Blog Buzz: Missing Plaques, Scrap & Bloodsucking Slumlords

Work is killing me! I am busy, busy, busy and have no time to post. I’ve missed so many things that I wanted to post about but just haven’t had the time. I need to start doing more Quickies… but only in the blogging sense.

Here’s a big fat juicy Blog Buzz. Mmmmm meaty!

Earlier this week Kea posted about our lack of movie theaters in the ‘pernt and wouldn’t you know it, New York Observer covers the coming of The Cassandra to Williamsburg. The Cassandra isn’t going to be likely showing the newest rom-com, but hopefully it’ll have something that entertains people besides the hipster set. Hopefully. – New York Observer & Greenpointers

Can you even believe that work has already begun at McCarren Pool? I can’t remember the last time the city got cracking so quick. – Brownstoner

Now that I’m a YMCA employee I’m all about the Y. This week is America on the Move and that means Free Guest Passes among other events. – Greenpoint YMCA

Andrew Barwick, the victim of the September 10th Northside Car Service drivers hit and run posts his side of the story as a guest poster on NAG – Neighbors for Allied Good Growth. “…on Tuesday morning, while cycling to work northbound on Kent Avenue at N 7th Street, a south-bound Northside Car & Limo sedan made a left-hand turn on to N 7th Street directly across my path. The driver neither yielded nor slowed even though I was presently crossing the intersection. To avoid going up onto his hood, I had to slam on both brakes, the sudden stop flipping me over the handebars, and throwing me directly in front of his bumper.” – NAG & Brooklyn Paper

NAG also has a post regarding 137 Oak Street, a longtime favorite Greenpoint building of mine and my Dad’s, architecturally. My father told me about how it was a dicey SRO joint back in the day with shady individuals squatting there. Figures he had some friends who lived there… but now those shady cats are old men and trying not to get kicked out of their landmark home by a greedy developer. I’m surprised it took this long before a bloodsucking slumlord came a knockin’. – NAG

New hot shop Old Hollywood had it’s opening this past weekend and although I was bummed I missed it cause I was out of town, I’m glad they’ve got a blog to keep me in the loop about their designers and store info. – Old Hollywood

New cleanup for Newtown Creek? “In a landmark announcement more than three decades in the making, the Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to perform preliminary tests for hazardous industrial pollutants in Newtown Creek, the beleaguered estuary between Brooklyn and Queens. The results of the tests could make the site eligible for a Superfund designation, which would potentially allocate program funds for up to 90 percent of the cost to clean up the contaminated areas…” I seriously don’t get how this hasn’t already been done but Danny Meyers says it best toward the end of the article: “When informed that the testing might lead to government money for cleanup, he seemed unimpressed, and said “there’s never been any money for Greenpoint. Not for my part of the neighborhood anyways.” – Yeah, tell us about it. – Renew School

“A Long Island Man has been arrested for allegedly stealing 22 cars off of the streets of Queens and towing them to a Greenpoint scrap dealer where they were crushed and receiving $300-$500 per vehicle.” Homeboy was theiving cars and selling ’em for scrap. The part that really gets me is that in just 4 months this guy went to the same place on Kingsland Avenue 22 times claiming to be the owner of these vehicles he was selling for scrap. And no one thought that was fishy? Puhleeze. – Brooklyn Star

So yeah we all use HopStop and love it but now Google is getting in on the PT directions game with Google Transit. “At this point, I think HopStop still has the edge. While Google Transit technically covers more cities, HopStop covers more major cities. And it makes it easier to choose alternate routes if you’d rather take a bus, or if you’d rather avoid the G train.” – Download Squad

It’s not even funny how excited I am about the Trader Joe’s Brooklyn opening this Friday. And although it’s not in Greenpoint, it’s at least on the G line so I need to take just one train to get things like my dark chocolate raspberry jellies and frozen pizzas that don’t taste like frozen pizzas. And I can’t wait to see how it looks inside the old bank.

The Richardson is now offering daytime hours! They’re open noon to 4am everyday and in just a few weeks they’ll begin serving food. Haven’t gotten over there yet myself, but I will… eventually.

Queen’s Hideaway is closing October 18th. Can’t say I’m surprised or upset about it personally. It’s one of those places in the neighborhood that I wanted to like sooooo badly but was disappointed every time. Eventually I just gave up. – via Williamsburg Is Dead

Kill Devil Hill is about 100 steps from my house and I pass it almost daily. I love looking in the window – it’s always something interesting. And after reading this Ask a Shop Clerk interview, I can see why! – NY Magazine

It started with the 9/11 Memorial Plaque being stolen from St. Cecilia’s and since then three more have gone missing in the nabe. “Lentol is proposing a law that would make it a felony to steal or knowingly possess a stolen memorial item. If the thieves are scrap metal dealers, they’d lose their license under the legislation.” – Newsday

And Tuesday night I finally got over to Five Leaves and was impressed. The service was attentive and friendly which I was happy about. The Five Leaves burger was delicious and reasonably priced, though I have to say the other options were a bit too rich for my blood. And it was hot as balls in there. It was cool out but with a packed small place the two doors open just were not cutting it. I wish I was around this weekend cause I really want to try it for brunch. Oh and that walk-up coffee window on Bedford is just a-dor-able.