We noted yesterday that longtime East Village activist John Penley was planning a weekend-long campout at the offices of developer Ben Shaoul's Magnum Real Estate on Broadway. The protest was happening, in part, due to the the recent revelations about actor-poet-writer Taylor Mead's living conditions during a gut renovation of the building he lives in on Ludlow Street. (Mead, a former Andy Warhol star, had lived in the rent-stabilized apartment for 34 years and wasn't leaving.)
However, late last night, word began to spread via Mead's friends and family that a buyout/relocation deal was in the works ... there was also talk that, in light of this, the campout should be cancelled.
So now, per Penley:
This is what I am proposing ... that out of respect for Taylor's family and attorney, we will cancel our protest at Magnum Real Estate ... but since this is all over the place and people are gonna show up, we will have a meeting about the situation especially about others affected by Shaoul and his sledgehammer. I will be there at 5 pm and wait for anyone who wants to come and we will have the meeting at a location not in front but down the street ... I have no doubt whatsoever that calling for this protest had an effect on any buyout deal for Taylor Mead, but since others are in the same position he is I think it would be wrong not to do anything at all. I also think ... others have a right to meet about what Shaoul has done to them.
The Facebook event has been changed to "Meeting on gentrification at HQ of Magnum Mgt Office of Ben Shaoul — NYC's worst real-estate developer."
[Image part of the Facebook event for the meeting]
15 comments:
a day late and a couple of dollars short. uh, the east village and lower east side are already gentrified, but thanks for asking John.
Ignore the market rate troll John. Plenty of people continue to get thrown out of their homes — like the former residents of 50-58 3rd St who now see their old apartments chopped in to $5k dorms.
If you are coming and can do it please bring food and coffee to share.
John, have you found a place to live? I hope you can get settled back in the East Village or nearby.
The apartments on 50-58 East 3rd Street are not dorm rooms. They're actually really damn nice and are being rented extremely fast.
And by the way, the former tenants were not thrown out of their homes. Their leases were not renewed which is the legal right of the landlord.
Anon, what is the square footage of the apts and /or bedrooms? I know they probably vary but can you give an example? Or rough estimate? Thanks.
I really pray that Taylor Mead is relocated. I used to live in that (ratty) Ludlow building and my roommate took care of his cat from time to time.
He is a shadow of a New York past and has managed to live 88 years, sometimes famous and sometimes not.
Let him have dignity.
Call it what you want, but you are not seeing the bigger piucture of an aging stabilization polulation in walkup buildings.
This is my final comment on the Curbed article The Sledgehammer. 100 comments so far...One thing for sure , for the most part, these comments show that most here have absolutely no sympathy for the poor and the elderly. I can't say I am surprised but at least my little action has generated a lot of back and forth on gentrification and the future of NYC. I do hope some of you who have participated here have a change of heart and develop some more humane lifestyles and at the very least tone down the effects of gut rehabs on the tenants who, for the most part, have lived in the old buildings you buy for years. I know the effects personally since I moved out of the East Village because the building I lived in was gut rehabbed for a year and I realized that I was thinking too much about doing harm to the new owners and I didn't want to go to jail. I am sure you all will remember this exchange into the future and well it is just possible that in the words of John Lennon " Instant karma's gonna get you" and something from the squatters "gentrification is class warfare".
What gives you the right to say someone has no sympathy for the elderly? I take care of not only my own family, but I regularly give both money and my time to charitable organizations working 1st hand with people in need, here and around the world. Helping actual people with actual causes, not wasting time on blogs organizing protests and meetings which will accomplish NOTHING (except maybe YOU will get some food and coffee form these people, and a few more Facebook “Friends”). Look what Lennon’s Karma got him. Hopefully you will choose to spend your time wiser, before your Karma gets YOU. Come on and join the human race…
ShitIEat.....thanks for using Lennon's assasination to make your point.....PURE fuckin' classy you.
And guessin' that SOMETHING that John had to say MIGHT have touched a nerve to have you sink so low. Worried that your veneer might be wearin' a little thin?
Or MAYBE if your SUCH an Oh-So-Angelic-Landlord you might want to align yourself with a movement that is OBVIOUSLY on the side of POWERLESS people trying to have a voice?
Oh, but that's right.....you would probably rather that ALL the tenants would shut the hell up, go back in their homes that YOU-YOU-YOU provide FOR them, and don't bother US, who REALLY know what's good for you.
To paraphrase your words, "Everything that YOU do will come back to YOU!"
Jake Gittes: How much are you worth?
Noah Cross: I have no idea. How much do you want?
Jake Gittes: I just wanna know what you're worth. More than 10 million?
Noah Cross: Oh my, yes!
Jake Gittes: Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What could you buy that you can't already afford?
Noah Cross: The future, Mr. Gittes! The future.
https://www.facebook.com/events/481158695285030/
Shit my tenants say.. Thank you for being a giver to the needy. If you think I do this for coffee and food you are not too bright and I asked for them not for me but for others attending the protest. That comment also was not directed at you wonder why you thought it was ?
Sh!tMyTenantsSAY,
If history has taught us nothing, it's that protest and organizations don't lead to social change. Well done.
And congrats on bragging about taking care of your family. You are a treasure.
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