Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Tomorrow: Happy Birthday, Irene!
Filed under: 11222, Asshole, Fuck This Shit, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
If you do not know who this amazing woman is, you should. Her name is Irene Klementowicz and this is what she had to say about an “environmental study” presentation a couple years ago.
Tomorrow, January 8th, will be her 86th birthday. If any of you, gentle readers, see her on Manhattan Avenue (always stylishly attired) wish her a happy and healthy one. It is women such as her who keep this community (or at least some of its bullshit) in check. And for this reason I adore her. This one’s for you, Irene.
P.S.: Also of note, “OSA” will be rolling out their vision plan for the Greenpoint Waterfront.
Those of you who plan on attending this dog and pony show: please keep Irene in the backs of your minds. After all, what does it say about a “parks advocacy group” when its head is the very same attorney who, under George “Greenpoint Landing” Klein’s hire, stumped for the 2005 Rezone (parks for super-sizing scheme) in the first place?
The fellow in question prefers to see it as “community advocacy”— and I suppose, given his purview— it is.
Greenpoint Photos & Videos Du Jour: Live From The Rally At Barge Park
Filed under: 11222, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
This handsome fellow was one of the many citizens who attended this evening’s convocation.
Not only am I pleased to announce that the turn out was great, but the community feedback was even better (and totally Greenpoint— which is not, as one attendee noted, “Midtown”). Without further ado, here we go!
Part I: Introduction
- Starting at 6:36: This. MAN. RULES.
Part II
Part III
- Piquant observation regarding the G train (present and future): “This is not Sim City.”
Part IV
Part V (The Conclusion)
Those of you who wish to join the effort, should point and click your way to Save Greenpoint’s web site and sign up for their mailing list. In closing, I want to thank everyone who came out this evening— even those who did not speak out. Especially Adam Perlmutter, Esquire.
You see gentle readers, not only was he the “community advocate” who fought the TGE power plant…
but he also happened to be under the hire of George Klein (the fellow behind Greenpoint Landing) to state his case for the 2005 Rezone. The latter is, when you really think about it, why this rally was conducted in the first place.
(From the April 29, 2005 edition of the New York Daily News)
This one’s for you!
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Signed, Sealed & Delivered!
An anonymous tipster notes:
Say hello to our new crack I mean comfort station
That’s right folks: Barge Park’s pissoir has arrived!
Presenting D.O.G.G.O.Ne.
Some of you might recall that yours truly received a rather disgruntled email from a dog owner regarding the ban on dogs at Barge Park Playground and dearth of dog runs in north Greenpoint in general. Well, instead of merely complaining my friend T has decided to do something about it! To this end he has created Dog Owners Group of Greenpoint on Newtown, or, DOGGONe. Although I have already updated my prior blog post with information about this endeavor I will do so here again. T writes:
Ok, we’re in business! I’ve named the group D.O.G.G.O.NE – Dog Owners Group Greenpoint on Newtown
here’s the link to the yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/doggone_brooklyn
email address is doggone_brooklyn@yahoogroups.com
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: No Dogs Allowed At Barge Park?
My friend T (who hails from Eagle Street and sent me the above photo) writes:
Well, another dog friendly park bites the dust. I discovered this on Sunday morning as I sauntered over to Newton Barge Park for my routine morning walk with my dog around the lovely concrete. As I approached the park I noticed a bunch of Park employees doing their usual Sunday morning clean up. What I did not notice was the new sign, a photo of which is attached. I was bee-lining for the entrance when from about 30 yards away a Parks dude starts gesticulating and pointing. I thought it might be epilepsy..no words were issuing from his mouth…but then his colleague also started gesticulating and pointing.
Concerned, I shot them a “What??” They responded with more gesticulating and pointing. I re-iterated my query. One of them managed to utter “Read the sign” to which I replied “I can read…how about you talk to me like a human being and explain what’s going on”. To which I got more pointing and gesticulating. When I finally convinced one of these dudes that I wasn’t going to just sulk away with my and my dog’s tails between our legs, he came over and said “I don’t want to get political with you, but we got so many 311 calls after the snow about dog crap in the park that we had to do this”.
My God… THEY HAD TO! If only there were some law….something on the books that might be used to discourage these fecal polluters…some tool or mechanism for those burdened to Protect And Serve us to use to quell this tide of irresponsible dog owners. I mean, maybe the giant sign that says CURB YOUR DOG 1,000 DOLLAR FINE which has been there for years is just someone’s idea of a silly joke. Must be since I’ve never seen anyone get a ticket.
What I want to understand, given that there is not a SINGLE other enclosed, dog-friendly park in Northern Greenpoint, is how the Parks Department goes from “We’ve got complaints” to “Shut down that park for dogs” without first trying to actually enforce their laws. I mean, no one enforces all the non-dog related laws in that park – the littering, the loitering, the drinking, the glass, etc etc, yet they haven’t closed the park to humans.
Here were the options I was given by the Parks dude:
1) Go to McCarren Park. Uh huh. I could also drive Westchester…probably be just as practical
2) There’s gonna be a new park on Commerical Ave. Uh huh..you meant the one that the MTA is making no signs of evacuating?
3) The new park on Greenpoint Ave will be open in December. Thanks, man! My dog only shits bi-annually so that will come right in handy
4) Go screw yourself. Yup, that’s the one that works for me!Fortunately, I talked to Mr. Moustache* (Community Board 1’s Public Safety Chair, Mieszko Kalita — Ed. Note) at Beata this morning. He said that if I organized an official group of dog owners and than came to a CB1 meeting and presented a request for a dog run, that the city would actually give me fencing, wood chips, garbage pails, a lock, etc, as well as a parcel of land, and then I could run my own dog park. So, help me spread the word, Heather! I need about 20 dog owners who are willing to start some kind of loose group to run a dog park.
