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August, 2008

  1. Phelps Phan

    August 29, 2008 by Justine

    Yesterday Michael Phelps came to my job and it was awesome. He smiled at me. Twice!
    Read all about it and see more pics (which are much better than the blurry blobs I took on my BlackBerry) on The Urbanite.

    Category News | Tags: | 2 Comments

  2. Phelps Phan

    by Justine

    Yesterday Michael Phelps came to my job and it was awesome. He smiled at me. Twice!
    Read all about it and see more pics (which are much better than the blurry blobs I took on my BlackBerry) on The Urbanite.

    Category News | Tags: | 2 Comments

  3. Diamond (Bar) Is A Girl’s Best Friend

    August 27, 2008 by Kea

    Ahhhh Diamond Bar. At work, I day dream about your St. Bernardus while over-sized files crash my Outlook. I feel honored when the mosquitoes in your backyard bite me. I imagine running along beaches covered in shuffleboard sand! My name is written all over your mailing list and I am still waiting for you to call me and ask me to moonlight as a bartendress! I want Dave Pollack to adopt me!
    WHOAAA, well, not really the last one….yikes…But my favorite (x3) watering hole, the Diamond Bar, was mentioned in the NYT yesterday in an article about low-alcohol beers. Some nerdy stuff about sessions and hops – couldn’t really follow as my mind had already wandered its way to 43 Franklin Street!

    Category News | Tags: | 2 Comments

  4. NaBedLo Triangle Update: Its Tanner Time!

    August 26, 2008 by Kea

    Now along with A-to-Z listers, you can also expect tasty things this fall at Five Leaves. Stephen Tanner of Egg will be taking charge of the menu and the kitchen of the new restaurant (that should be opening its doors any week now)!

    Mr. Tanner has quite the resume – along with being an integral part of the excellence that is a bacon wrapped scallop at Egg, he was also one of the founding fathers of our favorite, Pies and Thighs.

    Good for the neighborhood – not so good for my waistline. But hell, now that the bouncy castle slipping slide at the pool is officially RIP, I guess bathing suit season is OVER! Pass the fried everything!

    Category News | Tags: | 2 Comments

  5. Interesting GPT Facts

    by Justine

    I saw this on a Facebook board and thought it was really fascinating. I learned a couple of new things as well.


    Greenpoint Hospital, on Skillman Avenue between Kingsland and Debevoise Avenues, was opened in 1914 and was in operation through the early 1980s. It is located well outside the currently accepted boundaries of Greenpoint.

    Some scenes in the movie The Departed, including the scene where Jack Nicholson’s character first meets Matt Damon’s character, were shot in Greenpoint across from McCarren Park. The diner and grocery store scenes were both shot in the Park Luncheonette.

    Several scenes in the movies Donnie Brasco (where Dominick Napolitano portrayed as “Sonny Black” by Michael Madsen was born), Sleepers, Dead Presidents, Romeo is Bleeding, In the Mix, and The Siege were also filmed in Greenpoint.

    The television series Rescue Me and The Black Donnellys are also routinely filmed in Greenpoint, as are the television shows Third Watch and Lipstick Jungle.

    The lead singer of Franz Ferdinand lived for a time in Greenpoint, and the neighborhood is mentioned in the song “Eleanor Put Your Boots On.”

    The invasive Asian long-horned beetle was first identified in Greenpoint, and exterminated there but not before spreading.

    The streets in Greenpoint are named alphabetically. Walking south along Manhattan Avenue, you will find Ash, Box, Clay, Dupont, Eagle, Freeman, Green, Huron, India, Java and Kent Streets. Then comes Greenpoint Avenue, formerly known as Lincoln Street. Further south one can find Milton, Noble and Oak Streets. All streets were originally designated by letters, not by name; A Street, B Street, etc. Calyer Street, coming after Oak Street, was formerly known as “P Street” and is followed by Quay Street.

    Notable individuals born and/or raised in Greenpoint include actress Mae West, children’s book author Margaret Wise Brown, pop singer Pat Benatar and writer Henry Miller. Also, Members of the band “Kiss” were raised in Greenpoint, Mickey Rooney, Joe Torre, the original “Brooklyn Dodgers” Marching band were from Kingsland Ave, As well as Andrew W.K.

    Comedy Central’s series Stella was filmed primarily in Greenpoint

    What is now McGolrick Park was farmland owned by former mayor Ambrose Kingsland. Kingsland donated 8 acres of his farm to the city to be used as a park

    The British Army had an encampment in Greenpoint during the Revolution

    Greenpoint was originally divided into 5 farms, which were attacked frequently by the original settlers of greenpoint, the Keskachauge Indians.

