The dilapidation of Crocheron Park.

Hello Queens Crap, I Hope you're safe and well. 

I am a resident of the beautiful Bayside Flushing area. 

Crocheron Park is one of my favorite parks. I go there frequently to run, bike, and walk. It's a big gorgeous park. I love walking over the pedestrian bridge above the Cross Island Parkway to the path that's along the parkway and Little Neck Bay.  To me it's just one of the best parts of being a Queens resident. 

But the decay and neglect can no longer be ignored. It's in stark contrast to other parks that I've been to. Hook Creek Park in Rosedale is immaculate and well kept. There's no comparison. Why has such a gem in Bayside been left to rot? This is not just recent, I've contacted 311 for years, it's all been disregarded. 

Lighting has been broken and left dangling by wires, a danger to curious kids. The broken lights also leave the park pitch black, so anyone wise wouldn't consider the park at dusk. The park has become a haven for pot smokers, and God knows who else. 

The benches perched above the Cross Island were once intended to be a regal and elegant view of beautiful Little Neck Bay and the cars below on the Cross Island are now staring at decades of an accumulated neglected mass of weeds and trees which were never supposed to be there. It's a catastrophic NYC Parks disaster. I cannot fathom that we continue to turn a blind eye. 

Why has this gorgeous park fallen into such neglect? Hook Creek Park is like a shimmering paradise in contrast. I just don't get it. This is not recent covid19 nonsense. Look at my pictures, this is years of neglect. 

Thank, Queens Crap

Empire State Building provides a dubious and dystopian essential service for the pandemic

NY Post


New Yorkers were left spooked Monday night by a glaring Empire State Building light display intended to honor emergency workers fighting coronavirus.

The iconic Midtown skyscraper announced the debut of a display that began at 9 p.m. Monday, and will continue on through the course of the ongoing pandemic.

“Starting tonight through the COVID-19 battle, our signature white lights will be replaced by the heartbeat of America with a white and red siren in the mast for heroic emergency workers on the front line of the fight,” read a tweet from the building’s official Twitter account.
But to some, in addition to solidarity, the siren induced anxiety, as it spun for the first time surrounded by low clouds.

“The @EmpireStateBldg reminding us that the city is in the middle of an emergency,” tweeted Rita King, who also posted a video of the display depicting an eerie scene.

King said on Twitter that she fully supports the cause, “but recommend[s] that the siren be replaced by the iconic pulsing heartbeat effect to reassure our heroic healthcare workers that their efforts will succeed, and soothe nervous New Yorkers now sheltering in place.”

Impunity City
 
As if New York being the epicenter of the COVID-19 epidemic didn't give enough stress, fear and uncertainty on the citizenry (and surely the world); the concerned folks that manage the Empire State Building actually thought this rapidly growing crisis needed a visual aesthetic aspect to it.

Jamaica Estates house is lit this holiday

"The Gurino Family house Christmas Lights display in Jamaica Estates, Queens, NYC is a must see! Located at the intersection of 80th Drive and Chevy Chase Street."

Kosciuszko Bridge: Out with the old, in with the new

From CBS 2:

The first span of the new Kosciuszko Bridge connecting Brooklyn and Queens is open to traffic.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo marked the opening of the first span Thursday night with a dazzling LED light show synchronized to music.

The governor gave the audience a quick lesson on the correct pronunciation of the bridge’s name, that has long been a tongue twister and a headache for New Yorkers because of its constant traffic backups.

“I spent my childhood going back and forth across the bridge with my family,” Cuomo said. “The first time I heard my father use expletives was on this bridge.”

The new bridge is the first of two spans replacing the old, 78-year-old bridge connecting Greenpoint, Brooklyn and Maspeth, Queens. Traffic will go in both directions until the construction of the second span is complete, expected to be early 2020.

Kosciuszko Bridge will open this week

From NBC 4:

The first span of the project to replace the aging Kosciuszko Bridge is opening to drivers this week, and News 4's Andrew Siff got an exclusive look at the 800-pound original plaque that will mark the new bridge's opening along with Gov. Cuomo. But drivers shouldn't expect a major change in traffic congestion there for a few years -- here's why.

