Wednesday, July 10, 2024

A look at 14th Street and 1st Avenue — 'a New York Block No One Can Fix'

The New York Times checked in yesterday with a look at the long-problematic stretch of 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue in a piece titled "A Street Brawl, a Stabbing Spree and a New York Block No One Can Fix" ... following the triple stabbing left one man dead on June 23

As the paper notes, "East 14th Street also embodies New York City’s struggles with a web of interconnected ills that have defied attempts to rein them in and have flared since the pandemic in parts of Manhattan: homelessness and mental illness, addiction and rampant shoplifting and seesaw battles for control of public space." 

The piece has more about the suspect, Alejandro Piedra, a 30-year-old man "with a history of serious mental illness who now faces charges of murder and attempted murder," and one of the stabbing victims, who has returned to 14th Street — his "stomping grounds." 

Since the stabbings, the NYPD has been a regular presence on the block, both on foot patrols and in patrol cars. Last week, Mayor Adams reportedly allocated $1 million to place a police mobile command center there. 

You can read the full article here. (The piece also mentions some previous EVG coverage.) 

Meanwhile, on Monday, local elected officials took part in a meeting with various city agencies... Since June 23, several residents and readers have said they've noticed a positive difference along this corridor, though each has asked: Will it last?

15 comments:

  1. "We must keep working together as a community to tackle our toughest issues, and I remain committed to securing more resources....."

    Oh, puh-leeze Carlina! The only resources you're committed to securing are those that will guarantee you a higher political position. These measures are purely band-aids on a huge group of issues that need real solutions. Where were you when the EV was feeding and helping with all the migrants?
    You come out only when some reporter wants to mention your name in an article that makes you look "important".

    And, as for the NY Times, their "journalistic professionalism" has fallen so low, it's barley one step higher than the NYPost. In other words, 'if it bleeds, it leads...'

    Again, City Hall officials treat the EV and LES as the poor, dumb relatives they could give a hoot about. Money and power are their only concerns. Us, not so much.

    "Sell crazy someplace else. We're all stocked up here."

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  2. Sleepless is so right. Good long term government policy is needed. It’s not rocket science. Other countries do it well.

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  3. Hope they give you a cut of the monetization on that article, EVG!

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  4. I loved the X comments daring them to post pictures of 1st Avenue, just around the corner. Crickets. Also, my favorite Jack quote Sleepless!

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  5. I take that block on the way to my new favorite food truck, Slopy Joes. Just wanted to give a shout out to them for great sandwiches including Sloppy Joes, which are hard to find. His truck is parked on 14th Street between A & B.

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  6. In the wake of the stabbings, a notice appeared in the flea market lot, taped to a porta-potty.

    “Due to the horrific tragedy of last week, the flea market is going to start strongly enforcing the law of not purchasing and selling stolen items,” it read. “Let’s all work together to keep the market going and keep 14th St. safe and clean.”

    Looks like IC and the New York Archdiocese are digging in.

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  7. Tired of feeling my life is at risk because the mentally unstable refuse treatment. If they want to be on the streets and harass me or other people, they better be prepared for repercussion.

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  8. I agree with @Sleepless in EV. You nailed it!! Carlina Rivera and Harvey Epstein are two peas in a pod. Showing up when its convenient. Front-pagers of doing the minimum but “fitting well.” Like 14th St stretch for example, since before COVID that area was madness, no one bother few police actions here and there. Thus EV grieve put it on topic before, people commented and shared their concerns, none of these community fighters seems to care until now. What is upsetting is people keep voting/electing them.. IMO Like many other career politicians, they are not for NY or you or anyone else but themselves and their political future.

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  9. “In the wake of the stabbings, a notice appeared in the flea market lot, taped to a porta-potty... “Due to the horrific tragedy of last week, the flea market is going to start strongly enforcing the law of not purchasing and selling stolen items,” it read. “Let’s all work together to keep the market going and keep 14th St. safe and clean.”

    So, the church knew people were selling stolen items at their flea market and didn’t do anything about it until now? It shows how much they care about the money the flea market brings in and how little they care about its adverse effects on this community. I have zero confidence that the church can adequately police its flea market. Zero.

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  10. 100% with Sleepless in the EV!

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  11. So "the laziest girl in town" Carlina is in office to get us to fix problems she should be fixing? The East River Park didn't fixing until her vote destroyed it.

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  12. Carlina only gets involved if there's a photo op. Even more evident since she's moved to Kips Bay. No more "Jenny from the Block" persona. She's movin' on up!

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  13. Kips Bay has its own problems, I wouldn't be flapping my wings about moving there.

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  14. We just had a knifing on "the block no one can fix" this past Friday at the 14th Street and First Avenue L station. Whatever happened to the $1 million-Mobile Command Center the mayor promised East Village residents?

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