Greenpoint
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Culture on the Cheap
Dung Of The Day: Madison Street
I see that Curry is no longer on Isiah’s menu. I wonder how he will supplement his diet (now that calling women “bitches” is no longer acceptable)? Let’s turn the page and find out!
Bon apetit!Â
Miss Heather
How To Win Friends And Avoid Parking Tickets: Bushwick Style
Filed under: Bushwick
Unknown to us (until recently) 142,000 free parking permits were issued by this fair city. Unknown to the city, is exactly who received these permits.
All I know is this chap on Decatur Street has found a way to avoid being ticketed for having a derelict car parked for over two months. Do you want to know his secret? Read on.
First, you put a very friendly sign on said car. Be sure to wish the reader seasonal cheer.
Second, be sure you have a(n expired) permit for the “Real Time Crime Center” on your dashboard.
Thirdly, is it just me? But a busted up car with a smashed windshield belonging (ostensibly) to an officer of the law strikes me as sending a very negative message to the public. I think I read it about this kind of thing somewhere. It was called the “Broken Windows” theory, I think.
Miss Heather
Ye Olde Fedders Of Yore
Today’s installment of Fedders Friday hails from none other than the Garden Spot of the Universe: Greenpoint, Brooklyn U.S.A.! Last weekend Mr. Heather accompanied me on my regular Greenpoint stroll. We may butt heads— often— but there is one thing we both agree upon: we like McGuinness Boulevard. “Mickey G’s”, as we so affectionately call it, is the pure essence of all things Greenpoint. What’s more, there’s a little nugget of Fedders history there I like to call Fedders Row.
To be fair these buildings are not as repulsive as their contemporary counterparts, but they sure sport a lot of Fedders boxes.
VINTAGE Fedders boxes. Note the use heraldry: whether it be wind, rain, snow or sunshine, the Sir Fedders has got you covered! I wonder what one of these would fetch on Ebay?
This is not to suggest that everyone is content with his Majesty’s Fedders monarchy. This iconoclastic Cromwell of crap deposed his Fedders and installed a larger, generic air conditioning unit. Could this be the start of an air conditioning arms race? Does this homeowner wish to break away and start the People’s Airconditioned Republic of Friedrich? Only time will tell.
But there is one thing I know for certain: where Fedders is found so are super-sized motor vehicles. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to see this bad boy chew up some imported steel on Bedford Avenue. Even with crude oil going for the draconian sum of $104 a barrel it would totally be worth it.
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photos du Jour: Mordred’s New Hoodie
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Today I had the honor of bumping into one of Greenpoint’s most stylish citizens: none other than Miss Mordred (of Greenpoint Ten renown) herself! She was looking sharp as always and was kind enough to model her new hoodie for me.
With a little “help” from her “person” of course.
She didn’t seem to be very into the whole fauxhawk look.
Or having her picture taken for that matter. Smart girl.
Does this rear pocket make my butt look big?
Miss Heather
Bedbug Workshop Coming To Greenpoint!
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
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
Introducing Friedrich Thursdays
During my latest jaunt to Bushwick I had a most embarrassing moment. The following building (which is located on Schaeffer Street) was the catalyst.
As I laid eyes upon this building my first thought was:
Didn’t I feature this building already? I must have gotten the location wrong! Shit!
When I arrived home I frantically logged onto my computer and fact checked. Fortunately (or would that be unfortunately?) I was not incorrect: Bushwick simply sports an inordinate number of Fedders Specials.
Moving forward I will endeavor to have a better eye for detail —which brings me to the purpose of this post. A building need not sport Fedders boxes to be Fedder-esque in nature. The fine folks at Friedrich have their fair share of eyesores for the choosing and to ignore this fact would be a travesty. Thus, Friedrich Thursdays was born. Today’s turdage hails from Halsey Street.
As you can see this building is the epitome of what I like to call the “High Fedders Style”. It is appointed with such niceties as mismatched entrances, fake keystones, burglar bars, zero plant life, plenty of parking and…
duct tape. In the event of a chemical or biological weapons attack this unit will be 100% prepared. And this, dear readers, gives yours truly ample peace of mind.
Miss Heather
Happenings On Franklin Street And Beyond
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
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
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
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:
CALLER STATES UNSAFE CONSTRCTION BEING DONE ON BUIDLING/TURNING THE BUILDING INTO SRO/BATHROOMS BEING WORKED ON FOR THE LAST 8 MONTHS/
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
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Even I have to admit Green Street is look pretty brown nowadays.
Miss Heather
The Small Fluffy Dog Plot Thickens!
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
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
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