Grand Avenue News: Less Garbage, More Zig-Zags

development

We were pleased to see a major clean up underway at the small triangular green space at the intersection of Grand, Putnam and Fulton on Sunday afternoon. Maybe it will inspire the drug dealers to throw out their dime bags in the proper receptacles! Speaking of drug dealers, we have to eat our own words and give some big props to the 88th who, we hear, pulled off a big bust at the building on the corner of Grand and Putnam a couple of weeks back. In other news, as noted in a comment on Wednesday, the plywood has been the removed from the front of the new building on Grand between Lexington and Greene. The commenter was digging the door design. We're not so sure we share her enthusiasm, but then again, we've seen worse.

Comments

i like the doors. they're kind of art-deco-ish...

Posted by: lc at March 31, 2006 9:39 AM

If the doors were switched, they'd form a mason's logo?

Posted by: EJC at March 31, 2006 9:46 AM

The grassy area of that park is the footprint of a wonderful triangular four or five story Victorian building. They tore it down maybe ten or twelve years ago. Too bad, it would have been very desirable now.

Posted by: CrownHeightsProud at March 31, 2006 10:24 AM

So you say you want less drug paraphernalia, but more zig zags? Aren't zig zags rolling papers? And I don't think drug dealers are throwing away dime bags, they're likely selling them.

C'mon Brownstoner, stop pretending to be so naieve about these sorts of things...

Posted by: Whitbo at March 31, 2006 10:34 AM

If I remember correctly, the now demolished building at that site was the backdrop for several scenes in Spike Lee's student movie "Barbershop, we cut heads", which he filmed in Fort Greene, Clinton Hills and Bed Stuy. The barbershop is on Marcy Ave, near Hancock St. in BS.

Posted by: CrownHeightsProud at March 31, 2006 10:35 AM

Mmm...Bargain (just one!) "R" (can't do it backwards) Us! Toys "R" Us used to aggressively prosecute anyone who used that backwards R -- guess they don't do so anymore.

I want to compile shots of crazy store signange -- Nostrand Ave is a delight for this -- apart from the many stores that sell (Whatever) & Tings (guess the use of dialect is intentional), there's a 99 cent shop near Winthrop that stocks "Panty" in addition to the usual items, and the Let Live butcher shop down there.

Posted by: babs at March 31, 2006 10:51 AM

Whitbo, your zig-zags comment is awesome. Well played.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 31, 2006 11:01 AM

Toys "R" Us doesn't go after trademark infringers who have a meager grasp of the english language as a courtesy, since their name is such a shining example of proper usage.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at March 31, 2006 11:04 AM

I think we know what street corner Whitbo has been hanging out at and what he's been doin' there.

Posted by: anonymous at March 31, 2006 11:07 AM

There were many vacant buildings on the stretch of Fulton St. between Cambridge and Classon (probably many more beyond there, but outside my daily path), and they were all very, very bad for the neighborhood and its residents.

The big buildings on the block of Putnam between Downing and Grand are actually considerably better than they were 10 years ago. The residents of those buildings had a designated time to go to the post office every week on Saturday to get their mail--the letter carrier wouldn't go inside. I don't know if that's still the case.

The garden at the triangle was first a project of the daycare center in the senior citizen's center next to the post office. I don't know who forked up the money and labor to plant the perennials a year or two later, but this is the time to renew a garden, no?

I often wonder about the guy who owned the pet shop on Putnam. The gate over the store is still there in all its tropical glory, but the store is gone for at least a couple of years. He was Australian or South African, and he seemed to enjoy what the guys were selling on the corner a lot too much. At our last visit there, they seemed to have taken over ownership of the store. But my daughter (4 at the time) and I bought a pair of goldfish from him that lasted over 3 years!

Posted by: Roberta at March 31, 2006 11:31 AM

That's really too bad about tearing down the building at that intersection years ago. I think that intersection could be a really good commercial spot for the neighborhood. Maybe they could build something on that triangle again? It would be great if they renovated the building(s) between Putnam and Fulton, east of Grand. They could look really nice and the ground floor could be the much desired gourmet grocery everyone clamors for on this site.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 31, 2006 11:32 AM

I think b'"stoner" meant the EMPTY dimebag bags that litter the corner. I live on the block of Grand between gates and putnam and it is ridiculous how open the dealing is on that corner - it moved up the block a bit this week because of coned work right now...

Posted by: Anonymous at March 31, 2006 4:23 PM

The owner of "Outpost" (who I may forgive for naming his Seattle-esqe bar that) told me a while ago he had gotten a grant to beautify the Putnam/Fulton corner. It could be quite lovely. Funny how the triangles on Fulton don't really seem to live up their potential as public spaces. I see cafe tables and mimes - okay, now I'm on crack...

Posted by: Anonymous at March 31, 2006 5:20 PM

I do think that could be a great commercial spot, with more cafes and stores, a good gourmet shop or two. It would be great. Transport's close and it is close to C Hill, FG, the border of BS and also Prospect Heights.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 31, 2006 6:20 PM

Look at the size of that triangle! It's barely big enough for a newsstand much less a food court! The building that was there years ago and torn down was a curiosity because of its size and shape, but there really isn't room for any construction there.

Posted by: Roberta at April 1, 2006 1:48 PM

And now, of course, it is a park. When I (5:20) suggested cafe tables, I meant at establishments on Fulton, Grand and Putnam. The mimes need not appear.

Posted by: Putnam-denizen at April 1, 2006 5:49 PM

Check this out! maybe this will change a bit the face of fulton....

http://www.masseyknakal.com/search/search_frame_top.cfm

Posted by: Anonymous at April 3, 2006 1:43 PM

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March 31, 2006

Grand Avenue News: Less Garbage, More Zig-Zags

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