Crazy Fingers

The Boathouse at Pier 66

I'm going to pick up this story in medias res.  (Bonnie's blog provides the backstory over several years.)

First, the barge is moving on Monday, from Pier 63, at the end of 23rd Street, to Pier 66, at the end of 26th Street.

Second, there is a new boathouse at Pier 66, part of the new Hudson River Park.  I learned this week that the boathouse will be the new home of all the paddle sports we came to know and love at Pier 63.  The Hudson River Park Trust will award a contract to a consortium of groups to run the boathouse.  These groups include:

• Manhattan Kayak Company (the people who take me kayaking)
• New York Outrigger
• New York Kayak Polo
• Hudson River Paddler's Guild
• Waterfront Realty

Crayola Fleeing the City

Here's a gratuitous picture of me wearing a tie-die emblazoned with the Crayola brand (I love this shirt!).  I include it here in honor of Binney and Smith's last day as a leaseholder in New York.  Over there, on the right, that's the last foothold Binney and Smith had in the city, in 1133 Broadway (at 26th), next door to my chiropracter.  (That's the same building in which Brian's former company was located.  Another one of my doctors is in there, too.)  The New York crayon and silly putty empire was being run out of a cramped one-room office in a crappy building on Broadway.  (Now, Binney and Smith is run mostly from their offices in Easton, PA.)

For the two years I've been going to this chiropracter, I've never seen any sign of life in that office. But today, the door was open, and there was someone inside.  I asked her if this was the same Binney and Smith that makes Crayola crayons, and said yes.  She told me they're shutting down the office today.  Simply by being a leaseholder in New York, Binney and Smith incurs a $200,000 annual tax bill.

1133 Broadway is a block north of the Toy Center, which may or may not be turned into condos.  Because of the Toy Center, other players in the toy industry located their offices in that area.  In the past, it was a face-to-face business.  Buyers from stores would come to the Toy Center and meet with wholesalers.  All of that is no longer necessary.  Internet, phones, etc.  The world is flat, you know.  Once a year, the retailers and wholesalers meet at the Toy Fair at the Javits Center.

A Suburban Realtor's Blog

My ex thinks this post is about me.  The author, Roberta Baldwin, sold the house in which my ex and I lived in West Orange.  According to my ex, she said I was the worst client she ever had.

I wrote something snarky about Roberta before, but I deleted it.  The horrible relationship with Roberta (largely my fault) is something I let go two years ago.  In retrospect, as suburban realtors go, she's probably not so bad.  I'm not sure any realtor would have done any better with me given my mental state at the time (ending a 14-year relationship and selling a house that had a lot of problems).

Besides, look at her!  She's a hipster!  I bet she was the only realtor at Jacques Levy's funeral.

Fitting Rooms Replace Video Booths?

I noticed tonight that Christopher Street Booths Books (a self-described landmark gay book porn store -- with private booths for watching videos and, you know, having sex) at Christopher and Hudson Streets has been replaced by yet another Brooklyn Industries store (like the one about 15 blocks north at 8th and 18th).  Property owners in the area would probably say this "improves" the neighborhood.  I, who am not a property owner in the area, think it is another step in the direction of destroying the character of the West Village and making new york one big homogenous retail outlet.  (Curbed noted the opening of Brooklyn Industries back in November.)

Brooklyn Industries certainly has a lot more windows than Christopher Street Booths Books.

Also, note the advertecture.  It's not a phone.  It's a party beacon.  (It's a GPS thingy that lets your friends know where you are.  I'm not sure I necessarily want to broadcast my whereabouts.  Especially if I had been hanging out in the old Christohper Street Booths Books.  Or in Brooklyn Industries, for that matter.)

No Presents Under These Trees

Leftover trees from the Christmas tree vendor outside the Eckert pharmacy at 20th and 8th, waiting to be picked up to be sold to someone who will turn them into wood chips or mulch.

Merry Christmas

Listen to the Grateful Dead playing Run Rudolph Run on 12/7/71 (in the Felt Forum, in Madison Square Garden, right here in New York City).

