nostalgicThe only appealing thing about Greenpoint back then was the dirt cheap rent I paid. 125 Greenpoint Avenue was rent controlled because my Grandmother had lived in the building for over 34 years. We split the rent, so I paid $76.10 a month! Pretty sweet, huh? Not really. Granny didn't understand that she was supposed to treat me like a roommate, not like a child. Because I was her Granddaughter, she had trouble distinguishing between the two...We didn't get along. She'd put the chain on the door, so even though I had keys to the building and the apt., I had to wait for her to shuffle over and remove the chain. When I'd sit at my computer writing, she'd start talking to me. I'd politely tell her I was writing, but she just didn't get it. Sigh.
The G train is the only train in the entire MTA Subway System that does not travel though Manhattan--it's the Brooklyn/Queens Local--so it used to take me an hour to get to work.
The building itself was old and decrepit; the radiators rarely worked during the Winter--we had to bleed them to let the water out. The apartment was on the top floor and the building wasn't wired for air conditioning...Looking back, I don't know how I survived...
Word Books is a really cool store, with bright pastel colors and an eclectic array of books to choose from. I gave the owner, Christine Onorati a copy of my collection. We got to talking and it turns out she and her husband owned a bookstore in Northport on Long Island where I grew up for six years. Sometimes the world is so small!
The basement, also bright and comfy serves as the reading space; Sarah packed them in--I enjoyed her reading and the Q&A.
Greenpoint isn't as desolate as it once was--there are several trendy bars on Greenpoint Avenue, The Black Rabbit, and The Pencil Factory. The McDonald's is still there, but the Burger King that used to be next door--I don't know what genius though that up--has been replaced by a Starbucks...
