Saturday, February 25, 2023

More about 18 months without public restrooms in Tompkins Square Park

As we first reported this past Tuesday, the city will not be providing any portable toilets for public use when reconstruction of the Tompkins Square Park field house starts next month. 

The Post picked up our scoop, putting two reporters on the story... and noting in the lead: "Number 2 may soon be the number one problem for neighbors of Tompkins Square Park." The piece includes quotes from EV residents about the uptick in fecal matter spotted in and around the park since the restrooms closed in November. 

A Parks spokesperson told the paper ....
Judging by past experience, officials did not see portable toilets as a short-term solution, because they were "very difficult to clean and maintain, and have frequently been the targets of vandalism." 
(Are portable toilets more difficult to clean and maintain than a 10.5-acre park?)

The city's relief solution is for parkgoers to walk five minutes (one way) to use the restrooms at the McKinley Playground on Fourth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue adjacent to P.S. 63/the Neighborhood School. 

An EVG reader, who shared the Post link, said in an email: "The city and elected officials really don't give a shit, so to speak, about our park."

P.S. 

Looking forward to following these filed-under tags...

10 comments:

Eden Bee said...

They cut me out of the article haha. I mentioned "making doody" several times.

Anonymous said...

Of course Carlina is nowhere to be found. The only time she shows up is when she is running for a new office. TSP was a great green space for years. It has always had its fair share of unhoused people and travelers as they were once called, so that's not the issue. The issue is that our park has been abandoned by NY Parks and out Councilperson doesn't give a ****

Anonymous said...

This is absolutely right. The maintenance of the park has dropped to nil. Carlina Rivera does nothing.

NOTORIOUS said...

That's too bad as I was really looking forward to the inevitable story of people having sex in them and the hashtag "fuck hut".

Anonymous said...

this is brutal. just played tennis on the walls in playground and saw things i didn't want to. fix this nyc parks!!!! not that hard!!! actively lowering quality of life for everyone!!!

XTC said...

You know TSP is in sorry state of affairs when the Travellers, aka Crusties, no longer want to hang out there .That used to be ground zero for their free and easy experimental lifestyle.

Anonymous said...

Tompkins is filthy, completely unmanicured, and a homeless haven. They have been doing a terrible job with that park and ERP is a mess too.

Anonymous said...

City just knows no point in throwing good money after bad. That's all.

Anonymous said...

saw a guy pooping on 8th street east of the park, in middle of the street, in the middle of the day.
imagine paying $39,500 a month in rent, and looking across the street and seeing the poor soul who's gotta go, go.
how very civilized.
https://streeteasy.com/building/317-east-8-street-new_york/townhouse

Chris Flash said...

In a CIVILIZED city that is raking in record amounts of revenue from property taxes in a hyper-inflated real estate market, there should be facilities available for everyone, regardless of income status. That includes well-maintained city parks and public toilets. We shouldn't even be discussing this - it should be a GIVEN!

As for the fool who whines about paying too much rent, only to have to be confronted by the sight of homelessness and people relieving themselves in public BECAUSE THERE ARE NO PUBLIC TOILETS, no one forced you to come here. Sorry if the "East Village" full of "flavor" and "edge" was mis-advertised to you by your broker who ripped you off, but your quarrel should not be against those less fortunate than you, as you too may find yourSELF in that position some day....