Submitted by Carolyn Williams, Oct 25, 2007 09:58

Since when is Manhattan the exclusive terroritory of the wealthy? When did it stop being a vibrant mix of neighborhoods with people of various incomes, races, socio-economic backgrounds and become a recluse for those who desire "prime real estate"? If the current administration and the real estate developers continue in this vein, is it so far fetched that people will need ID cards to enter Manhattan in the near future? With congestion pricing, and the Bloomberg administration hawking PUBLIC street parking permits for residents that live below 96th Street - will those of us who have lived here all our lives be allowed to travel to and from Manhattan without special permission? Will the outer boroughs be the only place where middle income people of color can live because the majority don't have incomes to afford "prime real estate" prices in "valuable neighborhoods"? I say that every neighborhood in NYC is valuable and prime.

Does everyone forget that the projects on upper Park Avenue, Chelsea and the East River were put there in the first place because poor people were displaced (during our Urban Renewal period) so that richer people could claim the areas where they were living? There are other solutions that can assist NYCHA in meeting its funding crisis without creating an enclave for the rich. What makes this city great is the ability of people rich, poor, black and white, to co-exist - making a living as each one can, while contributing to the culture and vibrancy that makes this the greatest city in the world.

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