Miracle Garden

For the last several years, my summer gig has been working on a play festival for Clubbed Thumb theater. The venue is across the street from this community garden, the Miracle Garden, and last summer I spent my down time drawing it.

This lot was once occupied by a dilapidated, drug-infested building. In the 1983, it was torn down, and the local community was able to secure the lot for a garden. The initial plants all died due to bad soil, but they were able to resurrect it, hence the name "Miracle Garden." For more of the history of the garden, including a film interview with Penny Evans, one of the main forces behind it, visit their website here.

This was actually my third attempt at this view, drawn from the roof of the Wild Project across the street. I still wasn't 100% satisfied, but three tries was enough for me.

These have been there, unmoved, for at least two years. I think it's hilarious that someone used such a huge chain to secure these two rusted old bikes. They are a 1980s Challenger BMX scooter and Schwinn L'il Chik bike. I wonder if they've been there since the garden was built!

The garden is run completely by volunteers, so you never know when it will be open, but if it is, you can visit and hang out in this little oasis on East 3rd St. between Avenues A and B.

David S. Brown Soap Store

The David S. Brown Soap Store Building at 8 Thomas Street.

Built in 1875-76, this building is an example of Victorian Gothic or Gothic architecture, an 18th century movement originating in England. The architect was a young architect named Jarvis Morgan Slade, who tragically died a few years later at the age of 30. It was commissioned by David S. Brown, a soap manufacturer.

His company was a large regional presence producing products such as "Blizzard Soap," a laundry detergent, "David's Prize Soap," a toiletry product, and "Brown's Barber Soap," a shaving cream. The secret to his success was his pioneering use of product premiums, giving out jewelry, clocks, silverware, children's books, and toys in exchange for soap wrappers, and gimmicks like producing "Rough Riders Soap" to capitalize on Teddy Roosevelt's popularity, and throwing bars of soap from a decorated covered wagon during Albany's bicentennial celebration.

By 1998, the building had been taken over by a textile merchant, with a cafe on the ground floor. In 1984, it was converted to a high-end luxury condo. The building was landmarked in 1984, but the rest of the block is not, so it stands out dramatically. Today it is sandwiched between a modern residence tower and a McDonald's.


History sources from here.

Livery Sale and Feed Fake Out

This looks like some cool relic of Brooklyn's industrial past, right? Or one of those types of businesses that you didn't think still existed in the city. But after drawing this for an hour on a cold winter afternoon, I found out that it's actually just leftover set dressing from a film shoot for "Boardwalk Empire!" I still like the way it looks, though.