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September, 2007

  1. Ikea – Just Bus Ride Away

    September 28, 2007 by Justine


    brice_DSC_0066.jpg
    Originally uploaded by lindsay.brice

    Oh I’m sure this Ikea in Red Hook thing is pissing an enormous amount of people off. I, however, am not one of them. I’m psyched that the country’s largest will be right here. One B61 bus trip away.

    This is a good thing. Red Hook should be happy to get this. Five years ago the neighborhood was a wasteland. Now it’s getting itself on the map. It’s hip, it’s trendy. But calm yourself down Red Hook, you’re not as hip and trendy as you think. You still need some people willing to walk the streets at night other than starving artists and wild packs of dogs. Ikea keeps your industrial vibe intact but brings with it real, live people. People who may come back and check out your small burgeoning area going on. People who own cars cause God knows you guys got screwed out of a subway.

    You’ve got yourself a Fairway, a water taxi to Governor’s Island (though I don’t really see the use of going there more than once), a portside museum, and heck there are even cruise ships coming to you. I personally think Ikea fits in perfectly.

    Mmmmm, can you smell the Swedish Meatballs?

    Category Style | Tags: ,,, | No Comments

  2. Being Neighborly

    by Justine

    Lots of stuff to do this weekend and it’s going to be gorgeous out to do it. This weather usually only lasts a week or two, so best to enjoy it outdoors as much as possible.


    The 11th Annual Kent Street Festival is tomorrow. Where I was for the other 10 is beyond me, this is the first time I’ve heard of this. But then again in my own defense I was never one to cross Greenpoint Ave much before I moved here.

    Now I am obsessed with the ‘other side’. It’s silly but I really never ventured for things after Greenpoint Avenue. But now, it’s like a whole new world has been opened up to me. I hit the hardware store on Manhattan between Dupont and Clay and the owner was so helpful and friendly that whatever I need ‘fix-it’ wise he’s the man I’m going to see. Who needs Daddy or a husband, now, huh?

    All the necessities are right where I need them and is it me or is this side of the tracks way cheaper? It seems less like ripoff central – in most places. Unfortunately, the bodega owners are seriously pissing me off. In at least three bodegas I have been overcharged. I know they’re overcharging me cause they think I’m some sort of stupid ass rich bitch hipster but I’m not and everytime one of them thinks they can get away with charging me an exorbitant amount of money for something I move on to another bodega. There’s two or three on every fucking block so I pretty much can do what I please.

    The one on the corner of Greenpoint and Java is the worst. It’s probably because they are situated right across the street from Brooklyn Label and their “BYOB” policy. The guy in there never quotes a price when you bring your items to the register. If you don’t know how much something is – you’re a mark. He just stands there waiting for you to fork over cash or – God forbid – ask how much. Asking only emits a once over with him silently determining exactly how much he wants to economically rape you.

    I finally think I have found one I like though. The Franklin Street Corner Store. I don’t even really classify it as a bodega – the people are nice, the store is super clean and it seems ‘hipster friendly’. And since I apparently get mistaken for one I guess I should make sure I shop at one that’s not going to judge me.

    Also, I spotted a hot guy in there a couple of weeks ago and, well, I’m a tart.

    Category Style | Tags: , | 1 Comment

  3. Oh Ricky, You’re So Fine

    September 27, 2007 by Justine

    Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the whole ghoulishness of it and dressing up and then of course there’s all the chocolate and candy.

    Ricky’s is coming to Greenpoint. First as a Halloween store but then by Christmas, it’s going to be a full fledged Ricky’s shop – temporarily, maybe. If the location does well it may be a keeper.

    Here’s to seeing more trannies in the ‘hood!

    Category News | Tags: ,,, | No Comments

  4. Don’t Give Them Any Ideas

    September 25, 2007 by Justine

    How does your city stack up among ‘America’s Most Romantic’?

    One would not expect Brooklyn, nevermind Greenpoint to end up on that list. But alas, someone thinks that getting laid in between stops on the G train is an ideal place to have some ‘daring sex’.

    The G train? Couldn’t we pick a train that maybe at least goes express a few stops? Something more than two minutes? I mean, seriously.

    Category News | Tags: | 1 Comment

  5. Get to the ‘Point! 5K Run

    September 24, 2007 by Justine

    Save the Date: Sunday, October 14, 2007

    Get to the ‘Point! 5K Run

    Over the past 14 years, our wonderful event has truly grown and developed to become one of the most popular, fun, family-oriented race events held in the metropolitan area each year.

