There is another small strip mall just across the street from Starrett City, near the C section. The biggest shop there is a Pathmark supermarket that has rather high prices compared to the Associated Food supermarket in Starrett, but sometimes you can find coupons or sales looking through the Pathmark circular. There was an A&W restuarant that opened in the area but closed down pretty quick. Not surprising, since they were serving overpriced meals in a place inhabited by people with low incomes.
What you see here is a long fence that stretches all the way around one end of Starrett City. This was built in the beginning to fence out the people who lived in the less desirable neighborhoods across Flatlands Ave. Ironically, many of those people now live in Starrett.
The projects across the street.
A plane flying near Starrett City. In the early days of Starrett, planes would frequently fly right above Starrett creating an abundance of noise. It still happens but not as much. They now fly closer to where the landfill used to be.
Speaking of landfills, former residents might remember the horrible smell coming from a landfill that used to be located by the belt parkway and near Starrett. Things have changed. The garbage has been removed and the landfill is in the process of being transformed into a park with trees and foilage. The brick buildings you see in the picture are part of a big stripmall called Gateway Mall and is located off the next exit on the belt parkway. It has a BJs, Circuit City, Home Depot and a very large Target store. There are some restaurants there as well like a Red Lobster and an Olive Garden. While the landfill is gone, the water treatment plant right next to Starrett is still around and can give off a bad smell on certain days depending on the wind. You can see it in the picture.
Home