Long Island City fights back against… crime? Corruption? Well, sort of.

#1, that’s not actually true. It’s about half of them. Many in the older neighborhoods of Boston don’t even have the lit up signage, in order to fit with the neighborhood around them. Also, the one in Greenpoint still has the flags up 5 months after the opening.

#3 I thought both your comment and Steve’s column were funny. Why say either of you were bad?

Ditto #5. Also, I would love it if that garish sign was de-lightful.

#7. why someone? how about you do that??

Why are there 2 Subways within a few blocks from each other on Jackson? Who let that happen?

8, this is exactly what I would have done. But I’m in my 60s now with two bum knees. It’s time for the youngsters to carry the torch (and I mean that metaphorically, of course).

The 108 is probably protecting the DD streamers. They don’t do anything else, so they have the time. And we all know how cops feel about donuts…

Is LIC really that spoiled? I am shocked by this response to a simple store opening.

16, if it were a “simple store opening,” no one would have minded. Instead, it’s a loud, grotesque horror show in pink and orange vinyl. I’m surprised no one has mentioned the fact that this store is directly across the street from one of the few historic gems — St. Mary’s church — in the neighborhood.

Way to go LIQCity! The flags are all gone. No more streamers, no more pennants.

This is all very interesting. Personally I’m with Steve, I have no problem with Dunkin’ coming to the hood, but we are kind of like a small town here and it would be great if chains come, if they can kind of stay within the lines of the character of this place. I liked the example of the starbucks in greenpoint who altered their signage so it’s like the marquee, since they took over an old theatre space. It would have been great if Dunkin’ had done a more old school low key sign, and probably we would have all appreciated their effort. Instead they went in the exact opposite direction, but at least they seem to be responding to the community’s reaction. Thanks Dunkin’ Donuts for taking the flags down.

Thank you liqcity. Thank you Steve. And thank you Dunkin’ Donuts.

Great news about flags! Now if DD would modify that ugly OVERSIZED awning. It is really not hard to create an awning thats more in line with the rest of the neighborhood, yet displays the brand name and logo, etc.
I really hate seeting LIC turning into Jamaica or something along those lines.

Agree with #27 …a lots issues here to be addressed in LIC for sure…please discuss more about health, kids, and safety in this blog.

27, you make excellent points about the Vernon Mall. But why limit complaints to any one issue? This blog tends to have a real estate angle, and so I think that’s why the DD Flag Furor generated so many comments because it’s a new business that just opened up.

But, absolutely, I couldn’t agree with you more about the litter and vagrant problem in LIC. I would also point some blame at that liquor store near the subway. They seem to have no problem selling booze to drunks and homeless litterers.

They aren’t homeless or vagrant. New LIC people, here’s some important information for you. Those guys who sit at the Vernon Mall are from the halfway house around the corner on Borden Ave. They have been here for years and are not going to go anywhere and for the most part are harmless. Just don’t give them any money and handle yourself as you would anywhere else in NYC and you will be fine. They are part of our population. We all can’t live in fancy high-rises or even nice townhouses. Aso show respect for homeless people because hey are human, and just be grateful you are not in their position in life. Trying to get rid of them is not the answer nor is it going to happen.

As for the street cleaning that’s just Albany’s laziness. If you care that much then let’s start a neighborhood cleanup and clean up our streets ourselves. Don’t just come onto a blog and anonymously complain for someone else to do work to make your environment better. You can participate too.

32 — Talk about bleeding heart. So you make excuses for drunks who live in a halfway house and drink in public and hang out all day littering in a park? Sorry, I’ve lived in LIC my whole life and that was never considered acceptable behavior, no matter how much money or luck you had. There would be no need to grab a broom if those bums weren’t there all day throwing their empties on the street. Stop making excuses for people who have no respect.

Thanks #32 i find it so sad the way people treat the homeless. they are not the only ones that litter in fact sometimes they pick it up. there was a homeless guy on 51st who used to watch out for the parked cars so they wouldn’t get broken into. i used to give him food and my brother’s old clothes. show some compassion. it’s not a bleeding heart but just having one in the first place.

# 34 you are correct, why make excuses for drunks who live in a halfway house and their disrespect for us the tax paying people who’s tax dollars are going to keep them in that halfway house. And another thing about comment # 32, just because something has been there for so many years does not make it right. It’s that mentality that gets you nowhere and leads you into a bigger problem. And who is to say that they are harmless, do you know this for a fact # 32? This whole attitude of wait and see, or we can’t do anything about them until something happens is just dumb. So, you believe that they are all moral upstanding citizens that live in this halfway house # 32? If so maybe you can pack up your bags and move in with them to see what kind of people they really are and after you are all settled in you can write us back about how wonderful your life. Waiting around until one of them either, robs, rapes, or beats you up for money is not the solution. I’ve been witness to them making nasty comment to people on the street when they walk by. We need the police to be more proactive with this issues especially since they are only 1 block away.

