s damned business but my own) I took the liberty of filming our little interaction. Hilarity ensued. (WARNING: Contains “language”. In other words, NSFW!)
After shooting the above film the gentlemen of “MAJ Construction Services” heckled and took pictures of me on their cell phones. One even bothered to drive by and scream at me as I was walking down the street fifty feet away.
Take my advice: unless you want some goon to shove your camera where the sun don’t shine (and I have lived in this city long enough to know there are people here who will pay serious money for this kind of experience, lest any of you are reading, consider this a tip), avoid the corner of Meserole and Leonard Street like the plague. These chaps are real professionals.
Miss Heather
P.S.: Be sure to check out the recent complaints on the Department of Buildings online database. “MAJ Construction” was issued demolition permits June 5, 2008. But that didn’t stop them from getting a head start!
Four complaints called in over a mere 48 hours. That has to be a record! Here’s my personal favorite:
CLR STS COVERS 68-72 AND ILLEGAL CONSTRCTION IS CAUSING BUILDING NEXT DOOR AT 117 LEONARD ST TO SHAKE AND CLR IS CONCERNED ABT BLDG STABILITY CLR ALSO STS SHAKING HAS CAUSED FALLING BRICKS
Apparently the Building Inspector tried twice to get access to 68 Meserole to no avail. May I recommend he (or she) pull out a camera and pretend to take photographs? As we have seen, this is quite effective in getting their attention.
Merde De Chien Avec Le Glaçage
Filed under: Williamsburg
Some may see fit to fling dog doo on some miscreant jerk’s car down south but we North Brooklynites are civilized people.
With all the gentrification that is coming to pass here even our doggie dumpings are getting the gourmet treatment nowadays. Our shit may very well stink but one has to admit the presentation is impeccable.
Bon Appetit!
Miss Heather
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