Greenpoint
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Culture on the Cheap
Live From The Community Board 1: Banter About The “Bubble”
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
As promised, here is footage of last night’s presentation regarding the proposed “bubble” for McCarren Park’s tennis courts. Before I proceed to the footage I’d like to list a few things I found of interest:
- McCarren Park’s situation is unique as usually larger tennis facilities are considered for “bubbles”.
- The court fees levied for use would be between $40 – $50 per hour. However, when asked about fees for the tennis courts at Prospect Park, Evan George, (as you will see in the following footage) said he didn’t know what they were. This was not very reassuring.
- Allowances would be made so those who cannot afford these fees can have access to the courts a few hours a week.
- After 15 years (the duration of the contract with whatever private entity will operate this “bubble”), the city would be left with ownership of the “rim”, not the bubble.
- The previous was raised several times and suggestions were made that language be worked into the contract leaving the city ownership of said “bubble”.
Without further ado, here is the footage. Enjoy!
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: No Dogs Allowed At Barge Park?
My friend T (who hails from Eagle Street and sent me the above photo) writes:
Well, another dog friendly park bites the dust. I discovered this on Sunday morning as I sauntered over to Newton Barge Park for my routine morning walk with my dog around the lovely concrete. As I approached the park I noticed a bunch of Park employees doing their usual Sunday morning clean up. What I did not notice was the new sign, a photo of which is attached. I was bee-lining for the entrance when from about 30 yards away a Parks dude starts gesticulating and pointing. I thought it might be epilepsy..no words were issuing from his mouth…but then his colleague also started gesticulating and pointing.
Concerned, I shot them a “What??” They responded with more gesticulating and pointing. I re-iterated my query. One of them managed to utter “Read the sign” to which I replied “I can read…how about you talk to me like a human being and explain what’s going on”. To which I got more pointing and gesticulating. When I finally convinced one of these dudes that I wasn’t going to just sulk away with my and my dog’s tails between our legs, he came over and said “I don’t want to get political with you, but we got so many 311 calls after the snow about dog crap in the park that we had to do this”.
My God… THEY HAD TO! If only there were some law….something on the books that might be used to discourage these fecal polluters…some tool or mechanism for those burdened to Protect And Serve us to use to quell this tide of irresponsible dog owners. I mean, maybe the giant sign that says CURB YOUR DOG 1,000 DOLLAR FINE which has been there for years is just someone’s idea of a silly joke. Must be since I’ve never seen anyone get a ticket.
What I want to understand, given that there is not a SINGLE other enclosed, dog-friendly park in Northern Greenpoint, is how the Parks Department goes from “We’ve got complaints” to “Shut down that park for dogs” without first trying to actually enforce their laws. I mean, no one enforces all the non-dog related laws in that park – the littering, the loitering, the drinking, the glass, etc etc, yet they haven’t closed the park to humans.
Here were the options I was given by the Parks dude:
1) Go to McCarren Park. Uh huh. I could also drive Westchester…probably be just as practical
2) There’s gonna be a new park on Commerical Ave. Uh huh..you meant the one that the MTA is making no signs of evacuating?
3) The new park on Greenpoint Ave will be open in December. Thanks, man! My dog only shits bi-annually so that will come right in handy
4) Go screw yourself. Yup, that’s the one that works for me!Fortunately, I talked to Mr. Moustache* (Community Board 1’s Public Safety Chair, Mieszko Kalita — Ed. Note) at Beata this morning. He said that if I organized an official group of dog owners and than came to a CB1 meeting and presented a request for a dog run, that the city would actually give me fencing, wood chips, garbage pails, a lock, etc, as well as a parcel of land, and then I could run my own dog park. So, help me spread the word, Heather! I need about 20 dog owners who are willing to start some kind of loose group to run a dog park.
Here’s the deal: one of the items on the ballot regarding the funds allocated by the Department of Environmental Conservation to foster parks development/improvement in communities impacted by the Shit Tits was a dog run at Barge Park. I, despite not being a dog owner, voted for it because as my friend has clearly pointed out one is clearly needed! Certainly there are twenty north Greenpoint dog lovers reading this who would like to see a dog run in our fair corner of the neighborhood? Anyone?
