Customer Reviews

New York's Architectural Holdouts

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For anyone serious about studying humans in the urban environment, this is essential reading. The authors detail the sagas (and they often are) of individuals who owned strategically located bits of real estate and refused to sell their property to land developers eager to consume them in major projects. Sometimes you root for the holdout, sometimes you feel sorry for the misguided rebel. The writing can become a bit petulant when the authors fail to see the holdout's point of view (for at least one author progress is always on the side of the Donald Trumps of the world), but ultimately enough information is given to allow the reader to decide who was the wisest player in a particular scenario. This book also provides a look at 'New York buildings that aren't there anymore.'

Ever since the Kelo v. City of New London decision, more states and municipalities are abusing "eminent domain" to hand private property from one person to another private person for the flimsiest of reasons.

This work chronicles some of the quirky episodes of past New York City where diners and private homes (and other odd buildings) were suddenly surrounded by skyscrapers. It follows the cranks and principals, looks at both sides and has enough detail to satisfy most readers without bogging down. The personalities are colorful, sometimes a bit toned down, and the rapacious developers are not completely depicted as the greedy apes they are (probably in an attempt to be balanced and have a wider readership). This follows enough episodes so that you get a couple differing but similar stories, but this is by no means complete, and now a bit outdated.

Sadly, a lot of what is covered here are now vanished, but it makes for wonderful reading and a fascinating slice of the intricacies of a changing urban landscape, markets and capital, and those unpredictable human beings and the rights of property they should enjoy.

BTW, the New York Times stole the land for their headquarters. The Institute for Justice is fighting the abuse of eminent domain. Anyone interested in such topics needs this book, although the blueprint for stealing people's private property now isn't depicted here, some of the techniques are still the same.