A short walk in two Manhattan neighborhoods this morning could make you pretty proud to be a New Yorker. The sidewalks in front of hundreds of businesses and apartment buildings have been shoveled clear of ice and slush, making things convenient and safe for tens of thousands of pedestrians on their way to work. Whether it’s civic pride or a fear of being fined by the city, the clean sidewalks -- and streets -- made the rush-hour trip easier on yet another dreary winter day.

But that good feeling would melt away if you had to walk on the sidewalk along two city playgrounds on Houston Street and in Chelsea.

The busy block-long stretch of Houston Street that abuts Sara D. Roosevelt Park on the Lower East Side was covered with ice. Walking past freshly-shoveled landmarks like Katz’s and Russ & Daughters, pedestrians – including hundreds of schoolchildren -- were suddenly confronted with a dangerous and icy obstacle.

The case was the same at the Gertrude Kelly Playground in Chelsea where the sidewalks along West 16th and West 17th Streets were a slippery mess.  Again, every other piece of property along those busy blocks had their sidewalks clear. And both of these playgrounds are repeat offenders – with their sidewalks resembling skating rinks for days last winter.

It’s a classic case of “Do as I say, not as I do.” While the city can’t fine itself for negligence, it can be sued for thousands of dollars by someone who slips and breaks an arm or a leg on one of these icy patches in front of these playgrounds. With so many people walking these sidewalks, it’s inevitable that someone will get hurt. And after a couple of expensive lawsuits, the savings of not paying someone to shovel the sidewalk quickly goes away.

It’s a pretty good educated guess that these two pieces of property aren’t the only two tracts of sidewalks that aren’t getting some love by the city. And if the city won’t do the right thing and be a good neighbor, it should clear the sidewalks so taxpayers don’t have to foot yet another legal fee. That litigation – and someone’s pain – will linger long after the ice melts away.

 

Bob Hardt