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Especially for Manhattan which supposedly home to those better off (at least below 96th street anyway).
Am asking because more and more both by my own observations and or speaking with others it seems though many live in nice buildings, drive late model cars, and so forth, that is in general present themselves as being firmly middle class or better, it is all a front. Many seem to be in just as desperate or precarious financial situations as the supposed "poor".
Have been saying for months now that the persons you seen digging through supermarket, or whatever garbage are *not* always homeless, but people who have apartments/housing. Not shelter or so forth, but market rate or maybe RS/RC apartments.
For about a year now have been seeing this middle-aged white woman in a dark coat with hoodie always digging through garbage up and down the UES from 86th down to 72nd. Agata and Valentina, Morton Williams (72nd), Associated (First and 81st), Starbucks (York and 80th and pretty much every single one on the UES in above range), D'agostinos (York and 80th), and so it goes.
Since she's out there all hours of the night we assumed the lady was homeless, *WRONG*.
Went to a drinks/dinner party at a friend's place who lives at The Carriage House (large luxury condo building on 80th between York and East End), the other night. The thing ran late and as we last stragglers were leaving around 1AM reaching the lobby we had to wait for doorman to unlock front door. Guess who was on the other side waiting to be let in? The "homeless" woman who have been seeing digging though garbage for months now. And yes, she had a large Duane Reade shopping bag you could see was full of "ahem" groceries.
A few we were with did a double take, and were like "I've seen that woman before...". Then we all put two together....
Since the doorman let her in, and greeted using her Christian name, not to mention the fact she got into elevator and went upstairs tells she obviously lives in that building.
Now 510 East 80th isn't by any means "poor" housing. So if someone who lives in such a place is having financial issues enough that they are "dumpster diving" for food, that is saying something.
Some of us are skating on such thin ice just making it, but can't scrape enough to get OUT. It's scary, especially for those of us without any family support.
Truth be told no one gives a crap about us people with zero children. That's fine. But don't be shocked when we all become zombified (as u can see these days with the uptick in the heroin addiction). Not me, I won't go that route, but damn, it's rough out there for people STUCK here with no support network.
Are YOU doing anything to help this or are you just being a poverty peeper pervert tho, that's the question.
Also a lot of people who raid the food pantries, raid the free stuff from chuches, etc are functional drug addicts and prefer to use their discretionary income on, well, drugs. it's disgusting and they are taking away food from people who truly need it. Can you report this person? It's disgusting, but not at all shocking. People often double and triple up on their subsidies so they can save their cash for more lucrative stuff you can't buy legally.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again... To make it in this city you have to have a household income under $25k per year and/or have a slew of screaming kids or have a household income over $200k. Anywhere in between and you are screwed. Fact!
NYC is no place for the middle class, especially Manhattan.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again... To make it in this city you have to have a household income under $25k per year and/or have a slew of screaming kids or have a household income over $200k. Anywhere in between and you are screwed. Fact!
NYC is no place for the middle class, especially Manhattan.
While that may be more so true for newcomers, that statement is far from "fact." For instance, if you were able to buy before property values really exploded all throughout the city (as my folks were able to do), that statement doesn't apply to you; property being the largest expense of most New Yorkers. And this doesn't even get into the many, many residents who live in rent-stabilized housing.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again... To make it in this city you have to have a household income under $25k per year and/or have a slew of screaming kids or have a household income over $200k. Anywhere in between and you are screwed. Fact!
NYC is no place for the middle class, especially Manhattan.
True, I'll give you that. But 510 East 80th is a high end condo building. If you are that hard up for money why not sell, take your profits, move somewhere else, and live very well on the proceeds?
If the alternative is competition with vermin and the truly homeless/poor for your food, am not sure keeping a NYC address is worth the bother. Especially when your nightly "grocery shopping" is literally across the street from where you live. Don't know about the rest of you, but I'd die of shame if while digging through that garbage someone who lives or works in my building passed.
Your post touches on something else; know many of the supermarket managers/workers in my area for ages. When talking they comment about the various "dumpster divers" who roll up and dig through rubbish. You have people driving late model luxury cars (BMW, Mercedes Benz, Lexus) pulling up and going through supermarket garbage. That is something also cannot understand. You can pay the note on a car but cannot afford food?
While that may be more so true for newcomers, that statement is far from "fact." For instance, if you were able to buy before property values really exploded all throughout the city (as my folks were able to do), that statement doesn't apply to you; property being the largest expense of most New Yorkers. And this doesn't even get into the many, many residents who live in rent-stabilized housing.
Yeahbut assessed values are going through the roof. So yes if you bought back in the day you may have gotten a really great deal, but now your home is worth more. This is a two-edged sword; on the one hand people are getting hammered with property taxes (which only go one way, up... *LOL*), but they can also sell and get themselves a nice bit of change.
Yeahbut assessed values are going through the roof. So yes if you bought back in the day you may have gotten a really great deal, but now your home is worth more. This is a two-edged sword; on the one hand people are getting hammered with property taxes (which only go one way, up... *LOL*), but they can also sell and get themselves a nice bit of change.
Its worth more, but property taxes are still pretty low in NYC. My parents bought their house for around $200,000 in 1999. Today, it would sell for around $1,500,000 based on comps on the block, but its assessed value is nowhere near that amount of money (last I checked, it was still assessed at under $600,000).
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