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Residents Unnerved by Greenpoint Ave. Trouble Spot

Palacio Azteca, 47-16 Greenpoint Ave. (Photo: QueensPost)

Aug. 24, 2012 By Christian Murray

Many residents argue that Greenpoint Avenue – btw. 46th and 48th Street – is a dangerous place to be at night.

This long-held view became apparent in the early hours on Wednesday, when the police arrested a man for disorderly conduct outside of 47-14 Greenpoint Ave.

A police spokesman said the man, Kevin Soto, 22, was arrested at 3:18 am for yelling and making threats on the scene.

One witness, who didn’t want to be identified, said that there were two men in the street with their shirts off who were about to fight. They were yelling at each other in English and Spanish, with one man’s girlfriend also screaming.

Residents say they find it frightening walking these blocks at night, and others say they don’t want to even park their car there.

Most cite Palacio Azateca, located at 47-16 Greenpoint Ave., as well as El Potrero, located at 46-12 Greenpoint Ave., as the primary reasons.

In January, Captain Donald Powers said the police department was trying to shut Palacio Azateca down for good. This came shortly after two men got into an argument inside the eatery that led to a man being shot several times in the arm and thighs.

The department has had several problems with Palacio Azteca. “This establishment was known to us before the shooting,” Powers said, back in January.

The New York health dept. closed the restaurant on August 2, citing multiple violations, such as live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. According to public records, the restaurant scored 70 violation points and has not yet met the requirements to reopen—as of August 24.

However, the door was open and a waitress was taking orders about a week after it was closed August 2. The waitress said in broken English that she didn’t know about a closure.

Meanwhile, El Potrero, the place where the graphic YouTube fight took place, has had its problems. In February 2010, the police said that a man was shot in the leg inside the bar. The police at the time said they knew the perpetrator but would not confirm or deny whether drugs were involved.

The residents did get a reprieve when Manolos Mexican restaurant (located on the corner or Greenpoint Ave and 47th Street) abruptly closed in July 2010 due to cocaine dealing on the premises.

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17 Comments

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Disgusted

What a bunch of racist fools you all are. All latinos belong in the projects now? I’m ashamed to call you my neighbors.

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Anonymous

This event took place at Paddy Duggans- the irish bar next door, get your facts straight.

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True Sunnysider

I find the majority of these postings ignorant and very snobish. If it is a surprise to you that there is crime in Sunnyside, you have been living under a rock the whole time.As a long time resident (over20 years) I have witnessed Sunnyside “Progress” and have seen the results of gentrification. Alot of the “criminals” that many of you refer to as Latinos have been pushed out of the neighborhood due to the high rent increases. But that push is not limited to Latinos, white and Asian Families have moved out as well. Crime has decreased since the 90s and the underground crime scene (drug deals and other illegal activities) have stayed out of the public eyes).

There are no projects in the sunnyside/woodside community. Get your facts straight, those building are apartment complexes like any other building in Sunnyside and are probably the only buildings still affordable.

No one reports about how a drunked irish man beats up a Latino right in front of Side Tracks or reports how many Drunken white males are passed out on the corner because they were to drunk to walk or take a cab at 4:30 in the morning on the corner where gaslight is located.

Get a life people and open your eyes, crime is inevitable and happens everywhere around you whether you see it or not, white collar or blue collar crime, it goes on and some times you are too occupied reading news online instead of seeing the world with your own eyes. Get out of your little white world bubble and see that crime is not racist and does not occur in one neighborhood over another.

Sunnyside will never become Corona, Sunnyside has a commerce chamber and and sunnyside shines, organizations that pride themselves in seeing Sunnyside thrive. Sunnyside has always been diverse and will continue to embrace diversity, the Irish community will never leave sunnyside nor will the Latino, (small) Black or Asian and all other communities that make Sunnyside their hometown.

If you dont like where Sunnyside is heading GET OUT! Move onto another town which will also have crime.

Stop focusing on the negatives and look at the brighter positives things that have been happening in Sunnyside, Jazz nights in the streets? thats a first in 20 years! Movie nights in the park? This is what I love, we are starting to honor the rich history that makes up Sunnyside!

