Letters to the editor, June 15

It’s a playground, not a bark park

I honestly do not mind people in Stuyvesant Town owning dogs. For the most part, so far, our walks and playgrounds are still fairly clean. I don’t even mind neighbors’ dogs barking every time I enter and leave my apartment. I acknowledge this is a shared building, and not a private home.

What I do mind is this preposterous idea of a Saturday morning dog “get together” in playground 6. I could not believe my ears June third when sitting in my living room reading the New York Times, there were at least twenty dogs all barking at each other. This continued from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. It was excessively noisy and extremely annoying that on Saturday, when most people and I have off from work, we were accosted by incessant dog barking for three hours.

I would like to know who thought up this crazy, offensive (to non-dog owners) idea. The owners thought this was great fun– 20 barking dogs for three hours. Do they not hear how loud this is? Obviously they put dog rights above human quality of life.

I hope there is not a next time for all of us whose apartments face Playground 6.

Until this practice is stopped, I have prepared myself with Advil and earplugs. I was thinking about standing outside a dog owner’s apartment and barking for three hours straight when he was trying to relax and his dog was no longer barking, but my husband reminded me that Bellevue was right up the block.

Marianne Emanuel, ST

Playground noise not a problem

I’m writing in response to the recent two-year tenant and psychotherapist Stuart Levinson, who continues to complain about noise from Playground 11 in a May 18 article by Sabina Mollot (“Fed up by basketball noise, ST man aims to get rid of playground,” T&V, May 18).

I am an original tenant in Stuy Town (December 1947). Our apartment is on Main (one floor up) in a Stuy Oval apartment which faces Playground 11.
Our complex is so unique! So many places for kids, grownups and seniors to gather, play, work out and meet to chat. Playgrounds are wonderful for different activities. Noise is really minimal. Mr. Levinson, changing Playground 11 “to a garden” is not an option.

I have just one word for Mr. Levinson, who just got married two years ago to a 20-year tenant — if it is so noisy and annoying for you — move! We who live in ST/PCV love the diversity/variety in our very unique, private complex.

Lois Hall, ST

RGB, hear my plea

I’m a retired government worker and have the good fortune of collecting a pension. Eventually I will also be able to collect Social Security. But the only way for me to afford living in NYC and stay in my Rent Stabilized apartment is because I continue to work part-time. Together, these streams of income keep my rent at 40 percent of my income.

But what happens when I can no longer work? I’m already bringing in more than the $50,000 that would freeze my rent under SCRIE so I will never be able to benefit from the age/income related freeze program as I age. Once I stop working, my rent will only continue to increase, while my income will stagnate.

I foresee having to spend 50 percent, 60 percent or even more of my benefits on rent.

This is a horrifying prospect and will force me into a situation where I may eventually face eviction when I have to choose between rent and the other necessities of life.

The buck needs to stop here with a continued rent freeze that reflects how the rest of us live.

Name withheld, ST