Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
LAST GASP: (Literally)
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Earlier today I relayed more deets via the Greenpoint grapevine regarding the suicide at 141 Dupont Street. Lest I have not made it clear already I think this man’s suicide is a sad testament as to what happens when older residents feel like (and are treated like) strangers in their own neighborhood. I— and undoubtedly most, if not all the people reading this—Â have a “network” of friends to fall back on when life slips us a Mickey. This man didn’t. Or worse yet: he didn’t feel he had a shoulder to cry on. He should have had many.
The most endearing quality of Greenpoint is not its scenery, transportation options (pick your poison: the G train, B43 or B61 bus), affordable housing (there is none) or restaurants. It’s the people. While I still very much consider Greenpoint to be a community walls are being built. They are invisible but very existent nonetheless. Us versus them. We are all to some degree or another guilty of this. I can only hope moving forward we all will take some time to give an ear (pull out the earbuds), lend little heart to our fellow Greenpointers and be better neighbors.
What this man felt before he chose to end his own life will never be known. I can only relay what I have been told. Which brings me to this:
…i guess he was found with a bag over his head and a noose, and had been there for some time. a few of us on the block had noticed a stench about a month ago, but put it down to rats or it just being greenpoint…
I’ll admit the Garden Spot of the Universe has been particularly malodorous of late. But enough so to merit equating the smell of a decomposing body to “creek reek”?!? That’s bad. “How bad”, you ask?
The following (from 838 Manhattan Avenue) should give you some indication.
Passerby (laughing her ass off and pointing excitedly to her friends):
Someone is finally doing something about the smell! (laughter) It’s gotten so bad they’re actually doing something about it. (more laughter)
It’s that bad. And, as one Brownstoner commenter, DitmasSnark, so sagely opined (regarding ‘Stoner’s the Viridian offering one bedrooms rentals for mere $2,200 a month):
“I guess some people will pay extra to be within 6 blocks of the G train.” Not to mention three blocks from the sewage treatment plant.
’Tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good.
CORRECTION: that’s 2 (short) blocks from the sewage treatment plant. I live in that ill wind. The collection ponds are at Provost, Green, Huron, India Streets. Just follow your nose.
How can having a doorman, fountain, rooftop cabanas counteract a neighborhood that smells like a well worn jock strap or dead body? Much less pay $2,200 for the experience? I guess what P.T. Barnum was (reputed to say) is true: there’s a sucker born every minute.
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Ender: Behind The Blue Door
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
From Norman Avenue.
Miss Heather
P.S.: Speaking of doors…
This one should be familiar to a number of you, dear readers. It graces 128 Beadel Street which is easily my favorite house in Greenpoint— and possibly all of New York City. Well, the owner of this house has reached out to me and today I met him face-to-face. Not only is he a very nice guy, but he gave me the full tour! Stay tuned, you will not be disappointed!
From The New York Shitty Inbox: A Little Larceny?
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
M writes:
dear miss heather,
sometime after nine pm last night i experienced the inconceivable loss of my 1970’s Schwinn Twinn tandem bicycle.
someone crow-barred the u-lock off of it at 555 leonard. i called the “helpful” 94th precinct to file a report. they told me i should “find the guy who took it, tell him to meet you in an alley and beat him up”. while this sounds like a fantastic plan, i think i’ll start by canvassing the streets, putting up flyers, and talking to the bike shops around town. i thought i might write to you since me and everyone i know in greenpoint read your blog.
i attached a picture of my most prized possession. sigh. believe it or not, i just brought it here from phoenix a week and a half ago. that’s the street-life of a cool bike in greenpoint i guess. if anyone sees this message, and maybe (fingers-crossed) sees this bike, i would offer an award of $100 to get it back.
thanks for your time.
If anyone has seen this bike (and I doubt there are too many 1970’s Schwinn tandem bikes floating around the Garden Spot— or north Brooklyn for that matter ) please contact the police and/or email me at:
missheather (at) thatgreenpointblog (dot) com.
Thanks!
Miss Heather
Way To Go, Le Grenier!
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
Having the pleasure of knowing Ms. Marzolf (she is a very nice and witty woman) and all the hard work she put into this establishment you can imagine my delight when I noticed she is featured on Gothamist today!
Check it out— and congratulations, Maya!
Le Grenier
19 Greenpoint Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Phone: (718) 569-0111
Miss Heather
Photo Credits: Alexandro Martinengo, Gothamist
Reader Contribution Du Jour: A Falafel Pandemic?
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
So we have established that on top of the fabulous lady who sells falafel at the corner of Milton and Manhattan Avenue, Bagels On the Run and (presumably) a new Middle Eastern place at 849 Manhattan Avenue will be serving up these chickpea laden delights. Well, as I learned this morning it doesn’t stop there.
