REBNY’s disconnect with reality
To The Editor:
Re “Don’t buy REBNY hype: Landmarking helps affordability” (Andrew Berman, talking point, Aug. 8):
One of the statements in REBNY’s recent report was that the Landmarks Preservation Commission bars modifications in historic districts. A remarkable comment. The fellow who wrote that should get out more. If he did, he would see scaffolding, permit signs and construction all over the place. Within 150 feet of my apartment on E. 10th St. in Greenwich Village, for instance, there are five townhouses undergoing modifications, all of them major jobs and all of them approved after review by L.P.C. Somebody should let that fellow at REBNY out of his cage.
Penelope Bareau
REBNY’s hypocrisy is rich
To The Editor:
Re “Don’t buy REBNY hype: Landmarking helps affordability” (Andrew Berman, talking point, Aug. 8):
The Real Estate Board of New York has been consistently wrong about historic preservation since the landmarks law was passed in 1965. In opposing the law, the executive secretary of REBNY was quoted in The New York Times, warning that the law would “seriously impede the modern expansion and progress of the city.” In reality, New York City’s historic districts have been a boon to the city! Thanks to Andrew Berman for making that point, and for exposing the hypocrisy of REBNY’s anti-affordability attack on preservation.
Anthony Wood
A bad combo for landmarks
To The Editor:
Re “Don’t buy REBNY hype: Landmarking helps affordability” (Andrew Berman, talking point, Aug. 8):
Community Boards 1, 2 and 3 have among the greatest number of historic districts in the city, and the Real Estate Board of New York is funneling a small fortune into Margaret Chin’s re-election campaign.
Chin already made a mockery of the landmarks law, when she pushed through legislation at the City Council to help demolish 135 Bowery, an 1817 Federal gem, at the behest of an international bank that has contributed an additional $6,000 to her Council campaign.
Were she to be elected, preservation would grind to a halt in Lower Manhattan.
Sean Sweeney
W.V.H. article was wonderful
To The Editor:
Re “Renters hoping to remain at West Village Houses” (news article, Aug. 1):
On behalf of the Renters Union at West Village Houses, I want to thank Clarissa-Jan Lim for her wonderful article about our complicated and tenuous situation. The R.U. board members all felt that the article was well-written and we appreciate that you included many points of view.
There was one point mentioned in the article that we think is inaccurate, though. The article states:
“The 2006 agreement did commit the co-op to establishing a subsidy fund to protect low-income residents who did not buy their apartments from overwhelming rent increases.”
As far as we know, this is not true! A subsidy fund was mentioned in one of several “red herrings” offered before the co-op conversion, but it was not part of the final offering plan that was accepted and put into effect in 2006.
Despite this small factual error, we are grateful for the article’s fair and balanced presentation, and for its bringing attention to the plight of the renters remaining here at West Village Houses.
James W. Lister
Frania Zins
Wendy DeRosa
Jessica Tomb
Lister and Zins are co-presidents of the board of the West Village Houses Renters Union; DeRosa is the board’s secretary / treasurer; Tomb is the board’s renter / owner liaison
In defense of Tania Grossinger
To The Editor:
I very much resent your continuous presentation of letters regarding Jerry Tallmer’s “Peeling the Layers of Tania Grossinger’s cocoon” (V Lit, July 25).
You were aware the day after publication that among many of his other mistakes, I had been totally misquoted regarding what I never said about Avital D’Lugoff during his interview with me. Never once did I describe her as “troubled” or “in a world of her own” and you knew that.
I e-mailed my reservations about his article to you. Yet you repaid me by embarrassing me in more than one issue of The Villager.
Tania Grossinger
Vivid picture of perseverance
To The Editor:
Re “The birth of new Morton St. school is long overdue” (talking point, by Keen Berger, Aug. 8):
Blow by blow, step by step, Keen Berger gives a vivid picture of endurance and patience. An accomplishment to be proud of and a wonderful, descriptive article.
Mary Jo Robertiello
Another labor of love
To The Editor:
Re “The birth of new Morton St. school is long overdue” (talking point, by Keen Berger, Aug. 8):
Judson Memorial Church is so proud of our member Keen Berger, who gives birth over and over again, this time to a school that will make our whole community proud! Congratulations, Keen. You’ve done it again. Fertility is your middle name.
Donna Schaper
‘Unbearably’ good article!
To The Editor:
Re “Poet riffs on life’s ironies in his ‘Divine Comedy’” (V Lit, July 25):
Lael Hines has done an excellent job in capturing Ron Kolm’s stream-of-consciousness style of thinking and speaking, and provides some useful context for appreciation of “Divine Comedy” — which is, indeed, quite possibly a unique piece of prosody. Well done!
Mike Lindgren
Slices of life cut like gems
To The Editor:
Re “Poet riffs on life’s ironies in his ‘Divine Comedy’” (V Lit, July 25):
Great piece. Ron’s a witty, amicable guy that anyone would love to hang out with. He’s also genuinely selfless and super-generous. His poems are dazzling — cut like gems out of the ordinary surreality that surrounds us. Bravo, Villager, for spotlighting one of our underground literary lions.
Jeff Wright
Rap on greyhound racers ridiculous
To The Editor:
Re “A racing school dropout, Lancer loves his new life” (Pet Set, Aug. 8):
The article states: “As racers, they don’t have a relationship with a human, and over the past three years he’s developed a personality. He didn’t know how to love.”
I really wish people would stop repeating ridiculous anti-racing statements such as this one. I am sure this greyhound’s adopters are lovely people, but they just believe the false information that an anti-racing group passed along.
If you want to take an anti-race stance, fine. But do some research and base it on truth, not the lies that have been perpetuated ad nauseam! Take a stand, but stand on facts and truth!
Collen Pluta
A very moving photo
To The Editor:
Re “Bathroom humor in the park” (photo, Aug. 8):
In what at times seems to be a humorless world, a little “bathroom” fun can go a long way. Keep up the good work!
Jim Sulen
E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 515 Canal St., Suite 1C, NY, NY 10013. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. The Villager does not publish anonymous letters.
