New York Post July 31, 2015
The glass facade of Cooper Union’s $111 million academic building offers a remarkable view — of a back alley packed with vagrants. Or victims of income inequality as Mayor De Blasio likes to call them as he has them moved from his Park Slope block.
“I have seen drug deals, public urination, defecation, masturbation in broad daylight in the Taras Shevchenko alley,” a Cooper Union faculty member told The Post.
“It’s a place where many homeless congregate to sleep — right in front of a church and between a high school and a college,” the faculty member added. "They act like they own the street. The cops can't do anything because the city council has decided that quality of life crimes should be ignored. So they are not getting involved."
The geometric, asymmetrical architecture of 41 Cooper Square provides the perfect cover from the elements as drifters spread out under the building’s protruding angles, cops said.
And the web of glass that makes up its facade offers a perfect view of a parade of quality-of-life offenses.
And the web of glass that makes up its facade offers a perfect view of a parade of quality-of-life offenses.
“These conditions are unsavory, at best — particularly when you’re looking out your window in the morning and see something like a drug deal happening. Or when you’re sitting in a classroom and someone urinates right in front of you,” said the Cooper Union professor. "I mean if I wanted to see someone shitting on the students I would be a professor at the University of Wisconsin."
Rosa Hernandez, 48, of Park Slope, sees the group of loiterers every day as she drops her 13-year-old son off at La Salle Academy nearby.
“I've seen them drinking beer in the morning,” said the mom. "I mean I leave my husband sitting in front of the bodega on an orange crate drinking beer and playing dominoes every day. I never expected to see that in a high class part of Manhattan. I bring my son here so he can learn how to act white. That kind of bum will kill your brother."
Nine of the drifters were splayed out on bits of cardboard Thursday morning, and began hurling insults, water and bits of cookie when approached by a reporter.
“I was going to chase him down and beat the s–t out of him,” one thin, bedraggled man spat in anger."Who does he think he is taking my picture? I will kill him!"
“If I ever see you or that photographer again, I’ll kick the s–t out of you,” he threatened. "I hat the paparazzi! They were the ones who killed my girlfriend Princess Di."
(Altered slightly for seasoning)
18 comments:
'I mean if I wanted to see someone shitting on the students I would be a professor at the University of Wisconsin.'
Gratuitous!
The whole city's going to barrio!
Hey blame the NY Post!
Those guys are notorious in their hatred of Cheese. Just sayn'
Aaand welcome to San Francisco!
The Bowery lives! Except those old bums were obsequious - I think that's the right word - to the office workers and shop girls who had to pass by on their way to or from work. I mean they were kinda ashamed vis-a-vis the working stiffs who hadn't given up and rushed by on their way to where they had to be. Whole different attitude. Of course those bums often fought each other to the death but were unthreatening to regular civilians. Under the El.
Isn't living in the urban blight so cool?
I would check the dentists. Just sayn'
Nick, probably Comanches.
Ironic that the Cooper Union style of post modern architecture (that no one likes except at Cooper Union) is bringing in a swarm of bums. Like a plague.
I guess the bums and deviants like the Cooper Union architecture.
I'm bummed (get it - bummed) that I never got to see NY after Rudy cleaned it up.
Cooper Union professor. "I mean if I wanted to see someone shitting on the students I would be a professor at the University of Wisconsin."
did you all catch that? FU, New York libtard.
oops - I see Chickl got it early. helps to read.
If you like homelessness, make it easy. You will get more. If you want dignity for people, make that something you insist on. Some will still fail to rise to the occasion, but they will only be the ones who really need our help. Right now we are making it a lifestyle choice. I've been homeless, and I've known a lot of homeless people. Many simply have low standards that they will live by if you let them. We should have higher minimum public standards for each other unless they are incapable of better which many are, but many are perfectly capable of more. If you make homelessness a workable alternative, you will trap many people into accepting their weakness without ever trying to do better. You are robbing them with compassion.
Spinelli wrote: I chat w/ him about sports, horses, etc. @ the OTB parlor. Not a bad guy. He's from Chicago originally, a city that does not abide aggressive homeless.
That's cool that you get along with him. I just hope you don't befriend his ex mayoral aid (who now writes for the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel). That man is evil.
Like I said, Nick--Soglin is cool. Write me an email if you want to know why I detest Jim Rowen.
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