golden nebulae
“follow” me on Twitter at @newtownpentacle
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One such as myself is drawn to certain locales normally shunned by the teeming masses of the vast human hive. Obsessive, my long standing fascination with the processes and mores of the waste disposal and handling industries have led me to waste transfer stations, sewer plants, even cemeteries. Luckily, my beloved Newtown Creek offers exemplars of each, but there has always been a certain spot which has caught my fancy.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Located at the junction of Newtown Creek with its tributary, Dutch Kills, a particular industrial site has long tantalized. Several years of stalking the place have provided for a extraordinary images, and whether onboard a vessel or on foot, visitors to the watershed are seldom disappointed by this singular location with its frenetic activity, maritime splendor, and constantly moving heavy equipment.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It isn’t a terribly large facility, by Newtown Creek standards, which hosts massive properties like the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment plant, the former Standard Oil properties along Kingsland and Norman, Calvary Cemetery, the former Phelps Dodge location, or the enormous National Grid parcel. It is fortuitously located, with maritime bulkheads and along a rail line.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The sites history is storied, for this was once the home of the LIRR Manure dock, wherein the rail company’s freight operations collected that which the age of horse and carriage produced. Infamous in the historical record- this dock exhibited, in the open air, a 30 foot high and three football field long mound of human and animal manure.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The material was largely destined for use as fertilizer on the catholic estates in Jamaica, Queens, and some was shipped to points further east where it was sold as a commodity to Long Island farmers. There was also a market for the stuff, along the creek, as a raw material in the acid and fertilizer factories which lined the Queens or northern bank during the late 1800’s.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Often remarked upon by those of us who puzzle over the Newtown Creek’s unique history- during the hypercapitalist 19th century era, recycling and repurposing waste materials was referred to with the aphorism “waste not, want not” and great profits could be realized by “using every part of the pig but the squeal” as Chicago’s Philip Armour once said.
Modernity strives to achieve such profitable utility in the handling and “recycling” of our waste materials, something that seemed to have been forgotten during the decades of excess following the Second World War and which is painfully and expensively being reimagined by engineers today.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Long have my eyes desired to look upon this place directly, and not dependent on the focal and resolution of long lenses. Recent happenstance, running into an acquaintance who could arrange a site visit at a waterfront conference, finally allowed your humble narrator to approach and inspect this object of my affections.
This week we will be exploring the Queens Terminal of Sims Metal Management, found in Blissville, along the lugubrious Newtown Creek.
Upcoming tours:
The Insalubrious Valley– Saturday, May 25, 2013
Newtown Creek walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Atlas Obscura, tickets now on sale.
The Poison Cauldron- Saturday, June 15, 2013
Newtown Creek walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Atlas Obscura, tickets on sale soon.
Kill Van Kull- Saturday, June 22, 2013
Staten Island walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Working Harbor Committee, tickets now on sale.
another phenomenon
“follow” me on Twitter at @newtownpentacle
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the estimable Sea Wolf towing a barge of recyclables down the East River, captured on a foggy day in the spring. The barge likely emanates from the SimsMetal Queens Terminal, which we will be discussing in some detail this coming week. If, presumptively, the material being transported is from the aforementioned waste transfer station- this would be the “separated” plastic and glass trash collected by the DSNY which we New Yorkers leave on the curb once a week. This week’s Maritime Sunday shout out goes to Sea Wolf and her crew, plying the waters of NY Harbor, and taking out the trash.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Accusations of environmentalist activism dog your humble narrator, due to my ongoing fascination with both the Newtown Creek and its 19 Waste Transfer stations and the “flow” of unwanted byproducts produced by the great human hive- whether it be sewage, garbage, or “recyclables.” The truth is that one such as myself cannot understand how the average person cannot be interested in improving the health of their surroundings, if for no other reason than the selfish desire to maintain a wholesome and sanitary state of affairs in their own homes.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
When the current Mayor retires, he will be remembered for many things- both good and bad. The obvious stamp left upon the City of Greater New York by the “Bloomberg team” will be the series of residential buildings which have inextricably altered the skyline of both “the City” and especially Brooklyn and Queens. Additionally, we will all remember the restrictive “Nanny State” laws and regulations, but I fear that their greatest accomplishment- the codifying and modernization of New York’s waste processing and disposal system will be forgotten or overlooked.
