Posts Tagged ‘queens’
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
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.
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.
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.
escaping forever
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The NYC Ferry carried a humble narrator’s horrific form northwards towards the Bronx, where a desire to have a look at the College Point facing section of the “The Undiscovered Country” awaited. “Undiscovered Country” is how I refer to the Bronx. The reason for this is ultimately that if I want to go to that Borough from Queens, it’s a longer train trip than if I wanted to visit Westchester, despite it being a half mile away across the East River.
That’s the price of Manhattancentric transit, by the way. It’s easier to get to the City from Astoria than it is to go to Maspeth or Ridgewood. Forget about the Bronx, you need to go to midtown and then ride a local train all the way through Manhattan. The NYC Ferry negates this, and puts the unknown country within reach.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s Little Hellgate, which crosses the Bronx Kill, a tiny waterway that’s the only reminder of Randall’s and Wards Islands once being separate land masses. Notice the Amtrak train set on it heading north.
The ferry captain really opened up the throttle right about here, and I had to hold onto my hat for fear of having it torn away by the wind.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s been a Soundview stop on this ferry line since the day they inaugurated the service, one found on the south shore of an East River tributary called Westchester Creek. The new stop is on the north shore of Westchester Creek, and the stop is dubbed “Ferry Point Park” after the NYC Parks outpost found there.
Pictured above is the Bronx Whitestone Bridge, which is what really drew me in here. I don’t have many pictures of this one in my catalog, and this day trip involved the beginnings of an effort to fix that situation.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s no good choice as to which path to follow along the water’s edge here. Either scuttle on the hard to walk in gravel, or on the muddy grass – it’s your call. I chose to pick out a path in the mud, as walking in loose gravel is sort of like walking in snow.
The park itself was actually quite well used, with joggers and families milling about and doing the sorts of things you’d associate with the human infestation – running, climbing, shouting – that kind of stuff.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A brief trek found me at the edge of the land, and under the Bronx Whitestone Bridge. Opened in 1939, designed by Othmar Amman, the Bronx Whitestone is a suspension bridge which carries six lanes of Interstate 678 over the East River. It’s towers are 377 feet tall, and with the approaches, the bridge is 3,700 feet long. The suspension section over the water is 2,300 feet long, and at the time of its opening this was the fourth longest bridge on the entire planet.
Owned by NYC but operated by the MTA Bridges and Tunnels Authority, it connects Whitestone, Flushing, and College Point in Queens with Throggs Neck in the Bronx.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Once I was happily situated, the tripod and filters were deployed and the camera shifted into its “landscape modality.” Why do I keep on mentioning this sort of technical thing, you may ask?
When I meet younger photographers these days, they are generally geared up for a singular mission and aren’t “Omnivores.” This isn’t the way it works, I tell them. Different circumstances will be encountered at every intersection you come to. Sometimes it’s the zoom lens you need, other situations demand a prime lens with an ND or Polarizer Filter. Be ready for everything that might come your way, and get practiced in the art of quickly changing gears without damaging the gear. Military people practice breaking down and cleaning their weapons blind folded, as an example. Be ready.
More tomorrow.
The Newtown Creekathon returns!
On April 10th, the all day death march around Newtown Creek awakens from its pandemic slumber.
DOOM! DOOM! Fully narrated by Mitch Waxman and Will Elkins of Newtown Creek Alliance, this one starts in LIC at the East River, heads through Blissville, the happy place of Industrial Maspeth, dips a toe in Ridgewood and then plunges desperately into Brooklyn. East Williamsburgh and then Greenpoint are visited and a desperate trek to the East River in Brooklyn commences. DOOM! Click here for more information and to reserve a spot – but seriously – what’s wrong with you that you’re actually considering doing this? DOOM!
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
The Newtown Creekathon returns!
On April 10th, the all day death march around Newtown Creek awakens from its pandemic slumber.
