Yeah, I know that the Post Office has to do something.First class mail must be way down - no one writes letters anymore, and it seems most of the young and middle aged switched to electronic bill payment years ago. I understand.
This past Monday, the NY Daily News reported that the US Postal Service may close 40 smaller retail post offices
I live close to the Ovington Retail Station at Fourth Avenue near 68th Street. It's open Mondays through Fridays, so I don't visit it often - I'm at work in Manhattan during the week. But, every time I do go there, I see a line of people - buying stamps but also mailing packages.
If this small post office closes, the many older people, businessmen, and immigrants will be asked to schlep all the way to 88th Street and Fifth to the Fort Hamilton Post Office or to the Bay Ridge Post Office at 55th Street and Seventh Avenue.
Guess what? No one will do that. Not for packages anyway.
Everyone from this end of Bay Ridge who wants to send a package will walk to the UPS Store at 7105 Third Avenue ( 718-238-1805 ) . They're open from 8:30am-7:00pm; Monday through Friday, Saturdays 10am-5:00pm;and Sundays 10:00am-3:00pm. They'll be happy to take the customers that the US Postal Service is running away from. Tell 'em the Bay Ridge Blog sent you.
The USPS must do something - but if they abandon this community, its their funeral.
8 comments:
They're gonna close 55th too. At least that's what I've been hearing the last couple of months.
Dumb move, but what else can you expect from the Federal Government?
so money from Postal Office for Wall Street bonus.
They will save money short term but will lose a huge amount of revenue long term. Bay Ridge is a large area and if the only Post Office is in the high 80s and Fifth Avenue, UPS and Fedex will eat the USPS's lunch for all the package business.
UPS makes money with their location a few blocks from the Ovington retail station - this sounds like a really weak business decision on the part of the post office.
Cutting costs is important, but if you do it the wrong way, you will cut costs until you do not exist anymore.
There is a post office counter at Neugard Pharmacy located on the corner of 74th St and 3rd Ave. It has most services and the line is usually a lot faster than an actual post office. I would call before going though because the hours can be a little weird. http://www.neugardpharmacy.com
Thanks for the feedback guys.
If they close the 55th / 7th Post Office, they're really raising the white flag about postal service in Bay Ridge. Closing both that and the Ovington station will be a local bonanza for UPS.
The USPS needs to cut costs, but they if they make these savage cuts they will have no local visibility in most of Bay Ridge. If they replicate that elsewhere in Brooklyn and across America, they're toast. Very poor business strategy.
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Real good information about Neugard Pharmacy. Every business needs to have a website, and I am glad that they have one.
Here's an article I found about the closing:
http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?id=29386
I will write Congressman Nadler who represents this district. Other people should do the same.
I hear they are NOT closing the office on 4th ave.
Since it is always crowded with customers, you'd think that they would consider opening on Saturdays. If you want to compete with UPS, you should serve your customers
The 55th / Seventh PO is really important too. Its jam packed with people sending packages and buying stamps every time I am there.
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