By Gus Saltonstall
A set of new benches is headed to an Upper West Side stretch of Columbus Avenue.
The benches will be installed on Columbus Avenue, between West 81st and 92nd streets, by the New York City Department of Transportation, following a letter from Upper West Side Councilmember Gale Brewer.
“There is a large stretch from West 81st Street to West 92nd Street lacking public seating, aside from a bench on West 88th Street in front of the Phelps House Senior Building and one outside of my District Office on West 87th Street,” Brewer wrote in the letter, which was on behalf of an Upper West Side senior who commented on the lack of seating options within the specific stretch. “Manhattan Community District 7 ha one of the highest populations of senior city-wide; it is important that residents are comfortable and feel at ease when walking around the neighborhood.”
Danielle Zuckerman, the DOT’s Manhattan Borough Commissioner, responded to Brewer’s letter confirming that the agency would install the following six benches along the stretch.
- 445 Columbus Avenue, between West 81st and 82nd streets
- 451 Columbus Avenue, between West 81st and 82nd streets
- 527 Columbus Avenue, between West 85th and 86th streets
- 562 Columbus Avenue, between West 87th and 88th streets
- 640 Columbus Avenue, between West 91st and 92nd streets
- 641 Columbus Avenue, between West 91st and 92nd streets
The DOT added that the new benches will be installed within the next two months.
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We need more benches on cross streets too. Eyes on the street is the best way to prevent crime! Every block should have at least one.
You were telling us that crime’s way down and that those who express concern about crime are fearmongering. But now you admit that the threat of crime on the UWS is enough of a concern that we need “eyes on the street.”
1. Crime is way down and it’s still falling. We should mostly keep doing what we are doing as long as that’s true 2. Benches are a cheap, effective way to fight the crime we do have and reduce it ever further.
Do you feel there is much crime?
From your other posts, you’ve indicated neighborhood is pretty safe.
I’d agree it is mostly safe.
Don’t see how benches on side streets prevent crime?
Then Amazon deliveries would block sidewalks more + ebikes would be a bigger hazard to dogs and pedestrians.
Many side streets barely have room for a single pedestrian, where would you put the benches?
Although, since we give up parking spaces for restaurants to use for seating maybe there should be a few spaces for public benches .
There are a few parking spots left that can be eliminated for benches.
Benches aren’t in the street. Check Columbus in the 70s for examples.
More likely you will have vagrants dozing off on them.
Wow, a whole 6 for the 8 people who need them. Well done!
“8 people who need them”? Glad you don’t need to rest sometimes.
I see you don’t recognize sarcasm when you s ee it.
I assumed that Judy Harris was being sarcastic because of the “whole 6”. She would agree (I think) that there should be more benches.
Meh. Ok. I guess I’ll take it. Not a pressing need but there are worse things. Aren’t there seats at bus stops if someone really needs to sit down?
Big fan of WSR, but I think you can allocate your reporting resources better than this – it is one step up from just publishing press releases – you do a lot of great work and this isn’t that exciting…
Benches are valuable for many West Siders.
I’m a fan of WSR and I appreciated reading this article. (I even Googled two of the addresses to see exactly where they are.)
The seats at bus stops are nowhere near the same as a proper city bench.
Sorry this doesn’t “excite” you.
Agree. Rather than reporting on this, perhaps we could get more information on what happened at the CEC3 meeting last night? I just got an e-mail about it and it sounds pretty bad, but the party line e-mail was obviously/understandably sanitized so I would love to know more about exactly what happened. Thanks.
Benches matter.
Please no outdoor dining sheds.
Why the CPW photo? Also, the benches will metal like those on Columbus in the 70s.
I, for one, am glad for the prospect of extra benches. Not only seniors look for a bench to rest a moment – people recovering from surgeries, pregnant persons, people walking with small children, the occasional “I got a phone call and now I don’t have to stand against a storefront, or worse, block the sidewalk, and can sit for a moment to have my call.” Also, benches are cool and hurt no one. Rest a moment. Say hi to someone. 🙂
Before you install benches Ms. Brewer clean up the sidewalks and streets. There sis so much garbage everywhere.
Thank you from many of us for new benches.
Thank you for reporting this. Knowing there are benches makes it safer for people who want to get out but may need to rest. I think the WSR should not be expected to be the New York Times. The WSR covers topics of interest to many of us, and perhaps readers who aren’t interested in some topics could consider just skipping those articles rather than criticizing.
what misery everyone is suffering. get a life, read a book, call a friend, take a walk . This is OK and a minor improvement which wont hurt anybody.and mino
I do hope they give us wooden benches. The metal trash that have shown up are uncomfortable and cold to sit on. They replaced a lot of the perfectly good wooden benches in the subway with the now pealing paint metal ones throwing good money down the drain.
Thank you Gale!
Will these new benches have pull out beds so they will be more comfortable to sleep on?
Columbus Avenue has one between 92nd & 93rd in front of what used to be Party City.
What about Amsterdam Avenue between 81 and 92?
Why is Amsterdam always treated like the “red headed stepchild?”
How did the comments here go so off kilter? This is good news (yes, not earth-shattering,) but still OK. I’m usually sick of the WSR being the “Pravda news service” for Gale Brewer, but here, she did good.
Still, I’m not sure how the conversation got to “more eyes” on the street,
While it’s great progress, I’m very disappointed. Due to the American Museum of Natural History’s expansion into Teddy Roosevelt park, many of the benches on the Columbus side of the museum were removed, never to return, and still not. What was taken away was the long history of locals who would sit on those benches under to cool of the trees on summer evenings.