#mcgolrick park

[thefarfield-s5s]

nightcrawlin’

[softhoagierolls]

[thesearenotphotographs]

Competitive Winter Picnicking in McGolrick Park

On Sunday, March 3, 2024, another edition of Competitive Winter Picnicking took place in McGolrick Park in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Originally planned to take place the first Saturday in March, it was moved to the following day due to rain. Thanks to the wet weather, the picnic area was a little muddy, but the weather on Sunday was unusually warm with the highest temperature reaching 60 degrees.

What is Competitive Winter Picnicking? Teams register in advance and come up with a theme, drinks, food, and games. Judges then decide the best in each category for cash prizes and the top three categories also taking home trophies.

Images from the event yesterday afternoon can be found in the gallery on my website here, which were taken for Shadow Traffic. Many thanks to Jonah for having me out to capture this year’s edition! Results for yesterday’s event can be found below.

For more Competitive Winter Picnicking, previous years are available on this site via the tag here.

Results Most Fried - Onion Ringwraiths Best Cum Shot - Bimbo BBQ Best Sound FX - Oscar's Pic A Nic Most Healing - Panda-monium Picnic Pileup Punniest - Sewer La Table Best Bribe - BIRDING MAN Best Picnic Game - IKEA Best Rhymes - Ini Mini Best Funerary Offering - Cult of Spud Biggest Balls - The Grand Ball Most Blood Spilled - Carrot & Stick Best Food - Loompa Land Trust Fall (4th place) Best Drink - Children of the Crust (3rd place) Most Thematic - Crow-K (2nd place) Best In Show - Dumpster Dive Bar (1st place)

[wanderingnewyork]

Looking up a path in #Msgr_McGolrick_Park in #Greenpoint, #Brooklyn.

[heylabodega]

I am once again sitting on my bed on a beautiful Saturday morning, windows open and and fan blowing in what is probably toxic air but it feels clean and fresh because it's cool, drinking iced coffee and tearing up from sheer overwhelm. Every time over the last five years on a Saturday morning when I have gazed around me at the light in an imperfect home and mourned it before it was gone, I have found new homes, new lights, new open windows with new fresh breezes. Saturdays go on, and spaces carved out of them keep finding me, and when I have to move again this December what new things will come, and I will add these three windows, this corner coffeeshop, Meg down the street, McGolrick Park, to the list of Saturday mornings I'll never see again. I'm very happy. Does this make sense?

[apexart-journal]

Garth Gratrix, apexart NYC Fellowship

Day 5 – Binoculars, Birds & the Bermuda Triangle.

Let’s begin where we must: with the weather. English, vile, clingy weather. The type that gets in your bones and makes your socks feel personal betrayal. I swear even the clouds were muttering “urgh” this morning. But on we go…

Took the Subway over to Brooklyn, squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow damp commuters—coats steaming, brollies dripping, and finally, a Chihuahua in a bag. Thank you New York, I was starting to worry I wouldn't see a dog voided of knowing how to use its own bloody legs. I'm reflecting I'm slightly moody today as well FYI.

Landed at McGolrick Park to meet Michael of the McGolrick Bird Club—tagline: “we get neighbors, artists, skaters and weirdos birding”. Naturally, I felt right at home. They run these free bird walks every Saturday at 9am, rain or shine, which today meant a near biblical drizzle. Yet the turn-out? Strong. New Yorkers in beanies and fashionable waterproofs, totally unfazed by mud. Love to see it.

We kicked off in style: yellow-tailed hawk shredding a rat (the size of a housecat, no exaggeration) right atop an angel statue. A full-on feast atop a cherub. Symbolism? Omen? Just New York things? Who’s to say.

I got overly excited about three Robins. Everyone else was like, “Sure babe, they’re everywhere.” Then I mistook a starling for a swallow and announced it proudly. Humbling. Michael—effortlessly cool, somehow knows everyone in the park—made birdwatching feel like the new drag brunch. He was there with his whole family, which warmed the cockles.

