Horny Park Slopers and drug users have turned a secluded nook behind a popular grocery store into a makeshift bedroom for public sex — and neighbors want them to get lost before a grade school opens nearby.
Brooklynites who live near the Key Food on Fifth Avenue and Baltic Street have discovered dozens of condom wrappers, a dilapidated mattress, and even couples mid-romp on Gregory Place, a narrow, seldom-used street behind the shop.
“It’s an isolated spot for sex and other unsavory activities,” said neighbor Emilia Sherifova, who runs a blog documenting the problem.
The sex nook is also a popular area for drug use and a dumping grounds for trash, residents said.
“I’ve seen condoms everywhere — and people shooting up,” said neighbor Denise Morales. “It’s a real problem.”
The tiny block-long street, which abuts a brick wall and the sides of houses, has long attracted crime because it’s secluded, neighbors say.
Pocket-sized hipster pub L Magazine even named it the “Best Block to Smoke a Joint,” saying it’s the kind of street where “you might see joint-toking teens pass a yuppie with a one-hitter walking his dog.”
But residents are calling on the city and store management to bring the street’s druggy days to an end before PS 133 moves into a new building less than a block away on Fourth Avenue and Butler Street in September.
A Key Food manager said the store is doing its part to deter criminal activity by tidying up and keeping lights on behind the building.
“I sweep back there twice a day and I’ve never seen anything,” said a manager at the shop, who asked not to be named because he wasn’t authorized to speak to press.
But Sherifova and Park Slope civic leaders say more is needed, including security cameras and “keep-out” signage — along with more police presence.
“It’s a remote location, which makes it vulnerable,” said Community Board 6 district manager Craig Hammerman. “The [police] need to be involved in these discussions.”
Reach reporter Natalie O'Neill at noneill@cnglocal.com or by calling her at (718) 260-4505.
