Ah! I was sure it was going to be Brighton but then up popped Martin Parr. My son and I watched a documentary about him recently at the local cinema we visit at least weekly and there was a shot of Parr being interviewed on the beach and the cinema we were sitting in was in the background.
That was my (now corrected) mistake. Sorry about that! Staten Island's New Brighton was, of course, named after the original Brighton; otherwise, it would have had to be called New New Brighton, which would never have caught on. I assume you are talking about the" I Am Martin Parr" movie? How was it?
Haha! That tracks. Bands have occasionally booked here by mistake and found they have a long drive between gigs.
Yes, I Am Martin Parr! I really enjoyed it, but I was growing up here at the time of The Last Resort so it’s always both nostalgic and cringe. It’s a lot nicer here now, honest.
That's hilarious, though maybe not so funny when you pull up to the non-existent venue in your tour van. My sister once ordered a cake for my mom's birthday from a bakery with the same name as the town where we were staying. When I plugged it into the GPS to go pick it up, I found out it was about a 15-hour drive.
Envelope Magnate - wow ...it didn't occur to me until now that this was something that could make you rich back in the days! What an amazing building the Gothic Revival is! As to poor Frank Getzner yikes- what a story! I LOVE how the ivy is taking over the building- amazing.
Love the ivy taking over the building as well, and the before and after pictures. Also horrified by the pulley wheel murder, takes horrible co-workers to a whole new level😰
And another horrible as it is disaster - the burning of the plaster factory providing entertainment (I don’t know which is more horrible, the burning of the factory itself or the happy onlookers or the sporting firemen) - i couldn’t help but admire how they wrote such descriptive yet sardonic news articles.
There are so many gems in those old articles, both in the stories and in how they are told. If it makes you feel any better, nobody was killed in the plaster fires.
And, yeah, that pulley story was particularly gruesome.
Yes, true gems! They wrote with so much enthusiasm, heart, and even a bit of mischief. So lovely to read, just like your newsletters!! Wish they taught the young kids how to write that way again. Or maybe you can, get an intern or two to assist you in your research and sojourns and teach them😉👍
Wow. Who knew that reading about the process of transferring salt from a ship to a pile could be so fascinating? Not sure why it filled me with joy, that article you linked to, but it did.
I think a lot of us (me included) take for granted how infrequently things burn down anymore. We had a roofing company three doors down from our apartment burn to the ground a few years back. Thankfully no one was hurt, but roofing stuff explodes pretty good. The insurance company made the guy rebuild the building, but business has not resumed. I'm fairly sure he's waiting for whatever threshold has to pass before he can sell it. Originally he just wanted the insurance money and to let the business go.
So...you know...fishy.
Thanks for another great newsletter. I'm always happy to see them arrive.
And I’m always happy to read your comments! I love that salt piece. The infographics are so good. Yeah, it’s amazing how many of the headlines from 100 years ago are about massive fires or rebuilding from them.
"Christ is the A"--I love it
He really is!
I haven’t read this yet but I’ve come skidding in to say I live in New Brighton in the UK!!
The inspiration behind the name!
Ah! I was sure it was going to be Brighton but then up popped Martin Parr. My son and I watched a documentary about him recently at the local cinema we visit at least weekly and there was a shot of Parr being interviewed on the beach and the cinema we were sitting in was in the background.
That was my (now corrected) mistake. Sorry about that! Staten Island's New Brighton was, of course, named after the original Brighton; otherwise, it would have had to be called New New Brighton, which would never have caught on. I assume you are talking about the" I Am Martin Parr" movie? How was it?
Haha! That tracks. Bands have occasionally booked here by mistake and found they have a long drive between gigs.
Yes, I Am Martin Parr! I really enjoyed it, but I was growing up here at the time of The Last Resort so it’s always both nostalgic and cringe. It’s a lot nicer here now, honest.
That's hilarious, though maybe not so funny when you pull up to the non-existent venue in your tour van. My sister once ordered a cake for my mom's birthday from a bakery with the same name as the town where we were staying. When I plugged it into the GPS to go pick it up, I found out it was about a 15-hour drive.
I was thinking of New Brighton as well - I visited my friend there a couple of years ago when she called it home! What a fabulous place it is!
Ooh and I’ve also been published by Bookouture!
Hahaha, awesome!
I grew up here, left in 1989, and just moved back a couple of years ago. We love it here.
It's fab! It's so boho and the seaside is great. I'm super envious!
I lived in a seaside town on the Isle of Wight when I was a teenager. I was desperate to leave but now I'm ancient, I'd love to move back!
Envelope Magnate - wow ...it didn't occur to me until now that this was something that could make you rich back in the days! What an amazing building the Gothic Revival is! As to poor Frank Getzner yikes- what a story! I LOVE how the ivy is taking over the building- amazing.
Well he did come up with the whole envelope numbering system so we all owe him a debt of gratitude?
Hi Rob. Where did you eat in New Brighton? Are you doing Snug Harbor next?
I don't think I've gotten a bite in the neighborhood. The closest spot I visited was Vodega, an all-vegan bodega located on Castleton.
Love the ivy taking over the building as well, and the before and after pictures. Also horrified by the pulley wheel murder, takes horrible co-workers to a whole new level😰
And another horrible as it is disaster - the burning of the plaster factory providing entertainment (I don’t know which is more horrible, the burning of the factory itself or the happy onlookers or the sporting firemen) - i couldn’t help but admire how they wrote such descriptive yet sardonic news articles.
There are so many gems in those old articles, both in the stories and in how they are told. If it makes you feel any better, nobody was killed in the plaster fires.
And, yeah, that pulley story was particularly gruesome.
Yes, true gems! They wrote with so much enthusiasm, heart, and even a bit of mischief. So lovely to read, just like your newsletters!! Wish they taught the young kids how to write that way again. Or maybe you can, get an intern or two to assist you in your research and sojourns and teach them😉👍
Love to pickleball sounds!
Live across from a court for a week and see if you change your tune.
Wow. Who knew that reading about the process of transferring salt from a ship to a pile could be so fascinating? Not sure why it filled me with joy, that article you linked to, but it did.
I think a lot of us (me included) take for granted how infrequently things burn down anymore. We had a roofing company three doors down from our apartment burn to the ground a few years back. Thankfully no one was hurt, but roofing stuff explodes pretty good. The insurance company made the guy rebuild the building, but business has not resumed. I'm fairly sure he's waiting for whatever threshold has to pass before he can sell it. Originally he just wanted the insurance money and to let the business go.
So...you know...fishy.
Thanks for another great newsletter. I'm always happy to see them arrive.
And I’m always happy to read your comments! I love that salt piece. The infographics are so good. Yeah, it’s amazing how many of the headlines from 100 years ago are about massive fires or rebuilding from them.