At the corner of 123rd Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem is a bright blue sidewalk shed. A hated, despised sidewalk shed. As told by the Times, this telltale marker of construction work or facade repairs, which obscures a bodega, has been around for exactly 10 years. And its infamous birthday this September is a milestone the neighbors are trying to seize upon to convince the city to finally get rid of it. Why? Well, let's run down a roster of unsavory things the shed is used for.
1) "Occasional outdoor sex."
2) Public urination.
3) "Brawls."
4) A popular sleeping spot for the local homeless.
The story details nearby residents' fight to have it removed, which is made more difficult by an unwilling and unresponsive landlord and the Department of Building's inability to enforce do anything at all. The building's architect said he and the developer were trying to get a permit for the long-delayed work on the facade.
Elected officials are denouncing the scaffolding as wrong, but there might not be much they can do about it. It may not be the most terrifying scaffolding in all of New York, but it sure gets points for longevity. Godspeed, neighbors.
· A Decade On, a Sidewalk Shed Is Still an Unwanted Shelter [NYT]
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