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'Lafayette Avenue' Sign Misspelled at Bed-Stuy Intersection

By Camille Bautista | November 27, 2015 4:43pm | Updated on November 29, 2015 8:01pm
 A street sign for Lafayette Avenue  at the intersection of Malcolm X Boulevard is misspelled.
A street sign for Lafayette Avenue at the intersection of Malcolm X Boulevard is misspelled.
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DNAinfo/Camille Bautista

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A misspelled street sign in eastern Bed-Stuy has some neighbors clamoring for a change.

The word “Lafayette” on a “Lafayette Avenue” street sign at the intersection of Malcolm X Boulevard has an extra ‘y,’ one local resident pointed out earlier this week.

The “Layfayette Avenue” sign at the northwest corner of the crossing is the only marking for the avenue at the intersection.

“I looked up and saw that and was stunned,” said Joe Gonzalez, a Bed-Stuy resident who notified DNAinfo New York of the error.

“I think the city should not waste our taxpayer money. How that got posted and no one caught it is a big question.”

Others who live in the neighborhood said they never noticed the mistake, but added that officials should swap out the sign with one that has the proper spelling.

“I live right here on the corner and didn’t even see,” said Renee Swint.

“They should change it. People use these blocks as landmarks. People around here speak different dialects and they could get lost. That says ‘LAY-FAY-ETTE,’ it’s just wrong.”

“Lafayette” is spelled correctly along other intersections, such as at nearby Patchen Avenue.  

Gonzalez also expressed a need for more street signs at certain Bed-Stuy crossings, including the one at Lafayette Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard.

“In many places in the neighborhood, there’s just that one to let you know what street you’re on," he said.

The misspelled sign was made by a contractor, according to the city's Department of Transportation, and is set to be replaced within the week.