    Whether you are a serious runner looking for a challenging course with tough competition or just want to come out and walk the course with friends and enjoy the fun, food, and festivities, we have something for everyone! Past events have attracted over 600 participants from the five Boroughs, Long Island, New Jersey and even Connecticut.

    For more information, visit http://GetToThePoint5K.com.

    Category Community, Events | Tags: , | No Comments

  6. Gentrification Abandonment

    September 18, 2007 by Justine

    Read this article this morning and my favorite part:.

    Property values in Greenpoint are also likely to see a decline, predicts New York. “If those T-shirt designers and bloggers can suddenly afford their first choices, closer to the all-holy Bedford Avenue stop on the L, they’ll abandon Greenpoint in a Brooklyn minute.”

    One can hope! My wish for the real estate market to decline in Greenpoint is not somehow a ‘dig’ towards my home. It’s just that it’s gotten too expensive that reality seriously needs to set in. All of the local homeowners have long since made their money five times over selling their houses, it’s those of us who don’t own that are being tormented by the drastically and rapidly inflating prices.

    And it’s slowly stripping Greenpoint of it’s flavor. Not to diss Billyburg but honestly, the place was mostly just a bad neighborhood before it was gentrified by the hipsters. What it is now is a vast improvement from what it was in the 80′s. But Greenpoint doesn’t need improving. At least not in the same way Williamsburg did. It’s always been safe, it’s always been fairly clean and it’s always been a friendly neighborhood kinda place.

    Greenpoint needs to retain it’s roots and keep it’s vibe. We don’t need a million and one art spaces and niche cafes. We can walk over to Williamsburg for that. I, for one, would love to see the Williamsburg scene drop off a bit and lower in price so that the influx of people who want to live there, can. They don’t have to ‘settle’ for Greenpoint.

    And then we don’t have to settle for Ridgewood and Maspeth.

    Category News | Tags: ,, | 2 Comments

  7. PP’s Not DD’s

    September 17, 2007 by Justine


    P1120800
    Originally uploaded by Arancia Project

    Everyone right now get up and go to Peter Pan.

    Peter Pan is a Greenpoint institution! When I go anywhere out of town, or in town for that matter, to visit I always bring a dozen of Peter Pan’s donuts. Going to a friends for dinner? Bring a dozen. Going to a BBQ? Bring a dozen. Somebody died? Bring a dozen.

    To hear that they’re making $1,000 less a week because of Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks is sad. I have to admit I like my Starbucks as much as the next person, but I’m making a vow to walk the extra few blocks to Peter Pan’s from now on.

    Since I’ll be getting a donut with that coffee now, the extra walking couldn’t hurt.

    Category Community, News | Tags: , | 3 Comments

  8. Hipster Hatred Ha-Has

    by Justine

    There’s an insane Brooklyn internet soaking going on from the website diehipster.com, a quick googling of the site shows deleted comments everywhere from OTBKB to A Brooklyn Life. Now I totally understand why these and other sites would delete their comments. The website is titled “A Place to Hate Hipsters” and does nothing but antagonize and insult the hipster community. It’s just a mean-spirited site. Which in and of itself is kinda funny since the hipsters hate being called hipsters. Go figure.

    Now, I’m not a Hipster Hater per se but I do enjoy a good hipster joke as much as the next local. There’s something about them drinking PBR that I just don’t get. PBR sucks, truly. Drink a real beer for God’s sake. Throw a black and tan down your emaciated throat. And it’s not like they aren’t laughing at us for whatever reasons we don’t understand. Hey, start your own site – dielocal.com or whatever. I promise to laugh at that, too.

    Anyway, I just wanted to say it’s funny. It’s politically incorrect humor – the best kind, the offensive kind.


    Yeah, so there is a Brooklyn, Ohio. I think it’s only fair that about 100,000 guido’s move from Brooklyn, NY to Brooklyn, Ohio and start opening up pizza stores, soccer cafe’s, social clubs, pork stores etc. They can walk around in Sergio Tachinni’s, slicked back hair, drive down Main Street blasting techno. Does that sound ridiculous? I’m sure hipsters would say that there is nothing wrong with that. But I think it’s a good comparison as to what has happened here. It’s just as ridiculous. Oh and to the other annoying filthy transplants from Minnesota, and other mid-west states this applies to you too.

