Archive for the ‘Queens’ Category
Queens Plaza to Sunnyside Yards & LGA
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There was zero chance that I’d be waiting for an eastbound 7 train at Queensboro Plaza and not get the shot above. It’s a classic.
I was on my way to Sunnyside for one last visit before heading back to Pittsburgh via LaGuardia. 40th/Lowery stop was my destination.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There was also very little chance that I wouldn’t click the shutter for that view above, either. It was positively sultry out, but there you go.
Momentary or even days long discomfort is just something you have to deal with when traveling. Toughen up, I always say. Then I’m told that ‘you’re a monster’ by some Millennial worm, and that one should embrace personal failings and or weaknesses and incorporate them as the core of my identity.
I offer the band Black Flag’s ‘Rise Above’ for an alternative philosophy.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After my convivial coffee with an old friend in Sunnsyide, it was back to scuttling for me. I decided to head towards Astoria, and along the way stopped off at ‘Hole Reliable’ at Sunnyside Yards. This is an aperture in the plate steel fencing of the rail yard which I exploited for years and years.
It’s likely a surveyor’s hole, but it’s big enough to fit a camera lens through, and overlooks the Harold Interlocking – which are the busiest rail tracks in the United States… so…
Mainly LIRR and Amtrak, but New Jersey Transit is spotted here every now and then as well.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
MTA finally finished one of their projects here, a holding yard and new siding for the Long Island Railroad. They were working on this for decades, it feels like. Part of the East Side access project, I think.
I headed over to Astoria, and despite swearing up and down I wasn’t going to go to my old bar on Broadway and 42nd, there I was drinking a Guinness and talking shit with random guys at the bar. I only knew a couple of the guys there, but it was early and I had a plane to catch.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A cab carried my carcass over to LaGuardia, and by this point – the ankle was pissed off. A slight limp had crawled back in.
I got through security, and that’s when I found out about the delayed flight. At least it was air conditioned, though. I plugged in my phone, kicked off my shoes, and settled into ‘waiting’ mode.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This shot was captured using my phone, which is why it looks a bit different than the others. My flight eventually boarded, about four hours late, and I was back in Pittsburgh around one in the morning. Had to wait a good amount of time before a cab was available, and walked in the door at HQ in Dormont around 2:30 in the morning.
Back next week.
“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.
Queensboro Pedestrian Path
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One of the many things that your gumbo narrator was desirous of doing, during his recent return to NYC for a four day trip, was walking the newly opened pedestrian only pathway on the Queensboro Bridge. I met up with an old friend at Queens Plaza, whom I used to wander about South east Brooklyn with back in Junior High and High School, and we leaned into it.
Kind of wish that it hadn’t been ninety degrees at ten in the morning, or that the humidity dew point wasn’t in the 70’s, but there you are.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was hot, I tell you, on the southern side of Queensboro – HOT.
One needed to take a few rest-break sit downs whenever a shadow appeared, cast by part of the structure. It had been hot all week, since I arrived in NYC, but this one was the ‘whopper’ that would lead to a thunderstorm front blowing into NYC and clearing out all the ozone and bad air. It’s that same front which delayed my flight, so I received no benefit whatsoever.
Due to all of the tumult and weather, I woke up tired on this fourth day.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My friend lives in Manhattan, and I was going to head back into Queens, since walking over the Queensboro once on a ninety degree and high humidity day in direct sunlight just isn’t enough for me. He went his way, I went mine.
The first person I met up with here in NYC on this trip was My Pal Val, whom I rode the ferries with. She would not have enjoyed this walk one little bit, I thought to myself.
Come to think of it, I wasn’t enjoying it very much either, but that’s from a purely physical POV. I was lost in a sea of reminiscing.
Gridlock Sam and the Bridge Centennial Committee, the 2009 centennial event… the last time I spoke to my now deceased friend Bernie was also while walking over this bridge (on the ‘then’ shared bike and pedestrian lane found on the north side of the bridge.)
This trip dredged up a lot of memories, which I guess makes it a journey?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I did a lot during my years in Western Queens, beyond the creek and the community board stuff.
The Queens Plaza Mill Stones survive in Dutch Kills Green Park. I rode on Queens Plaza elevators that I advocated for with MTA when I was the Chair of Astoria’s Community Board Transportation Committee. There is no deck over the Sunnyside Yards. I never demanded that my name be attached to anything, instead I always preferred to do things the ‘Queens way,’ in quiet and logical conversation within the offices of Elected Officialdom.
