Bravo! I agree with Elaine Paris’s letter, “Metered Street Parking,” in the Feb. 6 issue. Everything she says is true, and I am sure she is a good, law-abiding citizen in Great Neck, as I am. I have written similar letters over the past two years—and I am not a whining complainer.
Nothing gets done in this town. I am constantly throwing more quarters than needed into our meters, and so many of them don’t work. I usually take down the number of the broken meter, and move my car, wasting time and quarters.
It used to be that when you went to the clerk’s desk at the Village of Great Neck Plaza and gave her the broken meter number, she recorded/reported it and gave you a quarter back. They don’t return your quarters anymore (wow, that must really enhance the village’s revenues). Now, they are saying if a meter is broken that is your problem. They should fix it and not give a ticket to a broken meter. But leaving a note, saying “broken,” on it does nothing.
In my last letter to the paper, I mentioned (for the umpteenth time) my concern about empty storefronts, double parking, U-turns on Middle Neck Road, youngsters giving you the finger if you honk or ask them to move on and that there are very few good places to eat in Great Neck anymore, which is why I wind up spending my time on Plandome Road in Manhasset instead.
And, the old Playhouse still lingers, year after year after year. Tear it down or renovate it. Isn’t that lovely? I know, put the blame on the Great Neck Estates.
At least a new French patisserie and brasserie opened recently in the Old Village—it
is fabulous.
As a consummate shopper and diner out, at least there is one nice breakfast restaurant. As mentioned in my last letter, I go to Louie’s Manhasset Restaurant before the Great Neck diner.
Years ago, I shopped at Igia and ate at Millie’s and Violette’s. Those days are gone. I love, though, that I walk to Starbucks daily—and soon that awful Best Market will be replaced, as I now shop at Whole Foods and King Kullen.
Whatever happened to our downtown? Stores go in and out, without regard to doing a professional feasibility and marketing study first.
Bravo, Ms. Paris.
Again, I love my co-op and my location.
—Bonnie Lyons Salkind
