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Manetta’s comes under fire for using sidewalk for valet parking, PIX11 News Reports

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June 8, 2016 Staff Report

The popular Long Island City restaurant Manetta’s has come under fire for allegedly using the city sidewalk to valet park its customers’ cars.

PIX 11 News Investigative Reporter Arnold Diaz shot video of the restaurant showing its lunch crowd pulling their cars up to the restaurant where two attendants then parked the vehicles on the sidewalk on 11th Street.

Diaz reported that the cars are parked so far up on the sidewalk that it is almost impossible for pedestrians to pass.

Diaz said that PIX11 had spoken to the owner who said that the restaurant had been given permission by the police to park on the sidewalk as long as there is adequate space for pedestrians.

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49 Comments

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LICDenizen

The police park anywhere they want even in front of Murray playground and the police gym/rehab place on 45th Road. I have called 311 many times – even during the blizzard it screwed us all over. We do have many “way of life” issues in LIC, been here 17 years myself, but if we “regular Joe’s” want to go the doc or the gym we have to pay to park or circle until we find something. We have enough privilege issues already – let’s get rid of this one. And get some more garbage cans on the blocks.

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notlee

How about addressing a sidewalk where hundreds of people walk everyday. 50th avenue. It is congested with commercial cars and trucks( I am not talking about police cars either). How come they get to park on the sidewalk? Why can’t they park on the street or use a parking garage like everybody else? The worst part is they have room in there garages.

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PM

I used to live in the apartment building on that corner and I’ve walked down that street probably more than any of these other commenters. I’ll confirm it. The cars parked on the sidewalk were NEVER a problem as a walking pedestrian. In fact, anyone could walk right down the center of the street most of the time because absolutely nobody drives down that useless road. The problem is that there is NO PARKING in LIC now that the population has quadrupled over the past 4 years. The only other nearby parking lots are now a condo or on their way to being a condo. The town just needs more parking.

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PO

Let’s see if the news report will do anything to change their ways. Maybe for a few days but probably not for much longer after that. Hopefully the 108 stays on top of this…but who am I kidding?

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brooklynmc

Manettas has some of the best Italian food in Queens but they are too old school. I will never go there again. Update the interior. It is starting to look a little Veniero’s in there. Classless and gaudy. Their nazi-like stance on the $15 minimum is ridiculous. I was 20 cents short and they made me order a soda. Never again. I miss that pesto dish though!

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brooklynmc

The police in LI City do absolutely nothing in the neighborhood to make the streets safe and in fact are some of the biggest offenders. Go through stop signs, park on sidewalks, don’t care about stop sign offenders.

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Time's Up

What makes the precinct block so atrocious is that it’s not just the cops who hog the sidewalks with their cars, the contractors across the street do it too.

I understand the precinct getting away with it. But it is outrageous that all of the businesses get away with it too. It’s like the wild fuckin west on that block and no one gives a shit.

God forbid you have a stroller or wheelchair on that block – you’re screwed on both sides. The 108 has always been a joke and it still is.

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PO

Hey stupid, the public does not need to take a detour just so that we can allow Manettas to use a public street as their personal parking lot.

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Anonymous visitor

@PO You are stupid by making a big deal out of something stupid. There are other worse problems in this neighborhood then Manettes valet parking.

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Anonymous visitor

Instead of bitching how certain people hog the side walk, talk about the people that don’t curb their dogs or all the drunk individuals that are rowdy and piss and puke all over the place. The neighborhood has gotten so filthy. The police and these companies have been around a lot longer then those overpriced apartments/ condos by the water. The subway station smells like fish and puke. The neighborhood was never like this. No one has respect for other people’s property. LIC was alot better when no one knew about the neighborhood.

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Wow You're Anonymous!

So because the police and companies have been around longer, they get to park so far up on the sidewalk you have to turn sideways to walk past, when you LIVE on the block and HAVE to walk by there to get HOME? That makes a ton of sense.

