Via Woodside on the Move
June 21, 2016 By Jackie Strawbridge
Woodside locals with thoughts on how businesses and residents would be better served in the neighborhood can attend a “community conversation” Thursday to learn about future plans and provide feedback.
Woodside on the Move will host the meeting on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at their office (39-42 59th St.) along with the Queens Economic Development Corporation, which will present the findings of an assessment it conducted on the neighborhood’s commercial needs and environment.
According to QEDC deputy director Ricardi Calixte, the assessment looked at what types of businesses are in the area, the condition of the surrounding streets and physical environment, to what degree those businesses are supported by local organizations and elected officials, and consumer demographics and behavior.
From this assessment, QEDC will create a “district plan” that will be publicly available, to help organizations, investors or elected officials decide how to direct funding or identify possible community improvements.
The District Plan will be finalized within the week, according to Calixte.
Calixte said some of the findings from the assessment included a need for better lighting under the elevated train tracks, and the potential use of the 61st Street subway station as an anchor for stimulating economic activity; it just “needs a makeover,” Calixte said.
Although QEDC noticed that local businesses could benefit from an entity that would provide marketing support and attract outside dollars, Calixte said that he wouldn’t recommend a Business Improvement District at this time, as there isn’t a strong enough unified merchant presence. He also said the area is “right on the cusp” of having too many vacancies for a BID to work.
Thursday’s meeting will also provide an opportunity for locals to talk more generally about improvements they’d like to see in the area, from retail needs to infrastructure upgrades, Woodside on the Move Executive Director Amy Paul said.
“It’s an opportunity to hear each other out, to think together collectively,” Paul said. “Whether it’s infrastructure, or commercial, or recreational, or social services, what are those ideas.”
Thursday’s meeting is “a new beginning,” Paul said. “With new development on the horizon, this conversation invites long-time residents, seniors, immigrant families, small businesses and others to have a voice at the table for how the neighborhood is shaped.”
Paul is planning on similar community conversations continuing down the line.
Featured Events
28 Comments
Well it’s to late to build a wall. The neighborhood hasnt been good since the 1970s so i have no idea, its probably too late. It also depends on what part of woodside. Roosevelt ave from 50st to 74st is disgusting. Woodside by the maspeth boarder is nice. Woodside from Roosevelt to queens blvd forget. Woodside ave from 72 st to 65pl is horrifying especially that park on 69st and woodside ave. Problem is there’s no more community left, you don’t know who lives in the same building as you, nevermind around the block. Nobody speaks English. Face it the neighborhood is shot.
How’s about ridding the pigeon parks of pigeons, squatters and drunks. Wouldn’t it be nice for my mom to take a stroll with her walker and not feel out of place taking a seat on a bench in Woodside. Pigeon abatement was great for the #7 stops. How about the rest of the neighborhood ? How about someone get rid of the crazy pigeon feeding lady who attracts hundreds of pigeons with her obnoxious bread crumb runs ?????
It needs someone to do something about the tribe of homeless people in Doughboy Park. We now have a yearly migration. Something bad is gonna happen ,they get more aggressive every day. Those crossing guards are defenseless, some bad gonna happen.
Garbage cans must be emptied, sanitation police should come back to Woodside. It’s a disgrace that once you are at the 61st station it feels like you are in a third world area. Why is Sunnyside always so clean??? People should be told that street cans are not for their personal garbage. Too many cheap stores on Roosevelt Avenue very ghetto-
We need to clean up our streets. We need more garbage cans. Brooklyn has 2 on each block. They even have ones specifically for dog waste. We also need a real park with green space for all to use.
It needs more cowbell
I’d like to see more stop signs and traffic lights designed to slow down traffic, so vehicles can’t go more than two blocks without having to stop. Thos will calm traffic down and make our streets safer for pedestrians. There are many more people walking than there are driving, and anything we can do to discourage anyone but local traffic to drive on our streets will benefit everyone. Anyone in a hurry should get on the expressway.
Start with cleaning the Woodside 61st Station. Both the LIRR and #7 platforms. They need repair badly. Leaking ceilings, trash on floors, poor signage. Filth embedded floors. The stairway leading to the #7 from the LIRR track is rusting away and dangerous. It’s easy to see it has been neglected for many years.
This is queens, not the upper east side or the financial distict. Nobody cares about stations on the third world express.
Anonymous- Name a clean station on the Lexington Avenue Line.
A few ideas, some of which I realize are difficult to pull off:
–More public green space NOT right next to elevated train tracks
–Better direct transit to Brooklyn. Many jobs are there, especially in retail and service, sectors where many Woodside residents work. Perhaps extend the B43 to 61st, or better, reroute the Q32 so that it continues on Greenpoint Avenue all the way to the end in BK or connects to L train. Why do we need a bus that goes along Roosevelt Ave and then into Manhattan when 7 train does the same thing faster and with greater frequency?
–Moratorium on new bodegas, pharmacies, and cheap junk shops. There are too many as it is and new ones would contribute nothing to the neighborhood.
–Better sidewalk cleaning, especially on Roosevelt. Increase enforcement and fine property owners who allow trash to accumulate in front of their property.
–JVB: make sure contractors take down scaffolds when they finish work. Don’t let scourge of semi-permanent scaffolds infect Woodside.
