Tuesday, February 8, 2011

From lush lawn to cold concrete


"Located just across the street from Bowne House in Flushing....the owner of a group of 4 story apartment buildings decided to create more parking spots by eliminating the soothing green front garden area." - anonymous

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

if john liu can be elected comptroller of n.y.c.,why would this crap shock you?

the citizens were sold out by the Manes Gang in the 70's.

is not democrat/liberal dictatorship grand?

Anonymous said...

I live in this building and it looks horrible now. All of the trees were cut down to make a parking lot that is not even filled up yet. There used to be a very nice garden with a large pear tree. If you look up 37-22 Bowne Street 11354 , you can see how pretty the slave was. In between the buildings were trees as well. Those were cut to create a ramp for getting the garbage out. I'm already looking forward to being able to get out of this place. It used to be really nice to be able to play with my son in the grass and also to be able to hang out with friends in what used to be a courtyard. Now I don't even bother to open my blinds since there is no view. I tried to fight it but my complaint fell upon deaf ears.

Anonymous said...

Meant to say to look up 37-22 Bowne Street 11354 to see how nice it was before the crap took over. Have no idea how autospell came up with inserting "slave" in the previous post.

Anonymous said...

Located just across the street from Bowne House in Flushing....the owner of a group of 4 story apartment buildings
-----------------
Isn't the owner the notorious slum landlord Suzuki?

Anonymous said...

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Anonymous said...

Anon No. 1:

And the Council Member representing this area is a member of which party? Has he lifted a finger yet?

Is not Repub/Con inaction grand?

Anonymous said...

IF THIS IS A BEFORE AND AFTER PIC THEN IT IS NOT LEGIT. LOOK AT THE TOP PIC, THE WINDOW WITH THE AC CLOSE TO THE CAR IS ON THE LEFT AND IT IS CONCRETE IN THE HOUSE IN FRONT. THE BOTTOM PIC THE AC IS ON THE RIGHT NOW??? THE WINDOW BEHIND IT (ALSO WITH A CAR NEXT TO IT) IS ON THE LEFT.

Queens Crapper said...

It's not a before and after pic. It's a shot of the concrete close up and then a shot from farther down the street showing a lawn next to it like it used to have.

Anonymous said...

No one's called 311 to report illegal work? -if the address is 37-22 Bowne Street, there are NO COMPLAINTS and no jobs filed for this work... come on, you guys: don't just b & moan, take action!

Anonymous said...

Adding parking changes the use, invalidating their certificate of occupancy... so, occupancy contrary to c of o, work without a permit, possible zoning violations, and explore DEP: paving affects storm water run-off...

Anthony said...

Soothing? Let's not overstate the case.

Anonymous said...

With the help of a community activist, I sent a letter of complaint to DHCR. In the letter I stated that all the trees in the courtyard and the ones in front and side of the building had been cut and the grass was removed to put in parking spaces. In addition, I stated that the hallway and stairs hardly ever get cleaned and that there have been pieces of broken glass from the front door, on the floor, for over a month. Waterbugs die in the hallways and decompose before they are cleaned up.
This complex indeed was owned by Suzuki. The one across the street that had it's courtyard filled in with an illegal building was as well. The story of that complex was featured on this site. Ten years have passed since that building was built, yet no one lives there cause the fire department has stated that the building, blocks ladder access to the apartments behind it. Luckily, there has been no fire there.
My building and the 3 others on the complex, used to be one property, joined by a parking lot behind the buildings and what used to be the courtyard. Suzuki split up the property and sold the buildings to JJW Enterprises and the original parking lot to VL-37. Once this happened, VL-37 soon afterwards, built a fence separating the buildings from the parking lot. This fence now cut off the rear exit for each building and made the place look like a prison. Tenants took matters into their own hands and cut holes in the fence to reach their vehicles in the lot. Before the holes, one had to walk around the corner to get to them.
If this is not enough already, the garbage area that once was in the parking lot, now has been moved right next to the front entrance to each building. The reason for this is that the old garbage area is now on VL-37's property. People who used to be able to smell the greenery in this area, now get to smell rotting food, that is sometimes thrown out the window, courtesy of some of our new , classy neighbours. The concrete ramp that was built to replace the trees and small staircase, that now leads to the garbage area, is very dangerous. Ice formed on it from the snow and now throwing the garbage out is an accident waiting to happen.
DHCR responded stating that all the work was legal and that the garbage area ramp(with no hand rails) was built for the handicapped tenants.
Handicapped tenants, in a 4 story walkup, throwing out their own garbage? Where? I've never seen them here.

Anonymous said...

The building numbers are, 37-22, 37-18, 37-08 and 37-04. Google maps still has the pics on how this place used to be. Very sad what it is now.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't matter. Once it's done in NYC, it's done. The grass is gone and no amount of Al Sharptons screaming from the sidewalk will get it back. Move on and move away.

Anonymous said...

There is another green space that was paved over for parking late last year. It is located right outside of Toby Stavisky's North Flushing Senior Center. By the way, this is a community that has been plagued with flooding problems for decades. It's right off the northbound Whitestone Expressway service road. I wonder if any money for the parking lot came out of the over $ 1/2 million that Stavisky provided to the center last year. It is the property of a privately owned coop. Just sayin'...

Anonymous said...

Well, FYI, it was Mr. Comptroller (LOL) John Liu who took money from Sam Suzuki.

Suzuki (I believe) still owns Bowne Tree (infill) Apts. located adjacent to the Bowne House on the right.

It remains unoccupied (with broken windows) because it can't get a certificate of occupancy.

It doesn't meet proper FDNY fire access code.

There's not room enough for firefighters to their get apparatus between the two buildings.