I’m not taking solo credit for any or all of those things, btw, I was never alone in my advocacy.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A third friend was on the list for the afternoon, and I would soon be heading over to Sunnyside to have a coffee and catch up with her.
As I neared Queens Plaza, thereby, I shifted my attention to the most visually impressive of all of NYC’s subway lines – the Flushing Line, aka lucky number 7. That’s another caper I worked on, with Access Queens, when we produced an event with the NY Transit Museum to celebrate the expansion of the Flushing Line to its current terminus in 1917.
Seriously, everywhere I went, and it wasn’t entirely on purpose either.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was a genuine relief to be swallowed up by the shadows of Queens Plaza after walking back and forth in that blistering sun. On the path, tar was actually bubbling up out of the sidewalk.
Back 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.
And on the fourth day…
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There were two more old friends whom I wanted to reconnect with – in person – on my recent NYC visit. The first of these individuals and I had breakfast in Forest Hills at the diner pictured above. Recommended.
The outlandish plan for shedding soiled garments along the way had played out well, and after leaving behind yesterday’s t-short, skivvies, and socks in Hank the Elevator Guy’s kitchen garbage pail in Middle Village, I was now down to just the one camera bag instead of multiple bags.
My host (Hank) was bid ‘adieu,’ and one summoned a cab to carry me to that meet up with my buddy Mike at the diner. Afterwards, he walked me to Queens Boulevard, and the nearest subway stop.
The next meetup was over in Queens Plaza.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The E arrived in minutes, and I was again on my way. This was going to end up being another long, long day. My flight back to Pittsburgh was scheduled for 7 p.m., but would end up getting pushed back due to weather – first to 9, then 10:30, and I finally boarded the plane at 11:41 p.m. Yeah… ‘bah!’
Y’know what – I kind of do miss the subway a bit. Easy Pickens for rail shots, and that air conditioner blast when you get onboard…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Queens Plaza, and I was about a half hour or so early to meet up with my friend. Couldn’t help but talk a short walk while waiting, and it was startling. Another friend of mine coined the term ‘real estate frenzy’ a while ago to describe what’s been happening here for the last ten to fifteen years, but I have to say that ‘the frenzy’ seems to have turned into ‘a real estate riot’ while I’ve been gone. Wow.
It does seem like the paint isn’t dry on one of these new tower buildings before a massive population of people is moved into it.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One of several weird things now extant: an enormous population of pedestrians. Used to be that people were just scurrying around to get to and from the train stations in Queens Plaza. Now you’ve got young couples with babies, old people with walkers, all sorts milling about on Jackson Avenue. Shoppers. It’s weird.
I cannot imagine somewhere I’d like to live less than Queens Plaza, but you do you, boo. The noise, man…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The screeching of steel on steel is omnipresent. Queensboro Bridge allows the transit of tens of thousands of vehicle trips a day, and the Sunnyside Yards (State Superfund Site, and also one of the contributing ‘PRP’s’ to the nearby Newtown Creek Federal Superfund Site) are in your back yard here. I like (from a visual perspective) and have photographed this area for years, but from a purely existential point of view – this would be a challenging place to live due to all the constant tumult and noise.
Not my problem anymore, as I keep reminding myself.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I met up with my buddy Paul, one of my oldest friends. We went to Junior High School together, and have stayed in touch with each other during good times and bad. We met up, and then headed for mighty Queensboro.
One of the many things that have changed here in the World’s Borough is that the Queensboro Bridge’s southern outer roadway (which used to be a trolley line’s right of way) has been closed to vehicle and bicycle traffic and is now a designated pedestrian path.
The last time I got to walk this one was when I was a Parade Marshal for the bridge’s centennial back in 2009, and I had Borough President Helen Marshall with me.
Back 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.
DUGSBO & the plank road gooses
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Welcome to the start of ‘Day three’ on a recent trip ‘back to the old neighborhood’ and my first stop after leaving Hank the Elevator Guy’s crib in Middle Village was DUGSBO – Down Under the Grand Street Bridge Onramp. You have to call a place something, and ‘White’s Dock’ as a place name is historical trivia recognized by maybe two or three living humans, one of whom is likely the webmaster at Forgotten-NY.
