Thursday, September 19, 2013

Park problems in Vallonia

From the Daily News:

The Astoria Heights Playground is more dumping ground, thanks to bums who leave broken beer bottles, condoms and plastic bags with remnants of cocaine and heroin all over the place.

Fed-up parents — including one who brought a jar of broken glass to a community board meeting Tuesday night — are demanding the city clean up and install a gate at the 30th Rd. playspace to keep it secure at night.

“The reason we moved to this block was because of this park,” said Scott Muldoon, 43, who has a 2-year-old son. “But I’ll walk 10, 15, 20 blocks to take my son to another park because I don’t always feel like it’s safe here.”

The playground also needs new equipment, said City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria).

“Until then, the city needs to perform more basic maintenance to make sure it is a clean and safe place for our kids,” he added.

Even the bathrooms are a problem, said Astoria mom Lea Kotte, 29. She said they smell strongly of urine and aren’t properly cleaned.

“This is our local park (and) I can’t use it,” Kotte said. “There are numerous incidents of babies picking up broken beer bottles and God knows what else.”

Another parent, Brad Lunsford, 42, of Astoria, said he’s found bags that had contained cocaine, marijuana and what he believes was heroin in the park.

4 comments:

Arthur said...

Coming soon to a northeast queens neighborhood near you.

Jack360 said...

I live nearby this park. It is attracting ghetto & other third worldly folks. And the fact it has a pool makes it more enticing, especially at nighttime.

Astoria has become a huge dumping ground for the worst of the worst. Absentee landlords who don't care about the quality of tenants are partially to blame.

Jack360 said...


“The reason we moved to this block was because of this park,” said "Scott Muldoon, 43, who has a 2-year-old son. “But I’ll walk 10, 15, 20 blocks to take my son to another park because I don’t always feel like it’s safe here.”

One of the dumbest reasons I ever heard for moving. I know that block he speaks of, 46th street at 30th rd/st looks like a slum. The worst looking block in the area of Astoria.

Anonymous said...

Low lives in this city....Queens is starting to become real bad!!