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To the original question: I live in this area. I don't find it dirtier than any other high traffic intersection with an important subway stop, and significant retail. It's not a quiet little side street intersection. You can't compare it as such.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BugsyPal
Old School Pop Quiz!
Who remembers or knows what store was on the northwest corner of 86th and Lexington where HMV was then Best Buy is now?
It IS bland and clean, so long as you avoid anything EAST of Park Avenue. Come to think of it, that probably explains why I like the Upper East Side because I spend most of my time West of Lexington Avenue when visiting the area.
Agree, I stick to Park Avenue and Madison mostly whenever I'm on the UES, I try to avoid going east of Lexington since the sidewalks are more dense and the 2nd Avenue subway construction narrows the sidewalk even more.
Bugsy, didn't realize there were that many rats around the area; what you've described is a sight I don't want to see. Thankfully, I've only seen a few rats running around Washington Square Park once around 11pm a few years ago, can't remember any others than that time. *knock on wood* Not even when I did my night walk from Chinatown to Union Square or even when I'm cutting through Central Park at night, though I did encounter a feisty raccoon once. I do a fair amount of walking all over the city... IDK maybe I'm lucky or am not looking closely enough around at the ground?
Agree, I stick to Park Avenue and Madison mostly whenever I'm on the UES, I try to avoid going east of Lexington since the sidewalks are more dense and the 2nd Avenue subway construction narrows the sidewalk even more.
Bugsy, didn't realize there were that many rats around the area; what you've described is a sight I don't want to see. Thankfully, I've only seen a few rats running around Washington Square Park once around 11pm a few years ago, can't remember any others than that time. *knock on wood* Not even when I did my night walk from Chinatown to Union Square or even when I'm cutting through Central Park at night, though I did encounter a feisty raccoon once. I do a fair amount of walking all over the city... IDK maybe I'm lucky or am not looking closely enough around at the ground?
Dunno if things have changed recently but Washington Square Park is (or was) full of rats. For that matter so is the NYU campus area surrounding the park, hence all those bait stations.
Central Park of course is full of rats as well. You don't see them as much because much of the area is wooded, but never the less they are there. One day while taking a break from rollerblading around the band shell area a group of friends and I were sitting on the benches chatting. Just off to us in the grassy area towards the Sound Stage side a huge rat scampered across the bushes. One friend was shocked as he "didn't think they had rats in CP". The guy is a transplant so we can forgive him that! *LOL*
It is the rats or more specifically controlling them in CP and WSP for that matter which is driving efforts by some to force the City to find other methods than relying upon rodenticides. Red Tail hawks and other such birds of prey in NYC such as owls feed upon rats and mice. When they ingest poisoned rodents they also die.
There is also residents of buildings near Central Park or WSP aren't too fond of finding the remains of rodents either in hawk's or owl's nests outside their windows. Nor are they pleased when the birds do some "house cleaning" and chuck the remains out and it falls to the grounds.
That would have been the Uptown branch of Gimbel's that closed and was converted to apartments with retail on the lower levels, with the façade replaced to suit residential use.
I was asking my father about 86th Street, since he grew up in Carnegie Hill, and there were always an array of odd stores on that strip, from discount electronics stores to discount stores that one would not necessarily associate with the UES. So, it's nothing new, and despite the addition of various residential buildings over the years, has not changed too dramatically. I do not recall that much difference from my earliest memories of that strip to today.
Yes, Gimbel's it was!
Walking up Third Avenue Tuesday night saw an old ironing board on the recycling collection rubbish that had a "Gimbel's" label. Wonder if the tenant passed on and the thing was thrown out or simply someone decided ironing was not on their things to do list any longer.
Asked someone who lives up that way about the mess around Lexington and 86th Street and she blamed the many homeless. For one thing they and others constantly open the newspaper bundles left out for rubbish each night by the various newsstands in the street. Once they loosen or cut those strings the papers are blown by the wind all over. Besides the homeless there are person to cheap or whatever to purchase a newspaper so wait until they are thrown away to get a "free" copy. That and those who want the coupons especially in Sunday papers.
I remember the "old" 86th Street from the 1990's at least. That where those old buildings with a uniform shop were where the Lucinda now stands. Of course you had HMV, then Barnes and Noble in the "Gimble's" building. Going west towards Second Avenue yes, you had a bizarre and vast array of what only can be called low to middle budget stores.
Think also the many movie houses brought elements to 86th Street that one normally wouldn't find on UES.
Walking up Third Avenue Tuesday night saw an old ironing board on the recycling collection rubbish that had a "Gimbel's" label. Wonder if the tenant passed on and the thing was thrown out or simply someone decided ironing was not on their things to do list any longer.
Asked someone who lives up that way about the mess around Lexington and 86th Street and she blamed the many homeless. For one thing they and others constantly open the newspaper bundles left out for rubbish each night by the various newsstands in the street. Once they loosen or cut those strings the papers are blown by the wind all over. Besides the homeless there are person to cheap or whatever to purchase a newspaper so wait until they are thrown away to get a "free" copy. That and those who want the coupons especially in Sunday papers.
I remember the "old" 86th Street from the 1990's at least. That where those old buildings with a uniform shop were where the Lucinda now stands. Of course you had HMV, then Barnes and Noble in the "Gimble's" building. Going west towards Second Avenue yes, you had a bizarre and vast array of what only can be called low to middle budget stores.
Think also the many movie houses brought elements to 86th Street that one normally wouldn't find on UES.
I remember some of those stores, too, though I can only recall going to that strip for something specific, i.e., at Barnes & Noble, or more recently, Best Buy.
Interesting about the ironing board that was placed out for collection with the old Gimbels label. I would think that there would still be a few in the neighborhood, given some of the long-term tenants/owners. I think that one of my grandmother's cousins still has one, but then again, she has a stock of vintage Gimbels boxes that are used to organize Christmas ornaments in a plastic trunk in her storage closet.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Because it's one of the busiest stops in the entire subway line, ranked within the top 10 in amount of traffic. Outside the station there's a who's who of retailers and eateries.
You walk up a block to Park avenue and its pristine.
Because it's one of the busiest stops in the entire subway line, ranked within the top 10 in amount of traffic. Outside the station there's a who's who of retailers and eateries.
You walk up a block to Park avenue and its pristine.
Oh I don't know about a " who's who" of retailers on 86th/Lexington. Most are middle of the line if not lower. Two (Best Buy and Barnes and Noble) are financially struggling companies that may or may not be around much longer. What is left? H&M, Shake Shack, Petco, Staples, Victoria's Secret, various cell phone retailers etc....
Oh I don't know about a " who's who" of retailers on 86th/Lexington. Most are middle of the line if not lower. Two (Best Buy and Barnes and Noble) are financially struggling companies that may or may not be around much longer. What is left? H&M, Shake Shack, Petco, Staples, Victoria's Secret, various cell phone retailers etc....
lol Very true. The shopping selections aren't exactly overwhelming. Shopping is much better along Madison Avenue.
lol Very true. The shopping selections aren't exactly overwhelming. Shopping is much better along Madison Avenue.
From 57th to 96th Madison Avenue is emptying out! *LOL* So many vacant store fronts as established businesses cannot afford the rent increases and move. True some are rented out again (eventually), but if you walk the stretch (or view from a bus or cab) you'll notice there are still however a good number of empty spaces.
Quite honestly retail on the UES is no different than what is happening all over Manhattan atm. Sky high commercial rents are chasing out small independent places and if anything does come it often a chain or bank.
The residents of Madison Avenue were *NOT* happy when that huge Duane Reade opened, but had to contend themselves with forcing a change in the signing.
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