Greenpoint
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Culture on the Cheap
Choice Pickin’s From The Greenpoint Grapevine
A good friend of mine recently asked me if I had seen this. In fact, I had. But the Gowanus Lounge beat me to the punch writing an angry missive about it. Nonetheless my favorite passage from David Yassky’s apologia for selling us out reads as follows:
In the supermarket, a few days before the vote, an older man approached me, told me he had voted for me, and told me he didn’t like the term limits extension. But then he said: “Whatever you do, I trust you to do the right thing”.
“Older men” in “supermarkets” do not a constituency make, Dave. I find the previous variety of pedantic and paternalistic pud-yanking not only self-indulgent but also condescending. Politicos who rattle off such rhetoric do not engender my trust. I am not an “older man” in your “supermarket.” I am an angry 30-something broad in Greenpoint. I seriously doubt you’d rub elbows with the like of me. Do you remember Greenpoint, Yassky? What about 184 Kent Street in Williamsburg? Or did Ken Fisher and 184 Kent Avenue Associates help you to forget? In any case, I haven’t.
The fact of the matter is I do not have a set opinion on term limits for the simple reason it is dependent on whose term one seeks to limit. Incompetent and/or corrupt officials should be disposed of post haste; good ones should have a shot at a third term. It’s the way Bloomie, you, et. al. went about it that irks me, Dave.
But I do know that we are in a period of extraordinary challenge, and that voters may well value stability and experience in the City government.
Cloaking one’s hypocrisy with self-righteous rhetoric and trumping the “fear” card only pisses me off more. What’s more, I am not alone. This city will go on without you.
Anonymous writes:
I’m writing you because I got a crazy idea in my head last week: I’m going to run for the city’s 33rd council seat (Yassky’s). I’m openly pandering for a Newyorkshitty endorsement. I honestly think that if I lined up the support of bloggers from Greenpoint to Brooklyn Heights, I might have a snowball’s chance of unseating a two term incumbent.*
The petition to get on the democratic ticket will not be circulated until next June, so I’ve got some time to line up support and I’m starting with you. As for a platform, I’m going to be running on my unequaled building code and zoning expertise. Considering the rampant development in CC District 33, I think I’m the best person to reign in development in the ‘hood…
I will not divulge the identity of this pretender to David Yassky’s throne but I will toss out a few deets:
- He/she is a Greenpointer.
- He/she is qualified to hold his office.
- He/she is sick of Yassky’s shit.
As am I. How about you?
Miss Heather
*Or give Yassky the hell he so richly deserves.
P.S.: Those of you who are interested to know how Wolf Block/Ken Fisher has played for pay in this city (and beyond) should click here. It ain’t just north Brooklyn kiddos! Ken’s one busy boy!
Halloween Video du Jour: Miss Heather Goes To Clinton Hill
Yesterday it came to my attention via Gothamist that some folks had the temerity to say Greenpoint Halloween goodness is second to that to be found in Clinton Hill. hulaedwyn wrote:
This is pretty great, but IMHO, the house at 313 Clinton Ave in Brooklyn is better. And they have a show.
rarelement kicks it up a notch by stating:
This is NOTHING. Come to Clinton Avenue between DeKalb and Lafayette in Brooklyn on Halloween night…
Sure, Clinton Hill may roll out a good show come Halloween— but what about decapitated heads puking up blood? Satanic clowns? Or green vomit? This is the stuff the Garden Spot of the Universe is made of dear readers —and not exclusively on October 31 either! In my fair burgh every day is Halloween.
To this end I whipped out my Metrocard and headed down to Clinton Hill to see what all the fuss was about.
It is not my wish to diss my fellow G train travelers to the south. Rather, I suspect they espouse a different philosophy than we do up north. Namely, they think Halloween is for kids.
chuzzlewit got it right when she wrote about the above menagerie:
we live close to here, every october my daughter wants to move. we spend the whole month talking her down.
Night terrors and bed-wetting are what Halloween is really about. To Greenpoint adults, anyway.
Humor your neighbors to the north, Clinton Hill. We have beheld the true face of terror: it has six legs and a taste for blood!
Miss Heather
P.S.: You can see pix from my brief Clinton Hill excursion by clicking here.
Crosstown Local Photos du Jour: Big Trouble In Little Poland?
As I was riding home on the Queens-bound G train yesterday evening I spied a missive scrawled upon the above advertisement. Curiosity got the better of me; I walked over and took a closer look.
Perhaps I am reading too much into this but given what happened the last time Germany got uppity and the fact I live in “Little Poland” this makes me a little nervous. Greenpoint will be the first to fall. Then Deutschland will cop a free transfer at Metropolitan Avenue and hop on the Canarsie-bound L. Ridgewood and Maspeth will undoubtedly follow.
Watch out Brighton Beach, you’ll be next!
