E. wrote: “I’m curious if you know anything about the new benches that have been installed on Greenwich Street. There are two in between Warren and Chambers, and another one right outside Target. It feels like they were installed in a matter of hours! Where did they come from?”

The new benches, all on the east side of Greenwich, match the one in front of Whole Foods near the M9 stop, which was installed last September by the Department of Transportation. At the time, The Trib did a big story on longtime Tribecan Lee Katcher’s fight to replace benches in these locations. She said she had been writing to the city for more than a decade — following her hip replacement in 2015 — to get them reinstalled.

It took the engagement of a couple of other neighbors and the help of Councilman Christ Marte to get that one installed; the DOT clearly waited for the repairs on Greenwich to be completed before installing the two across from PS 234.

I find it a little odd that the benches face the storefronts and not out? Am I right on that? That is how I think of city benches (the Whole Foods one as a case in point). But hopefully once the construction is finished on Greenwich (and at the former Gee Whiz) they will get some use.

Some recent Nosy Neighbors:

• What’s going on with this construction yard on Harrison?
• What’s up with this garage on Harrison?
• What’s happening with the Duane Street Hotel?
• Are dogs allowed on the turf field at Pier 25?
• Why does the corner of Greenwich and Warren smell so bad?
• What is coming to Hudson and Duane?
• What’s going on at Staple and Harrison?
• Why did the manhole covers blow?
• What is going on with the Greenwich Street construction?
• Is the Telephone Sales & Service building for sale?