Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Urban Fur: Tails Up!
From Kent Street.
Miss Heather
P.S.: Those of you who are newer readers and/or Greenpoint residents and have wondered about this seemingly out of place feline you can get the full scoop here. (It’s really cute.)
Spotted At The Garden: G.G. Allin
Hmm, let’s see.
Organic groceries: check.
Musings from a man who rolled around in/consumed his own feces: Check…
Miss Heather
Something Neat: Greenpoint, The Book
When I spied this behind the counter at the Garden today I simply had to have it. The asking price of $23.99 be damned! Those of you who are looking for a book outlining the basic history of Greenpoint accompanied by some very lovely photographs will probably be hard-pressed to find anything better than this tome. Even if you do not have the money, swing by and give it a look-see. It’s pretty neat!
Greenpoint: Little Poland
Jolanta Zastocka
The Garden
921 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Note: this book is in both Polish and English.
Miss Heather
The Kent Street Cat
Filed under: 11222, Crazy Cat Lady, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
This cat (which graces the north-facing wall of The Garden) has been around as long as I can remember. I have noticed all other graffiti that has found its way to this edifice has been removed— but not this kitty. I have long intended to get the story behind this fetching feline. Last night I finally did.
Faced with the prospect of having to eat a jarring combination of (questionably edible) foodstuffs for dinner the Mister and I patronized The Garden. As luck would have it, I recognized one of the owners of this establishment. He was engaged in a conversation with another gentleman but having at long last the opportunity to shed light on this mystery I politely interrupted.
Miss Heather: Pardon me for butting in but aren’t you the owner of this establishment?
Owner: Yes, I am one of them.
Miss Heather: I have a very strange question for you. I took it up with Magda (an employee of The Garden, wonderful woman) as I know she has been working here for some time but she didn’t know…
Owner: (getting curious)
Miss Heather: What’s the deal with the cat on your building? The black cat.
After some thought (and some more Q & A) I got an answer. Here it is, albeit in highly simplified form:
- Approximately 8-9 years ago someone spray-painted this piece of graffiti onto The Garden.
- The owner liked it so much he didn’t see fit to remove it.
- However, the owner of the building didn’t agree, so…
- five years ago he asked someone to cover it up with primer.
- When the person with the primer showed up this gentleman (who the owner of The Garden described as being a “cat person”) had changed his mind. He had grown attached to it.
And so it has remained on Kent Street ever since. I have no idea what the person responsible for this was thinking when he (or she) created this cat. Was his intent vandalism or art? I don’t know and quite frankly I am comfortable with not knowing. It has since become a beloved member of the community and I suspect I speak for many when I say I hope he (or she) stays with us for a very, very long time!
Miss Heather
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