Sara D. Roosevelt Park Reclaimed for the People—(Mostly Anyway)

Don’t say the city doesn’t care about parks!

Though sometimes it might seem that way— when this or that should-be oasis is more notable for its persistent litter, messy restrooms, homeless people, and drug addicts—the city does care, deeply, as recent clean-up efforts on the southern end of Sara D. Roosevelt Park demonstrate.

The much-needed work follows Straus News recent reporting on the recent proliferation of homeless encampments, trash and drug paraphernalia there, which itself follows a Straus News series on similar conditions at the nearby Manhattan Bridge Plaza.

Asked about the prevalent anarchy at Sarah D. Roosevent Park during his weekly Tuesday press conference on October 29, Mayor Adams said he’d look into it. By the following morning, when Straus News returned to the site, true to Hizzoner’s word, conditions at the park had improved substantially.

While it wasn’t a complete success, Department of Homeless Services workers had been dispatched and the most elaborate and messy of the makeshift hovels and their attendant garbage bins had been removed.

One tent did remain on the ground on the park’s south side, next to the fencing that abuts Canal Street, while a nearby stood a wheelchair with its presumed owner passed out on the ground in front of it.

Down by the southwest turn of the 1/10th mile track which surrounds the park’s likewise miniature soccer field, a Camel Crown brand tent was still standing.

On the field’s northeast side, representing the Park’s function as a great public gathering place, a group of middle-aged and older Chinese women were doing their dance-like calisthenic exercises to Chinese-themed music.

Behind them, in the park’s northeast corner, Asian men and women play table tennis, both in doubles and singles matches.

Elsewhere on the track’s perimeter, Chinese men played cards or watched their companions do the same, with some chain smoking— a habit which is forbidden in all city parks but which is tolerated here when kept to the park’s margins.

As with nearly all smokers, however, litter is a problem.

See that patch of dirt over or that bed of plants over there? They are not for smokers to flick away their cigarette butts!

Ironically, this cigarettes issue is more evident the cleaner the park gets, as it’s revealed that the ground where homeless like to reside, is also already home to thousands of discarded butts.

Cleaning these up, as they are able, are the same people who clean up the needles from the park, which in this case are the Black maintenance workers of the Parks Department. On this morning, they number three, one of whom told Straus News they’d already picked up fifty-five discarded needles.

The time of statement was 9:45 a.m.

This reporter thanked the worker for his labors.

The Parks worker went on to note that while the public believes 311 is only for complaints, they can also offer thanks for their good work too.

This reporter said he would convey that message to our readers.

While certain homeless and addiction activists have criticized the city for such clean-up efforts, which often need to be repeated, at expelling people from the parks, what is the alternative? The city provides ample services to both homeless people and drug addicts.

Meanwhile, left to their own devices, even overnight, they leave Sarah D. Roosevelt filled with refuse and the unsanitary detritus that city workers are tasked to clean up— again and again and again.

How many dirty needles a day do the anti-cleanup “advocates” have to pick each day? The same question might be asked of politicians who have let SDR Park languish as an open-air drug bazaar, shantytown and mental asylum for decades.

Returning on Saturday afternoon, Straus News found the park still in decent fettle. A homeless man, who we recognized from prior visits, and his unleashed dog were present, while another unhoused person was passed out face down on the soccer field., where no games were then in progress.

Outside the entrance to Pace High School, a third homeless person was ensconced in a large sports equipment bag.

According to administration sources, Sarah D. Roosevelt Park was scheduled for another cleanup on Wednesday November 6.