Brooklyn Signs

August 30, 2008 4:22 PM

Signs that point to both a tenuously emerging future, as well as the dusty fingerprints of the neglected past. Brooklyn Signs.
posted by netbros (18 comments total)

"That's the whole trouble. You can't ever find a place that's nice and peaceful, because there isn't any. You may think there is, but once you get there, when you're not looking, somebody'll sneak up and write 'Fuck you' right under your nose. Try it sometime. I think, even, if I ever die, and they stick me in a cemetary, and I have a tombstone and all, it'll say 'Holden Caulfield' on it, and then what year I was born and what year I died, and then right under that it'll say 'Fuck you.' I'm positive, in fact."


Cool photos, nice post.
posted by Eekacat at 4:51 PM on August 30, 2008 [1 favorite]

Great site. Thanks for the post, netbros.

But where's the Fort Greene love, people? Wanna see my old nabe represented!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:27 PM on August 30, 2008

THIS PLACE SUCKS
YOU FUCKING DESERVE IT (x15)
ASSHOLES ASSHOLES ASSHOLES

Strong stuff, sounds like me on a bad day.
posted by dunkadunc at 5:31 PM on August 30, 2008

(about the US, not people in general. just fyi.)
posted by dunkadunc at 5:38 PM on August 30, 2008

I know the West Coast doesn't deserve this, but this is one of my favorite weekly sites. It's a little more macro than the Brooklyn site, but the nice thing is they keep the pics mostly fresh.
posted by Xoebe at 5:54 PM on August 30, 2008 [2 favorites]

I find this kind of collecting absolutely compelling. There is something to be said for how we throw together public life: all the signs and words and fonts and colours and how they weather against time and people. None of this is unique to Brooklyn, yet all of it is unique to Brooklyn. Any one of us that lives near even the smallest town could easily seek out at least one piece of human paraphernalia that speaks directly to us and is completely taken for granted or ignored by everyone around us. But nothing you could find would be like what I find in Bristol (not my photo but anyone for pickled tongues?) or what that other guy finds in Dubai, or what that lady found in Cleveland, or what that kid finds down the end of an alleyway in Shanghai.

The best thing about it (and perhaps frustrating too) is that as long as there are people, this stuff will exist.

I am such a geek :)
posted by saturnine at 6:01 PM on August 30, 2008

Get out of your L train comfort zone once in a while! Jesus! Also, trendy stencil crap is not cool, it's bullshit.
posted by nasreddin at 6:27 PM on August 30, 2008

This is the most hipster thing I've seen all week.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 6:50 PM on August 30, 2008

umm, that's a little more crunchy than hipster...
posted by setanor at 6:52 PM on August 30, 2008

Also, trendy stencil crap is not cool, it's bullshit.

It would seem the mission of this blog is to simply document any and all signage, from the Checks Cashed to the storefront church to the various derelict "curb your dog" and "push button to cross street" signs, and to graffitti of all sorts. I'm not sure they're saying stencil stuff is "cool", necessarily. Maybe they're just including it cause it's there. Part of the sign landscape.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:08 PM on August 30, 2008

I've been away from civilization coming up on a year now, but are tall bikes no longer for hipsters? Crunchy to me means hippies, and I've never encountered nor do I imagine a hippie riding a tall bike.

Hippies ride recumbents or unicycles if they're not on a regular bike. I have also seen hipsters use unicycles, but a recumbent is currently one of the least hipster things I can imagine.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 7:21 PM on August 30, 2008

Thanks Netbros, this is cool to look at.
posted by Divine_Wino at 8:17 PM on August 30, 2008

Divine_Wino writes: ...this is cool to look at.

"the fuck are you lookin' at, chief?" :)
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:40 PM on August 30, 2008

Not much, son*. :)


traditional
posted by Divine_Wino at 9:14 PM on August 30, 2008

I see the third one on my way to the train every day. Recognized a few others too. Agree with the previous comment that they could get away from the L-train a bit for their collection, but hopefully this will change with time. Good post.
posted by tiger yang at 11:56 PM on August 30, 2008

This is the most hipster thing I've seen all week.

You definitely don't live in Williamsburg then.
posted by josher71 at 5:37 AM on August 31, 2008

MetaFilter: THIS PLACE SUCKS. YOU FUCKING DESERVE IT. ASSHOLES ASSHOLES
posted by secret about box at 5:47 AM on August 31, 2008

This is pretty great, but I was really hoping for more *signs* and less *graffiti*. Misleading blog name! Of course "Brooklyn Signs & Graffiti" doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:51 AM on August 31, 2008