Update, 8:16 p.m.: T has started laying a foundation to get this endeavor rolling. Here are the deets!
Ok, we’re in business! I’ve named the group D.O.G.G.O.NE – Dog Owners Group Greenpoint on Newtown
here’s the link to the yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/doggone_brooklyn
email address is doggone_brooklyn@yahoogroups.com
Miss Heather
*I can assure this is not at all derisive. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it is high praise. Yours truly happens to know for a fact that the idea of dedicating a Facebook fan page to this chap’s mustache has been bandied about. I’m not kidding.
Where The Sidewalk Ends
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Bloomblight, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
This is the impediment which faced the Mister and I as we endeavored to go to Kenny’s Trattoria last night (we crossed the street because the sidewalk along McCarren Park along Bedford Avenue was a mess). It is located where the Automobile High School ends and Parks Department property astensibly our open space begins. A cordon sanitaire or simple incompetence? I’ll leave you, dear readers, to make the call. All, I’m saying is I saw Parks employees spreading copious amounts of salt at the corner of Bedford Avenue and North 12 Street yesterday morning. Yup.
Miss Heather
P.S. and while I am on the subject:
Where’s the sidewalk? I ask because walking on Union Avenue is friggin’ scary.
There should be a sidewalk here.
You have no idea how grimly amusing I find our mayor facilitating over-development by fly-by-night developers such as the shit heap you see at left (there were buildings there once— I swear) and then is seemingly surprised when very people he has enabled to move into north Brooklyn (who will undoubtedly inhabit the edifice to the right) have the temerity to complain.
From The New York Shitty Inbox, Part II: What’s Up At The American Playground?
A lady named Michelle writes the evening of December 12, 2010:
Hi Miss Heather,
Was walking my dog a few nights ago and we happened upon a curious notice posted at the American Playground on Franklin – right across from Word. Seems the place has been condemned and is “imminently perilous to life.” I’ve seen these outside gnarly looking buildings that seem like they may cave in on the squatters living in them, but any idea why American Playground has earned the notice?
Would send a picture, but I’m never out there with my phone.
Just curious.
As you can imagine I found this more than a little disturbing so this morning I headed over without delay.
Sure enough, there was a Vacate Order on the premises— but why?
When I checked the Department of Buildings database I could find no indication whatsoever such an order was issued. On a lark I then checked the Department of Buildings database regarding the adjacent property, 60 West Street*. What I found was quite interesting.
Was this the reason such an order was served? There is no way to tell conclusively (this complaint is from last year) but I would not rule it outside the realm of possibility. Especially since I have it on excellent intelligence that falling debris from this property has been an issue in the past. But I suppose for the time being we’ll have to be content to walk away from this mystery with more questions than answers. On that note, I would like to leave you with this final question.
If the American Playground has a Vacate Order in place due to “conditions imminently perilous to life”, why is it open today? Thoughts anyone?
Miss Heather
*Which, as some of you may recall, is a live poultry storage facility.
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Defend Greenthumb Gardens!
Filed under: 10002, 10003, 10009, 10012, 11101, 11104, 11201, 11205, 11206, 11211, 11215, 11216, 11217, 11221, 11222, 11231, 11237, 11372
This item comes from a fellow flower lover in north Brooklyn. She writes:
The agreement between the City of NY and the NY State Attorney General that has been protecting community gardens for the past 8 years is set to expire in September.
The City of NY recently published Proposed Rules for community gardens under the jurisdiction of the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development.
The AG’s agreement referred to itself as a “protocol for preservation and development of GreenThumb gardens” — some community gardens were given up for development, some were “subject to development” and 198 community gardens were “offered to the Parks Department or land trusts for preservation as community gardens or open space.”
The word “preservation” appears nowhere in the proposed rules. In a nutshell, the rules essentially make new NYC community gardens not owned by land trusts or Parks subject to development after a review process.
This is a sea change for community gardeners. Though the city has said they do not intend to develop community garden sites, this is little consolation for gardeners who fear the protections that allowed their community gardens to thrive for the past 8 years are being stripped away.
Green Guerillas has been supporting the untiring efforts of the NYC Community Garden Coalition (NYCCGC) as they have negotiated with the city, mobilized community gardeners, and made a strong case for why community gardens can and should be preserved.
