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CactusBoyScout OP t1_izgs9ky wrote

That's because developers know the rich neighborhoods have a much higher chance of stopping projects. So they don't even try there.

Developers go for poorer neighborhoods because a) property is cheaper and b) the locals are far less likely to have the time/money to organize opposition to projects.

Rich neighborhoods will often pool their resources to hire lawyers, lobbyists, and preservationists to fight changes around them.

Hell, the UES has successfully blocked an accessibility elevator at an existing subway station for 10 years now... because of "neighborhood character."

The Seaport area has kept a parking lot from becoming housing through similar efforts.

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[deleted] t1_izgwx5m wrote

[deleted]

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mousekeeping t1_izh3ghe wrote

Think it's a bit ridiculous to say NIMBYism is a not a major feature of NYC life.

There is not a single homeless shelter or methadone clinic anywhere in Manhattan except Harlem, Wash Heights, and a few remaining holdouts in recently gentrified parts of Chelsea and the LES.

Unsurprisingly, the only new one proposed by the city in recent times was right in the middle of Chinatown despite the fact that Asian New Yorkers are the most victimized people in the city.

You know why that's where they want to put it - it's the cheapest place available in lower Manhattan, and already seen as overly dense, dirty, and chaotic. There is also a shortage of bilingual lawyers who can represent Chinatown residents which has been a problem for a while.

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30roadwarrior t1_izm3y08 wrote

Midtown west has severa methadone clinics, and open doors. Midtown East has Bellvue. The mess is spread evenly all over.

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