No, not for the usual reasons that Americans hate the UN. For the reasons most New Yorkers, especially those of us in Midtown East, hate the UN.
Gridlock.
When the General Assembly meets, a big chunk of First Avenue is completely closed and a number of cross streets are too (from 42nd to 48th) on the East Side. We live just a few blocks north of the closed zone, and we get the full effects of that gridlock. Everybody who drives (big big mistake) to Queens and Long Island (big big big mistake) heads up First Avenue to the access points for the Queensboro Bridge (that's the official name -- Manhattanites call it the 59th Street Bridge).
Anyway, from early Monday morning till late Monday night there will be stock-still traffic below us, with all its pollution and cacophony of angry horns and screaming drivers. Oh and the insistently wailing sirens in stock-still ambulances, VIP processions, etc. This will go on all week. We'll get a few hours' relative peace from midnight to 6-7 AM, and it will start all over again.
My advice: Stay away. Come back next week.
First Ave on a very good day:
UN is just beyond the building on the left
Germany House is the first on the right
Maybe is time to move the UN building somewhere else...maybe the Catskills where they don't bother nobody and is much cheaper to maintain high security standards?
BTW usually it gets very bad when Bush comes around maybe we should ban him from the big apple :)
Ciao amico don't worry be happy...
Posted by: gabrio | September 24, 2007 at 11:30 AM
Ban Bush from the Big Apple? Hell, banish him to Zimbabwe.
As to the UN, maybe it should be moved to a city that really needs something big to give a reason to exist. Like Detroit, which I think is absolutely the worst city in America.
Posted by: Terry Hughes | September 24, 2007 at 11:35 AM
Uncle Terry,
don't worry & be happy: it's the same reason why Verona hate Vinitaly...
;-)))
Lizzy
Posted by: Lizzy | September 24, 2007 at 12:10 PM
Yeah, at least you dont have him househunting in your borough..see here
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/090907dnmetbushhome.2b7f51f.html#
Posted by: BR | September 24, 2007 at 06:35 PM
@ BR - Thank God for that. I assume that you, though, don't live in Highland Park or University Park. Mesquite?
@ Lizzy -- I understand why they must hate it. Still it does bring a lot of money into Verona, no? Just for the catering alone...
Posted by: Terry Hughes | September 24, 2007 at 07:33 PM
The bushes are more like weeds....
Posted by: Richard | September 25, 2007 at 07:50 PM
Time to get rid of the UN... get them OUT of this country.
They have no business telling us what to do anyway.
They are NOT my government!
Posted by: NH | August 20, 2008 at 02:15 AM
Get a fucking grip. I was complaining about traffic.
Posted by: Strappo | August 20, 2008 at 08:15 AM