Greenpoint
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New York Shitty Video Du Jour: A Fish Tale
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Newtown Creek
It would appear someone caught a fish in Newtown Creek and employed it (along with some gray paint— or perhaps this substance too was derived the creek? I certainly wouldn’t rule it out, in any case.) for a little art project on Manhattan Avenue. Enjoy!
Does anyone have the 411 on this? If so, please share via comments or shoot me an email at: missheather (at) thatgreenpointblog (dot) com. Your identity will remain anonymous if you so desire. Thanks!
Miss Heather
UPDATE, 10:09 p.m.: It would appear this fish swam (or for those of you who believe in evolution: crawled) upstream… all the way to the Newtown Creek Nature Walk!
Laura (who took the above photos) writes:
Hi Heather! Evidently, the fish prints you found at Manhattan St. End Park, lead down to the Nature Walk. Mike and I ended up debating about them. At one point the fish appear on the wall of the NCWPCP. I like the fish. Mike doesn’t.
Are we Greenpointers witnessing the birth of a new species or is it spawning season in the Garden Spot? I can only hope so— on both counts. Given the contentious nature of our soon-to-be past summer our community could use a little love. In any case, prior to this fish tale this park has been utilized/repurposed as:
I can hardly wait to see what’s next.
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Manhattan Avenue Park Squat Gets A New Addition
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Newtown Creek
(Or: Greenpoint At Long Last Gets Some Affordable Housing!)
Laura (who the above photographs earlier this afternoon) writes:
The homeless camp at Manhattan Ave St. End Park is expanding. There’s a tent, laundry in the tree, and a small covered ditch which I suspect is the toilet.
(speechless)
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Al Fresco Living At Manhattan Avenue Park
Earlier this week I broke the news that 400 McGuinness Boulevard may very well become a 200 bed homeless facility. If what I found in my inbox is any indication, this may not be such a bad thing. For a city that purportedly never sleeps, I seem to find people getting a little shut eye damned near everywhere nowadays. This is especially true of our precious (and, it should be noted: poorly managed) park space. What makes this case special is, well, see for yourself…
Laura (who took the above photographs today) writes:
This particular group has been camping out in Manhattan Ave St. End Park for about a week now. Their group is getting bigger & they now have a blow up mattress & other gear there…
WOW.
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Spring Has Sprung!
Filed under: 11222, Advanced Life Forms, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
Lindsy writes (on the evening of March 17, 2010):
I went to park at the end of Manhattan Avenue this evening while walking my dog. I didn’t have my camera and the one on my phone is a joke. There is a tree full of Peep chicks in a variety of color. They are stuck onto the branches and also surround the trunk. There also is some silly string around the base of the tree. It was a sweet surprise and a great contrast to the factory building and the liquid waste basket known as the Newtown Creek.
I suppose it should go without saying this morning I headed to the scene in great haste.
The Peeps have indeed come to roost!
Signs of mirth were present.
The silly string has since been relocated about twenty feet to the west. Why, I do not know. I have learned it is better not to dwell too deeply upon such things.
You can always leave it to Greenpoint to be on the vanguard of springtime merrymaking. While the hoi polloi were busy celebrating St. Patrick’s Day we have advanced to Easter. Screw what the calendar says; we’re not going to let a piece of paper get in the way of our good time! Perhaps somewhere in rodentia heaven Fatboy has seen fit to smile upon us?
Miss Heather
P.S.: Lindsy was not the only person to take notice of the Peep tree.
Todd waxes poetic:
Ahhhhh the miracle of life, the endless cycle of regeneration, the bright neon that signals the approach of the equinox!!
Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: Fat Boy R.I.P.
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Newtown Creek
Ever since I got the sad news about Fat Boy last night I have not been able to get him off my mind. More specifically, I was wondering exactly what the fuck he is. Or perhaps that should be what he was? Anyway, I just got back from a sojourn to the Manhattan Avenue park. Sure enough, he was still there.
Wait a minute. Didn’t our local Parks guru tell me he was going to be picked up this morning?
