my response to the removing of the cobblestones in tribeca as per the residents requests...there goes the neighborhood...

Being a born and bred New Yorker I have to weigh in. Many generations of the city's inhabitants have navigated these streets just fine. Only when the suburbanites from outlying lands....like Connecticut and the midwest have migrated to our fair but funky city have we even heard a peep. New York is not a mini mall, it's not a flippin' gated community. It's an international city with a fantastic tapestry of a myriad of cultural influences that have been layered over time. Every time you wipe the slate clean...even just a little bit...you chip away at the specialness that makes New York what it is.

I have spent alot of time in other countries where women cannot afford strollers at all. They strap their children to their bodies as well as the families fire wood and groceries and walk several miles. They are not  spending their days sipping fat free lattes and getting their nails done with their bugaboos lined up in neat little rows. They are not complaining about the few bumps in the road they must endure as they cart said Bugaboos the measly 5 blocks to and from their children's glorified play dates. It's about entitlement and ignorance, plain and simple. It's also about a much maligned American trait...to make everything as easy possible for the almighty "ME"...whatever the consequences. 

I was down in Tribeca yesterday and walked down a cobblestone alley that I played in as a child...the cobblestones were in the process of being torn up and infront of the former factory turned hipster-wanna be-transplanted yuppy loft spaces there were two towering shrubs that would have looked more in place in a garden in Versailles. Whatever happened to the simple beauty of "the alleyway"? That street will never be the south of France no matter what foliage you throw up on front of it and the disappearance of the cobblestones will just wipe away the charm that lured the tenants here to begin with. Then why not stay in your cushy suburban enclave? you can push your strollers,  drink your lattes in peace and live in your faux provence fantasy unencumbered.

Why is it ok to use the word "breeder" in this context, but "fag cripple" is not?

Friggin' yuppies! "Oh, how quaint and charming: cobblestone streets! Let's move here", and then "Oh, it's so much work pushing baby Chad's stroller over these annoying cobblestones. Do something, dear. Have them cover them up." Try walking on the SIDEWALK instead of the middle of the street while yer at it!

Friggin' yuppies! "Oh, how quaint and charming: cobblestone streets! Let's move here", and then "Oh, it's so much work pushing baby Chad's stroller over these annoying cobblestones. Do something, dear. Have them cover them up." Try walking on the SIDEWALK instead of the middle of the street while yer at it!

"cobblestones are notoriously expensive to take care of"

hmm...those same Belgian blocks have been there, allowing pedestrians, cars, trucks, horses, etc. to pass for how many decades?

Compare the cost to remove and replace the blocks when utility work is needed, to the cost of entirely resurfacing the street every five or ten years. I think you'll find cobblestones are the better (and certainly greener) value.

I was born in downtown NYC in the 70's. My earliest memories include my mom pushing me in my stroller over the cobbled city streets and I would hum or sing because I liked the way it sounded as we passed over each stone... those are sweet wonderful memories.

I agree with poster #2, keep the cobblestones but find a way to better maintain them for everyone's safety.

#11 is right, although besides the point. those are paving stones (as are all remaining ones in the city, as far as i know), cobble stone is more like scattered rounded stones, like those you'd see on a rocky beach.

Get rid of them before someone get's hurt.

Get rid of this and that fruit and vegatable stand at Houston Street.

Not to be pedantic, but the photograph shows a street paved with Belgian Block, not cobblestones. To the best of my knowledge, there are no cobblestone streets left in Manhattan.

Downtown lad is correct. They do not want to rip up the whole st. Just the area that would normally be a sidewalk but for some reason is part of the street. The buildings either side of 44 laight do have a proper sidewalk and if 44 laight did then there would still be a huge width of cobblestones in the actual street.

The cobblestones on this street are well maintained. I live in the neighborhood and I have examined these cobblestones. I think it's time for these people to stop complaining. 44 Laight is probably getting a bad rap. I'm sure there are plenty of residents in that building who like the Cobblestones.

It should be noted that they are not referring to the whole street though, just the part that is usually reserved for the sidewalk. Nonetheless, they look great, and contribute to the fabric of the neighborhood.

I'm not a breeder, but I have MD and cobblestone streets are a nightmare. I love NY because I can walk with no assistance and no difficulty, but not in certain areas.

I've found the worst to be the cobbles surrounding the subway station at Bowling Green. It's actually easier to walk up to Wall Street and pick up the subway there. For once I agree with these damn breeders.

Far be it from me to side with the whinny yuppie soccer mom to be but these cobblestones are not your well maintained one's you see in other parts of Manhattan.

With on going construction, these stones get dug up and repaved with who knows what, asphalt, cement etc. Ever seen a manhole on a cobblestone street? It's a pothole.

So it's not exactly the best surface for walking. Especially when wet because they're worn smooth. I'm guessing cars even have a hard time stopping so that's another danger.

Fuck your heels - save the stones!

noo, preserve the cobblestones!

*shakes head*

Some people! This is New York! Somebody must not understand what beauty is, but nothing goes together like wrought iron, intricate carvings and cobblestone. Sigh.

Some people always complain about everything.

I do like the suggestion that they move to the UWS. Better yet, Jersey.

Cobblestones are fine, as long as they are properly maintained. If they cannot be properly maintained, it is blacktop time!

barf