Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Partying On Franklin Street
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
It has been awhile since I have checked in on what I liked to call the House of the Ravaged Lemur. So against my better judgment, I trudged through yesterday’s infernal weather to see what’s shaking. I was not disappointed.
His wife Hill might have thrown in the towel, but as you can see that doesn’t keep Bill from having a good time. The party can and will go on.
Miss Heather
Subway Photo du Jour: Sean Bell
Filed under: Area 51
From the Brooklyn-bound platform of the L train at First Avenue.
Miss Heather
Meet U Thant Island
Filed under: Queens
One of the really neat things about taking a cruise along New York City’s waterfront is it enables one to (re)discover many hidden treasures* that cannot be appreciated from dry land. Such is the case with the above little island nestled between Roosevelt Island, Long Island City and the U.N. in Manhattan.
It is unofficially named after the third Secretary General of the United Nations, U Thant. Here’s a little information about it courtesy of Wikipedia:
The island has its origins in the 1890s as a side-effect of William Steinway‘s construction of trolley tunnels under the river to link bustling Manhattan to his eponymous company town in Steinway, Queens. The island was built up on the existing granite outcrop Man-o’-War Reef using excess landfill from a shaft dug down the reef to the tunnels. Steinway died before his tunnels’ completion, and it was financier August Belmont, Jr. who finished the project in 1907, leaving the finished islet as a bonus.
The Steinway Tunnels are still in use as part of the 7–Flushing line in the New York Subway, and trains still pass directly beneath the island many times a day. Belmont Island, named after the financier, became the legal name of the island.
The small inconvenient island was unused and almost forgotten for nearly a century, until in 1977 it was adopted by employees at nearby UN headquarters following the guru Sri Chinmoy, who served as an interfaith chaplain there. The group, called Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations, leased the islet from New York State, greened its surface and unofficially renamed it after Burmese Buddhist United Nations Secretary General U Thant, a friend of Chinmoy. Although unofficial, U Thant Island has stuck as the common name for the island. The islet is now the site of a thirty-foot “oneness arch” preserving personal items of the island’s namesake
Be sure to check out Mr. Thant’s biography as well. It is fascinating, especially given the troubled state of Burma nowadays. Not only was he an adept peace maker and a Buddhist, but U Thant was a U.F.O. buff to boot!
Miss Heather
*Including a giant portrait of George W. Bush. As you will see.
Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Viridian Goes Green
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Who wouldn’t want to pay Williamsburg prices to live in G train digs after seeing a Sales Office entrance as classy as this one? To their credit, at least Magic Johnson’s funky bunch made some attempt at adding greenery to Green Street (which is decidedly not very green). Usually the peeps at the Viridian dump cement onto the street and leave garbage all over the place.
Miss Heather
Dog Bowl 2008
Although this event is a ways off yet I wanted to pass along A.S.A.P for two reasons:
- Pre-registration is required.
- The proceeds of this benefit will go towards launching Dog Habitat, a not-for-profit organization that seeks to rehabilitate abandoned, abused and stray dogs.
Follows is a little information about Dog Habitat. It’s co-founders are Rob Maher and Jay Lombard, Greenpoint residents both. Ron Maher is probably better known to a number of you as the co-owner of District Dog, a canine “boutique” and “spa” located just a doggie dumplin’s throw away from McGolrick Park. Rounding out the organization is Denise Herman, a dog behaviorist and founder of Empire of the Dog.
Dog Habitat’s mission, in their own words:
…is a group of volunteer dog lovers whose mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and ultimately re-home abandoned, stray and neglected dogs. Our goal is to open one of metropolitan New York City’s largest canine rescue facilities by the end of 2008. DHR will operate as a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation under the auspices of Dog Habitat, Inc., a dog day care, veterinary clinic, training and boarding facility that will open in Brooklyn, NY in Fall 2008.
