A Dump Gets Cleaned in Bushwick
I have been complaining endlessly about the lot directly next door, which over the last six months has been piled with junk cars and 10-foot-high mounds of trash and debris. Mice started to show up in our house, then the neighbor’s house. Then one day last week, a crew smashed down the fence and yanked all the cars out. The boss was complaining to one of the workers: “I haven’t seen anything this bad in 20 years.” I stuck my head out the window and asked, “Are you cleaning this whole lot out?” He said yes, and I thanked him very much. The next day, a dumpster came and a crew filled it with most of the junk in the lot. They’re not done but they made a lot of progress.
Suddenly, my housemates started sitting in the back yard. “It’s so much nicer out here without all that junk looming over you.” It really was like a dictatorship had fallen — a dictatorship of the disrespectful and the slovenly. And the mice have, surprisingly quickly, vanished. The next step will be to shove their 15-foot fence, which is encroaching on and tipping over onto my yard, over to their side.
The lesson here is, complaining does work, even in Bushwick. So use it responsibly.
Anyone have a similar story of cleaned up (or not!) junk lots?
Before:
After:
July 17th, 2007 at 11:21 am
whoa nelly. you mean to tell me all those cars were junkers just taking up space? and that pile of tires, a veritable mosquito Garden of Eden! do you have any idea what’s to become of the lot (i assume roaming crews of do-gooders aren’t out looking for lots to clean up out of the goodness of their hearts)?
July 17th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Yeah, lots of vacant lots where people dump garbage. It could have been worse Jeremy it could have been food garbage. I had that near me and it sucks, years and years of food, and cans, and all kinds of disguisting garbage. People too lazy to put it to the curb.
Jimmy what’s happenening the lot near your house, is it the vacant church lot or that one across the street where the cats are. I hate those broken sidewalks.
July 17th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Lots of stuff packed in this lot, but agreed it could be worse if household garbage.
July 17th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
No, the car crew was definitely hired by the city, because the guys who “run” the lot came in the middle of the operation, freaking out. I overheard the crew boss telling them they would have to pay to get the cars out of the pound, and that they could stop the dump truck crew from comping if they hire their own dumpster, which they seem to have done. The crew who did the actual cleaning was a bunch of Mexican guys — I didn’t see any of the Puerto Rican guys who messed the place up lifting a finger. Not that any of this surprises me. It’s now Tuesday and the full dumpster is still sitting here, untouched since Friday — how long should I give it until I bitch again? It’s war with these dirtbags, as far as I’m concerned.
July 17th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Actually, there was plenty of household trash thrown in with it, for some reason I can’t guess. But yeah, it didn’t stink or anything, it was just an overwhelming eyesore and mosquito and rat den.
July 17th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Good the city got involved, wonder if people complained. I hope this means lots of nice BBQ at your house before the summer is over. Don’t forget about the brunch invite from Jen (that’s not in Park Slope!)
July 17th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
some flaming arrows into that dumpster might get a quicker response!
across my street is the parking lot, and the abandoned church yard abuts the back. i don’t mind the parking lot, it’s fairly clean and actually adds a lot of greenery to the street from all the underbrush growing around its fences. the church yard kind of sucks because dudes come back there to drink and smoke and pee, invariably tossing their bottles wherever they happen to be standing.
July 17th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Public urination, how do we control this? I see guys doing it on the side of a bodega. I think this is worse than have a drunk passed out in the corner of the street.
Oh, and let’s not forget about all the broken glass that comes from these bottles. Some people get a kick out of throwing them on the floor and them shattering all over the place.
be careful with those flamming arrows. We dont’ want poor Jeremy’s house to go up in flames before he renovates the front of it to make it look like the nice little Italian villa it was years ago.
Tis the season Jeremy to do this cosmetic stuff before the frost comes. any progress?
July 17th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Yeah, don’t think I didn’t fantasize about setting the whole fuckin mess on fire. That’s really what’s so shocking about it — this is between two residential buildings, not warehouses or parking lots. Disgusting.
We painted the shitty front door we have now black and put metal numbers up, but we just don’t have the energy for painting two stories of uneven stucco right now, or the money to put put proper window frames, etc. It will have to wait.
July 17th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
That’s okay Jeremy we understand that homeownership is a lot of work and money. Enjoy the pink house in the meantime, and pretend you’re in florida!
With 7 people in the house, put a can of paint on the front steps and a brush and see if anyone takes the invite!
July 17th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
However hard you’ve searched for a house, in Bushwick there always seems to be a vacant or neglected property on the block.
Jeremy, you said you purchased your house because the price was low (or your budget was), but is this the area of Bushwick you preferred?
I guess we all wanted to be closer to Williamsburg.
July 17th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Actually, sounds weird, but I wanted a house on or very near Irving Square really badly because I think that whole chunk of blocks is beautiful and will be sought after in the future. We got this stumpy ugly dump because it was cheap, somewhat clean, and inhabitable.
July 18th, 2007 at 12:27 am
Jeremy you are too funny. A stumpy ugly dump. The days of Bushwick homes selling for $300K or 400K are long gone. We think anything in the $500K is cheap, but you know what even $300K would buy you outside of NYC? What makes us live in this city with quality of life issues, crappy housing, and the highest cost of living. Life is much simplier in the suburbs, so what keeps us here? Anyone?
