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our crumbling infrastructure
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our crumbling infrastructure
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City Continues To Crumble
Via email: "Just got out of the subway at 23rd and Park. The cops have closed off the area in anticipation that another crane may fall. The thing was wobbling back and forth as the wind from the coming storm threw it around. Debris and dust flying all over the place." [Previously, Previously]
Via email: "Just got out of the subway at 23rd and Park. The cops have closed off the area in anticipation that another crane may fall. The thing was wobbling back and forth as the wind from the coming storm threw it around. Debris and dust flying all over the place." [Previously, Previously]
our crumbling infrastructure
our crumbling infrastructure
Littlest Mogul's Crumbly Building Seals Off Entirety of Connecticut
All service in and out of Grand Central station and the whole Metro-North Railroad were disrupted for hours today—because of New York Observer owner Jared Kushner! A vacant building at 124th St. and Park Avenue collapsed just before noon, threatening the stability of a neighboring vacant building. Both properties are owned by Kusher Companies, according to the New York Times. Kushner's spokesman claims the company planned to demolish both buildings tomorrow, conveniently. (HOW awesome would it be if he blew it up for the insurance money!) (Not that we are even insinuating that, obv.) Of course, things fall off of buildings all the time in New York, and sometimes our manhole covers electrocute people, but rarely do buildings owned by budding media magnates actually completely fall over onto commuter trains. And this, as they say, is the least of his current building-related problems. More »
Scaffolding collapse at 915 Broadway and 21st Street! Or actually near-collapse! Firemen on a crane, dismantling! Block closed down! New York Observer reporters forced to take freight elevator in back of building! Take-home message: Don't take a cab down Broadway south of 23rd Street, not that you should anyway, because that is a TERRIBLE route no matter where you're going because of the way Broadway dumps out into Union Square, obviously, but it is totes particularly bad right now! UPDATE: OOH, PICTURE!
You know how when people are like, "There are systems in place in this world to endlessly screw the poor!" everyone gets all eye-rolley and like, "This isn't the 60s, you hippie, and now everyone is just either rich or poor but it's no biggie"? Well, do enjoy this story about how for more than a year the Bronx Family Court hasn't had full elevator service and folks miss their custody and child welfare hearings because they're waiting outside for hours just to get in the building. Poor little poors! [NYT]
"The Coast Guard has reeled in a record 355,000 pounds of cocaine over the past year... the street value of the drugs seized or removed last year by the Coast Guard equals roughly half the agency's total annual budget, said Commandant Adm. Thad Allen." Which explains why the fine commandant will be selling back the 50 kilos hidden on various parts of his person to some Columbian friends of his later today. Still, it's pretty impressive, given that the Coast Guard basically has no working boats and an inability to purchase working communications systems. [CNN]
From the mailbag, regarding Union Square: "I think the helicopters might have something to do with Bill Clinton signing autographs down at the Barnes and Noble over there." Insert your own sinkhole joke here.
our crumbling infrastructure
Union Square Sucks
Two from the mailbag! "I live by Union Square and have been serenaded by helicopters (sounds like 3 or 4) for the past half hour or so - doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon. What the hell is going on??? I'm used to the sirens and helicopters 24/7 but usually they come and go...they're hovering right over Union Square it looks like." Asked and answered! "A sinkhole seems to be swallowing the backend of a dept of sanitation garbage truck on w17th st btw 5th and 6th. BLTFish customers are shuffling by nonchalantly, still intent on their roasted halibut." Yep, it's official, the city is falling apart.
We're hearing from tons of people bitching about their morning commutes. Apparently an "incident in Queens" has played havoc with our fragile subway system. Naturally, there's nothing on the news. Did you have to take four trains to get to work today? What the heck is going on?
Wow, it is really coming down out there! What's today going to bring for our desiccated city? We're guessing bus explosion, but we're open to other suggestions.
"Two people were injured Monday when a sidewalk collapsed at a Manhattan construction site, the Fire Department said. The two people fell into a hole up to 10 feet deep on West 36th Street." [AP]
here comes the flood
Bad Weather Destroys New York City
As of 6:30 this morning, the 4/5/6 line was running at "slower speeds" because of "water on the tracks." Congratulations, New York, we're finally a third world country! If we were terrorists we'd just sit back and let the weather take care of things. Anyway, we weren't the only one with problems. Big trouble up at the Time Warner Center, the Mordor that marks the northern border of Midtown. More »
our crumbling infrastructure
New York City Bridges Falling Apart Or Whatever
In the wake of the Minnesota bridge collapse, our very own Governor ordered a review of all the Empire State's spans. Guess what? Everything's falling apart! More than 2,000 are listed as "deficient," and, here in town, 16 of the 19 biggest bridges are only rated as fair or poor. Those assessments come from city inspections last year, so unless things can fix themselves, they're probably slightly worse. Among those receiving a rating of "poor" are the Tappan Zee and the Brooklyn Bridge. How bad is the city's most iconic overpass? Lori Ardito, first deputy transportation secretary, says it's not what you think.More »
