A Victim of Fowl Play

Today's post comes courtesy of reader Danielle, who spotted the below critter on East 5th Street and 2nd Ave in Manhattan:

Poor poultry - killed on the mean streets of NY, like so many country birds that come to the big City with dreams of fame and fortune...

It's sad but true - before being carelessly discarded, it appears that this rooster had his wings bound and was strangled with a seat belt.  I don't know whether to call the sanitation department, the police, or the ASPCA.

(Kiddie) Pool Shark

Spotted in Carroll Gardens on Sackett Street and Court Street:

RIP: Taken in his prime...

If you live in NY, then unless you are a total hermit with central air, you know that we are in the midst of an oppressive heat wave.  The kind of heat wave where you prance around your apartment in your undies, linger as a long as possible in front of the open refrigerator, and sleep with absolutely zero bedding around you (even the thought of sheets is beyond abhorrent).

Which makes me ask the following question: WHY?  Why dump the kiddie pool now?!?  I'm not too proud to admit it - if I owned that pool, I would fill it with ice water and totally bask on the sidewalk.  No kiddies would be allowed, either (because I'm cranky when it's hot).

Rejected Dust Buster

Spotted in the Slope on 12th Street and 8th Ave:

Poor little guy - he just wants to clean!

I think it's his naive smile that makes this so sad...

Confessions of a Toy Abandoner

Spotted in... my living room.  SIGH.

And yes - if you're wondering, I do believe they were calling out for me from the confines of their plastic grave...

I had kept some of my childhood toys in the unbelievably vain hope that I would someday pass them on to my spawn.  Well, that time has come - Baby Abandoned Toys is on his way.  But with one look at (and smell of) these critters, I realized that there was no way in hell that I was going to let my kid snuggle up to one of them.

So they needed to go.  Which brings me to my second unbelievably vain hope - that somebody else would want my funky smelling/looking old toys!   Needless to say, it is very, very difficult to donate used stuffed animals to charity - most likely because of the bed bug epidemic.  But I also imagine it has something to do with the fact that no matter how much you launder a beloved childhood bear, you can never really get his matted fur into a semi-presentable state (or smell).

So, with a heavy heart, I watched my better half put the toys in a garbage bag and walk it down to the curb.  I then refused to exit the apartment until the trash was collected the next day - luckily, there had been no rooting through the bag; I don't think I could have handled seeing my critters strewn across the sidewalk and street.

I kinda feel like I had this coming - biblical parables are ringing in my ears ("Lest not ye be judged"), as well as a few of the secular variety (rocks and glass houses, pot calling kettle black, etc).   I hear you, cruel universe - but the blog must go on!

So this is what affordable NY housing looks like, Pt 3: Tent City

Sadly, I have another NY housing-related entry (for a recap on what's been covered thus far, have a look at my first and second housing posts).

The optimism that resulted from the beautiful dollhouses I found in June has been completely decimated by the following monstrosity, spotted on 5th Street and 7th Ave:

On the up side, how many Brooklyn apartments have you seen with natural light on all four sides - PLUS a skylight?

It's like a makeshift tent city... for toddlers!  Is this the start of a transient baby community?  Or was space inside the adjacent brownstone at such a premium that the parents decided to put their kid's room outside?

Such a sad state of affairs...

Abandonment with Class

Today's post comes via reader Stan, who spotted these treasures in Boerum Hill on Bergen and Smith Streets:

More organized than most neighborhood retail stores...

Now THAT'S how you get stuff to move: everything is clean, the toys are intact with all necessary pieces, similar items are grouped together, and the layout is very aesthetically pleasing.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that there is nothing sad about this photo at all - well done, random brownstoners in Boerum Hill; well done indeed.

Abandoned Toys: Tween "Achy Breaky" Edition

Spotted in the Slope on 11th Street and 6th Ave:

Party in the USA indeed...

I always assumed that Miley would eventually end up on the streets; just not like this.