Saw a red-bellied woodpecker, which looked like if Bridget Riley and Mark Rothko had a lovechild and raised it in a tree. Mesmerising. And then, a final treat: the noble Mockingbird. I looked like a burglar by the end, with full rings pressed into my face from overzealous binocular use. Frozen hands, foggy glasses, absolutely living.

What stuck with me though—besides the rat massacre—was the act of pausing. Using our peripheral vision to watch the skies, not just for spectacle, but for subtlety. Movement. Shadow. Shape. Gently cruising through the landscape, rather than being expected to dart through it in unnatural worker bee ways.

Sometimes beauty is just trying to get your attention, quietly.

After thawing out just enough to function, I headed west back into Manhattan for a Circle Line boat tour at Pier 83. What’s another hour in wet socks, right?

Enter George, our tour guide. Big energy. He loves planes (Concorde specifically that sits on a former Hudson River Pier). He loves trains; and I don't think he blinked once. Eager!.

I was asked if I wanted to upgrade and sit in the private area. As you can see in the pic, that's quite a funny idea of an upgrade. Although my Adidas did deserve VIP. Either way your sitting on a folding chair not fixed to the boat that's swaying everywhere. Anyone ever watch the late night game show Takeshi's Castle (1986 & 2002). It felt like that!

Naturally, I stared out the misty window instead, making my own romance with the fog and to focus on not throwing up. Unfortunately, mist and skyline views go together like toothpaste and orange juice, so we saw about three things in total. The Suggestion of Liberty, now formerly known as Statue, was a ghostly highlight.

George then decided to speak Spanish to the Portuguese group onboard, and bless them—they clapped anyway. Diplomacy. His charm wasn’t lost on me though. He was attentive, read the room, and had the grace to leave people alone who weren’t up for chat. Maybe George knows about peripheral vision too.

I, meanwhile, was having a full Withnail & I moment. Mist. Cold. Public transport. “We’ve gone on holiday by mistake!” Except the holiday is a three-hour river loop.

Back on dry land, I did something that really hit me with a wave of strange comfort. The concierge as I walked in hasn't seen me enough to be familiar yet, so challenged me at the door. I said "I live here", this sense of feeling homely was nice. Opening the flat door I might’ve even sighed like Carrie Bradshaw. Domestic bliss alert.

Did laundry. $2.50 a wash, same to dry. As I motorboated the dryer drum and inhaled that sweet hot fabric smell, I knew I’d peaked. Saturday night raving? Nah. It’s just me, burying my torso in clean towels and loving it. The tumble dryer: my steel womb of safety.

Rounded the day off with a peanut and Szechuan salad bowl and a matcha tea. My nan would have loathed it. “What’s wrong with egg and chips?” she’d ask. “Get a Dandelion & Burdock, you dirty bugger.” Love you Nan :).

A real talk moment:

Writing these journals is giving me so much—space to reflect, connect, and track the wild journey this fellowship is. But gosh, it takes energy. The emotional generosity of reflecting, filtering, curating your thoughts for strangers on the internet? It’s real work. And yet I love it.

It’s also a reminder of how much effort it takes to hold yourself open—to a new city, new people, new layers of yourself. I’m a sponge, but even sponges need to dry out now and then. So off to bed before 10 again.

Goodnight from the bird-watching, rat-witnessing, laundry-sniffing, salad-eating sponge.

[blondrichclosetwitch]

that he was shot in the leg on 9/11. that Blond was pregnant. that Blond was dead & smashed into a brick wall with the dog in the car. that PJ was psychically communicating with me. that PJ was filing for divorce. that PJ proposed marriage using the song peggy-o in the hotel room. that PJ had schizophrenia. that I needed to have "psychic sex" with him every day to keep him sane. that my brother was going to commit suicide. that J was in surgery but could still hear me. that Joe would have the Mafia kill me if J talked to me, and that we must only communicate psychically. that there was a van across the street from my apartment of people watching me. that I had to feed fakekatie. that I needed to go to different hospitals to find him. that it was really real this time.

