Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: Art Lovers Special
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Love Thy Neighbor, Stuff That Makes Miss Heather Happy
Every time I walk by a construction site (which is pretty much every day I leave the apartment nowadays) I wonder how the neighbors must deal with it. This is especially true of sites which strike me as being, how shall we say, sub-par from a professional stand-point. Well, this property (which bore the vestiges of a Stop Work Order which appears to have been lifted) piqued my interest so I went in for a closer look. I’m glad I did!
A neighbor has elected to use this opportunity to create an open air art gallery! The curator seems to have a taste for landscapes, but as you can see black velvet genre (a bullfighting scene, no less) abstraction are also represented. But it does not end there.
No sir, there’s more! Note the still life of a Harpoon ale bottle. However, without argument the following was the show-stopper…
I call this one “Vampire Clown with Black Cat”. What it lacks in “technique” it more than makes up with subject matter and, um, feeling. Sweet dreams, Garden Spotters!
Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: Live From Transmitter Park
Those of you who were wondering what the ruckus (replete with police helicopter) was this morning, a fellow was seen floating and was retrieved from the East River. I was told one of two things happened:
He was swimming.- He was found floating, a woman called 911 and he was rescued.
Regardless, the good news is:
- He is alive.
- We have not had rain recently, so his risk of exposure to typhus, cholera and other nastiness from the nearby CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) is probably reduced.
Lest you were not aware, gentle readers, there is a CSO on the premises of the Brooklyn Barge Bar.
See that green sign at the right? These are used to indicate the location of a CSO. (Those who are curious, can see a larger image of it here.) Now let’s take a closer look at one of the previously featured photos on this post…
As you can see this sign has been removed. For those of you who may be wondering, this has been brought to the attention of the proper agency/agencies. They did not remove this sign (or the CSO it marks for that matter). So now the question is who did?
Happy Friday!
Greenpoint Photo Du Jour: The Word On The Street
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, The Word On The Street
Taken August 27, 2015.
New York Shitty Photo Du Jour: The Word On The Street
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, The Word On The Street
From McCarren Park.
Crosstown Local Photo Du Jour: iZombie
Filed under: 11222, Crosstown Local, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
Taken August 24, 2015.
Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: The Word On The Street
Filed under: 11222, Gentrification, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, The Word On The Street
After I posted yesterday’s selection of development-related graffiti (and this is putting it kindly) I encountered this splendid example on Huron Street just east of West Street. It is pretty straightforward.
The Word On The Street, Part II: Special Crosstown Local Edition
Filed under: 11101, 11222, Crosstown Local, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Hooliganism, Long Island City, Long Island City Queens, The Word On The Street
Last night the Mister and I went out to dinner for his birthday. This required patronizing the G train. In transit inspiration (if one can call it that) struck!
P.S.: I spied the above missive at Court Square on the trip home. Note how the MTA seems to have left a nice big blank area for, um, “feedback”.
The Word On The Street: Special North Brooklyn Development Edition
Filed under: 11211, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Hooliganism, Street Justice, Stuff That Makes Miss Heather Happy, The Natives Are Getting Restless, Urban Artifact, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Many of you have undoubtedly noticed that I have not been terribly prolific on the blog. This should not be construed as a lack of interest in the affairs of this community (or this city in overall). Quite to the contrary: I have been quite busy. About a month ago I had a revelation: why not tap into what is the Garden Spot’s most renewable resource? This, of course, is garbage.
Think about it, gentle readers: litter is not only free but by making regular “collection” runs I am, albeit in a small way, making this community a cleaner place. What’s more, by (tongue firmly in cheek) “up-purposing” Greenpoint garbage I am raising awareness about the problem here. And we most assuredly have a problem.
Presently my focus is on drug baggies. These, as I have discovered, come in an array of colors and designs. The working plan is to fill the following 5 1/2 inch diameter snow globe with them.
The working title for this piece is “Taste the Rainbow” (for obvious reasons).
As you can see it is still in progress. Very pretty if I may say so myself! Over the last month I have acquired no less than 181 182 baggies. These were “sourced” exclusively in Greenpoint/11222. I felt parameters needed to be established. What’s more, Williamsburg probably would have proved to be too easy. But I digress.
This project has led to a number of fascinating discoveries. For starters, most of the baggies I have found were discarded (and presumably consumed) in our public parks. I have long suspected this was/is the case— now I have some numbers to back it up. Playgrounds are not spared either. The item to the left was found in the playground at WNYC Transmitter Park. I also found five on the premises of the Vincent V. Abate Playground. One specimen had the Superman logo emblazoned on it. Regardless of one’s position on the “war on drugs” you gotta appreciate that kind of wiseassedness.
This piece’s working title is “Magic Carpet Ride”.
The other location I have found a significant number of baggies is development sites. Especially those which are stalled and/or sport sidewalk sheds. Sidewalk sheds = privacy. Makes sense. Drug paraphernalia is not the only thing I have found at them, hence the (ostensible) purpose of this post. I have spied a few sullen utterances of revolt scrawl on them during my rounds. I am not the least bit surprised by this. Follows is a curated selection of those I found especially compelling and/or entertaining. Enjoy!
1. India Street
This one is somewhat indecipherable but the rage come across nonetheless.
2. 26 West Street
There are not less than three churlish missives on this one. Two are plainly visible. Follows is the third one. It is located to the left of “No Future”.
And last, but hardly least…
3. Orient Avenue at Olive Street
As you can see this property had been served a Stop Work Order. Let’s go in for a closer look!
Great stop more of these bastards.
If the Department of Buildings is paying attention someone is very appreciative of your work. Happy Monday!
Urban Artifact: Special India Street Pier Edition
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Urban Artifact, Wow, WTF
For approximately the last month I have been foraging “urban artifacts” around the Garden Spot. These are being (tongue firmly in artisanal cheek) up-purposed to works of art. Ar some point I imagine I will write about this project here. Or maybe I won’t? Who knows.
What I do know is India Street between the East River Ferry Pier and West Street has proven to be a gold mine. It can be reliably counted upon to provide a number of interesting (and generally unsavory) items. For example:
- One defaced Police Benevolent Association card dating from 2009.
- Drug baggies. LOTS of drug baggies.
- Condoms, used and otherwise.
Let’s just say I grown to expect the unexpected. Which brings me to today’s find. It is located at the foot of the India Street Pier where the red arrow is in the above photograph.
Nothing says “Welcome to Greenpoint” quite like a combined sewer overflow sign festooned with not one, but TWO fish heads. After I took the above photograph a fellow at the adjacent construction site remarked that this was “pretty crazy”. That, it most assuredly is— but I have come to expect this kind of thing in the 11222. On that note I will leave you, gentle readers, with this. Happy Thursday!
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