|
|
April 20, 2004 #
 Gimme an H... Steeling Beauty, Pt. XVII Downtown Do(u)c(he)umentarian, Lockhart Steele is at it again with his thoughts on new property construction, specifically plans for a dormitory resembling the UN adjacent to Tompkins Square Park. (Note: I had to send Mr. Steele several emails last week before he changed his spelling of "Thompkins Square Park" since no such place exists. Dude must be new to the area, everyone knows they got the good "H" out of that park back in the late '90s.) He labels the project "soul-ruining architecture" which is more than a bit odd given his admiration, or copulation, of the Surface Hotel -- a structure that is at the height (literally) of inconsistency with a neighborhood -- being built across the street from him on Rivington. Is this a bizarro case of "Only In My Frontyard" sentiment? God knows what makes this man tick but it appears he favors gentrification only when it blows-up within arm's reach. But really, what's wrong with a mini-UN in the East Village? Are they supposed to erect a shitty tenement building instead, complete with slanting floors and irregular heating? No, this will be a perfect symbol of a diverse, dynamic neighborhood. Would it not reflect the mixing of cultures living harmoniously under one roof as long as the dorm room dance parties end by 2am on weeknights? Seriously, please pass the peace pipe and let's all unite by rollerblading together without focusing on race, religion, or size of Stafford loan. Still, I am amazed Lockhart Steele is given a credible voice on these issues. I fear most people do not know the devil lurking behind those semi-retarded updates of block-by-block FreshDirect availability. In early February I was contacted by a writer for the New York Resident (the equivalent of a homeless-produced newsmagazine, only in this case the people are without brains or shame) who was doing a feature on Steele. I offer the following exchange to the public since my comments were cut and for that matter, the article was only in the print edition which means all of two people on the UWS spilled their coffee on it. Reporter: I'm working on a piece about Lockhart Steele and his blog for the New York Resident. I just read your "Open Letter to Lockhart Steele", a November post. The criticism of Steele was very interesting to me, particularly because all of the other NYC bloggers have praised Steele and his blog. I'd love to include an alternate point of view in my article. Could you share your thoughts about Lockhart Steele and his 'LES vision'? Steele says that he is "a cheerleader for change" in the LES. What are your thoughts on Steele's position? What do you like or dislike about his views, and his blog? What are your thoughts on Steele's (and his blog's) influence on issues affecting downtown? My reply: Lockhart Steele has indeed been a frequent target of mine when discussing Lower East Side development. His name alone is offensive to the immigrants who suffered through this neighborhood's harshest times. My problem with Steele comes from his sense of entitlement. Here's a privileged kid, the product of Northeast boarding schools and an Ivy League education, who arrives to NYC and moves to an "edgy" part of town that he insists on turning into Lower East Hampton. How he became an authority on the area is a mystery to me. His fascination with skin-a-re/max porn and too-haute-for-EV cuisine are the insult and bitchslap to the face of this neighborhood. Of course the "blogging community" rarely takes a public stand against another for that would break the "mutual appreciation" pact. (True, there are some major exceptions here when discussing certain topics but it's mostly monkey see-doo-doo, if you catch a wiff of my drift.) I doubt many of them actually share his "LES night-vision." Quite the opposite, actually. But you know, what can you do about it? There's no stopping Steele wheels in motion so you make friends and hope you get invited to the open-bar parties. Stay tuned for next week's episode "Gay or Lockhart Steele?" as I attempt to stick an olive branch in Lock's lychee martini. Archives "The Other Page" powered by Removable Hype. RSS. Copyright © 2003 La Otra Página, Inc. All nights observed. Feel free to email "info(at)krucoff.com" for questions, comments, stock tips, and family gossip. |
