Saturday, September 26, 2020

Reader report: Needles in the dugout at East River Park

From the EVG inbox... via a reader who was at East River Park today...
While my family and I were playing tag in the baseball field along the FDR, we came across a pile of about 12-14 syringes scattered in the dugout. We called 311 and they didn't give us much confidence that they would clean that up. I am horrified. We need to make people aware that this is happening in places where children play and that 311 isn't terribly concerned.

14 comments:

  1. Saw a guy cooking his needle right across from The Key food this morning in broad daylight with not a care in the world...The neighborhood has gone right back to what it was in the '60's and '70's.

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  2. The East River Park has become a real disgrace. Garbage thrown everywhere including beer bottles and hard liquor bottles, people openly smoking cigarettes and marijuana while blasting loud music from huge speakers. People having cookouts and then just throwing the used charcoal right onto the grass and walkways of the park. People driving motorized mopeds and electric bicycles at fast speeds on the parks narrow pedestrian walkways where I observed on one occurrence two men on a moped hitting a jogger from behind knocking him face first onto the pavement. The City really needs to increase the NYPD and Parks Enforcement uniform presence in that park.

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  3. I seen 3 junkies on the corner of 2nd street and 2nd Avenue share a needle it is truly disgusting what this neighborhood is turning into with all the homeless sleeping on everything corner and the junkies and drunks moving in but I sure evgrieve. Will remove this comment because they like to let the true be told that the East village is turning in to a slum for these individuals

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  4. East village has no curb Appel left with all the junkies and every store and restaurant going out of business as the vandalism on every store front and home truly a slum for the ungodly

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  5. Thanks for posting this! This is where normally I worked out with my friends. My friends and I tried out best to clean up this baseball field or East River Park in general because we care. But it's not the best solution for sure. This is getting wild for sure with the needles, usually dog poops or plastic bottles.

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  6. Kind of wonder if they're letting East River Park turn into a shitshow in order to give another excuse for plowing it under.

    The only objection to this conspiracy theory that I can think of is that it would require a degree of forethought not really in evidence.

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  7. Has anyone noticed how overgrown the sidewalk planters are all over the city?!

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  8. It looks like a lot of our new neighbors are seeing drug addiction for the first time. Yes it's ugly, depressing but keep in mind it can ruin the lives of those addicted which is the real problem here. Perhaps if our city government and it's pro-developer Mayor would do their job to improve the lives of the people who live here instead of handing out billion dollars contracts to build things we don't need, want and only benefit the few, resources could be used to address drug addiction and homelessness. Sure it sucks when your playground is filled with syringes and you have to come face to face with addicts shooting up in broad daylight but if you didn't live here during the 1980's you don't know how lucky you are.

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  9. If there are needles left where kids might encounter them, it is best to clean them up oneself rather than just calling 311.

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  10. @DrGecko -- that is my theory as well. All the plantings have been completely unattended. I was so annoyed each time I went by the overrun rose gardens north of the tennis courts that I finally weeded them myself. 5 or 6 days of pulling up weeds and vines...hopefully we'll get a last burst of flowers.
    Such disregard of park users.

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  11. @mvd:

    Kids gotta learn sometime, right?

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  12. It’s the people’s fault. Clean up your neighborhood- it’s that easy. No accountability anymore in this city. Love the stupid conspiracy theories though.

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  13. I grew up in the East Village and have lived here most of my life. I remember seeing needles in the parks as a kid but I had never witnessed someone using until last year and now its everywhere at all hours. Just this summer I've seen so many people passed out with needles IN their arm on the sidewalk (Bowery) at like 1pm with families walking by. I'm always afraid that these people have O.D.'d and call 311 for medical assistance but they always tell me they're going to send the cops instead. It's a mess.

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  14. I have lived in the EV, on 6th street/ ave B for 23 years and have hung out there over 30 years and I can say it is really bad right now with the junkies.

    Worse than the 80's ( or maybe I am just older now) Camps of junkies everywhere.

    People shooting up in broad daylight on school steps, on apt building steps, all day everyday and this was way before covid.

    I sort of wish they would just all go to Thompkins Sq at night and stay till 8am.
    I am scared of walking dog in early morning at like 6:30/7am. ALL THE JUNKIES ARE OUT at 6-7am AND COMING DOWN THEN.. scariest time.


    Zero police presence, they are doing NOTHING AT ALL about it. They do not care!They do not live in area. They live on Long Island and hate our neighborhood, total disregard.

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