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The Mayor gave the full court press for the Olympics Stadium in Queens plan, making him the only mayor of an Olympic bid city to officiate at his daughter's wedding AND come up with a backup plan for the Olympics proposal. And some people, expecting the Olympics to not come here, think the plan could be reworked for a 2016 bid, which actually sounds about right, since Beijing missed out on an earlier Olympics, but was rewarded with them in 2008. Anyway, the Mayor's press release for the new plan is full of the flowery language once used for a Manhattan-based plan, but with a twist:
What is clear is that New Yorkers have come together. They have come together not to do what is in their interests, but what is in the City's interest. They have come together for New York and this show of unity for a common goal is a wonderful message to send to the Olympic community. The same spirit that inspired leading New Yorkers in a last-minute and ultimately successful effort to become the home of the United Nations in 1946 inspires us today. You can never count New Yorkers out. If the IOC wants a City with heart, a City that can overcome its differences, that can pull together during trying times and will do everything possible to host a great Games, we are the City for them.On the upside, the Olympic athletes would get more authentic cuisine in Queens than in Manhattan. And the IOC President said the votes for the Paris, London, Madrid, Moscow, and NYC are tight, so you never know. Except Gothamist thinks you should bet on Paris, so the car lot workers in the Iron Triangle don't have to worry too much.
The NY Times has a fascinating article about how Queens is always the bridesmaid when it comes to NYC's lofty plans (think the World's Fair). Or, to put it more accurately, Queens is the bridesmaid's bitch: A Queens Museum employee told the Times, "There's a lot of people who start in Manhattan, move to Brooklyn, can't afford Brooklyn and finally end up in Jackson Height." Poor Queens, with an even bigger complex than Brooklyn. Gothamist just wants to know, if Queens is New York's afterthought, what are the Bronx and Staten Island?
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"Queens is the bridesmaid's bitch"
I don't think that’s entirely true. But if that is what written I can live with that. Keep the hipsters and yuppies OUT.
This is a pretty important and dynamic borough with all the benefits of city life without a lot of the negatives. The most diverse borough I believe and has 2 of the area’s 3 airports. Queens is damn important.
I feel like it has a lot of the negative without as much of the positive. Crime, dirty streets, heavy traffic, etc., but less live music, theatre, etc. esp. with Queen Moma now gone. Sure you have some quaint neighborhoods and a bunch of hidden gem restaurants, but its all pretty sprawled out.
I guess it depends on your ideas of positives and negatives and what neighborhoods you are refering to as it ranges from projects and dirty neglected streets to treelined suburban areas.
Manhattan: Office park, shopping mall
Brooklyn: Guido eden
Queens: The countryside
Staten Island: East New Jersey
Bronx: Boiler room
"Crime, dirty streets, heavy traffic, etc."
On the same scale as Manhattan? Admit it Owen, you've never really been to Queens.
Manhattanites, a view from a speeding vehicle on it's way to the Hamptons or that trip to the Queens MoMA doesn't count as "knowing all about Queens".
"What is clear is that New Yorkers have come together. They have come together not to do what is in their interests, but what is in the City's interest. They have come together for New York and this show of unity for a common goal is a wonderful message to send to the Olympic community."
Can someone point to any group of people who are excited in any way about any Olympics in NYC? Outside of a friend of a friend that actually does work for NYC2012, I can't think of anyone I know who wants this thing here in any way.
And when you come down to it, you don't need to be a Hardy Boy or a Nancy Drew to see that the street level enthusiasm just does not exist in any way. Heck, is there any street vendor selling bootleg NYC 2012 merchandise? If it's not bootlegged on the streets of NYC, it's not popular.
Xandervallya,
Stop being so reflexively defensive. Read what Owen actually wrote. He said "It ranges from projects and dirty neglected streets to treelined suburban areas." From that, you decided to pick and choose only his worst comments.