Here’s the deal: one of the items on the ballot regarding the funds allocated by the Department of Environmental Conservation to foster parks development/improvement in communities impacted by the Shit Tits was a dog run at Barge Park. I, despite not being a dog owner, voted for it because as my friend has clearly pointed out one is clearly needed! Certainly there are twenty north Greenpoint dog lovers reading this who would like to see a dog run in our fair corner of the neighborhood? Anyone?
Update, 8:16 p.m.: T has started laying a foundation to get this endeavor rolling. Here are the deets!
Ok, we’re in business! I’ve named the group D.O.G.G.O.NE – Dog Owners Group Greenpoint on Newtown
here’s the link to the yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/doggone_brooklyn
email address is doggone_brooklyn@yahoogroups.com
Miss Heather
*I can assure this is not at all derisive. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it is high praise. Yours truly happens to know for a fact that the idea of dedicating a Facebook fan page to this chap’s mustache has been bandied about. I’m not kidding.
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Snow Farm At Barge Park?
I have received no less than three emails about this in the last 24 hours. Todd writes (in an email entitled “Snow Dumping”) on January 30, 2011:
Haven’t checked your blog yet, but you should take a meander down to corner of commercial street and Franklin ave. NYC Sanitation has been dumping snow all night, blocking access to park and parking on entire street. Where the hell is this snow from cuz they sure as hell haven’t cleaned up greenpoint. Also, what happens to all the garbage left over after they melt it all? Regardless, the pile is pretty impressive
Shortly thereafter, Laura writes:
Yesterday, Mike and I took a walk down to the Manhattan Ave St End Park and then to Barge Park. We were able to get to the Manhattan Ave St End Park however there is so much snow blocking sidewalks and streets at Barge Park, it was impossible for us to get to it safely. On our way, we saw… a bunch of snow plows sitting doing nothing. They are hanging out along Commercial St and Barge Park. Check it out.
And today Graham writes:
hey, heather. long time, no email. i hope this finds you well. i was wondering whether you know anything about the HUGE SNOW FARM that has taken over and completely blocked the streets in front of Newtown Barge Park? it’s really a sight. and also a total FU. why would the city block access to one of the only parks in the hood? they sure as shit didn’t block access to the film set next door.
sorry for the rage. hopefully you know something or can at least spread the word.
Naturally I had to see this for myself so this morning I headed to Barge Park. What I found was downright impressive. And kind of gross.
This defies all known logic. Why would the Department of Sanitation see fit to block access to a public park while leaving Dupont Street west of Franklin, which is essentially little more than a glorified parking lot/trash dump, unobstructed? Thoughts, anyone?
Miss Heather
Spotted At Barge Park: A Royal Flush
No, make that two royal flushes!
It looks like we have finally gotten our temporary crappers, Greenpointers!
What’s more they’re actually clean! Will the wonders ever cease?
Miss Heather
P.S.: I have also word from Miss Mousey Brown two port-o-lets have been placed by the handball courts at McCarren Park. Click here and see ’em for yourself! On a related note, Monday, July 26, at 4:00 p.m. Parks Moms will be having a walk-through at McCarren Park. What’s the purpose, you ask? Here’s the 411 per the email I received:
THE IDEA IS TO WALK THE WHOLE PARK, POINT OUT, AND LIST THINGS THAT NEED FIXING/IMPROVEMENT (both short and long term) AND DETERMINE WHAT IS NEEDED FROM OSA/PARKS/THE COMMUNITY/PARKS GROUPS TO GET THESE THINGS DONE. This meeting has a practical, get-things-done and work-together intent. Right now we will try to especially focus on “the “low hanging fruit” as Kate Z. so succinctly put it- things that can realistically get done now to improve McCarren!
WE WANT TO MAKE A “QUICK” WALK-THROUGH AND THEN FOLLOW UP WITH (OPTIONAL) COFFEE/HAPPY HOUR AT LOKAL FOR ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION/NETWORKING OR JUST PLAIN RELAXING.
Park Mom’s McCarren Walk-Through
July 26, 2010 starting at 4:00 p.m.
McCarren Park, meet at the corner of Bedford Avenue and Lorimer Street
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Spotted In McCarren Park: Call-A-Head
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Dung of the Day, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Other Shit, Vomit, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
As I mentioned in this post we, the people of north Brooklyn, have been promised by the peeps of OSA (Open Space Alliance North Brooklyn) a handful of port-o-johns to help augment the rather inadequate— and in some cases downright disgusting— facilities which currently grace our public parks. While not what I consider to be an ideal solution (they should be repairing and upgrading existing facilities; and breaking ground for new ones) today I had a glimmer (or would that be a whiff) of hope. At the corner of North 12 and Berry Street to be precise.
Not one, not two, but three port-o-potties! But wait— there’s a catch.
All save one are locked! Perhaps to be dispatched to elsewhere? I can only hope so. In any case I decided to check out the one that was open to the public.
If it is any consolation, dear readers, this smelled worse than it looks.
Methinks another inspection is in order. But why cry over spilled vomit?
Shortly thereafter I discovered that Bushwick Inlet Park has received its promised privy! Two down, two to go…
Miss Heather
Image Credits: The photograph gracing the beginning of this post hails from Sergeant Dougherty Playground and was taken by yours truly.
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