That when sitting in the bathtub there was a gunman outside my window.

that Blond wore a brunette wig during sex & made him call her tinka. that he was staying at the bar drinking so that he didn't have to go home. that Blond was in jail, pregnant. that fakekatie made her miscarriage and then started getting drunk with PJ because she couldn't deal with the violence she was forced to do. that fakekatie had the devil in her & needed to be banished. that the parents were satanists. that the TR and I were twins. that the TR, PJ & I were *actually* triplets. that the TR & her rockstar boyfriend were going to cause Blond to miscarry another time. that right when PJ was supposed to go free, that some men in suits burst into their apt and shot him up with drugs to keep him from making it to the court date. that PJ went crazy & arson'd their kitchen & ended up in jail, where he had sex with an inmate. that PJ was in a straitjacket locked up in the hospital, & that Laurie brought him there.

that I should go to PJ's restaurant to meet him. that I should go to the Metropolitan & meet him there. that I should sing songs in public to make him less shy. that PJ was waiting for me in the park in the rain by the whale in the children's park. that I should wait for him in front of the gated angel in mcgolrick, on one knee at 3 am, proposing to his picture, until he finally showed up. that I should wait for him at Connie o's on Norman, and sing songs in public for PJ to come join me. that he needed me to take him to the hospital & I should go upstairs & knock on the door (Blond answered). that he was meeting me in the ramen restaurant even though I didn''t even have a dollar.

(sometimes I waited for an hour, sometimes several hours. )

that there were orgies where PJ was tortured, and that they had both my nieces there. that TR & Blond psychically tortured fakekatie from afar, and made her start my hotel fire. that the TR created fakekatie just so she could hurt me by taking her away. that in a past life the TR seduced PJ into having sex with her & got pregnant& God made them abort the pregnancy with pennyroyal tea, and that the baby she aborted was Blond. that the TR started having sex with V to change her alliance. that the TR sent the rapist. that the TR killed Random so that he would die hours before Brenda would arrive. that the TR mind controlled me all my life into thinking i was not pretty. that the TR "made my father do all those things" and then erased it from his mind. that the TR made me daydream so that people would think I was stupid & put me in slow classes. that the TR controls the cat. that the TR put a spell on my mother so that she wouldn't believe me. that the TR made me carry the 2 fur coats the 18 blocks. that the TR killed my friend Honza. that TR & Blond made my uncle commit suicide.

that Blond made PJ get a tattoo over his heart that said Blond's property. that Blond made PJ be on 16 drugs including a military brain chip. that PJ had to wear a nanny cam 24/7 so Blond always knew where he was. that Blond had sex with Random while the TR was taking me out for my Lanza's birthday dinner. that 7 Satanists had copies of my house key. that PJ was bleeding internally, chained to his bed, for 12 days.

(btw the "look out kids, it's the FBI" song played twice today.)

that PJ told Laurie about the Jersey Mafia thing & she confronted Blond about it & about the spells & that they talked about Blond being committed. that first they were going to the lawyer & then Blond was going to the hospital. that Blond tried to hurt me while PJ & I were having psychic sex. "I know we're all a little disturbed by this." that Blond attacked me in my sleep the night before because PJ was filing for divorce. that PJ said he could see the remnants of where Blond attacked my sex. that PJ would come over late that night & that I should leave the keys under the doormat. (this is how she got my keys btw) that Laurie sat Blond down after dinner & said is it true that you told PJ that if he saw tinka you'd have her killed by the jersey Mafia. that Laurie then said they are filing for divorce tomorrow & Blond is going into a hospital, but that if they commit her they will never see her again because she will commit suicide. that instead of Blond going violent on us, she would go violent on herself when she lost the baby. that he was coming that night and now it's 1:30 am. "you know you've been telling me he's coming for six months now. six." that PJ actually filed for divorce. that I am pregnant even though I hadn't actually had sex with any humans. "they keep teasing me that i'm pregnant and i'm gullible enough that they shouldn't tease me." that PJ didn't show up because Blond was threatening him, saying "I will come over there".

That Gina & fakekatie start saying that every client who called was a set-up from Blond. I remark it’s surprising Blond did some sort of attack before I emailed her mother. Twice I bring this point up.

