Sunday, March 2, 2014

The Oval: RIP

I have a feeling I may already have titled a post "The Oval: RIP," or something similar, several months ago, but today's impression, when I saw how the new Public Safety office looks from across the Oval, solidifies the harmful, negative change that CWCapital has burdened this community with.  No more is the Oval a haven, no more a tranquil area where one is not aware of being in Manhattan.  A good part of this change occurred in the summer when all the lush foliage around the Oval was removed and replaced by scattered low plantings, but now we have the Public Safety office, from which there is no visual escape, except if you hug the most southern central part of the Oval. The new structure simply dominates the Oval.

The photograph below doesn't do justice to this visual intrusion. You really have to be in the Oval to get a sense of how intrusive is the Public Safety office, with its outside generators and "parking lot"--all of which are built upon a rise, making the entirety that much more visually dominant. The Oval has never seen such a dominating structure before. They even capped it with a white-silvery top that calls attention to itself.

And because of the eradication of high foliage last year, there will be no cover, even when things start blooming again around Stuyvesant Town. Click on photos to make them larger.


A zoom in:


BTW, do note that the Christmas decorations on the pine tree are still up!!!

Meanwhile, as I was taking the above photo, I was able to see a banned, unregistered dog being casually walked around the Oval, the owner unconcerned:


And three areas of dog crap that were already stepped on and spread about:




Stuy Slum Lives!

If I were steward of this place, like CWCapital is, I would be supremely embarrassed by photos such as these. But I guess they have no shame. Because nothing is being done to alleviate the situation of banned breeds being walked in the complex and the many areas of unpicked dog crap.

Meanwhile, the next item of interest will be to see what will take the place of the former Public Safety office:

 What's the betting that it will be a money making venture?

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

The current hick transient tenants, be they students, just post college, or starter families (whatever) they do not give a shit about the Oval as a green sanctuary. All they are about are so called tenant amenities and the latest LES/EV/Gramercy pub crawl. Frederick Law Olmsted? Is he on Twitter? The puff piece about the ice rink in last week’s T&V says it all. Why don’t they just pave over one half of the Oval (gotta keep one half for the millennial sunbathers), put in a combo Chipotle/Walgreens/Chase Bank and be done with it, put it out of its misery. Like, OMG!

Anonymous said...

"The current hick transient tenants, be they students, just post college, or starter families (whatever) they do not give a shit about the Oval as a green sanctuary."

There is a group of young adult men (mid-to-late-20s) currently playing some kind of ring toss game in front of 18 Oval. After every missed shot clanks off the hollow piece of wood they drag out from their dorm apartment upstairs, a scraping metal and banging noise reverberates up the side of the building while they simultanouesly OHHHHHHH and EYYYYYYYYYY as loud as they feel necessary for an outdoor ring toss game between adults at 4pm. It really is a campus now, even for these post-college age hicks who are having a big NYC adventure they can Instagram to make their friends back in Ohio jealous.

#laundryroomsnacktime #littlemasonisallgrownup #ovalamenitiesbrah

Anonymous said...

Given the current climate and general lack of respect that is exhibited by a great number of tenants in ST, it might not be a bad thing to have that Security office overlooking the Oval. I do agree however, that they should blend the facade in to the building and replace that silver top. I do give them credit for not extending the whole thing beyond the building line. Of course, given their behavior, it's probably just a matter of time until they convert it to a 7-11 as an "accessory use" for "residents", as they've done with that sham of a coffee shop, which is simply a commercial space, hiding in plain sight. I think the TA should file a complaint with the zoning board about that, there's no way they can prove a need for that facility within the development, when there are ample coffee shops along the perimeter.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>Given the current climate and general lack of respect that is exhibited by a great number of tenants in ST, it might not be a bad thing to have that Security office overlooking the Oval.<<

They had an office right at the Oval and they have a guard booth in the Oval. There's never been a problem before that mandated a large office overlooking the Oval. The Quality of Life complaints can be easily solved with boots on the ground, which, for some reason, the powers that be are very reluctant to put into effect.

Anonymous said...

Great job Andrew MacArthur! A true leader!!!

Anonymous said...

Why isn't security utilizing the doll house built for them smack dab in the middle of the Oval?

Anonymous said...

Anony 3.53 PM here.

"There is a group of young adult men (mid-to-late-20s) currently playing some kind of ring toss game in front of 18 Oval. "

The diehipster.com blog goes into exquisite detail on these type of fly-over state, in many cases, parental funded, rubes. In his world, Brooklyn, its Hipsters. In our neck of the woods, it’s mostly Bros. In both cases, it’s all about LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!

Anonymous said...

STR, boots on the ground is so passe. This is the 21st Century, in case you hadn't noticed. This is the digital age. How can a modern day security guard possibly watch Sponge Bob, update his facebook account, search Craig's List and ogle the pretties in their bikinis when he is walking the grounds and not in his bazzilion-dollar HQ (paid for by MCIs gouged from the peasants (i.e., tenants)?

