Rockaways Insulted By NY Post

A couple of days ago, NY Post columnist Cindy Adams made her opinion of the Times Square chairs be known, saying loud and clear in her headline: "It's Broadway—Not Rockaway!" She went on, saying "the hallway to the Street of Dreams is now Beach 34th Street? What's next? Sand? A boardwalk?" She's worried that the tourists will now only see "Sprawling, bused-in out-of-towners with Coke cans and brown paper bags flat out on camp chairs noshing and burping and snoozing and playing checkers in the center of the capital of the world."

The Queens folk didn't take long to speak up—one even commenting that the paper is to blame for the horrible press they've gotten this summer, asking, "What does the Post have against Rockaway anyhow?" and recalling "the non-scandal of the lazy lifeguard caught by a Post photographer."

Now the paper has printed some responses, two in approval of the original piece, and one reading: "I take extreme exception to Adams' column comparing the trashing of Times Square to the Rockaways. There is more to New York City than Manhattan—the Rockaways are one of the city's crown jewels. We have clean beaches, clean water, manicured properties and tree-lined streets. I suggest that the next time Adams decides to bash a city neighborhood, she should try visiting the area first." Um, just keep her out of Far Rockaway for now.

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By Jen Carlson in Arts and Events on August 25, 2009 1:47 PM

Comments [rss]

newyorker10001

As much as I think the lack of effort in using the new space is pathetic. It is still a great idea that just needs tweaking. As far as Cindy's comments, I see it as she is upset that she cannot get her driver to drop her off close to her theater, this is why she is upset. Nothing more, nothing less. Its her own personal gripe. Aw, you mean she has to talk to the corner??

Someone hit it right on the nose though... Times Sq use to have this energy of grit,,,, pre-1996. Now its just throngs of suburban and out of towners. There's no NY flavor in TS at all. Just chains, tourists and corporations. So removing what is basically a ill-designed roadway (Broadway) in a modern city and creating it as a plaza makes only sense. I live and work in the area and use to avoid TS at all costs. Now there is room to actually use Broadway to get from point A to point B. This eventually means that one day if I need to go to a restaurant or retail in that area,,, I might actually decide to go there.

And finally RE: the Rockaways. Their beaches ARE the best in the city. Name a better beach in the 5 boroughs?? none. As far as ugly people being there. That's just like saying that the subway is full of ugly people. 5% of the pop might be beautiful but the rest is just regular folks. Its nice to live in a world surrounded by beautiful people but eventually you have to step outside of your apartment and stop watching TV...

Tower18

Like Times Square was so great before. It was 95% tourists then, and so what if it's 95% tourists now, except they're sitting down? New Yorkers will still avoid it if at all possible, just like they have for years.

thefacts

Rockaway is way nicer than the shitshow that Times Square has become this summer.

But Cindy is on the right track. DOT's fruity little experiment is a disaster.

Spirit of 76

I can't wait until they announce this will be permanent. It's going to make "thefacts" tear his hair out. Assuming he still has any.

NannyState

On the other hand, if Times Sq. had a beach, there might actually be a reason to go there.

hotstepper

joey ramone takes exception to this report as well.

Mr. Shankly

+1

Wza

If the riptides don't get you, the projects will.

grizzzly

These are the same sprawling, bused-in out of towners that used to stand in vast packs awkwardly waiting for the "walk" light on every street corner surrounding the pedestrian areas, snapping pictures while taxis full of the same idled uselessly in the snarled traffic.

Her complaint makes it sound like she thought that just before the pedestrian areas were created times square was bustling with gritty, jaded new yorkers going from their mad-men style ad gigs to a night out on the town for a broadway a show and a martini like it was the '20s.

JenChungsBaby

Used to call Rockaway Beach Ugly Beach. Because of the people you see there, not the beach itself.

longacre

Other than the beach itself, there is nothing nice about the Rockaways.

blondeinthecity

Far Rockaway looks a lot like NOLA post-Katrina...

MrManhattan

"She's worried that the tourists will now only see "Sprawling, bused-in out-of-towners with Coke cans and brown paper bags flat out on camp chairs noshing and burping and snoozing and playing checkers in the center of the capital of the world.""

It's pretty obvious that she's going for the worst description she can imagine, but it still not as bad a the bleeting, fume-spewing, frequently lethal status-quo of the past.

Nice try Cindy.

grandzu

So she's worried that tourists will see tourists?

SP

I don't really understand the connection between right wing anger and rejection of the pedestrian Times Sq., but for some unsurprisingly odd reason, they really hate it.

valeriob

It's like you wake up in the morning and immediately fail.

She is a gossip columnist in her mid 40s. Where is the political implication other than the fact that she currently works for the Post?

snessnyc

"She is a gossip columnist in her mid 40s. Where is the political implication other than the fact that she currently works for the Post?"

I'm not sure what you mean by this, but according to IMDB she was born April 24, 1925.