A sinkhole opened up on Freedom Place between 66th and 68th Street sometime between Wednesday and Thursday and forced water to be shut off, though residents and businesses were apparently not affected.
The street was closed as of Thursday afternoon as the pavement had caved in towards the center of the street, noted our tipster Doug who took the photo.
There was a water leak in this area and water was shut off,” a Department of Environmental Protection spokesman told us. “Investigation is ongoing. Shutdown does not affect any residents or businesses – everyone has water service.”
Here’s a view from farther away.
Note to all other Upper West Siders, we’re all doomed. Soon a giant sinkhole will envelop the entire neighborhood. The signs are obvious. (I blame de Blasio.)
We had a good run. Ate a lot of bagels. Got pushed in the back by old ladies at Zabar’s. Maybe saw some operas. But it’s all over.
I just want to see the snowy owl before it finally ends.
That’s hilarious!
At least you’ll be able to get down to the subway faster.
Quite familiar with that area of Freedom Place and have long been aware of some VERY shoddy pavement work:
1. rusting-out of metal grates in sidewalks;
2. poorly-maintained curb-cuts;
3. general “shabbiness” of street infrastructure in sharp contrast to the “luxury” buildings of that area.
Wasn that a Trump development?
Sinkholes aren’t caused by shoddy work done at the street surface level, especially those items you mentioned like curb cuts. They’re the result of something going on below the surface.
Long before the construction of buildings on the West side of the street, parked cars were regularly sinking into the pavement on Freedom. I have witnessed it many times over the 39 years I have lived on the UWS. This latest hole suggests that there is a bigger issue with Freedom Place that still needs to be addressed.
luxury housing
Who developed that area?
Area development is complicated. But the name of the street — Freedom Place — is important. It was named for the education and voter-registration drive in Mississippi in 1964 known as Freedom Summer. A horror that resulted from the program was the murder at the hands of the KKK of three volunteers, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner. Goodman was an Upper West Sider (grew up on W. 86 St.) It may have been Council Member Ted Weiss behind the naming of the street in their honor. There is a plaque commemorating the three civil-rights martyrs on the property of 205 West End Ave. at the intersection of Freedom Place and W. 70 St. Their advocacy for voting rights is carried on today by the Andrew Goodman Foundation (andrewgoodman.org).
thats a hassle for the ratties
they might need to relocate to fla