Thursday, April 10, 2008

*Everyday Chatter

8th Street comic shop suddenly shutters...as the street continues its death rattle. [Flaming P]

Protest at Varvatos shop: "One small loss of a music space, one large step for pants." [Gothamist]

Take a look back at the 1884 gala opening of the Stuyvesant Polyclinic, devoted then to the "relief of the sick and suffering," now a future rockstar mansion in the East Village. [Times Archive]

As the market goes down, the ultra-rich are stacking condos to create their own supersized urban McMansions and combination "mega-pads." [Post]

Go to Streit's Matzo Factory on 4/13 to tell your Streit's story and be in their documentary (click photo to enlarge for details):


Sharon Florin, who paints New York in all its vanishing glory, will be having a show at the Ansonia Pharmacy Windows--that funny little gallery space on 10th Street and 6th Avenue that often has great stuff. So go check her out.

Will there be t-shirts for NYC's vanishing? If you like these, check out Sally Young's stuff. [Curbed]

Mourn the vanishing of a New York society that cared for more than just money. [AMNY]

Take another visit to that sad little block of 9th Ave between 17th and 18th that I covered here and here. [AMNY]

And read a little more on the New Barbershop through the eyes of Romy Ashby and her dog Pilar. [Goodie]

...Speaking of which, yesterday the city planted a tree on the corner of 9th and 18th and I thought, "Here we go--where there are new trees, there will be new gentrification." Then I thought, "But trees are good, so don't worry about it." Then I saw this: The tree was planted by Bloomberg and Tyra Banks. Actually, a bunch of workmen did the planting, but Bloomie and Tyra posed for the photo op. (And who could forget Tyra in homeless chic?) This block is so freaking doomed. [Urbanite]

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Jeremiah,

My Goodie "Walkers in the City" column up right now has a little item in it about that poor block as well as about the miserable meatpacking hell hole and memories of wonderful Jackie 60, if you're interested. There is a picture of two of the sweet barbers from the barbershop there on 9th Ave. I'll paste in the link:

http://www.goodie.org/salonfoxy/happenings.html

L'Emmerdeur said...

"Hey Mayor, Tyra, make a face like someone just inserted an unsolicited finger in your anus!"

Anonymous said...

Don't worry about the trees, babe. They're planting them everywhere--literally! Wait, maybe start worrying again...

Suzannah B. Troy artist said...

giggle, some laughter but mostly tears and anger...

FlwrLvr said...

As a resident of the building on the corner of Ninth Avenue & 18th Street since 1972 I loathe most everything that's happened to our neighborhood in Starbuck's opened up at 9th Avenue & 15th Street. That was the beginning of the end as far as I'm concerned.

Too bad the photo op session with Mayor Bloomberg and Tyra Banks wasn't held 1/2 block east - the back of the New York City Lab School (333 West 17th Street).

Not a day goes by that there isn't some type of garbage that has been “dumped” on 18th Street. Most often it remains for days; piles of garbage bags, often torn open with the contents spilling out onto the street, used cardboard boxes, old school furniture…and, yes, the attendant vermin living in the school courtyard that come out at night for a feast.

This is the part of the "old" Chelsea that still exists in spite of the fact that there are $1 million + apartments for sale a block west. This is a health hazard for everyone that passes it, not to mention an eyesore.

Suzannah B. Troy artist said...

Jeremiah: The New York Post has the same picture today, Sunday of the mayor planting a tree...if only anyone would ask him why does Washington Square Park need a multi million dollar make over that requires uprooting healthy trees up ...just like our historic buildings, and long term community members...as gentrification becomes supersification.