DOOM! DOOM! Fully narrated by Mitch Waxman and Will Elkins of Newtown Creek Alliance, this one starts in LIC at the East River, heads through Blissville, the happy place of Industrial Maspeth, dips a toe in Ridgewood and then plunges desperately into Brooklyn. East Williamsburgh and then Greenpoint are visited and a desperate trek to the East River in Brooklyn commences. DOOM! Click here for more information and to reserve a spot – but seriously – what’s wrong with you that you’re actually considering doing this? DOOM!
“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.
slight blurring
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A humble narrator didn’t have anything scheduled for the 23rd of February, and since one of my favorite things to do solo revolves around riding the NYC Ferry to some distant point, that’s what I did.
I boarded the Astoria line boat, headed over to Manhattan’s 34th street ferry dock hub, and transferred onto the Soundview line. Soundview heads over to the East River coastline of the Bronx, and the service had recently opened a new stop there – Ferry Point Park.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After a stop at Manhattan’s East 90th street, NYC Ferry navigates through the Hells Gate section which adjoins Astoria Park. You get some pretty great views along the way. Saying that, they really open up the engines when heading north, so hold on to something. One hand for you, one for the boat.
The “normal” service on the East River is pretty smooth, and conducted at relatively low speeds. On the Rockaway, St. George, and Soundview routes, however, the boat is moving very fast and that means it’s bouncing around and smashing into waves.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A tug and fuel barge combo was navigating south west as we left 90th street. Believe it or not, there are “lanes” in the water which ship captains have to follow. Navigational depth, underwater obstructions and hazards, wake sensitive shorelines and construction areas, even environmental factors go into the designation of these “lanes” by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the United States Coast Guard. Also, boat people call these lanes “channels,” ok?
When leaving HQ, I had geared up fully and was carrying my entire traveling kit with me. since I wasn’t going to be trekking miles and miles on foot, I figured “why not”?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The fuel barge was empty. You can tell that by how high it’s sitting in the water, and there’s a line of corrosion midway up on its outer hull that gives an idea of where it sits relative to the waterline when full.
That fuel barge carries the equivalent cargo of 38 heavy trucks, incidentally. We are about 10-20 years from seeing self driving barges, ones that are electrical motor driven, navigating the nation’s waterways. In NY Harbor, you’ll nevertheless likely see a tug accompanying the things for a decade or two after the new technology appears and gets deployed into the wild. That will have more to do with safety and homeland security than operational concern.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Moving up through Hells Gate, you first pass under Mighty Triborough’s East River Suspension Bridge. Triborough is a complex of bridges and highway on and off ramps, and one of the most complicated bits of engineering ever accomplished.
The East River span connects the Grand Central Parkway and Astoria/LIC’s local traffic to the bridge complex centered at Randall’s/Ward’s Island.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Next up is the Hell Gate Bridge, which carries railroad traffic off of Long Island and into the Bronx. From the Bronx, rail heads north and then west onto the continent from the archipelago of New York City. If you want to see what it looks like from up there, check out this post from last fall describing an Amtrak trip to Vermont’s Burlington.
More tomorrow.
The Newtown Creekathon returns!
On April 10th, the all day death march around Newtown Creek awakens from its pandemic slumber.
DOOM! DOOM! Fully narrated by Mitch Waxman and Will Elkins of Newtown Creek Alliance, this one starts in LIC at the East River, heads through Blissville, the happy place of Industrial Maspeth, dips a toe in Ridgewood and then plunges desperately into Brooklyn. East Williamsburgh and then Greenpoint are visited and a desperate trek to the East River in Brooklyn commences. DOOM! Click here for more information and to reserve a spot – but seriously – what’s wrong with you that you’re actually considering doing this? DOOM!
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
The Newtown Creekathon returns!
On April 10th, the all day death march around Newtown Creek awakens from its pandemic slumber.
DOOM! DOOM! Fully narrated by Mitch Waxman and Will Elkins of Newtown Creek Alliance, this one starts in LIC at the East River, heads through Blissville, the happy place of Industrial Maspeth, dips a toe in Ridgewood and then plunges desperately into Brooklyn. East Williamsburgh and then Greenpoint are visited and a desperate trek to the East River in Brooklyn commences. DOOM! Click here for more information and to reserve a spot – but seriously – what’s wrong with you that you’re actually considering doing this? DOOM!
“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 