What's Up at the Sumner Avenue Armory?
That’s what Bed-Stuy residents have been asking ever since a strange flier began making its way through the neighborhood: Mayor Bloomberg has announced intent to close the Bellevue men’s shelter in Manhattan…the overflow of men (850) will be moved to the Sumner Avenue Armory along with the (350) men from the Atlantic Avenue Shelter…a large…
That’s what Bed-Stuy residents have been asking ever since a strange flier began making its way through the neighborhood: Mayor Bloomberg has announced intent to close the Bellevue men’s shelter in Manhattan…the overflow of men (850) will be moved to the Sumner Avenue Armory along with the (350) men from the Atlantic Avenue Shelter…a large number of these men are dangerous felons…some are sexual predators, and some have mental conditions…homeless men are being bused into the Sumner Avenue Armory each night… Well, City Limits demystifies the rumors about the Armory, and the neighborhood’s adverse reaction to changes within it. Henry L. Butler, chairman of the neighborhood’s Community Board 3, contacted the Department of Homeless Services, who said no such thing was happening. That didn’t make residents feel better, especially since they’d seen homeless folk bused in to the building late at night. The problem, say residents, is that the shelter is supposed to be for working men, down on their luck, not, you know, criminals. And that was fine with them. In November, Bed-Stuyers met with DHS Commissioner Robert V. Hess, who explained that a few stragglers, who can’t fit in full shelters, get bused over to spend the night. So, what happens the next day? they asked Hess, who replied: They’re released the next morning and given Metro cards. That upset some who feared undesirable folks were left to wander the area; for others, the explanation was satisfying. What they’d really like is to see the Armory have a different kind of new life, more like the old. There was originally a bowling alley in there, a swimming pool, rifle range, horse stable, three catering halls, a gymnasium and a drill field the size of three football fields, all sitting there, not being used,” said one resident. “I have the blueprints.
What’s Up at the Armory? [City Limits]
“organic cleaners?” now ive heard everything :-/
“My shirts are $2.95”. That’s steep. It’s $1.50 at the relatively new organic cleaners on Montague, between Heights Cafe and Teresa’s.
cmontgom…i won’t travel for a cleaners. This one is across the street. Maybe if time gey tougher but then I won’t be needing the dress shirts anyway!
Dave. I think you need to find a new cleaners…immediately! Try Sun Cleaners on Fulton between Kingston and Tompkins. Great quality…much lower than what you pay now.
i havent seen this to be the case about the bodegas thing. i know for a fact that the supermarkets i went to in harlem (minus fairway of course) and even supermarkets when i lived on the lower east side, were significantly cheaper than the supermarkets that ive gone to in park slope. granted maybe prices skyrocketed in the couple of months ive lived here? but no you are right about certain staples in bodegas being mad expensive. try buying laundry detergent in one. i lol’d my ass off when i stopped at the bodega outside the R train on the 4th avenue for laundry detegergent because i didnt want to go into a supermarket or the fauxdegas on 5th avenue… it was like almost 10 bux for a bottle of some kind of detergent whose name i ever heard before. and it was covered in dust.
*Rob*
My shirts are $2.95…can’t remember the pants. Yes, we did discuss this before. I was paying $1.75 when I left the UES in Manhattan.
Rob, I don’t mean to pick on you, and I like your questioning of everything. But your middle class assumptions are showing here. Most people in the shelters are totally off the grid – no public assistance, no money, no nothing. You can’t get public assistance if you don’t have an address. That’s one of the reasons why it is so hard for those who want to work, but are homeless, to get back into the system. They are not able to put down roots where they could receive mail, open a bank account, all those day to day things that we don’t even think about, but are vital to establishing an identity and enable one to receive public benefits.
While the local bodega’s coffee may be cheaper than Starbucks, living in BS is not cheaper. As a matter of fact, things tend to cost more in lower income neighborhoods, it has long been known that foodstuffs in inner city supermarkets are of lesser quality, older, and cost more than in more expensive neighborhoods.
Long story short, being homeless anywhere is not something one would wish on anyone, no matter where they are.
DIBS, I know we’ve discussed this before but what do they charge around you to launder a shirt and dry clean a pair of pants?
rob, your comment “so where will that person’s dollar stretch further? bed stuy or the west village? im just throwing that out there.” Is interesting. Despite the perception of Bed Stuy being where on’e dollar might stretch further I can tell you that is not the case. Bed Stuy’s service sector is deplorable. Corner bodegas are generally a ripoff for the community and don’t even get me started oin the prices at the dry cleaners. No, the homeless/jobless are not using the dry cleaners but they truly get ripped off at the bodegas, their primary outlet for the purchase of what additionally should be considered unhealthy food & snacks.