Those of you who are interested in attended their upcoming “Dog Bowl” fund raiser can pre-register online via Dog Habitat’s web site and by calling or swinging by District Dog.
District Dog
142 Driggs Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
(718) 290-7434
Individuals are requested to pay $30.00, a team of two will set you back $50.00. Also be sure to indicate which time slot you want: 6:00 – 7:00, 7:00 – 8:00 or 8:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Let’s bowl!
Miss Heather
THIS WEEK: Renegade Craft Fair
It has come to my attention that the Renegade Craft Fair is scheduled to throw another two day extravaganza at the McCarren Park Pool this upcoming weekend. Here is the rundown as gleaned from their web site:
It’s almost here – Brooklyn’s 4th Annual RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR!! This year’s event will be held June 14 + 15 from 11am – 7pm at the McCarren Park Pool!
Check out the Vendor List to get a sneak peak at who will be participating in this year’s event. Over 200 artists will be showing off their wares!
PLUS – Popshop DJ Squad will be playing tunes throughout the weekend and tasty treats will be provided by: Lefty’s Silver Cart, The Treats Truck, Wheeler’s Frozen Desserts, Fizzy Lizzy, 1 Bite 7 Days and Mr. Softy.
All this AND Mr. Softee?!? I am so totally there!
Renegade Craft Fair
McCarren Park Pool
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Hours: Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15 from 11:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.
Miss Heather
Kill Devil Hill: Open For Business!
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
As I was being shuttled about by boat from 125th Street on the west side to Riker’s Island and the Bronx (and everywhere imaginable in between), a tipster checked out the newly opened, Kill Devil Hill. She describes it as follows:
It’s like half nature gift shop, half upscale antique/thrift store.
I’m not too sure how they are going to compete with Claank just down the street and another antiques store slated to open around the corner on Greenpoint Avenue, but I am very eager nonetheless to check them out!
Kill Devil Hill
170 Franklin Street
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Hours of Operation: To be determined, although it is clear Mondays do not number among them.
Miss Heather
Great Moments In Real Estate Rhetoric: Long Island City
As of 12:30 I am halfway through sorting through the 600-odd photographs the Mr. and I took during yesterday’s waterfront tour. On that note, I would like to tender a few observations about attending a five hour railmarine cruise:
- Train enthusiasts are really, really into trains. Big time.
- Some of the aforementioned enthusiasts lack social skills, e.g.; they congregate in the front of the boat thus blocking the view for everyone else (READ: me).
- When one is on a five hour cruise in choppy water during 90+ degree weather, getting throughly doused by water from the Hudson River is sweet relief, dignity be damned. I mean, it’s not like it’s Newtown Creek or anything.
- If one is unacclimatized to being on a boat for long periods of time (or to use sea-faring parlance, a “landlubber”) you will awaken the next day feeling like Amy Winehouse’s liver after an all-night binge.
- Train enthusiasts have difficulty understanding why the following made me explode into fits of uncontrollable laughter.
Well, it was not so much the poster per se as the edifice it was attached to.
You can always leave it to Karl Fischer to give Miss Heather cause for amusement. Or transform an otherwise distinctive-looking building into something that should be gracing an office park in Omaha, Nebraska. Take your pick.
I wonder if people can see this from the observation deck of the Empire State Building? I can only hope so. This makes the Garden Spot’s blue balls digester tanks look good. I bet when this masterpiece had its grand opening members of the French Embassy weren’t present either*. Take that, Karl!
Miss Heather
*There were French Embassy personnel present at the Digester Tank Lighting Ceremony. I learned this yesterday. I am not kidding.
Manhattan Photo du Jour: Fulton Street
Before I experienced the utter hell that is the South Street Seaport yesterday I happened upon this piece of commentary.
And I rather liked it.
Miss Heather
Crosstown Local Photo du Jour: Solid As A Rock
Filed under: Williamsburg
Or not.
From Metropolitan Avenue.
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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