July 18th, 2007 at 12:58 am
I know what you mean, paying over $500K for a dumpy house in brooklyn, when it could buy you a McMansion somewhere else.
I guess there is a fascination with the city with all it’s grime.
July 18th, 2007 at 9:19 am
Ah so the question is why buy a house in the $500Ks next to a dump, which is considered cheap, when for the same money you could get a great house in the surburbs with a grand entrance into the development with names such as “Heather Gardens” or something like that.
Jeremy what brought you and others to NYC and further to want to buy in a market where houses were neglected, and the neighborhoods have a ways to go.
July 18th, 2007 at 10:19 am
jeremy your house is not a stumpy ugly dump! I have thought it was cute since i moved in around the corner. lots of potential.
July 18th, 2007 at 10:56 am
I think it’s cute too. How far of a walk to the subway or your beloved Irving Square. I should check out that park.
It’s a good point though, why we buy these homes versus brand new homes in the suburbs for much less money.
July 18th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Heh, thanks for the compliments on the house but it really was a practical choice, not an aesthetic one, and unfortunately I’m not anywhere near Irving Square, that’s in “SoBu.”
As for what brings me to NYC…isn’t the city enough of an attraction? I have friends and relatives all over the place. As for the suburbs, who moves to NYC to live in a suburb? I could have stayed in Florida or California for that. What made me “want to buy in a market where houses were neglected, and the neighborhoods have a ways to go.”? $$$. We paid outrageous rent in the city for a 1 bedroom apt. Here, the house payment is a bit more but the rent from the others makes it half the cost for a lot more space, and a yard.
Bushwick is a cheap outpost that gives us very quick access to all of New York City’s great stuff. But I think someone is kidding themsevles if they think people come to Bushwick because they prefer it.
July 18th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
it’s a good question, i suppose if money was no object i probably would still be clinton hill/bed stuy. but i had been investigating bushwick for a while before we bought our place, and i gotta say, i liked it for what it DIDN’T have. namely, a glut of affluent newcomers who professed to love every bit of their adopted neighborhood, then turned around and started phasing out any aspects that didn’t meet their personal tastes. anyway that’s what i wanted to get away from in clinton hill.
it’s nice (for now) living in a neighborhood not constantly bickered over by the brownstoners like pirates divvying up the booty
July 18th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Jimmy: I hope this doesn’t mean that you are giving up on Bushwick when you say “for now”. For the time being people don’t have enough civic pride to bicker over things.
Are you guys sure money somewhat influenced your decision to move to Bushwick? I realize Manhattan rents are expensive, but so is home ownership, between the downpayment, closing costs, and maintenance repairs it can be a lot more than people expected, especially if you are the only one paying the bills and mortgage.
instead you’re in a neighborhood where neighbors don’t care much about loving their neighborhood nor do the slumlords.
hope you don’t miss the amazing architecture in clinton hill too much for the frame houses here in bushwick.
wonder if you will move out if more people start to care about and fight over how proper the neighborhood should be. do you see that happening anytime soon?
I admire both Jeremy and yours spirit.
July 18th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Maybe you are closer to Maria Hernandez park, but either way closer to Williamsburg and the gentrification will hit your area first.
Living in a suburb buys you a nice new 3 bedroom home beautifully landscaped, but I agree the grit and grime of the city is an experience, but can get you down at times.
True, people don’t come to Bushwick because they love the charm or anything else. Quick access to?
Let me guess:
city, williamsburg, and err Queens?
Some have knocked the fact that some of Bushwick, namely SoBu is on the less popular J line and doesn’t hit cool parts of Williamsburg, Chelsea, and East Village with the L.
July 18th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
I will say for me Bushwick at the time equaled hassle free, cheap, large space at a time when I couldn’t afford better and didn’t have the income or credit for a broker.
July 18th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Cosmo, money didn’t influence the decision to move to Bushwick, it dictated it. And yes, we do spend extra money on things like paint and plants, but that stuff is just an extra luxury. Sure, stuff needs to be repaired, but overall, we’re still paying less money to live in more space. And in 20 years (I never sell anything), the Bushwick of arson and trash will be a footnote in its very long history.
Wickster, the grit and grime do not appeal to me at all, I love cleanliness and charm, and so Brooklyn can be goddamn depressing sometimes. As far as access, uh, yeah, it’s the City people talk about when they say Bushwick is “close.”
July 18th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
good that Jeremy will be around FOR LIFE here. Or will he cash out when the neighborhood takes flight.
Hope not.
Cleanliness and charm is the way to go but such neighborhoods are in Park Slope and Bay Ridge. What a shame.
July 18th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
For life? Hell no. I’m not sure I’ll be here for another two years. But I will own this house for a long time.
July 18th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
I was sad to hear you may not be in Bushwick for another 2 years. You started a good blog for a neglected area.
Too bad your time here might be short lived.
July 21st, 2007 at 11:21 am
go to nyc.gov, look up the property owner and post the name!
August 23rd, 2007 at 11:32 am
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