Jackson Heights Life

On the bright side, as of today, hopefully 73rd Street has slightly less traffic.   Soon the buses will be gone, too.

"I understand that they have different standard in terms of cleaness but they have to realize that the street is shared by people from other cultures and they can't force their standard to the public street.   "

Like the above quote is kinda ugly..."They" have different standards of cleanliness?   

Also what was said about "Season's Greetings, everyone"--  Why is it such a bother to you if some people put up a "Season's Greetings" sign?  And who knows who paid for that sign or how it was paid for? 

As long as you regard your ethnic neighbors as being second-class citizens with no standards, you're not going to get anywhere.  A little respect in terms of discourse might go a long way and might lead to productive collaboration in cleaning up the neighborhood.  You can attract a lot more bees with honey, my friends.

Evaviva, you didn't go to the meeting so I'm afraid your comments don't reflect reality.  That meeting included at least 50 people representing every ethnic group in Jackson Heights (and they weren't just from Sheila Terrace, also from Birchwood House across the street), including Bangladeshis and Indians that are fed up with folks trashing the street.  Some of the business owners are also fed up because the problem-makers just buy one cup of tea and hang out blocking their entrances all night, not to mention the congestion from too much circling traffic and competition from illegal vendors.

What we are talking about here is a half-block in an otherwise wonderful neighborhood where anything is allowed.  Businesses and both illegal and legal vendors appropriate much more of the sidewalk than they are permitted.  Huge illuminated signs are left on all night, even when businesses are closed. People throw trash anywhere they want (and it is more than just an issue of trashcans; people throw things on the ground within sight of trashcans that are not full). 

People loiter until the early morning hours yelling, blasting music, and smoking outside apt windows near street level.  There are also people dealing drugs and getting wasted behind the cell phone store.  Mattresses are thrown in the alley for sex.  And on and on.

Let's face it.  If one-tenth of what goes on along this half block were happening in the precious historic district, the cops would be all over it.  If the folks trashing the street and loitering all night were black or hispanic rather than South Asian the cops would be all over it (not saying that is right, just pointing out the double standard).  Look at the over-reaction to a little soccer celebrating on 37th Avenue.  We get no reaction on 73rd St.  Two auxiliary cops walking around would eliminate most problems very quickly.

Danny Dromm has sent a letter to the residents of the block encouraging a 311 campaign, followed by calling their office with the reference number so they can follow up.  They also encourage a block association, which hopefully we can get going so that the several hundreds of residents of Sheila and Birchwood can have their interests represented alongside the businesses that increasingly control 73rd St.

P.S. We have the right to complain on this board.  The "Seasons Greetings" decorations are the same tacky crap that are put up in Little Italy to appeal to tourists.  One of the support poles actually fell over during the meeting mentioned above.

I live in the "precious historic district" on 37th Avenue.  Perhaps it's not quite as bad as 73rd street (which seems to have it's own unique set of problems) but I guarantee you that the "precious historic district" is NOT getting any special treatment or attention.  Garbage overflows from cans, retailers blast music out into the street and those horrible LED signs glow all night.  If things are a little better it's because the residential buildings take care of their properties and the areas in front of them.  For that matter 82nd street is in the historic district and you see what a train wreck that's become.  Seriously I wish some posters on this site would can it with the anti-"gentrification" and anti-ownership rants.  My husband and I own our apartment, went to college but are far from "The Man" people in JH are so desperately afraid of.  I work 12-14 hour days to pay my bills and shop at costco just like the rest of you. We invested in the neighborhood by buying our apartments, serving on our building's board, shopping at local stores and using local services and making friends with our neighbors.

I see--I didn't realize the situation was that bad.  I never saw the cell phone store house area so I concur that it has to be stopped.  I'm glad the meeting had representation from a lot of parties.  I hope this gets resolved and the streets get cleaned up-literally and figuratively-soon!

I hail from an Italian background but my sister-in-law (who I am very close with) is a Bangladeshi Muslim.  We're both really surprised that people would say, "I'm Muslim and you don't know what I can do to you" to people, especially in light of the fact that a lot of Muslims feel really afraid all the time.  NYC Peromyscus, I sort of think that you make sweeping blanket statements about things in the neighborhood that can appear to border on racism and bigotry.  I am not sure if you harbor some sort of inner dislike for the ethnic population of 73rd street, etc. (as a viewing of your history of comments would seem to indicate) or if that is just my perception.  I apologize if I am perceiving your comments incorrectly and I do hope that is the case.  It is a little bizarre to me that many people would come up and "I'm a Muslim and you don't know what I can to you" sort of comments as well as I think it is bizarre that multiple people have "coughed" in your face on 73rd street.  I have lived here for 7 years now as have many close friends.  We were all looking at this board together last night over some wine and, frankly, your Jackson Heights experiences seem a bit exaggerated and propelled by what might be a dislike of the ethnic populations that inhabit corners of Jackson Heights.  Like I've always said, we should definitely clean things up and make the neighborhood as beautiful and nice as possible but if you're looking for a gentrified block with "controlled exoticness," this might not be it for you...

I seriously am not trying to offend anyone here--I totally see your point of view, residents.  Action should be taken.  As a resident of 73rd street, I would like to see things being cleaner too.  I just think that calling signs "tacky" or commenting on hygienic habits of a group of people is a little ugly.  Think about what you are saying and why you might be saying it...

In some ways, it’s a little hard to assess how serious this problem is. I totally understand complaints about things like loud noise very late at night when people are trying to sleep and accumulated garbage.   

On the other hand, I don’t see how holiday decorations -- however “tacky” -- are a serious concern.  It’s just part of the neighborhood mix.
Also -- being coughed on is obviously not pleasant but it is something that inevitably happens in a city like NY, whether in Jackson Heights or elsewhere.  I pass along 73rd Street every so often and have never noticed a major problem -- but I guess if I was living there I might have a different view point. 

Have to say, though, I don’t see any real problem on 82nd Street, which is close to home and which I walk along every day  (don’t understand why 82nd Street would ever be considered a train wreck as someone said above).   

Trash, littering, illicit activities, drug dealing, urinating, etc: NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AND HALTED.  Totally not acceptable.

Random comments about "threatening" street vendors (the majority of whom seem to be extremely elderly men over the age of 65) on 73rd, tacky ethnic decorations, being supposedly consistently spat on and coughed at, limiting store hours to your liking: I'm not so sure how productive or valid these are in terms of complaints and battles.  

Welcome to NYC, folks.  There's always Greendale, Wisconsin if you want it to be tailor-made to your liking.  That's my home-town and I left it because everything was too perfect--the stores close at 8pm promptly, everyone's lawn is perfectly mowed, almost everyone looks and acts the same and the sidewalk is clean enough to eat off of.  

Speaking of the very threatening and hateful street vendors that are mentioned, I notice that some of the elderly men physically haul their street carts with much difficulty.  One of the men hauls it up 73rd street every early afternoon and it takes him so long to get his cart there that it's hard to watch.  He has to take long rests.  I once bought an incense holder from him and asked him why he does it every day; he said he needs it to pay his room share rent because no one will hire him because he's so old.  He's not an illegal immigrant, just a green card holder who apparently left a very poor village in Bangladesh.  He was so horribly threatening to me that at the end of our conversation, he gave me free beads (like rosary or something).  So remember that some of these people are just trying to make a living.  By some turn of fate, we were born into situations where we are coop share-holders and have time, money and ability to post on this board.  Any one of us could have easily been in that old man's shoes.  And no, he didn't spit on me or threaten to destroy me in some Muslim way at the end our conversation.