Photo: QueensPost
Feb. 26, 2011 By Christian Murray
In the past 24 hours, Sunnyside has been blanketed with “for rent signs.”
More than 30 signs have been attached to neighborhood lampposts that direct people to call a Jackson Heights rental agency—or go to its website. Few corners of the neighborhood have been spared, as residential streets on both sides of the boulevard have been bombarded with them.
Signs were spotted from 47th Avenue through to Barnett Avenue.
The signs were erected by Acapulco Rentals, which is located at 88-18 Roosevelt Ave., according to New York State records. The chairman or CEO is identified as Maria A Gallego of Jackson Heights.
The owner of the rental agency is breaking the law by posting the signs, legal experts say, and if the city enforced the rules each sign would result in a $75-$300 fine.
A manager for Acapulco Rentals acknowledged the placement of the signs during a telephone interview. When asked about his plans to remove them, he said, “There is nothing I can do about that.” After being told that they were against the law, he responded by saying “goodbye” and hung up.
But two Sunnysiders, Carole Vance and her husband, Larry, did not want to rely on the city or anyone else to take them down. Instead, with a ladder and a crowbar in hand, they took it upon themselves to knock them down.
“They are annoying, visual pollution,” Carole said. “I just noticed them today and I guess you could make a crusade out of it.”
Larry, who was carrying six signs that he had pulled down near Skillman Avenue, was headed towards 45th Street near Barnett to remove several more.
Carole, when informed the signs were littered throughout the neighborhood, shrugged and said “I guess people in those areas are going to have to bring them down too.”
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17 Comments
just read your article about the rental signs posted up all around Sunnyside. We have the same problem here in Corona. They are plastered on numerous lamp posts and utility poles. I have contacted my Community Board as well as 311 – but I doubt anything will happen. I will probably have to remove the sign plastered in front of my home myself. If Bloomberg’s administration collected all the fines that go along with all these local laws NYC would not have a deficit.
Thanks sunnysider!
Hi Krissi, You do have a neighborhood group it is called United Forties and if you look at this web site on the home page on the left side you will see them listed under community groups I think they meet at St raphaeils school basemant , jjust need to check their schedule. Or yoiu can always start your own group of concerned residence.
GREAT JOB LARRY + CAROLE!
Does Sunnyside South have any sort of community group in the way the northside does? We could certainly use it.
Randall: Speaking as a Sunnyside newcomer, none of the things you mentioned have scared me away. I was drawn to the neighborhood by the very article you mentioned and haven’t been disappointed. That park still has those ROUS and there seems to be more tagging than when I moved here last year, but I’ve also been impressed by the new businesses that have opened. The only thing that’s been a little off-putting is that the neighborhood’s popularity has caused rent to skyrocket. (But I guess I contribute to that problem.)
“Marauding gangs of teen aged thugs?” I hope they don’t team up with those big rats.
Marauding gangs of teen aged thugs?
Sunnyside-south, what about sending an e-mail to sunnysideshines about the physic are they suppose to police their business by their area once they know about it. Is this part of their bid responsibility or not does anyone know?
I’m just curious: are these commercial or apartment rentals? Queens Boulevard has one empty store after another. What is the rental situation like for apartments in Sunnyside/Woodside? I have a feeling that, despite being hailed by New York Magazine as the “best neighborthood in Queens”, that Sunnyside is going down, down down. A lot of it is because of quality of life crimes, the lack of decent stores, the increase in crime and the closeness of Roosevelt Avenue which seems to attract undesirables. Also, at one time the 52nd/51st Street Park had a terrible problem with rats the size of cats. I wonder how many people were scared off because of that. Not to mention the marauding gangs of teen aged thugs. Goodby, Sunnyside! And let’s not forget how hard we were hit during the Con Ed blackout a few years ago.
there was also a problem with this – on a much smaller scale – with christina the psychic. she has signs nailed to trees outside rite aid (GP and 46th) and a couple of metal sandwich board signs that were eventually trashed. not the biggest problem in the city or neighborhood, but still illegal form of advertising that makes the area look trashy.
i think the best way to combat this is to report to council office and call 311 w. specific locations – maybe the city will issues fines and have sanitation remove them (whether or not any of that happens is anyones guess though).
Yes, Pauly the police have more important things to do. But this is our neighborhood, so they can ask for volunteers to do this. Like high school kids or a neighborhood group, such as united forties, or the councilman clean up grafitti group to do this. they have a lot of choices.
Lets hope they make a good choice. Because people who live here and want to move here don’t want to see these signs. They are hard on the eyes or visable pollution
Dont you think the police have a lot more important things to do, than to take down these signs.
Nail him!
To Larry, Great job in cleaning up the signs. We need alot more people in our town like you. Very dedicated to our neighborhood. Keep up the great caring work you are doing
Thanks Larry, I am glad there are still people like you in Sunnyside.
This was terrible, another sign that sunnyside is turning into south queens/jamaica. What’s next “work from home” and “junk cars bought” signs?
Just to let you know that we removed 11 signs that were posted on the corner of 45th St and Skillman Ave. and nearby — alone. There are still lots of other signs on nearby blocks.
This is a pretty ridiculous. We just emailed Councilman Van Bramer’s office to bring it to his attention.
Since this web site has reported this illegal activity and the manager said he knows about it why can’t we have him arrested and have the police take down these signs. Why are we always waiting to act to do something. Larry and his wife are wonderful people and great neighbors but they should not have to climb ladders and pull down signs. Where are the police with all this. Where is our concilman with all this.
It is great to know what is going wrong in our town. But why does it take forwever for the police or the politician to act on it