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john

Manetta’s valet service drives me nuts! I’m so glad Pix 11 brought some attention to it, but they miss the point – Manetta’s acts like they own those parking spots on that little side street. I don’t care about the sidewalk being impeded, but if I could do like Manetta’s, and put orange cones in front of my house, and have my own parking space, that would be great. It’s maddening, because I often circle the block looking for parking, and see their valet situation, and feel like it’s not fair.

They do not own those parking spaces, and they should not act like they do. I like Manettas. I’ve eaten there several times, but they do not have a right to put orange cones in those parking spaces. I’m glad someone pointed this out, because it drives me nuts!!!

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Peter

Another parking related annoyance I find in LIC (not related to this) is when individuals hold spots for other by physically standing there and not allowing others to park. One day I saw a women hold a spot for over 10 minutes shooing off three cars that wanted the spot. While I never had an issue I’ve noticed the practice more and more and I think its wrong.

BTW, anyone remember the times when the homeless use to put garbage bags in open spots, holding them, and then offering to move them for potential parkers and expecting a tip for the service (haven’t seen that one in years). If you took the spot and didn’t tip you’d return to a damaged car.

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LICer

Instead of doing this silly story about parking where there is hardly any foot traffic, PIX11 could’ve done a story about PS78 afterschool program where a child was lost a few weeks ago. Now that really hurts the neighborhood.

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LICer

I heard from parents that the afterschool program got shut down because a child walked away when children were playing on the playground. The school didn’t know about it until someone (I think, his mom) came to PS78 with the child. My kids go to a high school so I didn’t ask for all details.

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anon

Il Falco on 44th Drive has been dong a similar thing. They take up 2-3 parking spots with their cars, cones and Valet parking signs. Then move them to park the customers cars. Not cooool. Parking is hard enough. Everyone knows the rules in NYC. First come, first serve. None of this saving a spot bullshit.

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http://www.Queensbridge.us

Cars are frequently parked on sidewalk under Queenboro Bridge on Vernon Boulevard. Across from Ravel Hotel whose valets have parked on other sidewalks.

Pedestrians must walk in busy traffic lanes including parents with baby stroller.

See photos at
http://queensbridge.us/

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brooklynmc

I go by that intersection daily on my rollerblades coming home from work. I witnessed a elderly man get struck by a car. The guy who hit him stopped and made a phone call but left the man laying in the middle of the intersection unprotected. Lately, they have been replacing the sidewalk and there is NO sidewalk nor is there a safe option. You must walk in the road. Very unprofessional operation.

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Skip Seglipse

The only reason Diaz would have covered this would be if someone complained about it. Either residents or other businesses contacted him, so clearly someone in the neighborhood isn’t happy with it.

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Dweezil

I would also bet that the upset person first tried calling the police and got nowhere with them.

This is the real problem with parking violations and other quality of life issues we have in LIC — our police precinct has for far too long ignored the public and not done nearly enough to step up and do its part. If they did their jobs properly and didn’t violate their own rules, LIC would be a fairer and less chaotic place.

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Shut it

Y’all better shut it and not talk too much crap about Manettas or y’all gonna get whacked!

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Drumpf Lover

Hey numb nuts, the point is is that regardless of how much that street is used by pedestrians, it is still a public street that Manettas uses as their private parking lot. Why do they get that luxury? Why can’t Hibino customers park there? Or Creek and Cave customers? Do you understand how your stupid logic doesn’t make sense now?

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Annoyed with Pix11

First of all, the street is not even 11th street. Pix11 should get their facts straight. Secondly, there is no foot traffic on that block besides the customers going to and from Manetta’s. Who walks down a block that boarders a bridge on one side and a dumpster and restaurant kitch on the other side. All it leads to is a few apartment buildings and the midtown tunnel. No one is walking down that block and you can easily still drive down the block as well.

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ET

Same as oneils restaurant on 65 place maspeth . There valet parking. The park them in people’s private driveway blocking them . Off coarse there a friends off cops too.

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What the frak?

Like Anon above stated – there is barely any foot traffic on that really really short block. I live down the block and often park over there. This is not news, this is not Manetta taking advantage. Are you really out of stories pix11?? leave this restaurant alone.