Tony (who took the above photograph) writes:
there must be a falafel pandemic in the point, cause I just saw this on nassau btwn eckford & leonard, where lucky 7 deli was, the little-known beer-specialty deli.
Could Kebabs be Greenpoint’s new “Thai”?
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Middle Eastern Coming To Greenpoint?
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic
d writes:
I was getting my usual falafel at the falafel cart on Milton and Manhattan today and telling the woman I was disappointed that there isn’t a place in Greenpoint to go at night (the cart is only there until around 6ish) for Middle Eastern. She told me someone was opening a place near Christina’s and has been delayed because of a permit needed. This was interesting news and I wanted to pass it along, I recall a convo where some of us were saying we’d like to see a Middle Eastern place open locally. Although hopefully people will still support her cart during the day!
Well, I did a little poking around the Department of Buildings web site and…
SHE IS RIGHT ON ALL COUNTS! As the above screencap (from the application to install kitchen fixtures) clearly indicate, this is slated to be a Middle Eastern restaurant! In addition, 849 Manhattan Avenue was cited a couple of months ago for work without a permit. When will they get their paperwork straightened out? I do not know— but this is very welcome news nonetheless!
Mediterranean restaurant
849 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
Which brings me to why I kicked off this post with an image of Bagels On The Run: they have started selling gyros and plan to add shawarma and falafel to their menu soon. Will the wonders ever cease?
Bagels Falafel On The Run
994 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11222
I can hardly wait!
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Starter: Domesticity Al Fresco
Filed under: Bum Shit, Dung of the Day, Greenpoint Magic, Street Furniture, Williamsburg
West Street
Green Street
South 5 Street
North 5 Street
North 9 Street
Norman Avenue
Judge Street
Graham Avenue
Franklin Street
RHComics (who contributed the above photograph: writes:
Unfortunately it’s time for me to move on. The 11222 offers a small variety of shack or dump and occasionally a one bedroom (with a shower in the kitchen and a toilet on a different floor) within my price range. All very tempting but I’ve reluctantly decided to return to Queens, the land of my birth.
New York Shitty will continue to be a daily read for me, unless the memories become too painful to bear. In closing here is a picture i took of a pile of shit someone left on top of a VCR Sunday morning on the corner of Newel and Norman.
This makes me sad. Inasmuch as some say the rents are falling here (and to some extent they are) the fact of the matter is they are still WAY above their fair market value. To close on related note if you want to see something that will bring you to point of tears (either via laughter or abject sadness) click here.
Miss Heather
Greenpoint’s Newest Hostel!
Anonymous writes:
Hi Heather
My Dad and his partner live around the corner from me. on Clay St, a few doors down from 66 Clay St (the former methadone clinic) which somehow overnight has turned into a $20 a night hostel .
Dad tells me that in the past week, there has been anywhere from 10-20; what appear to be teenagers milling around the front of the building and on a picnic bench in the parking lot, smoking cigarettes, drinking beer, playing techno music dancing, having a general good time. Which no one should have a problem with, except the party doesn’t start until after 1AM and goes until sunrise
I’m going to try and spend a nice relaxing evening at Dad’s tonight in a bit of a stakeout to see if his complaints are valid
Ill keep you posted
What/if anything do you know about Marzili Hostel at 66 Clay St???
Hope you’re feeling better.
I’m operating at 90%, Anonymous (I’ll spare you the details about the other ten). Let’s start with what you have given me.
A web site purporting the “Marzilli” Hostel. (Click on the above image to enjoy the true hilarity).
Here’s the only Certificate of Occupancy on file. A residence for the mentally ill (a nice way of saying it was a methadone clinic). Which was , most assuredly, what it was.
Here’s what I saw today.
Some dude hanging out under a tent.
As to who owns this property. That’s where it gets fun! Per ACRIS:
The log-tossing goes on and on. My money is on Max Stark.
The person who gave the Garden Spot the gift that keeps on giving: the Greenpoint Hotel— a flophouse pretending to be a bed and breakfast. (Click on the previous link, it’s a pisser!)
The person who gives us 239 Banker Street: a hotel being utilized as luxury apartments, e.g.; The Sweater Lofts. STOP WORK ORDERS BE DAMNED! Since when have, and I quote:
New kitchens and bathrooms
Stainless steel appliances
HUGE awesome roof with views
MANY LAYOUTS TO CHOOSE FROM!
the previous amenities had anything to do with a “hotel”?
Your eyes are not deceiving you: this property has 46 “DOB” violations, 36 open, 42 “ECB” violations 34 of which are still open and a STOP WORK ORDER. Unpaid penalties and non-compliance. And yet they advertise.
Why not call the person responsible for this advertisement, Liz, and ask her? It’s pretty clear the Department of Buildings is unwilling or unable to do anything.
Miss Heather
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