    Greenpoint is the home of the largest Sewage Treatment plant in the United States

    Greenpoint is bordered by what is recorded as the most polluted waterway in the country, The Newtown Creek.

    Greenpoint sits on top of what is said to be the worst oil spill in US history, 17-30 MILLION gallons of oil. ExxonMobile (where storage tanks used to sit just north of Norman Ave around N Henry St, going all the way to the Newtown Creek) had a leak in one of their facilities in the 1950′s, the leak ignited underground at Manhattan Ave and Huron St.

    (This one is especially for the hipsters information, so they know what they’re paying their high rents for): Greenpoint, back in 2006, was named the most FLAMMABLE neighborhood in the city by the FDNY. Most of the row houses are wood-framed and have a open crawl space between the top floor and the roof that goes from building to building, which causes fires to take out nearly an entire block. As long as I’ve lived in Greenpoint, I’ve seen it happen twice, once on Monitor St (between Driggs and Engert), and once on Diamond St (between Norman and Meserole) … Some houses have been renovated and given “firewalls” in the crawl space, but most, have not.

    Greenpoints original name was “Hout Hoek” which translates to Wood Point.

    Woodpoint Rd (which now starts at Metropolitan & Bushwick Aves, running into Kingsland Ave and Frost St) was the first road built in Greenpoint, and for a long time, was the ONLY road in Greenpoint.

    *As a sidebar, that fire on Monitor Street included several friends of mine homes. It was a horrible, horrible thing that happened.

    Category News | Tags: | 6 Comments

  6. Interesting GPT Facts

    by Justine

    I saw this on a Facebook board and thought it was really fascinating. I learned a couple of new things as well.


    Greenpoint Hospital, on Skillman Avenue between Kingsland and Debevoise Avenues, was opened in 1914 and was in operation through the early 1980s. It is located well outside the currently accepted boundaries of Greenpoint.

    Some scenes in the movie The Departed, including the scene where Jack Nicholson’s character first meets Matt Damon’s character, were shot in Greenpoint across from McCarren Park. The diner and grocery store scenes were both shot in the Park Luncheonette.

    Several scenes in the movies Donnie Brasco (where Dominick Napolitano portrayed as “Sonny Black” by Michael Madsen was born), Sleepers, Dead Presidents, Romeo is Bleeding, In the Mix, and The Siege were also filmed in Greenpoint.

    The television series Rescue Me and The Black Donnellys are also routinely filmed in Greenpoint, as are the television shows Third Watch and Lipstick Jungle.

    The lead singer of Franz Ferdinand lived for a time in Greenpoint, and the neighborhood is mentioned in the song “Eleanor Put Your Boots On.”

    The invasive Asian long-horned beetle was first identified in Greenpoint, and exterminated there but not before spreading.

    The streets in Greenpoint are named alphabetically. Walking south along Manhattan Avenue, you will find Ash, Box, Clay, Dupont, Eagle, Freeman, Green, Huron, India, Java and Kent Streets. Then comes Greenpoint Avenue, formerly known as Lincoln Street. Further south one can find Milton, Noble and Oak Streets. All streets were originally designated by letters, not by name; A Street, B Street, etc. Calyer Street, coming after Oak Street, was formerly known as “P Street” and is followed by Quay Street.

    Notable individuals born and/or raised in Greenpoint include actress Mae West, children’s book author Margaret Wise Brown, pop singer Pat Benatar and writer Henry Miller. Also, Members of the band “Kiss” were raised in Greenpoint, Mickey Rooney, Joe Torre, the original “Brooklyn Dodgers” Marching band were from Kingsland Ave, As well as Andrew W.K.

    Comedy Central’s series Stella was filmed primarily in Greenpoint

    What is now McGolrick Park was farmland owned by former mayor Ambrose Kingsland. Kingsland donated 8 acres of his farm to the city to be used as a park

    The British Army had an encampment in Greenpoint during the Revolution

    Greenpoint was originally divided into 5 farms, which were attacked frequently by the original settlers of greenpoint, the Keskachauge Indians.

    Greenpoint is the home of the largest Sewage Treatment plant in the United States

    Greenpoint is bordered by what is recorded as the most polluted waterway in the country, The Newtown Creek.

