Williamsburg Photo Du Jour: An Offer You Can’t Refuse
When I saw this special at Driggs Pizza (whose Famous Grandpa pizza is outstanding, by the way) I couldn’t resist documenting for posterity. Granted, it’s not on the par of the “President Obama Special” but the offer of two slices of pizza accompanied by “1 Beer Can” (Budweiser only) is an enticement I can honestly say I have never seen before.
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Starter: Mr. Graceful
Filed under: 11211, Bloomblight, Street Art, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
From Kent Avenue.
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Ender: Lazy Days
Now that it is September I suppose summer is officially over. It certainly didn’t feel that way to yours truly today. The weather was so deliciously nice I did something I rarely, if ever, do: absolutely nothing. On that note I will conclude today’s lite offerings with some summery street art from Williamsburg. Enjoy!
Berry Street
North 11 Street
North 6 Street
Metropolitan Avenue
Kent Avenue
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Starter: Two Week Old News On A Blog = New York Post “News”
Filed under: 11211, Asshole, Criminal Activity, Plagiarism, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
On August 19, 2009 I wrote a little post about Cutting Edge Fitness on my “blog”. It was at the behest of a concerned citizen and started like this:
Hi Miss Heather,
I enjoy reading your blog from time-to-time and especially appreciate the news on the developments around the neighborhood.
I’d like to share with you some information about a building on the Southside, in hopes that it can get out to others who deserve to know. So, here goes:
The building has a retail space in the bottom which is currently owned by the developer and being rented to a John Suarez, who is running it as a gym, called Cutting Edge.
Well, there are many problems here:
1) The space isn’t zoned to be a gym
2) He is occupying space in the basement and using it for classes and workout space when it is only supposed to be used as storage
3) There’s no proper emergency exit from the basement
4)He’s illegally (i.e., with no work permit) installing showers/bathrooms in the basementThe biggest problem of all is that John Suarez has been forbidden by the Attorney General to ever operate a gym. A few years back he had advertised the opening of a new gym in the neighborhood, called Core Health and Fitness. He never opened the gym, even after taking people’s money. He was ordered to pay back $172,000 in restitution, but I know for a fact (a neighbor was a victim of the scam) that people did not get their money back.
You can read my post in its entirety by clicking here. After I hit the “publish” button, August 19, I turned to the Mister and said:
I lay odds 80% in favor of this being ripped off by the “print media”. I’d give it 90% except this actually helps people.
On August 20, 2009 my tome was linked to by:
On August 23 I took up the matter with Queens Crap and Forgotten NY. We agreed this item would be cribbed— but by whom? My knee jerk reaction was the New York Post. And as of August 31, 2009 my prognostication came to pass.
The Post one-upped my lowly blogger person by sending out a professional “photographer” to document said premises (which I had done already); he was assaulted by Mr. Suarez. I learned about this via Gothamist:
And here’s a here’s a slice of the Post’s take:
Compare my fact-finding with Ms. Sutherland’s and Mr. Ginsberg’s “scoop”: they dovetail. I was more specific (because my source and I did our research). But am I cited? Of course not. Amber and Alex claimed this discovery as their own.
Yesterday’s (or two week old) news— gleaned from blogs— with ample sensationalism thrown in is the Post’s modus operandi. If the chronic practice of “print journalists” plagiarizing “bloggers” and touting their (my) fact-finding as their own bothers you, dear readers, you can contact Alex Ginsberg at:
alex (dot) ginsberg (at) nypost (dot) com
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Ender: Cat Lover’s Delight
Filed under: 11211, 11237, Bushwick, Crazy Cat Lady, Street Art, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Methinks I saw this fetching feline on North 3 Street. I forget. In any case it gives me an excuse to post the following videos of a couple of (not-so-bad) Bushwick boys I have written about recently: Avon and Stringsdale.
Anyone interested in giving these furkids a home should email their very human (co)stepmother at: shawnandkenny (at) earthlink (dot) net
Miss Heather
P.S.: More incredibly cute pix and videos of dese goodfellas can be seen by checking out Lisacat’s Flickr page.
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Drag Racing Death On Provost?
Filed under: 11222, Criminal Activity, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
Anonymous writes:
First I must say thank you for keeping up such an excellent blog. This morning at around 11:30 am, (i know not quite morning) I finished packing up the uhaul and my girlfriend and I left Greenpoint for New Hampshire. You are probably thinking WHY? Well, to make a long story short… being the wonderful woman that she is, she came to NYC for Law School since I was here. Now that she has finished school and just completed the New Hampshire Bar, it was my turn to relocate. Anyway, I love your blog, and I am sure it will keep me updated about my favorite place in the world.
