Sunday, March 22, 2009

The booming borough

From the Daily News:

Queens' population increased about 2.9% between 2000 and July 2008 - meaning 63,628 more people now call the borough home, according to figures released yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Some locals hope the city will use the numbers to increase infrastructure funding.

"Queens is bursting at the seams - and a lot of that has to do with infrastructural issues," said Paul Graziano, president of the Historic Districts Council and an urban planning consultant.

"It's always been 'build first, ask questions later' in New York City," he said.

Despite the growth, Queens recently lost two hospitals - Mary Immaculate in Jamaica and St. John's Queens in Elmhurst - which concerns local civic groups.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

We will be planning to set-up single patient triage centers in illegal basements across Queens to handle the Hospital closings.

The common areas of the Queens center Mall is also a candidate for preventive and wellness care for residents. Privacy shower curtains will be proposed to be donated by sponsor Verizon. Free Mamagaphy pic emailed to you - direct from the mall!

Anonymous said...

What happened to the usual "vibrant & bustling" verbiage?

So now it's "booming" instead!

Parkside had to create a new sales pitch.

The old one got stale....eh Evan?

I think the bad economy's going to change the rate of boom town building in Queens.

We're beginning to see a lot of under-occupied condos in Astoria
and a few unfinished projects in Flushing.

Who knows...maybe some of that vacant Pistilli crap can be converted into something useful like hospitals.

Anonymous said...

Hey Paul, how is Paris? Nice work if you can get it.

A city of 8 million and only one person to do rezoing?

What has HDC done for us lately?

Anonymous said...

"It's always been 'build first, ask questions later' in New York City," he said.

-----------

Just waking up to this? Where in the hell have you been for the past few generations preservationists?

More importantly, what the hell do you plan to do about it?

Just talk?!?!?!

Now walk the walk!

Queens Crapper said...

Since you mentioned Paris...how is it that European countries willingly preserve architecture that's centuries older than ours, but here, owners bitch that being forced to maintain a 1920s facade is "too expensive?"

Anonymous said...

What has HDC done for us lately?


I think you are unfair. HDC is known thoughout the city as a vigorous defender of protecting our communities.

Anonymous said...

What city are you talking about? East Side? West Side? Brooklyn Heights? Greenwich Village?

Those communities have has much to do with the real NY that 90% of us live and work as saying that Cancun is typical of Mexico.

Get real! You folks live in a bubble and have done precious little for the rest of us, except ask for donations and live off our taxes in landmark desingated communities, a fact made more galling as most of the city rots around us.

Designation only goes to those with pull and is a cruel hoax.

Anonymous said...

How can you say those things? Any community can apply for landmark status, and more a doing so every year.

We have an outreach program with our coffees that feature interesting speakers.

Have you ever been to one of our conferences? They cover relevant topics to those people interested in community preservation.

Stop griping and organize your community. We did it. You can too!

Anonymous said...

I can see that you really understand how things work in this city.

The lack of public education to counter the steady drum beat of prodevelopment filth spewing from the media, politicans, and community boards makes the task all but impossible.

Organize our communities to go to a coffee? Get real! We got to work. We got real lives.

We cannot afford the $1000 dollar fund raisers that you rich people in designated communities have.

And your conferences stink. Years ago, when they first started, you used to feature grassroots community organizers.

Now they are a bunch of arrogant bon vivants that talk down to us. Tell us how we can be raped by development and learn to live with it and enjoy it.

Makes sense since a large number of slum landlords and slimely developers live protected by people of your ilk in designated communities.

Anonymous said...

What's with the Paul & Paris gig?

It sounds like some more BS from B.S.!

Anonymous said...

Do you mean that lazy guy from.....well never mind.

Anonymous said...

And just what has the Greater Astoria Hysterical Society done to speak out against the onslaught of over development in western Queens?

Along with such notables as the Queens Hysterical Society, Central Queens Hysterical Association...
BLOODY LITTLE it looks like!

Oh...we know...if you fellas speak up to loud you'll be losing your funding!

Groan....yawn...that's the real "Queens World" I suppose.

Anonymous said...

Let's face it...NONE of these
anemic "preservation" groups have the balls to fight in the trenches like i.e. JPCA has!

They're best at letter writing marathons, taking surveys and mounting exhibits.

As "Porky Pig" signs off in those famous Warner Bros. cartoons,
"Badda beep....that's all folks"!

Anonymous said...

Why tout the boom when it means lower standard of living for everybody? Queens is becoming more like a third world city: unsustainable growth and declining services.

Anonymous said...

Who is JPCA and how do I join? I have been kicked in the teeth repeatedly due to over development and destruction of my long-term home.

I would like to do some kicking back.

Anonymous said...

JPCA is "Juniper Park Civic Association"....and a double "BRAVO" to them!