Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Help Wanted On Troutman
I have never been a big fan of self-help industry. This is especially true of books like The Secret which lavish a great deal of attention on what is called the “Law of Attraction”. For those of you who are not motivational-speak savvy, here is a definition of this piece psycho-speak from Wikipedia:
…the Law of Attraction says people’s thoughts (both conscious and unconscious) dictate the reality of their lives, whether or not they’re aware of it. Essentially “if you really want something and truly believe it’s possible, you’ll get it”, but putting a lot of attention and thought onto something you don’t want means you’ll probably get that too.
Why anyone would need to outlay money on a book to figure this out is beyond me. My good friend Rachael (long before this idea became de rigueur to changing one’s life) coined a term for just this phenomenon:
Ass begets ass.
Which brings me to this solicitation from Troutman Street.
How can I not shake the feeling this advertisement for “good” carpenters failed miserably? Is it the fact it is written on a door with marker? The fact it will only be seen by people happen to walk down Troutman Street? The fact “ones” is misspelled? It is probably all of the above.
In any case if any “good” carpenters are reading this and are (still) need of work you might want head down to 114-124 Troutman Street.
You skills may very well still be in demand. And even if they aren’t…
you will be on the inside track to pursue this very novel business proposition just down the street.
Good luck— and remember: think positive!
Miss Heather
From The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Archives: OH!
Ever had one of those moments when you see something you have walked by many times in a totally new light? This week I just such an experience. And it all started at 10 Bushwick Place.
By north Brooklyn standards this building is not terribly remarkable. In fact they’re a dime a dozen. Until you take a closer look; that’s when it starts to get intriguing.
This facility was once the bottling plant for the Hittleman Brewery. While this is interesting in and of itself, the juicy stuff lies just around the corner on Meserole Street.
One bigass brewery. I have walked down Meserole Street. I have walked down Bushwick Place. Numerous times. But until last weekend I had never walked down Bushwick Place and this stretch of Meserole Street in a single clip. Which leads me to my discovery.
No, it wasn’t this ice plant (as nifty as it is).
This.
Or even this. Romanesque architecture was all the rage in the late 19th century. While the typography is enjoyable, it was not what piqued my interest.
Rather, it was what I found next door that motivated me to get my cybersleuth on.
“OH”.
Not much to go on, you say? Actually it was terrifyingly easy to learn what (or in this case, who) these letters refer to. All I had to do is Google “Hittleman Brewery”. Per NY Food Museum:
A German immigrant, Otto Huber, Sr., who had worked for other breweries in Brooklyn, established his own plant in the late 1860s. He purchased the Hoerger Brewery in 1866 and built the new plant, which became one of the largest and most productive breweries in Brooklyn. After his death in 1889*, his sons, Otto, Jr., Joseph, Charles, and Max, managed the company and it remained a family enterprise until the 1920s when it was sold to Edward Hittleman, who renamed the brewery after himself. Hittleman produced near beer until repeal of Prohibition, and in 1934 he changed the name of the company to Hittleman-Goldenrod Brewery. Goldenrod was a traditional brand name dating to the Huber brewery. After being renamed Edelbrau after a popular beer, it was finally changed to Edelbrew in 1946. Not long after Hittleman’s death in 1951 at age sixty-eight, the brewery closed.
“O” + “H” = Otto Huber. And, as I learned from this article dating from the December 20, 1896 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, “O.H.” means oh so much more:
You can read this article in its entirety by clicking here. Be advised it is a rather lengthy read (~1,200 words give or take), but well worth the extra time. (The man made a lot of beer. Seriously.) In closing, here are a few more things I learned during my research.
1. The business office for Otto Huber’s brewery was located at 1 Bushwick Place.
2. A saloon was on the premises. Judging from what is extant today I would hazard to guess this (which is conveniently located across the street from 1 Bushwick Place) was it.
3. The more eagle-eyed among you might have noticed what is inscribed on the chimney in the background.
I have. Especially since there is something a mere stone’s throw away that bears a similar inscription.
But that is the stuff of another post (which I have already started researching, lest you are wondering). When you (and you know who you are) kick back and enjoy a tall frosty one this balmy weekend why not give a toast to Otto Huber? The man who gave us “OH”!
Miss Heather
*This is a factual error: Otto Huber died in 1890. Here’s his funeral announcement from the March 23, 1890 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
New York Shitty Day Ender: Signs Of The Times
From the 8th Avenue bound platform of the L train at Montrose Avenue.
Miss Heather
Thought Of The Day: Meadow Street
lost yourself into a workland of well kafted crafted metal metals,, may your heart find gold,, young son
Miss Heather
Happy Puerto Rico Day From New York Shitty!
I want to take a moment to wish my Boriquen friends a happy and healthy Puerto Rico Day. Now go out and enjoy the sunshine… while it lasts.
Miss Heather
Let’s Talk About Beer
From the December 6, 1886 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle*:
Ninety three million gallons of beer? That is impressive— but hardly surprising. Brooklyn once sported a large number of breweries. Many of them were located in our own proverbial backyard. Which brings me to the photograph gracing the beginning of this post. This building is located at the intersection of Belvidere and Beaver Streets. If you look very carefully behind the fire escape you’ll find this.
This building, now simply known as 75 Belvidere Street, was once a brewery. Curious to learn a little more about Vigelius & Ulmer’s lager works I did a little poking around the Brooklyn Daily Eagle archives. It took a few searches but the following item, which dates seven years after Mr. Vigelius and Ulmer opened shop was totally worth the extra effort.
Yes sir, things were hopping (horrible pun completely intended) in Bushwick during the 1870’s. Then again, this is hardly surprising given our fair city’s love of suds: 1,500,000,000 glasses per annum is a lot of beer. Given the previous statistic it goes without saying that (lawsuits notwithstanding) Vigelius and Ulmer became very rich men! As this obituary for the former attests.
Luckily enough for beer lovers— and us— Mr. Vigelius’s partner persevered. And we are left with this lovely building, Ulmer’s office, on Belvidere Street.
What’s more Mr. Ulmer was a bit litigious in his own right— especially when one miscreant tried to weasel his way to get out of paying for his product. From the December 4, 1900 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:
In closing if any of you, dear readers, happen to be in the area do check out the Vigelius and Ulmer brewery. It’s really neat! And oh yeah: if you happen to order large quantities of beer today— or any other day, for that matter— be damned prepared to pay for it!
Nobody likes a welcher.
Miss Heather
*You can this article in its entirety by clicking here.
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