    Now go edit a film, go record a demo, go get your latte, go mess up your hair, go splash some paint on your clothes and have a great Sunday! (Not that you know or care what day of the week it is anyway)

    What I find especially funny in this post is dissing Brooklyn and the Midwest hipsters who come to play here. It’s stereotyping in all it’s fine glory.

    And though I expect there might be a bit of a backlash for this website – I can see it now, websites and hipsters joining together to designate diehipster.com a danger to society, comparing it to the likes of the KKK and contributing the site to local ‘hate’ crimes against the unwashed twentysomethings on Bedford Ave. Our days our numbered before the hipsters are considered their own ‘race’.

    In the meantime, I just say let the first amendment live and breath and get a chuckle out of the posts.

    Category Community | Tags: ,, | 4 Comments

  9. Lokal Yokel

    September 14, 2007 by Justine

    Growing up, my parents were big on going out to eat. My mother was not much of a domestic goddess to say the very least. We had three popular locals that we pretty much ate at every week. One night would be Frost, another night would be Bamonte’s and sometimes more than once a week it would be Monsignor’s. I feel like the owners and waiters were part of my extended family for God’s sake.

    Bamonte’s and Frost are still around and the last time I was in either, the same waiters were at each. It was comforting. Monsignor’s however sold to new owners long ago. I had never even been in the Monsignor’s that was on Nassau and Lorimer. We used to frequent it when it was this small and intimate restaurant on Manhattan Ave.

    I did notice that the space on Nassau and Lorimer looked huge and it’s also been vacant of Monsignor’s for awhile. Turns out a new joint, Lokal (Polish for cafe/place) is in town. A Mediterranean bistro with a a Polish name? Um, ok.**

    **Update 10/24/07 – According to one of the commenters – Lokal is actually named for the Turkish word meaning Local. Makes sense now, huh?

    Category Eat & Drink | Tags: ,,,,,, | 4 Comments

  10. The G Effect

    September 13, 2007 by Justine

    Oh boo-hoo. The real estate market along the G line is “suffering”.

    “It is more difficult to lease or sell a property that is serviced by the G train,” said David Maundrell, president of aptsandlofts.com, a Williamsburg-based brokerage. “The way we combat that is we discount our prices.”

    Who are they fucking kidding? They call their Greenpoint apartments discounted? I mean, seriously, with a straight face?

    The apartments are less expensive than Williamsburg, yes, but since when is Williamsburg considered the way to measure the real estate market? How about compare Greenpoint to say, Staten Island? Live in downtown SI in St George and you’re a twenty minute ferry ride to Manhattan. It’s about the same as getting from Greenpoint to Manhattan via two trains. And for a little more than the price of an aptsandlofts.com one bedroom in ‘discounted’ Greenpoint you can rent a four bedroom house in Staten Island.

    Maundrell said that an improved G train would make Greenpoint’s properties as valuable as Williamsburg’s.

    Oh God forbid! That would just be ludicrous. Williamsburg is it’s own weird ass gentrification ‘hood that the ex LES bohemians came upon and declared Hipster Heaven but, please, please don’t expand yourselves any more than you already have. Stick to Williamsburg and Bushwick and explore that terrain in Bed-Stuy. Stay on the L train – direct route to Manhattan!

    “There are parts of Greenpoint that are landmarked; you walk down the street and you feel like you’re in Cobble Hill or Brooklyn Heights,” he said.

    Ok, settle down there’s like four blocks like that. Everyone can’t live on Milton, Noble, Kent and Java between Franklin and Manhattan. Or Oak.

    Although the MTA has shown no signs of increasing G train service, it announced this spring that it will temporarily extend its service next year to five F train stops in Park Slope, Windsor Terrace and Kensington. Charles Seaton, an MTA spokesman, said it would consider making the change permanent if the extension showed high ridership.

    I have to admit, this is pretty cool but according to Brooklyn Paper, this could wind up taking years to become a reality. It’d be nice to take the G to Park Slope. However I *still* would like to be able to take the G to Steinway Street on a regular basis! Hello, let’s try and stick with the actual stops the thing is supposed to make before creating new ones, alright?

    Category News | Tags: ,, | 5 Comments

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