Jackson Heights has been so overdeveloped that the residents were forced to close a street in order to have a place for their kids to play. Parks? This borough doesn't need no stinking parks! My favorite part is where a Spanish guy says it reminds him of Colombia. We have some high standards here, don't we? City planning at its finest.
Please do NOT settle for this and call it a victory.
21 comments:
Hey! Who wants to play Ring-a-leevio? (Ko-ko-ko) Who wants to play Johnny-Rides-a Pony? (I'll be the Pillow.) Scully?
Wait till the plant trees on the sidewalks making it impossible to walk, let alone have kids play on the sidewalk.
wow how can i get that sign? then all the freaking teachers won't park on my block and the trucks will have to find a new short cut to the LIE service road.
In fairness, Colombia is actually a world leader in urban planning (especially given its limited resources) and making streets friendly to pedestrians and bicycles:
http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/2007/06/28/sustainable-city-bogota-colombia/
And no matter how expensive the lipstick, a street is not a park.
This just in from the office of Councilman Dumm:
78th Street's name will be changed to Calle Barranquilla. Watch for the photo-op ribbon-cutting.
You will see this more and more as the illegals pour into our Sanctuary City. Next, businesses will close for 2 hours for siesta time.
I have been in Jackson Heights my whole life, while it might be easy to blame the Hispanics in this case, it was actually the Yuppies that can no longer afford Brooklyn and Manhattan that made this happen. It is a great idea, the children need a place to play however, no one used it, it sat empty all the time.
Look at the march that led to this street closing , check out the Jackson Heighs Families list serve, it was the new Yuppies moving back.
Sorry but what is right is right, want to talk about other crap in the Heights maybe, but this was all Yuppies.
We stopped worrying if the residents of Jackson Heights would be assimilated into the United States. That's so 1980's.
It's time to worry if parts of Queens become more assimilated into Little Medellíns, Little Shanghais, Little Gazas, etc. -- with all the civic spirit, quality of life, and crime that goes with the old country.
We stop worrying if the residents of Jackson Heights would be assimilated into the United States. That's so 1980's.
It's time to worry if parts of Queens become more assimilated into Little Medellín, Little Shanghai, Little Gaza, etc. -- with all the civic spirit, quality of life, and crime that goes with the old country.
Looks like these folks have a completely different view on this.
http://www.streetfilms.org/a-car-free-street-grows-in-queens/#comments
You ruined what is an inspiring story with your quip about Columbia.
Ever been to that new dog run on 69th St and 35th Ave? under the CSX freight tracks and next to the BQE.
You have a combination of noise, pigeons perched under the trestle, what a place to build a dog run,lol.
At least on the other side of the BQE there is a high wall to absorb the noise of the traffic, but that street(65th St is in Woodside)
@QC: I'll be honest that I sometimes don't know the precise goal or if there's a unifying thread to these programs. On Shore Road, for example, activities were held that could have easily fit in Astoria Park. But the street closure itself was a boon to safety and peaceful enjoyment of the waterfront and upland areas. Travis Park might served by an extension. Regardless, the Colombian jab wasn't warranted. :)
This project was mostly run by young parents and new residents. Funny thing is that some of the people that pushed for the street closures are now complaining that this plan made it difficult to find parking. I did find it a bit silly to close the street during the weekdays--parents are usually at work during the day even if the kids are off during the summer.
Another problem here is that I can't think of a place that could be developed into a park. Jackson Heights is pretty much developed and unless the city is willing to buy that old (and i assume abandoned) house in the corner of 74st and 34ave, there aren't any other options.
I'm open to suggestions on where else they could develop to make a decent sized park that could comfortably fit more than 50 people with kids.
It is nice to rally people up for something positive but sometimes there just aren't many options.
The usual suggestion is a used car lot nearby.
Open space in Jackson Heights?
WTF?
How about the playgrounds to parks initiative and open up the IS 145 yard on the weekends? Add whaterver needs to be added sprucing up the playground for the students and opening another park in the area.
Jackson Heights is a wonderful underated neighborhood that is very overcrowded, (as evidenced by the number of children in the schools in the area).
Travers Park along with the 145 site along with 85th street and the hidden Bulova park, with the soon to come IS 230 playground (again schoolyards to parks) should help with at least giving young families the options they deserve.
Alfredo (Giannis)
Let's face it, Jackson Heights is SO Overcrowded, any planning is a attempt to live in "Once Upon a Time" storybook! Look to your right, Listen to the left, and we're still "Stuck in the Middle With You!" Whomever you may-be, where-ever you come from. WE ARE HERE for the longrun, count yourself in or get the hell out of our way! Just Sayin.
Wow, a lot of random, uninformed racist douchebags here.
As others say, the play street was basically pushed by a lot of the newer middle-class families in who know how to work the political system.
And as GL says, it's not like there's much of anywhere else in the neighborhood for the kids to play. We'll take closing down a street rather than the apparent alternative, which is the kids running around on public sidewalks, because that's all we've got in our close-to-park-free neighborhood.
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