Archive for October, 2010

Mulberry/Houston Street Construction: A never ending story

October 18th, 2010 by Chase Lindsay Rosen

The corner of Mulberry and East Houston Streets serves as a home to broken wood planks, spray painted sheds, enormous pot holes and three bright yellow CAT machines. It has been this way for nearly the past 2 years.

290 Mulberry Street is a site of (what someday may be) a 9 unit condo building. It serves as not only a visual disturbance but also is affecting traffic patterns, daily life, local businesses and disrupting neighbors living within the vicinity.

Tanisha Cruz, an employee at Zachary’s Smile (317 Lafayette Street), has observed business trends fluctuate during the past few years due to the neighboring construction site.
Pests by chaselindsayrosen

Andy Warman, a NoHo resident always have to give himself extra time in the morning to get across the street and get a taxi to get to work on time.
Pests by chaselindsayrosen

Eric Rosado, a doorman (Windsor Communities) in the area, has singlehandedly seen traffic patterns worsen over the past few years due to the construction site at 290 Mulberry Street.
Windsordoorman by chaselindsayrosen

Brooke Rosenberg, a SoHo resident lives across the street from the construction site and had to go out and purchase a machine to drown out the sounds.
Pests by chaselindsayrosen

Memento from Mom

October 18th, 2010 by An Phung

“That Guy” Revisited

October 18th, 2010 by Stuart White

While this blog has covered the foibles of obnoxious bar patrons in the past, it has only examined the issue from the point of view of fellow bar-goers.  But what do the bartenders have to say?  After all, we may be briefly inconvenienced by obnoxious drunks, but bartenders are the ones who are perpetually saddled with their inane requests, their loud remarks and—at times—their disgusting bodily functions.  With that in mind, we take a look at the pet peeves of the brave men and women who pour our drinks and deal with us at our most obnoxious.

Note:  As a caution to the reader, in true bartender fashion, some of the following language is not safe for work.

Brian M., a bartender at the venerable Brooklyn hangout Farrell’s, offered this criticism of amateurish holiday drinkers.

Brian by Stuart White

Kar G., who tends bar in Park Slope, takes umbrage with those who ask for a glass of water only after being kicked out of the bar.

Kar by Stuart White

Nick S., another Park Slope bartender, numbers amateur attorneys among his biggest pet peeves.

Nick by Stuart White

Finally, Rich V. of Bar 4 gives the lowdown on every bartender’s biggest annoyance: cheapskates.

Rich by Stuart White

Community Up In Arms Over Franklin Avenue Pawnshop

October 17th, 2010 by Jonathan Vit

Photo by Jonathan Vit

Struggling with a significant increase in burglaries, Crow Hill residents protested a new pawnshop Saturday that they feel will only bring more crime to their growing section of Brooklyn. It’s a dispute that places the pawnshop at the center of a heated debate over the future of what is arguably the front line of gentrification in the rapidly developing Crown Heights neighborhood.

Opponents argue that the pawnshop, opening at the corner of Park Place and Franklin Avenue, is a step backwards for the budding Franklin Avenue commercial strip. Once a neglected avenue of dollar stores and shuttered storefronts, Franklin Avenue has witnessed a resurgence in recent years as restaurants and bars capitalized on the changing community.

“It is not consistent with what we are trying to do with Franklin Avenue,” said Councilwoman Letitia James, of District 35. “We are trying to attract businesses to Franklin Avenue based on what the needs are of the community and right now the needs of Crow Hill are not for a pawnshop.”

The pawnshop is also located on a block where zoning prohibits pawnshops from opening, said Nina Meldandri, project manager for the Crow Hill Community Association. The association is now working to get Department of Buildings inspectors to the site in an effort to force Community Pawnbrokers to close its doors.

But owner Eugene Josovits says, protest or not, the pawnshop will open.

“I am not breaking the law,” said Josovits. “I have nothing to be afraid of, I followed every single rule in the book.”

Protest chant by jonathanvit

Nina Meldandri by jonathanvit

Mike Bedford by jonathanvit

Stacey Sheffey by jonathanvit

A popular hand game in Brooklyn

October 17th, 2010 by Edouard de Mareschal

Let’s talk about Handball. American Handball. This game is quite popular in Brooklyn, where we can find children playing it almost every day after class in one of the numerous outdoor fields of the borough. James, Diana, Kary and Thomas were playing last Friday evening at the Fish playground park, between Saratoga Ave and Fulton Steet in Brooklyn.

