Is That 80% Floor Covering?

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A Surprise for Residents is Waiting for You

You're right, I am surprised. Every time I step outside and see dog crap and dog smears--that is, if I don't get hit by the workers' "club cars" that go any which way, including across 20th Street.

And turn up the heat, pretty please.

Let the Beer Flow!

You may have heard that 5 Stuy Cafe applied for a license to sell wine, beer and cider, and then withdrew the application less then a week later. Why? We think Blackstone's Rick Hayduk had something to do with it. But if you are against the selling of alcohol at the cafe, don't cheer too much.

Town & Village had this updated information: "Stuy Town general manager Rick Hayduk told Town & Village that after learning about the application, he would be requesting that it be withdrawn until the details are vetted by StuyTown Property Services." Note: that it doesn't say that the application is permanently withdrawn. According to Hayduk, Stuy Town Property Services has to have the application "vetted." To me, this is merely a type of trick where STPS will "examine" if there are any issues which would disallow the application and then fix these issue before the license can be granted. I can easily see the following from STPS (truthfully, Hayduk), an announcement that a sign will be placed that the cafe is "for residents and their guests" (nothing currently states this, a violation of the agreement), and that someone will be monitoring who can buy this alcohol, as anyone below 21 years cannot buy wine, beer, and whatever cider is (I assume having alcohol content). The distance from the two parks nearby will also be checked to make sure. With this "promise" from Management (yeah, another promise, another rule) residents should be happy.

Is this good enough? I'm of two minds. On one hand, I don't see residents needing to drink beer with their donuts and luke-warm coffee, but never underestimate people. Right at the cafe, there is a short brick barrier where dogs piss. This doesn't seem to bother those at the cafe nearby that wall.

Even if beer and wine will be bought, I don't think the cafe will be financially saved, as most people (the younger crowd) use it as a study area, with wifi, and sip their coffee (or pretend to) for hours while they do their work. Yet, I do see problems. Some of-age residents will buy alcohol to get plastered right there ("More beer, Martha!"), another first for this community. Then there are those underage residents...

Stuy Town is seeing more and more college kids renting here. ("A college town" is what a waitress told me in the Lower East Side about downtown NYC.) They know how to get over with fake IDs and just plain bullshit. Stuy Town is terrible at enforcing its own rules, so why would this be any different? Talk is cheap, and the current Management talks a lot....

I have been here much longer than any of our current landlords, and I see this place as getting worse, instead of better. The introduction of alcohol into our cafe is another step in the process of things becoming undone.

We Are Losing

I don't think it's my mood. What I read is the opposite of encouraging, and what I see and experience is disheartening. Money rules, as I have stated many time in the past, but now I see that not only does it rule, but that it is destroying the city, or rather, many of the people who live in it. And the people behind the money do not care.

This was posted by Edmund John Dunn on the other Stuy Town Facebook. Though the post is not about Stuy Town, the park "project" will affect us. Besides, during nice weather, I go into the park and have felt it was a very positive boon to residents (yes, mostly, lower class) who live there and enjoy the park with weekend sports and barbecues:

"The question is not that something has to be done but what plan should be done. The plan that was carefully thought out over 4 years with major community input? Or this CF plan whereby the MO is we have to destroy the park to save it. And now throw in the clock is ticking for the Sandy Federal funds as well. The EV Grieve blog has a great thread on this issue. As always, follow the money. Funny, the destroy the park to save it plan is not being used on the West side which also had a major Sandy impact. On the East side, low income housing projects (NYCHA) face the river. On the West side, massive lux development has already taken place. As always, follow the money. REBNY say what? And also, enough with this 25,000 Amazon job number. It was once 40,000 jobs. Where does this figure come from? Out of Bezos’s butt?"

There are a lot of other things destroying people. And the "opposition" is ramming on.

Where's the Heat?

There are a couple of issues I care about regarding heat or insufficient heat in Stuy Town and Peter Cooper Village. Is my apartment "toasty warm." No, it is not. As a matter of fact, the pipes can be frequently cold, which means no one is getting heat in my line. Pipes cold. I don't need a temperature gauge to tell me that, I don't need a "tour" to tell me that.

