Searching For 80 Clay Street

May 13, 2008 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg 

I am certain a number of you are familiar with this property. Its address is 239 North 9th Street. As my colleague at the Gowanus Lounge has noted, not only is this (surprise!) going to be the site of (yet) another Karl Fischer masterpiece, but its farce of a construction fence presents very serious public safety issues. But neither 239 North 9th Street’s safety practices nor Karl Fischer are the purpose of this post. That is subject matter best left to the Gowanus Lounge to cover. Rather, I am intrigued by a sign gracing the fence at 239 North 9th Street.

This sign, to be precise. As you can see the owner of this property is “Greenpoint Management”. The physical address for this entity is listed as being 80 Clay Street.

Hannah found this sign at 261 North 9th Street. It lists 80 Clay Street as being the address of the owner as well. Very curious.

This site (120 S. 4th Street) is located at the corner of Bedford Avenue and South 4th Street. It too lists 80 Clay Street as being the owner’s address. Realizing we had a bona fide mystery on our hands, Hannah and I set out to learn more about 80 Clay Street. The first thing we did was look to it up on the Department of Building’s web site.

Per the Department of Buildings, 80 Clay Street is also known as 1114 Manhattan Avenue. When I first moved to Greenpoint I lived on Clay Street. As a consequence I know the addresses there quite well. Not satified with the Department of Buildings take on 80 Clay Street I decided to go down personally and see it for myself. Ready to learn more about the contact address behind three rather ambitious Williamsburg developments? If so, read on.

Gee, this looks awfully run down to the be headquarters for a Williamsburg development empire. What gives?

Oh that explains it— It’s part of the Greenpoint Hotel!* Silly me.

It was at this moment, dear readers, that all the pieces started to fall into place. If you look back at the sign gracing the fence at 120 South 4th Street you will notice it lists a telephone number: 718 349 8067. On a lark I decided to Google it. Here’s what I found.**

I made one last compelling discovery when I perused filings for 261 North 9th Street, 239 North 9th Street and 120 South 4th Street via the Department of Buildings Information System.

261 North 9th Street

239 North 9th Street

120 South 4th Street

All list one Menechem Stark as being the owner. If this name sounds familiar to you I’ll tell you why: he is one of the co-owners of the Greenpoint Hotel. Who knew this chap had such a stake in luxury condominiumville in Williamsburg? I certainly didn’t. I don’t know about you but I can hardly wait for these condominiums to get completed. I can only hope 261 North 9th Street, 239 North 9th Street and 120 South 4th Street will all sport the same caliber of “dedicated professionals” and “comfortable accommodations” that are to be had at their humbler cousin at 1109 Manhattan Avenue.

Miss Heather

*Which, for the record is located on the southwestern corner of Manhattan Avenue and Clay Street. The Department of Buildings might want to look into that.

**Be sure to check out this other select morsel too. It would appear that 315 Siegel Street’s ownership also traces back to the Greenpoint Hotel. If the following quote is any indication, it sounds like one swinging place:

On July 30th, residents found bloody footprints in the building

Bedbugs are also mentioned. Where do I sign?!?

92 Meserole Street Celebrates Mother’s Day

May 12, 2008 ·
Filed under: Williamsburg 

Not being a mother (of two legged variety, anyway), I decided to while away yesterday’s lovely, if brisk, afternoon by taking a walk. When I reached Meserole Street the lilting music of birds chirping was sharply punctuated by another sound: that of sheet metal being cut. Wishing to document this rather unorthodox way of celebrating Mother’s Day, I filmed it. If you listen very carefully you can hear one of these clowns shout “turn that off”. My sentiments exactly.

