Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: Transmitter Park
While hardly the most comely of open spaces (although has attained some popularity with a certain segment of the population, as seen above) I have it on very good intelligence WNYC Transmitter “Playground” could be shuttered as early as next Tuesday, August 27. Why, you ask? Because they will need time to make preparations for the ground-breaking ceremony that will come to pass August 3, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. Who knew wood chips needed so much fussing over?
WNYC Transmitter Park Groundbreaking Ceremony
August 3, 2010 at 11:30 a.m.
Greenpoint Avenue and (roughly) West Street
Brooklyn, New York 11222
In closing it has been brought to my attention that a fig tree graces this site. For those of you who are not in the know (I didn’t) apparently fruit-bearing trees are not allowed on city park land. If you are interested in giving this tree a forever home please shoot me an email at: missheather (at) thatgreenpointblog (dot) com. I will forward it to the appropriate parties. Thanks!
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: Call Box
I’ve been watching this beleaguered call box for some time. Every time I walk by there’s something different affixed to it. One time I even found a calculator epoxyed to it.
Yesterday it looked like nothing new had been added. But upon closer examination I discovered that, sure enough, there was!
An egg!
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox, Part II: And Now Fish Oil?
(Or, A Greenpoint Gets A Healthy Spill*)
This latest installment of mayhem from the Garden Spot comes from a gentleman named Todd. He writes:
Apparently there was a giant fish oil spill on Franklin and Greenpoint last night resulting in car accidents, people slipping and tripping, and other various keystone cops/laurel and hardy type LOLZ. Do you know anything about this? …A friend witnessed it but did not take pictures. She did however talk to a cop at the scene, asking ‘why don’t you just close off the intersection?’ The response was ‘lack of manpower’. I guess you need the National Guard to set up for wooden horses to close off an intersection.
This is news to me. Anyone out there have the 411 about this? If so, please share via comments or send me an email at missheather (at) newyorkshitty (dot) com.
Thanks!
Miss Heather
*Special props go to Brenda Becker for this piquant observation!
Spotted In Greenpoint: Crusties!
Just like the swallows at Capristrano, the crusties are back!
And some of them like flowers! Much to confusion/bemused interest of the local population.
Miss Heather
Crosstown Local Photo Du Jour: Look Mom!
Filed under: 11222, Crosstown Local, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
This special find was spied by the Mister on the Queens-bound platform at Greenpoint Avenue.
Miss Heather
Spotted At First Avenue: “Official Neglect”
Filed under: 10009, 11101, 11211, 11222, Crosstown Local, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Manhattan, New York City, Subway, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
I am not a marketing whiz. I leave that to the experts. But placing such a polemic at the entrance of Canarsie-bound L train, well, strikes me as being misguided at best. We have problems of our own. Believe you me when I waited for the mighty Crosstown Local (which was more fragrant than usual) last night— for over 30 minutes— at Metropolitan Avenue— I found this missive wretchedly comical. You want to see neglect, Upper West Siders? Why not cross the pond and see the not-so-benign neglect that our city has seen to lavish upon us G trainers.
21st Street, Long Island City, Queens
This sign is unnecessary. When foul-smelling muck is dripping from the ceiling people will inevitably avoid the edge of the platform until it is absolutely necessary. That is, when the G train finally arrives. Taken July 4, 2010.
If my memory serves me correctly this tile work was done in the late 90’s. As of July 4, 2010 it looks like ass. I skipped Nassau Avenue. Here’s why: because there is a busted water main and it makes the Norman Avenue entrance smell like dead fish. But back to the purpose of this post:
- Token booths being unattended
- Dysfunctional Metrocard machines
- Non-functional panopticons (Lest anyone from the Upper West Side is reading this: the ones on the L and G appear to be fully functional. Exactly what effect this has as a crime deterrent has yet to be determined.)
- I know of not a single person who has attempted to use the intercoms in North Brooklyn. It is popularly considered as an exercise in futility. (If anyone has please contact me via email at: missheather (at) thatgreenpointblog (dot) com. I’d love to hear your story.)
These conditions (and worse) are taken for granted in the hinterlands (READ: the outer boroughs), my uptown friends. We often have to go above ground in order to interface with a station agent. Occasionally we encounter an actual human being.
To conclude: the grievances our friends at 86 Street have stated are pretty much par for the course. They are nothing special. These people are simply better organized. Perhaps a few G,L,J,M,7 (to name a few) trainers would like to make their voices heard at this meeting?
MTA Public Meeting
July 13, 2010 starting at 6:00 p.m.
Cooper Union
7 East 7 Street
New York, New York 10009
Let’s show them, Mayor Mike, et. al. the true meaning of neglect!
Miss Heather
Reader Comment Of The Week: WNYC Transmitter “Playground”
d writes in regards to this post about Greenpoint’s public lavatories— or more accurately the lack thereof: Gross. And people think Transmitter is a dog run because of the chips, it’s not a dog run, yet people let their dogs poop in there and don’t clean it up. Now, I love dogs, but I haven’t forgotten last summer when the heel of my shoe ended up in poo.
The chips do lead to a certain ambiguity as to whom this park services: humans or canines. To my recollection the only place in our public parks are to be found are in the dog runs. If you go to the dog run at McCarren you’ll see it’s at least one full foot deep with the stuff. What I find curious is how this “interim” public space is “categorized”. Initially it was referred to as a park— but once it was pointed out that it did not meet the Parks Department’s own specifications of what constitutes a park it has been deemed a playground. Once again, this is curious given there is no equipment for children to play on/with so, as d has observed. It has been employed as a dog run. This would be fine and dandy (god only knows Greenpoint needs one) if people would be more considerate about scooping up their poop. It should be noted that in this respect the Parks Department has made their stance very clear.
Or have they? Let’s look more closely at the sign to the left.
Here’s the deal: there is no “designated area” to let one’s dog run without a leash— but it is not completely clear that dogs are not permitted to go off-leash either. It is not unreasonable to presume that the wood chips do lead some to believe this is a dog run. Then again, you’ll always have people who— for reasons only known to them— will not follow the rules. Case in point: consuming alcohol.
Here’s the deal: I personally don’t care if people imbibe in our parks— provided it does not pose a problem to the other users. Let’s face facts: we all know this is going on.
Rather, what I want to know is exactly what these people are doing? Staging a re-enactment of Cool Hand Luke’s infamous “50 eggs” sequence perhaps?
Oh wait, you need a permit to do that!
Miss Heather
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