Morris Park BID says lack of LinkNYC kiosks keeps neighborhood stuck in the past

Morris Park business owners say their neighborhood is being ignored by the city's efforts to replace pay phones with free-Wi-Fi.

News 12 Staff

Jun 21, 2019, 11:48 AM

Updated 2,010 days ago

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Morris Park business owners say their neighborhood is being ignored by the city's efforts to replace pay phones with free-Wi-Fi.
While other parts of the borough have multiple LinkNYC kiosks, business owners say their area has none.
Business owners in a neighborhood filled with tradition want to get the community connected with 21st century technology.

"Make a call, get free Wi-Fi, I think it's just being in the know. It's 2019, we're definitely overdue for it," says Christine DiRusso, co-owner of Conti's Pastry Shop. 
 
The executive director of Morris Park BID says she's counted seven of the old-school pay phones located throughout the neighborhood. Some of which work, others, not so much. She says no LinkNYC free-Wi-Fi kiosks exist in this community.

"In Manhattan, basically every other corner of the street has a LinkNYC, yet miles and miles in the Bronx, we don't have, not even a single one," says Morris Park BID Executive Director Camelia Tepelus.

A spokesperson to LinkNYC told News 12 in a quote, “We don't have a specific timeline for deployment in Morris Park. Across the five boroughs, nearly 1,800 Links are live providing residents and visitors with high-speed Wi-Fi, phone calls, a tablet to access maps and city services and device charging."

People in the Morris Park neighborhood say those amenities are needed in the neighborhood.
“Provide other information like advertise and what's in this community, we have some amazing places to eat, some great coffee and pastries. And I think it's a great way to get people here, and the people here to know more,” says Tepelus.