u/FeveredRadio

I have lived in Hell's Kitchen long enough to have interacted with Council Member's Corey Johnson and Erik Bottcher. I'd say that at least once a year I'd have cause to drop them an email about something: a blocked wheelchair ramp, my opposition to casinos in the District, etc... Their offices always responded quickly, sometimes more helpful than others, but always responded. A staff member at Corey Johnson's office once even reached out to my landlord and helped me resolve a disagreement between us and thanks to that staff member I am still in the same building, still friendly with the landlord.

But after Council Member Carl Wilson was elected I dropped his office an email about a local issue and ... crickets. I followed up by phone, was asked to leave a voicemail and then ... crickets. Is anyone having better luck? Is the office having trouble getting up and running? Is there a staff member who might be more responsive?

(The council members have been handing down this post to their staff members in a way that has always seem too clubby to me. Bottcher worked for Johnson, then ran and won. WIlson worked for Bottcher, then ran and won. I'm beginning to think our council needs more competitive races.)

How common is it in your neighborhoods to have cyclists zipping around you on the sidewalk? In Hell's Kitchen, it's common.

The criminal was bleeding and hid in the cellar of a corner store (we call them bodegas). The Border barked like crazy and pulled on the leash. Great casting!

This morning in the area bordered by 44th and 46^(th) Streets and 11th Avenue and the West Side Highway there were six different full-on encampments plus at least seven other homeless folks sleeping on the street with some amount of sleeping gear, but separate from the encampments. I walk my dog and jog through this area but have begun avoiding certain blocks entirely now. It's also part of the route that tourists take to get to the Intrepid, the Circle Line tours, the docks for the cruise ships and of course the piers.

I think if you took a poll, the majority of New Yorkers would say that our response to homelessness should be driven by compassion and prioritize housing and drug rehabilitation. But it seems like the city has removed enforcement but not set up any alternatives. It sucks that folks are in these conditions. It also sucks having to avoid the broken glass, used syringes and human waste.

This subreddit only allows one photo per post but I submitted a 311 report with six different photos (no people, just structures). Here is the exact text 311 sent me a mere few hours after I submitted that report:

“The New York City Police Department responded to the complaint and their investigation determined that no criminal violation existed. The condition was corrected without the need to issue a summons or effect an arrest. If the problem persists, please contact 311 to create another complaint. If possible, provide contact information so responding officers may reach out to you for more details. If necessary, your complaint may be referred to your local precinct's special operations units (Quality of Life, etc.). Thank you for your attention to this matter. We count on New Yorkers like yourself to maintain a safe City, so please let us know if you see other conditions that require our attention.”

They said the condition was corrected, which is not true. All the encampments are still there. I don't know why anyone would be motivated to report encampments if this is the response they're going to get.

This is in Hell's Kitchen, right in front of a Section 8 Building with lots of seniors and disabled folks.

Happy Pride!

Went to visit my friend today. His building always puts up displays in the lobby for holidays - menorah and christmas tree in December, toy bunnies for Easter, etc.. Here is what they did for Pride. The gay rainbow on the stack of balloons is sending me! But I love that the ladies in the front office made an effort.

I live in an apartment in a big city and I am lucky to have a balcony. My BT gets frequent long walks every day and we have plenty of parks nearby. But! ... the minute she hears the door to the balcony start to open she is up like a shot and racing to join me outside. It doesn't matter what she is doing or even if she's napping - she prefers to be out on the balcony. She runs out to the balcony even faster than she jogs over to the kitchen when she hears her dinner being prepared. If I am working on my laptop out there she leaps up on the outdoor sofa and snuggles her rear next to my leg. (See above.)

The balcony is basically a sensory explosion for her — smell, sound, wind — all constantly changing. From inside, it's a static, familiar environment. The moment that door opens, she gets a draft of fresh air carrying all kinds of information: what animals passed by, what the neighbors cooked, what the weather smells like. For a dog's nose, that's the equivalent of suddenly getting wifi after being offline all day.

(All of this does make me think that I need to make her food more varied and interesting. The fact that she bolts for the balcony even faster then she goes for dinner makes me fear her meals have become predictable and boring. The balcony is a box of surprises every single time.)