Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Southside Gentrification Watch: Kent Avenue
A couple of thoughts:
1. Anyone who would pee on Kent Avenue:
- has a death wish.
- is very, VERY drunk indeed!
2. I wonder how Amy Vanderbilt would handle this problem?
Miss Heather
Williamsburg Photos Du Jour: Love Conquers All
From North 1 Street.
Miss Heather
P.S.: Those of you who are interested/curious can read the above article about Jack “Lucky” Lohrke by clicking here.
FOUND IN WILLIAMSBURG: Froot Loops
(in More Ways Than One)
I was recently asked by a colleague if I knew anything about the “underground” art parties that are reputedly being thrown in Williamsburg. The fact of the matter is I do not. As some of you, dear readers, might recall I am by education (and to a lesser degree, trade) an artist in my own right. During graduate school I was even a teaching fellow— but I digress. I was often asked by my fellow students if my work was the product of partaking certain mind-expanding substances. They always seemed disappointed when I gave them the honest answer: no. I was (and still am) simply strange. I mention the previous anecdotes because as I was walking around Williamsburg recently I stumbled upon something quite remarkable.
At first I thought this was your standard “Bloomieville” (homeless encampment)…
and a pretty nice one at that. It isn’t.
The first indication that something was amiss was the scattering of Froot Loops next to the mattress.
After a little poking around I found the box. (NOTECAVEAT: this and any of the following images can be seen in larger format by clicking on them. Do so at your own risk.)
Yup.
Same goes for the advertising insert on the bed.
This, which is also located under the sidewalk shed.
Here’s the other side.
This, which can be found around the corner on Kent Avenue. As you can see now Frank Gehry has entered the picture— and what a picture it is!
And finally this— which can be found at the intersection of Metropolitan and Wythe Avenue.
Let this be a lesson to all you aspiring artists out there lest you decide to expand your mind and do a little creating. Sometimes it’s better to just let that Sharpie be. It is not cosmic consciousness that is powering your pen: it’s the drugs.
Miss Heather
Williamsburg Photos Du Jour: Fear & Loathing
Hope Street
Kent Avenue
North 3 Street
River Street
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Starter: Bloomturd
Filed under: 11211, Bum Shit, Dung of the Day, Other Shit, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
It would appear that someone isn’t very keen of Mayor Mike’s 1,000,000 trees initiative.
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Day Starter: Dogate
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Dung of the Day, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
(Literally)
Lest I have not made it clear already OSA North Brooklyn has a suspicious provenance, has been less than forthcoming about their mission (to put it politely) and how they are spending the money our elected officials (READ: our tax dollars) have donated to them.
I cannot for the life of me understand why a “community advocacy” group affiliated with the Parks Department can raise money by having concerts and make a nice penny selling concession rights shilling alcoholic beverages at McCarren and East River State Park…
when the patrons of McGolrick Park are admonished to abstain: in English and Polish.
I suppose the “open container law” applies to some citizens more than others. Or as long as folks are swilling booze sanctioned by/profiting the city (or OSA)? Remember, the President of Brooklyn Brewery is one of their founding members) I suppose it’s A-OK? Can you say hypocrisy? This whole set-up reeks of graft.
OSA outlays money to hang advertisements on private property, facing public property (in this case East State River Park)…
and cries “poverty” when it comes a new fence at the McCarren Park Dog Run. McGolrick gets a new fence and McCarren gets Sternberg’s leftovers. I could not understand why this came to pass— McCarren needs help. BIG TIME. Then I remembered that I am (for all intents and purposes) an honest person. I put on my “tweeder” thinking cap and re-read this exchange.
The following missive put it all together:
This has nothing to do the the betterment of the community. It is patronage mutual backslapping, plain and simple. McGolrick gets $13,000 and McCarren gets a paltry $500. The latter phat wad of cash was to be divided between “the two leaders” volunteers who are going to weld together the remains of Sternberg’s fence at McCarren; they get $200 each, and $100 for “little bro helper”. “Little bro helper”, for those of you who are not in the know, is Ms. Thayer’s little brother whose sole qualifications are:
- Being Ms. Thayer’s little brother.
- Taking a welding class.
If a Parks employee/OSA Executive has sent an email indicating her own brother should be compensated $100 for doing no work whatsoever how many more of her friends are on the dole? Just a question.
On that note, I strongly encourage you, dear readers, to revisit the post mentioned at the beginning of this post. I have made some very interesting corrections/amendments— including what appears to be the “Pete Best” of the original OSAnb group. Contrary to what Mr. Short wrote, Adam Perlmutter was not one of the original founders of OSAnb. But this document seems to attest otherwise. Hmm…
Miss Heather
UPDATE, 7/30/09: Be sure to read the comments. Suffice it to say it keeps getting more and more interesting!
UPDATE, 8/3/09: The Greenpoint Gazette has this take about the fencing situation. Choice quote:
…Currently, the fencing surrounding the McCarren Park dog run is a combination of chain-link fence, temporary wire barriers and historical black iron fencing the iron fencing makes up nearly three quarters of the hodge-podge partition. Recently the Park’s Department decided to standardize the fences in Sternberg Park as well, and in doing so uprooted a portion of black iron fencing, which will in turn be installed in McCarren, to match the already existing iron fencing stock.
Actually Diana Reyna gave $40,000 to Sternberg to buy a new fence. It IS an election year after all.
New York Shitty Day Ender: Happiness
This bit of happiness hails from 277 South 2nd Street (between Marcy Avenue and Havemeyer Street). The above image is a mere teaser to the tantalizing four stories of aborted and boarded up “Fedderism” that awaits your delectation if and/or when you elect to swing by and see this Fedderus Interuptus in person. And I encourage each and every one of you, dear readers, to do just this.
Kevin Walsh (of Forgotten New York) writes in this post (which needs to be seen to truly be believed):
I’ve come to the conclusion that Johnny Rotten was wrong when he said there’s “no future for you.” There is a future for Queens, and what we’ve seen on this page is that future.
And the image gracing the beginning of this post is the future of north Brooklyn! Scratch that— this is north Brooklyn’s present. Given the number of “luxury” properties and Kings crap that are still being built here despite a surplus, lack of interest and money north Brooklyn is well along the road to its own personal perdition…
and a very sad future, indeed!
Inasmuch as I hate to be pedantic or “preachy” I am going to make an exception for this post. When you cast your ballots this fall*, fellow north Brooklynites, I want to to think about the above image. Our elected officials (with the complicity and/or implicit— if not explicit— approval of certain “grassroots” organizations/”community organizers”) enabled this.
Miss Heather
*And I hope you do— regardless of whether or not you agree with me. North Brooklyn has long sported a deplorable voter turn-out. Make your voice heard!
North Brooklyn Street Art Du Jour: Potpourri
Kent Avenue
Berry Street
South 3 Street
Boerum Street
Harrison Place
Grattan Street
Miss Heather
North Brooklyn Street Art Du Jour: Northside Delight
Bedford Avenue
North 3rd Street
North 4 Street
North 5 Street
Kent Avenue
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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