Say What: Curb Your Piggy Edition

There are so many elements at work in this sign from Ten Eyck Street in East Williamsburg that it’s hard to know where to start. Well, we know that we need to start with the Curb Your Piggy element, which is superb, but we also have to note the damaged one-way signs and tagged Stop Sign. This magnificent specimen comes from the wide-ranging Miss Heather.

Gowanus Lounge Photo Du Jour: Discarded, but Cheerful

East Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Street Couch Series: Montrose Ave. Club Couch

This beautiful specimen comes from Leonard Street at Montrose Avenue in East Williamsburg via our Roving Greenpoint Correspondent. She writes, by way of background:

As anyone (especially women) who live in the area can attest, this corner is often populated by large groups of men “hanging out”. While drinking beer they sometimes enjoy themselves (and each other) by hollering at female passersby…these gentlemen were indeed members of the Katz Club which, as you can clearly see, is strictly a “Members Only” organization. They even have their own couch.

Nice sofa.

Say What–One Way Down Again

One of our favorite of all messed up street signs are the directionally challenged one-way signs. Our Greenpoint Correspondent came across the one on Catherine Street in East Williamsburg.

Street Couch Series: Car Seat with Fruit

While it’s not strictly a “street couch,” it is compelling adaptive reuse of seating. Miss Heather who shot this on Graham Avenue in Williamsburg and sent it our way calls it “Car Seat with Fruit.”

Street Couch Series: Sofa + Love President’s Day Special

This isn’t strictly a street couch in the sense of being out in the street because it’s unwanted or put there for the purpose of seating, but today is President’s Day and this “Sofe & Love” special for $279 definitely fits. It comes from Graham Avenue in East Williamsburg and comes to us thanks to our far ranging Greenpoint Correspondent.

Not for Sale in Williamsburg

We’re guessing that the owner of this home on Union Avenue took issue with people trying to buy the property at some point in the past. The “Attack Dog” sign beneath it would also seem to be a disincentive to anyone that wants to ask about the availability of the property.

Williamsburg Loft Tenants Get $35,000 & $65,000 Con Ed Bills

What would it be like if you got a Con Ed bill for, say, $65,000 or perhaps $35,000? Apparently, this is what happened to two loft tenants at a building at 300 Morgan Avenue in East Williamsburg. We got an email from Frank Shifreen, the artist that Carroll Gardens blogger Pardon Me for Asking posted about recently, who once put on an art exhibition at the Public Place site in Gowanus. Mr. Shifreen relates a story about unmetered apartments and monstrous Con Ed bills that arrived recently. Here are some relevant parts of the email:

My artist friends have lived at 300 Morgan Ave. for many years. They are grandfathered as loft tenants…The building is a mixed residential loft and factory loft building covering almost an entire block–Morgan on one side, Metropolitan on one, Grand on the other. Con Ed found out that there were no meters in the building no meters except for…one of the businesses…

All of the tenants including high power industrial tenants had no meters. I have had lofts for many years and am a landlord also. Getting away with no meter is something I have never heard of. When one of the tenants inquired, they said that con ed replied there was no record of 300 morgan ave. Con Ed somehow rediscovered the building and as far as I know the landlord was not given any penalties or fines or put in jail. Something stinks of course–there must have been bribery, something.

Con Ed had the landlord put meters in [and] after several months billed the tenants for past use. My artist friends Mike and Sherry Rader, for instance, who also run a gallery called Tastes Like Chicken from their studio, received a bill for $65,000. Other tenants received bills smaller but still around $35K.

This is a travesty. The tenants did not have access to the basement or areas where meters would have been. I believe all assumed that utilities were being covered by landlord.

It’s definitely one of the more interesting stories we’ve come across in a while and, assuming the details are accurate, one of the nastier stories about the mess a tenant can find himself or herself in through no fault of their own. And we thought our Con Ed bill sucks.

(NOTE: That is not the actual Con Ed bill, nor was it intended to be the actual bill.)

Checking Out 291 Devoe

We’re not saying that the situation pictured above at 291 Devoe Street in East Williamsburg is not safe. There appear to be safety harnesses and ropes in place. All we can say is it appears to potentially not be the most secure thing we’ve ever seen. The photo and the information are from our Greenpoint correpondent, who also directed us to complaints at the DOB concerning worker safety. The building has logged 14 complaints with the Department of Buildings, but very little action. They range from the report of steel beams falling to the sidewalk and concerns about worker safety in the complaint below to things like “excessive garbage” and work causing the building next door to shake. As to the shaking, when the DOB inspector showed up a day later, they didn’t observe any shaking and dismissed the complaint. (Note to public management school students looking for a project: Go to the New York City Department of Buildings. You will find much to examine.) A complaint last year about construction undermining the building next door did result in a temporary Stop Work Order, however.

Smile Builder: Mexican Dance on Montrose Avenue

We caught this in front of a church on Montrose Avenue near Manhattan. It’s definitely big smile material.