Green Guerillas also mailed out 550 copies of the rules to community garden groups across the city and co-sponsored with NYCCGC an information session to help community gardeners understand the issues so they can mobilize support in their neighborhoods.
We could make an emotional appeal for why you should voice your support for preserving community gardens, but we would not do a better job than the New York Times – read their editorial HERE.
What can you do?
…Attend the upcoming public hearing: The city will be holding a public hearing on August 10th at 11 AM at the Chelsea Recreation Center at 430 W. 25th Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues) – closest trains are the C, E at 23rd Street or A at 34th Street. (To testify, you must notify Associate Counsel, Ms. Laura LaVelle at the Arsenal via telephone at (212) 360-1335 or e-mail at laura.lavelle@parks.nyc.gov by August 9, 2010.)
View and comment on the rules on the City of NY website HERE.
If you prefer to put pen (or ink cartridge) to paper, submit comments to General Counsel, Mr. Alessandro G. Olivieri, Department of Parks and Recreation, The Arsenal, Central Park, 830 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10065.
Call 311 and tell them you would like to comment on the Proposed Park Rules as published in The City Record.
As arduous and boring as this legalese is you should read it. Especially this passage:
Given tour Parks Person (and “Open Space Advocate”) has seemingly seen fit to obstruct Nick’s Garden/Red Gate Garden’s Greenthumb paperwork it makes one wonder who she’s serving. Is it the people using said parks? I think not.
The dead tree that graces the beginning of this post is a testament to her folly. It was one of the many trees planted by the Boy Scouts of America last April at her behest and due to neglect (no watering) and poor placement (being pissed on by humans and canines) died. They since have been removed. I suppose our “Parks Person” finds “carpet-bagging” concerts and fund-raisers more compelling? I can’t blame her. She has no public administration or horticultural knowledge at all. She formerly hails from Wall Street. It”s all about the money.
Which is, I can assure you, what this revision of the Greenthumb rules is about. Cashing in.
Miss Heather
New York Shitty Slide Show Du Jour: Just Add Beer
Fidelity Park, a memorial gore dedicated to Greenpoint veterans of World War I.
Miss Heather
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Shit & Awe
L writes:
Hello Miss Heather,
I was taking a stroll on the sidewalk along McCarren Park (east side of bedford) when I looked up and saw something I’d never thought I’d see: an older man, bent down, ass facing me, covered in *crap* It was a full view of asshole and bits. Normally, I take shots of everything but I was too horrified/stunned/ grossed out to do anything but cross the street and watch to make sure he wasn’t doing anything to harm anyone.
This was at 3:30 on Sunday, by the fence.. not too far from the bathrooms. He did not seem homeless, but who knows. He proceeded to pull up his trousers and seemed to head over to the bathroom. Was I the only one to see this? I generally see homeless/drunk people in this north area of the park. Does no one patrol? Stephanie Thayer? Anyone?
Definitely makes me think twice about where I sit, if I will at all, in McCarren or any park with grass now.
It’s disgusting but I wanted to pass this along to the unofficial Mayor of Greenpoint and all things shitty. Definitely a danger to people who use the park in these summer months.Horrifying.
I honestly don’t know what to say— other than someone has created a Flickr photo set documenting this kind of thing at our beloved McCarren Park. You can check it out by clicking here. Enjoy!
Miss Heather
Reader Contribution Du Jour: The McCarren Park Ladies Restroom Goes High Tech
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
It’s been awhile since the I have revisited the matter of the deplorable state of McCarren Park’s “comfort stations“. This is in some part because I have been busy. But mostly it is because it grosses me out. Big time.
Soap scum on the soap holder.
Nothing new here.
The “Caution” tape has been removed.
Yet there still appears to be a problem.
But we have a spiffy new eco-friendly and awareness-raising hand drier!
I can only imagine what’s next. Educational bidets perhaps? I can only hope so. They’d be a fount of knowledge!
Miss Heather
P.S.: Special props go to Laura Hofmann for these pix. The stagnant water in the bucket shot literally made me gag. And I have seen a lot of serious nasty shit in my time. Mazel tov!
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