And listen to this, from the sound check for 12/12/73, at the Omni in Atlanta.  It's mostly tuning, but there's a nice little surprise starting about 45 seconds into it.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Condos

In our city, in a year with new construction and renovation everywhere, scaffolding choking the sidewalks and cranes blocking the streets, this seems like an appropriate way to mark the season. The construction at 135 West 14th Street (Loft 14 Condominiums) wishes us all a happy holiday season. Merry condos to all, and to all a good night.

Give Blood In Honor Of Phil Lesh

Phil Lesh, the bassist in the Grateful Dead, is being treated for prostate cancer.  (My ex alerted me to that back in October.)  Here's an update from his website, which I include here pretty much verbatim.  (One of the readers of Crazy Fingers called this to my attention today.) 

Phil had surgery on Tuesday, December 5th at the Vattikuti Urology Institute at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, the leading center for prostate cancer and urology health in the US. The Vattikuti Institute developed the robotic surgery method used for Phil's surgery, treats people from all over the world, and teaches the methodologies they have developed to many other doctors.

His surgery went very well, although he did require blood transfusions. He is already out of the hospital and is healing well.

The Unbroken Chain Foundation is asking phans to donate blood this month in honor of Phil. In honor of your commitment, UBC will donate $10.00 to the Vattikuti Urology Institute for every pint donated through December 31st, 2006 (to a maximum of $50,000).

After you have donated, please send an email to donor@phillesh.net with the subject "I Gave Blood". Please include your name, blood bank name, city, and state.

Thank you for your love and support.

Phil looks forward to being back making music with you soon.

PLEASE GIVE BLOOD!

A recipient of a donated liver in 1998, Phil has been a vigorous advocate of organ donation.  I have heard him urge the audience to sign donor cards whenever I have seen him perform in recent years.  As he says on his website:

As you know, I urge everyone to become an organ donor to help save lives. Now, I am also urging all men: speak to your doctor about having periodic regular PSA screening for early detection of prostate cancer- you may save your own life.

Phil is the only member of the Grateful Dead whom Brian has seen in a live performance (playing Thunder on the Mountain at the Dylan Tribute last month), and let's just say Brian was underwhelmed.  Phil's performance was one of the weakest of the evening.  Rolling Stone said:

Phil Lesh croaked his way through a disastrous “Thunder On The Mountain.”

Doesn't matter.  He's Phil.  Give blood and keep a donor card in your wallet.

Chelsea -- a Family-Friendly Place

Back in November, quoting a reader, Curbed wrote:

Happy Holidays to developers who want to tear down the character of Chelsea to make room for more apartments and condos to house self-indulgent straight couples and their insufferable spoiled brats in double-wide strollers.

I recalled that Curbed post when I saw this advertecture (left) on the sidewalk bridge outside 246 West 17th.  It would appear they're trying to attract familes with kids.  Same-sex familes with kids, interracial families with kids, families with pets of mixed species, families with bikes and Vespas,  guys in tank tops and cowboy hats.  The development's flash site shows all kinds of people who might think the building is a great place to live.

What initially caught my interest about the building is the way they're preserving the facade and structure of the building that was originally on the site.  It's new construction in the form of a vertical enhancement.

To the right are a couple of other pictures of the advertecture.  Click to enlarge.

Starbucks Day of Action

BlogChelsea linked to my post about Cafe Grumpy.  They pointed out that the Cafe Grumpy employees have a blog.  (Starbucks workers have a union.)

More importantly, the folks over at BlogChelsea informed us about today's Starbucks Day of Action.  The idea is to walk into Starbucks stores and politely give information to the workers, with the intention of having it percolate (so to speak) up the management chain.  Oxfam America has an overview of the issue and a toolkit for today's action.  If you read this in time today, you may want to consider participating.  There's no reason you couldn't do it later, too.  (I may do it next week; I don't have a printer at home and won't be able to get to one today.)

Cafe Grumpy, on the other hand, is featuring coffee grown by Aida Batlle in El Salvador.  Not only is she committed to the quality of her coffee, she's committed to her workers, which is not the standard in the coffee-farming business.  She wrote:

At Everest S.A., the workers are one of our most important assets. They are rewarded with wages that are 3 times higher than the ones required by law. Higher wages, although important, are not the only thing the company focuses on. Creating a healthy work environment and interacting with the workers during every phase of production is. All of this would not be possible without them.