Monday, August 18, 2014

Not Here, Go Around the Corner

If you live in a posh place you expect to hang with posh people. And if the developer of your expensive building ,where you pay outlandish money to have the best, wants to cut costs by taking advantage of government programs which cut his cost-- you need some safeguards.

After all you paid a lot of money and those people living in some apartments, or condos, only live there because of those government programs.

In New York City where expensive high rises dot the downtown landscape there's a conundrum brewing. How, the developers ask, can we isolate the two groups of people?

One way-- have two different entrance ways. Only those who pay the full price may enter through the elegant splendrous sumptuous front door. Around the corner and out of sight --- the door for the other tenants.

Visualize having a dinner party and the two strata meet ? You might have to hone down your black tie list.


In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, sumptuary law required a fortune of at least two hundred pounds before you were allowed to wear lace, or have silver or gold embroidery on clothing items. Even buttons were banned to those without the appropriate monetary funds.

In time we moved beyond these regulations.

Now a few residents are questioning second class status in their own homes. Until the right agency figures out where to go and what to do, some buildings will continue to direct some of the building residents to enter -- around the corner.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Poor Door. Simply unbelievable in 2014. That may be the only time the two groups literally "rub elbows". That's good, for God's sake. If you never "rub elbows" you'll never get it - our joint humanity. They better do something about this! (explanation point necessary!!)
Marcia

August 18, 2014  

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