New York's Architectural Holdouts

Rating:
Summary: chronicling the courageous and the cranky
Review: For anyone serious about studying humans in the urban environment, this is essential reading. The authors detail the sagas (and they often are) of individuals who owned strategically located bits of real estate and refused to sell their property to land developers eager to consume them in major projects. Sometimes you root for the holdout, sometimes you feel sorry for the misguided rebel. The writing can become a bit petulant when the authors fail to see the holdout's point of view (for at least one author progress is always on the side of the Donald Trumps of the world), but ultimately enough information is given to allow the reader to decide who was the wisest player in a particular scenario. This book also provides a look at 'New York buildings that aren't there anymore.'