The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Friday, June 5, 2015

The Q's White Whale May Finally Be Harpooned

Artist David Eppley has begun. Folks, YOU made this happen. We made it happen. It's starting. I happen to be in Miami this weekend. I just this afternoon walked around the many murals of the Wynwood neighborhood, marveling at the power of street art. And then, Mr. Eppley sends me this:

If you've ever seen a large grown man cry, you can picture it in your head.

It was three years ago now that we brought the idea before the Community Board. Approvals were gained, donors came through, and all through it David never lost his belief or his determination. The kids that helped him make the flowers were amazing, and now...I just know this is gonna be the talk of the town!

17 comments:

Jennifer Castle said...

What if we added a planter at the bottom of the trees so they could grow up out of actual grass and flowers?

Unknown said...

This is great! Next project: Fix the clock tower above Phat Albert's so there's an actual working clock! (And/or replace Phat Albert's with a Fairway.)

Unknown said...

Next project: Fix the clock tower above Phat Albert's so there's an actual working clock! (And/or replace Phat Albert's with a Fairway.)

boleroid said...

This is so great. Nice work, Q!

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Okay Jonathan! You're up to bat!

I've been meaning to meet with Albert Srour and talk about his building. I may have blown him off once...I can't remember. Anyhow, I doubt he has the dough to fix the clock. That would be a project of some major deep pockets developer who wanted to turn the area into condos or hi-end rentals or, as it could currently be configured, a hi-end hotel. One scenario of which will, of course, eventually happen given the extraordinary location. One day Wendy's and the parking lots will disappear. The question is...what will replace them? But whoa, now THAT's a hot topic for you.

Anonymous said...

Phat Alberts would be an amazing location for a Trader Joe's.

Anonymous said...

What was that Tim? You said your fat ass is being harpooned? Well Obviously. You casted a large shadow in our last meeting.

BTW, Ms Boyd says hi.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

I resemble that comment! I'll have you know that my fat ass is completely proportional to the rest of my body.

Please send Ms. Boyd my regards. It was nice to see her and her pals out at the Prospect Park for the delicious Chaka Khan concert. By the way, Chaka tells me she's fully in support of a Planning Study.

Anonymous said...

I feel like i am taking crazy pills!! does any educated rational person able to listen to the nonsence that Alicia Boyd vomits out? The diction and verbiage utilized by her "movement" makes me cringe...MTOPP is ridiculous. The racist rants and divisive rhetoric that Alicia Boyd and her misguided minions verbalize is not only misplaced but straight up NOT BASED ON FACTS.

i have met her and there is a mental illness component that needs to be addressed with serious drugs...


Anonymous said...

Anon 11:37, what you and the pillsbury dough boy have a problem with is a black woman, like the honorable Alicia Boyd, asserting herself in activism. You do know the difference betwen angry and assertive don't you? You don't know? Well, that's too bad. It's not surprising though.

Tim, your frumpy ass has its own gravitational pull. Get some rings and you'll become Saturn's ugly twin planet. Then we can send you off to space so you don't ruin our fight against greedy developers.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Am I the only one thinking that Anon 2:50 has a little bit of a crush on me? I find the attention to my ass downright titillating!

Anonymous said...

Seriously, Anon @ 2:50? Calling someone fat and ugly on the internet? That's your go-to burn? Are you in middle school? Don't forget to insult his mother too.

Sounds a lot like MTOPP's grand crusade is running out of support from people who actually live in the PLG community, and this petty nonsense is the wheeze of a quickly deflating cult of personality. Unless she/he really does have a crush on you, Clarkson_Flatbed. Can't rule that out!

babs said...

I don't think Ms. Boyd qualifies to be addressed as "the honorable" anything, by the way: "In the United States the Honorable is a courtesy title used with current and retired high-ranking federal and state officials and judges, and with some local officials. As a general rule, those appointed by the President of the United States (and approved by the United States Senate) and anyone elected to public office are entitled to be addressed as the Honorable for life."

And she's still going at it. I removed one of her posters that had been placed in an apartment building I was working in, calling for a demonstration at Borough Hall against "Sky Risers." Because you know "Community Board 9, wants to put up skyrisers on all of our major streets..."

As usual, the punctuation and vocabulary are all hers. And what exactly are "Sky Risers" (or "skyrisers") anyway? That's a new one on me, but they sound very sci-fi and interesting.

Paul Galloway said...

I love the idea of a "sky riser", if that means a building will literally raise the height of the Earth's atmosphere further into space. Neato.

Alex said...

People with mental illness tend to episodically deteriorate until they are totally disoriented and basically cease to function until they're treated. Getting overly energized over the fight against CB9 may have caused her to enter a cycle. Other evidence that she suffers from mental illness can be seen in her endeavors as a faith healer, which pretty much always entails a level of delusion of grandeur. Her ever worsening mastery of vocabulary could be a symptom of increasingly disorganized thinking. I wish she would get help even if she decides to carry on her crusade.

diak said...

Here you go, babs— The Sky Riser in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vmKvfmqXxo

Looks like fun! (But, yeah, probably wouldn't happen here under current zoning rules...)

babs said...

That looks so cool! Thanks, diak! And to think we could soon have on on all of our major streets - if only!

And unfortunately AB's madness seems to be contagious - there's a woman who lives on the south side of Lefferts between Rogers and Bedford (closer to Bedford; she has a black and white dog) who used to wave back at me when I'd walk by and wave at her but now instead yells at me. "You white people better get off my block!" was the greeting I got earlier this week.

She was in Pels Pies giving Alison a hard time yesterday too, but another customer got involved and the two of them seemed to calm her down. When I left Alison was getting her an espresso (after she'd asked for a coffee (I was there, I heard her ask for it) and then insisted that she'd ordered an espresso when Alison gave her the coffee).