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Recession or no, construction continues full throttle along the High Line’s yet undeveloped northern parts. Curbed recently reported on a giant hotel and condo complex that will take down a few of the existing low-rises and blue-collar businesses. There are gaping holes where more hotels will grow. Condos bloat and shoulder their way between leather bars and strip joints. Before we know it, the entire neighborhood as it currently exists will have vanished.

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Good news! 500-foot-rule strengthened by NY State–a neighborhood victory over the nightclub juggernaut. [Eater]

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Free outdoor movies off the beaten path.

Tables of books have now been replaced by giant, purple, crushed velvet couches…

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Slumming is a peculiar phenomenon - people work hard to improve their lives economically and socially, yet once established, some work just as hard to find and frequent the type of places that they endeavored so desperately to leave behind.
Or so it appears. There is a cache to slumming. The act of dumbing down ones choices for eating and playing, somehow confers authenticity and coolness. But I think what is actually happening is that this type of activity is limited to areas where others of like mind and age have settled. How many actually want to live among the poor, isolatedin a neighborhood with none oftheir peers? There are some, of course, who did move into uncharted territory and paved the way for others. I have always admired the spirit of these early pioneers.
In fact, it is debatable whether there can be any real slumming in Manhattan - virtually every neighborhood is fully gentrified, partially gentrified or populated by some variant of the downtown hipster. There are few neighborhoods left which are strictly the domain of the common, working class man or woman.
In the final analysis, a person of means can never really experience the life of the poor or the common man. If nothing else, knowing that one has options and is only a tourist in a disadvantaged world makes all the difference.
I was surprised to learn that slumming dates back to the late 1800s. According to a recent fascinating New York Times article, When Slumming Was the Thing to Do, the practice started in London and had versions in urban America, centered in Chicago and New York City.

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Life is so hard for the beautiful people–take a peek inside Delicatessen (aka Urine Roof Cafe) and its ultra-exclusive Model Lounge–for fashion models only. [via Eater]

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You’ve heard from the backside of the Coop. You’ve heard from the backside of the Thompson LES. Now, we’ve got another. Our source in the Thompson writes:

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