February 13, 2012 · www.gothamgazette.com

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- COMMUNITY NEWS, VIEWS, AND POTHOLES FOR EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT -

Previously Featured Major Issues




Forty years ago, New York reacted to the loss of old Pennsylvania Station by passing a law to protect city landmarks. In this series, in partnership with Open House New York, New Yorkers with a stake in the physical city will argue the consequences of the law, the merits and drawbacks of the preservation movement, and what the future might bring.

Preserving Social History on Roosevelt Island
(District 5)
Restoration on Eldridge Street
(District 1)
Saving the St. George Theater
(District 49)

May 23, 2005




Building Arenas and Stadiums
New York is currently considering building new homes for local baseball, basketball, and football teams. Proponents of these plans describe them as economic development projects; their opponents say building stadiums and arenas are bad investments. These charts compare the projects New York is considering to similar ones that other cities have built.

The Jets and the Far West Side
(District 3: Midtown Manhattan)
The Yankees and the Bronx
(District 17: The South Bronx)
The Nets and Flatbush
(District 35: Flatbush)




Parking in NYC
The quest for parking in New York has spawned sitcom gags, headaches and political battles. But some planners say the problem is not too few parking spaces but too many.

Flushing Draws a Crowd, But Where Will They Park?
(District 20: Flushing)
Restrictions Won't End Parking Woes in Bay Ridge
(District 43: Bay ridge)
Related:
The Politics of Parking

April 11, 2005




AIDS in NYC
After a brief flurry of attention last month, AIDS has once again faded from the consciousness of most New Yorkers. But major issues of the epidemic remain unresolved.

AIDS Over 50
(District 3: West Village)
Fighting AIDS With a Needle
(District 26: Long Island City)
Related:
AIDS in New York City

March 27, 2005




Industry
Some residents worry that a new plan to preserve needed manufacturing jobs in the neighborhood could make it more difficult to address another pressing need: affordable housing.

Saving Industrial Jobs in Bathgate
(District 15: Bathgate)
Related:
Facing Unemployment

January 11, 2005




Schools
North Bronx schools are desperately overcrowded, but the city is planning to open two new campuses that may provide some relief -- if they ever get built; And, Far Rockaway High School recently made it off the city's list of most violent schools. But the next day it was added to a list of schools that are failing academically.

New Schools Could Relieve Crowding In The Bronx
(District 12: Williamsbridge, Wakefield)
Violence -- And Test Scores -- Drop at Far Rockaway High
(District 31: Far Rockaway)
January 11, 2005




Coney Island Transportation; Ratner's Dream in Fort Greene
A new subway station and an old dead end in Coney Island. And, like it or not: Fort Greene residents debate the Atlantic Terminal Shopping Mall.

New Subway Terminal a Gateway to Area's Future
(District 47: Coney Island)
Dead End Street a Nuisance for Coney Island
(District 47: Coney Island)
Neighborhood Residents Divided Over Atlantic Terminal Shopping Mall
(District 35: Fort Greene)
December 14, 2004




Debating Jobs and Economic Develpoment
City Council members debate the merits of a Brooklyn IKEA, a water filtration plant in the Bronx, and a West Side stadium.

Red Hook IKEA
(District 38: Red Hook)
Bronx Water Filtration Plant
(District 11: Van Cortlandt Park)
West Side Stadium and Convention Center
(District 3: Midtown)
November 15, 2004




A First and a Fumble in Flushing
Unlike many New York City neighborhoods, Flushing had something to celebrate on Election Day -- the election of the first Asian-American to the State Legislature. But, like many city neighborhoods, Flushing had something to complain about the breakdowns at polling places that seem to be a standard part of voting in New York.

First Chinese-American Elected to Legislature
(District 20: Flushing)
Voting Problems for Asian-Americans In Flushing
(District 20: Flushing)
November 8, 2004




Talking Trash
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has spent the last month announcing long term plans to handle the 50,000 tons of trash that New Yorkers produce each day. A look at what the plans do -- and what they don't do.

Dumping Ground No Longer?
(District 17: Hunts Point)
The Garbage Returns to the Upper East Side
(District 5: Upper East Side)

Related:

The Mayor's New Garbage Plan
Issue of The Week (October 18, 2004)

October 18, 2004




Keeping New York Clean
The mayor's office says that New York streets are cleaner than they have ever been. But in many neighborhoods, the city's efforts alone are not enough to keep streets and sidewalks trash free.

Vacant Lots Still Plague the Lower East Side
(District 2)
Community Pride Helps Keep Riverdale Clean
(District 11)
Kew Gardens Hills: A Campaign to Clean Up Main Street
(District 24)
East New York: Cleaner But Not Clean Enough
(District 42)

Related:

Clean Streets
Issue of The Week (August 16, 2004)

August 16, 2004




Prescription for a Healthy City
In a little noticed campaign, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has mounted more public health initiatives than any mayor in decades. While this is a citywide effort, each community has its own health care needs.

