Archive for April 2022
nemesis mirror
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Friendless, scuttling, ever scuttling. Camera clutched tightly, filthy black raincoat flapping about, sometimes it’s hard not to feel just hopeless.
Dutch Kills in Long Island City, where you can abandon oil barges and just get away with it. Nothing matters and nobody cares.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Dutch Kills, where multiple city owned wastewater pipes belch hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the water, in the glowing shadow of those luxury condominiums which multiply and magnify the problem. The sewer plant that services this area was built in 1936 when half of Astoria and Sunnyside were still agricultural land.
Dutch Kills, which once allowed for a connection between harbor based and rail based freight.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Dutch Kills, where concrete plants and other industrial businesses have been allowed to expand onto and squat upon the public sidewalks with zero repercussions for generations.
Around Dutch Kills, in the hottest real estate zone in the entire City, you don’t have to look too long to find streets that don’t even offer sidewalks for pedestrians.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Dutch Kills, across the street from CUNY’s LaGuardia Community College and within 3 blocks of multiple charter schools serving Junior and Senior High School students.
Dutch Kills, where a collapsing bulkhead is undermining 29th street. That’s a situation which the operator of the street – NYC DOT, the owner of the land – MTA, and the regulator who governs areas which touch the water – NYS DEC, all admit that “yes this is a dangerous situation” but do nothing.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Dutch Kills, where NYC DOT exclaimed that they would put up barriers to keep people from parking over the collapsing street, and have done nothing.
When I was shooting this series of images, it occurred to me that it would be a good thing to illuminate the void under that parked car.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Dutch Kills, where a quick bit of flashlight light painting was perpetrated while the shutter was open. I use an LED model light, which has a bluish cast to it.
Dutch Kills, lords and ladies, where nothing matters and nobody cares.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
crawl proudly
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Queens and I have a bit of a friends with benefits situation going on. As such relationships usually play put, she’ll ghost me for weeks at a time and then signal that it’s time for us to get busy again. The way I know things are about to get “interestin” are when she shows me a black cat with yellow eyes just after I leave HQ.
If you see a black cat with yellow eyes, it’s going to be a good day in the Borough of Queens, at least if you’re carrying a camera.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My destination for this evening’s scuttle was the same old. Dutch Kills. I’ve been making it a point of checking in on that collapsing bulkhead at least once a week, since none of our local elected officials nor the agencies they control will keep this one on the front burner until 29th street in LIC collapses under a passing motor vehicle and kills someone.
Pictured above are three Amtrak locomotive engines at Sunnyside Yards. The particular fence hole you get this shot from is hard to find, and one of the more difficult apertures in their fencing to shoot from.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My footsteps carried the bloated carcass I inhabit through the mean streets of the Degnon Terminal, where these trucks caught my eye for some reason. If something comes in threes, take a picture. Three of something is visually interesting, four isn’t.
You can find your way to Dutch Kills easily enough if you follow the slant of the land. The old hydrologic basin of the waterway underlies the entire area between the intersection of Skillman and Thomson or Queens Blvd. and Van Dam. Keep walking downhill and you’ll find yourself at Dutch Kills.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s a permanent water feature on 29th street these days, a forever puddle of hundreds of gallons of street water which never disappoints.
I’ve started calling it Lake Degnon. I should mention that this entire area was a wetland in 1900, before it was developed as an industrial park by a very important figure in the history of Queens – nowadays largely forgotten – named Michael Degnon – hence, Degnon Terminal.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Well… the shoreline collapse continues to dissect the hard edge of Queens into the stale depths of Dutch Kills – that I can confirm. Additionally, the City of New York hasn’t bothered to send out some poor soul to deploy traffic cones or bollards along the roadway to restrict parking directly over the collapsing bulkhead.
Nothing matters, lord and ladies, and nobody cares.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My friend with benefits – the Borough of Queens – and I continue to suffer and wait for the powers and potentates to do something.
