28 Comments

I feel like the Staten Island neighborhoods honestly have the craziest stories.

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That's because they do!

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It's a bit of an odd place with a TON of history that most New Yorkers either don't know or choose to ignore. Too bad as it's a pretty interesting place off the beaten path from the rest of the city/state.

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The peaked structure behind the Pepsi truck in the photo is an old trolley barn on Arthur Kill Road that served trolley cars/trolley buses on the South Shore and was scheduled to be razed years ago. Is that an old pic or did they not tear it down? (I'm not sure as I haven't been to that part of SI in some time).

https://www.silive.com/news/2015/10/historic_trolley_barn_in_green.html

Update: Google Maps from 2022 shows it still standing. Guess the city is taking a LONG time in widening Arthur Kill Road.

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Ah, I was wondering what the story was with that. Interesting! And, yes, I took the photograph on Tuesday, so the project is definitely moving at a typical city construction pace.

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This was a great read, Rob, and I've got to ask about the photo of the black car with the blue thingies all over it - what the heck is that? Also, I miss David Rakoff.

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That blue things are pieces of tape that are keeping all the Christmas lights stuck onto the car from falling off. That piece was so good. Thanks Laurie!

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Can't wait for the debut of your Seagal newsletter! Here's something for your files: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isNRZJ6icwc

;)

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You may have to wait a long time for that one...

The comments on that video are gold! "The last Steven Seagal movie I saw was an in-flight movie, and people still walked out" or "Steven Segal has a blackbelt in going straight to DVD."

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Nasso should get a Trump cabinet post for sure!

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Too honest.

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Is winking typically part of drinking? Confused.

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Obviously you've never had a Seagalmaggedon.

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So jealous of the sea serpent spotting! They should offer the sea serpent equivalent of whale watching tours!

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This is a great article on the whole sea serpent craze: https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2016/08/great-american-sea-serpent/

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OMG Seagal as a Tulku! I can’t tell you how happy this makes me!

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I was shook when I read that.

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OMG the return of Grandmaster Kim to The Neighborhoods makes me so happy!

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Speaking of a suitable Trump cabinet appointee...

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I remember those ponies! So satisfying to know the back story!

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This is for sure one of my favorite issues ever and I haven’t even looked at the photos yet!

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Thank you! It was a fun one to write, even if my research elicited a lot of curious looks.

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Seagal is a menace. Fascinating, but an absolute menace. How he got anywhere and made any kind of name for himself is an absolute mystery to me.

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100% agree. He is the pony-tailed embodiment of toxic masculinity.

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My favorite kind of pony-tailed embodiment!

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"the existence of sea serpents was widely accepted through the beginning of the twentieth century...."

And beyond, to some people. Partially due to Bob Clampett's engaging puppet/animated cartoon character Cecil The Sea Sick Sea Serpent.

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A sea serpent with a lisp no less!

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What a ride of a post!

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