New York Shitty Day Ender: Good Day, Sunshine!

May 11, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic 

readingthepaper

1107

hangingout

ipoder

busybee

From Manhattan & Nassau Avenue.

Miss Heather

New York Shitty PSA: Tomorrow

May 11, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic 

clubexitandstudiob

Those of you who have grown weary of the above two establishments and the nuisance they have posed to our community mark your calendars. Tomorrow is the day you have been waiting for! The following screencap is an excerpt of the eating and drinking establishments whose liquor licenses are up for renewal.

liquorliclist

As you will notice two of Greenpoint’s more, how should I say, NOTORIOUS venues are on this list. This means at tomorrow night’s Community Board One meeting you will, at long last, have an opportunity to let your feelings be known about the manifold contributions these establishments have made to our community’s quality of life:

  • noise
  • litter
  • traffic congestion and lest we forget…

168greenpointavenuerev

  • bullets

Community Board 1 Meeting
May 12, 2009; 6:30 p.m.
211 Ainslie Street
Brooklyn, New York 11211

Be advised that in order to speak you MUST sign in by or before 6:15 p.m.

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Gentrification Watch: Lofts 305 Gets That “Lived In” Look

May 11, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic 

Today at long last I had the time to stroll down one of my favorite north Brooklyn thoroughfares: McGuinness Boulevard. The recent spate of rotten weather and entertaining friends and family has precluded me from doing so with my usual frequency. This is a shame as I discovered today there is plenty of Greenpoint glory afoot! CASE IN POINT: Lofts 305

lofts305

The above photograph was taken today at around 1:00 p.m. I know what you’re thinking:

I don’t see anything amiss here. What’s the big deal?

I beg to differ. You see, some person or persons decided to give this building a make-over (or would that be make-under?) using what appears to be a can of black spray paint…

lofts3051

and a pellet gun.

lofts3052

What’s even more fascinating is which windows our perpetrator elected to target.

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lofts3054

lofts3056

lofts3055

Perhaps I am being a wee bit conspiratorial here, but it would certainly seem like someone isn’t too keen on Loft 305’s advertising campaign. In light of recent events it does beg the question as to whether the author of the above misdeeds was a neighbor or a disgruntled tenant.

Miss Heather

Spotted: Greenpointer Actually Using New Park…

May 11, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic, Newtown Creek 

(or at least getting ready to!)

manwithboat

Christo (who took the above photograph) writes:

Sunday afternoon. Manhattan ave. Btwn Clay and Box. Heading toward the park/boat launch. I couldn’t stick around to see if they made it.

Speaking for myself I would want a LOT more boat between me and Newtown Creek than this. But as long as I’m not the one making the trip to Woodhull I say to each their own.

Miss Heather

Williamspoint Photo Du Jour: D-Bag

May 10, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg 

douchebag

From West Street.

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Street Art Du Jour: R.I.P. On Milton

May 10, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic, Street Art 

As I mentioned in the previous post I spent Mother’s Day Sunday by kicking back and taking it easy. Doing nothing is something I am not exactly something I am very adept at. I am by my very nature a restless person and as the day waxed into evening I felt the urge to get out and take a walk. It was on Milton Street across from the American Playground I found this absolutely amazing “urban gravestone”.

rip

restin

parapapa

feelingfroggy

Per a woman enjoying her Sunday afternoon nearby (and who asked me if I was the “New York Shitty lady”!) this mural was started on Saturday and completed today. It took only twenty fours hours (if that) to complete this lovely tribute to two loved ones whose lives ended tragically early. Those of you who have the time and inclination really should go to  Milton Street between West and Franklin and see this wonderful work of art in person. The above photographs do not do it justice.

Miss Heather

Happy Mother’s Day From The Viridian!

May 10, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic 

I do not qualify as a mother per se but as the keeper of five cats and husband I felt entitled to take the day easy. In fact, I did nothing whatsoever— and you know what? It felt good! My neighbors, conversely, were anything but layabouts. Wishing to make the most of today’s most opportune break from the recent onslaught of stormy weather they rolled out the barbecue grill, popped open a few brewskis and played a rousing round (or nine) of “toss the pylon”.

viridian51009

Courtesy of Greenpoint’s good friend, Magic Johnson.

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The rules of the game seem simple enough: you toss pylons.

pylonsonthestreet

pylonsinstreet2

In the street.

pylonsonsidewalk

On your neighbor’s sidewalk.

window

And even at your neighbor’s window! Given Mr. Johnson’s interest in physical fitness I have little doubt he’ll be pleased as punch to know the neighborhood youths also joined in the fun.

youthswithpylon

What better gift could a child possibly give his mother on her special day than a memento of one of the most misguided developments in north Brooklyn? Arguably the only more fitting memorial I can think of would be a tee shirt:

Magic Johnson built a luxury condo and all I got was this lousy pylon.

Miss Heather

Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: Low Tide

May 10, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic 

binlet

From Franklin Street.

Miss Heather

BREAKING: 1043 & 1047 Manhattan Avenue Cordoned Off By Police

May 9, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic 

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10432

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After receiving a partial vacate order last September 1043 Manhattan Avenue is continuing to lose its battle with gravity. For those of you who are not in the know the reason this building was deemed hazardous was in part due to structural instability arising from the (illegal) removal of a first floor wall between 1043 and its neighbor, 1047. A violation, I will add, that the Department of Buildings is well aware of; it was dismissed once last year only to become “pending” once again this year. Per a witness at the scene he walked by this building at noon today to find bricks had fallen from the building and landed on the sidewalk. Fortunately no one was in the path of this falling masonry— but that is immaterial— if also very fortuitous, given this came to pass on a Saturday afternoon. This debris could have seriously injured or killed someone.

bricks

If you live in Greenpoint I want you to look very carefully at the above photograph. This is what could have landed on your head had you been the wrong person at the wrong place at the wrong time. If this isn’t proof positive that whatever “enforcement” power the Department of Buildings is exercising is not working I do not know what will. Something needs to change.

Or will we have to wait until a(nother) person dies?

Miss Heather

UPDATE, 3:30 p.m.: The tape has been taken down.

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More vacate orders and paperwork have been issued.

before

1047vacateandsummonsrev

1043summons

Life is back to normal at 1043 – 1047 Manhattan Avenue.

pedestrian

My advice to pedestrians:

1043crack

more-crack

yetmorecrack

bricks1

walk on the other side of the street.

What’s Up At 999 Manhattan Avenue?

May 8, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic 

999manhattanave

psychic-friend

Some of you might have noticed the rather abrupt departure of the psychic (as well as her rather adorable cat who can be seen above) who occupied the space adjacent to Papasitos. I have no idea as to her whereabouts (nor do I care to know: that woman was OBNOXIOUS).

However, I can tell you what’s taking her place: more Papasitos! Given how packed this restaurant gets (for a damned good reason: among other things their jalapeno poppers are amazing) doubling or tripling their seating capacity is stellar news for both Cody Utzman, this establishment’s owner, and diners alike. I can hardly wait to see what they do with the extra space!

Papasitos
999 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222

Miss Heather

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