Now We're Cooking

Spotted in the Slope on 6th Ave and 5th Street:

Side note: There was a dude sitting in the van as I was taking these photos.  He thought I was crazy.

As you can see, there was a lot of renovation debris surrounding this li'l kitchen.  I've been trying to decide whether or not the kitchen was tossed as part of the remodeling process, or if it was set up as a makeshift street kitchen for the workers.  Ridiculous?  Perhaps - but consider the following view:

Sun-drenched kitchen with functional plumbing?  Consider me sold!

That is definitely a working hose sticking out just to the right of the kitchen.  Rudimentary, yes, but functional nonetheless.  And although it was filthy, this kitchen was nicer/bigger than many of the apartment kitchens I've seen in this town. 

Wayward West-Coast Sea Cockroach

Okay folks - get your passports out because we're leaving the borough of Brooklyn and going international!

Today's photo was snapped by reader Mohammad, who spotted a lone lobster on West Broadway between Ash and Heather Streets in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada:

So close, yet so far, from making it back to his ocean paradise...

Assuming this little guy was truly abandoned and not just lost, this photo represents yet another blemish on the city's record.  While Vancouverites have learned to live with a growing homeless population and recent looting and rioting, crustacean abandonment may very well be the seaweed that breaks the lobster's exoskeleton, if you will.

The good life, Park(ing) Slope style...

Spotted in the Slope on 8th Street and 7th Ave:

Question: In measuring a foot from the curb when parking this hot rod, are kiddie or adult feet used?

In all fairness, this toy may not have been abandoned - perhaps the owner was just running errands.  I mean, look at the care that was put into parking the car - the wheels are perfectly angled to prevent the vehicle from rolling forward on start up.  Does that seem like something a dispassionate owner would do?

No, this must be some kid's beloved car - and a lucky kid at that.  First, I'm in my 30s and STILL don't own a car.  Second, anyone with a car in the neighborhood knows how hard it is to come by a parking space.  So how did this miniature a-hole with the smartest of all smart cars manage to snag such a piece of prime real estate?

UnBEARable Tragedy...

Today's post comes via reader Allen, who spotted this sad little fella in Cobble Hill on Clinton Street and Pacific Street:

It's not clear to me whether this was some kid's beloved Teddy, or a cheesy adult bear (i.e., the kind of bear a dude might give his lady on Valentine's Day).  I guess it is the neck bow, which cheapens the overall bear look, no?

Anyways, if the bear belonged to a kid, it appears that he was loved... TO DEATH (note the gaping wound on his left leg).  Or maybe he was a stabbing victim (the Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill neighborhood is getting rough these days, after all).

But if the bear belonged to an adult, I'm left with even more questions.  Was his leg torn in a sordid breakup argument and then tossed with all of the ex's clothing?  Or perhaps Teddy had it with living in a broken home and decided to self-inflict a near fatal injury, just to get another chance on the outside...

Thoughts?

School's Out!

Ahhhh June.  What a great month.  Not only does it mark the transition from spring into summer, but also the end of the school year for thousands of kids across the country.

And how do these kids celebrate?

The ritual for high school kids, if I remember correctly, involves the violent destruction of notes and projects from the year, followed by the consumption of copious amounts of cheap beer and overly sweet liqueurs.  Because nothing says "I'm so adult" like a Peach Schnapps hangover...

For wee kids, giving a giant F-You to the year that was is slightly more nuanced.

Consider the following, spotted in the Slope on 6th Ave and 13th Street:

Sadly, this is about the size of the desk in my home office

Perhaps the former occupant of the desk simply outgrew it.  But the traces of angry scribbles on the chalkboard give me pause to think that something more subversive is going on; an indication that this pre-K kid has had it with booklearnin' for the year.

And what about this easel, spotted on 12th Street and 6th Ave:

Tool of creativity or symbol of oppression?

Was the former owner simply too old to continue finger painting?  Or does the tossing of this easel represent the protestations of a child hoping to overthrow the oppressive regime of having to produce art en masse every afternoon?

Perhaps we'll never know for sure, but I have my suspicions...

Reciprocal blog lovin'

Just a quick thanks to the kind folks at FIPS for the shout out in their blogroll this past Saturday - it was the cherry on my ice cream sundae of a weekend. 

Thug Life

Today's post comes courtesy of reader Ceci, who spotted these treasures in Carroll Gardens on President Street and Hicks Street:

DAMN - when did life in Carroll Gardens get so rough? 

In all seriousness, there are a few very important parts to this post.

First things first, where the heck did these guns come from?  Did our reader stumble upon the stockpile of a tween militia?  Or is this sad photo the result of anti-gun parents forcing a giveaway?  Regardless, I love that the owners took the time to arrange them so nicely.

Second, note the gun in the front:

Zut Alors! (That's for our Francophone audience)

What now?  Is that a homemade... bayonet?!?  Total gangsta living, French Revolution style.

Finally, I like that a jaunty little yellow guy was also included with the heavy artillery:

Nothing says thug like a fluorescent firearm

These are violent, dangerous times, my friends - fingers crossed the situation doesn't escalate to full-blown water balloon fights...

So this is what affordable NY housing looks like, Pt 2: Valley of the Doll(house)s

If you are a follower of this blog, you may recall my earlier post on affordable NY housing.

It really is a sad state of affairs: rents are high, spaces are small, and the threat of bedbugs is ever increasing.  Don't even get me started on rental brokers...

But things are looking up!

Consider this gem, spotted in the Slope on 6th Ave and 10th Street:

Very open concept...

Note the full bathroom (including bathtub!) - total luxury living...

Or this one, spotted on 12th Street and 8th Ave:

Yes, that is a stable on the left - finally a place for your horses!

Of course, neither appears to include a kitchen, but let's be honest - how often do you really cook at home anyways?

Too...Many...Puns...

Spotted in the Slope on Prospect Ave and Webster Place:

Thank you, Miss Katherine, thank you indeed...

This photo is a total pun gold mine for me:

1. "Wow, is Katherine ever trashed"... OR

2. "Wow, Katherine is really down in the dumps"... OR

3. "Wow, Katerine is really (upside) down in the dumps"...

It's just too much goodness!