Mihow

Greenpoint Fire

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Mihow
in

There’s a fire on West Street. I called Anna to ask her where, exactly, it was. She lives over that way. It might be the skate spot known as The Bowl. It’s called the Greenpoint Market Terminal and there are two buildings on fire. It’s also my most favorite section of Brooklyn. This is the way the area used to look. Very sad. Yikes! These were taken from our roof at 8:45 AM.

(Click each image to enlarge.)

On Saturday, Tobyjoe and I saw black smoking billowing up from what appeared to be midtown Manhattan. (Later we were told it was actually in Jersey.) We had just left the peace march and so we were concerned. Plus, you’re dealing with two people who are quick to become irrational when smoke pours out of Manhattan.

Then, on Sunday, I was walking over to buy a bottle of wine when I suddenly witnessed another plume of black smoke coming from downtown Brooklyn. That turned out to be from explosions that took place atop a police station.

Enough with the smoke and fire already.

I took this several years ago. This is all gone now. Bummer.

Comments

26 responses to “Greenpoint Fire”

  1. Amanda B. Avatar
    Amanda B.

    That is scary. They should warn people, I mean, that would freak me out, much less you guys who were IN MANHATTAN. Jeez.

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  2. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    Given what landlords in GP/WB are up to right now, I think I’ll rush to judgement and say: ARSON

    My question is this though – why?

    a- Tenants in there that they needed to get rid of, so they can build a 50story luxury building
    b- The building is filled with asbestos and chemicals that would cost too much to safely remove, so they can build a 50story luxury building
    c- both of the above
    d- something more sinister

    Given the fact that smoke was sooo black, and wb now smells like the world trade center ruins ( with a hint of embassy bombings ) – I think there was some particularly toxic stuff in there and b is a definite factor.

    What do you think?

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  3. tobyjoe Avatar
    tobyjoe

    Mesothelioma!

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  4. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    Man, I so loved that section of Brooklyn. Tobyjoe, what weird indie seamstress movie did we watch where the guy walked through it? (I know it’s been set to many films, but that one comes to mind.)

    heh, seamstress. hheheeheheh e

    seamstress. tobyjoe. seamstress.

    hahhahahhaha
    (more about that inside joke later.)

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  5. tobyjoe Avatar
    tobyjoe

    Oh, man. After that, I’m not telling you.

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  6. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    was the seamstress teal girl?

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  7. tobyjoe Avatar
    tobyjoe

    I can smell fire in Soho

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  8. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    still? weird. I’m uptown. I got nothing but stinky nuts and inflation.

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  9. jonathan Avatar
    jonathan

    on ny1 they were saying you can smell it all over manhattan

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  10. tobyjoe Avatar
    tobyjoe

    Stinky Nuts Over Manhattan

    Sounds like a new Tom Hanks + Meg Ryan flick.

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  11. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    Or a dish at Denny’s.

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  12. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    The fire is in what’s now known as the Greenpoint Terminal Market. It was built by the American Manufacturing Company, starting in 1890. It was in business until about 1974, making rope and jute bagging. According to Mary Habstritt of the Society for Industrial Archaeology, mills like this were built using “slow burn” construction. That means brick walls and huge, slow-burning timbers. Because they were full of flammable materials (bales and bales of hemp and jute), fires were inevitable. The construction methods were designed to give workers a chance to escape before the fires really got going. She suspects that this fire had “help” to get going. Even though the buildings are old, they still wouldn’t get so thoroughly engulfed in flame without some sparks. That might have come from construction crews working to clean up the site, which is set to be converted to 2.6 million sq ft of residential space.

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  13. tobyjoe Avatar
    tobyjoe

    From Catherine’s link, it appears that the owner of the GTM has a history of fires in his ‘transitional’ properties. Can’t wait to see where this one goes…

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  14. aimee Avatar
    aimee

    Richmond went on fire a year or so ago. Since Richmond isn’t that large, it was about 10 blocks away from where I lived at the time. I was a little freaked out, but luckily it never travelled that far. However, it was on the VCU campus and they were flipping out that the arts building was going to catch fire. Don’t mess with the VCU arts building. Its their treasure. The roof did catch a little bit, but they were able to put it out before it went up. In cities, the saddest part about fires like this are the old structures that are lost. You can restore them, but its not really the same.

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  15. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    When proven guilty of arson, I so hope that developer gets arrested and prison raped.

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  16. maddie Avatar
    maddie

    At one journal I read, Sherri has some great pictures of what Greenpoint used to look like.

    http://www.lasadh.com/

    It’s really a shame that unique buildings like this are slowly being replaced with new condos that all look the same. No character.

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  17. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    How and why would someone do this? My God every day I become more and more flabergasted by the levels of greed. What the hell is wrong with that guy?

    Something should be done. How dare he get away with things like this. I don’t get it. I really don’t. But it makes me want to freaking beat his ass.

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  18. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    Why beat his ass when you can pimp it out to a latin gang on Rikers? ( assuming he’s convicted, of course )

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  19. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    aimee, fire is really odd, isn’t it? I read that this fire started around 4 AM (how anyone might know that is beyond me.) When i first saw it around 8:15 AM it was just a huge cloud of dark smoke and some flames. About 15 minutes later, the flames were tall enough to see over many of the buildings in Greenpoint.

    Strange how fire can continue for a long time and then suddenly BOOM! It’s freaking massive and totally out of control.

    Scary, fire is. :]

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  20. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    ah ha!

    I found out why it burned—it was up for landmark preservation

    and well, the city can’t preserve something that doesn’t exist

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  21. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    You’re kidding!

    Oh, btw, the N 7 fire is apparently nothing to be alarmed about. Gerry reported!

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  22. aimee Avatar
    aimee

    yes, that’s why I could never watch Bambi.

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  23. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    Yep. i just spoke with some community organizers.

    GP was working on the landmarking proceedings

    also, to note:
    Greenpoint/Williamsburg has had 26 suspcious fires this year through March (i’m waiting to find out if thats through march or a typo for may)
    the fire today is so far the biggest in 10 years in NYC history

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  24. mihow Avatar
    mihow

    Is it still burning? Is anyone over there? Jon? Gerry? Anna? Reading this? Do tell. What’s the status.

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  25. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    Its at least smoldering, but i think its still burning.

    2:10pm The air is a mess, its kind of unbreathable around the bedford L. My eyes were slightly burning and my throat was sore. Most people looked the same way.

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  26. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    From curbed.com

    11 “So, is this just another incident of Jewish Lightning?”
    13 “OK, call me stupid. What’s Jewish Lightening and what’s EOM mean?”
    15 “it means do a google search of GUTTMAN and FIRE and you’ll get an idea of how burning down an old building you want to rezone makes the whole process easier.”

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