Jackson Heights Life

I think the trees alone are a big improvement. The other plants are nice too.

The fact that it's hard to find a seat there on a nice day goes against all of the comments suggesting this is a failure. Just saying.

"The fact that it's hard to find a seat there on a nice day goes against all of the comments suggesting this is a failure. Just saying."

That depends on who's doing the sitting

could you clarify that statement?

ah. rarely see any of them seated at tables. i go to manhattan for that.

I wasn't making a snarky comment. Nor was I unkind to anyone. I’ve had several relatives with mental illness and know how devasting it can be. That said, I don't relish bringing my family to a place where they tend to congregate.  I’ve had several enounters with such people in the area of diversity plaza whose behavior borders on violent (i.e. spitting, screaming absenities, public urination). “Kindess” doesn't alter the symptoms or change the behavior of the mentally ill, although it’s nice to be nice to everyone in general.  Medications help only if patients are willing to take it.   The fact that such people congregate there has nothing to do with the design.  I don't find there to be any “design” to the plaza in particular. Putting down concrete with some plants/trees doesnt cut it for me. Especially at that price tag.  The tree pits are already filled with cigarrete buds and trash. Better such money should have been spent for outreach to aid the mentally ill.

The dust is settling concerning the plaza.

1. But are the trees, which are very important for the plaza, already struggling? Are there any experts on the forum who can comment?

2. Ironically, the tall new development looming directly in the background actually creates a framework for the plaza, looking west.  In other words, unexpectedly, it makes the plaza more aesthetically attractive to be in.  And even might shade the area late in the day from the fierce summer sun.

This is an inadvertent benefit of the high-rise.  And completely unplanned and kind of, ironic.

3. The blue umbrellas and bright chairs do help enliven the space. And it's being kept more-or-less clean.

All-in-all,my conclusion now is that it's definitely a positive addition to the neighborhood.

And seems to be very popular.

Thank you to the city for the investment.

 Wasn’t diversity plaza in the design phase supposed to have a built-in performance space area? What happened to that? At least upon a glance it doesn’t seem to be there.

BTW...this

http://queenscrap.blogspot.com/2018/07/pedestrian-plazas-are-homeless-havens.html

What ever happened to the pay toilets? How are people supposed to live there without a toilet?

Don't ask...

If you actually think someone is psychotic -- suffering from psychosis -- offer some kindness is preferable to making them the butt of a snarky comment because you don't like how a public plaza was designed. Psychosis is a symptom of severe mental illness and reportedly very scary to those who have gone through it.

Also, I'm cool with homeless people using public plazas because I recognize they are human beings.

They do cause issues with the public plaza and the nearby subway entrance, though. Obviously I have no problem with homeless people in general, but with the ones who continuously harass people and behave violently, I have a big problem.

Before the redesign, there were certain homeless individuals who would harass me when I walked by (I'm a woman), follow me down into the subway sometimes, scream at people walking by, and pass out on the stairs so no one could get into the subway entrance. Their behavior is scary and honestly, unwelcome.

While the plaza was under construction, they disappeared and the homeless people who remained were pretty chill, the worst they did was pass out in the subway. But now that the plaza is back, so are the violent people who lived there before. In fact, I just saw the worst offender for the first time in months, drunk and barefoot and screaming in the plaza. So don't say that this isn't an issue, maybe you're a man and live without fear of random attacks, but I have seen them be violent before and now I have to change the subway entrance I use to go to work everyday. Very unfair and there is never any police presence nearby to keep things calm.