I was hesitant to even post about this because it besmirches the good name of Astoria…but it’s hilarious. Throughout the Ditmars area, there is an elevated bridge for the Amtrak train. The gigantic support structures form an arch and people typically paint the undersides.
At one of the intersections, there’s a leaky scum pipe that causes a 50ft patch of nasty ice in the winter. Two Astorians dubbed this “Scum River”, and like any children of the 80′s, attempted to ford the river.
They constructed a bridge with recycled materials and put it up shortly thereafter, even getting a commendation from City Councilman Peter Vallone. It’s not too far from my house so I’ll have to see if it’s still up this weekend. While it sucks that we have an iceberg made out of waste, I think this speaks to the broader creativity and civic engagement of Astorians.
Thanks to Lauren-Philly for the article!
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