Well, I guess it is morning somewhere. In any case it would appear that in this mortal coil Fat Boy was a gerbil…
and true to his name, he is was rather rotund.
Goodbye, little fella.
Miss Heather
UPDATE, October 8, 2009: Fat Boy has been removed— presumably by the Parks Department.
LAST GASP: Greenpointer Shows 11222 Gratitude For New Park
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Newtown Creek
(Or, Fat Boy: R.I.P.) Last month at Manhattan Avenue Park we beheld a strapping chap sunning his buns in a pink Speedo. This month it would appear that Greenpoint’s newest park has been pressed into service as a pet cemetery.
Love you fat boy
RIP
Laura writes (in an email copied to North Brooklyn’s Park Poobah):
Well, tonight Mike & I visited the Manhattan Ave street end park. Mike saw some cardboard sticking out of the dirt. Being a good park steward, Mike began to pick it up when he noticed R.I.P. written on top. Turns out to be a final resting place. We weren’t about to throw the dearly departed away. Nor did we choose to bury it. We’ll leave it to the Parks Dept discretion to find a proper burial plot for “Fat Boy”.
R.I.P.(North Brooklyn’s Park Poobah),
Fat Boys remains can be found to the right of the entrance near the truck yard
I have lived in Greenpoint for ten years. In this time I have seen some seriously strange shit. SERIOUSLY. STRANGE. SHIT. We’re talking people fucking on sidewalks, drunk couples making out and stomping on cars, old Polish women lifting up their skirts and pissing on vacant lots. You get the idea. The previous having been written this makes the top ten. Easily.
Nonetheless it is a touching (if somewhat abject) tribute to Fat Boy. Whatever he was in life, he was clearly loved. And I have little doubt Open Space Alliance North Brooklyn will be pleased as punch to know the new park at the northern terminus of Manhattan Avenue (which they take credit for opening**) is, in fact, being used.
Albeit not in the manner they envisioned.
Miss Heather
*Apparently this is not the case: I have just received word “Fatboy” will be removed tomorrow.
The Poobah writes:
Will be removed tomorrow.
While she’s at it maybe she’ll get someone to find a more appropriate resting place for the dead rats and detritus at Bushwick Inlet?
**This too, is not true: someone (not me) got liquored up and pissed off and tore down the fence. The next day people started using the park— and shortly thereafter it was “opened” by the Parks Department (to save face).
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Putting The “Man” in Manhattan Avenue Park
Filed under: 11222, Advanced Life Forms, Area 51, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
Jay Lombard (who sent me the delightful images gracing this post) writes:
Wish you were here! Older gentleman in speedo. Glad to see some one is using the park… Best I could do without getting too close. Got the moon and the sun at the same time today.
Take THAT Long Island City!
Miss Heather
Spotted: Greenpointer Actually Using New Park…
(or at least getting ready to!)
Christo (who took the above photograph) writes:
Sunday afternoon. Manhattan ave. Btwn Clay and Box. Heading toward the park/boat launch. I couldn’t stick around to see if they made it.
Speaking for myself I would want a LOT more boat between me and Newtown Creek than this. But as long as I’m not the one making the trip to Woodhull I say to each their own.
Miss Heather
Greenpoint Photos Du Jour: Hallelujah!
On April 21, 2009 I wrote (in regards to the waterfront park slated for northern terminus of Manhattan Avenue):
I’ll believe this park’s for real when my ass is firmly planted on one of those futuristic park benches!
Well here’s my fat ass planted on one such bench. This photograph was taken today, May 2, 2009, at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Although the Brooklyn Paper reported that this park would be open in either June or July.
It very much appears to be open.
TODAY.
Get down there and check it out!
It’s amazing how effective one news story the New York Times did NOT find fit to print (and as a result found its way onto a “neighborhood blog”) and one leaked Parks Department memorandum are at motivating our municipal entities to quit making excuses and get the job done. Looking at this couple enjoying their new park even warms the cockles of my cynical, jaded heart. Congratulations Greenpoint, you at long last have an honest-to-god (if still a little rough around the edges) waterfront park! Enjoy it.
Miss Heather
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