Today (at the time of this writing) these powers announced that they’re installing a protected bike lane in a development corridor leading to the Court Square Station (4 blocks from here). The local City Council member is beside herself over the bike lane on the Queensboro Bridge getting intermittently closed to accommodate construction work on the bridge. The Long Island City Partnership organization recently brought together all of the real estate powers that be for a conference about six blocks from here. They served high end sushi for lunch.
Nothing matters… nobody cares.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
formed rapidly
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The 25th of February found a humble narrator at Newtown Creek Alliance HQ in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint section. We had guests coming.
Holy smokes, that’s Senator Chuck Schumer and he’s wearing our hat. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney as well, but she was wearing her own hat.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This was a press event, which the Senator organized, centered around demanding that the EPA quicken the process of the Newtown Creek Superfund. Senator Schumer brought out a gaggle of his political allies to this one. Congresswoman Maloney was there, as were representatives from Nydia Velazquez’s office. Assembly Member Emily Gallagher participated, as did local level “elected’s” like City Council Member Lincoln Restler, pictured above.
Hey – Chuck Schumer wore my hat! Not my own personal hat, but one of the NCA hats which I designed close to ten years ago.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso spoke as well. I first met the “beep” about 15 years ago, when he was working for Diana Reyna as an aide. I don’t always agree with him, but it’s been a real pleasure watching this very talented guy rise through the ranks of Brooklyn politics – first as City Council and now as Borough President. Keep an eye on this guy, he’s the real deal.
As is the case with these sort of events, after the lens caps went onto the end of the cameras, all of the electeds travelled off to their next engagement. A buddy of mine who lives in LIC offered a ride back to Queens, which I happily accepted.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The previous night, a freezing rain storm had blown through the city, and every exposed surface was coated in an eighth of an inch of clear ice. While walking from my drop off in LIC to the train, I couldn’t help but record what I was seeing.
Frosted.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Everything was dripping, as the freezing temperatures of the night before had given way to a low 50’s environment.
Beautiful, thought a humble narrator.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Arriving at the Court Square station, one negotiated his way past a madman shouting racist things at passerby on the platform, and an M train arrived which carried my bloated carcass back to Astoria.
Tomorrow – something different at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
turned restlessly
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As it turned out, February 23rd was a three Borough day for me. Woke up in Queens, hit the Bronx and then Manhattan, and then went back to sleep in Queens. I’ve since had a four Borough day which you’ll see in a couple of weeks. There’s also a two City day in the mix. When it’s reliably warm again, I plan on a 5 Borough day which will involve the entire solar cycle. Given how far ahead of schedule my photos are at this point – you’ll probably be seeing that in late June.
I had an unusually prolific and mission oriented winter and early springtime this year. I’m making up for lost time during the pandemic, and there’s something else on the horizon which is going to be pretty major and is going to absolutely rock my world. That’s something I’m going to be talking about a bit later on in the year.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s a pedestrian bridge, officially called the Wards Island Bridge (aka the 103rd street Pedestrian Bridge) which spans the Harlem River. It’s a vertical lift bridge which allows Manhattanites access to Randall’s/Wards Island. The Harlem River is a tidal strait connecting the Hudson River and East River. The bridge opened for use in 1951.
The light began to fail, as Manhattan’s long shadows began to envelop the waters of the East and Harlem Rivers.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
You always hope that you’re going to get a “real” sunset with oranges and crimson painting the vault of the sky, but nine times out of ten you don’t. Damned oceanic climate zone…
Oh well, might as well make the best of it.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Since I was all set up for a long exposure sunset, one set upon capturing a few shots of the type seen above and below.
Since I’m often asked to do presentations on this or that subject, photos which I can set type onto are oft needed. Thereby, my shots list always includes capturing ones with large fields of color that I can fill up with the sort of drivel that a scholastic audience expects.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It had been a long and kind of fun day for me, and right after the shot above was captured, the kit was packed up and the camera reset back to handheld shooting mode.