To answer your question “why do we need a bus that goes along Roosevelt Ave and then into Manhattan when 7 train does the same thing faster and with greater frequency?” There are many senior citizens who have trouble with stairs who use the Q32 bus. My grandmother and mother worked well into their late 70’s and used the 32 to get to and from work as did and do thousands of other senior citizens and younger people with issues that rule the subway out as an option. Another bus down Greenpoint Ave. would be beneficial. Back in 70’s and 80’s there were 2 lines the B24 and B30 the TA did away with 30 at some point.
they should just turn the b24 into a real bus that runs with a regular frequency. a main reason more people don’t use it is because it is unpredictable and unreliable. it could also go a few blocks further into woodside before making the turn.
I meant B24, not B43
Woodside needs less Fox News watching low information blowhards like the first post to this stream.
Why are you left wing loonies so obsessed with Fox News? If you don’t like Fox News, don’t watch it. Go watch that handsome, young man Rachel Maddow on PMSNBC. Do you need to be taught how to use your remote?
-kramden Why can’t you low information right wing imbeciles inject your stupidity into every conversation in every comment stream? You’re a good low wage low IQ low information imbecile, invoke MSNBC and stick a derogatory remark into the statement to mobilize the other Fox watching imbeciles, since you obviously realized you couldn’t debate Angela’s post on the facts within that post.
Mac the brown nose. Why don’t you and Angela get a room already.Waste of time had some valid points then you two come along with fox bs
-El Loco You almost never have a valid point.
Looks like a lot more people posting here have a distaste for Fox News other than Angela and Mac. I see Emily. Blame(what a surprise) Scoler. Mike etc…
What is scary about the Fox News army of idiots is they don’t deny any of the allegations posted to this comment stream about Fox News they just give it thumbs down and don’t even bother trying to defend the media outlet. Who could give peoples personal experiences a thumbs down without some type rebuttal to the post?Just by giving it thumbs down makes it appear as subject that is up for popular consensus when that is the furthest thing from the fact or truth. These people posting thumbs down to peoples posts are the very creation that Roger Ailes speaks about in the book “The Loudest Voice In The Room”. Duped out easily manipulated mindless imbeciles.
-Kramden The problem the left has with Fox News and its followers of racist imbeciles is not with the watching of Fox News but the constant intrusion into legitimate discussion forums and their injection of misinformation ignorant rude and derogatory remarks into those comment streams at the call of Fox News. It’s called the “no value added” comment and its the hallmark of a Fox News watching imbecile. Like your very last comment and content “value free” derogatory remark. You’re a low life.
It’s more about dealing with the residual effects of neighbors who watch Fox news and then start acting like they’re experts on what’s wrong with the world. Happened to my Mom- it used to be that she didn’t pay any attention to current affairs. Fox news came along and started appealing to her base fears and playing with her undercurrent of ignorance; now she’s insufferable.She has all these opinions but she’s only parroting what she heard on TV. She never turns that station off except to watch Judge Judy. Propaganda works. Thanks to Fox, one of our political parties is sinking into the muck.
@scoler The very same thing happened to my elderly father. A number of times he told me was voting for or supporting a particular politician, when I asked him which policies of theirs he liked he couldn’t name any. This scenario played out several times. You’re right about propaganda working. I am glad I’m not alone.
-Scoler A similar set of circumstances has played out with my father in law. He has became so insufferable that me my husband and children have stopped visiting regularly and he only lives a few blocks a way. We rarely stop up and if so only for a short visit. Its that draining. Fox News has altered his personality. He has become angry opinionated and horribly misinformed. Fox News targets senior citizens that is their largest demographic. Fox News should be sanctioned for the damage they have done to these people, our families and our society. This is why they were denied a license to air their so called “entertainment” News in Canada. You’re right propaganda works and so does brainwashing.
-Emily and Scoler Strange, I thought the problem with Fox News and it’s using fear and misinformation was greatly exaggerated until I saw the “residual” damage done to a couple of older members of our family. It’s something straight out of the book 1984 by George Orwell. The voting for candidates and not knowing one policy the candidate endorsed or the blatant misinformation were just the beginning then came the angry opinionated rants. While home from work taking care of one our older relatives who fell victim to this manipulation, I noticed Fox News would repeat the same talking points over and over throughout everyone of their so called news programs throughout the entire viewing day. Even if these talking points were flat out wrong. I am a politically conservative individual and what Fox News is spewing is far from a Conservative ideology, it is propaganda and and brainwashing in the form of constantly repeating the same thing over and over and over again which is an actual brainwashing technique. If deceitful statements are said enough times they will become “truth”. I don’t know how this network could get away with this especially targeting the elderly like they do. When I was in the Regal Heights care facility I asked them to turn off the Fox News that was blasting in the common area and they did. A few weeks later one of the nurses said they noticed a difference in the patients outlook and demeanor when Fox was turned off. Do yourself and older relatives a favor and turn off Fox News you’ll notice the difference.
What does woodside need???
For starters isn’t there elected officials getting paid ridiculous salaries and benefits to know what’s needed??
JVB just for starters???
The police chief???
Hmmmmm now let’s think what’s needed??
Cops, more cops, trash cans, more trash cans, sanitation workers, more sanitation workers, maybe more bike lanes because that’s a given now no matter what so no matter what we ask for they will answer everyone with more bike lanes.
Does anyone actually believe that these meetings amount to anything and that they listen to you?
It’s as good as JVB asking how to spend a million dollars ? Complete political morons.
How about getting off your ass and doing something instead of pissing and moaning?