Miss Heather
Williamsburg Photo du Jour: Ainslie Street
Filed under: Williamsburg
This one’s for you, Philly!
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Lollypop!
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
From the Greenpoint Manufacturing & Design Center.
Miss Heather
1940’s New York: Cityscapes
Filed under: Area 51
I realize it has been a while since I have hit you with some great pix from the New York City of old. So today (while waiting for the landlord to turn the damned heat on) I decided to share a handful of images hailing from Manhattan. Enjoy!
On a lark I googled the name of this club. Turns out it was located on 52nd Street and was quite a famous jazz venue in the 1940’s. Here’s what Miles Davis had to say in his biography:
But 52nd street was something else when is was happening. It would be crowded with people, and the clubs were no bigger than apartment living rooms. They were so small and jam-packed. The clubs were right next to each other and across the street from one another. The Three Deuces was across form the Onyk and then across from there was a Dixieland club. Man going in there was like going to Tupelo, Mississippi. It was full of white racists. The Onyx, Jimmy Ryan’s club, could be real racist, too. But on the other side of the street, next to the Three Deuces, was the Downbeat Club and next to that was Clark Monroe’s Uptown House. So you had all these clubs right next to each other featuring people like Erroll Garner, Sidney Bechet, Oran “Hot Lips” Page, Earl Bostic every night. Then there would be jazz going on at other clubs. That scene was powerful. I don’t think we will ever see any shit like that ever again.
Not too sure where this located but I found the old storefronts a lot of fun. You can see a full size image by clicking here.
If you look carefully you’ll notice the store at the far left sells “movie star photos”!
Note the old ad for Bendix washing machines in the background.
Anyone know what this building is? I’ve been knocking my brain about trying to remember. It’s driving me nuts! Oh well.
At least I know where this photograph was taken. I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek at New York City sixty years ago!
Miss Heather
P.S.: You can see larger versions of all the previous images on my flickr page.
TONIGHT: Contextual Re-zoning
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
This evening at the Greenpoint Savings Bank the Department of City Planning Department will present their much-anticipated contextual zoning proposal and answer questions from the public. This plan will cover approximately 175 blocks in Greenpoint and Williamsburg and is intended to prevent new out-of-scale development by establishing height limits. It also purports to “create opportunities for affordable housing through the inclusionary housing program”. (I’ll believe anything pertaining to affordable housing in this neighborhood when I see it, thank you very much.) Check it out!
Contextual Zoning Presentation
October 29, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
Greenpoint Savings Bank (AKA: Capital One)
807 Manhattan Avenue (please use side entrance on Calyer)
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Miss Heather
Halloween Photo du Jour: Keep Out!
Filed under: Williamsburg
From Lorimer Street.
Miss Heather
THIS WEEKEND: Dia de los Muertos
Filed under: Williamsburg
With all the fuss over Halloween I was pleased to learn that Elote will be celebrating the fabulous holiday also known as the Day of The Dead in grand style with $3.00 shots, $4.00 margaritas (!) and a costume contest!
What’s more, the bearer of the winning costume* gets a free bottle of tequila!
For those of you who are not in the know, here’s what Wikipedia has to say about this very popular Latin American holiday:
The Day of the Dead (DÃa de los Muertos in Spanish) is a holiday celebrated mainly in Mexico and by people of Mexican heritage (and others) living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and relatives who have died. The celebration occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November, in connection with the Catholic holy days of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day which take place on those days. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Observance of the holiday in Mexican-American communities in the United States has become more important and widespread as the community grows numerically and economically.
Scholars trace the origins of the modern holiday to indigenous observances dating back thousands of years, and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl (known in English as “The Lady of the Dead”)…
Many people believe that during the Day of the Dead, it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. People will go to cemeteries to communicate with the souls of the departed, and will build private altars, containing the favorite foods and beverages, and photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed.
Plans for the festival are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods to be offered to the dead. During the period of November 1 and November 2, families usually clean and decorate graves; most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas, or offerings, which often include orange marigolds called “cempasúchitl” (originally named cempoalxochitl, Nahuatl for “twenty (i.e., many) flowers”). In modern Mexico this name is often replaced with the term “Flor de Muerto” (“Flower of the Dead”). These flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings.
For the rest of us who are very much among the living, here are the deets regarding Elote’s upcoming event.
Day of the Dead Party
November 1, 2008, 10:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m.
Elote
366 Union Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11211
Miss Heather
*An undead Sarah Palin would be nice!
Boobification Photo du Jour: McGolrick Park
At last weekend’s Halloween Dog Parade & Party at McGolrick Park I noticed Woody (of Brooklyn Kitchen fame) was not sporting a costume. I brought this to Taylor’s attention and (being an evil-minded person like myself) she consented to let me give him a boob-over.
Believe it or not I don’t think he seem to mind much.
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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