Letters to the Editor

'Schumer Is Criticized By Prague, Poles, Romanians'

Senator Schumer should be commended for admitting to our failed policy viz-a-viz the former Soviet Union [New York, "Schumer Is Criticized By Prague, Poles, Romanians," June 6, 2008.]

It was difficult, considering how much President Clinton, along with other American policies, had to do with that failure. As we spoke reconciliation, we, with our European NATO allies, were only busy isolating Russia.

Now we have a huge problem, and Mr. Schumer is clearly searching for a way out.

DEBORAH FREEMAN
New York, N.Y.

'The Ikea That Never Was'

There are two flawed assumptions that Andrew Wolf makes in his pining for a lost Bronx Ikea: Firstly, that if Ikea had located in the Bronx or nearby New Rochelle, nirvana-like gentrification would follow [Oped, "The Ikea That Never Was," June 12, 2008].

The ABC carpet and home store, which the author cites, does nothing of the sort, as its gated parking lot and in-house coffee shop provided a buffer to the "real" Bronx when I visited with my carload of five recently.

Yes, Ikea would have attracted visitors from other boroughs, other worlds, but would they have stayed for lunch at the local hangouts? Most probably, not, and that leads to point no. 2.

The Bronx and Brooklyn differ structurally in that "brownstone" Brooklyn doesn't have the barriers to gentrification, i.e. public housing, that the Bronx has. Brooklyn is already flourishing with cafes and chic restaurants.

Does Elizabeth, N.J. boast a burgeoning gentry and cafe culture? Has traffic become a problem? Red Hook may regret what it wished for.

STEPHEN TANENBAUM
Brooklyn, N.Y.