OpEd: East New York Hotel & Prostitution Just One Block from High School

photo: Hotel on Glenmore Ave with Maxwell H.S. in the background

by Alice Williamson / 15 year resident of East New York

Can you please post this letter on EastNewYork.com?

I am appalled by what I am seeing in East New York, where I have been living for the past 15 years. The prostitution on the blocks around Glenmore and Sheffield Avenues, just one block from Maxwell High School has been growing, but I have not heard one peep from the elected officials or members of Community Board 5 about the situation. So many people are talking about development and rezoning in East New York, but if the development is going to be 50 new hot sheet and shelter hotels then how will the community progress. The neighborhood is going down fast and no one is saying a word.  I went to Inez Barron’s office on Pennsylvania Ave. and the office is empty with no desks and no people. Where are you?

This week I noticed that there is a hotel that has been built and preparing to open at 367 Glenmore Ave, across the street from Maxwell High School and on the same block as the prostitution. I am hoping that this letter is read by the right community leaders who can fix this problem and fight against the opening of that hotel. The question that I have is who approved the building of this hotel across the street from a high school and on the same block where prostitution is rampant.

If this is what development looks like in East New York then I think I speak for my neighbors when I say I don’t want this kind of development.

Please help!