Battleground In Manhattan As Blue Bloods Fear Losing Their Urban Idyll

Independent (UK) ^ | 1-1-2004 | David Usborne

[blam]

Ping.

[sarcasm]

[sarcasm]

BTW, your buddy, Kofi Annan, lives across the street.

[glorgau]

They paid a lot of money for those apartments.

But they didn't pay for the public land. They can pony up some money if they want to keep their private view.

[StatesEnemy]

These poor rich liberals can suck an egg.

[sine_nomine]

Lifestyles of the rich and boring.

[edwords]

The idea that it's the Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive makes it all the more delicious.

[McGavin999]

Oh, but I'm sure it's for the chillllllldren.

[freedumb2003]

I thought this was about getting a spot in Times Square for tonight's dropping of the ball.

[GovernmentShrinker]

The article says the city "seized the land" in the 1930s. It's not clear that the city PAID for the land (perhaps the nominal cost lease agreement was considered fair compensation, but that would essentially amounted to the owners paying to lease their own land). If the city did pay, I'd like to know how much.

[StriperSniper]

The lease would run for only 50 years. By 1990, it had expired.

The building chose not to alert the city of the state of affairs

That is there problem. If at the time they had quietly approached the City, I'm sure they could have worked out a reasonable deal. A little 'donation' to the right cause and all would have been well.

Penny wise...

Have a happy and prosperous New Year!

[sarcasm]

Under the terms of a 1939 agreement with the city, Paul Hammond, president of 1 Sutton Place, agreed to limit the co-op's claim for its land to $1 in return for the city's promise to build a double-decked roadway that would be covered by two feet of soil "suitable for planting."

[saquin]

[Age of Reason]

A Human anthill surrounded by filth.

What a disgusting way to live.

[Age of Reason]

There's something in NYC called community gardens.

I'm not sure how it works, but less well to do New Yorkers may have taken it upon themselves to plant vegetables in vacant lots--lots owned by NYC, I believe.

Then years later, the City decides to build something on the land, the the gardeners complain and take the city to court.

Something like that.

I wonder how those court cases come out and if the story of those community gardens have a parallel with this story, and whether the outcome is different because of the wealth of the people doing the complaining.

[sarcasm]

A Human anthill surrounded by filth.

Huh?

[okie01]

A Human anthill surrounded by filth.

Hey! New York City's a great place.

If you're an ant...

[ETERNAL WARMING]

Was anyone from One Sutton Place out on their lawn at midnight last night sipping champagne to mark the dawn of 2004? And did they wear a face of worried nostalgia for the privacy and isolation that might be lost before the year is out?

Well they have my sympathy. Sounds like they were bambozzled way back when and now it's too late.

[lepton]

They can pony up some money if they want to keep their private view.

Well, if this rendition is at all accurate, no the cannot. It was taken as public domain.