Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Much Ado About 65 Commercial Street
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
The following comes courtesy of the headmistress of the McCarren Dog Run group. She writes:
It’s Rebecca11222. When I am not discovering Lifetime Achievement Awards in shrubbery, I serve as Email Maven for the McCarren Park Dog Run Association. This crossed my desk & pissed me off. The people should know.
Hello McCarren Park Dog. On behalf of Council Member David Yassky, I have attached two letters that we are going to deliver to the Mayor and the MTA on behalf of the community residents and organizations concerning 65 Commercial Street.
As part of the 2005 rezoning of Williamsburg/Greenpoint, 65 Commercial Street in Greenpoint was to become a waterfront park for the
community. The MTA has been using the lot and had promised the Administration that they would vacate the lot once a suitable alternative was found for them. Yet four years after the rezoning the MTA remains on the site.We are asking community groups to sign on to the attached letters and we hope that you will lend your name to this cause. We will be doing a press conference about this in the coming days as well and I will certainly keep you posted about that.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Rami
This seems all well and good until you ask the question:
How will this park be paid for?
You could ask Rami (who can be reached at rmetal (at) council (dot) nyc (dot) gov) but I’ll answer it for you:
By selling the air rights so as to build yet more “luxury condominiums” Greenpoint neither needs nor wants. High rises no less. The last I checked they are to be designed by north Brooklyn’s architect of choice and author of the unfolding atrocity at 200 Franklin Street…
none other than Karl Fischer! Don’t believe me? go to Karl’s web site, look up “60 Commercial Street” and see for yourself!
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: HOLY SH*T!
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
This rather unconventional take on double parking comes courtesy of Graham T. Beck. He writes:
Hey,
I walked out of my apartment to take a jog this afternoon, and the attached is what I saw…
According to an eye-witness, the driver of the white van was fleeing some undercover cops, doing about 100mph down Manhattan Avenue. Between India and Huron, the driver of the white van struck a young blonde woman, approximately 20 years old.
After the collision, the driver continued North along the Avenue.
At Dupont Street, the driver of the white van apparently lost control of his the vehicle and crashed into the black SUV, which was forced backwards on top of the station wagon.
The pedestrian’s condition is unknown. The driver of the white van was detained by the police.
I suspect I speak for many when I say my sincerest wishes are with the loved ones of the innocent bystander who was killed by this asshole. For those of you who are wondering, the next 94th Precinct Community Council Meeting will be on May 18th. I strongly recommend that each and every person who is outraged by this woman’s senseless death make it a point to attend.
Miss Heather
UPDATE, 10:19 a.m., 4/28/09: The New York Daily News has written a piece about this incident. You can read it by clicking here. Streetsblog also has a great piece which you can read here.
UPDATE, 5:42 p.m.; I just received these images and commentary from Laura Hofmann.
I came home from school to learn that there had been a shootout on Nassau Ave. A car chase down Manhattan Ave. A young girl hit & killed. And three cars piled onto each other across from my building.
The captain of the 94th can stand on his head from now until doomsday and he won’t convince me that there’s no crime problem happening in Greenpoint. We’re not even half way through 2009 and Greenpoint has a long list of problems going on!
Photo Credits: Graham T. Beck & Laura Hofmann
Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: A Walk Down Dupont Street
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Miss Heather
Felines Lost & Found
I have a couple of pet-related items to relay to you. In the interest of brevity (it’s been a long day) I have decided to put them in one quick and easy post. Here it goes.
LOST
First up, Mingus the cat has gone MIA. I’m not too certain where his home is but this flier hails from Huron Street. So all of you who live in the general area keep an eye out for this little fella. It goes without saying (but I’m to say it anyway) if you have seen him or know of his whereabouts please contact his owner at the above telephone number. Thanks!
FOUND
This item comes courtesy of Laura Hofmann. She writes:
This cat showed up today on our 5th floor fire escape… He wondered onto a brick gargoyle on the front of the building. Fortunately, my son was able to reach him and rescue him. We’ve knocked on many doors in our apt building. Looks like he doesn’t belong to anyone here. The cat has a purple collar on it.
Empty Cages Collective Adoption Event
@ NYC Pet Supplies
241 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11211
And that’s all she wrote!
Miss Heather
Williamsburg Video Du Jour: Last Gasp
Tonight I though I would polish off Christmas 2008 with a couple of photographs courtesy a la the Mister (from right here in Greenpoint!) and one of the most obnoxious display of holiday spirit I have ever seen. It hails from North 6th Street and well, seeing (and listening) is believing.
Wouldn’t you love to be this person’s neighbor? I for one prefer this more subdued but curiously rave-like Hannukah set up on Franklin Street.
Miss Heather
Winter Wonderland!
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
If there’s one time Greenpoint really shines it is when it is has a nice dusting of snow. For this reason I am going to share with you some photographs I took of yesterday’s snowstorm. Enjoy!
Be sure to check out the neat pix Rowan5 took of Bushwick inlet as well. They can be found in the New York Shitty photo pool. They’re worth the point and click!
Miss Heather
Life In Dangertown
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
On Thanksgiving Day of this year I wrote:
What constituted “Dangertown†here in 11222, you ask? I’m saving that for an extra juicy post!
Well, that time has come.
Although the above image did not accompany the following article from the July 18, 1886 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle I felt it illustrated perfectly the grinding poverty that was once commonplace in the fair burgh we call home. Believe it or not this see-saw was considered plush by contemporary accounts. Greenpoint at the turn of the century was rife with crime, filth and gangs with colorful noms de guerre such as the “Dangertown Slobs”, “Jolly Four”, “Sons of Rest” and the “Undertakers”. The latter most moniker is my personal favorite, as the members purportedly called themselves as such because they completed everything they undertook —but make no mistake about it: the young Republican’s Glee Club these gentlemen most decidedly were NOT.
Two things haven’t changed over the last 124 years in Greenpoint; the watering holes are still quite plentiful and there’s plenty of hideous architecture to go around.* You can read the rest of this article about “Dangertown” (and its numerous shenanigans) by clicking here.
Miss Heather
*Karl Fischer
NYS Flickr Pool
You must be logged in to post a comment.