Damek.

This city really is amazing sometimes.

As you may or may not have gathered from posts here on my website, I’m helping start a local environmental group (Upper Green Side) in my neighborhood. We’ve helped bring farmers markets to the area, and now we’re working on attracting new members and trying to bring proper bike lanes to the neighborhood.

I built the website, and have been having a blast promoting it. My own site is personal and I’ve never put any effort into worrying about readers, but this new site needs people to visit it, so I’ve been learning a lot finding new ways to attract readers.

The best part about the site — and the group — is when other people take initiative and work on their own. It’s something I’ve sort of been relearning to do myself — like, I don’t need the group’s permission or direction to get active and flyer or whatever. Our membership is very small so far, but the few active members are also taking initiative in creative ways, which is fascinating to me. The internet is proving to be a very powerful networking and empowering tool, and I think the people of New York are uniquely ready for changes in the city and their neighborhoods. Other sites about New York have spontaneously linked to us, and one “global” eco-site (Treehugger.com) has featured us, to our surprise.

But the point of all this is a strange event that happened today. I received an email from a familiar name — a woman I went to high school with. She found I was living in New York because she heard about Upper Green Side through Treehugger.com. And she lives in the same neighborhood, roughly 7 blocks from me. And she wants to join the group.

So, I’ll say it again, this city really is amazing sometimes. And I’m finally starting to feel at home here. (But no, Alex, that doesn’t mean I’ve given up the idea of moving far away someday. )

Why does this annoy me?

Screw CityRacks, I want CyclePods! The perfect complement to better bike lanes.

In other news, the Upper Green Side website has been hit by a light shower (not a storm) of interest this week, what with linkage at Curbed, Gothamist, and even the mighty Treehugger now. Hooray for us! We’ve even gained one new member. Only one? Never complain.

I’d always assumed they were legal, but apparently they’re not.

Temporary signage, whether on construction sidewalk sheds or on scrim that covers temporary work, must have a permit from the Department of Buildings and comply with the city’s zoning regulations on signage. Almost all oversized signs on buildings are illegal unless they are in Times Square or on Seventh Avenue at 34th Street. Houston Street is also by and large excepted from the regulations.

I wonder if 86th Street is largely excepted from the regs? In any case, I think I’ll heed their suggestion and start calling 311 “with the exact address of the building” when I see one.

We’re getting rid of our old dresser, now that we have a new one. We’re donating it to Salvation Army — admittedly because they’ll come pick it up.

Understandably, however, they won’t carry it down stairs from an apartment walkup. So we did that ourselves this morning. Not a problem, especially after we took out the drawers, cutting the weight in half…

But — what the fuck is wrong with people?

We leave it out for a minute while we go back up to get the drawers, and what do we find when we get back down? Some asshole has let their dog piss on it!

Seriously. What the fuck.

You can’t assume the world is your dog’s personal toilet, and you definitely can’t assume that everything left unattended on the sidewalk is trash. Especially a fucking dresser.

Whoever you are, thanks for giving us a great start to our day. Cretin.

ADDITIONAL: And within half an hour it was gone. No, not Salvation Army — somebody took it, despite the fact that we put a sign on it reading “No this isn’t for you, and it’s not for dogs to pee on.” Look, we have no problem with people taking furniture left out on the sidewalk; lots of furniture gets “recycled” that way in the city. But if you put something out and specifically say it’s not for people to take, why would they take it? I hope they’re happy; they stole from a charity.