Be reasonable, STR. You wouldn't really want these guys to have to go back to 20th Century methods of protecting tenants and the property, would you? That would mean they'd have to WORK. Please excuse my use of such a vile four-letter word.

Anonymous said...

The new Public Safety office looks like shit.

Goodbye Oval.


FUCK YOU CW CAPITAL.


ok. Now I feel better.

Anonymous said...

They had an office right at the Oval and they have a guard booth in the Oval."

We can argue back and forth, but in reality, there's little we can do to prevent this development. They need a permanent security office to house the electronics that got destroyed in Sandy, and this was a perfect opportunity to regain that Oval Film space to turn it into something else. Don't forget that they have additional spaces currently walled in at other oval buildings, like where the Rec office was/is. You're 100% right tho, they're going to turn the Oval into 1 giant strip mall. As we've learned, not all change is good.

Anonymous said...

Of course the dog owners will be sure to point out that it's only "the bad dog owners" who leave piles of shit behind. Well there sure are a lot of bad dog owners isn't there? . Correct me if I'm wrong STR but I'm pretty certain there wasn't any dog shit on the grounds here before they allowed dogs. To hell with this place....

Anonymous said...

The situation with the dogs grows worse by the day. I've seen owners actually lift their dogs over the fences so fido can enjoy pissing and shitting on the grass. Have said before. This isn't just a STPCV issue. It's a city Dept of Sanitation issue. City ordinance says the dogs are supposed to be curbed. That means go in the street, not the sidewalks. I've written to the Dept of Sanitation that if they patrol here from 7-8am or from 6-8 pm, they'd have no problem writing enough tickets to justify the trip because the dog owners here have absolutely no concept of curbing their dogs. So far as they're concerned, the sidewalks are a toilet. Others need to write the DoS.

Anonymous said...

How to get this blog out to new and potential tenants;;;;;;;

they can't just read ST FB

Anonymous said...

"How to get this blog out to new and potential tenants;;;;;;;"

I warn everybody I come in contact with - socially, business-related and casual - NOT to ever rent here or refer anybody here because it is overpriced, shithole with the worst and most corrupt landlord who has managed to get away with it, backed by unscrupulous political friends. There are slums and there are slums. PCVST may not qualify as one of the worst, given the hell holes in Brooklyn and the Bronx that are run by a certain type of sleazy slumlord, but for a so-called "above board" rental property, it is barely a notch above the worst of the worst. People living in the Williamsburg slums are not paying what we are, but the landlord we have is obviously cut from the same cloth as those vile creatures in the outer boroughs who prey on the disenfranchised. Hopefully, we can fight back against this vermin and get our lives and homes back to a reasonable level of what is supposed to be middle-class living. Luxury it is not. Never has been and never will be no matter how much they raise the rent and proclaim "Luxury!" We don't have anything even remotely close to what could legitimately be described as "Luxury."

Anonymous said...

Market rate renters have, in the past, cited that real R/S renters don't know what the Manhattan rental market is really like. This is why they overpay here. I always felt that that was fair enough until I saw the apt a friend was renting for $3300 two blocks south of Lincoln Towers. The apt was maybe 50 square feet smaller than a Sty Town 1 bedroom. Gorgeous marble lobby with doormen and great views of the Hudson. Modern kitchen and bathroom. So options are obviously out there. Why someone would pay market rate, or above, to live in a decrepit housing project I'll never understand. I'm paying a rent that most people would do backflips to be able to pay and I can't wait for retirement so I can get out of here. Yes CW, you've won, if you consider me leaving in 7 years a victory.

Anonymous said...

Tweet links to STR on Twitter and use the hashtags #StuyTown #PCVST or #MoreHome. Link to the Yelp page too. We need to warn people.

Anonymous said...

Dear 1034pm.

Aren't candy machines considered a luxury?

And what about those lovely peaceful quiet open air Oval summer concerts?


Anonymous said...

8:41:

the apartment you mention may be nice, but the area may not be as accessible as ours...

also, i'd bet there is a large broker fee to move in, here, there is not.....

Plus THAT rent does not include utilities. Right? Just saying.... Not happy here either, but the rest of city is more $.

Anonymous said...

"the apartment you mention may be nice, but the area may not be as accessible as ours...

also, i'd bet there is a large broker fee to move in, here, there is not.....

Plus THAT rent does not include utilities. Right? Just saying.... Not happy here either, but the rest of city is more $."

The apt. is in Hell's Kitchen..pretty accessible if you ask me. Don't know if it includes utilities or if there was a broker fee (probably doesn't) but you must be kidding me. This place is such a damn dump that who cares if you have to pay for electric. You're living in a home where you can here a normal level conversation in the next apt. word for word for lack of soundproofing. If someone is taking a shoer in the apt. upstairs it's as if they are taking it in your apt. due to the shitty plumbing. Grounds which are riddled with fecal matter and urine. Constant noise at all hours, etc. etc. Obviously, many don't agree with me because about half the tenant population here is market rate. I, personally, would never pay those rents to live here. I would leave the borough before I did that.