Second, I am not sure if you posted anything about this, but have you seen the smashed up car outside of the 94th precinct? its pretty crazy and smells like death. Today I found out why. My landlords brother came over to collect the keys to our place and he was on his phone when he got there talking about the detectives wanting to see the tapes from this weekend. He works at Europa and apparently some kid was drinking there, left and decided it was a good idea to race on Provost St. He wrapped his Acura around a tree doing 95 mph and died. (hence the death smell if you get close to the car.) Some more crazy driving in the Greenpoint. Be careful out there on your daily walks. Thanks for everything!
First up, thanks for the kind words anonymous. More importantly, has anyone heard anything about this? This is really scary— and sad.
Miss Heather
Photo Credits: Sean Doyle Who apparently witnessed the aftermath of some serious rooftop partying gone wrong— as in the Superintendent mopping up the blood and “brain matter” from the sidewalk and building facade when one party-goer fell 5-6 floors to his death:
Things ’round here have been more than interesting. We pulled up stakes and moved out of Childrensburg, 11211, and into the lovely greenery and Nazi Runes of Little Warsaw, 11222. We’ve been over here since mid-July, and other than one really bizarre and terrible incident – it has been quite nice…
…A quieter hood for sure, but also a lack of disrespectful assholes surrounding us. This building is full of families and older Polish people. Hell, when we first moved in, everyone was eyeballing us, hoping we weren’t crazed Party People.
Then the party people started partying on his roof. That’s when it got interesting.
I decided to go out into the hallway, and let these kids know they just shouldn’t be up on the roof. It was bad enough that they were running around the halls, slamming doors and being loud as fuck. I wasn’t going to sit in here and listen to them stomping around over my head all night. I pay far too much rent for that shit.
As I walked out into the hall, a group of them were heading up the stairs to the roof. This is the exchange that followed, pretty much verbatim:
Me: “Hey. Hey! Y’all should not be up on that roof.”
Some random fuck of a kid: “Is there going to be a problem?”
Me: Cold stare.
Kid: “Are you serious? We shouldn’t be on the roof?”
Me: “Five stories is a long drop, ain’t it? There are families that live under the roof. Kids. Little ones. Please be respectful, or I won’t be.”
Some random drunk girl: “FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE. WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANT!”
Kid: “Look – we don’t want any trouble. We’ll get off the roof. Sorry.”
Me: A grin and a wink.After that, I heard them all scurrying back down to the third floor, where the party was. I could hear them yelling in the apartment about “some asshole covered in tattoos made us get off the roof,” and I felt somewhat better about myself in that moment. They continued to be loud and ridiculous, and I continued to sit here, trying to get some Magical Work done.
I could hear them up on the roof again, maybe around 1:30AM. I figured I’d already said what I needed to, and kind of hoped that one of the older residents in the building would call the police soon, to break up the stupidity.
Around 1:45 or so I heard what sounded like the loudest slam of a door since my terrible teen years.
Less than ten minutes later, I could hear the police, admonishing kids left and right. I even pulled a total Old Man Move, and looked out the peephole in our front door, and could see cops walking kids down the stairs from the roof.
I felt pretty vindicated and went to sleep.
The next afternoon, after we had brunch with a friend, we came walking back over to the building and noticed a lot of our neighbors standing out front in a group, talking. As we walked up to them, we were informed that a 22 year old kid had fallen off the roof to his death.
At 1:45AM.
I encourage each and every one of you, dear readers, to read this post in its entirety. Although I cannot verify Mr. Doyle’s story it makes for compelling reading.
A Selection Of Williamspoint Street Furniture
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Street Furniture, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
When I found this delightful item from Rheingold Room (entitled “Park Your TV”) not only did it give me a much needed chuckle but it also reminded me that it has been awhile since I have hit you with some of north Brooklyn’s finest street furniture. Follows is a selection of my favorite finds. Enjoy!
Blue velvet on North 6 Street.
The hanging coffee table of North 9 Street.
Sofa with benefits…
and parenting— interrupted— just off Kent Avenue.
Bath tub with black and white wicker on North 1 Street.
A sofa/sleeper combo from Metropolitan Avenue.
Squatter’s paradise on North 8 Street.
And to round out our ensemble a few images of Gay Paree from India Street!
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Shrooms
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
When I arrive home after an afternoon of knocking around the Bronx to find the following in my inbox (courtesy of A Perfect Bag), well, I simply must pass it along.
So this is what happens when I leave our fair burgh for a few paltry hours: ritualistic vegetable abuse! As some of you might recall something very similar to this happened a couple of years ago on Bedford Avenue. It would appear our perpetrator has since progressed from tomatoes to mushrooms. What’s next— chard? Potatoes? Rutabagas? Only time will tell. In any case no one cannot pin this one on me— I have an alibi!
Miss Heather
Photo/Discovery Credit: A Perfect Bag
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