Officials call the honor “long overdue”; the honoree calls it “nice, but not what I asked for”
The City Council spent nearly two hours this week debating a proposal to rename a stretch of Queens Boulevard after a beloved neighborhood deli, a gesture the deli’s own owner says he appreciates but did not, at any point, actually request.
An Honor, Sort Of Requested
“I filled out a form about the parking situation outside my store,” said deli owner Salvatore Greco. “Somehow that turned into a whole hearing about naming a street after me. I’m flattered. I still don’t have parking.”
Council members spent much of the debate discussing sign font size, with one member arguing passionately for a specific shade of green “in honor of the pickles,” a detail Greco called “appreciated, if not exactly the point.”
The Vote
The measure passed unanimously, prompting applause from a small crowd of regulars, several of whom, Greco noted, “still can’t find parking to actually come get a sandwich.”
The London Prat‘s local government desk covers Britain’s own habit of honoring beloved local shops with plaques instead of addressing the actual complaint on file.
The New York Times reports similar honorary street renamings have increased citywide in recent years.
Greco says he plans to attend the unveiling ceremony, “assuming I can find somewhere to park.”
A Small Consolation
The council has agreed to revisit the original parking complaint at a future session, tentatively scheduled for “sometime after the ribbon-cutting.”
Greco says he is grateful either way. “It’s not what I asked for,” he said, “but I’ll take a street sign over nothing. I just wish it came with a loading zone.”
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SOURCE: https://bohiney.com