If you live near a school that lacks its own playground (as many city elementary schools do), your block might be designated a “play street.” Sounds fun, right? Wrong. One Upper West Sider told us why:
- Every school day for at least a couple of hours, the block is closed to traffic whenever the temperature is 35 degrees or more. Also, vehicles—including Access-A-Ride ones—can’t pass the barricades to get down the block, meaning you can be stranded for hours.
- It’s loud. Incredibly loud. So if you work from home, you might want to consider living elsewhere.
- You might be criticized for criticizing the institution, especially if the “play street” is attached to a school in a church or another religious institution. As Tony Vellela, who lived near one on 107th between Broadway and Amsterdam avenues, said, “Whenever I get up to speak about the problem in public, I’m vilified for being anti-church, anti-God, anti-child. Next they’ll be accusing me of being anti-sunshine.”
For more, read “Living next to a ‘play street’? Don’t even think of working from home.”
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