    Greenpoint sits on top of what is said to be the worst oil spill in US history, 17-30 MILLION gallons of oil. ExxonMobile (where storage tanks used to sit just north of Norman Ave around N Henry St, going all the way to the Newtown Creek) had a leak in one of their facilities in the 1950′s, the leak ignited underground at Manhattan Ave and Huron St.

    (This one is especially for the hipsters information, so they know what they’re paying their high rents for): Greenpoint, back in 2006, was named the most FLAMMABLE neighborhood in the city by the FDNY. Most of the row houses are wood-framed and have a open crawl space between the top floor and the roof that goes from building to building, which causes fires to take out nearly an entire block. As long as I’ve lived in Greenpoint, I’ve seen it happen twice, once on Monitor St (between Driggs and Engert), and once on Diamond St (between Norman and Meserole) … Some houses have been renovated and given “firewalls” in the crawl space, but most, have not.

    Greenpoints original name was “Hout Hoek” which translates to Wood Point.

    Woodpoint Rd (which now starts at Metropolitan & Bushwick Aves, running into Kingsland Ave and Frost St) was the first road built in Greenpoint, and for a long time, was the ONLY road in Greenpoint.

    *As a sidebar, that fire on Monitor Street included several friends of mine homes. It was a horrible, horrible thing that happened.

    Category News | Tags: | 6 Comments

  7. Right Before The Stage Comes Down

    by Justine

    Just got this in the old inbox – they will probably be gone in minutes!



    Right before the McCarren Park Pool stage comes down:

    SONIC YOUTH
    Saturday Aug. 30
    McCarren Park Pool BUY NOW $35

    benefit concert for OSA very generously produced by AEG Live to support our parks

    OSA is pleased to have helped made programming at the Pool possible this summer. OSA built the stage and provided all necessary infrastructure for the great concerts, free films, experimental theater, photography slideshow/potluck dinner, yoga/meditation session, skateboard competition, and more. After several decades of our community advocating for water in the Pool, we rejoice in the metamorphosis, while we search for another location to let the show to go on…

    In the meantime, BUY TICKETS NOW for SONIC YOUTH, the band that has been with us from the beginning, the only band playing sold-out Pool shows every year…

    Category News | Tags: | No Comments

  8. Neighborhood Questions: Tailoring to a T

    August 25, 2008 by Justine

    Got an email today wondering about the best spot to get tailoring done around town. I know my sister uses the one on Greenpoint & Manhattan Aves and I was just admiring the job she did on her wide leg jeans – keeping the interesting cuff look, so that would be my first recommendation but if someone has another place they’ve been pleased with – comment on.

    Hi All,

    I’ve lived in Greenpoint for a couple years, and I’m a huge fan of the blog! Keep the good stuff coming!

    I had a quick Neighborhood Question. I scored an awesomely cheap pair of pants at the Angel Street Thrift Shop, but they’re too long and I need to get them hemmed. Do you know any good places in the neighborhood to get that done?

    Thanks!

    Category News | Tags: | 3 Comments

  9. Right Before The Stage Comes Down

    by Justine

    Just got this in the old inbox – they will probably be gone in minutes!



    Right before the McCarren Park Pool stage comes down:

    SONIC YOUTH
    Saturday Aug. 30
    McCarren Park Pool BUY NOW $35

    benefit concert for OSA very generously produced by AEG Live to support our parks

    OSA is pleased to have helped made programming at the Pool possible this summer. OSA built the stage and provided all necessary infrastructure for the great concerts, free films, experimental theater, photography slideshow/potluck dinner, yoga/meditation session, skateboard competition, and more. After several decades of our community advocating for water in the Pool, we rejoice in the metamorphosis, while we search for another location to let the show to go on…

    In the meantime, BUY TICKETS NOW for SONIC YOUTH, the band that has been with us from the beginning, the only band playing sold-out Pool shows every year…

    Category News | Tags: | No Comments

  10. Neighborhood Questions: Tailoring to a T

    by Justine

    Got an email today wondering about the best spot to get tailoring done around town. I know my sister uses the one on Greenpoint & Manhattan Aves and I was just admiring the job she did on her wide leg jeans – keeping the interesting cuff look, so that would be my first recommendation but if someone has another place they’ve been pleased with – comment on.

    Hi All,

    I’ve lived in Greenpoint for a couple years, and I’m a huge fan of the blog! Keep the good stuff coming!

    I had a quick Neighborhood Question. I scored an awesomely cheap pair of pants at the Angel Street Thrift Shop, but they’re too long and I need to get them hemmed. Do you know any good places in the neighborhood to get that done?

    Thanks!

    Category News | Tags: | 3 Comments

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