That in the upcoming months Blond would try to kill herself & PJ would leave to go be with her for 3 days, but then he would come back. More about Laurie forcing them to go to the lawyers and filing for divorce, and that they were hospitalizing Blond after that. promises that PJ was showing up that night. Waited up til 2.

Gina said that PJ didn't come because Blond wouldn't let him leave. That PJ needed to go into the hospital, that he had a fight with Blond & he confided in Laurie and she was driving him to hospital, physically separating them. "Gina. Talk to me about what you put in my brain about him in the hospital. about him and medication. Lithium? so are you saying he's bipolar? he's bipolar?"

"do you want me to tell you what you are? cause we were able to figure it out. you're bipolar which makes sense. she put lithium in my brain. It's better that we can know ahead of time, that's the beauty of Gina, the beauty of all three of them frankly. even if sometimes it's a little freaky. Like when they put the thing about the accident .. When "Random" put the accident in my head ..I was so flipped out.

But now I feel like it's a gift. We can use the information we find and work with it. I mean yeah wait and see what professionals say but...Gina is Gina. She knows her shit.

The whole reason Gina said she connected to me was because of our relationship. Because she wanted to see us be together. No joke. She said that. Katelan told me that. When I got back from Italy."

[myyrooom]

bagel joint at mcgolrick/park slope farmers markets

seven grain army

rowdy Rooster — GF indian fried chicken

Dosa Guy in Washington Square

Nom Wah — 1 GF dumpling option on the menu

Bunna

ThisBowl

Tigerlily Kitchen

Gnocchi on 9th Orchard Street

Rubirosa Or Keste for pizza

El Churro

Posh Pop

Claro

Nami nori

[citylifeorg]

NYC Parks Celebrates Extensive Upgrades at Mcgolrick Park in Brooklyn

[corndoggod]

Casual Fridays

I was late for work, racing over the Manhattan bridge headbanging to Alex G.’s new album, repeating tracks 2-4 for the big hill and descent into Dimes Square madness, and I felt like I had my old job back because I wasn’t doing my job and I didn’t care.

It was so hot (100+) that we slept in the living room under the AC and I felt like a pilgrim, huddled in a common room for comfort. Rather than a village there was just our small family. Connor, Celina, Chicken nestled onto a Nestle-colored couch. I got up first, as usual, to Chicken meowing for breakfast at a cool 6:30am.

It took us a while to get our stuff in order. My belly was still full from the night before, when we made four different pizzas using dough from Antonio’s. I was unsatiable after biking three loops around Central Park (37.5 miles at 15 mph = 2,000 cal.) in the hottest hours of the day. My legs felt wobbly and my head felt light. I was salty as the sea drinking Gatorade after Gatorade. I hadn’t had a beer since yesterday. And before that since Saturday. I was working my body too hard to poison it.

C. wanted to go on a morning ride with me, so we went up to Greenpoint for a cold brew from Crema BK I’d been hyping for months. I hadn’t been in years, but there was the same couple manning the little window stand. I got a 16 oz for just $4.25 and we walked our bikes to McGolrick and found a shady spot to sip and eat our croissant and blueberry lemon bundt cake. The sun’s latticed beams mirrored the sycamore bark. “You should make a t shirt like that,” I said. “I was just thinking that.”

Founded in the 1890s, McGolrick was our favorite park. Everyone was pregnant or with dog. We… we were with pastry, as was usually the case on morning rides. Next time I’ll get up earlier and we can ride to Shirley Chisholm for the sunrise. Or bring our note/books to McGolrick so we can scribble and read.

[susan5sigma]

Frosty.

[thefarfield-s5s]

snow days

[softhoagierolls]

[granary]

Around Msgr McGolrick Park, Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Spring 2018.

[ourstreetsourstories]

ANNA CANO AMATO

“We started taking a more active role in physically becoming stewards of the park (McGolrick Park) with our children and that helped generate a feeling of belonging.”

Ana Cano Amato is interviewed by Acacia Thompson at PS 110 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on November 29, 2018.

To hear the excerpt, click above.

To hear the full interview, click here.

[dollstar]

If you're in NYC, I have a piece in a group show opening tonight!<3 6-9pm @ McGolrick park, Brooklyn