The issue is Management tells me that they are following the city regulations regarding heat. There is a process one has to go through to make sure the heat if there from a landlord, but Blackstone and Management know that this process if cumbersome and, if it is dealt with, so what? A warning? A fine? We may never know, just as Management does want any "bad" news about this complex out there. Suicides? What's it to you? Desperation? What's it to you? Intrusive noise? What's it to you? Everything, including the breaking of city laws--uncovered mattresses on the loops, club cars going this way and that, with their riders frequently hold a cellphone, etc.? What's it you?

And nothing proves how morally bankrupt our TA is than their response to the issue of heat, though, admittedly the TA is been purposeless for a while now and is clearly "in bed" with Management.

Yes, some tenants get heat, and it appears, lots of it. But for others, their apartments, like mine, are not "toasty warm."

You Know That Carpet Rule?

No comment for now.

I would add "enjoy the weather," but it's freezing!

I've Never Seen Stuy Town Look So Bad - Continued

On January 3rd of this year, I posted photos of "spray painting" by Playground 12. Despite a couple of rainy days (which, we are told, would get rid of any spray painting), the removal of the painting did not occur, though it was lessened to a degree. Also, despite heading over the PS office nearby twice and hearing that the mother of the kid that did this assured PS that the painting would be gone, nothing much seemed done. Once again, it seemed that no one cared.

Yesterday, I headed over to take photos again. This is the result:

This is not all. On Tuesday, a meeting was held for the neighborhood at 13th Precinct, something the police does every month. "Our" TA made posts on their Facebook, giving the date and time, and making it seem that Stuy Town residents would do well to attend and voice their concerns about the cozy relationship between the 13th and our PS force. It was suggested to the TA that it should be there and present ST and PCV concerns. I was there. Officially, the TA was NOT.

This is something I see again and again. That "our" TA does little to engage Management. In fact, the word is that the relationship between Management and the TA is master and slave. You guess who is the slave....

Of course, this is not all. I can post about the lack of heat, the "club" cars going this way and that, including across 20th Street, the discarded mattresses on the loops, the wretched condition of the paths, the noise and filth from the construction of the subway extension on 14th Street, the overflowing truck that picks up garbage along 1st Avenue, etc....

And here is a preview of what I see everyday in Peter Cooper Village (photo taken yesterday, too):

This is how wonderful our community is.

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Update 1/19/2019. Photo taken this morning:

I have seen a couple mattresses covered, as required by law, but I have seen quite a few recently that are not covered, and one time, four together! Also, on my way back from Associated, I saw once again that nothing had been done to clean up the paint spray near Playground 12. I guess no one really cares, including PS and our Management. (I've made three visits already to the PS office on this issue.) I also saw a dog running inside the "no dog" area walkway by the grass Oval. Welcome to Stuy Town!

I've Never Seen Stuy Town Look So Bad

Yesterday, on my way to Associated, I came across a kid, his mom near him, with a spay can "painting" the sidewalk next to Playground 12. There were several paints, too. As I looked on, disbelieving, four PS guards were walking my way. Three of them turned off and walked further down the loop, but one of the guards went by the "painting." Though I didn't hear him, I assume he wanted some answers. On my way back, I saw the kid, without his mom, and he was on his hands and knees scrubbing away a part of what he had written. Looking at this, I knew he would have immense difficulty in getting any paint off. (These were not crayons, btw, but paint.) I headed to the PS office from Associated and was told that the mom had promised that the painting would be cleaned up. It was getting dark. I kinda felt sorry for the kid, too.

As predicted, the paint was impossible to scrub out, and this morning, a little after 9am, the "paintings" are still there.

This post is not just about the paintings, it is about Stuy Town. There have been a couple of improvements, true. But I see every day, and many times in that day, violations of "the rules." Not my rules, but either Stuy Town rules or the city rules. I have never seen this place looks so bad, so cheap, as I do now.

I pay a true stabilized rent, and even that seems too much. I pity those who pay much more; I also pity those that do not get proper heat, or that live at 14th Street and hear the noise there and take in the dirt and fumes. I pity those that live around the "Ice" playground and have to listen to the staccato, loud noise of hockey pucks hitting a barrier.

Meanwhile, our TA is silent, our local politicians, too.

Welcome.

 

Update 1/6.2019:

Yesterday it rained all day. Let's look at the "paint spray." Should be gone by now with all this rain. Let's see: