LHaus
Jan 26 2009

More distress caused by the 7-train shutdown from LIC to Flushing

Sheila Lewandowski of the Chocolate Factory Theater, Long Island City, laments the decline of attendance to the weekend 7-train shutdown.

Long Island City’s struggle with the 7-train is still in the news. Very in-depth NYT article chronicling the repeated annual shutdown of the 7 train, and how Queens residents deal with the cold blow:

M.T.A. shuttle buses will run from the Long Island City stops to Queensboro Plaza, where riders can take the N line to Manhattan (and with a bit of a walk to transfer, the E), but the trip to Grand Central, ordinarily about five minutes, can now take closer to 40. “Part of how this neighborhood is being sold is on its convenience,” said Sheila Lewandowski, the theater’s executive director, who has lived in Long Island City for 11 years. “You have to do maintenance. But there’s no forward thinking that includes the community. If I knew a year ago, we could have rescheduled our opening.”

“It happens every single year: ‘Happy New Year, we’re going to have to cut your train off,’ ” said City Councilman John C. Liu, who mounted a vociferous battle last year to force the authority to speed up and finish track work before the Asian Lunar New Year, the busiest weekend of the year for Flushing’s Chinatown, at the end of the line. “They always say it’s for ‘signal and track work,’ the same excuse,” Mr. Liu said.

Then there are weekend shift workers who commute to Manhattan: technicians at hospitals, doormen, janitors for whom a taxi ride home would eat several hours’ wages. They will find long waits in the cold especially frustrating given the prospect of a fare increase during an economic downturn, Ms. Suda said. Josh Grisetti, 27, moved to Long Island City for the relatively affordable rents, but now finds the East River divide wider than usual. “There’s no reason it should take me 45 minutes,” he said. “I live right across the water.”

Speaking of the Chinese New Year, it’s today. Out with the Rat and in with the Ox. Hallejulah.

Commuting

18 Comments

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To help out the theater and to show some neighborhood solitary while the MTA continues to dither, I think everyone should buy a few tickets to the performance on the days the No. 7 isn’t running.

#1 Anonymous / 3 years ago

LIQcity could you please stop posting about the subway problem?? We know already and you are not helping by constantly advertising it. It’s making people want to come here less, and that’s not fair to the community.

#2 Anonymous / 3 years ago

Yes, poster #2 is one of the mods on astorians.com.

If you persist in pointing out the clouds in Happy Kingdom you will be banned.

#3 Anonymous / 3 years ago

Chocolate Factory gets a ton of money from boro hall while the old community gets squat or torn down.

Dont feel sorry for them.

#4 Anonymous / 3 years ago

Is #2 serious?? There needs to be as much media attention as possible. Thank you liQcity for keeping this in play. It’s a huge problem!

#5 Anonymous / 3 years ago

#2 is smoking some really bad schwag. Or is kidding and it didn’t translate. I talked to a business owner on Vernon yesterday who is in serious danger of losing his business. I’m not going to name names, but it’s a business we all know and love and would be sorry to see go. We need to patronize our local business. Please go shopping and eating in LIC!

#6 Anonymous / 3 years ago

#2 is a developer?

#7 Anonymous / 3 years ago

Or a broker. We all know how they love to tell the truth.

#8 Anonymous / 3 years ago

#6 please name the business so we know where to patronize it. Times are tough for everyone so it would help to be able to spend our money and know it helps those struggling. At least leave a hint.

#9 Anonymous / 3 years ago

I have no idea what the business is, but I’ll guess either the barber shop or Dominoe’s Hoek. I need a haircut and a beer anyway, so I’ll go help them out.

#10 Anonymous / 3 years ago

It really depends on what business it is. If its the pharmacy or the check cashing place I say let it go. We could also use one less bodega on Vernon.

#11 Anonymous / 3 years ago

#2 how are people going to come here if there is no train on the weekend? Better that they know ahead of time than try and then be frustrated and never want to come again. I hate the 7 train shutdown. It makes getting around so much harder especially in the cold. It’s $20-30 for a car to Manhattan. And there are no F-ing taxis to catch anywhere. And I don’t have the money for all that right now. It’s like throwing salt in the wound for real.

#12 Anonymous / 3 years ago

#4 is apparently against the arts. I consider the arts to be an important part of our community that needs to be protected.

I did some research and found out the following: Each year, The Chocolate Factory provides approximately 35 weeks of development, performance and installation residencies supporting the work of over 100 artists working in dance, theater, music, visual and multi-disciplinary arts. Over 5,000 visitors hailing from all five boroughs of New York City as well as our own Hunters Point neighborhood visit annually.

So that means they are stimulating the local economy for one thing. Second I looked at their annual budget for 2007. Of their revenues and contributions received, a miniscule portion goes to administration and operating costs. The vast portion goes directly to programming.

#13 Anonymous / 3 years ago

#12, take the bus or walk to the E.

#14 Anonymous / 3 years ago

Dominie’s Hoek always seems pretty busy.

#15 Anonymous / 3 years ago

I’m going to let you all in on a little secret. Train tracks don’t fix themselves!!!!!!!!!! Isn’t that amazing???? I’m as shocked as you are. The 7 train shutdowns are a necessity of life. Every inch of track between 45 Road Courthouse Square and Hunter’s Point are being replaced, along with the signals. Those tracks are more than 25 years old and are in serious need of replacement. LIC is still a developing area with lots more potential for growth, so its better they do it now when it affects fewer people than 5 years from now when the population doubles. Complain all you like about the MTA, they have a monopoly on public transportation in NYC, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Trains can derail off the structure and kill many people on board the train. So be glad and appreciate that your ride will be safer for years to come.

#16 anonymous / 3 years ago

thank you #16 for a level headed response.

btw, the look of agony on that woman’s face in the photo above is like … ughhh
was that shot for this article, or is it some stock photo from them?

#17 Anonymous / 3 years ago

16, do you realize that the shutdowns have been going on for at least 20 years? I don’t know any other line that has been shut down as often as the No. 7, so of course people are getting fed up with it. Get the frigging job done already so that we can get back to a normal schedule.

#18 Anonymous / 3 years ago

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