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Skillman

raise rents – get the ghettos out – close down the projects or relocate them to corona- built new apartments and get more city residents. Many people form the city are looking for closer but cheaper areas to live in hence sunnyside/lic/woodside 1800-2000+ rent is cheap for them and better for the neighborhood. It’s mind boggling to me that sunnyside is so underdeveloped and these areas exist (46st-48st). You would think sunnyside is Washington Heights reading all the crimes/fights/burglaries/assaults and attacks this past year. Its sad that a small area (the projects 46st-48st/greenpoint) brings down a great up and coming neighborhood Jimmy Van Bramer needs to do something about this and soon. Also @Sebastian there is no way sunnyside will become carona in 10-20 years in fact the complete opposite will probably occur due to gentrification.

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Facts

it would be nice if sunnyside post would write all the facts insted of the negative side they want to manipulate the way they want the stories. as for the males fighting on greenpoint ave, they came out of an irish bar also located between 46st. and 48st. greenpoint ave. as for the shooting it happened in november of 2011, the young men argued in another location and met up at the eatery on greenpoint. the shooting happened out side not inside the eatery. there was private security at the time, had it not been for the fast thinking and experiance of the private security there would have been a tragedy. the suspected gunman had left and returned with a firearm. this has nothing to do with the establishements, it has to do with the individuals that are out loose in the streets. the suspected gunman turned himslf in on january, this again the sunnyside post somehow omits this information. the private security on greenpoint has prevented numerous crimes by working with the NYPD 108 PCT. the sunnyside post omitted also that there are 2 bars of non latin origin located also the so called trouble spot on greenpoint from 46st. to 48st. i respectively ask the post to get the facts correctly and give praise to establishments struggling to feed the families in these hard economic times. midtown manhattan had a shooting, now does that mean people should avoid going to the empire state building. the night life does not mean crime and wrong doing. it is up to individuals to know what is right and what is wrong. guns do not kill or hurt people. people kill people and people hurt people. lets not forget what america is made of, america is made of many nations and cultures and religions. thank you and god bless.

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Full Metal Blogger

You’re all ridiculous. I’ve lived in this neighborhood over 20 years, and it has only gotten better. Just because you know more about what goes on now, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen before. If rents keep going up, that means things are getting better.

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Anonymous

Lived in sunnyside all my life and this neighborhood is not going anywhere good. A spree of burglaries in my building Ive seen more shoplifting incidents this summer especially at cvs ( what ia going on) the guy who yells change is more harmless then some of the zombie look a likes I’ve seen on queens blvd.. 3 hit and runs this summer I mean there’s a list.. Groppers I mean seriosly things like this were not happening before.. But thanks to all this meaningless publicity about how great our nieghborhood is this is what happens .. these new businesses or shall o say undercover night clubs ( cough cough ) arriba arriba ) are ruining are neighborhood..

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Get a Life

48th Avenue is worse than Greenpoint. I remember when Greenpoint had decent stores. Long gone . . .

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you all make me laugh

Dunk – not true only 98%. I do recall a story about an Irish national murdering his ex-girlfriend here in these parts……

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Dunk

Facts are facts, anytime you see crime on this blog or pictures of criminals they are always Latino

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king of Queens

I live in the civilized Sunnyside Gardens away from the RIFF RAFF!!! this would never happen in Britain.

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Ruben

hahahah Sebastian is such a fool, he’s basically saying “Gosh, Dem Latinos are Comin! Brace Yourshelves People! ”
I said something about Latinos a few posts back and a ton of hippies jumped down my throat calling me a racist.

Greenpoint is junk and the reason is that the projects are only a few feet away. Poor latinos running around all angry and that is a fact. But they won’t spread out, they can’t afford to thanks to the power OF THE YUPPIE. yes..you can thank the yuppies for keeping sunnyside safe and driving the rents so high only upper middle class folk can afford to live there. That is until they move out and go back to their home towns.

Brace Yourself, the invasion of yuppies is nigh!

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Sebastian

@Webley, the sad reality is this, if you want to see what places like Woodside and Sunnyside will look like in 10-20 years time, take a trip to North Corona. The encroachment of a nomadic, non-roots building south American population is inevitable and with them comes the 3rd world chaotic mentality, the crime ridden restaurants that abound, and the filthy streets. In essence, what you see in North Corona is coming,……brace yourself.

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Webley

I don’t understand who these places survive (I kind of understand, probably they make their income from illegal activities) but still, when so many good places close down in good spots because apparently landlord increases the rent, it is interesting that these run down roach infested spots remain open. There are bunch of “mexican restaurants” including a few that turn into dance clubs at night, that should be closed for good.

I have been a Sunnyside resident since 97 and the place is getting worse and worse. I am guessing this is a stage and once the prices climb back up most of these “residents” will find somewhere else to live. Dirt bags.

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