An article by Mike Lisberg in today's New York Daily News reports that New York real estate interests broke election laws by making unreported contributions of $750,000 to the Independence Party while Mike Bloomberg donated his own illegal $1.2 million to the same party to be used later in his reelection campaign.
If anyone has any doubts about what New York's real estate interests got in return for the money they've poured into NYC politics, he or she has only to take a walk in the East Village. The Dubai Hotel and Cooper Union buildings are architectural monstrosities that have nothing to do with the character of the neighborhood in which they've been plopped down. One can only imagine what went on behind the scenes to convince community boards to look the other way and grant approval for their construction.
The Bowery was one of the most enjoyable walks in NYC, an area where original architecture from the 19th century could still be viewed first hand. While I realize how dynamic and ever changing NYC is, there's no excuse for willfully marring the character of neighborhoods with futuristic buildings that lack any aesthetic appeal and that do not even make an attempt to integrate themselves into the community. Instead, they've been shoved down the throats of East Village residents by corrupt landlords. These buildings do not represent either improvement or revitalization, only destruction of the city's heritage.


