Why do people put broomsticks in trees in Brooklyn?

Jeff Newel says, "Here's a story from Dean Haspiel's Beef With Tomato, a collection of autobiographical comics with some essays that cover Dean's move from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Dean as you may know, drew The Quitter graphic novel for Harvey Pekar plus many American Splendor stories, and he collaborated with Jonathan Ames on The Alcoholic graphic novel, and also drew the opening title sequence for Bored To Death Beef With Tomato is published by Dean's own Hang Dai Editions imprint (distributed by the newly revamped Alternative Comics) that he started with fellow cartoonists including Gregory Benton, Joshua Neufeld and the late Seth Kushner."