A homeless couple has transformed a part of Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s former neighborhood into an unsightly love nest. They drink, engage in sexual activities, and even leave waste in pizza boxes, apparently unfazed by the frustrated residents who are urging the city to intervene.
For the past month, this pair has been living amidst their own trash on 30th Street, squatting between a Duane Reade and a New York Sports Club in Astoria.
“This morning at 8:30 a.m., I saw a guy sitting on a camp chair while a woman was using a pizza box as a makeshift toilet,” shared neighbor Chris Singler.
“It’s prime time—a weekday morning when kids are in school, and this is happening right on the sidewalk in front of us,” said Singler, who’s been in the neighborhood with his wife since 2007.
“My wife heads to the gym at 5:30 a.m., and she has seen a woman performing oral sex on a guy there. What a way to start the day!” he added.
There are at least four schools in close proximity (St. Joseph Catholic School, PS 070Q, PS 6, and Etoile Preschool), all just a five-minute walk from this deteriorating spot.
Last week, the newspaper observed a scene where the couple, identified as Michael and Marabelle, resisted attempts by cleaners hired from a nearby building to move them.
“No way!” Michael shouted back. “Leave my wife alone, or you’ll regret it!” he said, while downing Voda brand vodka.
He claimed to be a former U.S. Marine and warned a reporter, “I’m shooting people.”
After an hour of escalating threats and failed attempts to remove them, the maintenance worker finally gave up.
Tiffany Caban, a Socialist Party lawmaker whose office is nearby, did not respond to inquiries about the situation.
It’s surprising, really, that even Marabelle seemed shocked at how the city allows them to stay on the sidewalk.
Mamdani had recently changed his stance on clearing homeless encampments, particularly after a winter storm that claimed 19 lives in New York City. However, authorities argue that the couple’s setup doesn’t qualify as an encampment since there are no structures involved.
According to leaders from the 114th Precinct, any city intervention would require police, sanitation, and the Department of Homeless Services to coordinate an authorized action, which was discussed at a recent community meeting.
Police have acknowledged the numerous calls regarding the couple but maintain that without evidence of illegal activity, they can’t remove them against their will.
This rationale isn’t sitting well with neighbors.
“There has to be a point where such behavior isn’t tolerated, especially considering the health and safety risks,” Singler stated.
He expressed concern about the potential for someone taking matters into their own hands, which could escalate things significantly.
Even the homeless couple seemed perplexed, questioning how they managed to camp out so freely.
“We don’t see anything like this in Astoria,” Marabelle mentioned to the newspaper.