Anonymous said...

6:22 pm: You need to get out and look. I've been looking and find there are plenty of apartments in Manhattan that are just as accessible, if not more so, than this neck of the woods. The rents are comparable, but the apartments and buildings are 200% more superior and many include utilities. Brokers' fees can be negotiable, especially if you know a good one or get a good recommendation from a friend.

Regarding brokers, word is getting around that this is a shithole and they are steering the gullible well away from it.

Anonymous said...

8 17

i tttaaa but the price is lower here . yo can't deny it. and try arguing that to a couple of million students coming in or those trying to budget!

and electric bills (my bf) can be $150 easily on many months in nyc. JSUT saying. that hell's kitchen, nice or not as nice, or nicer, is not as cheap. at least not for the first year. kwim?

Anonymous said...

"Regarding brokers, word is getting around that this is a shithole and they are steering the gullible well away from it."

But the parents of the NYU and other college (undergrad and grad) students don't care (they who guarantee the lease and fund the NYC college costs), it’s only for a year (CWC/CR LOVES that churn impact), it’s still cheaper than a dorm and the students love it, they get transport to and from and loads of Frat and Bro bars for them to party in.

Anonymous said...

"he apartment you mention may be nice, but the area may not be as accessible as ours...

also, i'd bet there is a large broker fee to move in, here, there is not.....

Plus THAT rent does not include utilities. Right? Just saying.... Not happy here either, but the rest of city is more $."

Hey, Just Sayin': No, you are not right? Have you been out of your cave lately? Have you looked at market rate apartments in The City? You can get a really nice place for what the hucksters charge, including utilities, and no college kids, no filthy malfunctioning laundry machines AND a doorman. Get out and look! These bloodsuckers at PCVST are charging over-the-top rents for nasty hovels with disruptive neighbors and NO doorman. In fact, they don't even clean the fucking hallways more than once a year!
What used to be the big selling points of PCVST no longer exist. The Oval is gone; the trees and tranquil paths and peaceful atmosphere have gone. What is it now? An ugly dirt-patch; a construction site; angry tenants who hate the landlord to point that they would like to see them dead; cold apartments and apathetic, low-paid drones who man the "Resident Services" phones and who couldn't give a flying fuck whether residents are freezing to death, on fire or have an army of rats running through their apartments. They are NOT paid to care.
As for your asinine post: don't even bother uttering such stupid statements here again until and unless you go out and see what can be rented at like price for something anyone would be proud to call home. Nobody could say they were proud to call this place home.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>As for your asinine post:<<

Please, I know we are all pissed about this and that, but we have to hold back the nasty adjectives directed at others who post here. Please understand. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

It is silly to complain about the market: it is what it is. Prospective tenants do their research, and make a decision to move into PCVST. There are plenty of legitimate things to complain about, but the state of the market isn't one of them. It's like complaining about the weather.

Anonymous said...

Isn't this about the time that the TA starts organizing a TA meeting with DG, Moelis and Paul Weiss articulating the structure of the upcoming condo conversion?

Anonymous said...

And Ftr, this place is cheaper than most of same size in Manhattan. We looked for 5 months, up /down. Try elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

I've been saying we need to organize! But not with Handsome Dan or a Marsh The Knife. They're ineffective.

Anonymous said...

"The upcoming condo conversion"? Are you KIDDING? Or maybe stuck in a 2012 time warp? That dog died a long, long time ago.

Anonymous said...

11:53 I wish you were right but you are not.

From November 2013

They are still pushing for the "upcoming condo conversion" and Brookfield et al are very very happy about the new MCI charges from November 2013 that are supposedly being "negotiated" by the very same people who are happy about the MCI charges bringing in more money for interested buyers.

Brookfield still interested in Stuy Town as tenants brace for rent hikes
By REW Staff
9:38 am, November 6, 2013

http://www.rew-online.com/2013/11/06/brookfield-still-interested-in-stuy-town-as-tenants-brace-for-rent-hikes/

Anonymous said...

Brookfield will have plenty of competition if the property is put up for bid.

Anonymous said...

"And Ftr, this place is cheaper than most of same size in Manhattan. We looked for 5 months, up /down. Try elsewhere."

Maybe not cheaper, but in the same price range for sure. As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been in an apt. which prices out at $3300 and is much nicer than this place in all respects. Perhaps you are trying to justify the price you are paying for living in the projects, but that's something I can't speak to.

Anonymous said...

They should just rename the Oval "MacArthur Park." It bears totally no resemblance to The Oval as it originally was. It's like an inner-city scruffy dirt patch. Let me correct myself, it now IS an inner-city scruffy dirt patch.