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LIC resident

I was stuck behind a MTA bus when the driver just couldn’t turn his bus because of all the cars parked illegally. The driver got out of the bus and started moving the delivery bikes snd the vale cones that Manetta’s had on the opposite sidewalk so he could drive literally inches by the building . Shame on the cops who let this craziness happen. They are all hawks when it comes to Latino (I was there when the owner of Blend was begging for liq licence) and Middle Eastern establishments ( I was there when the fruit guy got prisoned for 24 hours cause he had an empty box too close to the curb – read the summons myself)

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Peter

Actually Blend on the water seems to get away with quite a bit, sometimes the cars are piled up at the end of Center Blvd. turning that small circle into a lot. As for the fruit stand guy, probably had warrant(s) for past summons or something else to result in being imprisoned. Many like to point to the petty violation that initiated the arrest like it was the one and only reason for the resulting actions while omitting other factors (warrants, refusal to comply/produce ID, etc.), there is usually always more to the story.

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brooklynmc

Blend is a very bad neighbor. live across the street. Their valet parkers do 40-50 miles per hour down the street. They tend to sit in the cars for a while too once parked leaving me wondering what they are doing in there. I did witness police give them a hard time one day for parking cars in the street. They started writing tickets. Could you imagine leaving your car with valet and getting a ticket? That place is very ghetto.

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LICer

Are you talking about MTA bus shuttle that runs when the subway station is closed? Sure, it’s Manetta’s fault.

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the_the

Used to be much easier to get away with in the old days when the area was almost 100% industrial.

Manetta’s has to realize that these aren’t the old days anymore.

I’d love to be able to park my car on my sidewalk too.

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Anonymous visitor

I’ve lived in LIC for over 50 years and never saw as many cars on sidewalks then as today. And as I said above, the cops are the biggest offenders. It’s anything goes for them in the neighborhood.

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brooklynmc

I always watch cop cars to see if they stop at stop signs. Never. Ever. Nobody stops at stop signs in LI City.

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Wilbur

They must have rookie cops, because they keep honking their siren horns over nothing at like 11pm and waking my kids up, a holes.

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Anon

Not for nothing, but there is almost 0 foot traffic down that street anyway. Its not a busy pedestrian outlet, there is little in the way of “attractions” that bring people down that street. On a Friday night i ate dinner at the restaurant nextdoor, and was stunned by the lack of pedestrians on Jackson ave, when 1 block away on vernon is 10 fold.

It is a fantastic restaurant, i’m sure some compromise can be worked out so the restaurant can continue to valet their customers cars.

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Peter

“…..the owner who said that the restaurant had been given permission by the police to park on the sidewalk as long as there is adequate space for pedestrians.”

lol, wonder why a BTO officer or 108 cop would allow them do such a thing 😉

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Anonymous visitor

Just like the cost of housing in LIC, you just don’t get your money’s worth when bribing cops these days.

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Anonymous sisitor

I do not think that is fair you making assampitios about the. Cops in L.I.C.

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Anonymous visitor

Too bad Arnold didn’t train his camera on the 108th cops’ cars parked all over the sidewalks and in illegal spots near the precinct. Shame on you!

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Anonymous sisitor

I am with you the cops are all over and bikers on the sidewalk by vernon and 47th by Testaccio block is unbilieveble. I think someone has for ?Manettas it is a great restourant very busy and most of all the greatest food, all fresh, all their food is clean, washed salad, washed vegetables,home made sauce from fresh tomatoes,service with a smile, plus very appreciative of your patronage,not any in L.I.C. Like them hard workers.other establishment would like them out of the way,the family of restourants join together to mke problems they should try and make their food better and cervice ,everyone can live together in L.I.C.
Thats my opinion a resident of 60 years witness a lot going on during my period sincerely paola

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Silent majority

Anonymous sisitor time to take a grammar and writing class.How did you ever fill out your work visa to work at this resturant. Reading your response was painful.

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