justiNYC

A tree in Brooklyn

A tree in Brooklyn, originally uploaded by jUSTINYC.

It grows like shadows
and knows the backhoes
are coming. It hears the drumming.
[The area formerly known as Greenpoint]

It could be awkward

It could be awkward, originally uploaded by jUSTINYC.

But it rarely is these days. Last weekend i returned briefly to NYC for some photo work and lets just say that I have not missed the cold. I snapped this shot up around 33rd Street, near Madison Square Garden.

A Video Peek at the "Dirty Dozen"- NYC's Worst Landlords

NYC real estate YouTube.com: amnewyork - NYC's worst landlordsamNewYork presents a video look at NYC's most f**ked up landlords- otherwise known as the "Dirty Dozen." Technorati Tags: video, NYC, landlords,

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A Rooftop to Write Home About and the Roebling Oil Field Whoas

So I'm writing home- to NYC, that is.  I've been down south for a little over 3 weeks and lets just say I'm officially (extremely) homesick for New York.  I miss rooftops such as this one in Williamsburg and I miss abandoned buildings and graffiti.  I miss the ways real estate is all fucked up in New York City and the way it somehow becomes worked into the subject of every conversation.  Don't get me wrong- from my point of view, real estate can be a pretty f**ked up situation to discuss in many parts of the country right now (Charleston, SC certainly has its share of whoas), but never in the same way as the city that never sleeps. People in other places I've been just don't seem to have as much fun knocking on the ridiculous bullshit that happens in respect to the real estate market.  I miss that for some reason.  In New York, you almost have to have a real estate sense of humor. I suppose that could be the main reason Curbed has so many readers.  Much like the real estate market itself, people don't know whether to laugh or cry



When it comes to real estate in NYC, the fun of talking about it is that there's always someone out there who knows more.  Particular situations are in flux and numbering in the katrillions every second...and theres always someone out there with the scoop (even if they ain't yappin). Take for example this article i ran across today on Curbed about the Roebling Oil Field, near McCarren Park.  This situation really kinda pisses me off because there are Darthvelopers (LoftNinja's Arch enemy) out there who do stupid shit such as beginning to build foundations of condo buildings on top of a contaminated site, all because they are too damn cheap to do the job the right way first.  Cleaning up an oil spill in NYC (or anywhere else with mounds of human inhabitants) is a very necessary and extremely important thing to do. 

Interesting tidbits that I know about said Roebling Oil Field:

-The oil in the ground on this site is Heating Oil, not gasoline (which only makes it a different kind of harmful, not less harmful).
-The current attempts to clean up the site have been largely unproductive, as the method used (pump and treat/removal) is the cheap way of going about it.  This method take waaaay too long and when you have a development scenario (hinging on deadlines), someone is bound to prematurely say, "Ok- we've done enough. Start building."  In the end, all it could have ever been was cheaper.
-There is another available method for cleaning up sites such as this which only takes a matter of days- its called S.T.I.  Sure, it is a bit more expensive, but so is human life. It is a substance that can be injected into the contaminated ground and its chemical reaction to the oil makes it virtually disappear!  Sounds like magic huh.  Well it is.  I don't sell it or anything of course- not now anyway. However, if anyone out there is interested in obtaining more information about it, i can arrange this for you.  I happen to be close friends with a gentleman who works for an environmental decontamination group, who specializes in this sort of treatment.  Write me if you are interested- it will give me a chance to read up on the specifics.  Greenpoint needs this!!!

In any case, oil or not, I miss NYC and will be returning at the end of the week.  I can't wait to roam and capture my city again.


Technorati Tags: Roebling Oil Field, NYC, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, STI, contamination, environment

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A Podcastable Street Art Mashup

Here's a nice little mashup/ podcast of some of my recent-ish street art shots from around NYC, using a cool new site called Splash Cast Media. Check it out, lemme know what you think.  Ill have more soon when i figure out how to rock the video feature the way i want it.  Oh yeah....i got some sizzlin stuff in the works...don't you worry your pretty head.


Technorati Tags: street art, justiNYC, photography, NYC, slideshow, podcast

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An ARTvertisement from the LoftNinja

I spoke to the LoftNinja yesterday.  He's been traveling a little bit..."clearing his mind of real estate whoas," he said.  Nevertheless, he's apparently headed back this way and will (as always) be enthusiastic about helping all of you artists out there who are feeling the effects of a retarded real estate market.

He did mention that he's managed to help a few of you guys out while away, somehow...  I guess that's just how ninjas do it.  Look him up if you need a not-so-brokerish agent type, with experience, ripe. He puts the "i" in realty.

By the way In other news, both the LoftNinja and I (justiNYC) received a warm slice of press today from our mutual blog buddy, Frances Flynn Thorsen- the newest (and greatest!) managing editor over at RealTown blog.   On behalf of myself and the Ninja,I'd just like to say thanks and that  we sure appreciate  the ways you appreciate us.   Hope to run into you soon Fran...we have loads of art (and real-i-ty) to discuss.

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