Miss Heather

TONIGHT: Cupcake Cook-off

May 12, 2008 ·
Filed under: Williamsburg 

This evening the Brooklyn Kitchen will be hosting its second annual Cupcake Cook-off at Union Pool. Per their announcement attendees (that means you) will be expected to consume some of said cupcakes. It is a difficult task, I know, but I am certain a number of you, dear readers, are up to it. Here are the deets for anyone interested in entering this event:

  1. It runs from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
  2. Entrants must submit their completed cupcakes before the 7:00 p.m. deadline.
  3. Six cupcakes are required for the official judging and extras will be used for the “popular vote”.
  4. The prize categories are as follows: Plain and Simple Flavor, Plain and Simple Decoration, Exotic Flavor,
    Exotic Decoration and of course Best of Show.

Union Pool
484 Union Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11211

Happy sugar coma!

Miss Heather

Canine Couture In North Brooklyn

May 12, 2008 ·
Filed under: Area 51, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg 

I recently bumped into the person who keeps Mordred, the best dressed Chihuahua in Greenpoint. Her keeper (I will not disclose this person’s name) said to me:

Someone (upon recognizing Mordred) came up to me and asked “Are you Heather?”

Anticipating the worst (I have had lit cigarettes flicked at me for no other reason than being alive), I asked:

Was she nice?

Mordred’s Person replied:

At first I was confused because I have a good friend named Heather. But she said she was a big fan of your blog.

To wit I said:

You should have said you were me. I wouldn’t mind.

I mention this because yesterday on Graham Avenue I discovered Mordred has some stiff competition as the foremost four-legged fashionista of north Brooklyn.

Meet Dixie Cup. She is a resident of Williamsburg and just like her person sports a bone fide Mohawk. Check out the leopard print frock. Very nice.

Also of note are her assless pants. Or would these be chaps? In any case they are very David Lee Roth-esque. Maybe that’s why he wore them? It wasn’t exhibitionism: he simply didn’t want to drop trou in order to go to the bathroom.

Thoughts, anyone?

Miss Heather

Happy Mother’s Day From New York Shitty!

May 11, 2008 ·
Filed under: Williamsburg 

I found this tableau on Graham Avenue and felt it was the perfect image to give props to mothers, on this, their day. If it wasn’t for moms (and in most cases mattresses*) none of us would be here. Thanks!

Miss Heather

*Not me! Two words: Shag rug.

Williamsburg Photo du Jour: Roy Rogers And Dale Evans Style

May 11, 2008 ·
Filed under: Williamsburg 

From South 5th Street.

Miss Heather

Bike Fetish Day 2008

May 10, 2008 ·
Filed under: Area 51, Crazy People, Williamsburg 

Today after getting off work I decided to go for a stroll. Much to my surprise (and good fortune) I stumbled upon the Bike Fetish Day festivities in full swing!

This is the winner for “Ugliest Bike”. I for one do not see what is so ugly about it. I think it is pretty damned cool!

For more pictures and video footage of Bicycle Fetish Day, check out my flickr and YouTube sets. Be sure to check out who won “Best Of Show” as it made me want to gouge my eyes (and ovaries) out.*

Miss Heather

*As I was trying to film this event (while seated on the street) this man’s son kept using my head as a place to lean on. Twice I had to remove this houseape’s arm/body from my head. Having to supervise another person’s offspring makes me more than a little testy. Hillary Clinton once said:

It takes a village to raise a child.

This may very well be so. But speaking as one such “villager” I am none too fond of this arrangement. I am all for free childcare, I just don’t want to be the person providing it.

The Pool’s Open At 141 Frost Street!

May 8, 2008 ·
Filed under: Williamsburg 

I don’t know about any of you, but I cannot wait for summer. There are few things Miss Heather likes more than lazing at the beach or haunting the local swimming pool. The only bitch is access.

Sure, I love Coney Island but the subway ride there is long enough to lull me into an existentialist stupor. The McCarren Park Pool is set to be restored to some semblance of its former glory, but this isn’t going to come to pass for years. I have never been one to have much patience. I want gratification and I wanted it yesterday.

For this reason you can imagine my glee when I learned that this lot at 141 Frost Street has everything I need to enjoy a good summertime dip.