The bridge will open with a light show Thursday night.

Santa's eye view of Jamaica Estates lights

From NBC:

A view of a brightly decorated holiday home at 80th Drive and Chevy Chase Street in Jamaica, Queens, as captured by Chopper 4 Monday evening. See more spectacular holiday homes in New York City!

How long to fix a light?

From the Times Ledger:

Residents on a Queens Village street are increasingly concerned about a streetlight they claim has not worked for months after repeated inquiries to city departments and Con Edison.

“It’s very dark, it’s pitch black at night,” Miriam Schiffman, 88, said while sitting in the living room of her home on 221st Street between 89th and 90th avenues in Queens Village. “It’s become a quality-of-life issue.”

Directly across the street was the street light in question, who Miriam and her husband Norman, 93, said had been out of service since March 4. Miriam said they immediately called 311, and learned two weeks later that the issue had been referred to Con Ed. Afterwards, there were several months of back-and-forths between 311, the NYC DOT and Con Ed. Miriam Schiffman said the couple reached out to the offices of state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-Hollis) and Councilman Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens) for assistance.

A spokesman for Con Ed said it had contacted the DOT in April to tell the agency that the concrete foundation of the lamppost needed to be repaired before the utility could restore power. Norman Schiffman disputed the assertion, saying he believed there was no issue with the concrete.

As of Tuesday the light was still dark, but on Wednesday a DOT source said the organization was aware of the problem and the light would be inspected that evening.

Lights out!

From Capital New York:

Councilman Donovan Richards wants the city to turn out the lights.

In legislation that will be introduced today, Richards will seek to limit the number of lights kept on in commercial buildings at night. The bill has a series of exceptions for security reasons, seasonal displays and occupancy.

But Richards, chairman of the Council's environmental protection committee, said the millions of lights kept on in the city that never sleeps are wasting energy and exacerbating a global emissions crisis.

"The primary focus of the Lights Out Bill is energy conservation," Richards said in an email to Capital. "With a focus on unnecessary lighting, particularly in non-residential, retail and other similarly used buildings, this is an integral part of the effort to reduce carbon emissions city-wide."

That effort—an 80 percent reduction in city emissions by 2050—will require deep cuts in the city's buildings emissions, which account for up to 80 percent of New York's carbon profile.

Lights out in Howard Beach

From the Queens Chronicle:

An underpass in Howard Beach has been left in the dark for a little more than two weeks and one activist is frustrated with the Department of Transportation’s slow response to requests for temporary lighting at the site.

“It’s very annoying and it’s very upsetting,” said Joe Thompson, president of the Howard Beach Civilian Observation Patrol. “I don’t think it’s fair that these people didn’t react fast enough.”

The underpass at 84th Street below Shore Parkway went pitch black on Jan. 13, according to Thompson, who lives nearby.

He immediately filed a 311 complaint to have the lighting restored at the site, which he said is frequented by residents living in nearby co-ops and parishioners at St. Helen Church.

Thompson said he has received no follow-up reports on his original complaint, or an additional one he made a few days later.

“It’s completely pitch dark,” he said.

He said workers have been seen at the site working on the lighting, but that they have not succeeded in illuminating the underpass.

LIRR pedestrian overpass is a dump

From the Queens Courier:

Local elected officials and community leaders gathered earlier in December to tour the pedestrian bridge that connects two separate sections of 55th Avenue, one of which turns onto 85th Street and the other that becomes a dead end near Haspel Street.

The group toured the overpass with Long Island Rail Road and Sanitation officials to discuss the conditions and demand immediate improvements be made at the site.

According to Christian Cassagnol, district manager of Community Board 4, the problems most residents have voiced concerns about include graffiti, lack of sufficient lighting, safety overnight and dirty conditions.

Residents and members of CB 4’s environmental committee regularly gather to clean up the site, Cassagnol said, but there is only so much that could be done on a local level. He decided to contact Councilman Daniel Dromm’s office in the hopes of finding a better solution.

