last weekend to Boatel and Boat-in Theater

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

If my last blog post was about a quick trip to the Rockaways, this blog should give you a little more context about what’s going on over there:

(photo by Lunar Camel Co)

The Last Nights of Constance Hockaday’s Boggsville Boatel and Boat-In Theater,

September 8-10

The New York Times gave it rave reviews, as did NPR and every other magazine and TV channel in America. (Photos) The Boatel has been SOLD OUT all summer long, but we’re auctioning off rooms here for ONE LAST WEEKEND! (All proceeds go to the Swimming Cities India raft project…we leave Sept 20!)

The Boggsville Boatel is a floating hotel and theater fashioned out of abandoned and re-claimed boats, all of which sleep 2-5 people. Six of the vessels are leisure fishing crafts from the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s, ranging from 28 to 40 feet long. Another is a 70’s drifter houseboat remodeled into a rustic penthouse. Rooms include dinner and access to our GOING AWAY PARTY Sept 10 right next door at Marina 59, from 8pm-late. Kick it on your poop deck four blocks from the beach with cold beer, all of your friends and swim trunks—plus Cocktail Cruises in Jamaica Bay, Jerk Burgers & Pineapple Hot Dogs by Carnival Queen Lamar Iposa and Sea Shanty Karaoke.

And yes you’ll see a sunrise like that; and yes you’re only 4 blocks from the beach/ocean; and yes there is a bar; and yes there are film screenings; and yes you can swim there.

a quick trip to the Rockaways

Sunday, September 4th, 2011

There are some faraway places in New York City that many people just don’t know about, where Life is happening day in and day out. Manhattanites thankfully don’t go there with their “make me a fucking sandwich” demands. Brooklyners won’t go there because it’s Queens. And everybody else simply can’t be bothered, or they’ve found their comfort zones even in places like Coney Island (you know what to expect there). I’m talking about the Far Rockaways. A clash and collision of beach culture, low-income housing, middle and HIGH-income housing in areas, non-existent social infrastructure, and marina/boat life – you can see further examples of this from my 2008 bike trip from Far Rockaway to Breezy Point on Flickr. I think I’m always amazed by places like this though, because of the presence of the water. Growing up in a river-culture city doesn’t quite have the same effect as the ocean and bay here has on its residents, or more specifically the pace of life on the boardwalk. And like I already mentioned, you wouldn’t go there unless you had to, which while these pictures are devoid of human life don’t get me wrong, it’s absolutely bustling down there:

“Would you look at the Virginia Chrome job on that boat!”:

the Rockaways largely lack an economic identity, take for instance these towering residential blocks and a fanciful home that is nearby:

or the juxtaposition of an abandoned house against a sprawling development area:

the 59 Street Marina at night:

the view of the Rockaways over your shoulder to the West as you head north over the Channel on the A train:

a Day on Fire Island

Sunday, June 26th, 2011

The weather was inclement and I got pretty well rained on twice, but I guess if you’re gonna get rained on I’d rather be rained on while on Fire Island than in Queens! Specifically, these shots are from the Davis Park area of the island, further east than the Pines or the typical beach-tourist areas. Big ups to my friend Sam Shamoo for inviting me out for the day, and giving me a tour. I never realized how accessible the whole area is, until you have a way in. And then you realize it’s really right next door – reaffirming my belief in the awesomeness that is the East Coast and this Long Island I live on in particular (yes, Brooklyners, you live on Long Island too!). Because it was a weekday, and because the weather was iffy, that meant there was almost no stragglers on the beaches and throughout the trails, which was both wonderful and spooky.

Everybody on the island is especially friendly, and talkative, and it was pretty simple to strike up conversations in passing. After all, if you’re there – from the “main land” or in from the city – you clearly want to be there, you made the effort, and so you might as well enjoy yourself and the company around you.

Captions to follow:

Lots of lovely trails in the area.

