Save the Ferry?

Our local paper has a story that the Sunset Park Ferry that leaves from the 59th street terminal is in danger of being discontinued due to low ridership. Do people in Sunset Park actually know that it's there? I happen not to work in Manhattan so I have never had occasion to use it. However, I would be willing to bet that if you ask most residents of Sunset Park about the ferry most would tell you they didn't know it existed.

Oh, occasionally it makes the local paper The Sunset News our local free publication that prints 30,000 copies. But probably maybe 10% get read. The paper is also not widely distributed outside of a small stretch of 5th avenue from the 39th street to roughly 60ths street.

In any case, the ferry would probably get more ridership if people actually knew it was there and if they also knew that there is plenty of parking on the pier where you can leave your car for the duration of your work day. As it is, if the Ferry wants more riders they should make sure that more people know about it and that is a matter of marketing.

[where: 11232]

Construction of New Hotel?

Rumor has it among the people living nearby that this building under construction is possibly a new hotel on 39th street. If so it would be the third such hotel in the hood that is being planned. Located between 9th and 8th avenues it is ideally situated since you can take the D train at the 9th avenue station and be in midtown Manhattan in under 40 minutes.

[where: 11232]

New Starts

We are beginning this blog as an extension to our website to post about goings on in the neighborhood I have called home since 1970. The purpose is to have people from the area who are both new and old get to know the neighborhood and it's surroundings a bit better. Walking the length and breath of the neighborhood and it's periphery has allowed me to make some observations about the hood which I will post here.