Clean Up New York City Garbage

New Yorkers have grown accustomed to the garbage. It is true, in midtown areas where there are active BIDs, the garbage is contained quite nicely. However, even in these neighborhoods, the problem exists that there is a constant abundance of large black garbage bags that line the sidewalk once, twice or three times a week waiting for pickup at some point in the future.

On a trip to Paris, I was going to do some “research” on how Paris manage to stay so clean. I saw the sanitation crews early in the mornings washing down the streets, but I never saw large accumulations of garbage. When I asked a friend, she told me the garbage is picked up on a very regular schedule - within one half hour of the scheduled pick up. For those who know the day and time and can be home, the garbage containers (not just bags on the sidewalk) stays out for only a short time. I suppose the commercial garbage is handeled the same way.

NYC, with a minimal effort, could have sponsors for uniquely designed “garbage holders”. For the large accumulations, larger containers could be created. They could have other uses - seating, flower beds, etc. I will be asking some artists, designers and architects to include their ideas on this site. I guess the city has been working for a few decades on how to better contain the garbage left in cans at corners. I hope within this decade, a clever idea will emerge so street corners are not overflowing with garbage.

I have included below some of my photos. I did not have to look through my “archives”, I just had to take a drive.

Donald S. Weiss
555 W. 151 St. #26
NYC, NY 10031
Tel - 212 - 283-1278
Fax - 212 - 283-6522
E Mail - DWeiss5348@aol.com

Other Web Sites:

CRHNYC.com - Committee For Rational Housing Laws & Economic Development in NYC & NY State (When can we, as New Yorkers, discuss the significant aspect of the Rent Stabilization Law - it ostensibly prevents change and has “cemented” in NY Cities population base at it’s historically lowest economic level! Rent Stabilization ostensibly prevents change and Has “cemented” in NYC’s population base at its lowest socio-economic level historically. The life time rights to rent apartments that the poor people have that replaced the middle class when they fled NYC has taken off the housing market about one half of NYC’s rental housing stock. This massive change in supply has created higher rents for the middle class and narrowed their choices of where thy feel comfortable living.

CFANA.com - Committee For a New America (Would it be moral to allow our American cities to become middle class again and, if so, what do we do with the poor? We have come to accept that, in America, we house and care for the poor in our great cities. My suggestion for change can be found on this site and a new one going up soon - CommunityLivingCenters.com.

SugarHillAC.com - Sugar Hill Art Center - History and photos of the Art Center I opened in October, 2001
(great timing!) in Harlem.

NoMorePennies.com - No More Pennies! Why do we need them? Why not get a final number, then round up or down to the nearest nickel? Get rid of them now.

WhyZoning.com - Why Zoning? - Paris and London do not have zoning! It is considered part of American culture. But it prevents natural change. Why not do as these two great cities do and allow existing property to be used for its best use. This allows for good development - the market knows best! To think, as in NYC, that someone 50 years ago knew exactly what was the best use of every space then, and 50 years later, is preposterous. New development should be “directed” by government.

CellPhonesandDataBases.com - Cell Phones and Databases - We are dysfunctional in America. In most other countries, including China, cell phones operate by satellite dishes - reception is excellent. In America, we use towers - reception is terrible! And calling information - T Mobil, Verizon, etc., etc. They all have their own data bases and do not share information. Clever! There should be a way to coordinate data bases so one can get a telephone number from whatever phone one is calling from even though the number listed might have been registered with another phone company.

DowntownLAgentrification.com - Downtown LA Gentrification - Downtown LA is the same as many American cities in many ways - it has seen its better day. The poor are the primary shoppers and occupy many of the once glorious hotels. Their presence on the streets is abundant. In many way, however, downtown LA is different from many other American cities. Most of the beautiful buildings are still intact. When they were built they were used by the “gentry” for shopping and offices. Upscale stores were common. Today the shopping still exists, but it is stores selling cheap merchandise to a primarily poor client. The buildings are used mostly for manufacturing.