My Life In Brooklyn

I’ve changed my mind and decided to post a pic. I was walking along Clarkson and grabbed this photo of pure ugliness (the parking situation, not the buildings). Honestly, when all we have here is our architecture and the bits of greenery in form of our front yards, this row of buildings screams an affront to any sense of aesthetics. Across the street from this same row of buildings, none of the homeowners are following suit. It must be a major touch of ugliness looking at this every morning from any and all views. Note: among this row, not every building has excavated a parking place. I really wish whatever authorities oversee/approve this kind of use would be more considerate of the overall context of the neighborhood and begin to think about rules that maintain the original sense of the neighborhood. Again I cannot help but wonder if this is even legal, and if so, how did it happen?

I would be in favor of parking permits for each block or area in exchange for the cessation of this kind of makeshift parking.

On my walk today I couldn’t help but notice two beautification efforts.  The first, pictured below is on the southeast corner of Fenimore and Flatbush.  While I recognize and credit the effort of the business owner to contribute to improvement, I have difficulty in appreciating the result.  Old tires painted and planted are right up there with Madonnas in half-buried bathtubs, both of which can be seen with minimal searching in some parts of suburbia.  While my neighbor Tom said he didn’t mind the improvement effort, it is just reeks kitsch to me, but not the interesting kind.  I mean this kind of thing can work on the grounds of old motels on historic Route 66, but — for me, at least — it doesn’t work here.  At the moment it seems tolerable — in the sense of being neat and fresh – lets see how long the installation is maintained.

Also, while on Flatbush (East side, somewhere near Parkside) I encountered these trees pictured below.  Presumably painted by the merchant.  I don’t think this is particularly healthy for the trees and again pretty tacky.  Whoever painted the blue tree was sloppy.

Perhaps I shouldn’t complain, but I have my standards.