Upcoming tours:
The Insalubrious Valley– Saturday, May 25, 2013
Newtown Creek walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Atlas Obscura, tickets now on sale.
The Poison Cauldron- Saturday, June 15, 2013
Newtown Creek walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Atlas Obscura, tickets on sale soon.
Kill Van Kull- Saturday, June 22, 2013
Staten Island walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Working Harbor Committee, tickets now on sale.
Project Firebox 71
“follow” me on Twitter at @newtownpentacle
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Fireboxes of tony DUMBO are doing a whole lot better than those here in dross Queens, I can tell you that. Freshly painted, seemingly fully functioning, this scarlet scion of the common cause sits between the two great bridges on Cadman Plaza West in what my dad would have called “Downtern Brooklyn.”
Upcoming tours:
The Insalubrious Valley– Saturday, May 25, 2013
Newtown Creek walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Atlas Obscura, tickets now on sale.
The Poison Cauldron- Saturday, June 15, 2013
Newtown Creek walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Atlas Obscura, tickets on sale soon.
Kill Van Kull- Saturday, June 22, 2013
Staten Island walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Working Harbor Committee, tickets now on sale.
seething column
“follow” me on Twitter at @newtownpentacle
– photos by Mitch Waxman
Animated gifs at Newtown Pentacle? Indeed, verily, and why the heck not? Tuesday of this week, one managed to secure an invite and site walk through at the SimsMetal Queens Terminal, and one of the commodities they process are ex-automobiles. I was lucky enough to be there when a truck load of them came in.
– photos by Mitch Waxman
I was told that the autos which enter the facility have been drained of vital fluids and other chemicals, as well as having had their gas tanks removed prior to being loaded on the trucks which carried them here. Ultimately, the cars will be loaded onto a barge and carried away for further processing.
– photos by Mitch Waxman
A few “proper” posts next week will describe what I saw at SimsMetal, presented in the normal manner, but I couldn’t stop myself from throwing together these animated sequences to wind this week up. The one thing going through my mind while shooting these was “Hulk Smash.”
Upcoming tours:
The Insalubrious Valley– Saturday, May 25, 2013
Newtown Creek walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Atlas Obscura, tickets now on sale.
The Poison Cauldron- Saturday, June 15, 2013
Newtown Creek walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Atlas Obscura, tickets on sale soon.
Kill Van Kull- Saturday, June 22, 2013
Staten Island walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Working Harbor Committee, tickets now on sale.
quiet travel
“follow” me on Twitter at @newtownpentacle
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Just a short one today. Something pretty cool is in the pipes, and I’ve been developing a massive batch of shots from a site visit I got to do on Tuesday. Accordingly, a humble narrators eyes are tinged with red and the coffee doth flow freely. These Canada Geese are new neighbors, it seems, having taken up residence on Newtown Creek in Maspeth.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It feels as if one has spent the last few weeks doing nothing but hurtling about the harbor. Next week, it should be mentioned, the Working Harbor Committee 2013 schedule commences with the “Beyond Sandy” series of harbor tours. More information and ticketing can be found at the Working Harbor Blog, which is accomplished by Newtown Pentacle Aide de Camp and far eastern correspondent Armstrong. Check her stuff out here, and get more info on “Beyond Sandy.”
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I plan on being a fixture on those WHC boat tours, but not on the microphone. I’m the official photographer for the group and will be on board just shooting away. Back tomorrow with a bit more substance for you to sink your teeth into.
Upcoming tours:
The Insalubrious Valley– Saturday, May 25, 2013
Newtown Creek walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Atlas Obscura, tickets now on sale.
The Poison Cauldron- Saturday, June 15, 2013
Newtown Creek walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Atlas Obscura, tickets on sale soon.
Kill Van Kull- Saturday, June 22, 2013
Staten Island walking tour with Mitch Waxman and Working Harbor Committee, tickets now on sale.