Rosemarie Daraio, president of the nonprofit Communities of Maspeth & Elmhurst Together Inc. (COMET) Civic Association, added that some other issues include illegal dumping, weeds overtaking the site, and deteriorating and uneven steps.

Days before the Dec. 15 walk-through, the city’s Department of Sanitation showed up and did a cleanup.

“This site must be cleaned and made safe for pedestrians,” said Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, who was part of the group that toured the overpass. “There is no substitute for an on-site visit to see conditions firsthand.”

According to Stavisky, she and Dromm will continue to monitor the issue.

New lampposts for Glendale

From the Daily News:

Dozens of new lampposts will line parts of Glendale, Queens, after a more than decade-long push to beautify the area, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. said Monday.

“Our city streets are a constant reminder of our history, but sometimes they need a little upgrade,” Addabbo (D-Queens) said.

The 44 new "Type F" lampposts with teardrop light fixtures will be installed along five avenues between Woodhaven Blvd. and Union Turnpike in the spring.

The project was conceived by resident Tom Pappas and former state Sen. Serphin Maltese.

So the Argentos move in and suddenly the area gets beautified?

Lights out!

From CBS New York:

New York may be the city that never sleeps, but its workers are not always in their offices.

City Councilman Donovan Richards is proposing a bill that would require some unoccupied commercial buildings to go dark, WCBS 880’s Alex Silverman reported.

“The majority of emissions in New York City, 75 percent of them, come from buildings,” Richards said.

Richards said Paris recently passed a similar law.

“They only have 25 percent of the buildings we have, and they’re saving $260 million a year,” the councilman said.

There are currently no restrictions on lighting in New York.

It would also cut down on light pollution (why we can't see the stars at night) and bird strikes.

Hold that bus!

From PIX 11:

The race is always on to get to our train and, eventually, then the bus or another subway.

A missed connection means the difference between being on-time and being late.

The MTA is testing a system at the Coney Island-Stillwell Terminal in Brooklyn. The new lights signal to bus drivers on the Coney Island-bound B36 and Spring Creek-bound B82 buses that the trains at the end of the line in Coney Island have arrived.

The Transit Agency says the new lights are being used during the late night and early morning hours because those times have the longest waits.

“These new holding lights will make certain that late night riders won’t miss the bus after they leave the train, helping to create as seamless a trip as possible,” said President MTA Bus President Darryl Irick.

Other locations are being considered at other transit hubs in Queens and Brooklyn.

Koslowitz & Katz blew him off, so he called Help Me Howard

From PIX 11:

There’s a well-traveled footbridge in Rego Park, Queens. It’s near a subway station, over LIRR tracks at Austin Street and 67th Avenue. And it was worrying the neighborhood because all the lights were out.

“It’s dangerous no matter how you look at it,” schoolteacher and nearby resident Joe Austin told me. “This past Saturday a man was lurking in the shadows and pulled a knife on a group of senior citizens returning from temple service…As we were waiting for the police two young boys came running off the bridge and said that a man had threatened them.”

Police arrested that guy. But residents didn’t feel safe.

They called Con Ed. They called the City Department of Transportation. But they got nowhere. The same with politicians. What do you think happened when Joe called his local councilwoman?

JOE: “We were met with uh I wish we could do more. Our hands are tied.”

HOWARD: “Nice.”

JOE: “And then I called my Borough President’s office and they told me call Con Ed.”

HOWARD: “What are elected officials for?”

JOE: “I wish I knew.”

Proposal to light up the Hell Gate Bridge

From DNA Info:

The New York Anti-Crime Agency, a nonprofit that runs safety seminars and neighborhood graffiti cleanups, is pushing to get lights added to the Hell Gate Bridge, saying the unlit structure has gone for years without the recognition it deserves.

The bridge, operated by Amtrak, connects Queens to the Bronx by way of Randall's Island and is a looming sight along the Astoria waterfront, hulking over Astoria Park.