For the curious – remove the filter from the lens, as well as the shutter release cable, turn the lens stabilization system back on, pack up the tripod.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A quick ferry ride from East 90th street to Astoria occurred, and soon I was standing alongside Hallets Cove here in Queens. A half hour of scuttling brought me back to HQ.
Tomorrow – something different at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
somewhat shamefaced
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Camera in hand, lonely and friendless, filthy black raincoat snapping about in the hard wind of late winter. Sometimes I’m on a boat.
Having grown up in southeast Brooklyn (Canarsie/Flatlands), one’s native speech pattern is best described by recitations of the “Brooklyn Alphabet.” “Fuckin A, Fuckin B, go fuck yourself C, kiss my ass D” and so on. This is part of my heritage, and the Brooklyn accent of my parents would pronounce common words such as birds as “boids,” toilet as “terlet,” and oil as “erl.” As an adult, an attempt is made to show a finer veneer to all of the fancy pants people I meet. Dis is da struggol you gots when’s you growed up in Brooklyn.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Thereby, one has embraced creative expressions of surprise for my daily use that don’t include the use of Brooklyn vernacular. Lately, I’m embracing ones like “by the misty mountains of Kuala Lampur” or “Great galloping Ganesh.” I don’t know if Kuala Lampur actually has mountains or not, or whether the beloved Hindu deity is known to gallop – but since Ganesh is an elephant, it probably would have a certain proclivity towards the occasional gallop – if only for shits and giggles.
“Holy jumping Jesus” is also another one of my refrains although scripture never mentions the Christian Savior as leaping about. My Lebanese buddy Sal has instructed me in the many possible usages of Allah u Akbar (god is great), which is the Islamic equivalent of Aloha or Shalom in terms of being an omnivorous response one is able to deploy in a variety of circumstances. New Baby? Allah U Akbar! Your mom died? Allah U Akbar… Sal has informed me that it’s all about inflection.
Saying all that, whether Ganesh or Allah or Jesus, you’re probably accidentally pissing someone off with an off hand religious reference, so “by the misty mountains of Kuala Lampur” it is.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Riding back home on the NYC ferry from the Bronx, I got to exclaim “Holy Homeland Security” when I spotted this NYPD Harbor unit boat performing that particular mission for our ferry boat. Not too long ago, I was riding on the Staten Island Ferry and a couple of tourist types asked me why the Coast Guard was following our big orange boat with machine guns deployed while we navigated from Manhattan to… Staten Island…
They really couldn’t put it together about how big a target a ferry boat might be for the bad guys. I’d tell you who the villains are, but I’m not really sure anymore. Are we still mad at the Arabs? If so, I’ll let Sal know. As mentioned, he’s Lebanese, so not too big a fan of the Arabs.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was nearly sunset, and an executive decision was arrived at to debark the boat at East 90th street, alongside Gracie Mansion, and find a spot to get set up with the tripod as the burning thermonuclear eye of god itself dipped behind New Jersey.
Along the way, I couldn’t help but get a shot or two of the natural light painting occurring on the Hell Gate and Triborough Bridges.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At East 90th, I took a minute to sit down and chill for a minute, then got busy again. If you set up a camera on a tripod and say “Eric Adams” three times, there’s a 40/60 chance he’ll appear, just like Candyman or Bloody Mary. Didn’t work this time, though.
This area at E 90th, by the way, is more or less the famous spot where the old Astoria Route ferry dock was found. The one that Robert Moses destroyed, an incident which Robert Caro wrote about in Power Broker.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The burning thermonuclear eye of god itself was already beginning to disappear behind New Jersey as I found and claimed my spot.
From the looks I was getting from the passerby, you’d think that I had just released a kite into a thunderstormwhile laughing maniacally, in preparation of bringing a homemade monster to life. Really?
More tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 