She was not a hundred percent sure about this story about Iggy Pop and the Christa Dora so for now I mention it and question it as East Village Folklore or fact?
Lenin created the gulags which were prison camps or concentration camps -- you pick the name for imprisoning and torturing people that did not agree with you or evoked paranoia. Who would think the Lower East Side would be forced to live with the image of Lenin high above us on a building that looks like an NYU dorm but Mike Rosen, a rich man, a developer who won't be moving it to his luxury apt. high above the community on the Christa Dora. I am guessing that anyone who admired Lenin's philosophies would have approved the Christa Dora's original use rather than it's present one unless they are limousine communists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gulag_Archipelago
You can read Steve Cohen's thoughts and I would like to ask him what he thinks of the Red Square with Lenin on it on Houston Street.
Please note that Mike Lenin Red Square Rosen had a front page piece like Amanda Burden in The New York Times, from "Projects to Penthouses" and just like some people do not mind the statue of Lenin, they are people very pleased with his him helping the community.
NYU also does good deeds as well which I noted very advertised in The Villager before I stopped reading it because they cut out my demand for community facilities when I spoke honoring Filomena Silvestri.
I do agree with the many voices that say the Christa Dora owes the community a community facility. I also believe NYU, the evil empire of the East Village and all of
"higher ed. that supersizes and occupies the area owes the community facilities in all their mega dorms including NY Law. How amazing law students occupy a mega dorm with balconies on 3rd Street like could have been inspired by the Red Square and these future lawyers should have to walk past a store front community in their supersized building that offers legal support for the poor and middle classes. That would be good.
I refer to NYU as the evil empire of the East Village because NYU mega dormed the East Village to death, the purple reign of terror with their purple flags symbolizing how they have bought up the majority of New York City or leased it and using their not for profit status.
My friends correct me and say NYU is the Evil Empire period!
Cooper Union, The New School, New York Law, SVA all jumped on the NYU mega dorm the East Village to death band wagon!!!!!! The river of mega dorms down 3rd Avenue become sky piercing hotels on the Bowery all for people just visiting!
NY Law Dorm and NYU mega dorms are so massive, sky piercing and do not fit in with anything in the East Village but are crammed with high volume of people where little to no people lived like St. Ann's and NY Law dorm which was a one story garage which I believe further endangers the community with infrastructure and environmental concerns as well.
NYU and all those that jumped on the supersize the area band wagon have never answered questions regarding these concerns and I gather they feel if they attach state of the art infrastructure to the delipidated infrastructure down the street, around the corner or the water or sewage pipes break from the vibrations of their zone busting builds it is not their fault and just like everything else they can defer the costs on to the community and better yet if they community can't rebound from the water main breaks or the rise in costs of living etc and are forced to move that means more room for college kids, etc.
At least we aren't being sent to gulags but many of us are being forced out and not just with many different creative way landlords use eviction....
It would be nice to have community facilities that help the community in all these buildings that use the term community facility or had a history of serving the community before they became symbols of gentrification.
