The Overlook has seen better days

Located here and here.

Dead grass abounds, long since replaced by patches of dirt and rocks. The uneven terrain has proved a potent trip hazard. And then there is the mud puddle that has been present almost every day of the summer. A wonderful breeding ground for mosquitoes that make the park a sorry place to be at dusk.

- Ted, Kew Gardens

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Vacated Kew Gardens mansion hides a sinister past

Took a stroll down Park Lane South in Kew Gardens recently and stumbled upon this mansion that looks like it hasn't been kept up in quite some time.

Upon researching the history, it became apparent that the house was being operated as a transient hotel/SRO and was vacated by DOB in 2010. The owner pleaded guilty to bank fraud charges in 2009, and although there was an order for the Feds to seize the property, it's still in Irina Khaimov's name with a lien on it in the ACRIS system. There also is more than $100,000 in outstanding fines owed on the property for various violations.

As the site in question is in ownership limbo, the neighbors get to look at this unkempt lawn, and God knows what the inside of the place looks like since it doesn't appear to have been sealed. Goodbye, property values.

Park Lane South used to be one of those grand palace-lined thoroughfares that you could just picture people of means strolling along on a Sunday morning.

Welcome to the new Kew Gardens.

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Bus screeching must come to a halt

"Ever since the city began running long buses down Lefferts Blvd, no one in my area of Kew Gardens has gotten a good night's sleep. The buses, coming around the curve or going down the hill between Metropolitan Ave and 85th avenue, screech as loudly as an out of control car just before it crashes into a another vehicle. The noise level is unbelievable, and writing to my city councilwoman Koslowitz apparently does no good, as she does not even have the decency to respond to complaints. Either ban these buses or give them brake systems appropriate to the new size of the buses." - Anonymous

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Worker trapped where he shouldn't have been working

From NY1:

The worker was pinned under the pressure of hundreds of pounds of mud. Every time rescuers thought they'd be able to pull him out, he kept sliding deeper in.

"He was facing forward, but his legs were going back under him," said Chief Richard Portello of the FDNY Rescue Battalion.

Firefighters got the call that the man was trapped in the 25-foot hole at about 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The victim's brother said he was working and tried to release a chain but was buried in dirt up to his chest.

The Department of Buildings said the crew was doing excavation work for a home that does not have a permit.

A stop-work order was issued when inspectors found workers had failed to install proper shoring that likely contributed to the collapse.

Address is: 119-21 83rd Avenue

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