Missed Connections Poster: You are a mystery to me…but not enough to email you
Rachel Markowitz | June 27, 2007
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I know I’m not alone here when I say that reading the Craigslist “Missed Connections” is a guilty pleasure. All are amusing, some are romantic, others outright ridiculous. Many are poorly spelled. But there’s one post that I keep seeing, every few weeks or so. Have any of you seen it too? Note the poster’s misspelling of “Gardens.”
Carroll Gardnes Cobble Hill - m4w - 29
I see so many beautiful women in my neighborhood walking to the subway in the mornings, but rarely does the opportunity present itself for a quality conversation. Perhaps we could start one here?
When I first noticed this post repeating, I thought, ok, maybe this guy is just having a rough couple of months. But then one day someone posted a response. It said something to the effect of, “dude you’ve been posting this for like three years. Give up already!” Ouch. Can’t a guy post on Craigslist these days without being judged?
So I wonder, what is this guy’s deal exactly? Has he been posting this for years in hopes that maybe one day, someone will finally respond? Does he spend his days waiting by his inbox, nuzzling his monitor thinking, maybe today is the day!
Or do I have it wrong completely? Maybe this guy gets a ton of responses. Maybe the “beautiful women” he mentions are lonely and browse Missed Connections when they should be working. They see his post and think, perhaps it’s me he’s looking for! And they respond. In fact this guy gets so many responses that he’s drowning in Bococa hotties. So this guy would be an idiot not to keep posting, right? I mean he’s unlocked the secret to bagging high-quality Brooklyn women. He has it all figured out.
Whatever this guy’s deal is, I think that if he’s gonna keep clogging up Missed Connections with his posts, he should at least vary it up a little bit. How about substituting the word “beautiful” with “foxy”? The word “maybe” with “perhaps”? But hey, we live in a cut and paste world. And Craigslist is no different.
Sphere: Related ContentThe grass is always more frequent on the other side
Gabrus | June 25, 2007
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How often are you waiting for an F train (at Carroll or Bergen) and 2 G’s go by? You are like where the F is the F? It’s rush hour and there are a ton of people waiting for it and you get that nervous panic the moment you realize how crowded the train will be when it finally arrives.
Recently, I have been temping at an art institute in the Ft. Greene area, forcing me to commute via the G. I love it because it is way better than going into Midtown, yet I find my luck has reversed. I sit idly as F trains go by one after another open and inviting, plenty of seats, AC blasting, Led Zeppelin playing on the PA, a bunch of Scarlett Johansson clones handing out hover-boards topless.
Someday, I hope that my luck will line up with the MTA’s schedule and I will be able to skitch on the back of a car just like Marty McFly did.
Sphere: Related ContentButler Street Murder is a Family Affair
Rachel Markowitz | June 20, 2007
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I had been in my new apartment on Butler Street for less than a month the afternoon I came home from work and was greeted by police tape. Don’t get me wrong, I was fully aware upon moving in that my tidy apartment building, inhabited mostly by white collar types with jobs in Manhattan, was located right next to the projects. But hey, this is New York City, right? Post-Giuliani or not, odd juxtaposition is not uncommon.
There were people I didn’t recognize standing around, sitting on apartment steps, gazing up the street at the police men who were standing around with clip boards, talking to each other intensely. When I reached my building, I asked the man sitting on the steps of my apartment what the hell was going on. The street beyond my building was completely blocked off. Someone got shot, he told me blankly. Great I thought as I made my way into my apartment. Great to feel safe at home.
By the time I made my way out to the gym, the crowd was mostly gone. The next day a resourceful friend of mine got the dirt for me. According to information from New York Daily News, 53-year-old William Van Utrecht shot his younger brother on the steps of their family home the afternoon of May 29th, 2007. After the shots rang out, he was heard shouting “Call the police! I just shot my brother!” Way to be discreet buddy.
The victim was 46-year-old Steven Van Utrecht, ex-Marine, ex-con, and grandfather. While not serving time in the Marines or prison, the victim, known as Chi-Chi, took care of his mom. “He’d prune your bushes and shovel your driveway,” according to a family friend.
