Recently in North Queen Street Category

Last evening after work I went for a walk downtown and noticed a three new businesses.

First, on North Queen Street we saw a sign advertising restaurant space. It would be great to have a neighborhood place to grab some grub. Here's to hoping it's open after 6 p.m.




Less than a block after the restaurant space, there's signs all over a vacant warehouse right next to the train tracks. More loft apartments. Sounds like a cool idea. Here's to hoping the rent is less than $1,000.




Finally, we were walking up North George Street and saw a sign saying a new restaurant is coming to the former MB & Company, 19 N. George St. There's a press release taped to the window that says the new place will be called Bistro19. I took a picture of it (I didn't have a notebook with me) but it turned out a little blurry, so here's a staff file photo of MB & Company, which opened in August.




 

(New flag on a light post on the first block of North Queen.)

I noticed new neighborhood flags on my block this weekend.

Not sure when they went up, but it was a welcome addition. I am still learning all the names and boundaries of neighborhoods in the city. Does anyone know a place where I can find a map with the neighborhoods marked on it?

Speaking of maps, when's the last time you looked at a Pennsylvania map with a fresh eye?

There are so many little fiefdoms in our state. I was at a party this weekend where we tried to name all the state's counties. It's more fun than it sounds.

(This is the damage. The missing windshield is covered with plastic because, of course, it had to rain.)

The car is fixed.

All told, it cost $747 to repair the damage done by whoever decided to smash my back windshield late Saturday or Sunday. Happy holidays to you, too, Mr./Ms. Random Car Smasher(s)!

I can't help but wonder who these people are who keep smashing out windows in parked cars in the city. In my case they didn't steal anything. I can't imagine this was an attempt to steal stuff because you can't reach in to unlock my car door from the back windshield. Unless they have Mr. Gadget go-go arms, which is doubtful.

Not that there was anything worth stealing in there anyway. Just some old newspapers and empty styrofoam coffee cups.

It's worth mentioning that this isn't the first incident like this in my household.

My fiance's car was broken into a couple months ago. In that case they broke the driver's side window and then proceeded to pry open the trunk with a crowbar. (Why they couldn't just pop the trunk open is beyond me.) He moved here from North Side of Pittsburgh (Mexican War Streets), and we never had to worry so much about our cars there.

According to the York City online police log, there have been at least five broken windshield incidents this month. Why are these vandals so angry? Can't they appreciate how much these things cost to fix? 

So, I became a statistic Sunday.

Someone decided to bash in my back windshield. The cheapest estimate so far is about $350, which does not include fixing the broken plastic behind the back seats.

I filed a police report Sunday late afternoon.

Share your outrage about these crimes. Little things add up. If there aren't enough resources to fight these quality-of-life crimes I'd like to know, so speak up. I like living in this city and want to stay.

I rarely see my neighbors.

I've lived on North Queen for a year now, but the only people I've met are those in my building and a nice guy who's backyard is near my alley parking space.

What gives?

Indeed, people do live on my block. Curtains flutter. Green plants grow on window sills. Trash appears on the curb once a week.

When I do see people they are usually running in or out of their apartments. I guess I do that, too.