"The Gates" - the Central Park project

[Mare]

Mare, Central Park has never been as safe a place to go as it is these days, with or without this dopey exhibit. You can thank Rudy Giuliani for that

Yep, Has never been safe is right!!! When my "X" was getting chemo at Slaon Kettering up there, I would have to stay in a place for 2 wk. period's at a time. Needless to say, when he was sleeping or not up for company, I would venture out to keep myself occupied and my mind off things. PPL would warn me about being there at certain hours of the day, that's pretty bad when you have to worry about walking a park in the day!!!

 

[Inkara1]

People, not PPL.

 

[abooja]

Yep, Has never been safe is right!!! When my "X" was getting chemo at Slaon Kettering up there, I would have to stay in a place for 2 wk. period's at a time. Needless to say, when he was sleeping or not up for company, I would venture out to keep myself occupied and my mind off things. PPL would warn me about being there at certain hours of the day, that's pretty bad when you have to worry about walking a park in the day!!!

When was this? In the 1970s? When's the last time you were even near the park?

Read this column in the NY Post. My fellow New Yorkers and I know better.

 

[Mare]

When was this? In the 1970s? When's the last time you were even near the park?

Read this column in the NY Post. My fellow New Yorkers and I know better.

I was there in 1997-2003........(he had a below the knee amputation, and a lower left lobe of his lung removed).

Its a Damn Shame too, a park is a nice place for mom's and kid's....NOT Central Park though.....




And "NO" Inky.....It's P P L...... , when your lazy and don't want to type.

 

[Kawaii]

Will The Gates harm Central Park?
No. Thanks to the meetings with the Parks Department in the early 1980s, from which the artists learned much, and thanks to the new engineering of Vince Davenport, the Gates will be secured only by steel weights placed on hard surfaces. 5,000 TONS of steel were necessary to fabricate the 15,000 steel bases. This is the equivalent of two- thirds of the steel of the Eiffel Tower.
There are not be any holes in the walkways or in the ground along the walkways.


What the FUCK? 5ktons for that?

 

[abooja]

Its a Damn Shame too, a park is a nice place for mom's and kid's....NOT Central Park though...

Who were these people warning you? Your friends and relatives? Strangers in the park? Tour guides? What exactly was your experience there? Did you get mugged or raped? Pickpocketed? Or were you just overcome with fear based on some irrational, outdated notion instilled in you by people ignorant of current trends in NYC? I understand you're from Jersey, but that's a world apart from New York, at least to New Yorkers who live and work here every day of our lives.

Central Park is a safe place to go these days. Have you not seen the photos? Do you not read the articles? Apparently not. That's perfectly alright, of course. You don't ever have to go to the park again. Millions of other people will enjoy it in your stead. And you can say whatever you'd like, but I will defend my city when it is unjustly attacked.

 

[tonksy]

i've always wanted to visit the city...but to tell you the truth the idea of that many people on such a relatively small island just makes me nervous. do you live on the island, abooja?

 

[abooja]

i've always wanted to visit the city...but to tell you the truth the idea of that many people on such a relatively small island just makes me nervous. do you live on the island, abooja?

No, but I live 10 minutes away by train in Astoria (Queens), just over the 59th Street Bridge. It is just as congested as Manhattan, and not nearly as interesting. I'm originally from Brooklyn. I've spent my entire adult life in Manhattan, though -- working, partying, etc. I never had any use for any place else around here. We call it "the city" but, technically, all five boroughs -- Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island -- comprise New York City. (Staten Island is so different, however, it may as well be part of New Jersey.) All those millions of people don't just live in Manhattan. I'm starting to think they all live in my neighborhood.

 

[tonksy]

so you can like walk down the street there without ninety million people in your way? are there ungodly lines at the stores? wait! you don't have like big grocery stores there, huh? you have...bodagos? is that right? can you get a cab at 5pm? is the crime that bad? all the horror stories portrayed in the media are all i know of NYC.
*watches too much law & order.

 

[abooja]

so you can like walk down the street there without ninety million people in your way? are there ungodly lines at the stores? wait! you don't have like big grocery stores there, huh? you have...bodagos? is that right? can you get a cab at 5pm? is the crime that bad? all the horror stories portrayed in the media are all i know of NYC.
*watches too much law & order.

Actually, there are always tons of people in my way. It is the bane of my existence. Obstacles everywhere. I'm a very quick walker and, over the years, have adopted a style that allows me to move swiftly through oncoming pedestrian traffic without ever having to stop. I think of myself as a NASCAR driver who turned right on an oval one day and has to dodge 42 other cars if she wants to survive. Come to think of it, that's not a bad analogy for life in New York in general.

