Greenpoint
Lorven Pharmacy
Culture on the Cheap
Today At The Manhattan Avenue Kayak Launch: Four Years
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Stuff The Makes Heather Sad
It was four years ago to this day that a motor vehicle crashed through the guardrail gracing the Manhattan Avenue Kayak Launch. In the elapsing time this has not been repaired. I felt a “celebration” of sorts was in order and so it came to pass. Follows is footage I shot. Enjoy!
Part I: Introduction
Part II: Introduction/”Never Forget”
Part III: Fellow Greenpointers/Parks Users Weigh In
Part IV: Fellow Greenpointers/Parks Users Weigh In, Cont’d
Part V: Balloons!
Part VI/”Blooper”: The “4” Balloon Pops!
Next up: Jerzy Popieluszko Square!
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!
Urban Artifact, Part II: Seven Days & Counting…
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Criminal Activity, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Urban Artifact, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn, WTF
Urban Artifact: Special “Just Say No” Edition
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Criminal Activity, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Urban Artifact, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn, WTF
New York Shitty analysis:
Glass Half Full: You know spring has in fact arrived when the hypodermic trees start to bloom.
Glass Half Empty: You we have a serious substance abuse problem hereabouts when even the trees need a fix.
Those of you who wish to marvel at this wonder of nature (perhaps the Audubon Society should be consulted regarding this hitherto undiscovered species of flora?) can do so by heading to Lorimer and Bayard Street. Walk northward on Lorimer Street. It’s the ninth tree on the western side. WARNING/CAVEAT to curiosity seekers/our municipal authorities: this item appears to be used.
LAST GASP: WNYC Transmitter Park
Taken May 13, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
UPDATE, 10:17 p.m.: If a commenter is to be believed, this park is not officially open to the public— not that anyone is actually doing anything about it, mind you. He/she writes:
At around 8:30 P.M. today a local lady was calling 911 on all the people in Transmitter Park in Greenpoint because its not open. 311 and the construction comp dont care. She told me they broke the lock on the gate. I told her there is not any lock nor is there a chain. She stilled just continued to call numbers on her cell. lol
Whoops.
Credits/Props:
1. Witty commentary of yours truly sitting atop a piece of heavy machinery: Mai Armstrong.
2. I was serendipitously wearing this tank top while doing so. Miss Witt, this one’s for you.
A Plea From The McCarren Dog Run
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
The headmistress of the McCarren Dog Run writes:
Want Chips in McCarren Dog Run?
New chips have been ordered BUT Parks can’t/won’t bring them into the big dog run unless we clear out the area near the gates at Driggs and Union. All of the old chips piled up at the gates near Union and Driggs must be moved into the dog run. The run surface needs to be at the same level as the sidewalk for the truck to drive in.
What needs to happen:
Volunteers from the dog run need to use the tools by the entrance gates to pull those piles of chips to other parts of the run. The quickest method is to put the chips on the tarp and drag them to the center of the run or to the far corner to cover the drainage membrane and piping. The work needs to be done in the next seven (7) days for the Dog Run to be able to get chips.How will you help? Or will you just expect someone else to do this? If no one can get it together to do this, no chips.
Please feel free to share the above email with your dog run friends who might not be on the google group. To join the google group, send a request to mcdogrun@gmail.com.
Please help spread the word, Greenburg dog lovers!
New York Shitty Day Ender: Three Playgrounds
Filed under: 11211, 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Jaime Campiz Playground, January 22, 2012
The American Playground, January 22, 2012
Barge Park Playground, January 22, 2012
Greenburg Photo du Jour: Lake McCarren
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Taken January 12, 2012.
Last Gasp: Five
brooklynbureau: 5 Reported Deaths of Homeless in Greenpoint Bklyn in past 15 months: http://t.co/CQlfmNQR
Original Tweet: http://twitter.com/brooklynbureau/statuses/152474257392275457
This was brought to my attention by an anonymous tipster (thanks!). Those of you who are so inclined should take a moment to read Brooklyn Bureau’s piece about homelessness in Greenpoint and the proposed assessment center at 400 McGuinness Boulevard. Follows is a breakdown of the five (I suspect preventable) deaths outlined therein:
…In October, reports of a homeless man hanging himself in McGolrick Park marked the fifth reported death of a homeless man in Greenpoint’s parks in the past 15 months. Two have taken their own lives (the second man in Barge Park off Commercial Street), one man drowned in McCarren Park, another died of hypothermia in the same park and a third died of unknown causes, also in McCarren Park.
“It’s a sick way of thinking because the person could die in the street and then no one’s responsible,” says McDonnell, “is that what we do, do we just let people die and not be responsible?”
Indeed. However, what what this tome overlooks is Greenpoint’s homeless will not simply be able to go to 400 McGuinness and receive shelter. They will have to go through a processing center in Manhattan and then come back here. Given the language gap many of our homeless face (as Polish speakers)— and the fact many of them have serious substance abuse problems— do I realistically see this arrangement working? No, I don’t.
Image Credits: The image at left was taken by yours truly at McCarren Park this summer.
Greenpoint Photos du Jour: And Then There Were Two!
Today since it was a downright balmy 33 degrees I decided to swing by our new waterfront park and see how things were shaking— above all the tar bucket/art installation which was brought to my attention yesterday. Follows are a few highlights from my trip with commentary. Enjoy!
While the rubbish has been bagged as of at least December 24th (which is when I walked by) it has yet to be picked up.
There’s even more rubbish at the end of the street.
Among the assorted detritus greeting our open space lovers is a barbecue grill.
As for the tar bucket, it is much more impressive when viewed against the Manhattan skyline. But the greatest treasure was to be found was a mere 10 -12 feet away…
another— truly magnificent— tar bucket!
I was particularly taken by the value-added book of matches. This got me to thinking about what my informant said:
Art or vandalism – you decide! I’m leaning to the art side of the fence.
Remembering what my professors taught me about appropriation in art school, I decided to tip the balance in favor of (conceptual) art.
Behold Tar Bucket #1…
and the even more majestic Tar Bucket #2. Both of these pieces I dedicate to our “parks/open space advocates”. Without their hard work on our behalf, we would not be able to enjoy such niceties in the first place!
P.S.: Oh yeah, there are still no benches on India Street Pier.
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