Greenpoint
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Culture on the Cheap
Greenpoint Laundromat Watch: Eager On Calyer
Some of you might recall that a couple weeks ago I walked by the soon-to-be laundromat on Calyer Street. That was where I found the missive at left. It was written by someone who has taken a very keen interest in this establishment and reads as follows:
Dear laundromat,
Please finish construction soon so I can give you all of my money. I have at least seventy pounds of dirty laundry with your name on it!
p.s. if you need help with construction i am good with a hammer
Well, I walked by again yesterday. It would appear this person has been back— and is getting desperate.
Miss Heather
UPDATE, 8:40 p.m.: this missive has since been annotated. Good catch, Caryn!
Found On Calyer Street: True Confession
If the above building looks familiar to you, here is why: I learned it was owned by my landlord after he had been shut down by the Department of Buildings, discovered this web site and elected to telephone me. Needless to say this was a bit awkward. But not as awkward as, say, having seventy pounds of fetid laundry in your apartment. Although I miss the purple aluminum siding, perhaps it “died” for a good cause? I suspect this person’s neighbors or roommates would say so. In closing I would like to advise the person responsible for this tome that am going to print out a copy of this and give it to my landlord lest he is need of anyone who is “good with a hammer”. His name is Nick lest you want to put his name on your dirty clothing.
Miss Heather
155 Calyer Street Update
It has been some time since I have revisited this property. I have written about it rather extensively and as of the last post it has been served a Stop Work Order. A number of people have wondered what is slated to grace this property. Well, I have the answer: it is going to be a laundromat. I suspect many will agree with me that such a business is sorely needed in this part of Greenpoint.
But this post isn’t about a dearth of goods and services. That is boring. Rather, I am going to write about how I learned this space is going to be a laundromat. This is infinitely more interesting, as you will see.
After pulling some seriously brutal hours, the Mister took last Friday off. Inasmuch as I can deduce he spent it playing around on the computer. This is his usual m.o. when he has down time. In any case, whatever he was doing was interrupted by a phone call. It was our landlord. He was quite upset. Long story made short: he was the author of the work at 155 Calyer Street. After receiving a Stop Work Order his secretary did some research and discovered New York Shitty. Somehow they put it together who is the author of this site: me.
My husband informed me that our landlord seemed to be under the impression I was angry at him and raised a stink about 155 Calyer to take a dig at him. I can assure you (and him if he is reading this) this was and is not the case. Had I known he was responsible for this I probably would have approached the matter a little differently. I probably would have given him a head’s up that the work at this site has come to the attention of a number of people and the absence of any work permits was probably going to net a complaint to the Department of Buildings. But why trifle with what could have been? Here and now my landlord thinks I have it out for him.
I do not. But I (and a number of other Greenpoint residents) do have a “thing” for illegal demolition and construction work. Especially when it comes to landmarked properties. This is the result of witnessing years upon years of watching abuse being heaped upon this neighborhood and my community’s quality of life at the behest of unscrupulous speculators. And this city’s seeming unwillingness to do anything about it.
What’s more, I really like purple aluminum siding.
All in all, our landlord is a swell guy. Although I have voiced frustrations about the living conditions in our humble abode in the past, since there was a change in management— and our former Super was sent packing (that man was about as worthless as they come)— things have been quite good. When things break (and they do, this is inevitable) they are fixed in a timely manner and more importantly they are fixed properly. I would not have a signed a two year lease (sans rider— which was one of the most odious and legally questionable documents I have ever seen and it should be noted was NOT drawn up by our landlord) last month if I was unhappy. Much to the contrary: I am quite happy.
Except for the fact I probably had a hand in getting my landlord in trouble. I feel pretty bad about that.
I am certain when this laundomat is up and running it be an asset— not a detriment— to the community. Foremost and above all (and I suspect I speak for many when I write this) I am relieved that this space is not going to be another bar. We have way too many of these already.
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: 155 Calyer Gets SWO’ed
As some of you might remember last year I wrote about the immaculate demolition of 155 Calyer Street. A landmarked property. Well, I have been advised via comments and email the perpetrators, 155 Calyer LLC, have been served.
new writes on 12/31/09:
DOB dropped by this afternoon and posted a love note in the window..
C writes on 1/4/10:
155 calyer got a stop work order
Sure enough, per the Department of Building’s web site 155 Calyer has been served.
Note how the interior demolition is “80% complete”. I wonder what tipped them off?
Perhaps it was this hugeass dumpster out front?
Note how it is placed in a “No Parking” zone. It should also be noted this photograph was taken today, January 4, 2010: a Monday.
If you’re going to break one law, why not break a few more? You’ll get a slap on the proverbial (READ: financial) wrist. That’s the north Brooklyn way!
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: What’s Up at 155 Calyer?
C (who sent me the above photo) writes:
Former home of the William Taft, and a perfectly good laundromat. Then became the architect’s studio. Then nothing… until today, when both sides had major demolition going on inside. No permits. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Posted or on the DOB site.
I’m all for this space getting used for some useful commerce – or any commerce or small business – but I smell a rat.
Demolition without a permit? In Greenpoint? Say it isn’t so, C!
In all seriousness, this is hardly surprising but pretty darned disturbing given this building is landmarked. Anyone out there have the scoop on what is happening at this site? If so, please share via the comments. Thanks!
Miss Heather
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