There are big grocery stores all over the city, as well as bodegas. They vary, depending on the neighborhood. Manhattan has D'Agostino's, Food Emporium and various other larger (Zabar's) and smaller (Grace's Marketplace, Balducci's) boutique type markets that charge a ton. My neighborhood has Key Food, C-Town (the worst), and a local chain store called Trade Fair where you feel like you're bartering in a bazaar in Bangladesh at the turn of the century. -- It does have a great selection of exotic goods and produce, though.

While I'm no expert, I believe it's safer than it's been in many, many years for most of Manhattan. (I won't speak for the other boroughs. ) As an example, in the late 80s and early 90s, when I would get drunk in Manhattan and have to take the train home to Brooklyn at 3 a.m. (by myself, quite often), I always thought it a miracle that I made it home alive. There were a lot more creeps around even that recently. Walking through Central Park at night, at that time, was a bit worrisome even to me, who has always been fearless about her personal safety. 42nd Street and the Times Square area in general were still quite seedy with sex shops and shady characters at every turn. Giuliani -- some think to his discredit (believe it or not) -- helped turn this city around. There's hardly a neighborhood in Manhattan that hasn't been gentrified to one degree or another. 42nd Street is now like Disneyland. No more sex shops, and these days, it's brightly lit with theme restaurants, posh shops and tourists where ever the eye can see at any time of day or night. I actually kind of hate that part of it.

Have you ever watched The Apprentice? Trump Tower, on Fifth Avenue, is just a block or two away from where I used to work. Check out the street scenes sometime, one of the many reasons I love that show. Compared to even twenty years ago, NYC is really quite clean and safe, not to mention, prosperous. No wonder they charge $8 for a tuna fish sandwich on Madison Avenue.

You need to come visit! I'll show you around.

 

[Gonz]

"Safety" depends on original perspective. To some, the Village would be unsafe while to others, Hunts Point is a playground. People forget that with 5 million people within shouting distance, everything comes with a price.

I used to come to the City on a regular basis, in a truck. Never had a problem. Parking in Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens. Space was the problem, not crime. One time I had to make a quick jaunt to Boston & back. I stopped in some freeway town south of New Haven Connecticut, parked my truck in the fenced yard of a motel & went to bed. When I got up to head into the City, my 2 CB antennaes were stolen.

Quiet little NYC bedroom community (the state of CT) caused me more problems than the inner burroughs. Typical.

As far as grocery stores...I'm unsure of the other 4 but Manhattan grocery stores would be shut down in any other community as a health hazard. America has gotten spoiled with chain grocers (Pathmark, Stop & Shop, Winn Dixie, Safeway, Kroger, etc)

 

[tonksy]

we contemplated visiting NYC on our way home from canada but we were so road weary that it lost it's appeal
i've never watched the apprentice (actually, we only watch one network primetime show) but i may check it out...erm, solely for the architecture.
have you been to chinatown much?

 

[abooja]

You're right about space being a problem. That's why stuff costs so much here, since space for everything is at such a premium. Grocery shopping, while I don't believe it's a health hazard (if you go to the right places), is a nightmare without a car, which most people don't own. It's a good thing I work out, because carrying three heavy bags of groceries per arm even the three or so blocks back to my apartment can be trying. That's why a company like Fresh Direct, which delivers quality groceries -- including custom cut meats and cheeses -- to many neighborhoods in the city has prospered so much. I absolutely adore that service, especially for heavy items like cases of Poland Spring water, though I've stopped using them of late. Being unemployed sucks.

 

[abooja]

have you been to chinatown much?

I used to go there for dinner once a week every summer as a child, but haven't spent much time there in recent years. It's a great place to get really fresh, inexpensive seafood. I would occasionally venture down there to pick up some shrimp or blue crabs for various meals I was preparing. The smell, though...I can't handle the smell sometimes. However, I hear even it's becoming gentrified these days. The restaurants in Chinatown are still supposed to be quite good, unlike the Italian restaurants in neighboring Little Italy which have gone down over the years.


Sorry about the major thread drift, Greenie.

 

[greenfreak]

Don't worry about the topic drift, I'm all for it as long as it doesn't dissolve into a political fight.

I concur with everything Boo said. I know much less about city living, as I've never lived within the city limits. For me, the city is more of a novelty, a place we visit rather than daily life. Rusty grew up in Brooklyn too and I have to admit, I'm not very fond of the area he grew up in, had his first apartments and where his parents live. It's just... dirtier, more congested, smellier.

As far as Central Park, I probably would not walk through an area like the Rambles alone at night (it's a heavily wooded, somewhat secluded area) but I don't see it being as dangerous as legends have said in the past. Compared to the city, I live in suburbia and when I'm in Central Park, it's as if I was around the block from my house. There aren't teeming homeless lying at your feet, seedy characters walking in packs, and filth everywhere. It's quite beautiful, an oasis really. And everyone's there for the same reasons. To relax, get some sun, exercise, pay homage to Lennon, play ball, bird watch, walk their dog, whatever.

