Brooklyn's Weirdest Stories of the Year

As a local news organization, Patch covers stories of all kinds, from heartbreaking tragedies to inspiring tales of community brotherhood. But some stories are just plain weird. Here are some of the stranger headlines from the past year.

Art? or High-Concept Barclays Junk?

Urban Farming on E. 17th St.

For a bunch of city dwellers, people in Ditmas Park do a whole lot of gardening. Some are lucky enough to be able to do so in a sunny back yard. For the rest of us, we find a way.

Container gardening is big, even when the container is a tire or milk crate. Some of us convert front lawns into rows of tomatoes and corn. Recently we found someone who has planted a squash of some sort (or maybe a watermelon) in one of the medians along E. 17th Street.

Bed-Stuy Mechanic Builds 'Transformer' Truck

While driving around the Bed-Stuy area, you may see a very unique vehicle cruising around.

Orlando Figueroa of Fig's Auto Repair in Bed-Stuy transformed his 1981 Chevrolet pickup into something resembling a 'Transformer', according to a report on Yahoo! News.

The truck, which features hydraulic-controlled doors, front, rear, and side cameras, indoor televisions and more interesting amenities, is currently selling for $250,000 on Ebay.

Photos: Dinosaurs Take to Prospect Park

t's no secret that Prospect Park is rife with animals. Rabbits, birds, dogs, horses —you name it, chances are it resides in the park.

But what about a tyrannosaurus rex?

Well, this past weekend, such a dinosaur was spotted traipsing around the park. A human was operating the dino, but still; not the most common of sights.   

"This is a group that was on the park side ... that was doing a parody on Jurassic Park," wrote Tom Prendergast, who sent in the photos.

Ever Had a Yellow Watermelon? Bed-Stuy Community Market Has That and More

Check out Restoration Plaza’s Community Market, which runs every Wednesday, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. through October at the Marcy Plaza pedestrian square.

“It basically helps the community to spend their money in the right place,” said Willie Sanchez, a senior job developer at Restoration Plaza. “You get fresh fruits, carrots, tomatoes, onions, corn, all the spices and seasoning, and yellow watermelons! Can you believe it?”

Workers Sues, Says He Was Fired For Peeing Outside on Job in Red Hook

A man, whose name has not been released, is suing after he claimed in a lawsuit filed Tuesday he was fired for peeing outside, according to a report in the New York Post.

The man was hired a year ago by Ceres Atlantic Terminals, which operates on Pier 12 in Red Hook, as a timekeeper. He says that on days he was on site in which the Ceres offices (and bathrooms) were closed, he was forced to pee outside. He says he suffers from diabetes, which causes him to have to relieve himself frequently.

Free Burritos For Furloughed Federal Employees!

Things have gotten pretty tough for federal employees this week. With the government shut down, they're essentially in limbo, unsure if they'll get paid for all these unexpected and un-asked for days off. 

What’s on Steve Buscemi’s Stoop?

Most of Steve Buscemi’s neighbors, on a block off Seventh Avenue, pay no attention to the fact that they live next to a star, or at least claim they could care less.

But Elliot Larkfield walks his dog past Buscemi’s stoop every morning, his iPhone camera ready to document whatever objects the “Boardwalk Empire” star leaves out for passersby to take.

Larkfield, who goes by his pen name, might also feign a lack of interest in his neighbor’s celebrity, but his morning walks have become fodder for his blog, What’s on Steve Buscemi’s Stoop, which dedicates itself to chronicaling the refuse left on the star’s steps.