Brooklyn Gold Rush!

Spotted in the Slope on 6th Ave and 12th Street:

There is something about the combination of the desk, water mill toy and work pants that makes me think this vignette is basically a kiddie gold prospecting operation.

Sit back and relax (IF YOU DARE)...

Spotted in the Slope on 11th Street and 7th Ave:

That chair must have been home to one hell of an angry house cat...

In theory, this whole set up is so inviting - one could casually play with sponge bath shapes while reclining in the thoughtfully provided chair.  However, the fact that the chair looks like it was ravaged by a wild tiger and/or has fallen victim to an insidious bed bug infestation makes it unlikely that any passerby would even think about sitting down, let alone touch the bath toys.

Nope - I think the bath toys would fare much better if they were accompanied by this little chair, which was spotted in Manhattan on East 12th Street and 2nd Ave:

This chair was clearly well loved, as evidenced by the number of stickers on it

Brooklyn and Manhattan, isn't it about time that we started working together?  For the love of abandoned toys, if nothing else...

Footloose and (Fancy?) Free

Abandoned Toys is going slightly off-topic today to explore a disturbing development in the Slope: abandoned kids' shoes.  Consider the following examples:

Tragic - it looks like they are attempting to walk back through the gate; one last sad attempt to be reunited with their owner...

Ice cold treatment indeed...

Were the magazines included to entice onlookers to also consider the shoes, or vice versa?

Velcro and Crocs - free and orthopedic!

Who doesn't love a good flop?

Note the common theme: with the exception of the first photo, exceptional care and attention has been placed into displaying the shoes.  Perhaps shoe abandonment is not as tragic as I first thought - these shoes may get a second chance after all!  The more I think about it, what's really alarming about these photos is the implication that countless kids are running wild with bare feet - I foresee an explosion of planter warts and athlete's foot in the neighborhood... Gross.

Abandoned Toys: Now with commentary (and hair color options)!

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

Best. Advertising. Ever.

I love this photo for the following reasons:

1. The random commentary provided by the donor (who has the printing of a small child) for specific items.  Not only are the phrases enticing ("No Bed Bugs" and "It works!"), but ambiguous, in that it is unclear if the other items also work or are without bed bugs.  Geez - talk about amateur give away technique... pffft.

2. Mom was not forgotten in this extravaganza - hair color is included (although if she wants to go red, it appears that she is SOL)!

3. The lunch box, which has nothing funny about it - I just really liked it, and was very close to adopting the little guy...

Abandoned Food + Abandoned Toys = Strangely Satisfying

Excitement!

En route to a dinner party in Cobble Hill, I happened upon this menagerie of goodness:

There's something for everyone!

At first, I was super distracted by the puzzle - yup, those missing pieces you see are permanently missing (as in not in any of the boxes)... I kinda appreciated that the donor completed as much of the puzzle as possible - just to let you know what you were signing on for (specifically, frustration and lack of fulfillment) should you choose to take this gem of a street prize home with you.

But then I zeroed in on the pink box:

Spot the food groups...

Total score.  Why, you ask?  Well, the white clump of stuff that looks like cottage cheese was, in fact, cottage cheese.  And yes, that is a baked potato just to the right of it.

AMAZING.

Can I interest your toddler in a cuddly blue stuffed animal? Or perhaps some drain cleaner?

Spotted in the Slope on 12th Street:

Note the very fine dividing line between the "toxic things that could kill your child" on the left, and the "FUN FUN FUN things for your child to immediately grab and play with" on the right.

Negligent parents, or truly sinister?  Will continue to monitor this residence for further trash heaps...