We didn't go yesterday for various reasons, and I'm glad we didn't in retrospect. It was damn cold. We'll probably go this coming Saturday instead.

 

[Mare]

you can say whatever you'd like, but I will defend my city when it is unjustly attacked.

Oh Sweetie, don't get me wrong, there are alot of lovely things in NYC...
I wasn't trying to attack it, sorry if what I said upset you dearly....not my style......I don't live there and yes I am from from southern NJ, NYC & NJ are 2 totally different worlds...

 

[Lopan]

Actually, there are always tons of people in my way. It is the bane of my existence. Obstacles everywhere. I'm a very quick walker and, over the years, have adopted a style that allows me to move swiftly through oncoming pedestrian traffic without ever having to stop. I think of myself as a NASCAR driver who turned right on an oval one day and has to dodge 42 other cars if she wants to survive. Come to think of it, that's not a bad analogy for life in New York in general.

There are big grocery stores all over the city, as well as bodegas. They vary, depending on the neighborhood. Manhattan has D'Agostino's, Food Emporium and various other larger (Zabar's) and smaller (Grace's Marketplace, Balducci's) boutique type markets that charge a ton. My neighborhood has Key Food, C-Town (the worst), and a local chain store called Trade Fair where you feel like you're bartering in a bazaar in Bangladesh at the turn of the century. -- It does have a great selection of exotic goods and produce, though.

While I'm no expert, I believe it's safer than it's been in many, many years for most of Manhattan. (I won't speak for the other boroughs. ) As an example, in the late 80s and early 90s, when I would get drunk in Manhattan and have to take the train home to Brooklyn at 3 a.m. (by myself, quite often), I always thought it a miracle that I made it home alive. There were a lot more creeps around even that recently. Walking through Central Park at night, at that time, was a bit worrisome even to me, who has always been fearless about her personal safety. 42nd Street and the Times Square area in general were still quite seedy with sex shops and shady characters at every turn. Giuliani -- some think to his discredit (believe it or not) -- helped turn this city around. There's hardly a neighborhood in Manhattan that hasn't been gentrified to one degree or another. 42nd Street is now like Disneyland. No more sex shops, and these days, it's brightly lit with theme restaurants, posh shops and tourists where ever the eye can see at any time of day or night. I actually kind of hate that part of it.

Have you ever watched The Apprentice? Trump Tower, on Fifth Avenue, is just a block or two away from where I used to work. Check out the street scenes sometime, one of the many reasons I love that show. Compared to even twenty years ago, NYC is really quite clean and safe, not to mention, prosperous. No wonder they charge $8 for a tuna fish sandwich on Madison Avenue.

You need to come visit! I'll show you around.

Sounds just like London. I lived their for 3 years and you do develop an almost 6th sense when it comes to moving through crowds at pace.

I never walked up Oxford street though or spent any time in Leicester square. too many tourists and people trying to relieve you of your money.

I miss city living for the amount of choice you have with regards to goods and services but nothing would make me move from here.

Its just to nice

 

[abooja]

Oh Sweetie, don't get me wrong, there are alot of lovely things in NYC...
I wasn't trying to attack it, sorry if what I said upset you dearly....not my style......I don't live there and yes I am from from southern NJ, NYC & NJ are 2 totally different worlds...

No hard feelings, Mare.


Lopan, I wouldn't want to move from there either. ~sigh~ I do miss my time in the country. Some day...

 

[Huge]

Agreed with everything you've said abooja; I live 50 yards from CP and have walked at all times of day with no problems (not that anyone would mess with me anyways). But crime does happens, just like it does in every city.

NYC is safer now than it's been in a long time.

 

[greenfreak]

New York City is the safest big city in the country, according to a report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI’s 2002 "Crime in the United States" indicates that while crime increased nationwide, New York City’s crime rate actually decreased 5% to the lowest level since the 1960s. In addition, the city’s murder rate dropped 9.6% in 2002 to reach the lowest level since 1963.

The FBI’s ranking of New York City as the safest large city in the United States means that, of all American cities with populations of 1 million or more, New York City has the lowest rate of total crime committed.

"These statistics are terrific news for New York City’s visitor industry," said NYC & Company President & CEO Cristyne L. Nicholas. "With winter approaching, millions of people and families from around the world will consider a trip to New York City to see its many magical holiday attractions. New York City is one of the world’s foremost family destinations and these new FBI crime reduction figures reinforce what a safe place it is to visit."​

Don't know where Chris got this from, but he posted this on his blog: http://chris.pirillo.com/blog/_archives/2005/2/24/370140.html