1. A diving plank and plenty of sunshine. I can almost smell the Coppertone now!

2. And lest we forget, WATER!

Perhaps I am simply being a worry wort, but something about this picture just doesn’t look right. Anyone?

Miss Heather

Williamsburg Photo du Jour: Feel The Yuppie Love

May 8, 2008 ·
Filed under: Williamsburg 

From North 4th Street.

Miss Heather

Notes From The Bedbug Workshop

May 6, 2008 ·
Filed under: Bushwick, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg 

This evening I attended the HPD workshop conducted at the Greenpoint Reformed Church. Given the start time was 6:00 p.m. (and thus difficult for many people to attend), I was very pleased with the turnout. For those of you who were not able to be there but want to learn more, I took copious notes. Here they are.

The presentation was given by Edward Brownbear (the gentleman in the above photograph). He is the Lead Education Instructor for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. What’s more, he himself has had bedbugs and provided a number of personal anecdotes as to how he fought them successfully.

The presentation (entitled Bed Bugs On The Move) broke into three components:

  1. Introduction
  2. Your rights as a tenant or landlord
  3. Pest management

INTRODUCTION: What Are Bedbugs?

Per Mr. Brownbear, in 2006 HPD received ~1,000 complaints about bedbugs. In 2007 that number shot up to ~3,500 – 4,000. Some of the hardest hit areas were Bushwick, Ridgewood, East Harlem and Harlem.

There are 91 species of bedbugs. New York City sports three of them. There is the “common” bedbug which is, as it name indicates, the most common. There is also the “tropical bedbug” which is more active in summer weather. I didn’t get the third one. Regardless of species, all varieties of bedbugs:

  1. Detect “heat signatures” from as far as three feet.
  2. Prefer to dine upon human blood (lactic acid, body heat and breath attract them).
  3. Cannot fly, but can crawl very quickly.
  4. Can carry disease but will not transmit (it has to do with how they feed which is very different than, for example, a mosquito).
  5. Can be difficult to detect because before feeding they are as flat as a piece of paper.
  6. Are nocturnal.
  7. Are attracted to fibers and wood.
  8. Can hibernate for up to 18 months.

Two reasons for the influx of bedbugs in New York City are as follows.

  1. Increased international travel.
  2. Reconditioned mattresses.

What is a reconditioned mattress? It’s probably not what you, dear readers, think. A reconditioned mattress is a mattress that has been dry cleaned and resold. That’s it. Although the law states that these mattresses are to be labeled with a yellow tag, they are often are not. Anyone who suspects that he (or she) has been sold a reconditioned mattress without proper disclosure should contact the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Bedbugs feed for approximately eight minutes, then fall off the human body and find a (preferably dark) place to digest to digest and make bedbug babies for seven days. Mr. Brownbear was reluctant to talk about Bedbug Sex Ed. 101, but the attendees insisted and an entomologist stepped up to the plate and gave us the deets. For those of you who have ever wondered how bedbugs do the nasty, today’s your lucky day!

The male bedbug does not have a penis. It has an appendage designed to stab the female bedbug in a “cleft” on the underside of her body. Underneath this cleft is a pocket— padding if you will— that protects her internal organs. This mating process is called “traumatic insemination”. Try that one at your next trivia night!

Females lay 3-5 eggs a day. The gestation period is ten days and the maturation period is five weeks. In her lifetime, a bedbug can lay 500 eggs. These eggs are 1/36 of an inch thick and are clear, thus they are very difficult to see. Bedbug babies are also translucent and measure approximately one millimeter thick.

Are Bedbugs Dangerous?

As I indicated earlier, they can carry disease but studies have shown they do not transmit them. However, people vary in regards to reactivity to bedbug bites. Even a dermatologist cannot tell the difference between a bedbug bite from that of a tick or mosquito. Those who have high sensitivity or conditions such as eczema will have more reactivity to bedbug bites. Others, however, will have little to no reaction at all.

