New construction on 15th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues requires a delicate touch. A gap between two brownstones where a new building is going up has a tree smack in front of it and the construction crane snapped off branches. Residents were not pleased.
I talked to one long time resident of the block who pointed to the work materials that the construction company was made to remove a few days ago. But the materials had been put back and were left overnight. He considered it a public nuisance because it obstructed the sidewalk and street and thought it might also be illegal. Another long time resident told me he had lived on the block since 1937. His family's multi-room railroad apartment originally rented for $13.50 a month. "I still have the receipts," he said. His landlord would love to have him move out. In fact, they offered him $5.000 to leave. He laughed at the thought. Even if they did offer him a market rate for his apartment, "Where would I go?" he said.
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