Designed by noted civil engineer Gustav Lindenthal, the Hell Gate opened in 1916 and was reportedly the inspiration behind the similarly-designed Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

[Civic leader Tony] Meloni is hoping his appeal will interest current federal representatives who can take on the project, and suggests opening it up to the community to see what kind of lights people think would look best along the Hell Gate.

Merry Christmas from Queens Crap!

We wish you a wonderful Christmas. May your days be merry and bright.

Turn on the lights, already!

At left is a photo "taken on Freedom Drive this morning. These are the conditions walkers / joggers have to contend with now in our parks and greenways. These conditions have been reported for weeks and week, directly to the Queens Commissioner of the DOT -- and this is the result. Would you let your daughter jog / walk along this path?" - Edward Wendell












Actual unedited footage:

Satire:

Will someone please turn on the lights?

Some want Forest Park to have its own precinct

From DNA Info:

In the wake of two sexual attacks on joggers within the past five months in Forest Park, local advocates and elected officials want the city to create a new precinct devoted solely to the park, similar to the one in Central Park.

Proponents said the spate of attacks merits a precinct that will exclusively monitor the 550-acre greenspace. A 23-year-old jogger was Tasered and sexually assaulted in the park in March, and a 69-year-old woman was raped in the park last Monday near Forest Park Drive and Myrtle Avenue.

“It doesn’t have to be a big precinct,” said Ed Wendell, president of the Woodhaven Residents' Block Association. “But that would guarantee police presence there and it would make the park a lot safer.”

Although the description of the attackers in both incidents is similar — both are men described as being about 5-foot-9 and approximately 35-years-old — the sketches appeared to be of two different men, cops said.

Following the first incident, police created a special two-officer police unit to patrol the park on a daily basis from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, who represents Ridgewood, Middle Village, Glendale and Woodhaven, and who jogs in the park, said “a dedicated precinct for the park is an idea that is worth exploring.”

Critics said that the park struggles with a number of safety issues, such as lack of lighting in the early hours of the day along its main roads, including Myrtle Avenue.

“There is a good number of people who are out jogging, walking their dogs around that time and all the lights are out,” said Wendell, who said early-morning joggers have to run with flashlights at Victory Field, near Myrtle Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard.

A spokesman for the Department of Transportation said in an email that the outage at Myrtle Ave. and Woodhaven Blvd. near Victory Field "appears to have been caused by vandalism" and that "the agency is currently working with the Parks Department here and will also discuss potential enforcement with the NYPD."

If Flushing Meadows doesn't have a dedicated precinct, then Forest Park isn't getting one.

At Forest Park, safety continues to be a joke

From Project Woodhaven:

There has been another attack on a female jogger, again in the Forest Hills section of Forest Park. This attack, similar to an attack in the same area in March, took place near the secluded horse trails which joggers frequently use. Is it the same perpetrator? Here are the 2 sketches of the suspect -- the April attack suspect is at left (wearing a stocking cap) and the suspect from last week is at the right:


Unresolved Dangerous Conditions

There are lights out all over the area -- and the amount of time it is taking to resolve is completely unacceptable.

1) Forest Park Drive - From Park Lane South to Myrtle, through Forest Park, across Woodhaven Boulevard. Reported to 311 and DOT inspected and, unbelievably, they closed the 311 after inspecting it.

2) Myrtle Avenue, from Woodhaven Boulevard to Park Lane South - a long dark stretch. We parked along there the other morning -- when we got back from the track, this had happened:


And yet, even though the lights have been out for a while (reported 8/16) they have not yet been repaired. The map below shows where we know there to be lighting issues in and around Forest Park.

These issues have been reported to 311. But in light of the recent attacks, DOT and Con Edison needs to escalate these problems and fix them immediately. As in, today.

There is no excuse for the city to put people who use the park in jeopardy.

And people wonder why the residents of Woodhaven aren't enthusiastic about the QueensWay? Check out how the city currently takes care of park security -- and this isn't a new problem and ask yourself if you want more of that brought directly into your neighborhood.

I'm sure Liz Crowley will get right on this. Just about every article about the rape mentions that she regularly jogs in Forest Park. I guess she's been jogging with a blindfold on.