By Dustin Brown
Residents of Maspeth like to consider themselves part of a small town, a mindset that is evident to visiting motorists and pedestrians as soon as they encounter the large “Welcome to Maspeth” sign at the intersection of Grand Avenue and 69th Street.
“It is a small town within a big metropolis,” said MaryAnna Zero, the president of the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce. “I was born here, I’ll probably die here. Most of the residents are that way.”
But now the community plans to extend its welcome mat even further, as the Maspeth Chamber puts to use a $75,000 grant from the Empire State Development Corporation secured by state Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D-Elmhurst) and awarded earlier this month.
Not only will a second welcome sign be planted on the other side of the Grand Avenue commercial strip – where Flushing Avenue splits off by 64th Street – but garbage receptacles with “Welcome to Maspeth” emblazoned on them will line the length of the street.
In addition, the chamber plans to put a touch of green along Grand Avenue by adding planters in which flowers can grow and blossom.
The goal is to render an already heavily traveled commercial strip even more beautiful for pedestrians, according to Zero.
“We hope that it’ll give a boost to the area as far as we have a lot of walking traffic,” said Zero, who owns Home Hunters Real Estate. “I think it’ll just make the area nicer, a better place to walk.”
Markey said the project is also designed to bring more cohesion to the length of Grand Avenue and the Maspeth business district, which was split into two parts decades ago when the Long Island Expressway cut through the neighborhood.
“The purpose is to kind of tie both ends of Grand Avenue together, to try to unify the retail strip,” Markey said.
The Grand Avenue beautification project is hardly the first initiative Zero has implemented with the chamber to bring out the community spirit of Maspeth.
Earlier in her four-year tenure, Zero orchestrated a fund-raising effort to purchase 27 seasonal banners that are hung along central Maspeth streets, promoting different themes at different times of year.
While five styles of banner exist in total, the version currently swinging from the poles carries the patriotic message “Maspeth is America.” Although those banners are ordinarily used for the observance of Memorial Day, they have remained hanging as a patriotic statement in support of the country after Sept. 11.
“I’ve had people come up to me and say it’s so much nicer to see the banners on the avenue,” Zero said.
Reach reporter Dustin Brown by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 154.