Diana, 29, is a matron who takes care of special needs persons. She lives a few blocks away, and come here quite often to teach the rules to children who want to improve their skills.

Diana (rules) by edemareschal

Thomas, 14, plays handball almost every day.

Thomas Harris (challenge) by edemareschal

He came with Kary, his niece. She is only 7, but she is already addicted to handball.

Kary by edemareschal

James is one of Thomas friends. He explains some tricks about the game.

James (the killer) by edemareschal

If these people were playing for fun, tournaments of American Handball exist, as well as a United State Handball Association, which counts 8,500 members. A low figure which shows that American Handball’s hearing is still confidential.

A Taste of the Country in the City

October 17th, 2010 by Ichi Vazquez

It is common knowledge that New Yorkers love good food. The city has a wide variety of delicious foods with plates from all over the world, and weekly markets with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.

In Hamburg, Pennsylvania, a place called Eckerton Hill Farm has received attention for its amazing variety of tomatoes and chili peppers, and its presence in the Union Square Greenmarket on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. On occasion, New Yorkers have made their way to Eckerton Hill for the annual pig roast. But if you’ve never been to the farm, that’s okay. Chances are, you’ve tasted this farm’s tomatoes at a restaurant you’ve been to recently, like Peaches HotHouse in Bedstuy.

Farm manager Tim Stark, 48, talks about Eckerton Hill Farm:

On the farm’s beginning:
1. by Luz118

On selling products to the New York City Greenmarket:
3. by Luz118

On the annual pig roasts:
4. by Luz118

Election Traction

October 17th, 2010 by An Phung

The upcoming midterm elections have been one of the most divisive, dramatic and violent in recent history. With Democrats at risk of losing their majority hold in Congress and a country divided about important issues like tax cuts, health care law repeal and federal spending, it is no wonder that the reaction from some shoe-leather reporting yielded responses as varied as New York City is diverse. The question was “how are you participating in the midterm elections?” and below are some of the answers.

Susan, 55 years old – A vote for the environment

Emmanuel, 52 years old – A champion for Democrats

Anthony, 40 years old – No real leaders

John, 28 years old – The indifferent citizen

Carlos, 33 years old – The Libertarian

Jay, 33 years old – The majority vote

Anonymous – A vote for change

Good Pests?

October 17th, 2010 by Kahliah Laney

It’s easy to bemoan all the bothers of the Big Apple. The CUNY Graduate School of Journalism Class of 2011 has done it well on the Pests of New York blog. But what we may see as offending occurrences could actually be exciting encounters for others. Here are a few people sharing what they think are some pleasing pests of New York.

 Pleasing Pests by redolive

Adrien DeMartini of Jersey City, Olivia Fraser of Brooklyn and Anne-Marie Bauer of Helsinki, Finland share what they find pleasing about New York that others may find pestering.

Bed-Stuy Residents Are Fed Up

October 17th, 2010 by Jacqueline Vergara Amézquita

Vibrant, busy and colorful, the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn boasts of an infinity of community charms and resources: It is home to the historic and architecturally stunning brownstones, the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza sets the standard for community-investment in the area, and its residents are always willing to share their community’s history if asked. But as with any neighborhood, there are always pest-like problems and issues that need to be addressed. Native Bed-Stuy residents share their views about the area’s current troubles.

Racial Tension.
Jermaine Hardy, 27. by Jackiev83

Condo Craze and Lack of Affordable Housing.
Tammy Gould, 42. by Jackiev83

Rough Roads and No Accessible Stores.
Shekena Mcleod, 29. by Jackiev83

Following a night of interviews, all that was left was the sound of buzzing traffic on the desolate streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
Sound of Bed-Stuy Streets by Jackiev83

Acting in essence, seasoned actor reveals all

October 17th, 2010 by Tuan Thanh Nguyen

By Tuan Nguyen

After more than forty years working as an actor both on stage and movie, Richard Hughes, 67, has the insider’s knowledge to the business. He sits down with me this weekend and shares some of his thoughts on fundamental principles of acting, the importance of experience as well as the difference between acting on stage and on movie.

The Essence: float like a butterfly, sting like a bee
Richard Hughes on the essence of acting by Tuan_Nguyen

Experience and acting
Richard Hughes (experience and acting) by Tuan_Nguyen

Stage vs. movie acting

Richard Hughes (Stage actor and film) by Tuan_Nguyen

Clip of Richard Hughes and Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Departed” (as ambiance)
Clip from “the Departed” by Tuan_Nguyen