It was at this point that one of the more terrifying points of this entire meeting (in my opinion) was brought up: bedbugs make good “hitchhikers”, e.g.; they can attach themselves to a person’s clothing and spread. Five different subway stations have turned up positive for bedbugs. Three of them (the ones Mr. Brownbear could recall) are:

  1. Fordham Road, Bronx
  2. Union Square, Manhattan
  3. Hoyt-Schermerhorn, Brooklyn

At the latter most they were found on a subway bench, which makes sense given it is has been established these little critters like wood.

YOUR RIGHTS AS A TENANT

Under New York City Housing Code bedbugs (just like roaches) fall under a level B violation with “A” being the lowest level of severity and “C” being the highest. Mr. Brownbear advised that anyone afflicted with bedbugs should call 311 and report them. However, he conceded that doing so presents a number of problems. Among them:

  1. The reaction time will be slow. HPD has 600 inspectors.
  2. Many people work and cannot stay home waiting for HPD to show up.
  3. The inspector actually has to see bedbugs “at large” in your apartment. Merely showing them bites and/or trapping bedbugs in a jar is not sufficient.
  4. This is problematic given that bedbugs are nocturnal and inspectors work conventional business hours, therefore…
  5. He advised that you look for hiding places, such as chest of drawers, under mattresses, etc. to show the inspector before he (or she) visits.
  6. Regardless if you are responsible for bringing bedbugs into your apartment or not, the landlord is legally obligated exterminate.

YOUR RIGHTS AS A LANDLORD/PEST MANAGEMENT

Not surprisingly, the landlord’s burden is pretty light. All he (or she) must do is provide proof that an exterminator was paid within 30 days of being cited. However, here are a few tips for tenants:

  1. Do your homework.
  2. A landlord is not to exterminate bedbugs. Only professional (as licensed by the D.E.C.) is qualified to spray for bedbugs.
  3. Multiple applications will be needed. Preferably once a week for three weeks.
  4. Leave your apartment for 6-8 hours after exterminating and come home.
  5. A non-toxic method was suggested:
    This product is readily available at hardware stores and only the “food grade” variety should be used. Simply put, is leeches moisture out of an insect’s (any insect’s) body, thus killing them. While deemed safe for people and pets, be sure to use take precautions for your furry friends (and in the case tonight scaly ones, e.g.; iguanas) and wear a mask while applying. Applications should be made every couple of weeks for maximum effect. Be sure your blankets do not touch the walls or floor, as these creepy little critters will try to take refuge in your bed.

It was at this point that the meeting started to wind down. Here are a few tips/items of interest worth passing along:

  1. When traveling, do not use suitcases: use soft-sided washable luggage.
  2. If you suspect you have luggage that might be infested, run it through a dryer at 120-130 degrees.
  3. Do bedbugs have natural predators? Yes they do, but it would take thousands of them to get rid of an infestation.
  4. Has the city ever intervened regarding a bedbug infestation? YES. There were two cases of a building-wide infestation in Bushwick. The Department of Health stepped in and tenants were evacuated from the building so it could be exterminated. Mind you, this is a rare occurrence.
  5. It was brought up by one attendee that NY1 be contacted to do a Q & A about bedbugs on a ‘call-in show”.
  6. NYC vs. Bedbugs was present with lots of useful information and a handy form letter you can fill out and send to David Yassky (our city councilman) to make known your concern about the bedbug problem in North Brooklyn.
  7. Someone asked if there was a “bedbug map” of New York City. Bedbuggers is the place to go.
  8. Ann Kansfield offered to help put together a media campaign to raise awareness about bedbugs and induce more action on the part of out city officials.
  9. I advised contacting our Representative, Joseph Lentol. I have contacted him in the past about quality of life issues in his district. He is very good with the constituent services. I speak from experience when I write this.

HPD gives a number of workshops. All are free for the asking. Some of the topics they cover (aside from bedbugs) are mold and mildew; roaches and vermin abatement and lead paint awareness. If anyone is interested in learning more about these workshops, Mr. Brownbear can be contacted at:

browned (at) hpd (dot) nyc (dot) gov

Miss Heather

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