Sam’s BIG Bench, I mean it’s BIG! Anchored to a ridiculously giant tree that washed ashore some years ago. It’s confusing where in the hell a tree like that came from, probably from 50+ miles away.

A whale’s invertebrate bone looks like a skull from above!

Some say bocce but I say it’s more likely a horseshoe box.

There are many wonderful people on and passing through the island, daily:

A local deli, “featuring”… spices!

The western edge of the National Seashore – enacted September 11, 1964, this stretch of federally protected land is undeveloped, forever more.

Bone Sign.

Zoom in. You’ll see the local post office is only open in July and August. And oh yeah it’s also a free lending library! 11772 you rock!

And lastly there is some truly unique and stunning architecture on the island – I wish there was an ‘open house’ type event so I could see the interiors of all these domiciles:

self-guided tour of the Crucible, Oakland, CA

Monday, May 30th, 2011

The Crucible bills itself as “A Nonprofit Collaboration of Arts, Industry and Community” – basically it’s a metalshop, a woodshop, a glassblowing studio, a ceramics studio, a dance studio, bike repair shop, and just about every creative industrial art you can imagine. Housed in a warehouse of I-can’t-even-approximate how many square feet (I just looked online, it’s 47,000 square feet!), the Crucible’s current digs are substantial to say the least. What’s also substantial is that they launched in 1999 with a grant of only $1,750, and even when they moved into these current digs (in 2003), they only had 5 full-time staff – they’re largely volunteer ran and supported.

[complete photo set on my Flickr]

Following my tour of Sonoma County (Sebastopol, Occidental and Monte Rio), I hitched a ride with Sheena from the Maker Faire team who was conveniently taking a class on Saturday morning at the Crucible – this facility was already on my docket of places to see during this West Coast excursion, ever since having met Kier (below) briefly at the Maker Faire Bay Area 2010 when he was running the Crucible’s fire engine and industrial arts demos for that event. Sheena went off to her class and I gave myself a self-guided tour of the Crucible’s facilities.

I gave two laps around the facility and introduced myself to as many staffers as possible. There’s more equipment and facility here than I could fathom to learn, which is remarkable that it’s all made available to the public through classes, workshops and even internships. In short, it’s an absolutely wonderful place and if you ever get a chance I highly recommend taking a class there and supporting their mission. Now, on with the photos!

The Crucible from above; this is only about 1/12th of the available floorspace and workshop area.

This is Kier giving me the low-down on the Crucible; you can’t see it but behind him is a giant flame and kiln which he’s warming up for a glass workshop later in the day (photo of the flame at the end!).

Woodshop including lots of hand tools, benches, wood-turning machines, saws, so much more!

death box – only one crossbone, nice!

the welding pods – the red plastic panels make it so you can watch people from outside; or to protect you when you accidentally glance over that is!

Machine or Art?

Bike repair studio – including lots of frames and bike projects.

Gas! Lots and lots of compressed gases power this place.

Jennifer at the reception desk, crocheting with brass wire.

The giant glass kiln flame, warming up for the workshop later in the day. Kier told me this thing also helps keep the Crucible warm in the winter – when it gets down to a chilly 50F in Oakland! Hah!

Stella Dog

Saturday, May 28th, 2011

Stella is a beautiful boxer with tons of energy and a gorgeous underbite. Trained not to kiss, it’s impossible for her not to play – and she has a particular knack at dragging 8′ lengths of branch on the beach, among other traits:

the camera is level

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Some shots from my walking tour of San Francisco yesterday. It’s actually oddly difficult to take a level shot here, because of the hills – you find yourself constantly leaning to one side or the other. And I think my shots would all – ALL – be off-level if it wasn’t for the built-in bubble level in my G12! Because I took a couple shots without the level turned on, and they’re way off. And it’s one thing to take a photo on a hill, it’s another to drive or bike when you’re constantly on an angle!

You can see other shots from my walking tour Day 1 on my Flickr.