Long ago, I decided to just start calling unnamed places ‘something’ and enjoyed the conceit of using the model for ‘DUMBO’ for these otherwise uncommented upon spots. That’s the Grand Street Bridge pictured above.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I scuttled out onto the Grand Street Bridge, and straddled the currently undefended border of Brooklyn and Queens. The NYC Department of Environmental Protection dumps so much untreated sewage into this section of the creek that a judge ordered them to do something about the low oxygen levels therein. Rather than stem or divert the flow of ‘honey’ to their outfalls, the DEP built an aeration system instead. It’s a bit like an enormous aquarium bubble wand, one that also transports bottom sediments to the surface where they can aerosolize. The judge told them oxygenation needs to be solved…
Yeah, it’s all Exxon’s fault, just ask the DEP – they’ll tell you all about Exxon and how everything wrong with Newtown Creek is because of Exxon and the millions of gallons of raw sewage they release here annually isn’t a problem.
Here’s today’s: Bah!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
If failure had an icon, it would involve this aeration system.
One of the problems with the generation coming up is that if a group of governmental employees appeared who called themselves ‘The Good Guys, Girls, and everyone else who’s good too crew,’ it would come as a surprise to most of the youngins when they found out that this outfit were eugenicists or something. Just because it’s government doesn’t mean it’s good, and just because it’s corporate it’s not guaranteed bad. My advice is to be suspicious of everybody and everything until they prove themselves trustworthy. How’s that for ‘thought leading’?
Please, please, please… judge things by what they are rather than what you hope they’ll be. Evidence! Patterns! Do they do what they say they do?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Next stop was the Maspeth Avenue Plank Road, long described as ‘my happy place.’ I sat down for a bit, as it was ludicrously tropical out weather wise. That’s when I started noticing movement all around me.
It was them, one of the menaces which have long bedeviled me around Newtown Creek – in fact for decades now.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One of these malfeasants captured my attention when swimming right past me, waggling its tail provocatively while doing so. It maintained eye contact, and so did I. It’s a Dinosaur, sort of.
This was all a deception.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Another one of their cohort was circling around and trying to get behind me, so I stood up and shouted ‘NAAAG,’ as I speak a kind of goose.
These Canada Gooses are far and away one of the nastiest sort of Dino-Birds you can meet. I once got into a fist fight with one at Calvary Cemetery, and all these years later I’m still dealing with the blowback. (The Audubon Society people didn’t like my related tale of fighting a goose, as a note, but that ‘icehole’ started it. I finished it. Brooklyn!)
NAAAG!
I packed up my camera bag, bid these objectionable swamp chickens ‘adieu,’ and continued along my way. Very cheeky behavior for critters who don’t seem to have any cheeks, if you ask me…
Back 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.
Archives #043
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This post is being written on Thanksgiving Day, and after my most recent physical therapy or ‘PT’ appointment, I’ve got a lot of thanks to give.
My ‘PT guy’ has issued an expiry on me wearing the walking boot, and wants me to phase into just using a pair of regular shoes full time again. Additionally, it looks like I’m cleared – as far as the second week of December goes – to start my walks again. It’s going to be a slow start – 1,000 feet and back for the first day and then increased increments after that – but this ankle nightmare is finally moving into the category of ‘something that happened’ as opposed to ‘something that’s happening.’
2012’s ‘glassy eyes’ was part of a survey of Newtown Creek’s uplands with a Columbia professor who was gathering samples of whatever biologies the flood waters had deposited upon LIC.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve entirely missed autumn this year, which blows. Additionally, it’s been so long since I’ve shot a photo that I’m going to have to inventory what’s inside my camera bag. Charge the batteries, clean the glass…
It’s like having a prison warden tell you that the parole board has approved your application, this.
2013’s ‘strange instruments’ saw me pondering both the corrosive dissolution of aging, and whether or not there are subterranean grottoes beneath Queens Plaza.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I should mention that the evolving situation with the ankle has never been pain free, and the joint seems a little angry about losing the bracing of the walking boot, but since that cast came off a little over a month ago – everyday has been a little better than the one before. I’m sleeping through the night without getting woken up by sudden pain, for instance.
These archive posts are reaching into Newtown Pentacle’s backups, and are pulling posts that went public on this date, in their respective years, going back to 2009. This practice will continue until I’m back on both feet full time, and new photos and stories can be gathered. For anyone who hasn’t heard the news, I broke my left ankle at the end of September.
2017’s ‘after action’ detailed an encounter with a thoroughly destroyed automobile on the corner of Vernon and Jackson in LIC.
“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 