In Harlem, a Neighborhood Institution Expands
(District 9: Harlem)
Treating TB Cases in Jamaica
(District 24: Jamaica)
The Army Comes to East Flatbush
(District 40: Flatbush)

Related:

The Urban Health Challenge
Issue of The Week (August 9, 2004)

August 9, 2004




Quiet Please
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proposed a new city law to combat New Yorker's number 1 quality of life complaint: noise. But while most residents applaud efforts to quiet the city, they question whether Bloomberg's proposal addresses the source of the din in their individual neighborhoods.

Looking for Quiet in a Neighborhood that Never Sleeps
(District 3: Greenwich Village)
Mister Softee and the Sound of Gentrification
(District 39: Carroll Gardens)
The Roar of the Crowd
(District 18: Soundview)
Enduring Half a Century of Airport Noise
(District 32: Howard Beach)

Related:

Noise
Issue of The Week (July 13, 2004)

Using 311 to Combat Neighborhood Noise
by Council Member Gale Brewer

July 13, 2004



New York's Republicans
With Republicans holding their first convention ever in New York, attention has focused on the GOP in the city. But while Republicans remain a small minority in the city as a whole, they fight for political prominence in many New York neighborhoods.

Losing the Silk Stocking District
(Upper East Side, Dist. 4)
New York's Most Republican District
(Todt Hill, Dist. 50)
Competing Against All Odds
(Washington Heights, Dist. 7)
Torn Between Two Parties
(Bayside, Dist. 19)
June 7, 2004



Good Sports?
When two new minor league stadiums opened in 2001, politicians promised they would boost the economics of the surrounding neighborhoods. But although the teams have been successful winning games and attracting sell-out crowds the jury is still out as to whether the fields have helped Coney Island and the St. George area of Staten Island.

Reviving Coney Island
(Coney Island, Dist. 47)
St. George: Waiting for the Ferry Terminal
(Staten Island, Dist. 49)
March 29, 2004



Pushcart Wars
A new state law bans street vendors from some of New York City' s most crowded -- and lucrative -- sidewalks. A look at how the issue is being played out in three city neighborhoods.

Banning Street Vendors from Ground Zero
(Lower Manhattan, Dist. 1)
From Street Vendor To Small Business
(Flatbush, Dist. 40)
Moving Off 125th Street
(Harlem, Dist. 9)
 

Related:

Pushcart Wars by Joshua Brustein
Selling Hotdogs, Getting Ticketed by Anwar Hussein
Selling Jewelry, Spending the Night in Jail by Aeisha

March 22, 2004



THE PARKS RENAISSANCE
From the Elmhurst tanks in Queens to the Fresh Kills landfill to the shores of the Bronx River, New York is in the midst of a park renaissance despite budget cutbacks and loss of staff. The revival has been spurred by citizen action and an influx of private money, as well as government initiatives.

These are four city neighborhoods working to develop new parks:

Chelsea: The Greening of the High Line
Inwood: Rowing on the River
The South Bronx: Going to the River
Brooklyn Heights-DUMBO: A Park Between the Bridges


Related:

The Parks Renaissance by Anne Schwartz
Plan Your Future Park Gotham Gazette's Park Game

March 15, 2004



THE DEVELOPMENT DEBATE
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has sided with New Yorkers who fear that new housing development -- or overdevelopment –- will overwhelm their communities. But others say the city needs development to prosper and house its people.
Three neighborhoods in the thick of the overdevelopment debate:

Staten Island: Confronting Rapid Growth
Bay Ridge: Fighting the Fedders Houses
Throgs Neck: Protecting a Waterfront Community

February 7, 2004


MINISTRY VS. MORTAR
When a recent effort to declare the Cathedral of St. John the Divine an official landmark fell apart, it was just the latest conflict between religious institutions and advocates for historic preservation. Many believe it is a choice between fixing the roof or feeding the poor.
four NYC congregations weigh their options:

Sherith Israel: Preserving The Past Or Shaping The Future?
(Central Park West, Dist. 6)
Bowne Street Community Church: Adapting To The Times
(Flushing, Dist. 20)
West-Park Presbyterian: Neighbors Come To The Rescue
(Upper West Side, Dist. 6)
St. Thomas The Apostle: End Of An Era
(Harlem, Dist. 9)

December 11, 2003



FIREHOUSES
The fight to save six firehouses continues, even though they are now shut down. A look at the arguments pro and con, as well as stories about each of the six firehouses closed down by the city in May 2003.

STORIES ON THE SIX FIREHOUSES CLOSED IN MAY:
Engine Company 204
A Struggle for Real
Estate in Cobble Hill
Engine Company 212
Another Fight in Williams-
burg -- 30 Years Later
Engine Company 209
A Muted Response
in Bed-Stuy
Engine Company 261
A Small Victory in
Long Island City
Engine Company 278
A Temporary Reprieve
in Sunset Park
Engine Company 36
Refusing to Give
Up in Harlem

August 8, 2003


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