I used to walk through much of Queens on the way to a friend's place. I have to agree with him that it all depends on where in Queens you are, just like any other borough. I walked on some very nice streets and some awful streets I wouldn't be caught dead on at night.
i would like to see the olympics in nyc. i like sports and i would love to see all the world class athletes compete here. i could care less about sports that we already have (mainly basketball) that would be in the olympcs, but to watch all the other things would be great.
and the reason there's no nyc 2012 stuff on the streets is b/c the vendors aren't as dumb as homer simpson. if nyc did win the bid, i'm sure there would be merch.
Midnight,
"Stop being so reflexively defensive. Read what Owen actually wrote. He said "It ranges from projects and dirty neglected streets to treelined suburban areas." From that, you decided to pick and choose only his worst comments."
Exactly. From a overall reasonable post he made an annoyingly staggering generalization that I had to point out.
I definitely agree with you that it's the neighborhood and even the street you're on that really matters.
I bike through Queens (and Brooklyn and Manhattan) all the time. I've probably seen more neighborhoods in Queens than most residents as I am actually outside of a car, stopping, interacting, eating, etc. in numerous neighborhoods through out the burrough.
my most common routes take me through Hunters Point, Astoria, Sunnyside, Elmhurst, Corona, Flushing Meadows, Kew Gardens, Jamaica, Ozone Park, etc.
No, the traffic isn't as bad as Manhattan, but its still pretty bad. And it seriously is pretty ugly until you get pretty far out from the city.
It does have a couple decent museums and parks (I actually really love the worlds fair area, but the nearby marina smells SO BAD that any beauty is lost).
The one true treasure of Queens is the plethora of amazing ethnic restaurants peppered throughout the burrough. Also, it has the only velodrome in the city (which is why I am constantly biking through the place).
There are some really beautiful parts, but if you want to be close to the city, there are similar places in Brooklyn that are much more accessible to the city. If you don't like the city, there are nicer places further into Long Island. I just don't see the appeal of being stuck in the middle. I totall get it if you are part of an ethnic community and enjoy the feeling of being with similar people, but for those less tied to their roots, I see it as a strange place to move to.
FNY is 'unofficially' highlighting Queens neighborhoods this year. If you're not familiar with western Queens, check this page
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/NEIGHBORHOODS/neighborhoodhomepage/neighborhoods.html
Regarding the new Shea ... I hope it gets done, but once the Olympic bubble bursts (we ain't getting no Olympics; my feeling is we have to elect a Democrat, for better or worse, and get out of Iraq first), it'll be hard to carry the momentum toward actually building it. Look at how long it's taken to do the new Penn Station and other grand projects. The Wilpons will have to push and push for it.
Well, if the Wilpons pay for the new Shea, the only thing they'll have to push is a pen across the face of a few checks. Ultimately a new home for the Mets may or may not be part of an Olympic package, but Old Man Wilpon is one of the savviest players when it comes to development in New York, and a new stadium is gonna happen. Don't let those bad contracts to Bobby Bo and Mo Vaughn back in the day fool you. The family knows which way is up when it comes to land in this town, and come two or three years from now, if the Mets have a couple of solid playoff runs under their belts, and the television network they've been talking about and that they got Beltran and Pedro to be the stars of takes off, it won't be a question of if, but of how big and how soon.
>>>The only thing they'll have to push is a pen across the face of a few checks.
The city council still has to sign off on this stadium, there are land use things that have to be worked out, and ousting the Iron Triangle guys will NOT be easy.
I rate this stadium 50-50 at best. Lots of hurdles yet.
www.forgotten-ny.com
If you think the City Council is going to stand in the way of a sports team owner funding his own new stadium -- in the parking lot of his current stadium -- then you're very naive. As for the Iron Triangle, they'll collapse faster than a roll of aluminum foil.
Please to be educating on the Iron Triangle guys?
So Tien is now the one person I know of who supports the Olympic bid.
Rule for (hopefully) all team owners; pay for it yourself and it gets done, expect taxpayers to pay for your toy/money laundry/white elephant and you get the shaft. Best news I have heard in a while.
Count me in with Tien. I've been for the Olympics in NY ever since they announced it was a possiblity. West Side, Flushing, wherever.