The interesting thing? This murder did not even take place in the projects. It took place on the steps of the Van Utrecht family home which they have owned for many years. According to the Carroll Cobble Courier, the murder was the result of an argument as to whether William Van Utrecht should go back to rehab. Although the suspected murderer fled the scene of the crime, police tracked him down a week later. He now faces charges of second degree murder.
Despite this tragedy, I still feel safe in my cozy apartment on Butler Street. I figure as long as I don’t have a drug addicted brother, I should be safe for now.
Sphere: Related ContentMoonshine brings grit (the good kind) to Red Hook
Gabrus | June 19, 2007
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As the name infers, this Red Hook bar is a DIY kind of place. Not in a pour your own rack whiskey and Shop Rite brand cola style, but in a good way. Moonshine may be a bit out of the way for all you Smith and Court Street-ers, but for us who live on the West-Syeed, it’s a quick jaunt south. Now that I have overly explained how to get there, let me get to the meat and potatoes, actually more like meat and beer of this place. Moonshine is known for its deals on cans. A bucket of 4 cans costs 5 bucks. Brands include PBR, Ballantine, Piels and all your favorite swills. If you had a particularly good day at work, you may want to upgrade to some Old Chubb for just two dollars more. “Oh god! If I spent seven dollars on beer, what will I do for dinner?” Well look no further my friend, Moonshine is equipped with two grills and a smoker making it also a BYOM kind of bar. Yup, bring your own meat. As if that’s not enough to tempt you, Moonshine also has a swell pool table and Big Buck Hunter. So next time you are looking to have a meat party just head on over, and invite me, because I love using meat as an adjective as often as possible.
Moonshine is located at 317 Columbia St. in Red Hook
http://www.brooklynmoonshine.com/
Sphere: Related ContentWhy glue traps are evil and mice love mint
Josh Guttman | June 19, 2007
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Last week, while drinking a beer and shmoozing with a neighbor about this blog at my apartment one evening, we heard faint squeals emanating from the corner of the living room. At first, we ignored them, thinking it was coming from outside, but when the squeals continued, I walked over to investigate. As luck would have it, a baby mouse had gotten himself stuck on a glue trap left by the exterminators. This thing was teeny tiny. Being the soft and gentle warrior that I am, we quickly moved the party to the deck and collected the necessary tools that would we required for an emergency dislodging - namely a sharp kitchen knife. Operating ever-so delicately, we worked diligently for 10 minutes to remove the baby mouse from the glue bed on which he lay. At first, it was a game of see-saw….we’d get his feet loose, only to see him do a nose-dive into the glue. Eventually, after some skillful freehand maneuvers (think a cross between a sushi chef and a heart surgeon), we managed to free the little guy, dropping him into my herb garden tray, strategically placing him in the mint section. I figured the peppermint aroma might help him recover from his trauma and if he wanted to eat some of the mint for nourishment, I didn’t mind. He suffered an injury to his left front leg, and it wasn’t clear whether the damage was permanent. My friend, Gian, suggested we place a soda can beside the mint for shelter, in case the little guy needed a home in which to spend the night. In the end, we decided to let nature take its course, and by morning, the mouse was nowhere to be found. I’ve since collected all my glue traps and tossed them in the trash.
Sphere: Related ContentJessie’s ready to deliver wholesome local nourishment on Smith Street
Josh Guttman | June 15, 2007
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Has anyone else noticed the inviting blue and yellow storefront that’s been under construction for several months at Wyckoff and Smith? I wandered in over the weekend to see what was going on and met husband and wife team, Jessie and Dave, who are preparing to open for business later this month. On Saturday, they were hand-painting chairs, while a local artist was putting the final touches on an exquisite Brooklyn-inspired fictitious mural that covers the largest interior wall. It’s obvious that a lot of love has been invested to create a light and airy space and you can sense it upon entering. Jessie will be doing all the cooking herself with natural ingredients sourced locally. If a similar level of care and attention is given to the food (and there’s no reason to think otherwise), this place will be a winner. They told me the restaurant will be open Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, and with the prime corner location complete with wrap-around windows, I’m betting Jessie and Dave will attract a loyal coffee shop-style following during the week. Stay tuned for more as Jessie’s gets closer to opening.