Anonymous said...

well then, if the city would stop erroneously ticketing vehicles all over the city during a snowstorm;maybe parking spaces would not be such a cmmodity here.

just sayin...

Anonymous said...

ehhh who cares, Queens is lost & has turned into a 3rd world dump, I'm moving to Florida...fugetaboutitfugetaboutitfugetaboutitfugetaboutitfugetaboutitfugetaboutit

Anonymous said...

The overdevelopement is what causes parking to be hard to come by the most.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone reported this to CB7? get Apelian/Kelty involved in this!

Anonymous said...

Renters are NOT entitled to green spaces unless its in your lease.

That's all a judge would care about

Anonymous said...

Actually, the zoning laws now require that green lawns be maintained in most zoning districts.

The owner would be toast.

Still A Hippie said...

"They paved paradise to put up a parking lot"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWwUJH70ubM

Anonymous said...

What department does one complain to about this place not having a lawn anymore? DHCR did nothing. The activist that came to see me had mentioned that we would be entitled to a rent reduction as a result of a reduction of services. The buildings have many rent stabilized apartments, although mine is not.

Anonymous said...

Julia Harrison started us down this road. I'll never forget or forgive.

calvert vaux said...

i don't know that i'd call that lawn "lush"

Anonymous said...

That lawn used to be lush , before they started the work there. Strawberries grew in front of the window of my old basement apartment in one of those buildings. The old landlord, before Suzuki, told new tenants that they are free to plant in the garden. Cardinals and Robins used to be among the birds that used to visit. They would perch themselves on the trees that were close to the windows of my new apartment(I moved from a basement apt to an above ground one a few years ago). Even Suzuki, being all that he is, maintained the garden.

Moby said...

There is another green space that was paved over for parking late last year. It is located right outside of Toby Stavisky's North Flushing Senior Center.
-------------------------------------------

Screw the lawn I have a bush!

Anonymous said...

"zoning laws now require that green lawns be maintained in most zoning districts"

Yes but Asian landlords and building company's go around this by removing them.
"No like tree or sweep"

Anonymous said...

I believe that it's true that the owner did not want to maintain the greenery. Their was a small but very pretty tree that could not have been taller than 5 feet that was also cut down. No concrete was placed there. When I came out and complained during the cutting of the trees,done on a Saturday morning, the owner tells me "too dark". His excuse for cutting all but one tree was that it was too dark. Some of the trees were there since the early 1920's when the complex was built. No one ever appeared to have a problem with the trees making the area "too dark" over the years. Suddenly, it is a problem? Now garbage bags get dumped there.

Anonymous said...

OL' fool said: "is not democrat/liberal dictatorship grand?"

Is not the domination of the fucking automobile grand?

BTW: How much do you want to bet that landlord is republican.

Anonymous said...

Landlord is Chinese, not sure what his party affiliation is but, I could see him benefit more from the Democratic party.

Anonymous said...

Chinese hate trees or having to sweep.
They are buying property's poisoning a good 1/3 of the trees in Bayside to Little Neck.
Asian storefront signs are everywhere it no longer looks like an American town.

The Rev.Moon organization (organized crime)is somehow providing them with loads of cash. The feds need to be brought in

Anonymous said...

FYI Stavisky troll:

Actually when Juila Harrison was councilwoman...she had a long abandoned foundation, intended for a new building that never got built, filled in not far from this site.

Now stick that up your ass before you start blaming Julia for all the ills of downtown Flushing and start blaming Tommy Huang and cousin John Liu and the tongs from Taiwan.

While you're at it....Gary Ackerman ran interference for most of the shady Chinese developers in the downtown loop!

He and Huang are purported to have been tight buddies from the get go.

Every time Harrison took any action against a crook like Huang she was quickly branded "anti Asian" by Stavisky's mob.

In Fact why does Toby still hate her so much after so many years?

It can't be just political.

(LOL) Maybe Julia and Leonard were "a number" way up far away in Albany.

I couldn't blame him having to come home and bed down with Moby.

Well, in my book a crook is a crook regardless of where he came from or what religion he is.

Anonymous said...

The feeling between Harrison and the Staviskys is (and was) mutual.

Anonymous said...

call it optimizing efficiency. green grass is useless.. it's only for looks without functionality. The grass is just like a big boob blonde without a brain.

So it's just good to clear it out and make the space useful. Not to mention you need to cut the lawn which is an expense. Why not maximum cash flow and space and lower cost and maintenance Hey, who wouldn't want that in a woman. If you do, than you will agree with this.

Plus, this is the city, there is no space or room for beauty. (not that the grass is anything beautiful.. if the owner wants he can like the grass turn yellow which is even worst). If you want beauty, go to Long Island and other spacious area..but a city is a city.

Queens Crapper said...

How stupid are you? Grass soaks up stormwater, reduces the heat island effect and helps clean the air. And homeowners are responsible for stormwater management (e.g. not allowing water to pour off your property into the street where it overburdens the sewer system)

Anonymous said...

Eversince I discovered this horendous offense in this Historic Flushing block, feeling devastated and heart-broken, I tried to contact NYC building department a few times with this and actually filed complaints more than once.
I also tried to organize tenants living in the buildings.
I even personally spoke to a part time employee of DOB as well our assembywoman Meng on the issue.
I will make an appointment to see her staff soon to get her help on this issue since it is under her jurisdiction as NYS DHCR is NY state agency. Let's see what happens. I won't give up until the garden is restored.
This is such an important block historically, we can't sit back and watch it being destroyed by a greedy, criminal slum landlord. Buy the way it is not owned by Suzuki Realty.
It is somebody else, an individual.
So residents of the buildings, please, don't despair yet.
Please, fight for your rights as tenants.