#39 – Yes, thats a great idea. Liqcity – how about that contest? Iam sure we can come up with something more tasteful for the DD awning.

#41 have a seat and take a deep breath. I think the contest would be a great idea and it would be very entertaining. It would also provide a solution to a problem instead of just complaining about it.

The flags worked ! got the people talking about the new store.

Funny how the only place you can see the streamers is in the liqcity blog. It now feels like a a limited time offer deal. If you didn’t see it, you missed it!

I think this whole exhausting chain of comments and events just shows that the owner of DD is responsive to the community. The people who say DD is just a corporate chain that they won’t patronize should note that somewhere, the owner of this DD is just a mom or pop trying to make a living. And who cared enough to respond to the voice of the community. They didn’t have to change things because they need the business of the complainers–the place has been packed since it opened. They just did it. I’m going in to say thanks.

I also think this exhausting chain of comments shows that LIC is not a nameless neighborhood in the city. We care about what happens here and preserving LIc’s character. Yes it would be great if we were more vocal about other issues that plague us too, so let’s do it!

51, There isn’t a double standard. Trust me, people have been complaining (and not just on blogs) about the problems of public drinking and nuisances (like the cops dumping abandoned vehicles there) from that mall for many years. You assume people in “old” LIC are happy about that place? Rubbish. The instant the decision was made to place that facility in the neighborhood, we all knew we’d have impacts, which are much deeper and difficult to address than a local business sticking up ugly streamers. If you want to spearhead a movement to clean up the mall, I’m sure you’d get many volunteers to help out. You could start by asking our local neighborhood business organization if they could do something too.

Starbucks is a chain store…also LV and Gucci……

#52 I call BS. If there was a serious attempt to do something about this all that would need to be done is protest the renewal of the liquor lic. of that establishment. To my knowledge the only lic. renewal issues in front of the community board are those involving new resturants, so yes there is a double standard. If the community wanted to shut down Vernon Wine they would have done so. My sense is that they look the other way because its part of “old” LIC.

The community board meetings aren’t the proper venue to air the kinds of issues and concerns we’re talking about here. They are a body with a narrow set of responsibilities with an insider’s perspective and don’t even focus themselves on our ‘hood. I think LIC (or Hunters Point anyway) needs a neighborhood group that can lobby for things that are of unique concern to residents.

57, I just don’t agree with your insinuation that somehow “old” LIC protects unappealing businesses simply because they were here before you showed up. It’s more than a little insulting. You need to give people a little more credit than that. And perhaps a neighborhood group is just the kind of body that can finally bridge the trust issues we have in LIC.

Who should pay for this new sign/awning? The owners of DD? Should be interesting…

I would prefer a free-range mint over organic. I want the mint to have been able to blow freely in the wind instead of in a cage. Thanks LIQ! You’re the best.

Sorry, #63 was a response to #61.

enough with the awning….move on…

I agree with #66. We won with the flags. Are you people never satisfied? Just say thank you and let’s move on. They didn’t have to take the streamers down and they did. That’s amazing in my book.

#58, the neighborhood group is the Hunters Point Development Corporation – which is chaired by Terri and her son Brian (from the Army/Navy store) on Vernon.

You people have WAY too much time on your hands. I wish I had your problems so that I could concentrate on a problem as petty as this. All you so called \neighborhood\ people should take a look in the window of D&D during the day and see all your freinds in there. Unreal that a lawyer was sent in to have a word with the establishment. Seeing as though there is always a line at the counter , I dont think they will going anywhere soon so get used to it. D&D also brings alot of foot traffic to the neighborhood, which in turn brings more patrons for other businesses. Stop wasting your time on this BS and concentrate on the things that will truly improve LIC.

#72 so you are saying that not one person who walks out of Dunkin Donuts would patronize any other business on Vernon or take a quick look around the neighborhood and want to come back sometime? Makes perfect sense to me, maybe you’re right, maybe I am out of my mind

Went to try to get a bagel sandwich last Sunday at the bagel store on Vernon and
51st St last Sunday afternoon and noticed it was closed. Hope this is not an effect
of the arrival of DDs.