Willets Point Boulevard between Roosevelt Avenue and Northern Boulevard is the heart of the “iron triangle” consisting of metal works, scrap metal dealers, car repair shops, and wholesalers. The city has been trying to get the businesses evicted for years, but the owners have fought back with lawsuits. Powerful interests have wished to build housing projects, shopping centers, sports arenas and other schemes for years.
The city believes the area is an eyesore (as do the New York Mets, whose cavernous new stadium is a few blocks away. Yet, the city has refused to pave streets, fix potholes, and install sewers, and the area is always flooded after rain or snow.
The photo shows the one deli on Willets Point Boulevard, and the one residence on the second floor over the deli.
The area is popularly known in the media as Willets Point, but only the boulevard runs here. The actual Willets Point is where Fort Totten is situated in Bayside.